camondunphy

CRUNCH NIGHT FOR IRISH BOSS

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THERE'S something in the Dublin air again this week — that strange blend of hope and dread that always seems to appear before Ireland play one of the giants.

Tonight, the Aviva will be full, the flags will wave, and the anthem will rise. And then, for 90 minutes, we'll find out whether Irish football is finally healing — or whether The Dentist is about to pull the wrong tooth again.

Heimir Hallgrimsson. A nice man, by all accounts. Speaks well. Smiles often. And yes, he used to be a dentist. You can't write this stuff.

Now, I've nothing against dentists. They do important work. But the problem is, Heimir still manages like one.

Every team talk sounds like he's explaining root canal. Every substitution feels like he's reaching for the wrong molar. And when the pressure comes on, he's the only man in Europe who brings out a mirror to have a look at himself.

Tonight against Portugal isn't about tactics anymore - it's about credibility. My issue with Hallgrimsson is that he lacks enough of it to be our international team manager.

Yes, he did well with Iceland.

But that was seven years ago.

The world has moved on.

And Irish football has stayed still. It shouldn't be like this because we have a squad that actually can play.

Caoimhin Kelleher has been superb. He's modern, brave, unflappable. The problem is, he's spending half his international career saving us from ourselves. Behind every great goalkeeper there's usually a system - not a man frantically waving his arms on the touchline.

Kelleher needs protection. Nathan Collins and Dara O'Shea are good players, but they've been left exposed too often.