Hallgrimsson, aged 58, was an unexpected choice to take over from Kenny in 2024. He could become only the third manager, following Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy, to guide the Republic of Ireland at a World Cup.
Unlike his current squad, he has previous experience at football’s premier quadrennial event, having led Iceland as head coach in 2018. However, he has opted not to be the focal point of the narrative, instead urging his players to concentrate on executing their strategy.
He is currently without Liam Scales (suspended), Josh Cullen (due to a knee injury), and Evan Ferguson (with an ankle issue). Nevertheless, he can rely on Troy Parrott, considered one of Europe’s most promising strikers.
“It’s important to be ready and visualise what’s ahead of us,” said Hallgrimsson.
“It’s important now to do a session at the stadium, for example, just to feel the atmosphere, see the stadium, feel the grass, etc, knowing what to expect, knowing what they are saying and how they see this game.
“And then it’s just tactical, being ready for what they will throw at us and do what we need to do and just remind ourselves why we are in this position, continue to grow and do the same things that we have been doing.
“That’s kind of the psychology for a game like this. We all know by now why we got good results and good performances, and that’s the key, not be over-ambitious tomorrow, stay on point, focus on why we are here and trying to improve that, not only this game, continuously.”