Nov 19,2024
Keith Treacy feels a passing remark from Heimir Hallgrimsson about his Republic of Ireland squad being "maybe too relaxed" in the build-up to last Thursday's 1-0 win over Finland does not cast the players' collective mindset in the best light.
The Boys in Green may have gone on to beat the Finns at the Aviva Stadium but the Ireland manager himself acknowledged post-match that there was some luck involved considering the number of chances the Nordic nation fashioned.
With a second victory of the campaign in the bag, Ireland then made the daunting trip to Wembley on Sunday and the first half performance in which they kept England at bay proved promising.
But the second-half collapse after Liam Scales' second yellow card and Harry Kane's converted penalty saw the Irish side's resolve torn asunder in a 5-0 defeat.
And with hindsight, he felt that Hallgrimsson's quip to Virgin Media's Ann-Marie Keegan three days earlier about the squad being "maybe too relaxed in my opinion" was more revealing than originally intended.
"It was very telling when Heimir did his interview before the Finland game. He'd just been in the dressing room and (said) it's a bit relaxed, 'maybe a bit too relaxed for me,'" said Treacy.
"I know he's pulled back on them comments but it looked like a very relaxed performance.
"I've been in Ireland squads. I've been out in the hotel before, just your bog-standard international games.
"But the likes of a Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Shay Given, Damien Duff or John O'Shea, you'd go for breakfast and there was something in the air, you can smell it, (that) there's something big coming.
"And you're just on your tippy-toes, the hair on the back of your neck is standing up because those lads, something in them changes and it filters through all the squad."
In contrast, Hallgrimsson's quip that the intensity among the current crop wasn't where he would ideally like it leading into the week's first Nations League assignment did not sit well with Treacy.
"I think that's a very telling insight into that dressing room and if you're that relaxed before a game, great listen to a bit of music, do some stretching. But you should be thinking about the game, you should be fully tuned in," he said.
"And there should be a little air of nervousness, there should be butterflies in your belly. You shouldn't be too relaxed. If you're too relaxed, you're in the wrong sport."
Treacy also feels aspects of Ireland's play out-of-possession against Finland and in the second half versus England highlighted a leadership void.
"What we have to be is a very, very effective out-of-possession team. How can you be a very effective out-of-possession team when nobody communicates, when you don't have leaders," he said.
"We don't have the players to play football and we don't have the leaders to be rigid and structured enough without the ball.
"It's so, so difficult. I'm not sure how Heimir finds a balance here. It's difficult looking forward, it really is."
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