AS THE FAI confirmed that Giovanni Trapattoni will name his squad to play France in mid November’s two World Cup play-off games next Friday, Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid issued what might be described as another of his ever so polite “come and get me” pleas to the veteran coach.

“I don’t pick the squads. It’s up to the Ireland manager if he wants to pick me,” said the Dubliner in the wake of quite a few clear indications that he doesn’t.

“I feel I’m getting to the stage where I’m producing what he is looking for. I’m playing with a smile on my face,” he continued, in a clear reference to Trapattoni’s suggestion that his moods were a problem when he was in the Ireland squad but not playing.

“I feel in great form at the moment, I’m playing well but most importantly I’m enjoying my football.

“All I can do is turn in performances like I did on Saturday and since I’ve been in the team.”

The prospect of a recall for Reid next week would appear to be quite a long shot with the Italian expected to stick with very much the group that he selected during the latter part of the group campaign.

Steve Finnan should come into the reckoning if he does not pick up any further injury problems between now and then, while Steven Reid said again that he believes he is making considerable progress in his battle to return to something approaching full fitness ahead of the big international games.

Tickets for the Paris leg of the play-offs went on sale yesterday, meanwhile, with long queues reported at many of the retail outlets in France where they were made available before lunchtime yesterday. They sold out in six hours

Tickets were not, in the end, put on sale through the federation’s website or by phone in a move intended to thwart Irish supporters looking to sidestep the restrictions imposed on visiting supporters.

The French association said that “Irish supporters will be served directly by their own federation and no tickets will be sold through internet sites”.

Any that do change hands through third parties operating over the internet, it went on to warn, will be invalidated.

Raymond Domenech, meanwhile, is scheduled to name his squad for the games on Thursday, November 5th.

The French coach is already without Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery for the game due to a knee injury, while striker Thierry Henry is a minor doubt as he is laid up with a thigh strain.

Ribery’s coach at Bayern, Louis van Gaal said yesterday he does not expect to have him back in action for at least another month.