It’s not every night you’ll sit beside the Ireland manager

“It will be tough”, Heimir Hallgrímsson replied to a young Galway United supporter when asked if Ireland would defeat the Czech Republic.

Two weeks ago, the Republic of Ireland manager was out west and in attendance at Eamonn Deacy Park to watch the Tribesmen take on Dundalk in the League of Ireland Premier Division. 

For the game, Hallgrímsson sat beside media members, and by chance, he plonked down beside me. 

We stirred up a chit-chat, discussing all things League of Ireland, the upcoming trip to Prague, and the memorable memories of last November’s international window.

It wasn’t long before he discovered I was a passionate Republic of Ireland supporter and he asked if I had a ticket for the upcoming World Cup play-off semi-final.

Fortunately, I will be one of the one thousand Irish fans in the away end of the Fortuna Arena next week when the Boys in Green hit do-or-die territory.

120 days on from a historic week for Irish football – where Hallgrímsson’s outfit defeated Portugal in Dublin and Hungary in Budapest – things are not as rosy, with a few injuries in the camp.

Momentum is key, and although the country is riding high on two magnificent results, with Hallgrímsson describing that 2-0 victory over Portugal as one of the best performances he has overseen, four months is a long time in football. 

Players can be in a poor run of form, injuries can occur, and a lack of game time can all play a part in a team selection. Unfortunately, that’s the way of international football.

The standout midfielder from the last window, Burnley’s Josh Cullen, has been ruled out of the game, while striker Evan Ferguson, who had started to bag a few goals on loan at Roma, will also not be involved due to recent ankle surgery. 

Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman has not seen the pitch for Everton in those few months, while Chiedozie Ogbene was recently playing in an under-21 game for Sheffield United.

Celtic’s Liam Scales, who assisted two crucial goals for Troy Parrott during the previous international break, will also be suspended for the Czech Republic game.

All is not bleak, though, as the latest Irish hero, Parrott, is still banging in the goals for AZ Alkmaar – scoring 14 times for the Dutch side since his famous hat-trick in Budapest. 

Caoimhin Kelleher has continued to cement himself as a proven English Premier League shot-stopper, while Finn Azaz and Ryan Manning are regularly performing well for Southampton in the Championship.

“He is carrying a knock, but hopefully, he should be okay”, was Hallgrímsson’s reply when I asked about Coleman’s injury situation.

The 37-year-old Everton captain played a vital leadership role in Ireland’s resurgence in their World Cup qualifying group from October on, after not being included in the squad for the Boys in Green’s disappointing away defeat to Armenia last September.

I have an inkling, even though he has not kicked a ball for his club since late November, that he will be involved, if fit and ready, for the upcoming play-off.

“Let’s hope we are celebrating together in a few weeks”, the Irish manager remarked as he got ready to leave the grounds.

It was Hallgrímsson’s genuine personality which impressed me – there were Jürgen Klopp vibes about him.

You got the impression that he had fully understood the rejuvenated belief that the two qualifying wins had brought to the country.

As he suggested, the Czech Republic will be no walkovers, with the likes of West Ham’s Tomáš Souček and Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick amongst their ranks, and also a new manager at the helm. 

Going to an away venue will always be a difficult task.

A victory against Czechia would mean a play-off final in Dublin five days later – against either Denmark or North Macedonia – for a place at this summer’s World Cup. How special would that be?

The Irish are ready to take over Prague, with or without a ticket, and I, for one, am very much looking forward to next week’s travels.