Embarrassment by mass withdrawals

Just when they thought things couldn’t get much worse the Irish team flew to Athens this morning with the critics laughing at preparations for their latest international.

After 10 players withdrew from the squad last night, caretaker manager Don Givens was left with only 18 players for Wednesday’s friendly against Greece but that included three goalkeepers and five central defenders.

It meant it was an embarrassing situation for the FAI who in the past fortnight have lost manager Mick McCarthy and general secretary Brendan Menton in the fallout from the Roy Keane affair.

To add to the disappointments for Givens, he was snubbed by Wimbledon striker David Connolly who declined an invitation yesterday to join the squad.

That will surely place the international future of Connolly in some doubt although that will of course be a decision for the new manager, with the FAI hoping to have one in place early in the New Year.

Givens said: “David made himself unavailable. He said he didn’t want to come in because he wasn’t selected in the original squad.

“I’m very disappointed that anyone would not want to play for their country and it cannot be too good for someone’s record that they turned down their country.”

Givens is left with just one recognised striker who he had to call up last night to bolster the squad.

That is Glen Crowe of Bohemians, a 24-year-old with 17 goals to his name this season and if Crowe plays against the Greeks he will be the first Eircom League player to do so since Pat Byrne 16 years ago.

Givens was forced to cancel yesterday’s training session as only six players had arrived – including the goalkeepers – because of the games being played in both England and Ireland yesterday and the players went for a quiet stroll instead.

Givens will host his first full training session when his 18-man squad arrived in Athens tonight and will be desperately hoping to avoid any further injuries to his already depleted ranks.

The missing men are Clinton Morrison (groin), Robbie Keane (shoulder), Damien Duff (calf), Kevin Kilbane (shoulder), Stephen Carr, Gary Kelly and Ian Harte (all calf), Mark Kinsella (ear infection), Graham Barrett (knee) and Andy O’Brien (family reasons).

Wolves winger Mark Kennedy had already pulled out of the squad before yesterday’s 10 withdrawals.

As well as Crowe, Givens has also called up Shelbourne’s Wes Houlihan and Coventry City pair Barry Quinn and Ricky Partridge.