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Hallgrimsson upbeat about tackling Grenada
October 12, 2023
Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is confident that the Reggae Boyz still possess quality players for their 6 p.m. encounter today against Grenada at the Kirani James Stadium, despite missing several players for the Concacaf Nations League Group B game.
The Reggae Boyz will be without West Ham striker Michail Antonio, winger Ronald Cephas, Javain Brown and Arian Mariappa.
Antonio will only be available for their second game against Haiti in Trinidad; Cephas had flight issues and will not be accessible; Brown is injured; and Mariappa pulled out for personal reasons.
Hallgrimsson, despite these players' absence, believes the Reggae Boyz have the talent to overcome their opponents.
"We have some absentees, injuries and so on, but, of course, the players we have are at full strength," Hallgrimsson stated.
He insists they are looking for three points from the match, aiming to top the group.
Hallgrimmson and his coaching staff, who took on the Reggae Boyz's job full-time in January, received criticism for their midfield play and overall style, but he declared that they have not settled on a distinct identity.
"We are always working on our tactics. Sometimes, we go through the midfield; sometimes, we go down the flanks; sometimes, we go direct. We are trying to improve that. How we play Grenada, you'll see.
"We are always working, always looking and trying to have the players improve, which ultimately improves our tactics, but, of course, we need time to fix some things. Unfortunately, for national team coaches, we do not have much time with the players," he pointed out.
Nevertheless, he is adamant that anything less than three points will be disappointing.
"We take this game very seriously. We want to qualify from the group. We are going for the win, and we have full focus on the opponents' task, and, hopefully, we can show a good performance. We need the three points, and we will do everything to get the three points," Hallgrimsson said.
"We have looked at Grenada a lot, studied how they are playing, and prepared as best as we can. They are difficult to break down for sure. I can see the coach is working on their defensive shape and compactness.
"The pitch is narrow, so it is even more compact. That will be our challenge to break them down because they will be defensively compact," he added.
