Passionate Trapattoni lays out selection decisions

NOT SO much a press conference as a one-man show.

Giovanni Trapattoni launched an impassioned defence of his selection policy yesterday, dealing with the Andy Reid, Joey O’Brien and Rory Delap issues. There was no shortage of straight news — Robbie Keane misses Wednesday’s game against Poland, returning to Anfield with a shoulder injury, and Celtic’s Aiden McGeady is also out, with a calf injury.

That opens the door for Reading’s Noel Hunt — brother of Stephen — who has received his first call-up to the senior Irish squad. However, Trapattoni arrived for the press conference with a printed list of Irish players who have already been picked or scouted or who will be watched over the coming weeks and months (including, he said, Celtic’s Cillian Sheridan and Hamilton’s James McCarthy, though he added that he feels he already has enough young players in the squad for Wednesday).

After a brief opening address, he prompted: “Now surely, someone will ask to me: why missing Andy Reid? Why no Carsley? No Joey O’ Brien?”

Answering his own question, he went on: “We are building a team, a structure, a solid core of young and senior players. Four or five months ago we didn’t know Gibson, Andrews, Folan — now they are in the squad and I want to see more of them.”

Then, asked directly if Andy Reid’s career was over, Trapattoni replied: “No. I spoke to Andy Reid before the last game. You all know, in Germany I discussed with him a little situation in the night. It’s okay, it’s no problem. The players going in the pub at night is for me no problem.

“But I said to him to continue (with Ireland) because in the future it’s possible (he plays). But I don’t wish to change immediately the system. So I don’t forget Andy Reid, like I don’t forget Carsley. It’s early, we need one year to develop the squad. The qualification campaign is long and there can be injuries and red cards. I have 35 years in international football. I want to see all the players. But I have a system, and until now it has worked.”

Trapattoni went on to suggest that, since he intended to look at other players on Wednesday, he would be doing Reid no favours by bringing him in.

“Andy Reid has a particular character. He values himself a lot. And when he doesn’t play, he’s sad. I know. To win, we need enthusiasm and a smile. There are other players who still smile when they don’t play. Over a number of games you see the character of the players. I wish to help him. He plays the position at Sunderland like Stephen Ireland does at Manchester City. But at the moment our system doesn’t include this position. I wish to see other players. Only when these young players play, will they become stronger.”

Asked about Bolton’s Joey O’ Brien, Trapattoni said: “It’s like (Stephen) Ireland saying he doesn’t want to come back. If your wife goes, you find with another lady — that’s life.

“The Ireland players when they come here are happy because they are playing for their country. I was happy when I played with Italy. And they must be happy to be with the national team — whether they are on the bench or not.

“I want players to express their opinions. But it’s more important what they show me on the pitch. It’s important the players earn congratulations, not Trapattoni. That is my philosophy. I don’t talk bad about my players in the paper. If I treated the players badly then they have all the right to say bad things about me but I don’t treat them badly. They are professionals. I have known over 1,000 players from many countries — from South America to Germany to Israel — and I have always had a good professional relationship with those players. What is crucial are the results. Maybe I make mistakes but I don’t prejudge people personally. It’s nothing personal.”

Trapattoni was at Old Trafford on Saturday for Manchester United’s 5-0 trouncing of Stoke.

“Before the game, I spoke with Alex (Ferguson). He asked: ‘What are doing here Giovanni?’ ‘I wish to see the Ireland players.’ ‘Oh yes, sure’ With 30 minutes to go he plays Gibson. Maybe if I don’t speak with him, maybe he wouldn’t have or maybe he would.”

Regarding Stoke’s Rory Delap... “It would be humiliating for a player to go into the national team just because of his long throw. Please. He’s 32. Okay, it’s not old but in that position at the moment we have a new energy. Sure, yesterday, I saw his first throw and it was dangerous for the goalkeeper but football is about 90 minutes.”

Repeatedly, Trapattoni returned to the theme of the spirit and character he wants from his players: “It’s possible to win with class, or with the Irish way, the Roy Keane way.”

And he concluded with a defiant summing up of his managerial philosophy on the supremacy of the group over the individual.

“I live the game, I want to win,” he said. “In my international experience, the team with the right mentality wins.

“Sometimes (Roberto) Baggio didn’t play in the national team in Italy, because international football is a different game.”