Heimir Hallgrimsson targets unbeaten start to Nations League campaign

"Four points is good, six is better" is Heimir Hallgrimsson's response when asked about what would signify a decent start to the UEFA Nations League.

An opening encounter with England on Saturday followed by another home game against Greece on Tuesday night is in store for the new Republic of Ireland head coach, and Hallgrimsson offered an air of confidence at the pre-match press conference as he spoke about a template for beating England.

Only a week into the job, and while the Iceland native spoke about keeping things simple, it would appear that he is more than happy with how much they have achieved throughout the opening days of the new regime.

Players have spoken about meetings and cramming, and the manager admitted that there were some things he felt necessary to implement within the squad in order to put an immediate imprint on the team.

"Coming in at such short notice, I think it goes without saying that you don't like to do a lot of changes from the past, so with the staff and routines and what they do on the pitch, we haven't done a lot of changes," said Hallgrimsson.

"But some things I think are necessary to try and force in from the beginning, we have been working on those.

"I think the players have been really receptive. We tried to explain in a simple manner why we want to do it and then just showing them both in meetings and on the pitch. I think they have been really receptive, but in the end, we'll see that tomorrow.

"I think I have learned a lot this week. Meeting the players for the first time, I wish I would have had more time just interacting with them, but we have to prioritise our time.

"After this camp, I have a lot more knowledge on everything than before they came. It's going to be a good camp for me