It appears to be a case of actions speaking louder than words for new Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson ahead of tonight's UEFA Nations League clash with Greece at the Aviva Stadium.
The time for talking appears to be over as the head coach attempts to plot his first positive result, at the second time of asking, with the visit of Ivan Jovanovic’s side.
With just a few days to plan for the visit of England, it was always going to be an uphill task for Hallgrimsson to gain anything from his first venture as Ireland head coach.
However, the nature of the defeat will have certainly stung the new man in charge, who appeared bewildered after the game, while admitting that his side lacked both confidence and initiative, while struggling with their collective decision-making.
With just three days to turn it around, Hallgrimsson left the pre-match media duties to assistant coach, John O’Shea, as he attempts to mastermind a transformative performance from his side, while looking to build momentum ahead of the October games.
A double-header on the road awaits Ireland next month as they travel to Helsinki and then head to the other end of the continent in a return to Athens.
But first, Greece. At home.
Generally, a competitive clash with Greece at Lansdowne Road would see Ireland expected to take the points, however, following three years of underachieving under the last manager’s reign, coupled with a double defeat to tonight’s opponents in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, puts the home side under real pressure to perform.
Add to that the awful opening half against England, and suddenly tonight’s task appears tougher still.
Thankfully for Hallgrimsson, the second half of Saturday’s game offered a glimmer of hope, as Ireland kept the English scoreless, albeit with the result beyond doubt, and the manager will surely use those 45 minutes as the base to build tonight’s performance.
Hallgrimssson spoke about changing things at the break following the disastrous first half, however, the fact that he allowed the same XI to go back out and attempt to atone for their performance worked to his advantage.
It would have been easy to whip two or three off during the interval, however, that would have pointed the finger at the few when really it was the many who were to blame.
So it’s take two for Hallgrimsson, and there is a sense that there will be a more hands-on approach for this game, taking more responsibility to assert his authority within the dressing room and beyond to the critics who are already lining up in disagreement with his observatory approach.
There will be one change, at least, but more likely a whole host, considering he has yet to establish the core players to take him through this campaign.
Hallgrimsson is spine searching, and while he will have seen glimpses, there are probably no more than three or four players who would be safe in their selection for tonight’s game.
There will be no Seamus Coleman, of course, as the captain is ruled out after picking up an injury during the second half on Saturday, with Festy Ebosele arriving into the squad.
Should Hallgrimsson really put his stamp on the side, he will have to make radical changes to the XI.
No preferred formation, according to the head coach, yet he will surely bring it back to basics and line out with a flat back four and build a team upon those solid foundations.
Caoimhin Kelleher is perhaps the only guaranteed starter in the manager’s mind, however, John O’Shea may have let the cat out of the bag regarding other selections as he mentioned that Dara O’Shea and Nathan Collins are probably in the running to be captain, along with the goalkeeper.
Without Coleman, Hallgrimsson will have to decide what to do on the right side of defence, and with Matt Doherty being the first tactical substitute against the English, it does not auger well for the Wolves man.
The revolution may well start with Chiedozie Ogbene being asked to be even more selfless and slot in at right back, and likewise, another energetic option could be employed on the left.
Callum O’Dowda was one of the players who had a night to forget in Athens, however, he could get a chance to impress tonight on the left side of a four.
Such selections would allow Hallgrimsson to really narrow the pitch and pack the midfield with a tight three, or a diamond, while still having the freedom to go with two or three up top.
Jayson Molumby should get another run in the engine room, with the possibility of adding Alan Browne and Jason Knight, or keeping Will Smallbone involved.
Again the manager will most likely try something new in the attacking department, however, that does not mean that Evan Ferguson will slot straight into the forward line.
In the pre-match press conference, O’Shea said the young striker was fit to start, however, Hallgrimsson all but conceded after the game that Ferguson was still approaching full fitness and would not be at full tilt until the October games.
Troy Parrott did not see a minute of action on Saturday, and will surely be in with a shout of lining out, having started the season on a positive note in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar.
And throwing Sammie Szmodics and Kasey McAteer either side of him would really whet the appetite for what might be possible when this team really starts to gel.
Hallgrimsson's biggest challenge though, is to instil confidence in this team, as the other two issues – decision-making and initiative – cannot be conjured without players playing with freedom and without fear.
The manager will have to encourage his side to take chances, absolve them in advance of any errors on the pitch, and aspire to a situation where some cohesion starts to materialise.
Greece, of course, arrive full of confidence off the back of a 3-0 win over Finland, while believing that they have Ireland’s number following the back-to-back victories throughout the last campaign.
The concept of must-win games for Ireland really does not exist at this current juncture, and it only about getting a result, which could be as basic and boring as a scoreless stalemate.
Any point on the board would be a good starting point for the Hallgrimsson era, which would send his squad off next month for two more competitive games, with the benefit of an extended bonding session on the road from Dublin, to Helsinki, and on to Athens.
Ninety minutes of action will determine how the next few weeks will sit in the mindset of all involved with this Ireland squad, and while there is a chance to build that momentum at Lansdowne Road tonight, another defeat could forecast a frosty Finland for the Icelander's endeavours.
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