Trap calls for Ireland to shoot on sight

THREE players are making their competitive debuts and two of Ireland’s most senior figures have battled with injury problems to make the cut, but Giovanni Trapattoni is still confident that Ireland can keep up the pressure on leaders Russia in European Championship Group B by winning against Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

With Sean St Ledger the latest first-choice player to be ruled out through injury, Keiren Westwood, Darren O’Dea and Kevin Foley will all make competitive debuts in a radically new-look back five, though the presence of Richard Dunne and, making his 65th successive competitive start, Kevin Kilbane, ensures that there will still be a couple of vastly experienced heads in the Irish defence. Coventry keeper Westwood was always going to come in for the injured Shay Given to win his sixth senior cap, while Wolves defender Foley was favourite to take over from John O’Shea at right-back. But if there is a surprise package, it’s the selection of O’Dea, currently on loan at Ipswich from Celtic, who has been chosen ahead of Ciaran Clark to partner Dunne because, says Trapattoni, O’Dea is a specialist stopper and a player with more consistent experience in a central position than the highly- rated Aston Villa newcomer currently playing for his club at left-back.

“Stopper is stopper,” said Trapattoni. “We need experience in this position and O’Dea has more experience.”

And although Derby County’s Paul Green started Ireland’s first four qualifiers in the group, tonight his place in central midfield goes to Darron Gibson. The reason, says the manager, is because he expects the visitors to defend deep, which he believes will allow the Manchester United man space outside the box in which to try to recreate the kind of spectacular shot from distance which almost ripped the roof off the net against Wales. “I have told Aiden McGeady that I want to see him shooting too,” said Trapattoni.

While Trapattoni, and for that matter just about everyone else, has highlighted the attacking threat of Inter Milan’s Goran Pandev, especially on the counter-attack, Ireland’s manager says Macedonia’s biggest threat could come from set-pieces.

“Macedonia have four or five very big players and I am afraid about that at corners and free-kicks,” he said. “But that is really my only concern. I am optimistic that if we play with the right attitude and with enthusiasm, we will win. I have said before that the show is only for friendly games. But this game is all about the result. And it’s important we win — for qualification, for morale and for the Irish people.”

Trapattoni also confirmed that substitute James McCarthy will definitely be involved at some point — perhaps even as a ‘number 10’, playing off a striker — but Jon Walters of Stoke is not now due to join up with the squad until after the game following the birth of his third child.