Trap’s sweet on Coleman

The spoils might have gone to Greece but the real winner from Wednesday night’s friendly at the Aviva was Seamus Coleman, with Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday hailing him as the most complete Irish full-back since Steve Finnan and confirming the Everton man has now claimed ownership of the right-back position in the manager’s first 11.

“Coleman was the player of the match,” said the Italian. “He confirmed his personality, quality, strength and offensive attitude. He played without fear. That was important. In the first years when we came here, although Finnan was getting a little bit old, he played football near the box, very beautiful football. We had this.”

Trapattoni is now clearly delighted to have that again — and more — in the shape of the 24-year-old Donegal express, though the manager was at pains to once more defend his decision not to bring him to the European Championship finals in Poland.

He claimed it was partly out of loyalty to the players who had achieved qualification and partly because, in terms of his right-back options, he wanted someone in the squad who could also provide cover at centre-half. Hence Paul McShane profiting at the expense of the luckless Kevin Foley.

“At that moment Coleman was not ready for the group but we always followed him,” he said.

The player’s belated elevation to the top table, Trapattoni also confirmed, means a permanent change in position for John O’Shea who, if he is to stay in the team, will now feature at either centre-half or left-back. That managerial call will, in turn, depend on a variety of factors, including how well both Richard Dunne and Marc Wilson fare in their attempts to recover from injury, as well as the continued progress of Ciaran Clark, who has now emphatically added his name to the list of contenders, alongside Sean St Ledger and Darren O’ Dea, for a starting position in the heart of the defence.

“This performance of Clark was positive, very positive,” said the manager, of the Villa man’s display against Greece.

While Aiden McGeady’s position on one flank remains secure, the role of successor to Damien Duff on the other is still up for grabs, with Trapattoni saying that any choice between Robbie Brady and James McClean would be in part dictated by whether they were going to have to contend with a more attacking or more defensive-minded full-back.

Which is not to say, of course, that he won’t revert to type either by opting instead to play a converted striker in the wide position. He certainly looks like he’s planning to revert to type in terms of the formation he’ll deploy when the serious business resumes in March, saying yesterday that “our system depends on two strikers”. That would spell disappointment for Wes Hoolahan, who would find no place in an orthodox four-man midfield and, with James McCarthy increasingly featuring, would also appear to suggest a straight fight for the second central midfield berth between Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews.

As for the strikers, Trapattoni was quick to remind his listeners yesterday that Robbie Keane has continued to find the back of the net in the MLS for LA Galaxy. The manager said the striker had spoken to him about the possibility of returning to the Premier League for another loan spell, with reports suggesting Keane could be bound for a second such stint at Aston Villa.

“I said to him you have to make up your own mind,” Trapattoni revealed, but it was clear that he will be only too pleased if his captain crosses the Atlantic for another outing in English football.

Meanwhile, as he reflected on a rollercoaster year for Irish football, Trapattoni bemoaned the role played by bad luck and bad timing.

“I’m not usually superstitious, I am concrete,” he said, “but I think in this 2012 we were a little bit unlucky. We played 14 games without loss and then, 10 minutes after the start of the Euros, we conceded a goal. Yes, the weight of expectation played a role but I think it was also a little bit unlucky.

“So, sure, it was not an extremely positive 2012 but we did achieve qualification for the Euros and we discovered many new players. And I think for the future that can be good. ”

And that future, as far as Trapattoni is concerned, involves him leading Ireland to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

“Never renounce what it is possible to achieve,” he said by way of conclusion.