HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON WAS up front and to the point when asked about what he expects from Finland tonight.
“They will play a style that we think we know. We know more or less how they are going to play,” the Republic of Ireland manager said.
“How they score goals is maybe easy to analyse but difficult to play against. And that’s the sign of a good team and that is why they qualified for major finals, because they are effective in the way they are playing.”
This quality is something Hallgrímsson wants to replicate as this Nations League campaign continues in Helsinki, before Ireland play Greece on Sunday hoping to do enough to end the week still off the bottom of Group 2 in League B.
The Finland captain, goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, was similarly concise in his assessment of their opponents. “It’s pretty straightforward and on some level positively chaotic football. We mustn’t lose control so it doesn’t go crazy.”
Hallgrímsson wasn’t one to lose focus or get personal when this was put to him before training at the Olympic Stadium yesterday morning.
“No, I don’t want to comment on that, but if that is his analysis then we must respect his opinion on it,” he said. “But we just want to be effective in what we are doing. If he thinks that’s chaotic, then okay.”
When John O’Shea spoke to the media on Monday the assistant head coach discussed the need to try out “new combinations, new understandings”. That thinking will play into Ireland’s team selection, as will their own expectation of how Finland will play, and a sense they can lure them into advanced areas before striking on the break.
The first goal Finland conceded away to Greece is an indication of their set up in possession from the back. Hradecky miscontrols a simple pass from left-sided centre back Robert Ivanov and Greece punish them with a tap in.
But look at how Arttu Hoskonen on the right has already begun to move to receive the ball from his goalkeeper. Two midfielders are coming to show as well while the full backs are both advanced in wide areas.
When they are allowed to build up play, as soon as they get near the halfway line in possession, that is when Finland’s full backs get their cue to push even further forward to support quick attacks. They are comfortable in those areas and less so once the onus is on to create in the final third with more measured, structured play. Sound familiar?
So with Finland happy to push up from wide areas, that is where the space will be for Ireland if a plan to lure them high works. Suffocate, close down and then pounce will be the name of the game.
There is a belief that if Ireland can use pacy wingers in the areas left behind, there should be joy. And if the emphasis for Ireland in an attacking sense is to make the most of wide areas, then it might just hint that wing backs will not be preferred, and a flat back four could be on the agenda.
Also, a single focal point in attack with one in behind, who can also add further support in midfield, will offer more balance. Mikey Johnston is one of seven new faces from last month and would fit the bill along with Kasey McAteer in that role, although Sammie Szmodics may also be suited to playing wide on the left with Chiedozie Ogbene on the opposite flank and Jason Knight in behind Evan Ferguson.
If natural pace and wingers are viewed as the preference than McAteer could impress on the left, especially as Szmodics can move centrally behind Evan Ferguson and also drop deeper to flood midfield – apt given the torrential conditions in Helsinki yesterday.
Hallgrímsson was effusive in his praise of Szmodics, and his “eagerness to run in behind defence, finding spaces”, before referencing Greece at home last month as an example. “He went multiple times without getting the pass but he kept on going and going. There are not many players who have that in modern football. Normally they would stop running when the pass doesn’t come.
“He can play a lot of positions. It’s just his energy and enthusiasm that you want in your team, that he has. And I think we haven’t found his best position, but we are looking. So who knows if he plays tomorrow and what position he pops up in?”
Finland have conceded just one of their five goals so far from a set-piece but that is also an area where Ireland can cause problems. Finland use a mix of three-man zonal marking on the edge of the six-yard box and then man-to-man around the penalty spot.
There were also times yesterday when it felt more than a little disconcerting to hear the level of positivity from Hallgrímsson and captain Nathan Collins. Both were on message in how good the mood was since joining up this week, with the manager citing how “there’s a higher tempo in what we are doing, that would tell me that they are getting it better than last time and maybe understanding a new coach”.
As much as that bodes well for delivering a positive outcome tonight – and a point would more than suffice – it made you wonder, have the last few years actually happened as we remember?
Hallgrímsson did acknowledge the “downward spiral” he is trying to halt. No away wins in eight since the Nations League began six years ago with only one clean sheet on the road – Martin O’Neill’s final game in charge – with four goals scored and 11 conceded. In all competitions, ignoring two successes over Gibraltar, Ireland are without a competitive victory in three years.
So when Collins said they were still “looking forward to the game”, some might find it hard to countenance, even if he admitted there were “tough” conversations between players in the dressing room after that Greece defeat.
Did last month even happen how we remember? Not just losing 2-0 to England and Greece at Aviva Stadium, but those fans that still remained in the final moments of the latter fixture booing, jeering and even laughing when Will Smallbone was named as player of the match.
“Of course, we’re all Irish, we’re all footballers, we all want to win every game with Ireland. We’ve always said it’s a dream to play for Ireland. Well, it’s a dream to qualify for tournaments, it’s a dream to push this team to the next level,” the captain said.
“So I think I said after the last game there was a lot of talk in the dressing room between the lads, it wasn’t nice, it was a tough chat as a group. We’ve been speaking this week as well about how much we want to win, how much we want to get over that line, get that good feeling back, back into the country.
“You know, as a group, we are all sick of it, and we are all getting frustrated as I said before. But as I said again, there has been a better feeling going into it so we are looking forward to the game.”
Ireland have a clear plan and it will hopefully come to fruition to back up such confidence.
Probable teams
Ireland (4-4-1-1): Caoimhín Kelleher; Andrew Omobamidele, Nathan Collins (captain), Dara O’Shea, Liam Scales; Chiedozie Ogbene, Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Kasey McAteer; Sammie Szmodics; Evan Ferguson.
Finland (4-2-3-1): Lukas Hradecky; Nikolai Alho, Artu Hoskonen, Robert Ivanov, Jere Uronen; Matti Peltola, Rasmus Schüller; Robin Lod, Glen Kamara, Topi Keskinen; Joel Pohjanpalo.
