Hopes were high heading into this campaign as the Republic of Ireland looked to reach a first World Cup since 2002 on the back of enjoying an unbeaten start to 2025.That optimism has quickly evaporated as Hallgrimsson’s side have only a solitary point to show from their first two outings in Group F.Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Hungary in Dublin showed both positive and negative elements..They trailed 2-0 at half-time, having paid the price for two defensive mistakes, and were indebted to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher for the fact that their deficit was not greater.Yet, as seemed to have become their custom, they found a way to come back, with Adam Idah’s late equaliser just reward for taking the game to the Hungarians after the break.That equaliser breathed some early life into their qualification ambitions, but any momentum generated from that fine second half display quickly evaporated in the searing Yerevan heat.Hallgrimsson looked to rectify the mistakes made in the first half against Hungary where the Irish midfield was overrun.Jack Taylor came in to join Josh Cullen and Jason Knight for the encounter with Armenia, but that midfield combination lasted just 45 minutes.Taylor was hooked at the break, with the Republic boss opting to bring on Adam Idah as a second striker and to change shape in an attempt to gain the upper hand.Instead of having a beneficial impact, that change ultimately contributed to his side’s woes at the other end of the pitch as, with just Cullen and Knight, their midfield looked porous and successive long balls from Armenian defenders repeatedly cut out both players.That half-time change left former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given unimpressed.”What struck me was that before the game, Heimir said how we have to stack midfield a bit more and how we have to get more bodies in there and how it will be won and lost there.”Then he made a change and brought Idah on and left us really sparse in midfield and you could see how easily Armenia were playing through the lines,” he said on RTE Two.Killian Phillips, who came on in the second half was the fourth and final central midfield option, which highlights the real dearth of talent available in what has become a problem area for the squad.Cullen and Knight are Hallgrimsson’s preferred engine room duo, but they lack the pace, physicality and technical attributes to really make a difference.
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Armenia 2-1 Republic of Ireland: Is Armenia defeat worst result in Republic of Ireland’s history?
