Trapattoni wants Irish players and team to grow again

At lunch time yesterday, the Republic of Ireland squad stood in the warm sunshine of Breezy Point, the most staunchly Irish-American neighbourhood in the long, vulnerable strip of coastline on the extreme tip of Queens and thoughts inevitably turned to what was a defining football night of the Giovanni Trapattoni era: Spain, four goals conceded in the rain and Irish dirges in the stadium in Gdansk.

On Tuesday night in Yankee Stadium, Ireland will meet the reigning European and world champions again for what is a glamorous friendly in an unexpected venue.

Much has changed within the Irish set-up since the teams met last summer and a quick scan of the Irish side which flew into New York on Saturday is conspicuous for the absent names as well as those present.

Still, after Giovanni Trapattoni met the residents in Breezy Point and oversaw a training clinic, he sat down in the club house of the local baseball field and looked ahead to Ireland’s next match with his usual combative optimism.

“I think we are conscious of the past and conscious of our quality,” he said in what surely must have been the most laid-back and small press conference of his many decades in football.

“England are not like Spain – they are more creative and technically superior. But we are confident with our system and balance. I don’t know if we win. But we won’t be humiliated. I think we can have confidence.”

"Humiliated" was a significant choice of word given the memory of the intricate and effortless patterns with which the Spaniards wove their magic last summer. This is a potentially damaging assignment for what is a young Irish side. As Trapattoni emphasises, Spain are in preparation for the Confederations Cup and will be motivated for this game.

'To grow again'
"It's important for us and for young players to have an opportunity to grow again, get a great experience against one of the most famous teams in the world. To play in this game, they can grow and take more confidence and trust.

“When you play against these great teams, like for example England – not Georgia – but every 90 minutes we can grow and understand. We can play against every team. Against Spain, it’s a friendly but not friendly for them because they have to prepare for the Confederations Cup.

“Sure they will play hard for 90 minutes. For us, it’s an opportunity to play one or two of these young players, allow them to grow.”

But as ever, Trapattoni likes to impart a little life knowledge to his players when the opportunity arises and he clearly approved of yesterday’s journey to Breezy Point.

The FAI gave signed jerseys and tickets to contribute to the on-going relief fund and the players mingled with the kids – among whom there was a distinct lack of Premier League jerseys – and got involved in a kick-around.

It was a courtesy visit: the Irish squad got a quick look at the havoc and ruination caused by last autumn's storm and the Irish players were in agreement that it put everything in perspective.

Goodwill hour
After a goodwill hour, they got back on the bus and headed for training near their base in New Jersey. For many of the players, this friendly represents something of a benchmark.

Last summer, Séamus Coleman watched Ireland’s deconstruction by the Spanish team with his friends in Fawlty’s bar in Killybegs, despite a sparkling season with Everton.

“There’d be something wrong with you if you didn’t think you should have been there,” he said carefully about his omission from the Euro Squad.

“Every player wants to be there and obviously I felt I should have been. But the manager had players he had to pick and obviously I wasn’t playing in the position I am now, which went against me a bit. But that made me stronger.

“This game is a chance to test yourself against the best and I’ve been looking forward to it since it was announced. A lot of the lads that played against them last summer talk about that game and how good they were then.”

Robbie Keane, still beaming after his hat-trick on Friday night, captains the 19-man squad. A family bereavement has prevented John O'Shea from travelling: the FAI extended condolences to the O'Shea family on the death of John's uncle Jimmy O'Leary, who died in Waterford on Saturday morning.

Getting married
Other absentees include Aiden McGeady, who is getting married, Richard Dunne, who is in negotiations with several clubs ahead of next season and Glenn Whelan, who has been afforded a rare opportunity for rest under Trapattoni. The Irish coach clarified that there was little doubt in his mind that Keane would be available.

“Maybe that was a misunderstanding. Robbie was one of the first who said to me he was coming. It was a problem he had to speak to Bruce Arena about because he starts the game.

“I promised to play Robbie maybe one half, 45 minutes. I spoke with him and Robbie said no problem.”

For Trapattoni, the chance to play Spain has no downside. Perhaps buoyed by the recent run of results, he reiterated his desire to see more Irish players playing for Premier League sides and suggested they should be pressurising their agents to get them contracts in the Premier League.

James McCarthy, who was serving a suspension for the win over the Faroe Islands, has rejoined the squad to travel to New York and Trapattoni reiterated his belief that the midfielder can use these games to test his potential.

“He can continue. Yesterday I said what you said to me now to James: ‘James this game you have this great opportunity to play against the famous and most important players’. Because I became famous when I was like James. I was midfield. Against Pele . . . Cruyff . . . Eusebio. They were the best players in the world at that moment. I grew because I took confidence because I could play against them. I said that McCarthy too must believe. He has vision. He has good shooting or is strong. He should be more enterprising.”

But that message is for the dressingroom in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. As the players kicked footballs about with Breezy Point children, Trapattoni was content to expose his young charges to how capricious it can all be.

“I think young players should see this situation and think about what could happen: one day your life is fine and then is upside down,” he said, making a puff sign with his hands to summon memories of the storm which laid waste to homes and lives along this pretty coastline.

“It is important because we are famous, we are players . . . we have no time to think about this moment so it is important to reflect upon what happened and it is important that we are here for this initiative.”