Roy hails Italian job despite Trap’s omission of Reid

ROY KEANE last night heaped praise on Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni adding that he was unqualified to question the legendary Italian.

Trapattoni maintained his unbeaten start as Ireland boss with the win over Georgia in Germany and draw in Montenegro in their opening World Cup qualifiers.

Keane believes Ireland can qualify for South Africa in 2010 and the former national skipper insists he has no issue with Italian Trapattoni over his continued exclusion from the starting line-up of Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid.

Said Keane: “That’s up to Mr Trapattoni and he has obviously got two good results.

“It’s none of my business.

“Mr Trapattoni has gone down a certain route with certain players and, Jesus Christ, with his CV there’s no way I’m going to question him.”

Keane revealed that he watched Ireland’s two games on television and was impressed by the performances.

He feels that Ireland have developed as a team under the wily Italian boss.

“I watched the two games and I was impressed with the results and the way they performed.

“Georgia were awful, but the fact is Ireland have played poor teams before, particularly away from home, where they didn’t get a result.

“They drew in Montenegro and you take that all the time because Ireland will be very good at home.

“They have some good players and experience behind them, and a good manager. I think Ireland have got a good chance.”

Meanwhile, the war of words between Keane and Jack Warner has intensified with the FIFA vice-president making a personal attack on the Sunderland manager, after the Corkman had called him “a clown”.

Warner is special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago FA and incurred Keane’s wrath for criticising his decision to withdraw Dwight Yorke from international duty.

The Sunderland boss described Warner as “a clown” and said: “If he is vice-president of FIFA, then God help us”, and suggested he wrote letters on FIFA-headed writing paper “just to impress everybody”.

Now Warner has retaliated with a new letter attacking Keane — and making a dig about his own conduct amid his departure from the Irish set-up in Saipan in 2002.

Yesterday’s letter, a copy of which has been seen by PA Sport, says: “The disrespectful tone of your reported comments further demonstrates the total disrespect that you and others of your ilk have generally for players and officials from ‘small’ countries.

“It is obviously difficult for you to accept the fact that someone from a ‘small’ country could rise to become a vice-president of FIFA.

“I chose to respond on a FIFA letter-head because that is a privilege afforded me owing to my said status and the fact that your callousness showed utter disregard for FIFA’s regulations re the release of players for international duty.

“Regrettably, but not surprisingly, you did not grasp the message.

“In closing may I remind you that a player’s greatest honour is to represent his country in spite of the fact that you chose to walk away from your’s during the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup after publicly abusing your manager... indictment that you will no doubt be proud of up to today. Poor Sunderland.”