Trap lays it on the line to players about drinking habits

AS the Irish squad trained yesterday for the firsttime at the start of what Giovanni Trapattonicalled the “the most important week of the qualifying campaign” it was clear that the manager was not leaving anything to chance on or off the pitch.

With a new artificial pitch being laid at Ireland’s Gannon Park training base, we learned that the manager had asked for the work to be accelerated so that the squad can train on it before stepping out onto a similar surface in Moscow next Tuesday.

But, rather more unexpected, since he volunteered the information himself, was the revelation that the manager had called a meeting of the players before the recent friendly against Croatia in which he asked them to be more responsible about their drinking habits.

The Italian had been spurred into action by newspaper reports of a late-night row involving one or more players and a member of the backroom staff at the team hotel in Portmarnock following the Carling Nations Cup game against Scotland back in May.

“Up until that I point I had trust in my players but when I read about this once, twice or three times I said, ‘uh oh be careful’ because never in Italy or Germany have I had this situation,” said Trapattoni. “I told the players: ask me and I can allow you out and at 11 o’clock you can come back. We can look each other in the eye and speak openly, we don’t need any sneakiness. They don’t need to hide and go behind anyone’s back.

“We have a great responsibility for these players. If they are on the street and a car hits them, what happens? They are kids, they don’t think about the eventualities. Before the Croatia game, I reminded the players how important it is to grow our personality and professionalism because of two or three situations when the players were drinking beer or were in the pub. I think players are conscious about this situation. It is important for us, for me and all the Irish people because this time we can show our Irish people that we are a professional team with the right mentality.”

Although Shane Long, Darren O’Dea, Sean St Ledger and Richard Dunne sat out all or part of training yesterday, Trapattoni insisted that this was purely precautionary and that all four would be available for selection for Friday’s game against Slovakia.

He also expressed full confidence that Shay Given, due in today having received extended treatment for a back injury at Villa Park, will also be fit for the fray. And Trapattoni said too that he had no fear that jet-lag would pose any problems for Robbie Keane who was en route from Los Angeles yesterday and is due to link up with the squad today.

For one moment, it appeared Trapattoni had bad news about Aiden McGeady. “Gone,” he said, in answer to a query about the player before it became clear it was the winger’s knee injury which had disappeared. “He told me he is totally fit,” said the manager with a smile.

Rather less reassuringly, Trapattoni seemed unaware that James McCarthy had already linked up with the U21s yesterday. “Until now we haven’t an answer,” said Trapattoni who also seemed not to be up to speed with the player’s injury status after McCarthy was left out of the Wigan team at the weekend.

However, Trapattoni did say that, depending on the overall injury picture in the Irish squad, McCarthy could yet be called into the panel ahead of the game in Moscow. But the manager has no plans to call up any other players before Friday’s game against Slovakia, despite having already lost two of his main central midfield cover options in Keith Fahey and Darron Gibson.

Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan are set to resume their partnership in that key area on Friday, with Trapattoni happy that, in Kevin Foley, he has another player who can slot in there if required. “Against Italy , we also played with Foley there, he is my joker,” said the Italian, referring to the all-purpose playing card.