Trap: It’s up to the players now

It’s the eve of match day and there’s a sense from Giovanni Trapattoni that there’s not a lot more he can do now to prepare his players for one of the biggest games of their lives.

After overseeing a high-tempo training session in Gdynia yesterday, followed by an appearance in front of the TV cameras and the international media, he was about to step into a car to leave the training ground when he was reminded that he had an appointment with a group of the regular Irish reporters, some of whom he has come to know by name over the last four years.

In this more intimate gathering, Trapattoni sat on a sofa and leaned forward to make his points in a quiet but firm voice. Here, there was none of the showy animation which can make his media work alternately baffling and bewitching. This was the 73-year-old in more reflective mood, his comments conveying the strong impression that it was over to the players now. More than once, he spoke about having congratulated them for all they’ve done to get this far. Now, he’s asking them for one final big push.

His goal, he said, is for Ireland to get out of the group and then see what fate has in store for his team. The very first time he’d come amongst us, that long four years ago, he’d spoken about Greece winning the European Championship in 2004, conclusive proof, he suggested, that a properly prepared David could trump all the Goliaths. Yesterday he said it would be “silly” to say Ireland could follow suit, not least because he reckons it’s impossible to make allowance for unpredictable factors — like red cards, injuries — which can shape any team’s prospects.

As we remember only too well from Paris, the twist of fate could come down to bad refereeing — or maybe something even more suspicious, like the 2-2 draw between neighbours Denmark and Sweden which confirmed the exit of Trapattoni’s Italy from Euro 2004. Il Trap does not forget these things.

“After the World Cup play-off game against France, (Raymond) Domenech said to me ‘Giovanni, you know football’. I said to Domenech, ‘Yes, I know football’. Sweden against Denmark, I remember the game. Do you know what (former UEFA President Lennart) Johansson said? ‘If this game, finishes in a draw, we will open an investigation’. Do you know if he made the investigation? I’m still waiting for the investigation.”

Over more than half a century as player and coach, Trapattoni has always played to win, something he affirmed with a thoughtful answer to a question about whether, for what should be obvious reasons, there is less pressure on him as manager of Ireland going into a big tournament than when he was Italy manager.

“It’s true what you say,” he mused, “but just getting here is not enough. There isn’t a result that satisfies me as I am never happy unless I get the ultimate prize. In my life as player I was lucky to play against the most important opponents — stars like Pele, Eusebio, Cruyff. Direct confrontations, even though I was not superior to them. But that is football. If I don’t achieve what I think I can achieve, I am not happy.”

And the same, he continued, applies to this Irish team.

“Maybe we don’t have a Messi,” he allowed, “but we have very good quality and we must believe in that quality. We have good attitude and the right balance. To Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady this morning, I said congratulations, because I saw again their determination to win back the ball. We have to spend all our energy in Sunday’s game and then it will be my duty to see if I can rest players for 15 minutes because they will have to repeat this again after three days.

“I don’t think we could be better prepared. My worry one month ago was that we would lose a player. I prayed that we would have no injury. That is the reason I asked some players to come in four days early. I knew there was two or three little injury problem but they recovered well — John O’Shea, Richard Dunne, Sean St Ledger. I’ve no doubt now about Shay Given.”

There was a twinkle in his when asked how he was feeling as kick-off neared.

“I’m not particularly excited but I’m a little tense,” he said. “I want to keep that level of tension. The manager needs to keep a positive tension. I think I’m like a 20 year old, but with more experience. If I was 15 years younger I would play in the game.”

Ah, but he can’t — good news for Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan. Which brings us to where we came in. It’s largely out of Trapattoni’s hands now. It’s over to the players.