INTERNATIONAL SOCCER:STILL MINDFUL of the way in which he was messed around at the end of last season by a significant proportion of the members of his squad, Giovanni Trapattoni insisted yesterday that he hopes to establish once and for all whether he is working with "a team of men or children" when the group gathers in Dublin ahead of the friendly international against Croatia on August 10th.
Trapattoni appeared to have put it up to just about all of his players to show their commitment to the cause yesterday by naming a squad of 32 for the game. Of the extended group initially named for the end of season matches, only Caleb Folan and Anthony Stokes have been excluded this time, with the likes of Marc Wilson, James McCarthy, Jonathan Walters and Darron Gibson all named again, despite the frustration expressed by the Italian in May at the way he felt various squad members kept him guessing about their availability for particular games.
Now, Trapattoni says, he in search of “clarity” with the manager insisting that he does not mind if players decide to stay away. “Just tell me so that I can build another team,” he said. “We have a group of 30, perhaps 35 players now so we have options. If players wish to stay at home rather than play, it’s fine, I will understand, just tell me and I can look to the others.”
Trapattoni, who was in Ennistymon as part of the FAI’s week-long programme of events leading up to today’s AGM in Ennis, was in good spirits but his message was firm.
“Now it (the confusion that reigned in May) is over,” he said after suggesting that he had perhaps been a little too forgiving after taking the job on at first because he felt he needed almost every player. “We can’t be asking 20 hours before a game whether they are coming and being left to wait for an answer. They must tell us whether they want to come or to stay at home.
“We do not wish to be made fools of or to be the victims of bad manners. This has never happened to me in any other country where I have worked. These players must say to us that they wish to come again, that they are proud to wear the Irish shirt.”
Trapattoni, who subsequently conceded that some players might find themselves in genuine difficulties next month because of the timing of the game – it will be played just days before the start of the Premier League season – suggested he will not be unsympathetic to those who treat him with respect, but repeatedly stressed the need for “clarity,” and insisted that where players are injured while playing for their clubs, “they must inform us immediately, not three or five or 10 days later”.
He said he would look into reports of an incident involving a number of players and a member of the team’s security staff prior to the trip to Macedonia and suggested those who were serious about playing for him needed to show greater maturity and discipline.
“Marco (Tardelli) and I know what it’s like, we were players but the young players must appreciate the level of commitment that is required in professional life. The greatest star players have respect for the other players, for their clubs and also for their country.
“There have been misunderstandings,” he said, apparently in an attempt to avoid sounding overly confrontational, “it’s just a question of making it clear. In the past I have defended my players but now they must be as good as my word. I gave them my trust and they must not betray it.”
Trapattoni said he remains unsure of whether he will be in Brazil at the end of this month for the draw for the qualifying stages of the next World Cup or, for that matter, whether he will be in charge of the Ireland team for the start of the competition in a little over a year’s time.
He gave the first hint, though, that he would like to see matters progressed a little on the latter front when he observed that: “we (the management team) have said we would like to stay, we believe we have done a good job, especially with the young players and it hard to walk away when you feel you are going to be in a position to pick the fruits of your labour but it is up to the association.
“They can wash their hands and say ‘bye bye’, and that is fine, no problem, but we would like to know because we can also look elsewhere, there are other places.”
As to who he would like to see Ireland come up against in the event that he does stay on, Trapattoni seemed excited by the prospect of another couple of encounters with his homeland. “We will be third seeds so we must face some of the strongest countries but I think Italy are good for us,” he said with a grin. “We have not lost to them in three matches and the last time we scored a late goal to complete a good win. I would be happy with Italy but also with France . . . or England. We would like them too!”
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD(v Croatia, Aviva Stadium, August 10th): Given (Manchester City), Forde (Millwall), Westwood (Sunderland); McShane (Hull City), Foley (Wolves), Coleman (Everton), Dunne (Aston Villa), O'Shea (Sunderland), Kelly (Fulham), Ward (Wolves), St Ledger (Leicester City), O'Dea (Celtic), Delaney (Ipswich Town), Clark (Aston Villa), Kilbane (Hull City); Whelan (Stoke City), Gibson (Manchester Utd), Andrews (Blackburn Rovers), Fahey (Birmingham City), Keogh (Wolves), McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Duff (Fulham), Hunt (Wolves), Lawrence (Portsmouth), McCarthy (Wigan Athletic), Treacy (Preston, Wilson (Stoke City); Keane (Spurs), Doyle (Wolves), Walters (Stoke City), Long (Reading), Cox (West Brom).
MANAGER REVEALS KEANE IN TALKS
REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni says Robbie Keane is in talks with both Blackburn Rovers and West Brom about a possible exit from White Hart Lane, with the Italian suggesting a decision is likely to be made over the coming week or so, reports Emmet Malone.
The manager also said he would welcome the completion of Shay Given's proposed move from Manchester City to Aston Villa, which is still expected to go through despite taking longer than initially anticipated.
"It's the same for them and for Kevin Kilbane and Huddersfield," he said. "The most important thing is that they go and play."
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