This is where we find ourselves. Middlin. Not a new normal, just our normal. Same as it ever was. Not much changed on Saturday night in Lisbon.
Before this qualifying campaign kicked off, the positivity flowing from the Ireland camp was such that folk were offering up prayers in Knock that Cristiano Ronaldo might get the chance to join us at the World Cup via the playoffs.
With the clarity of hindsight it might be easy now to scoff at that confidence, but before Ireland’s games against Hungary and Armenia there was a genuine optimism that second place in the group was manageable. And who knows after that.
Well, it didn’t take long for the sky to fall in. Before the 2-2 draw with Hungary, Heimir Hallgrímsson was said to be a good communicator and a practical manager working with a limited group.
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After the 2-1 defeat to Armenia, he was said to be a bluffer who would be back doing root canals in Reykjavik by December. He might be fine at pulling teeth, but he wasn’t going to pull the wool over our eyes. He clearly wasn’t getting the best out of our boys.
The media perception of Hallgrímsson had swung quickly and seemingly decisively before the trip to Portugal. So what now after Lisbon? Dentist or football manager? A bit of both?
He and his management team had been overtly positive before the start of the campaign. But what else were they meant to say?
The performance in Armenia was horrible. And that result goes beyond the scoreline. The basics of the game were missing – the amount of space gifted to Armenia between the lines was indefensible, the gaps between Ireland’s defensive players inexcusable. Ireland were fortunate to leave Yerevan only losing by a goal.
And that brought us to Lisbon. The narrative that had grown was that Hallgrímsson’s on borrowed time, this qualification campaign is doomed, time for a new manager. That might still prove to be the case but have we simply decided the problem is not us, it’s him? New manager, please. Next.
The display Ireland produced on Saturday night in Lisbon was a performance many managers over the years have sent Irish players out to deliver – a defiant backs to the wall job, 250 shots at goal for the opposition, one glancing header from a corner by us. A 0-0 win. Like it or not, it appears that remains who we are.
Had the referee blown the final whistle one minute before that goal, would we be viewing Hallgrímsson differently this morning? Coming away with a draw from Lisbon wouldn’t have been nothing and yet to get that draw we would not have shown a shred of ambition.
Ireland didn’t travel to Lisbon to win, they went not to lose. And there was no surprise in that approach, there wasn’t an Irish player in the build-up who didn’t mention the likelihood it would be a game the boys in green would play largely out of possession.
And perhaps that was the most pragmatic approach. Portugal have great players, we have great auld battlers. So, get organised, be hard to beat.
What is it we want from our international team? And what is it we expect from our international team manager?
We might yet get to this World Cup. It’s a fairly steep hill to climb but it’s not a pipe dream.
Either way, 20 years from now what will be the expectations of our national team? Will we still feel hard done by if we concede an injury-time goal to lose 1-0 after a heroic defensive display in Portugal?
Everything moves on but nothing really changes.
With three games remaining in the campaign, we’re left hoping our fate comes down to the final game away to Hungary. It was the most likely scenario before a ball was kicked and it remains so.
It’s them or us. For second. This is where we find ourselves. Middlin. Not a new normal, just our normal. Same as it ever was.
