Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has expressed confidence that his team’s disappointing second-half performance against England will not define their upcoming Nations League play-off. The Boys in Green will face Bulgaria in a two-legged relegation/promotion clash in March, after being drawn against the world No 84-ranked side on Friday.
Ireland’s task is to secure victory over the Bulgarians to maintain their League B status. While Hallgrimsson was initially critical of his players following their heavy 5-0 loss to England at Wembley, he has since taken a more measured approach when assessing their Nations League campaign.
“I feel so,” Hallgrimsson said when asked if he had a clearer vision for moving forward. “If I look at the second half against England as an outlier, I think we have taken good steps.” He acknowledged that the 5-0 defeat was a stark result, but believes it does not reflect the progress made over the course of the campaign.
Ireland used 31 players across their six Nations League matches, with only five—Caoimhín Kelleher, Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins, Evan Ferguson, and Sammie Szmodics—featuring in every game. Hallgrimsson, who has only had a few months to work with the team, emphasized the need for consistent contact time with the squad to identify the right players and build a cohesive playing style.
“My contact time with the players is three weeks, three weeks and two days or something, so it’s not much,” he said. “It was good it was September, October, November. There was continuity in what we were saying, and the players now know what we expect.”
As the team enters a quieter period over Christmas, Hallgrimsson plans to take stock of his first few months in charge, reflecting on lessons learned and refining his approach. “Now, it’s a good time to look back and reflect and just gather every key note,” he added. “It’s not my favourite, it’s not the worst.”
Looking ahead to the play-off against Bulgaria, Hallgrimsson is cautiously optimistic. Bulgaria finished second behind Northern Ireland in League C Group C3, with mixed results, including a 5-0 loss to Northern Ireland. Ireland last played Bulgaria in 2020, drawing 0-0 in Dublin and 1-1 in Sofia.
“I think Bulgaria is an OK draw,” Hallgrimsson said. “It’s not my favourite, it’s not the worst. You would expect a low-scoring game when you look at the goals and statistics.”
Hallgrimsson also dismissed suggestions that Ireland would be better off in League C, where they might face weaker opposition. “My opinion is that you should always play the stronger team and try to improve that way,” he said. “It’s important to play better teams if we want to qualify for finals.”
With the play-off set for March, Hallgrimsson’s side will need to perform at their best to retain their place in League B and avoid relegation.
