Trapattoni intent on setting tone for months ahead

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY REPUBLIC OF IRELAND v AUSTRALIA:TICKETS FOR the game against Australia on Wednesday at Thomond Park may be going slowly enough but the queues outside the gates of Cooke Park in Tipperary had started to form well before Giovanni Trapattoni and his players arrived there last night for the first of this week's training sessions, writes EMMET MALONE

The Republic of Ireland manager was talking the whole experience up while Reading striker Shane Long, whose picture dominated one wall of the St Michael’s clubhouse in recognition of the three seasons he spent playing here, was clearly chuffed to be back among friends. “Yeah,” he beamed, “it’s good that the team is training and where better than Tipperary?”

Long is hoping some of his former club-mates might get to see him in action on Wednesday night with the 22-year-old targeting a little action in this friendly as he concedes that with the team still firmly in contention for a place at next summer’s World Cup he is unlikely to displace either Robbie Keane or Kevin Doyle on the really big nights.

“When the team’s going well, it’s hard to complain,” he said. “If things were different I’d probably speak up a bit more. It’s hard too because the manager takes all the games very seriously, likes to put his strongest side out but hopefully the lads on the bench will get a run because it’s very hard to get on in the competitive games.”

He may well feature at Thomond but his hopes of a start took a knock as Trapattoni suggested he will have a full squad to choose from ahead of the game.

Doyle and Stephen Hunt are less than 100 per cent fit with the pair getting over hernia and groin problems respectively. Both say they are well enough to play some part, however, according to the Italian. Leon Best is also a slight doubt with a foot injury.

Hunt might also have to cope with the distraction of sorting out his club career amid renewed speculation of a move back to the Premier League, with Portsmouth and Birmingham reckoned to be the most likely destinations.

There are persistent murmurings Damien Duff too will make the step back up but no firm talk of offers for the 30-year-old and Trapattoni insists he, like the player, is relaxed about the uncertainty.

“Today football is like this,” says the manager. “It’s the same in Italy and the players are professionals, I trust them. And he (Duff) is not young, he’s experienced, while it might be good for him to move he is not afraid to stay at Newcastle.”

Duff, as it happens, was one of the 14 players to take part in last night’s session at Cooke Park in front of a sizeable crowd of local spectators. Most of the remaining 10 were due to arrive in last night with the likes of Aiden McGeady, Shay Given and Richard Dunne delayed by games on Saturday and Darron Gibson, John O’Shea and Kevin Kilbane involved with their teams yesterday.

“It’s an important test for us,” said Trapattoni, “a very important one. It’s a good opportunity to prepare for the game in September. They are a different team to Cyprus, they are a little like Poland or Norway but they are strong and we will have to play well.

“It is important that we beat them, though, because every win that we achieve helps our confidence and that is good for us, it helps us for the next game.”

With this in mind, he said, there will not be much deviation from the line-up that has served well enough to date. Sean St Ledger seems likely to get another chance to impress at some stage during the gam having performed well in the two early games against Nigeria and Bulgaria.

Young Preston defender Eddie Nolan will most likely also be introduced at some stage after having caught the eye with some of his play at Craven Cottage.

“It’s good to have the players and to be able to see whether they remember the work I did with them before the summer. Also I will know a lot better what sort of physical condition they are in after their holidays.

“But as I say, the game is important and I will not look to make too many changes because it is bad for the team. Maybe one change is possible before and then four or five during the game.

Despite the importance that Trapattoni attaches to friendlies, and the novelty factor of the game being played outside Dublin, tickets for the game are still on sale with the association currently expecting a crowd of between 18,000 and 20,000 on the night.