Shay Given believes 'shambolic' FAI managerial hunt has set the Ireland team back
Ireland legend Given hopes new boss Hallgrimsson can turn fortunes around but fears he has 'a mountain to climb'
Shay Given believes the FAI’s 'shambolic' managerial hunt is why the Ireland team is in a tailspin.
And while the former goalkeeper has sympathy for new boss Heimir Hallgrimsson, he warned that his honeymoon period is already over.
Hallgrimsson lost to England and Greece in his first two games since succeeding Stephen Kenny after a mind-bending 231-day search.
READ MORE:Heimir Hallgrimsson claims 'Ireland jersey is too heavy for some players'
READ MORE: Familiar failing returns to sting Ireland as they lose to Greece again
The FAI originally wanted a new manager in place back in February, and certainly for the March and June friendlies, but couldn’t get it over the line.
And Given has blasted the wasted opportunity not to have a permanent boss in place for those four matches against Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary and Portugal.
Hallgrimsson was Jamaica gaffer at the time, but Given said: “The whole process of getting the manager in place was, I don’t know what the right word is….shambolic.
“Hallgrimsson will have to take criticism as well because the manager picks the team and the systems.
“But the bigger picture is the appointment of the whole thing. It's ridiculous how long it took.”
Given continued: “Before the England game, the place was buzzing and the stadium was rocking.
“It was like ‘wow this is the start of a new era’, but four days later we're sitting here and wondering what the hell is happening?.”
Assessing the fallout from the two Nations League games, Given said: “We’d have had a better chance with a manager who had the friendlies, but I feel for the guy.
“He’s lost his first two competitive games and that puts him on the back foot straight away with the fans. It’s not the perfect start. But the preparation hasn’t been ideal.”
And Given added: “231 days to get someone in place was way too long. It's madness really. Be it the right guy, the wrong guy, whoever you want to pick, get him in earlier.”
Given cuts to the chase when he says ‘it’s hard to look at any positives’ after Ireland’s back-to-back slumps against England and Greece.
Yet the former goalkeeper - capped 134 times - has refused to lay blame on the players and insists they are good enough to get back on track under Hallgrimsson.
The new Ireland boss has admitted that confidence is low among a squad that is now well versed in the art of not winning matches.
And he pinpointed various aspects of their performance where a team with more belief would have posed more questions of England, and seen off Greece.
Given fears the FAI’s drawn out managerial hunt for Kenny’s successor has left the team playing catch-up.
But while the jury will remain out on Hallgrimsson until he gets a run of games under his belt, Given insists the players have quality - if they manager can unlock it.
“I actually said before the manager was appointed, that whoever got the job has a group of players that I think is good enough to do well,” said Given yesterday.
“I look at the Greek team and I look at our team and I don't think I'd swap many Greek players for our team and I genuinely mean that.
“Is it a confidence thing, a results thing? I don't know what it is, but there’s a nucleus of a good team there.”
Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Greece may have been a tipping point for this team.
Frustrations came to the boil after a return of nine wins in their last 43 competitive games - and four of those were against Gibraltar.
Matt Doherty, for instance, was booed by a section of the support when he came on during the second-half.
And after the match, Hallgrimson admitted the weight of the jersey may be too much for some of the players to shoulder.
Given said: “That's where this team is at the minute. The fans are getting a bit fed up. I feel for the fans,and the players because they want us to be successful.
“We want to be sitting here talking about four points and we're on the up and looking forward to next month, but that's not the case.
“It's not the Irish fans that I played under for so many years, it's just frustration and there’s a generation of Irish fans that has probably not seen us win many games.
“I grew up with the Jack Charlton era and qualifying for major tournaments. The fans are frustrated but the bigger picture is the FAI and the appointment.”
Given was involved with Ireland for 20 years between 1996 and 2016 but doesn’t recall any players in that time feeling weighed down by the shirt.
Asked about that particular Hallgrimsson observation of the current crop, Given said: “It was more a privilege and an honour, but I can understand where he's coming from.
“Going back to results and the stats, maybe it’s playing on the lad's mind and the confidence when they go a goal behind.
“But against Greece, they didn’t play that bad and in the first-half they were good, albeit I don’t remember the goalkeeper making that many saves.
“But when Greece scored - and I think that goal was avoidable - it feels like the fans and players are just (slouched shoulders) instead of rolling your sleeves up.
“I’m not sure it can get much worse if I’m being brutally honest. We’re at the start of another campaign, two games in and with a mountain to climb.
“It’s a repeat of the last couple of campaigns and I don’t think it can get much worse.
“People say where do we go, the players aren’t good enough, but I actually think they are good enough.
“So they have to believe in themselves and batten down the hatches but again the whole process of getting the manager in place was….shambolic.”
Like everyone else with an interest in Irish football, Given had to Google Hallgrimsson when he was announced as Ireland manager in July.
But should it matter that the players who are now playing for him wouldn’t have known who he was either?
“Part of me sees why he’s been brought in from what he did at Iceland. Their ranking improved and they were stubborn against the bigger nations.,” said Given.
“There’s a picture there. Patience is the word to be used with the manager. But the honeymoon period is over after two games.
“After Tuesday’s match he was angry and upset in the press conference, saying he’s not a good loser. That’s all the stuff you want to hear from your manager.”
But Given doesn’t believe Hallgrimsson’s approach has been perfect and questioned why he handed so many duties to assistant John O’Shea and coach Paddy McCarthy.
“When a new guy who doesn’t know the players comes in, in my opinion you’ve got to step up and go “I’m the manager and we’re doing it my way”. His approach is different.
“But I’m like the fans, by being doom and gloom after losing two games. That’s a natural reaction after losing to Greece.
“We’re not asking for miracles. I’m frustrated watching it and talking about it.
“But all managers - be it Heimir Hallgrimsson or someone else - know it’s the same, that if results don’t go well they get the brunt of it.”
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