Trapattoni cuts to the chase

NOT for the first time, James McCarthy dominates the headlines around an Ireland squad because of his absence.

And, not for the first time either, he is not alone, the Stoke duo of Jon Walters and Marc Wilson – two more of the players Giovanni Trapattoni dubbed the ‘disappeared’ back in May – are among those who have failed to make the 25-man cut for the European Championship qualifiers against Slovakia and Russia next month.

The manager had drawn a line in the sand after the summer confusion demanding that, in future, all selected squad members would have to communicate clearly and in good time whether or not they would be available.