Browne admits that Rep of Ireland’s defeat to Greece felt like Groundhog Day

ALAN BROWNE admitted that Tuesday night was not all Greek to him – it was Groundhog Day.

The Boys in Green lost 2-0 to Greece in the Nations League on Tuesday night which followed on from Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by England.

2

And those defeats are not in isolation; four of six games in 2024 have been losses, following on from six of ten in 2023.

And Browne admitted that the manner of the defeat to Greece felt too familiar as Ireland conceded just after half time to a long range goal from Fotis Ioannidis.

He said: “It seems to be the same old story with us, we keep coming out the wrong side of these games where we really need to be winning them. 

“But it’s just deflating when you feel like you’re in the game and then they get a goal from nothing. It’s a great finish but we need to defend it better.

“Up until that point we didn’t really have much trouble and I didn’t personally have thought’s thinking they’re going to score here. 

“That hurts even more because it’s out of nothing and out of nowhere. 

“And from there it can play on people’s minds, we’ve been here before, we’ve been well in games and then they get their goal and from there it’s a long way back.

“We are stuck in a habit of losing and we need to get out of it as quickly as possible because it is deflating every game. 

“It’s deflating for the fans watching, we were well in the game and the goal is a sucker punch but from there we don’t really trouble them too much until the last 10 or 15 minutes.

“It doesn’t matter how well or how poorly you play. Results are the most important thing.  

“That’s what we need to get into the habit of, whatever way it looks we need to win games. 

“We haven’t done that for a long time. We haven’t grinded out result, we haven’t dominated games and got results. 

“Whatever way we’ve played and however it’s looked we’ve always come out on the wrong side, more or less.”

The Sunderland midfielder insisted that confidence is not a problem despite the lack of results. 

He added: “I think everyone comes into camp quite confident. Everyone goes away and does quite well with their teams.

“And then we come together we do believe that we will get results but for whatever reason we are in that rut of coming out on the wrong side of them.

“We keep leaving ourselves with a mountain to climb as the (Nations League) group progresses. It’s not over, a long way from it.”

Ireland now face Finland in Helsinki next month in what could be a League C relegation decider before the returning meeting with Greece in Athens. 

But Browne remains confident that Ireland can turn it around in October. 

IRELAND HOPE

He said: “It doesn’t get easier and that is especially why we need to be winning that game (on Tuesday). 

“The England one was always going to be a tough ask with their quality, we never really looked like winning that.

“This (Greece) was the one we needed to be winning to keep ourselves in a good position and we failed to do so. 

“But we do really need to be doing better. We need to step up in these games.”

And he is sure that new gaffer Heimir Hallgrímsson will get a better performance next time as he gets to know the players better. 

Browne continued: “He can do more and he will do more when he has more time with us. For a manager to come in and be given a week to prepare for two games, it is really tough. 

“I think the messages he has given us have been quite good and we have tried to deliver on them to the best of our ability.

“But I think in the end, the quality has let us down and that seemed to be the difference, one chance and they stick it in the top corner.

“They get one chance and he sticks it in the top corner and that is the difference between winning and losing at this level.

“Especially when you get the first goal, you are more likely to go on and win the game. And at the minute, we are really struggling to get that.”