Trap sticks to his system
Once more after a home competitive defeat, the post-mortem has seen the manager’s tactics come under renewed attack, the players roundly criticised and reports of mutterings of discontent within the Irish camp.
The difference this time is that, despite a spirited late Irish rally narrowing the margin of defeat to just the one on Tuesday, the final score could not disguise the fact that Ireland had not only been beaten, they had been outclassed.
For Richard Dunne, the experience highlighted problems to do with the big picture rather than the ‘leetle details’ so beloved of Trapattoni.
“As soon as Shay gets it we all turn our back on him and run forward and see if Kevin Doyle can head it and what else he can do,” Dunne observed in the gloomy aftermath of Friday’s defeat. “I think as a team we’ve got to help each other out a bit more and look to try and get the ball. At the moment, we’re just going forward, then defending, going forward, then defending. We’re never going to control games if we play like that. We’ve got to put our foot on the ball at some stage and string five or six passes together and create chances that way rather than from set-pieces or long balls all the time.”
While Dunne’s comments can be interpreted as criticism of the players as much as of the tactics, the passion of his analysis has added fuel to the fire of those who would hold that Trapattoni’s rigid 4-4-2 shape and conservative, low-risk style is strangling any semblance of creativity in his team. That latter quality is already in limited supply, first, with the relatively small pool of talent at Trapattoni’s disposal and then by the choices the manager makes in terms of selection.
Speaking to the media over the weekend, an uncharacteristically subdued Trapattoni sought to defend his approach even as he conceded that Ireland had been outnumbered in midfield and beaten by a better team on Friday night.
“I don’t forbid the team to play football,” he insisted, arguing that Ireland’s one-dimensional long-ball approach at the Aviva was dictated, in large measure, by the pressure imposed by superior opposition. Arguing that 4-4-2 has an in-built flexibility which can combat a three-man midfield, he recalled how Stephen Hunt had done well to tuck in and provide extra cover to combat the deep-lying Stevan Jovetic in the scoreless draw away to Montenegro in the World Cup qualifiers.
Consequently, the Italian also appeared to rule out Ireland changing to the 4-5-1 formation which many have called for following Friday’s defeat.
“We believe in our system,” he said. “We must be convinced that we can win before we consider change. But not straight away as I cannot put Doyle on the left or on the right. I can ask Robbie to play a little bit behind the attack but if Robbie is there then he cannot be in attack. He cannot be everywhere, he is not fresh like he was four or five years ago.”
Of course for Kevin Doyle, read Shane Long, with the Reading striker – who was inspirational in the late rally against Russia – now looking a certain starter in Zilina tomorrow night. Before Doyle was ruled out yesterday, Trapattoni had spoken about perhaps making “one or two” changes for the game against Slovakia but, knowing his habits it will be a surprise if the manager volunteers to make a second change.
Certainly, he continues to defend Derby’s Paul Green. On Saturday, he jokingly offered to cancel training so he could sit with journalists and study a dvd of Green’s performance against Russia. However, his point was a serious one: “Green achieved 80% of the ball.”
But, even if this was so, it only tells half the story. For while Trapattoni is right in saying that the tigerish Green won plenty of tackles in midfield, this didn’t translate into winning the ball. Invariably, having stopped a Russian in his tracks, Green would end up on his backside, from which ignominious position all he could do was look and watch as a spare wine-red shirt picked up the loose ball and launched yet another attack.
With Keith Andrews injured, Keith Fahey regarded as a wide player by Trapattoni and James McCarthy still on the outside looking in, there is only one obvious change which Trapattoni could make to freshen up his central midfield in time for tomorrow’s game.
We already know that Trapattoni doesn’t believe that Darron Gibson has the defensive bite he wants from his holding midfielders but, with Green still struggling to make any significant impact at competitive international level, the Manchester United man offers an alternative combination of passing range and shooting power which could help make the difference between securing a ship-steadying draw and an uplifting win in Zilina.
As for a defeat? Well, that would turn mounting concern into real crisis for Ireland. But that’s certainly not what’s being countenanced as the wounded Boys in Green fly out to Slovakia today. Instead the talk is all about bouncing back and restoring pride. The spirit of Paris ‘09 was evoked more than once in Malahide yesterday but while Paris gave us a performance it didn’t give us a result.
Regardless of what his critics have to say, Trapattoni will happily take the reverse tomorrow night.
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