Boss forgives tweet excess
Giovanni Trapattoni confirmed that “the Twitter matter is closed, no problem” but, in response to further questioning, gave an insight into how uncomfortable McClean felt when he realised the consequences of his extraordinary rush of blood to the head.
“He was mortified,” said the manager. “If he could have, he would have eaten his words. I spoke with him in front of the other players. He was very apologetic but I said to them all that we have to have a lot of patience with the young. Every young person is sometimes very impulsive. They say now what sometimes tomorrow they regret.
“I said to everyone, this is not just about respect for the manager, this is about respect for all. The other players are your colleagues. If I don’t play one, I play the other. In Astana, there was [Stephen] Kelly and [Kevin] Doyle, both with many caps, on the bench. His team-mates spoke to him too and I know what was said. He was very, very apologetic.”
Trapattoni also seemed to suggest that, but for his pragmatic approach to management, the Derry man might have been out on his ear.
“Another manager, English or German, would have said, ‘take your bag and go home’. But I might need him in the game to score a goal. If he goes home, he can’t score a goal. But he must have respect for the others. The manager needs the players but they need to think. I know, I had nearly 2,000 players in my career.”
McClean will also have to cool his jets for at least another 45 minutes since Trapattoni is not planning to use him until the second half of tomorrow night’s friendly against Oman at Craven Cottage.
Sean St Ledger would have started the game but shipped a knock to a knee in training yesterday which is likely to rule him out. And with so many other first-choice players having left the squad — or else, in the case of Aiden McGeady, expected to be rested for at least the first half tomorrow — Trapattoni’s starting line-up against Oman is, by some distance, the youngest and most experimental of his reign as manager of Ireland.
Barring any late injury setbacks, the team will line out with David Forde in goal, Seamus Coleman at right-back, centre-halves Stephen Kelly and Paul McShane, and Marc Wilson at left-back. Across midfield, from right to left, will be an exciting line-up of Robbie Brady, David Meyler, James McCarthy and Andy Keogh. And, up front, there will be an ex-Cork City strikers’ reunion with Kevin Doyle — expected to be named captain — and Shane Long getting the nod.
Meanwhile, Trapattoni robustly defended himself against criticism of Ireland’s preparation and tactics for the World Cup qualifier in Kazakhstan which saw the team come within a whisker of humiliation. At one point yesterday he even borrowed this reporter’s notebook in order to illustrate a particular tactical point.
On RTÉ after Friday’s game, Trapattoni’s former assistant and player Liam Brady had suggested it was imperative the Irish players now go to the manager and tell him they need to play a different away.
But, although he referred to him as “my friend”, Trapattoni was clearly in no mood to entertain such talk. Arguing that the plastic pitch in the Astana Arena had been a significant factor in dictating Ireland’s long ball game, he suggested Brady might have had a different view if he’d seen the surface for himself. He then added, erroneously, that Brady “was never a manager”, before describing how he himself is kept awake at night thinking through all the aspects of the job.
On that point, he also rejected former Ireland manager Brian Kerr’s criticism in a newspaper column.
“They were difficult opponents,” said Trapattoni. “Maybe Brian Kerr didn’t see the game between Germany and Kazakhstan [Germany won 3-0] but I saw that game. No, the preparations were right. This colleague of yours, he was a manager, he must think about what he says.”
As for finding himself under pressure, the veteran Italian observed that this was nothing new.
“You don’t know the number of years I’ve been under pressure. It was the first game of the new campaign. We lost against Italy and Spain [in the Euros], the two best, and we are not Real Madrid, not Argentina, or Bayern or England or Germany. We are Ireland and we have to think about what happened three, four years ago against Cyprus.”
Finally, Trapattoni revealed Damien Duff has been invited to tomorrow’s game at his home ground, with the manager adding he still plans to speak to the player again about his decision to retire.
* West Ham goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has been called up to replace Keiren Westwood.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
