Ireland - Euro 2012

Sport
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[left]
Trap getting down to details

By Liam Mackey
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
THERE might still be 171 days until Euro 2012 kicks off but Ireland’s pre-tournament plans are rapidly taking shape.
Speaking in Dublin yesterday, Giovanni Trapattoni revealed an outline of the schedule for his squad before they fly to Poland next June.

The manager plans to give his players in the Championship a three-week break following the early end of their season on April 29. Premier League players will have to make do with a rest of about 10 days, following the end of their season on May 13. By then, the Championship players will already have been called in and, once they are joined by their Premier League colleagues, the entire party will go to a European training camp.

Montecatini in Italy has already been assessed by Trapattoni but yesterday he revealed he has not ruled out the possibility of the camp being located in Switzerland. “We will evaluate the situation in January, after the Merry Christmas,” as he put it.

If Tuscany gets the nod, Trapattoni plans to include a game against a Serie C side as part of his preparations. According to FAI sources, two friendly games are still planned in the immediate run-up to the Euros, with Hungary now looking like a real possibility for an away game on either May 26 or 27 followed by a farewell match in Dublin — against as yet unidentified opposition — on June 3 before the team fly out to Poland.

Trapattoni yesterday confirmed the hoped for friendly against England in advance of the tournament is now off the agenda.

Having visited the location earlier this month, Trapattoni said he is delighted with the facilities at the squad’s tournament base camp in Gdynia, which is a short journey by road from Gdansk where Ireland play Spain on June 13 and a short flight from Poznan, where the side plays Croatia in its opening match on June 10 and Italy in the final group game on June 18.

“We saw two or three locations and we chose one with comfortable hotels, a good pitch, and also for transfers and flights,” he said.

“We won’t change our habits from the qualifying games. We’ll train at home [in Gdynia], fly to Poznan in the evening, in the morning watch the DVD, in the evening play and then go back immediately. It’s a short flight of 45 to 50 minutes from Gdansk to Poznan.”

Long before the summer comes, it has already been confirmed the Czech Republic will be visitors to the Aviva Stadium on February 29, offering a chance for Trapattoni to assess a couple of new contenders for the squad — though he declined to say who they might be. One thing’s clear, however: they will have a fight on their hands to get a seat on the plane to Poland.

“Maybe we will bring in some new players as we need to be ready in case of injury,” he said.

“But we are not going to change our whole group. It’s not a transformation but a development.”

Indeed, Trapattoni as much as admitted his biggest problem come the summer will be who to leave out of the current crop.

“It would be a very great pity to leave one or two at home but at the moment we are monitoring the most important matches and not only the physical but also the psychological fitness of the players,” he said.

“Then we can decide the list. For sure a few will be left out but they’ll still be considered for the future.”

The manager also revealed he was in contact with James McCarthy after his impressive showing for Wigan against Chelsea.

“I saw the game. I see every game. He played well. I sent him a text, ‘Bravo, continue’. He answered me also. He can grow very well, he has great potential. He is still a little bit shy on the pitch. When he is free he needs to call for the ball. He needs to be more vocal. He can get on the ball 30% more. But he has good quality.”

And Trapattoni said he understands Darron Gibson is looking to go out on loan from Manchester United in the January transfer window.

“I know the way he thinks and his intention,” he said. "I know he wishes to go for this situation. Now it depends on what agents and managers say. Gibson has fantastic potential. He has a great vision and shoots very well. But his team wins 4-0 and he still stays on the bench. It’s hard. I can’t say too much because Ferguson can say ‘Giovanni, mind your own business’.

“Is he in my plans? Yes, sure. But I think it is important for him to play. If he stays always on bench, in one month or 20 days it’s impossible to recover energy and condition.”

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/sport/trap-getting-down-to-details-177806.html#ixzz1h41jVSsW[/left][/left]

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Similar enough article here - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/1220/1224309292162.html

The only difference being that he hints at Andy Keogh and Kevin Foley getting into the squad due to their versatility

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wrong thread :shakefist:

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Anyone know when the Championship playoffs are? That usually delays one or two from joining up and could even count against a fringe player maybe.

Keogh would be extremely fortunate to keep his place in the squad. Never see the attraction in that guy.

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He’s never injured. Shows up for every squad and not a peep of dissent out of him if he doesn’t play. He’s sound too, he was in my brother’s class in school. I actually think he’s a decent striker. Definitely not a winger though so I don’t think he actually is all that versatile. In fact, he’s not versatile at all. I’d say he’s a lapdog sort of a chap, like what Keane was talking about and Trap likes to have him around.If he had to come on and play on the wing though I think every single one of us would be having conniptions.

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So in Thrawneens world if you go to school with his brother its ok for you to be in the squad and go to the finals. However, if you’re a solid pro performing week in week out with Stoke in the EPL and prestigious Europa League, while at the same time never letting your country down, you deserve to break both your legs and miss out on a tournament you contributed greatly to getting your side to in the first place.

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I don’t think Keogh should be in the squad, pal. Just outlining why I think he is. Solid pro, good guy to have around etc.
Whelan, I wouldn’t particularly mind if he was in the squad but the fact he’s the first name on Trap’s teamsheet every game beggars belief. He’s awful. So a leg-break is just about the only thing which will stop him lining up to deal with Xavi and Iniesta. And that’s something that I pretty much don’t want to witness. Russia home and away was harrowing enough.

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Clark played in midfield for Villa tonight. Gave away a stupid peno but not sure how else he did. Expect him to get a run of games now though which will be good. Dunne by all accounts was excellent.

Just saw highlights of the Newcastle West Brom game. Long missed an awful sitter. Did everything right going round the keeper but sliced it off the crossbar. Still his pace troubled Collocini a lot and he was key to Scharner’s goal.

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Would prefer Keane to rest up and not join Villa if truth be told. Not sure loan move will do him much good and rest at his age could do him world of good. Just important he gets run of games ahead of Croatia. He looked lean and sharp against Estonia in particular.

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I tend to agree but Robbie Keane has always wanted to play football. I’d prefer for him to rest up too as I think the March start of the MLS gives him ample time to sharpen up ahead of June.

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Keane is only 31 ffs and has played little club football over the last couple of seasons. I think he should be able to handle 5 or 6 games

To be fair Keane has often been at his best at international level when his club form has been poor. But he hasnt played regular club football at a decent standard for quite a while now. He has too much rest for a player of his ability over the last few years.

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Excellent interview with Aiden McGeady in Scotland’s The Herald today on his move to Russia and Ireland under Trapattoni. He’s a very intelligent young man and a wonderful footballer. :clap:

[b]Exclusive interview: How Mother Russia made a man of Aiden McGeady

Hugh Macdonald
Chief Sports Writer[/b]

EVERY trip has to be planned but there is uncertainty about how and when he will arrive.

He sits behind the wheel with something approaching hope, knowing the vagaries of traffic can mean the journey into the centre of Moscow can take hours, even an afternoon or, on a good day, perhaps just a matter of 15 minutes.

There have been many good days for Aiden McGeady of late. He peers out of his windscreen wondering just how it all happened. “It is bizarre. It is surreal,” he says of looking at the vista of one of the great cities of the world in a land where he has become a hero and where he has witnessed the birth of his daughter, Kaia.

The journey to Spartak Moscow for McGeady was fuelled by his footballing talent but it has been sustained by his keen intelligence and his willingness to embrace Mother Russia.

He has been rewarded with much more than the huge wage that accompanies a £10m transfer. “I feel I have grown up since I came here. I am more calm. I am 25 now, living away from home and I feel I have changed somehow.” He pauses, then adds: “This is not just a football move, it is a lifestyle choice, a cultural move. It is something I will look back on when I am finished and say that I was glad to have done it.”

His daughter was born in Moscow as McGeady and his partner, Claire, did not want to be parted at such a special moment. It was a practical move, based on the realisation that Kaia’s birth day in September could mean that McGeady, embroiled in the Russian season, would not have seen his daughter for months if the couple had opted for a birth in Scotland.

However, it is also a clear sign of how comfortable the player is in surroundings far removed from an upbringing on the south side of Glasgow.

“I can speak Russian. Well, I get by,” he says. “I took lessons before Kaia was born and I can communicate with my team-mates and my manager in Russian, especially on football matters. If it starts to get into a deep conversation, I revert to English. I intend to work on it.”

He is aware that he has walked into a strange world since he left Celtic in the summer of 2010 but he is relaxed about the differences. “It has gone better than I could have expected,” he says as he enjoys a winter break in Glasgow before returning to Spartak for the end of a season full of possibilities.

"We have adapted well to life in the city. There is a cinema that shows films in English, the city is great and the fans are incredible. Strangely, that is one of the major differences. Every Rangers and Celtic player will tell you that there is the potential for hassle when you walk into a bar in Glasgow.

“Yet, because Spartak are such a big team I get recognised more in Moscow than I did here. But the culture is that people are very polite. The only curious moment was when I had my picture taken with a guy and then he told me that he was a CSKA fan. He seemed quite awkward about it but it was hardly a confrontation.”

The major education for McGeady has been the approach that Spartak take to preparation, training and tactics. "Simply put, it is 24/7 in Russia. In Scotland, if you have a week when you play once then you can expect two days off. At Spartak, there is only ever one day off and you may even come in for a warmdown or a tactics talk on that day.

“The training is also different. We work very hard, very physically three days before a match but most of the rest is about studying videos, talking to coaches and working on details. I am now playing wide right of a midfield three and I am practising constantly on my left foot for when I cut in.”

In Valery Karpin, the Spartak manager, and Trapattoni, his coach at the Republic of Ireland, McGeady is working under two leaders who believe that success lies in the detail.

“I like that. I want to work on my game. I practise on my own a lot – my crossing, my finishing. It is small things that make a difference in a one-to-one situation with a defender at the top level. I still want to improve, well, everything. You get the time to do that.”

The manager has poured praise on his recruit from Scotland, claiming the winger is one of his most valuable players.

“Karpin tells me what he thinks. He is an approachable guy and there are a lot of meetings and dialogue with the staff. He will tell you when he is happy with you, tell you when he is not. But there is an extensive programme of looking forward to matches and looking back. The videos are pored over and everything is discussed,” says McGeady.

This is the way that Trapattoni works, too. “He watches everything, he takes everything in,” says McGeady of the Italian who has won titles in Italy, Germany, Austria and Portugal and has now taken the Republic of Ireland to the 2012 European Championships.

“When he talks, you listen. His English is not perfect but you almost lean forward to listen to what he is saying. He is really precise. He is not suspicious of flair players but he wants me to be disciplined. If a left-back is overlapping, I know exactly where the manager wants me to be.”

McGeady has never lost his sense of surprise at the 72-year-old Italian’s dedication to every move, every moment on the pitch. “We constantly watch a piece of video that shows a team pressing strongly and the other side having eventually to kick the ball out of play. It may seem crazy to watch it so often but it is obvious what the manager is trying to do: he is showing us how we can frustrate and dispossess the other team.”

The personality of Trapattoni has been important to McGeady. The Italian has a reputation for rigidity, even pragmatism in his team but McGeady, charged with being a creative, almost instinctive force, has found Il Trap an encouraging presence. “He has been brilliant for me,” says McGeady, who plays in a position where the support of the manager is crucial.

The upside of being a creative player is that a goal can come from a McGeady intervention but the downside is that possession can also be lost on occasion. “He concentrates on what you have done well even after a game when I feel I have not performed at my best,” says McGeady of his conversations with a coach who has led the Republic to its first finals since the 2002 World Cup.

Ireland are in a group that bristles with danger with Spain, Italy and Croatia barring the way to the knockout stages. McGeady accepts that the challenge is strong but is not discomfited by it.

“We know what our strengths are. We are a really difficult team to beat. We have good players in every area of the park. Yeah, it is a tough group but do not expect us to lie down.”

The confidence in the statement owes nothing to bombast. “I read the statement from Trapattoni about me going to Russia to find myself as a player and a man,” says McGeady. “I feel it makes sense. As a player, it is the stuff of cliches to be going to an international championship as an integral part of the team. There is a wonderful feeling about going though the slog of qualifying matches and a play-off – all that playing and travelling – and reaching your goal.” He concedes it is particulary gratifying after the Republic lost out on the World Cup to a Thierry Henry handball in the play-off match with France. “That was tough,” he says.

However, McGeady, the player, is happy. Spartak are fourth in the league and ready to challenge for the title when the league resumes in March. The Republic of Ireland starts what could be an adventure of note against Croatia in Poznan on June 10.

McGeady, the man and now father, has a lot to ponder when his SUV lies becalmed in Moscow traffic. The journey is not over. It may have only just started.

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Good article. Seems to unintentionally say that things are a lot more professional on a day-to-day basis than they are at Celtic. Seems to genuinely buy into Trap’s approach also.

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I made the same conclusion and I think it applies generally to football in Scotland & England compared to the rest of Europe. Remember the backlash when Mancini brought in double training sessions when he first got the job at Manchester City?

Not meaning to take the thread totally off the topic of Ireland at the Euros but I didn’t realise how much time off the Celtic players get during the season between games until the phenomenon of Twitter.

Take last week for example - Joe Ledley tweeted on Thursday morning that he’d just arrived in Cardiff for a couple of days to catch up with family etc. Fair enough, we’d just beaten the huns the night before and our next game was on the Monday but it seems they weren’t due back in for training until the Saturday & had 2 days off. As McGeady says, if that was Russia they’d be in on the Thursday for a recovery session and ‘debrief’ from the derby game.

Last season Niall McGinn was constantly tweeting saying he was out in Belfast or in his restaurant over there and I’d be thinking ‘why the fuck aren’t Celtic training today?’

I think it was Massimo Donati who gave an interview when he was at Celtic saying that he was amazed that the huns games were the only domestic matches where tactics were discussed at length and meetings held about opposition strengths / weaknesses etc. He said every other game was a case of simply going out and playing our own game.

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Anyone see the rte doc about qualification over Christmas. Good enough show with some good interviews with players etc.
Richard Dunne was going on about how rugby and cricket lads get a soft ride compared to the soccer team. He pointed out particularly the time robbie keane and the team got booed at a Bernard Dunne fight as a low point.
They had a piece about the issue on off the ball just there. It’s one that’s been touched on a few times here too I think. Macdevitt was trying to claim the mood changed after the Henry game in Paris but I’d actually think it was Armenia beating Slovakia which changed it. Up to including the Russia away game the mood was hugely negative.
It took people to see we were going to qualify to get back on board which shows the ridiculously fickle nature of most ‘fans’ who will now be going cracked oleoleing in June.

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Wouldn’t quite say that gola. The booing happened after the Cyprus or San Marino game in the Days of Stan. Thought Dunne was wrong to mention that and it was silly to show it, seeing as it was from what, 5 years ago?
The public mood had certainly changed by the France game and definitely after it. Sure every fucking eejit bird I’m friends with on Facebook had that “petition to get the game replayed” thing on their profile. Any public negativity has been in relation to our horrible football and our failure to beat anyone of note, imo. The support hasn’t been at the level of the days of yore, until the Estonia game, but really, in all truth, the matches are usually shite and it’s expensive as fuck to go to a game.
Having said all that, it will stick in my craw to see lads who’ve been saying “we’re fucking shoite” for the last few years, skulling pints in in the pub in June cheering on the team.

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I’m with gola on this. While there was an obvious outcry after Paris there was still a huge amount of negativity around the team up to and including large parts of the current campaign.
I think too many of our fans are not used to going to games, supporting one of the top teams in EPL/SPL who tend to dominate games and so not used to supporting a team that doesn’t have large amount of possession and aren’t dominating teams.

Media have had big role to play too in the doom and gloom that was around national side also. Criticism of Trap sure was still going on when we reached the playoffs sure.
I like Declan Kidney but the contrast in the treatment he gets to that which Trap has gotten is there for all to see. Same goes for players in both sports also. Take for instance John Hayes. He is rightly praised for the servant he has been to Irish rugby and he has been richly rewarded for the service by the IRFU. Rarely if ever though have I read praise from journalists/broadcasters for guys like McGeady or Keane who travel half way across the world (and always turn up) to play. Guys like that are probably shortening their careers and losing out financially while rugby guys are centrally contracted. You’d think if anything McGeady and Keane should be lauded but instead Keane in particular has been subjected to some petty abuse.

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Much of the negativity surrounding the team is down to Dunphy and the clowns who listen to him. The Armenia game was gas. Anyone I talked to that went to the game agreed with me that it was, on the whole, quite a decent performance and a good game to watch. A lot of idiots that watched it on TV were very critical. I didn’t bother watching the RTÉ coverage back, but I understand that much of what I was hearing was just a rehash of what Dunphy had said. Same was true of the Macedonia game to an extent if I remember rightly too.

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Good post Larry.

The embarrassing loss to Wales in the World Cup was swept away and we were all told our rugby players were heroes. There are some very good players in the Irish rugby team at the moment but frankly they’ve underachieved on the international stage and have failed to show up in nearly every properly important game they’ve played. Imagine the abuse the soccer players would get if they achieved as little with a talented group of players.

RTÉ certainly have a part in this alright Braz but it extends to the written media too. Sadlier for example but there are plenty others in the Sindo, Sunday Times, tabloids who have a cut at the team at every opportunity.

Heard the Off the Ball clip today and I have to say Jim Glennon came across as a tool. I didn’t mind him making a point about disappointing performances but the personal attack on Robbie Keane just came across as bitter ramblings.

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What time of the evening was this covered on Off the Ball tonight? Wouldn’t mind listening back online.