ONE OF THE questions put to Heimir Hallgrímsson earlier today was about the benefit of a change of scenery for the Republic of Ireland players and what it could do to boost morale.
Last month was pretty rough in Dublin.
Not just the back-to-back defeats at home to England and Greece, but the continued sense of drift and despondency.
Only Finland’s worse goal difference has Ireland off the bottom of Group 2 in League B. The life of a footballer means cities and hotels all merge into one, so just how much of an escape from the norm this Nordic adventure will be can only be judged after 90 minutes tomorrow.
One aspect that is different is the fact Ireland began training at around 11am local time at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. Hallgrímsson explained how it was his preference to get it done early so there would be more time for rest – and some final instructions – before kick off at 9.45pm local time tomorrow.
There have already been five meetings between management and players going over various plans since joining up on Sunday.
That has also allowed for Hallgrímsson to get a sense of the squad and what makes them tick. “Learning the culture, how to talk to them, of course a strange accent guy trying to speak Irish, so that’s probably the toughest thing,” the manager said with a smile.
“Like I said before, I’m trying to use the assistant coaches as much as I can to also deliver the message that we want to get through.”
Well, if he wants to get a sense of the slang there would be some on his staff, and in his squad, who would describe the weather in Helsinki as absolutely manky.
Paddy McCarthy, his assistant coach from north Dublin, would be well up on that lingo, as would the other Dubs around the place.
The skies above this storied venue – where Sonia O’Sullivan and Eamonn Coughlan both savoured success – began to darken almost from the moment the Ireland players emerged in mid-morning.
By the time their Finnish counterparts left closer to 6pm, it was pitch black and impossible to avoid large pools of murky water around the stadium.
The rain has been constant (and isn’t due to stop anytime soon) while the wind grew stronger and more erratic just to really add to the sense of dread for an occasion that feels like it’s on the fringes of most people’s consciousness.
Hallgrímsson’s demeanour, though, was confident and relaxed, walking down that famous track to chat and take in the surroundings. There is a spotlight on him from those at home and who have travelled but there is a clarity to his thinking and supports his own growing confidence.
But his players must deliver and illustrate that the message he’s sending is resonating.
Three local papers in the city did not carry a word on the game today – ice hockey and basketball taking top billing.
The 30,000-capacity stadium is only expected to be half full, around 1,000 of those will be travelling supporters, while it is a sell-out for England’s visit here at the weekend.
“Maybe it’s because of the late kick-off time, probably the weather, and then we meet England and of course our fans and people want to see those world stars,” Finland boss Markku Kanerva said.
“But if you take a look at the squad, Ireland has a lot of quality players playing in the Premier League, Scotland and in the Championship. I’m a little bit disappointed that we can’t get 30,000 or a full stadium but of course we didn’t start the campaign so well. Maybe that can affect a little bit as well.”
Kanerva is in the job eight years, and he kind of speaks like it.
Hallgrímsson, of course, is a qualified dentist, so to follow a similar theme, Kanerva is more akin to a mortician.
Perfectly polite and forthcoming, but with a kind of emphatic drawl that is almost hypnotic in how he delivers answers in both his mother tongue and in English.
“The expectation is we win but it won’t be easy for sure. Ireland is a tough team. I think Ireland thinks the same way [as Finland], to be able to stay in League B,” he said.
“They have to get three points. It’s going to be a very tight, even game, small margins will play a huge role.
“We can only predict how Ireland will approach the game. Put a lot of pressure on us or maybe defend in a low block. It’s hard to say. The away record they have had it doesn’t matter.
“It’s a single game. Totally different. We have a good record against Ireland. In the Nations League we won both games 1-0. That’s history. Nothing to do with tomorrow’s game.”
Sitting alongside the manager was vice captain Rasmus Schuller and forward Joel Pohjanpalo.
Both referenced Ireland’s DNA of being competitive, “strong in the duels”, and hard-working. Finland, of course, are the exact same, and they also find themselves at a crossroads after reaching Euro 2020 but losing a semi-final play-off to Wales to qualify for last summer’s edition.
They are two teams who have not won a game yet in this campaign and are already planning on tweaking personnel and systems with a view to competing in the World Cup qualifying campaign next year.
We will get an indication of who will be better equipped by tomorrow night.
