Heimir Hallgrimsson only needed one word to answer a question as to whether he could see Troy Parrott and Evan Ferguson playing up front together for Ireland.
"Sure," was the manager's response, when asked about the potential partnership of two of Ireland’s brightest attacking prospects, when speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s game against Greece.
The manager does not tend to offer any insight into his starting eleven on the eve of a game, and it was no surprise that he did not elaborate, however, based on what he had said previously about the two forwards, it would appear unlikely that he will select the duo up front for the Nations League encounter at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
Hallgrimsson is certainly a fan of Ferguson, and has often spoken about the player’s potential when he gets himself back to full match fitness, while Parrott, on the other hand, seems to be slightly further down the pecking order in that particular department, with the manager hinting more of a role off the bench for the "moments when he will be needed".
The AZ Alkmaar forward did not see one minute of action in the September doubleheader, and was only given 20-odd minutes in Helsinki to show the manager what he can bring to the table.
Parrott did manage three attempts on goal in the short spell that he played, while he – like all four substitutes – can also be credited with helping to provide the impetus for the team to finish strongly and secure a late winner.
"He did well," said Hallgrimsson. "He did what we expected of him, he's a forward that really wants to get goals, he is willing to make the runs in behind.
"He’s a little bit different from, for example, Evan, in the way he plays, so there will be moments when he will be needed, there will be teams that probably fit him better than others, it's always who we are playing against and how we think the game will be played.
"What he did was good, maybe a little bit over-ambitious at times, but he came in with a lot of energy and that's what we want, when we put in substitutes, we want them to change the game."
Ferguson, on the other hand, will most likely lead the line, as long as he can prove his fitness, coming off the back of his 71 minutes of action in Finland.
The striker has yet to get going at club level this season, and he looked out on his feet by the time he did get withdrawn having put in an impressive shift, both from an energetic and physical perspective.
"It's our first training session now, he's training at least so let's see," said Hallgrimsson, when asked was Ferguson fit for two games in four days.
"It's all about numbers, how he feels, and then we will take a decision if he's ready or not, what is the best solution against Greece, we will decide after the session - but I wouldn't tell it to you anyway."
Managers have a tendency to trust players as to whether they believe that they are fit to play, and while Hallgrimsson did mention that the "players know themselves whether they are ready to go again", he also added that it would be a mix of personal and professional – fitness staff etc – opinion, but ultimately it would be the coaches’ decision as to what is best for the team.
Three games into his rein as national team head coach, Hallgrimsson said that he is beginning to see the strong characters within the squad and believes that several of them stepped up in Helsinki.
The manager’s view of the Irish coming into the job was a nation of tough people, hard-working, and honest people, who were always ready for battle, and Hallgrimsson believes that the returning confidence will lead to the eventual goal of creating a team that no one likes to play against.
When asked for an example of the type of player that really suits his style, Hallgrimsson did not hesitate to mention former Iceland captain, Aron Gunnarsson, who was an integral part of the team that reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
"I didn’t see every Irish game in the past, but that is kind of how I see this nation, it’s tough people, hard-working, really honest, willing to take the duel, to go into the battle," said the manager.
"Getting to know them as characters, there are a lot of fighters. We just need to bring that confidence back so that it will shine through every game, every duel that we have on the pitch.
"Normally the characters will step up in hard times, and they did. There were players that stepped up in the second half in the last game, so I got to know some of them.
"Aron Gunnarsson is the type of guy who steps up in all situations, a warrior. I would always use him as a role model; a player who was always important to the team, maybe not the best footballer, but he was always the most important to the team. I am looking for characters like that."
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