Make Ireland Hate Again: Heimir Hallgrimsson reveals blueprint for success
Heimir Hallgrímsson is ready to turn Ireland into a team that no one wants to face.
Heimir Hallgrímsson says the key to success for Ireland is to transform the team into one that everyone else hates to play against.
The Boys in Green boss reckons Irish players are at their best when they are on the front foot and are getting in opponents’ faces.
So that’s his message ahead of Sunday night’s Nations League clash with Greece.
READ MORE: Ireland newcomer reveals Heimir Hallgrimsson’s message to him ahead of first competitive start
READ MORE: John O’Shea’s former teammate makes Ireland case for Scottish Premiership based prospect
He believes his players can take one lesson from Thursday’s opponents Finland, who put it up to Ireland in the physical stakes before losing to Robbie Brady’s late strike.
“I really don’t care if we are easy to analyse if we are difficult to play against,” he said, when asked about how predictable the Boys in Green had become in recent years.
“I said that about Finland. Finland is a pretty easy team to analyse, they are consistent in what they are doing, they are just good at it and that is why they are difficult to play against - and I want us to be… I would like us to be a team like that, that people hate to play against.”
He is demanding an aggressive performance from his players on Sunday night in Olympiacos’s Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, 20 minutes from Athens.
A repeat of Ireland’s sluggish start against Finland would be punished, he insisted, by a Greece side fresh from their win over England on Thursday.
“There were some moments in the game where we didn’t play well and we need to reduce these moments where we play nearly… we don’t play on our front foot,” he said.
“Ireland play their best when we play on the front foot, when they are organised, when they can fight, when they can take duels, when they play forward, I feel that is our best moments.
“Our structure…you know hesitation is not the Irish team’s strength. You just need to find ways to improve those things, being organised, being more solid, or consistent in what we are doing.
“I feel like we are taking steps, coaches always like to take big steps but in reality it’s small steps and being more focused on what we need to improve. And just take decisions quicker, and react quicker to the decisions.”
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
