Unlucky Doyle set to become fall guy

If the rumblings and murmurs from the Irish camp in Gdynia are to be taken at face value, Kevin Doyle now looks to be the only player from the original first XI to miss out against Spain tomorrow.

With Giovanni Trapattoni looking to congest the midfield but, at the same time, not overly compromise the 4-4-2 formation that the players are so in tune with, it seems highly likely he will replace the Wolves forward with the more bustling Jon Walters or Simon Cox.

Doyle insists, however, any change in status won’t change his mood. “I don’t know what the manager is thinking. It’s no different than always. We put each other under pressure but it’s a friendly rivalry. If he [Walters] plays or Longy [Shane Long] or Coxy [Cox] plays, I won’t mind. I want us to get something against Spain, no matter what.”