Eamon Dunphy column: Hallgrimsson is learning there's no quick fix for Ireland's ills
I do think Evan Ferguson looked fed up on the bench after being taken off. He is going to be a huge player for Ireland but he needs games at Brighton, and he needs a goal to get his confidence back.
by Kieran Cunningham · Irish MirrorIreland got what they deserved in Athens. They were outplayed by Greece for two thirds of the game and, when the home side tired, they just didn't have the cutting edge needed to get an equaliser.
Four points would have been a fine return for Heimir Hallgrimsson after zero from the two games in September. But Greece are a far superior outfit to Finland. This was always going to be a really tough challenge.
It was a decent enough performance, in the face of adversity. Ireland got themselves back into the game, and there were positives to take. It wasn't a car crash, by any means.
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Ireland got on top for a fair period in the second half, and we have to move on and build on this week.
It was a much better international window than the one in September, but we have to take the right attitude to Wembley.
I do think Evan Ferguson looked fed up on the bench after being taken off. He is going to be a huge player for Ireland but he needs games at Brighton, and he needs a goal to get his confidence back.
Troy Parrott needs to be stronger too. He doesn't have the upper body strength that you need from an international striker. Adam Idah deserves to be looked at again.
You have to give yourself the best chance of getting something out of a game, though, and some of the selections were hard to figure out.
There was a Six Nations game in Rome back at the end of Declan Kidney's time as coach where Ireland slumped to a rare defeat to the Italians.
Injuries played a big part and Ireland finished that game with flanker Peter O'Mahony having to play on the wing. You can imagine how that worked out.
You can't play a rugby forward in the backs and, in soccer, you should never play a centre-half at full-back.
For the second game in a row, Dara O'Shea started at right-full, something that is baffling when you consider how effective Festy Ebsole was when he came on against Finland.
Centre-halves are a peculiar breed, with a pretty narrow view of the game. Essentially, they guard a patch of ground in front of the goalkeeper.
Full-backs have much more on their plate. Generally, they are up against the best attacking players on the opposing team and they're expected to drive forward too.
O'Shea is a fish out of water in the position. He is unsure of his defensive duties in the role and offers nothing going forward.
Chiedozie Ogbene complained of a strain after the Finland game and he was finding the going tough.
O'Shea and Ogbene had a verbal exchange at one stage. Hallgrimsson got animated with Ogbene at one point too. Greece were definitely targeting that side of the pitch.
Was Ogbene fit enough to start? He certainly wasn't getting up and down the flank as comfortably as he normally does.
Generally, Ireland defended well and Caoimhin Kelleher was outstanding. I don't know why Liverpool fans are worried about Alisson being out for a run of games. I wouldn't condemn him for the mistake at the end.
Kelleher would walk on to most teams in Europe, let alone the Premier League. He is a top class 'keeper and there is a calmness and composure about everything he does.
Ireland battled hard in the first half, and it was backs to the wall stuff from the first whistle to the one for the break. Nobody could accuse any Irish player of ducking the challenge. They were grafting and fighting as hard as they could.
Ogbene was tucking inside at times, which I didn't understand. I presume the reasoning was to make Ireland hard to break down, but that is a negative approach to take.
Ogbene is so hard to stop when he makes those rampaging direct runs forward. You lose that when you move him inside.
Maybe it was an indication that his hamstring strain was worse than had been made out. If that was the case, though, why was he starting. Hallgrimsson had other options for the position on the bench.
Not for the first time, midfield was a real problem area for Ireland. Josh Cullen does graft but he just isn't up to it at this level. I don't get why some given him so much praise. Cullen is out of his depth.
Overall, Ireland had no control at all in midfield, Greece gave them a chasing there. That meant that there was no service to Troy Parrott and Evan Ferguson.
Ireland were set up to defend and that is what happened for the entire first half. Kelleher being called on again and again, Liam Scales doing his bit in front of him.
We have seen plenty of Greece in recent years and they do look to have kicked on to another level. Maybe the win at Wembley played a large part in that, being such a signficiant scalp on the road.
Techncially, Greece are strong, and they play with a high tempo that is very demanding when you're trying to keep them out for long periods.
At half-time, it did look as if it was only a matter of time until the Greeks broke the deadlock. Sure enough, just a couple of minutes into the second half, Greece were in front.
Ogbene was taken off just a matter of minutes later. The gamble in starting him when he wasn't fully fit was a needless one.
We don't know what Hallgrimsson has learned, but we have to see if he knows his best team.
He makes too many changes, and the jury's still out on where Ireland are. It's clear that there's no quick fix.
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