No oohs or aahs as McGrath backs Keane for Ireland start

Paul McGrath has hit out at Robbie Keane’s critics and says there should be no question of the Republic of Ireland skipper not starting next month’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Sweden.

Keane didn’t figure in last week’s friendly against Wales, and with manager Giovanni Trapattoni pondering a change in system to accommodate Norwich City’s Wes Hoolahan, there has been speculation Ireland’s record goalscorer could be dropped for the visit of the Swedes.

However Keane showed he hasn’t lost his knack for finding the net by scoring a hat-trick for the LA Galaxy in their 4-2 win over Real Salt Lake over the weekend and McGrath is bemused by the striker’s critics.

“If anyone faults Robbie Keane in Ireland, I would call them disrespectful to what he’s done for Ireland and out of order,” the Ireland legend said. “If you get a player that keeps coming in and scoring goals for you, I’d still have that player. I’d start Robbie any time, any day.

“Wes had his chance the other night and did not have a good game but any footballer can have a bad game.”

McGrath believes the Trapattoni era has, on balance, been a success but feels the Italian waited too long to blood young players like Robbie Brady.

“I think (Trapattoni has been) a success because he has got a team of reasonable players to the 2012 Euros,” McGrath, who was speaking at a Q&A session at Cork’s Soho Bar to mark the launch of the Premier League, said. “I’m not sure we’re going to be going to the World Cup to be honest. Robbie Brady and players like that are going to be great players for Ireland but it’s going to take them a while to be those great players and I think he might have left it a bit too late.”

McGrath also spoke about forgotten man Stephen Ireland, describing his decline as “sad”.

McGrath said: “Stephen is his own man, he does his own thing and I respect that. But Stephen’s in a spot now because he’s got a reputation that he’s not going to be someone that every team wants and that’s the sad part because he is such a talented player. I’m sad to see that he’s wasted part of his career by just being out of the game.”