Allardyce makes the case for Reid's inclusion

SOCCER: EMMET MALONEhears the Blackburn Rovers manager return to the theme of his previous spat with Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni

BLACKBURN ROVERS boss Sam Allardyce yesterday called on Giovanni Trapattoni to accept he had been mistaken about Steven Reid’s ability to recover his fitness and recall the player to the Republic of Ireland squad.

Speaking in Dublin at the launch of a new competition-based website for Irish supporters of English Premier League clubs, flytothegame.com, Allardyce insisted he had always believed that the player, whose career has been dogged by injury problems, would recover from a knee injury and play top-flight football again. After he had criticised Trapattoni for suggesting that the 29-year-old’s career might be over, the Italian had argued Allardyce had effectively endorsed that view by allowing the player to leave for West Brom.

Allardyce, however, insists Reid simply wouldn’t accept the financial terms of a new contract that was under discussion and preferred to leave in the hope of securing more money, and football, elsewhere.

“My gripe with Mr Trapattoni was not from my point of view, it was from the point of view of Steven Reid,” he said. “He (Trapattoni) does not have the medical expertise to write a player off. Steven Reid couldn’t say it because he wants to play for Ireland. He still wants to play for Ireland because he’s a passionate, quality guy, never mind being a footballer.

“He’s so dedicated to getting fit enough, to doing whatever he needs to do to play football. And Steven Reid is playing for West Brom now, still playing Premier League football. I hope Steven Reid continues to do that and I hope Mr Trapattoni is big enough to eat his words and include him back in the squad.”

As for Reid’s departure, he said: “It was nothing to do with injury. Contract negotiations took place and obviously those negotiations failed. We talked about a contract but it never got offered because it never reached the financial status that he wanted.

“In the end, he went to West Brom on loan which gave him a better opportunity to play first team football. My team was winning every week and Steven Reid couldn’t break into that team. But he went to West Brom, helped them get promoted and now is playing in the Premier League again. So, if you look at the facts, the facts speak for themselves.”

Asked if the situation was typical of the problems that arise between club and national team managers, Allardyce said the circumstances in this instance had actually been quite peculiar.

“This wasn’t me trying to stop Steven Reid playing for Ireland,” he said, “it was the exact opposite. It was Trapattoni saying Steven Reid was no longer fit enough to play for Ireland. That’s how I read it, unless it was translated wrong.

“I didn’t see it as my particular job to speak to him regarding the situation, though. I just didn’t think he needed to make the statement. Why did he need to make that statement about someone who’s served his country and his football club so well.”

News of Trapattoni’s more recent suggestion that Keith Andrews may be suffering for having been brought back too quickly from injury by Rovers was met with mock delight by Allardyce. “Oooooh, Mr Trapattoni and me, we like each other don’t we. But I didn’t know he is a medical expert.

“Keith was brought back (towards the end of a game against Blackpool at the end of September) because Keith was put through a fitness test and passed it no bother at all. Keith was asked did he feel 100 per cent, he said: ‘yes’. The specialist had given the all clear a week or so before he got back into full training but then the whole thing flared up again.”

Now, Allardyce reckons the midfielder is a matter of weeks away from resuming training and, he insists, he can expect to be back in the team by Christmas at the latest if he can avoid any further recurrence of the groin problem.

“It’s been an unexpectedly long haul and for him it’s been a very frustrating and disappointing period considering that while he’s had an injury or two he’s never been out for anything like this period of time. But I think that he’s determined enough that when he gets his chance, he’ll grab hold of it.”