"I TELL you one change that I've brought in is the use of DVDs of our opponents. That's a complete novelty for the Irish."
The speaker is Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni. In a lengthy, upbeat interview in yesterday's sports daily Gazzetta Dello Sport, the veteran Italian coach strikes a curious note when reflecting on his first few months in the Irish job.
Asked how many changes he had introduced to the Irish set-up, Trappatoni highlighted the use of DVDs, given to his players. The wily Trap may not be aware but at least one of his predecessors, namely Brian Kerr, was well-known and even criticised for bombarding his players with unnecessary DVDs of opponents. On the other hand, Trappatoni may just have been replying, in an oblique and oh-so-Italian way, to criticisms levelled at him by the same Kerr in the pages of this newspaper. Kerr had suggested that Il Trap does not spend enough time in England watching his players.
There is little doubt that certain criticisms really irk Il Trap. In his interview yesterday, he makes reference to a certain journalist who attacks him every day "just because he wanted Terry Venables as the national team manager and not me".
Notwithstanding such reservations, Trappatoni expressed himself as very satisfied with his new role and his new team: "We don't have Cristiano Ronaldo, we don't dribble like the Brazilians or the Portuguese but we knock the ball around at a thousand miles an hour. My biggest problem is that the Irish league is equivalent to poor teams in our second division and then many of my players are not regular first team picks in their English clubs," says Il Trap.
The Irish manager admits that, in an attempt to strengthen his squad, he has spent long hours looking at DVDs of potential internationals because "there might be somebody good out there". However, he believes that his side is headed in the right direction and that it is destined to improve in the wake of Saturday's win, saying: "We must not be presumptuous but on the other hand we need not be too modest. We should take our cue from Austria and the way they beat France (on Saturday)."
Trappatoni feels that the Irish players' mental approach is already beginning to change. He points with satisfaction to the fact that against Georgia his players slowed things down: "After we went 1-0 up against Georgia, I was glad to see some of my guys gaining a few seconds at the throw-ins. It's details like that which make the difference."
Trappatoni furthermore claims, DVDs aside, he has introduced only a limited number of changes to the Irish set-up. For example, unlike Fabio Capello and the England squad, he has not imposed strict regulations re the players' diets, even if he admits to having been a bit concerned to find some of the squad eating mushrooms before a recent friendly.
Asked if he could recommend any player in the Irish squad to Italian clubs, Trappatoni immediately pointed to goalkeeper Shay Given: "I would buy Given immediately. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he seems like (Italian goalkeeper Gigi) Buffon. He's a natural goalkeeper and that is a position where Serie A clubs are not all well covered."
Trappatoni also has warm words of praise for the Irish attack, acknowledging the importance of Liverpool striker Robbie Keane: "Just think, there were people who wanted me to drop him. Robbie has personality and talent and along with Doyle, he forms an attack worthy of the Champions League."
When he reflects on Ireland's forthcoming away encounter with Italy, on April 1st next year, Il Trap, himself a former Italian national team coach, of course, attempts a delicate diplomacy, being keen not to offend his compatriots: "That will be a very strange game for me. Let me put it this way, I would like to see Italy win all their games but to draw the two games with Ireland."
There is one thing about Ireland, however, that Trappatoni clearly does not like - yes, surprise, surprise, the weather: "Dublin is a fascinating city, my wife loves it. The only problem is that it's always raining."
