Trapattoni’s thinking too rigid, blasts Dunphy

Eamon Dunphy believes Giovanni Trapattoni will select younger players for the upcoming friendly against Greece, but that the Republic of Ireland manager will revert to established senior players for the vital qualifier against Sweden next March because the Italian “is not going to change” his conservative philosophy.

Dunphy also said he believed the debate over Trapattoni’s continuing tenure as Ireland manager will be re-ignited if the Irish team loses in Sweden in that March World Cup qualifier, as a loss could prove fatal to Ireland’s chances of making the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Giovanni Trapattoni is due to announce his squad this morning for the game against Greece on November 14, but one of the team that played in the recent victory against the Faroe Islands has already been ruled out of contention.