Marco Tardelli does not consider omission of Kevin Doyle from Ireland squad by text message as a striking issue
Wolves man expresses his dismay but is still ‘loved’ by Irish management
Paul Green and James McCarthy in action during training in Malahide yesterday. The Leeds man lined out for the “probables” in training before the departure for Stockholm. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Speaking after attending his first training session of the week in Malahide following his late arrival in Dublin due to illness, Tardelli was emphatic about the striker’s contribution. But, citing in particular the physical presence that Conor Sammon can bring to the team, he said that Trapattoni was entitled to look to others on this occasion. He also insisted the way that Doyle had been told of his exclusion was entirely normal in international football.
Earlier, in an interview published on the Wolves website, Doyle had made it clear he feels he deserved a little more from the manager.
“I was very disappointed to come in after the game (Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Bristol City in which the Irish man scored the winner) to a text message saying I wasn’t to travel to Ireland to join up with the squad,” he said.
Phone call
“I have been in every squad when I have been fit for seven-and-a-half years. I thought I might get a phone call but it wasn’t to be and I haven’t spoken to the manager about it.”
Tardelli, though, insisted Doyle’s standing with the management team is not in question and that he will all but certainly be back. He did suggest that even a text is an improvement on the old days.
“Kevin Doyle knows that we love him,” he said. “We owe him a lot because he has given us on the pitch many, many things. He has worked very hard for us and we are very happy with him. But there are 40 players in the squad and this is not the last time Kevin Doyle will be back here.”
As for the method chosen for communicating the bad news, he said: “If the boss had called him, then you would say to me it was better if he had sent an SMS; if the boss has sent him an SMS, you would tell me it is better to call. It’s normal. I sent an SMS also to Whelan to check if he felt well or not, because after the first half of the last match he came off. So I sent him the message. I can’t call all players because they are out or not.
‘No messa ge, no call’
“But it’s normal. Nobody sent me a message or called me when they decided to leave me out or when I finished playing in the national team. That was normal; no message, no call, nothing.”
He acknowledged, nevertheless, it was natural Doyle is upset. “No, I know the player is disappointed and it’s normal as a player.”
