While Ireland’s World Cup fate will be decided over the next few days, we already know who will be leading the team forward once the tournament in North America has been completed.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s contract was due to expire at the end of the World Cup campaign, meaning his time with the side could have been up as soon as next week. However, the Icelander would announce last week that he had penned a new deal to remain in charge until Euro 2028.

That move has been met with a mixed response. Some feel that the FAI were right to tie down the head coach before the play-offs, with others believing they may have jumped the gun by handing him a new contract ahead of those fixtures.

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Gary Breen questions Hallgrimsson Ireland deal

Heimir Hallgrimsson was appointed as Ireland manager after a protracted search by the FAI, with some believing that the fear of another long process was something that played a role in their decision to extend the Icelander’s tenure.

Speaking on the Indo Sport podcast, Gary Breen made this exact point, also suggesting that there are Irish coaches in the game who are capable of doing as well if not better than the current head coach.

I think we’ve got a low opinion of ourselves as a country because we have struggled for so long. When somebody comes in, we think ‘is this guy Pep Guardiola?’

[Hallgrimsson] is not that. I think he’s a really genuine guy, I love how he conducts himself. The FAI just cannot go through a [managerial search] again, they’re saying ‘we’ve got someone, he is a good guy, we’re doing well’. They did not want to entertain finding anyone else.

My point on that is we have got our own domestic coaches who are capable of doing what he has done…

I think the issue they have is that the people who are out leading coaches, you think of someone like Lee Carsley or Keith Andrews as a Premier League manager and the kudos attached to that, I think they think they wouldn’t be able to entice them. They think they wouldn’t be able to get them.

There are some younger coaches coming up, whether Robbie [Keane] would take it, Damien Duff, [Stephen] Bradley as well. I do think we’ve got coaches able to get this Ireland team winning.

It’s also the fact that this is going to be a home national championships for the Euros. I think it’s incredible we’ve gone this early on the decision.

Heimir Hallgrimsson will be in charge of Ireland for the next two years, although it will be interesting to see where he stands with the supporters if the team flops in these play-offs. It is easy to forget now considering how the group ended, but it is worth remembering that Ireland were very poor for much of the campaign prior to the win over Portugal.

In any case, all of that will be a moot point if they manage to produce two famous wins over the coming days.

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