Pat Dolan: Heimar Hallgrimsson is set apart by his emotional intelligence

Irish Daily Mirror

20 hours ago

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 bad.When 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 recently.He 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' striker.If 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.