Giovanni Trapattoni imho has got to go if we, as a footballing country, are going to get anywhere, we should be qualifing for Euros and World Cups, we have the players that are good enough. Traps style of football is the old italian style of football, play not to lose and try hit you on the counter attack. Since he took over, albeit we've had some good results, Ireland have not played well, apart from one match, against France, when they were let off the leash, and SHOULD have beat France, i do not blame France for our exit because if Robbie Keane did what Thierry Henry did, then we'd be praising him. (World Cup 2002, against Germany, last few minutes Robbie Keane handles the ball in the box and scores the equaliser) But my point is, apart from that one match, albeit, with a majority of the same players that played in the other matches, he just doesnt play the right formation for the ability of players we have, our defenders are good enough for us to put an attacking impetus on the game against whoever we play. Goalkeepers Shay Given, Kieren Westwood. Defenders Richard Dunne, John O Shea, Sean St. Ledger, Greg Cunningham, Kevin Foley, Steven Kelly, Darren O Dea, Kevin Kilbane, Paul McShane, Eddie Nolan. Midfield Marc Wilson, Darron Gibson, Glen Whelan, Liam Lawrence, Paul Green, Aiden McGeady, Keith Fahey, Steven Hunt, Keith Treacy, Damien Duff, Keith Andrews, Seamus Coleman, David Meyler, James McCarthy, Barry Maguire. Forward Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Jonathan Walters, Andy Keogh, Anthony Stokes. There's bucket loads of talent in the 33 players i mentioned above, of which i would like to make specific mention that i think Ciaran Clarke, Marc Wilson, Seamus Coleman, David Meyler, James McCarthy, Barry Maguire( If the FAI can convince him to play for Ireland) and Anthony Stokes are the future of irish football, BUT, will go to waste if they are not brought into the international team and played regularly, All seven players are already playing at a high level of football at Aston Villa, Stoke, Everton, Sunderland, Wigan, Utrecht and Celtic respectively. Now im not saying this because we are playing boring football but winning, but we are playing boring football and hoding on or draws at the best of times, with teams that we should be able to beat with players picked off the street. As with the problems with Liverpool, i think we have the wrong manager with the wrong tactics in both jobs, but this is a thread for the Irish team so please post nothing about Roy Hodgson or Liverpool.
Well I am not a big fan of Trap, to get rid of him now is pointless, we would be unlikely to get a better manager than him. To suggest we have the players is laughable. The players are not good enough, we don't have 1 world class player, plently of average players like Given, Duff, Keane, Dunne, plenty of below average players like O Shea, Whelan, Lawrence, etc, and to much crap players for me to mention. I do agree that we have a few good players coming through such as Coleman and Mccarthy, but not enough talent there to suggest that the future is bright. But the person to blame for the mess is John Delanely for giving him such a huge and long contract.
Given average? Can't agree with this! I know he's on the bench at City but that's only because they've got another top keeper in Joe Hart. He's still top notch in my opinion.
Well there's a fine manager available now in Hughton. Probably not a good time to get rid of Trap but still. And Timemachine i dont agree with your post at all! but thats your opinion and you're entitled to it, but i think its wrong
be inclined to agree with this. harsh on given but other than that agree totally.think we have a team full off average at best players. given is 34 and we dont have a whole lot of class coming up to replace him. dont think trap should be there and Delaney is defo responsible for him having such a long contract
As a person who has missed 5 homes games since 1991, almost 20 years, we have never had a better manager than Giovanni Trapattoni - No other "getable" manager out there could get, what he gets, out of the players we have. We have largely, looking at Premiership Level (and I mean mid-table) shite players, (with the exception of some, just to note: the likes Given, Dunne, Doyle, Andrews and one or two others etc..) but he gets more out of them than any other manager imo could ever do. Trapp is No#1 imo ... we are blessed to have him
I respect your opinion midg but I cant, in a million years agree with you. Well what I saw in the stade de france was his team robbed of a chance of making it to a WC, well, when I say saw, it was too far away to see if from where we were but you get what I mean. No manager has achieved anything since Mick McCarthy - are you saying Mick McCarthy is a better manager than Trapp because he got us to a WC!?
True to say we have an average team and never really understood what talent we had from say 88-94 that was wasted under Charlton but we should have strolled to the world cup because one or two nations apart the standard of international football especially in Europe has dropped considerably. A positive attitude in most games will bring you a long way and Paris apart we have not shown anything like this
By the way I think Chris Hughton would give us just as much as Trap does and for a fraction of the cost
what you seen in the stade was a team that had everything to play for and imo playing the way THEY wanted to play, thats the only time they've actually attacked. im saying nothing about McCarthy, but managers are judged on their achievements with a team, in that respect, mick was a success as was Jackie
Have to say I'm not fond of Trap's stubbornness with regards to players or his nick a goal and sit back tactics(sound familiar) because it always comes back to haunt us.
I pretty much agree with this. I'd love to see us play better football but i don't honestly think we have the players.
Be interesting to see the make up of the team for the next competitive game. For me Coleman has to come into the reckoning. A lot of our players are warming the bench in the Premier League. Given, O Shea, Dunne, Duff and Keane are probably are five top Premier League players and four of them started on the bench at the weekend. O Shea more than likely will as well. Given and Keane need moves, while Duff and Dunne have been out of form. O Shea will continue to be a squad player at United. Players like Fahey and Hunt are getting starts for Brum and Wolves, however at International level, I dont think they have the pace to harm teams. we need to sort out left back and midfield or we are going nowhere.
take a look at the squad and you tell me what you expect him to achieve?? Do you honestly believe we should be qualifing regularly for major tournaments? maybe challenge Brazil? We are a small nation with a very small number who play soccer, we are punching way above our weight to even be making play-off's. In my oppinion Trap is the best manager we have had and is doing wonders with the resourses available. To say we have world class players is laughable.
Yeah you're right about Coleman, he has to get the nod soon. Ward for Wolves is a decent left back better than whats there already and playing week in week out in the premiership. I'd like to see him get a chance. Centre mid is a tough one, James Mccarthy might fill the void in a year or two but there is not a lot of spark there at the minute.
Yes i think we should at least be qualifing for tournament, whether we got out of the groups or not is another story, Are you actually saying that we havent got players as good as if not better than, albeit qualifing through different federations, Korea, Australia, Japan, Algeria, Cameroon, ivory coast, south africa, nigeria, new zealand, honduras, usa, serbia, greece and switzerland, to name but a few Well i like the look of david Meyler at sunderland, i know he's only coming back from injury but he is good, and barry Maguire at Utrecht
Japan, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, South Africa, USA, and possibly Nigeria, have got better players than us, they may not play better as a team, but they certainly have better players, and Switzerland used to always give us a going over,. Oh and Serbia have quality players too,.
but ireland should at least, be qualifing for the Euros. and tbh, i cant see that happening with Trap, he's too negetive for my liking
Yeah starting to think that way myself. Hope i am wrong obviously but just can't see it happening. I hope he brings the likes of Coleman into the reckoning but again i can't see it happening.