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22nd August 2024
12:55pm BST
New Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson says he is looking for a b*****d in his squad to kill off the nation's nice guy image.
The new gaffer sat down for a Q&A session with fans on Wednesday evening to discuss his vision for the squad going forward.
Throughout the session, the Icelander discussed several topics including Stephen Kenny's legacy, his approach to the squad and having John O'Shea on board as assistant coach.
One quote that stood out from the night involved what Hallgrimsson is looking for in his squad: “I think in many ways, Ireland is similar to Iceland in the sense that we don’t have many players playing at the highest level in the Champions League.
“So there is no high, high, high-profile player. It’s going to be down to the squad to win the games, not the individuals.
“I think the first impression of the players is really good team players, really good characters, maybe a little bit too nice.
"Sometimes you need a b*****d in your team. I’m looking for him. Maybe we can develop him.”
First up for Hallgrimsson is England, as they come to the Aviva Stadium next month under new interim manager and former Ireland managerial target Lee Carsley.
The former Jamaica head coach told Irish fans that the odds are with England for the upcoming Nations League clash.
“That’s not surprising, they are the second best team in Europe at the moment. Their winning ratio is unbelievable. Of course they are favourites, but that’s the reason why this game is so incredibly popular.
“This game will always give you surprising results. If you are prepared, if you are organised, you can always win. That is hopefully what we're going to do against England.
The 57-year-old quickly hinted to his record against the Three Lions, with his most notable win being the 2-1 victory over them in the last 16 of Euro 2016.
“That was probably the best day of our lives when that happened.
"They probably overestimated themselves or underestimated us, because they scored in the fifth minute.
“I hope we can be just as organised when we face them here as we were in France. I have a 100% against England as a coach, so I’m going to keep that.”
Hallgrimsson says he is still not an expert in Irish players, but is happy to lean on the experience of O'Shea and assistant coach Paddy McCarthy for now and let them take the lead on squad selection for the match a fortnight away.
"As time goes on I will definitely know more and more, so I can take over more of the selection."
Ireland play England in the Nations League on Saturday, September 7.
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