Trap: Given can emulate Zoff
The Ireland goalkeeper joined up with the national squad in Malahide yesterday, having impressed on his debut Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday following his move from Newcastle United. And Trapattoni is convinced that the 32-year-old will comfortably see out his four and half year contract at Eastlands – and beyond.
“Goalkeepers are lucky because they can play until they are 40,” said the Ireland boss.
“Shay’s mentality is strong and you see how fantastic his reactions were on Saturday. I think he can be like Dino Zoff who was playing for me at Juventus at 42.”
Trapattoni also had words of encouragement for Given’s new club mate Richard Dunne, for whom the year so far at City has been tainted by poor form and suspension.
“Richard is an emotional player, a sensitive player and sometimes he makes little mistakes,” he said. “I can’t say much about Manchester City but we have another, different system. For us, he plays very well. We need him and I will put a lot of trust in him.”
Trapattoni offered a similar analysis for Robbie Keane’s failure to make an impression at Anfield, indicating that Ireland ‘s captain had been partly the victim of a Rafael Benitez system which favours a lone striker.
“Liverpool have their system and we have ours,” he said. “For us, as I’ve always said, Keane is very important. He not only scores but he has great movement and reads the game very well. I had said when I was asked before that it was good that he moved to a top team like Liverpool but now it is better for his own self-belief that he plays regularly for Spurs.”
Because of his participation in yesterday’s north London derby, Keane missed the Irish squad’s first training session ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia. The Manchester United duo of John O’Shea and Darron Gibson were other late arrivals at the Irish base.
Keane’s strike partner Kevin Doyle – last night named the eircom FAI International Player Of The Year – was also excused training following a knock he took in Reading’s scoreless draw with Preston at the weekend.
Said Trapattoni: “It was a heavy, dangerous knock and the doctor felt it was better he rest. But it was more of a precaution and I’m sure he will be ready for the game.”
The news on Paul McShane sounds less encouraging, the Sunderland player having also missed yesterday’s session with a hamstring problem which has been bothering him for some time. “The doctor will evaluate his condition and we hope he can stay with us,” said Trapattoni, but the revelation that the manager has called up Preston’s Eddie Nolan suggests he feels the need to provide extra cover behind Stephen Kelly and Kevin Foley in the full-back position, especially with Steve Finnan already ruled out. “We hope in the future he can come back to us,” said Trapattoni of the Espanyol defender.
Finnan and Caleb Folan are, thus far, the only two definite withdrawals from Trapattoni’s original squad.
What the manager called “the good news” was that the likes of Blackburn’s Keith Andrews and Stoke’s Glenn Whelan have been getting valuable game time at their clubs ahead of a match against Georgia which Trapattoni insists will not be easy.
“The game will be difficult and we will need all our enthusiasm and our best performance to win,” he said. “Georgia have learned a lot in this group and it will be important on Wednesday for our fans to get behind the team.” One well-known face along to lend her support yesterday was boxer and international footballer, Katie Taylor, who, to judge by his typically animated reaction, brought out the shadow boxer in Trapattoni when the two were introduced on the sideline at the end of the squad’s training session in Gannon Park.
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