O’Shea: Ireland and Italy won’t be quick on the draw

IN THE entirely appropriate setting of Mick Wallace’s Italian eaterie in central Dublin, John O’Shea briefly considers the popular conspiratorial image of Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi sitting down to carve up the result of Saturday’s meeting of Ireland and Italy – and then smashes it right out of sight.

“The two managers have a deal done beforehand over a glass of wine?” he laughs. “No, I don’t think so. If he (Trapattoni) has a chance of winning this group, he’ll be mad for it.”

The vast majority of football-watchers might have the Italians down as cast-iron certainties to win World Cup qualifying Group 8 but the Manchester United and Ireland defender is not one of them.