Keane handed Totti role

SOCCER/REPUBLIC OF IRELAND v COLOMBIA:DURING HIS time with Giovanni Trapattoni at Bayern Munich, the former German international Christian Nerlinger once observed that, "after every training session, you have the impression that you have improved again". He's far from alone in paying tribute to the influence the Italian exerted on his development over the years and it appears the veteran coach reckons he won't be the last.

While Steve Staunton famously had his four-year plan, Trapattoni expressed confidence in London yesterday we will see the benefit of the 10 days he has spent with the squad when the Republic take on Colombia at Craven Cottage tonight. It's an appealing thought although the members of the local Irish community who make it along to support the Irish team would probably settle for a better game than the one served up in Croke Park last weekend.

"It will, at least be different," said Trapattoni. "Colombia have quick and talented players. Every one of whom can present us with a challenge because individually they are very creative but they are not a compact team like Serbia.

"It will be a very different test for us but since I started working with our team the players have grown psychologically. I think they will be able to give 100 per cent and I think they will be better."

The opposition's different style is important, the Italian believes, to help the development of his side but it is the approach of the Irish he is preoccupied with changing. He is determined to instil in his players the confidence required to play a more beautiful game.

"What I want them to do is to play quickly, play near and not always the long ball," he said. "I don't want to talk about the past, it doesn't interest me but then it was one or two passes and then up front. Now," he added by way of a declaration of intent, "we go forward with geometry."

A recurring theme in his press conferences is his faith in the players and the need for them to reciprocate but one could argue while he was Italy coach, Trapattoni was badly let down by one of the players he placed most trust in, Francesco Totti. A needless sending off for the striker in South Korea and a ban for spitting at an opponent in Portugal contributed to the Azzurri's early exit from both the major championships Trapattoni managed at. Still, it was the Roma star's game that he said yesterday he would like to see his captain, Robbie Keane, emulate.

"I said to Robbie I want him to play like Totti," he said. "I think that Robbie can play like this and still score goals."

Keane was sitting a couple of feet away, his expression frozen as the manager spoke. Being asked how he felt about becoming Ireland's Totti brought a broad grin. "He's probably a bit better looking that me," he said with a laugh, "but he's a great player and to be compared in any way is very flattering."

The reality, says Keane, is the role bears a strong similarity to the one he performs for Spurs. "I play as a striker there but drop off a bit into the hole, it's what comes naturally really although previously with Ireland I was generally asked to play a bit deeper."

The captain, like the coach, expressed confidence about this evening's game, insisting the Irish players want to lay down a marker for next season when the serious business of the qualifiers will begin. Against a Colombia side with more immediate World Cup duties on their minds, however, a win is likely to require a more urgency than last weekend.

Jorge Pinto's side lie fourth of 10 in the South American group table after four rounds of games, behind Paraguay, Argentina and, on goal difference, Brazil. They have not scored many goals but the fact they have conceded just one gives an idea of their defensive strength. Against Argentina in November they came from behind to win 2-1 with the first of their goals coming from right back Ruben Bustos, a set-piece specialist who could well prove a threat to Dean Kiely. Six of the players that featured in that game are expected to start against the Irish as Pinto prepares for a qualifier in Peru on June 14th.

It is a young squad, though, still very much in development and while the likes of Athletic Madrid's Luis Amaranto Perea and Udinese's Carlos Zapata and locally-based striker Edison Perea, who has nine goals in 23 senior appearances, are pretty much fixtures everyone who gets a run-out will feel they have something to prove.

Kiely might feel the same after Trapattoni rather bluntly stated that the goalkeeper's jersey would be handed back to Shay Given when he recovers from injury. In reality, though, the goalkeeper is one of perhaps six or seven players who was always going to be automatic choices when fit for the new manager and nothing that happens tonight is likely to change that. But if some of those vying for the vacancies or replacement roles do look noticeably better after 10 days with the Italian then this year's end-of-season get-together will have been worth considerably more than the last few combined.

IRELAND: Kiely (West Brom); O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Dunne (Manchester City), McShane (Sunderland), Delaney (QPR); Duff (Newcastle Utd), Miller (Sunderland), Whelan (Stoke City), McGeady (Celtic); Doyle (Reading), Keane (Tottenham).

COLOMBIA (probable): Julio; Bustos, A Perea, Moreno, Zapata, Amaya, Sanchez, Torres, Hernandez, E Perea, Garcia.