“I’m the boss, I’m the gaffer”: Iceland

With Euro 2016 upon us, we have given each of our Hurlers on the Ditch team the choice of managing any of the countries who will play in France this summer. Here, we offer them the chance to explain their picks and to outline how they might lead their new team to glory in Paris. Today is the turn of Dara McGlynn, newly appointed manager of tournament debutantes Iceland.

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Photo by Helgi Halldórsson[/caption]

When you think of the teams that will be expected to be in the mix to hoist the Henri Delaunay trophy in the Stade de France on July 10th, the usual suspects spring to mind; France, Germany, Italy, Belgium & Spain. If you were to add Iceland to that list you’d probably be told you need your head examined; but every dog has its day (Leceister City anyone?) So I’m willing to step up to plate and make the case for Iceland to come in from the international wilderness and take this tournament by storm.

This team has shot up the world rankings climbing from 133rd to 24th in just 4 short years so there is some talent there.With their most famous son ( I’ll get my coat) Eidur Gudjohnsen having made his debut by coming on as a sub for his father, their keeper directing the video for their country’s 2012 Eurovision entry and the fact that every players surname, bar Gudjohnsen, ends in “-son” (there must be a set of brothers or even cousins in there somewhere) there is a decidedly junior b football feeling to this team. How do I see Iceland winning the Euros? With great, great difficulty, but the country is famous for its hot springs and as ever, hope springs eternal.

My master plan is two fold. The first part involves putting Hannes Þór Halldórsson, the goalkeeper/part time video director, to work in creating video montages of each player’s best moments with a soundtrack of motivational music that will inspire the team to perform at a higher level than the sum of their parts and play with abandon.

The second part involves me drafting in the services of renowned Celtic adviser and Donegal legend Jim McGuinness to work on the players mental game and get them believing they have what it takes to go and upset the odds. So there you have it, my master plan is firmly in the keep it simple stupid category. You never know there might be bonfires on the hills of Reykjavik yet…..