Manager Under Pressure

At the start of the campaign, Hallgrimsson had stressed that full points against Armenia were essential. Instead, Ireland fell short, leaving their manager to confront uncomfortable questions about his own position.

“I’m not concerned about me. When you have a performance like this, the coach’s job is under question, that’s just the name of the game. The campaign? We probably need a miracle to qualify from now.”

Hallgrimsson insisted that he constantly reviews his position, win or lose, but admitted this performance was particularly difficult to justify. “You always want to do better and restart. That’s the only thing we can do as coaches,” he said.

‘Lost for Words’ After Tactical Collapse

Reflecting on the loss, Hallgrimsson described it as Ireland’s worst performance since his appointment. He highlighted failings in both defence and attack, criticising his side’s openness, indecision, and inability to win individual battles.

“It was so unlike us in so many ways. Too many players had an off day and against a motivated side like Armenia, they deservedly won. We were absolutely second best.”

He also dismissed the idea of offering excuses. While travel and recovery might have played a part, Hallgrimsson made it clear that Ireland must look inward and take responsibility. “There are probably a lot of reasons, but not excuses,” he insisted.

Credit to Armenia

The manager praised Armenia’s approach, noting their spirit and sharpness following a 5-0 defeat to Portugal just days earlier. He contrasted that with Ireland’s lack of fight, despite having drawn 2-2 with Hungary in Dublin before travelling.

“We thought our preparation was good and we wanted to play the same way as before. But give credit to Armenia. They fought hard, they were sharp, and individually they outperformed us.”