A night for gentle dreams

The Ferenc Puskas Stadium in Budapest has long been due for demolition but with its marble halls still echoing to the legendary achievements of yesteryear, it’s a place of fading grandeur which still has the power to evoke fantasy football.

Certainly, it seemed to put Giovanni Trapattoni in a dreamy mood yesterday, as he recalled visiting the old ground for the first time at the tender age of 18. And, with that, he was briefly lost in reverie about the ‘Mighty Magyars’, the team of Hidegkuti, Bozsik and the great Puskas himself — the Galloping Major — who revolutionised football in the 1950s and, on this very site in 1954, handed out a 7-1 humiliation to England.

“A fantastic team,” said Trapattoni with undisguised relish.

Brought back to the present day, Trapattoni was asked what he made of Marco Tardelli’s remark at a public questions and answers session in Montecatini, shortly before the Irish party left their training camp in Tuscany for Budapest yesterday. The assistant manager had said: “I am worried about Croatia but we have a plan. We’ll draw with Croatia, win against Spain and then win against Italy to qualify as first from the group.”

When the words were read back to him, Trapattoni smiled. “Marco is full of enthusiasm, he is a dreamer,” he said. “But sometimes the dream comes true. It is important what we achieve in the first 90 minutes against Croatia. Then we can continue this way.”

Tonight against Hungary, we will get what amounts to a full dress rehearsal for that game in Poznan next Sunday, as Trapattoni puts out his first-choice XI of Given, O’Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward, Duff, Andrews, Whelan, McGeady, Keane and Doyle. Indeed, the manager as much as indicated yesterday that, barring injuries, this will be his team for the tournament.

As well as hopefully extending Ireland’s 13-game unbeaten run, tonight’s main business will be all about assessing the well-being of Shay Given and John O’Shea, both of whom have only recently returned to full training after injury scares. In particular, Trapattoni wants confirmation that his full-back is match fit, though he added that 70 minutes could be enough time to allow the Sunderland man to definitively prove he’s ready for action in the Euros.

“70 could be enough,” said the manager, pointedly adding, “we need to think of Croatia.

“This is a friendly and they must think before they make the tackle.”

Trapattoni said he has no qualms about signalling so clearly to the managers of Croatia, Spain and Italy what his intentions are by effectively naming his Euros starting XI tonight.

All the managers know each other’s sides inside out by now, he suggested and, anyway, why would he dream of doing anything differently since these are the players he works with on the training pitch all the time? These, in short, are Trap’s boys.

“This is the team that helped us achieve qualification,” he said. “This is a consolidated team, a team that can play with its eyes closed. And when we do make changes, the players coming in know exactly what to do.”

There was a decidedly relaxed and upbeat mood to the Irish pre-match press conference yesterday with Trapattoni and his skipper Robbie Keane engaging in one especially humorous exchange.

Asked what the Italian had brought to the Irish team, Keane was beginning his answer when Trapattoni leaned towards him and said: “Balance.” His captain looked back at him. “Yes, balance,” Trap repeated. Keane then faced his audience and with deadpan delivery, began: “I think he’s brought balance to the team…”

Laughter filled the room, as Keane shook his head, smiled and said, “Well, I’m hardly going to argue with him, am I? I want to play next Sunday.”

They all do and, begging Hungary’s pardon, that’s really what tonight’s match here in Budapest is all about.