FAI's David Courell happy to conduct reviews
FAI CEO David Courell says he is happy to lead a review into the performance of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson if a replacement for outgoing chief football officer Marc Canham is not in place before the climax of Ireland's World Cup campaign in the autumn.
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The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Wales suffer dramatic World Cup qualifying defeat to Belgium after fightback
WALES SUFFERED A dramatic 4-3 World Cup qualifying defeat to Belgium as their incredible comeback from three goals down eventually proved in vain. Kevin De Bruyne was the Belgium match-winner two minutes from time to deny Wales a precious point in Brussels. Belgium had seized complete control inside 27 minutes as Romelu Lukaku, with a controversial penalty, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku silenced the loud 4,500-strong following from Wales. But Harry Wilson gave Wales hope from the spot on the stroke of half-time, and cool finishes from Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson turned the tie on its head. Almost every goal had a laborious VAR check and a late Lukaku effort was chalked off – resulting in both Wales manager Craig Bellamy and his Belgium counterpart Rudi Garcia being booked – but there was no saving the visitors as De Bruyne volleyed home at the far post. Wales had lost top spot in Group J before kick-off courtesy of North Macedonia's win in Kazakhstan. Bellamy's unbeaten record would also disappear – exactly a year to the day since Wales had lost for the last time – in his 10th game in charge. It was a duel between familiar foes with this being their 11th meeting in 13 years. Neco Williams was absent after being taken off on a stretcher in Friday's victory over Liechtenstein, and Bellamy made three changes with Chris Mepham, David Brooks and Jordan James recalled. Aston Villa midfielder Tielemans led a Belgian team who featured several faces well known to Premier League fans. Bellamy had promised a bold approach and Thomas was positive in the first minute to deliver a cross into the six-yard box that no-one in the middle could get on the end of. Advertisement Brennan Johnson of Wales celebrates after scoring the team's third goal . Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo But Wales crumbled in the space of 12 minutes after Johnson was adjudged to have handled De Bruyne's powerful shot. It appeared a harsh decision as Johnson's arm was close to his body, but Lukaku rolled the penalty home with ease. Belgium worked an overload down the right four minutes later and Maxim De Cuyper found Tielemans, who stroked the ball high past Karl Darlow in the Wales goal. Matz Sels instantly denied David Brooks one-on-one at the other end, and the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper shovelled aside Ben Davies' follow-up effort. But Belgium menaced with every attack and Doku broke clear to set up De Bruyne, who was inches away from adding another. Doku's footwork had dazzled and Wales had no answer when the Manchester City winger cut inside Davies. Darlow got a hand to the low shot, but could not prevent it from crossing the line. De Cuyper and Leandro Trossard were booked for cynical fouls on Johnson as Wales revived, and the visitors were given hope in first-half stoppage time. Sels made contact with Mepham's head as he attempted to fist away a Thomas corner and Wilson claimed his 14th international goal from the penalty spot. Dodi Lukebakio missed a sitter within seconds of his half-time arrival and Belgium were punished when Wilson spotted Thomas unmarked on the left. The new Stoke signing kept his composure to fire under Sels for his first Wales goal. Wales wanted more and substitute Mark Harris sent a golden chance wide. Johnson nodded the leveller after Thomas had headed Wilson's cross back across goal, but De Bruyne had the final word to break Welsh hearts.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Pat Dolan: Heimar Hallgrimsson is set apart by his emotional intelligence
Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in the world, nice place to go, but do you know what, we have a job to do. That is what has been important about Heimir Hallgrimsson, he recognises that when you are employed as an Irish manager - and it is the same in any sport - it is a results-oriented job. We know he is not one of the sexy managers around Europe, he is never likely to get a Premier League job but for me his biggest strength has been his emotional intelligence, that is having the ability to control your emotions and not get too up or too down. And if you want the shorthand, catchy phrase, emotional intelligence is thinking that so-and is a gobsh!te but not telling him... So in terms of Emotional Intelligence he would be top of the class in the Premier League and that is a big boost when he is the Irish manager. Because basically these players know that win, lose or draw, there will be logic in his reactions. That and a total commitment to not try and fool the Irish public that we have to play like Brazil but manage the bleeding obvious and understand we must work to our strengths. Just look at England last Saturday, going to Andorra ranked 173 in the world - only marginally higher than my aunt Dora - and they got themselves into a real pickle and left with a lot of more questions than answers. Compared to Andorra, Luxembourg are ranked at 91 and they are a far better team than that number suggests, they are almost world beaters among the minnows! And if you don't believe me just ask Sweden who went to Luxembourg in March and got beaten 1-0. Heimir Hallgrimsson knows therefore that this match is important to continue the feelgood factor around a camp that is quietly building an identity that will dictate how successful we can be and part of that identity is being humble and being honest enough to admit if we are horrible to play against but winning games we are doing something right. Sometimes when you have a population that is the size of Ireland's, that's the reality of not just football but life because there is nothing wrong with being the best version of yourself. Not because of ability but because of a desperation and hunger to succeed, that's what Heimar Hallgrimsson has beneath that calm demeanour - and he has that in bucketloads. All the nonsense about Ireland teams having to play beautiful football was just so full of dishonesty, confusion, doubt because in modern football you have to pass the football, you have to keep it, they are the basics. But what defines success is what you do with possession. Just look at England in the RCDE stadium in Andorra, they had 83 per cent possession yet there was no feelgood factor coming off the pitch. With Ireland we tend to get our feelgood from what we do with the ball in terms of scoring goals, creating and stopping goals and this makes the difference between a successful team and one that's not. This is what going to Luxembourg is about; the first aim is to start with a clean sheet and while we might not have kept a clean sheet in our last four games and only kept one in our last six. But when you have goalkeeping talent as good as ours, where Caoimhin Kelleher and Gavin Bazunu are such shining lights and we have got lots of others coming through. For any Irish football team having a good keeper and a good defence is absolutely vital. And when you look at a player who is such a monster of an individual and a monster of a man like Jake O'Brien who has yet to be tested as a first choice in the team, it gives you even more hope. What character Jake has on display, he has just turned 24 years-of-age and after starting with Youghal United and Lakewood Athletic he got a break following starring at Cork City. Moving to Crystal Palace his career never really took off as an Eagle and the games he played were on loan to Swindon Town and in Belgium where he won his first trophy - clinching promotion to their top flight - which, in turn, got him a big move to Lyon. Now an Everton player, there was an initially sticky period at the Toffees, remember he is 6'6" and was seen primarily as a centre-half at first but it wasn't until David Moyes found a place for him at right-back that he ended the season in great form and great shape. That's why it is clear that whilst everyone loves to tell us we haven't the players, the fact is that Jake O'Brien has simply yet to establish himself in the Irish team, exposes that myth. You don't have to have world class players as an Irish manager to build an organised and competitive team and, do you know what, over-achievement is what every Irish team needs to achieve. When you look at the options we have at the top of the pitch where, obviously, Troy Parrott and Evan Ferguson will feature and where Adam Idah got the nod against Senegal, we are a fortunate country. I love Adam Idah, I just wish that when you see him interviewed that there is more joy and energy in his answers and maybe Heimir Hallgrimsson's calm and honest approach to managing Ireland is sometimes the difference between succeeding and failing at the job. He is not talking about how good the players might become but, clearly, making them better and turning Adah into not just a young player with potential but a good one. Adam is still only 24 and after a tough time at Norwich City it is not easy going to Celtic as there is so much focus and pressure. We should be celebrating this young Irishman who has won two league titles, an SFA cup and a League with Celtic, that's not you look at potential there is Troy Parrott who had a decent time in Holland with AZ Alkmaar. And then Evan Ferguson who is such a decent young man and decent player but who hasn't had a decent time anywhere is still only 20 years of age and yet he has already got 21 caps and already got five goals for his country. Take out Robbie Keane and you haven't had many international goals at 20 years of age. That's why Heimir Hallgrimsson is getting more from Evan is going to be crucial. And wouldn't it be great if this started against Luxembourg because we don't need Evan to get back to being a '€100m' he produces the form that makes him worth half that money that will do! I also said last week what a massive fan I am of Killian Phillips, the King of Kilbarrack. - wouldn't it be great if he gave Roddy Doyle something to write about. When we talk of the Jake O'Briens and Killian Phillips, they don't just have the character and the physicality, two things that the Ireland team used to be famous for. That's why what I want to see in Luxembourg this evening, not just a clean sheet and physicality - and while Heimir Hallgrimsson has said we will never be the best team in the world - let's use that strength and physicality in our play. Because whether you are Real Madrid or Barcelona or Youghal United or Kilbarrack Utd, a set-piece goal counts for just as much as the sensational ones that Troy Parrott, Evan Ferguson and Adam Ida can deliver for their country. There is a job to be done tonight and we have got to make sure that we, once again, become that Ireland team that finds a way to get the job done.
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Preview: Fresh faces jostle for a chance in Luxembourg
The mere mention of Luxembourg is enough to send shivers down the spines of Republic of Ireland supporters, but the last time these countries met actually went pretty well for the Boys in Green. Goals from Shane Duffy, Chiedozie Ogbene and Callum Robinson helped Stephen Kenny' men to a 3-0 away win in their final game of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, as a rocky year ended on a genuine high. "There's more to come," Kenny declared afterwards. Alas, it proved to be one of the sweeter moments of his tenure. Kenny was always trying to escape the shadow of his lowest moment in charge: the 1-0 loss to Luxembourg at Aviva Stadium earlier in that campaign. With no supporters present due to Covid restrictions, Gerson Rodrigues lashed home the only goal of the game. That was in March 2021, four years and three years ago. Much has changed. Heimir Hallgrimsson is the man holding the reins now, and he's been happy to praise a lot of the work Kenny did; chiefly his willingness to blood young talent. "It was a big, brave decision to do that as we're benefiting from a lot of players who now have 20-plus caps for Ireland," Hallgrimsson said a couple of weeks ago. The Icelander is a cool customer. He exudes the calm of an outsider; someone not emotionally invested in the politics of Irish football and thick-skinned enough to block out the noise. He's also got enough decent results under his belt now to kindle that most delicate of flames among Ireland fans: belief. Friday's 1-1 draw against an admittedly weakened Senegal offered more positives after March's Nations League promotion/relegation play-off slaying of Bulgaria. All roads, of course, lead to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers which begin with a September double-header against Hungary (home) and Armenia (away). "Everybody's fit... everybody wants to play," Hallgrimsson confirmed yesterday. That includes Bosun Lawal who was added to the squad on Monday. The 22-year-old Stoke City man, blighted by injuries last season, can operate as a defensive midfielder or centre-back. He was called in because Josh Honohan and Jack Taylor were slight doubts after Friday's 1-1 draw against Senegal. Both players trained on Monday. Taylor, Kasey McAteer and Killian Phillips all got runouts four days ago, with Hallgrimsson promising to give other fresh faces a shot tonight. Troy Parrott sat out the Senegal game as he recovered from a bug but is in line to get some minutes, while the likes of Jake O'Brien, Evan Ferguson and Festy Ebosele will hope for involvement from the start. Meanwhile Shamrock Rovers defender Honohan and imposing Reims 21-year-old John Joe Patrick Finn are sure to be anxiously waiting for the nod to potentially make their senior debuts. Hallgrimsson has been talking up Luxembourg's threat, pointing to their 1-0 friendly win against Sweden in March. However all is not serene in the opposition camp. They were poor in a defeat 1-0 to Slovenia last Friday, but that was overshadowed by supporter protests against the selection of Rodrigues, the matchwinner in Dublin. In April, an appeals court upheld an 18-month suspended prison sentence Rodrigues on multiple cases of assault against his ex-partner, former Miss Luxembourg Emilie Boland. The Luxembourg Football Federation issued a statement apologising for the removal of protest banners by stewards at Stade de Luxembourg during the game, saying: "Dialogue, listening, and transparency remain fundamental values of the federation." Further protests are expected tonight. "It's not a distraction, no," manager Luc Holtz said in a tetchy pre-match press conference. "The focus is on the pitch and everything outside the pitch does not distract the team and has not distracted the team." On the pitch it's been largely underwhelming bar that surprise win against the Swedes. Luxembourg only have two clean sheet in their their last 13 matches, and they're finding goals hard to come by too. Holtz's team have lost three of their last five home clashes so they look vulnerable here. Hallgrimsson insisted he'd value a quality performance over a positive result, though both would be ideal as Ireland look to get into the habit of winning football matches. "For all of us, it's important to win the game, even though in a friendly I would pick performance above winning," the boss added. "If we have a good performance, if we continue to improve in what we are doing, even though we are unlucky and lose the game, I would probably take that more than a win if we are continuing to develop the team." There's a growing body of evidence that these Irish players are buying into the head coach's vision. It helps that Hallgrimsson has shown himself to be canny and astute, his tactical tweaks playing to the strengths of the assets he has at his disposal. Tonight is about getting a glimpse at hungry fringe men while further honing Hallgrimsson's preferred shape. There's no more trial runs after this, as Ireland enter a condensed qualification campaign desperate for early momentum to further embolden those daring to believe something special could happen on the road to Canada, Mexico and the USA.
