The problems that afflict the Republic of Ireland under their new manager Heimir Hallgrímsson are well known to his predecessors. And to the public.
Losing 2-0 to Greece in Dublin is so familiar that it will get lost in history; a nightmarish 15-month period when the same Greek team beat the same Irish team on three occasions.
“Nobody said it would be easy,” Hallgrímsson admitted. “This confidence thing, the jersey feels too heavy for some players, and they cannot play like they do for their clubs.
“Confidence comes with knowing your teammate. If you do something you know your teammate will cover you.
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“[It will get better] when the players start to take decisions quicker, like the English players [last Saturday], they all knew what the other was going to do.
“This hesitation allows our opponents to take advantage.
“It is not about finding new players, it is about being consistent,” he continued. “The solution is to find the players, to find the connection and do it quick, because at this level the slightest mistake can cost you the game.
“Confidence is lacking,” confirmed Hallgrímsson after the latest Nations League campaign began with two defeats, no goals scored and four conceded against England and Greece across a miserable three days.
Collectively, since 2012, the men’s senior team have lost 21 of 22 games against countries ranked above them.
“From this game to England I saw a much better performance. I hope you saw the organisation working until the first Greece goal.
“We should have been 1-0 up at half-time. It was a magnificent strike [by Chiedozie Ogbene]. Their goal changed the game completely.
“I am really sore loser, I hate losing, so I am not the happiest man in Ireland at the moment, and I share that with a lot of fans, who are also unhappy.”
Hallgrímsson has been down this road before. The Icelander needed eight outings as Jamaica manager before beating Trinidad 4-1 in June 2023.
“Winning is a habit but unfortunately losing is too. I can kind of sense that there’s a lack of confidence in this team, we only needed to give them a sniff of a chance, the first chance of a goal and they scored.
“That’s what happens to a team without confidence, they concede in that manner.”
After an impressive start by Hallgrímsson’s newly-shaped Ireland XI, with Sammie Szmodics and Ogbene looking dangerous, Fotis Ioannidis scored from distance five minutes after half-time.
“He was too open, we should press instead of dropping off and give him the chance to shoot. For sure, we can improve in these areas as time goes on.”
The long-suffering Irish fan will struggle to believe him, having watch 11 goals from long range fly past Gavin Bazunu and Caoimhín Kelleher since 2021.
“I was really pleased at half time as our structure nullified what Greece were doing. I said [to the players] don’t give them a chance to score.”
Helsinki next, to face a Finland side that lost 2-0 to England on Tuesday night, and a return to Athens before Wembley in November.
Far from easy.
