Ireland midfielder Will Smallbone says he was “embarrassed” to collect the man of the match award on a night when Ireland left the field, after a 2-0 loss at home to Greece, to boos from a section of the home crowd. It was another competitive defeat for the Republic despite the presence of a new manager in the dugout as Greece cruised to a comfortable win in the second 45 minutes with a goal at each each end of the half. There was a clearly audible negative reaction, both when Smallbone was named as the man of the match and at the final whistle, an uncomfortable feeling for the Southampton player. “I’m probably as embarrassed as anyone, receiving a man of the match award when we’ve lost a game. I’m not sure why it’s done, but it is and I can’t control it. It’s not my decision. But we understand the fans’ reaction and we are working as hard as we can to turn it around, and I believe we will,” Smallbone said.
Understanding the Frustration
Smallbone, who was one of Ireland’s better performers in the first half, acknowledged that the boos were not aimed at him personally but were more a reflection of the fans’ frustration with the team’s performance and the overall trend of losing games. He also emphasized that the team is working hard to improve under new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, who has only been in charge for two games so far.
“I don’t need to tell them to stick with us because they give us unwavering support every time we turn up to the Aviva,” Smallbone said. “And in the away games they are always loud, they are singing, they are fully supporting us. It hurts us every time that we can’t give them a result and something back for their unwavering support to us. But I believe that we will in the near future.”
A Work in Progress
Smallbone believes that the team is still a work in progress under Hallgrimsson. “I think for sure that the more time you work with a manager the more you understand his ways, his philosophy, his ideas, and we can gel as a group together into being the team that he wants,” Smallbone said. “I think in an ideal world it probably would have been done when we had the friendlies to work on that, but that’s not the way it’s turned out. We are coming together and we are trying our best, we are trying to do what the manager is asking of us and we will continue to do so.”
Smallbone pointed to the improvement between the England and Greece games as evidence that the team is moving in the right direction. “We changed shape from the England game to allow us to get players further up the field and more attacking players in midfield. Especially in the first half and the chances, that’s where we need to be as a team, more clinical and more ruthless; when we get the chances, that we put them away essentially. On the flip side, when we come up against teams, that seems to be their real strength, when they get one half-chance it’s a goal and then it’s a completely different game,” Smallbone said.
A Sucker Punch
Smallbone was particularly disappointed with the second goal, which came from a long-range strike five minutes into the second half. “It’s disappointing to go in at half-time 0-0, feeling that we were on top. We spoke at half-time about coming out for the second-half and essentially doing the same. I think we started okay, but then from our point of view the goal was not a good goal. The guy has had time and space to turn and pick his shot. It’s obviously a good finish, but that’s a real sucker punch for us after a positive first-half. I think overall, the week, we’ve only been with the manager a week and he’s got new ideas. We all want results to turn around as quickly as possible, but I think especially the first-half was a positive,” Smallbone said.
The midfielder also acknowledged that Ireland’s poor defensive record is a concern. “I think whenever we concede a goal, when you look at it and break it down, there is always something that you can do better,” Smallbone said. “Obviously the first goal today, I haven’t seen it back but it looked like a really good finish. But from our point of view he has had time to turn and take a touch and then finish. I’d be disappointed that we haven’t gotten out to block the shot.”
Turning Things Around
Despite the recent defeats, Smallbone is confident that Ireland will be able to turn things around. “We understand the fans’ reaction and we are working as hard as we can to turn it around, and I believe we will.” With a new manager at the helm and a growing sense of optimism within the squad, it is a positive outlook for the future of Irish football. Smallbone’s own performances have shown signs of promise, and he will undoubtedly be looking to build on these in the games to come. With a few more wins and a bit more time, Ireland might be able to silence the boos and bring back the smiles to the faces of their supporters.
