1 week Ago By Irishexaminer.com
Finland brought their nippy Nordic climate with them to Lansdowne Road but a sunny outlook is being promised by Ireland. Heimir Hallgrimsson knows all about cold snaps from his Icelandic upbringing and by snapping Ireland’s losing streak in Helsinki last month the Ireland manager has at least avoided skating off course early in his tenure. A proper assessment of his initial phase as boss will be opportune after Sunday’s concluding fixture against England.
Of paramount importance, however, is ensuring the credit accrued from the first meeting with the Finnish isn’t eroded to leave them requiring a result at Wembley to dodge the drop into League C. Hallgrimsson estimates he’s shorn of 10 players through injury for this third and final double-header of the campaign, specifically emphasising the need to compensate for the absence of ever-presents Robbie Brady and Chiedozie Ogbene. Where he does foresee Ireland improving from their last assignment, the now customary 2-0 defeat to Greece four weeks ago, is the cohesion between his attackers.
All have hit recent form in different ways. Evan Ferguson is sufficiently trusted by Fabian Hürzeler to start for Brighton and Hove Albion, with his first goal for seven months welcome, while Sammie Szmodics has freewheeled into camp fresh from his overhead kick goal against Tottenham Hotspur. A tier below in the Championship, Finn Azaz expanded his haul to three goals in four games with a brace for Middlesbrough on Friday while Troy Parrott continues to illuminate the Eredivisie with his firepower for AZ Alkmaar.
Ogbene’s unavailability raises the prospect of that fab four starting a match Ireland don’t have to win for their relegation fate to be decided by a playoff in March instead of automatically. At home against the team anchored to the bottom of the four-team pool, Ireland can expect to enjoy greater territorial dominance than in Athens. That aspect appears to be angling Hallgrimsson towards the quartet, albeit a late fitness check on Festy Ebosele will determine if there’s a readymade replacement for Obgene to provide the pace.
Stoke City’s prolific striker Tom Cannon, awaiting his competitive debut, is another option and there is the possibility of the traditional 4-4-2 formation being revived. “We can see in the numbers from Brighton how well Evan is progressing,” the manager said about Ferguson’s quest for optimal match sharpness after a six-month layoff. “Playing two strikers is something I like – giving you options that you don’t see much in the game today – but it depends on the opposition and will it be like Greece having more possession.
“It’s something we need to be flexible on because we have other ways of hurting teams by playing with one striker. “When Ireland used two up front, it was usually a big one and a quick one. Evan and Troy are kind of a combination of those.
“With Finn, he’s played more or less in the same No 10 position all the time at Middlesbrough. He finds runners in space with clever passes and scores himself. I think that’s his position, higher up the pitch where he uses his strength and creativity.
” It doesn’t concern the manager that those responsible for supplying the service behind reside at a lower level. Josh Cullen is a certain midfield inclusion, likely to be partnered by fellow Championship candidates Jason Knight or Jayson Molumby. Hallgrimsson added: “The ultimate goal is having all our players playing in the Premier League, even the Champions League against the best players, but you can still be a key player in the national team operating in the Championship or lower.
“I think Championship level is improving in quality – and they play regularly. “Is it better to be playing every week in the Championship or in the Premier League on the bench playing a few minutes? That is different from player to player.” Finland, he envisages, will apply a patient approach.
Not since Ireland beat Scotland two years ago has there been a competitive home win of note, only plenty of defeats to deepen deflation in the Lansdowne stands. “Finland coming to Dublin with a win as their priority gives us an advantage,” the manager observed. “They will probably, at one point or another, need to take more risks so we must be clever in that sense.
” Cleverness to keep out the cold is the ideal forecast..
