Hallgrímsson postponed FAI contract extension talks after Ireland’s loss to Armenia

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson postponed contract extension talks with the FAI chief executive David Courell and president Paul Cooke following the defeat in Armenia last month.

Hallgrímsson asked Courell to reschedule the negotiations until after Ireland’s last World Cup qualifier against Hungary in Budapest on November 16th, as a new deal for the Icelander would send out “the wrong signal”.

“After the last game, I talked to David and the president [Cooke] and said, ‘let’s postpone that until after the tournament,’” said Hallgrímsson during the Ireland squad announcement in Abbotstown ahead of qualifiers against Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday week and Armenia at home on October 14th.

“Probably an agent or another coach would like to sign a long-term contract and then be fired or whatever. But I’m not that kind of way. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted.

“We are fully focused on qualifying, that is now the most important thing and the only thing we are thinking about.”

Hallgrímsson was asked if he considered stepping aside after losing 2-1 to a country ranked 105th in the world.

“Obviously, the performance surprised me. But no, I never thought about quitting. But I didn’t want the FAI to send a signal to extend a contract after this loss. That would be a wrong signal to send.”

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The 58-year-old conceded that a failure to gather at least three points from the games in Portugal and at home to Armenia would end Ireland’s fading chances of reaching a playoff next March to qualify for the World Cup in North America.

In the same breath, the manager stated that he has brought lesser teams to major tournaments, having guided Iceland to the 2018 World Cup and Jamaica to the Copa América in 2024.

“Let’s not start to cry now,” he continued. “We need players and staff to believe in what we are doing.

“Portugal is an opportunity to restore dignity, pride, confidence in the team. Whether it will get us a point or three, we’ll have to see.”

When repeatedly asked to explain the collapse in Yerevan, Hallgrímsson shifted much of the blame from his coaching staff to the players.

“It’s normal to have one, two or three players not playing their best,” he said. “But I don’t think anybody can say, ‘I had a good game against Armenia.’

“In the second half we wanted to go higher, one-on-one. We thought we had superior players than them. To be honest, we struggled in possession. That’s why we looked vulnerable when we lost it.

“As a coach, we don’t see what we did wrong,” he continued. “It’s tough for us because we thought our preparation was good, so I wouldn’t point at me and say, ‘this was my fault.’ But obviously, I’m picking the players. I’m picking the tactics, so I take responsibility on that performance.

“It was a one-off, hopefully. Should we then totally change course and do something different with other players? I think that would be a wrong thing to do, definitely.

“We have the quality to qualify for the US in the summer but what I think and what I say is not the most important. It is what the players say and what they believe and they will hopefully show you in this camp that they can play for this nation.”

Hallgrímsson also revealed that the FAI’s new director of football, John Martin, intends to appoint a sport psychologist to work across all international teams.

The eye-catching changes to the squad include recalls for former captains Séamus Coleman and John Egan, while Troy Parrott will come in to camp on Monday if he gets through AZ Alkmaar’s trip to Telstar in the Dutch league on Sunday.

Parrott, who sustained a knee injury last month, is not in consideration for the Portugal game, but Hallgrímsson hopes to use him against Armenia.

Injuries to Matt Doherty (wrist operation), Bosun Lawal (hamstring) and Jason Knight (groin) prompted the selections of Coleman, Egan and Jayson Molumby.

The trio bring 138 caps worth of experience and a leadership that was glaringly absent last month when Ireland drew 2-2 at home to Hungary before the debacle in Yerevan.

[ Five years of woe: Ireland’s diminished place in international football laid bareOpens in new window ]

Nathan Collins is expected to retain the captaincy despite his recent form and Coleman’s return.

Doherty, Lawal and Knight are not expected to recover in time for the November games at home to Portugal and Hungary away. Also, Robbie Brady is still unavailable with a calf injury.

Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone does return alongside Istanbul Başakşehir winger Festy Ebosele and Ferencváros winger Callum O’Dowda, who are rewarded for impressive displays at their Turkish and Hungarian clubs.

Killian Phillips and Jimmy Dunne have been dropped while Shamrock Rovers wing back Josh Honohan also missed the cut despite replacing the injured Sammie Szmodics last month.

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