Keith Treacy: 'Ugly' blueprint appealing for Heimir Hallgrimsson's Ireland against England and beyond

Eschewing open attractive football for an approach that makes matches more "ugly" and "dirty" will yield greater dividends for the Republic of Ireland against England on Saturday and beyond, according to former Boys in Green winger Keith Treacy.

New Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson will get his reign underway in earnest on Saturday next when England come to the Aviva Stadium in the UEFA Nations League B opener.

The Icelandic native has already repeatedly pointed out that he will aim to go back to basics tactically as he looks to engineer an improvement in competitive results that largely eluded predecessor Stephen Kenny in a tenure that, at times, saw Ireland attempt to be more expansive on the ball.

England, under their caretaker manager, ex-Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley who was himself heavily linked with the Irish job, will provide a stern first test for Hallgrimsson.

While Treacy sees the subsequent game against Greece next Tuesday as being more important as a litmus test of any signs of progress under Hallgrimsson, the former Burnley and Blackburn Rovers player believes the former Iceland and Jamaica manager is right in aiming for a style of play that could make Ireland harder to beat.

He pointed to a template that provided encouraging performances - although not results - under Kenny in games against elite opposition like France and Portugal in Dublin and which Hallgrimsson's assistant John O'Shea appeared to lean towards as interim boss in the March and June windows.

"I think the blueprint is there and I'm not surprised that Heimir has looked at it and thought this is the way it has to be," Treacy told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

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