Hallgrimsson praises Irish Jekyll and Hyde performance

The Heimir Hallgrimsson era took off last night with a win against Finland in Helsinki. Ireland went 1-0 down in the first half due to a mistake by Nathan Collins but rallied in the second half to end their losing streak on the road.

Goals from Liam Scales and a late winner from Robbie Brady mean that Ireland have won their first-ever Nations League game, giving them increased confidence heading into the Greece fixture this Sunday.

Before the game, former Ireland captain Richard Dunne doubled down on his claim that the new Ireland boss, Hallgrimsson, could be sacked if he lost both the Finland and Greece games. Glen Whelan, a few weeks prior, also questioned whether the players were good enough to represent the country.

The Ireland squad often criticised had been lacking in confidence before the win against Finland, but after last night’s result, there is growing optimism that the team can build on the victory despite the flak they have received.

Hallgrimsson admitted that the win could trigger a positive chain reaction in weeks and months to come.

"I think we showed a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde performance," said Hallgrimsson to RTE Sport. "We had good spells, but there were moments where we weren’t doing things as well.

"It’s also related to confidence. I think we didn’t start the game well—I don’t know why—but as the game developed, we were more on the front foot, better at pressing, more collective, and making better decisions.

"Winning gives players confidence in what we’re doing, and hopefully, we can improve and get more wins. I think it’s a chain reaction.

"I would like to keep on winning, at least. It’s always more enjoyable."

🗣"This atmosphere. I've never seen this."

🗣"It's really pleasing and rewarding for me as a coach."

Heimir Hallgrimsson was surprised by the level of travelling support that his Ireland team had in Finland last night.

Football on Off The Ball with @WilliamHillIre pic.twitter.com/rPqp64JP8E

— Off The Ball (@offtheball) October 11, 2024

The Icelander also praised the loud, travelling Irish supporters who witnessed the famous win in Helsinki. He added that their energy gave the team belief long before Scales netted the equaliser in the second half.

"I’ve never experienced a thousand travelling supporters as vocal as this group, celebrating as much as they did," said Hallgrimsson.

"I love it, absolutely love it, and I give big respect to those people, to those supporters. They deserve at least a big applause from me and thanks for their support, because we felt it even before we scored the goal. When we were on the front foot, playing forward, we felt the energy coming from the stands.

"We felt they were happy with what we were doing, even before we scored, and even happier when we did."

Ireland next travels to Greece, with that game kicking off at 7.45pm on Sunday.