The gaffer (probably) mulling over squad selection for Poland and Ukraine
Jack Leahy
Sports Writer
Every inch the purveyor of Italian football philosophy, Giovanni Trapattoni has earned himself a reputation for tactical pragmatism. His teams are set up to get results rather than entertain, a style that won few Irish hearts until the Republic of Ireland cut loose to overcome Estonia 5-1 on aggregate to qualify for Euro 2012. Once qualification had been ensured, the Championships-hungry Irish supporters began to appreciate the value of a few ugly 0-0 scorelines in Moscow.
The Italian’s pragmatism extends to team selection, with a number of could-be internationals finding themselves increasingly frustrated by the Italian’s penchant for selecting a settled group of players. Trap’s 23 for Poland and Ukraine should accordingly be fairly predictable, and by my calculations 17 players can pack their bags and postpone their annual trips to Barbados until mid-July. Those players are:
Shay Given, Kieran Westwood, Richard Dunne, Stephen Kelly, Paul McShane, John O’Shea, Sean St. Ledger, Keith Andrews, Damien Duff, Keith Fahey, Stephen Hunt, Aiden McGeady, Glenn Whelan, Robbie Keane, Jon Walters, Shane Long, and Kevin Doyle.
Keane: on the plane
That would leave only six places in the squad, with a decent enough number of players looking to stake their claim throughout the rest of the seasons. These are just some of the cases being pleaded to Trapattoni with a degree of urgency:
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich)
Having earned one international cap under Brian Kerr in 2004, the former Shelbourne midfielder has worked his way slowly through the divisions with Dundee United, Blackpool, and Norwich before the Canaries were promoted to the Premier League last season. Assistant manager Marco Tardelli has in the past indicated that the management were impressed with Hoolahan’s form this season, but he faces an uphill task to break into a midfield dominated by old hands and regulars.
Verdict: A seminal role in Norwich avoiding relegation could convince Trap to hand him a role as an impact sub.
Anthony Pilkington (Norwich)
Hoolahan’s Norwich team-mate has been in fine form this season, and earned his first U21 cap in 2008. Unaware that he qualified for the Republic of Ireland until a scout discovered that his paternal grandmother was born in Dublin, Pilkington is believed to harbor fading hopes of being picked for England and may be persuaded by the lure of European Championship football. However, the coaching staff are aware that naturalised players with no real Irish connection are less than welcome in the Republic squad after several internationals voiced concerns over rumours linking Jamie O’Hara, Jermaine Pennant, and Anton Ferdinand with the green shirt.
Verdict: Would bring a much-needed burst of energy to a sluggish side, and Trap may be willing to take a shot on just this one naturalisation.
Stephen Ireland (Aston Villa)
The bad boy of Irish football after what the tabloids termed ‘grannygate’, Ireland has not made himself unavailable for international selection since 2007. In 2008 he was the top performer in a Manchester City side emboldened by the investment of Sheikh Mansour and charging up the Premier League table. Scintillating Premier League performances increased the clamour for Giovanni Trapattoni to sit down and talk to the Corkman about an international return, but suggestions that Ireland would make himself available for Euro 2012 selection have been met with decided disdain from fans and players alike. Now struggling to break into an under-resourced Aston Villa side and having apparently said some mean things about Cork, if Ireland is calling for his international reinstatement then he’s the only one.
Verdict: Not in a million years.
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
The energetic Donegal-born midfielder is Ireland’s answer to Gareth Bale, with an all-action game based on pace and surging forward runs. Coleman was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year in 2011 and was arguably Everton’s star performer in the 2010/2011 season. He has earned five international caps this year, but his place is by no means certain and missed the most recent squad for the play-off victory over Estonia in early November.
Verdict: Should make it.
Simon Cox (West Brom)
Remember Joey Lapira and Caleb Folan? Neither do I. Irish football has a thing for the plucky, not necessarily Irish guy who tries his hardest but is desperately lacking in discernible talent. Cox made a goalscoring international debut in 2011 against Northern Ireland and has earned ten caps this year, almost exclusively in the absence of one of the four main strikers in the side. When the gaffer chose Waters ahead of Cox in the absence of Long and Doyle in the first leg of the Estonia clash, Cox had to watch from the bench as the Stoke man played out of his skin and all but confirmed his seat on the plane.
Verdict: Only if Keane, Doyle, Long, or Waters end up injured.
James McCarthy (Wigan)
Following the conclusion of a parochial fracas erupted that erupted when club manager Roberto Martinez fueled speculation that McCarthy was unsure as to whether his allegiance was to the Republic or Scotland, absences and tardiness have raised further questions as to the former Hamilton man’s commitment to the national cause. Once touted as a future superstar and courted by Liverpool, we now have to questions whether McCarthy is a hot prospect yet to realise his potential or an anticlimax.
Verdict: A huge effort and commitment in the warm-up matches is required.
Book holidays in June: Darron Gibson, Kevin Kilbane, Anthony Stokes, Paul Green, Conor Clifford.
