Hallgrimsson job fear as he takes blame for loss

Republic of Ireland head Heimir Hallgrimsson has accepted work for nan daze 2-1 defeat by Armenia successful Tuesday's World Cup qualifier successful Yerevan and is candid astir nan truth his position will now travel nether scrutiny.

The hugely underwhelming capacity against a squad classed 105 successful nan world followed a 2-2 draw against Hungary successful their opening game.

It has near nan Republic bottommost of Group F connected 1 constituent and facing an uphill struggle to suffice for adjacent year's finals.

Eduard Spertsyan's punishment put Armenia up successful first-half stoppage clip and Grant-Leon Ranos doubled nan advantage connected 51 minutes, pinch Evan Ferguson pulling a extremity backmost six minutes later.

Next up for nan Republic is simply a daunting travel to Group F leaders Portugal connected 11 October, pinch nan Armenia return 3 days later.

"Of course, I return nan blasted for this, but nan players are nan aforesaid players we were happy pinch against Bulgaria and successful nan 2nd half against Hungary," Hallgrimsson told RTE.

"I will return nan blame, nan players request support, and we request to promote them. They are going backmost to their clubs and hopefully they travel backmost successful 4 weeks' clip fresh for nan adjacent challenge.

"It is an disconnected day, and we person to look wrong and spot what we tin do differently."

The Republic leader is nether statement until nan extremity of nan qualifying run but acknowledged this show will raise questions astir his future.

"The occupation of nan coach, if they are not producing, past of people it is ever a question," added nan 58-year-old.

"I americium not naive, it is understandable now and aft this performance.

"Everything needs to beryllium cleanable from now connected and aft this, it is difficult to beryllium optimistic that we will spell to Portugal and triumph those games pinch a capacity for illustration that."

Asked what went incorrect successful Armenia, nan erstwhile Jamaica head said "almost everything".

"We were not arsenic coagulated defending for illustration we usually are, we mislaid a batch of duels, successful possession we made tons of mistakes and mislaid nan shot successful reliable areas.

"Armenia tin beryllium speedy connected nan antagonistic and they person bully individuals pinch bully individual skills, and they deservedly won.

"There are a batch much negatives than positives, that is for sure. We are hugely disappointed."

Trailing 1-0 astatine half-time, Hallgrimsson introduced Adam Idah and Kasey McAteer disconnected nan chair successful spot of Jack Taylor and Chiedozie Ogbene.

"We wanted to alteration it tactically, we thought we needed a extremity early truthful we wanted 2 strikers and that was successful 3 days agone truthful that was 1 of nan reasons we did this change," he explained.

"Also [we wanted] caller legs, but nan substitutions are connected me, of course."

On failing to perchance impact prima striker Ferguson sufficiently, nan Republic leader added: "We didn't create a batch of chances. It is not astir him aliases really we tin impact him. The full squad were not connected it and it was Armenia's day, not ours."

Captain Nathan Collins besides told RTE nan amended squad won and reflected connected his team's shortcomings.

"I astir apt do deliberation they were nan amended team, which is obscurity adjacent wherever our standards should be," said nan defender.

"We didn't create enough. It astir apt wasn't defensively beardown capable and overall, conscionable wasn't a bully capable performance.

"We person to hit Portugal, that's nan beryllium each and extremity all. We person to spell location and get a consequence and that's each I tin say."