Trapattoni finds reasons to believe

MANAGER'S REACTION: The Ireland manager put his brave face on but even Manuela, the charming translator, looked glum

WE LOOKED down from our Hogan Stand press eyrie at the heads of the two managers. The silvery sconce of that grand old man of wisdom, Giovanni. Il Trap! Our eminence grise. And off down the line the familiar cap and bells of Raymond Domenech, aka The Weakest Link.

We allowed ourselves a smile. The French press never tire of telling us that not everybody loves Raymond. There are many versions of why Domenech is reviled and derided as there are detractors.

Domenech may look like a cuckolded college professor in a Woody Allen movie but he is the man who managed the most volatile group of players on the planet to within a Zinedine Zidane headbutt of winning a World Cup in 2006.

That final was won by Marcello Lippi’s Italian team, an outfit which had slumped embarrassingly in their two previous appearances in major finals. Trap presided over those humiliations.

The French slumped in those tournaments, also costing Roger Lemerre his job after the 2002 World Cup and Jacques Santini his job after Euro 2004. France, we decided, were gone.

Still. Domenech, five years into the job now, will always be a figure of fun. Trap, half a decade later, is still a legend.

Trap has good suits and a way with words. Domenech has some whacky traits and bizarre prejudices but he keeps Nicolas Anelka happy and playing well.

He is the guy who cajoled Thuram and Zidane and Makelele out of retirement for the 2006 World Cup. They laughed at him for assembling a squad of such decrepitude but who would laugh at an Ireland squad which included, Lee Carsley, Steven Reid, Andy Reid, Steve Finnan and Stephen Ireland? Domenech is the guy who got the stockades for omitting Ludovic Giuly from the World Cup panel and introducing Franck Ribery in 2006. Maybe he ain’t so funny after all.

Domenech had, according to the grapevine, spent the morning sparring with Thierry Henry over the issue of Patrick Vieira. We all know Thierry runs the French team but somehow between Thierry and Raymond they had forgotten to pack a Vieira. All good news for us! And when Duffer drove in with an early tackle on Sagna we recalled Keano against the Netherlands. Aha! In terms of their articulation and their propensity for argument, France are undoubtedly the new Netherlands. Surely they would wilt and fall apart under our pressure just as the Dutch had in 2001. Didn’t happen.

Gignac, the best French player you have never heard of, was offside in the 11th minute but the sang froid with which he looped the ball over Shay Given and into our net was disturbing. The French were rickety enough till half-time but we are too blunt an instrument when it comes to inflicting wounds.

And after the break the French played with growing confidence. They sensed the scoreless draw which they would have been happy with was probably too little to expect of themselves. Their goal had a heavy-handed helping of good fortune about it but was no less then they deserved.

Paris on Wednesday night is suddenly drained of its excitement. Afterwards Giovanni put his brave face on but even Manuela, the charming translator, looked glum.

“In the first half the result was a draw. In the second half they got a deflection and we conceded a goal. But we could have scored a goal. I believe we had a chance to score with Whelan. The team is a bit sad but tomorrow we will review it again.

“We have played 90 minutes and that is the first half. The second half we will play in Paris and I believe we can score. Question please.”

First question is about changes for Paris. Trap had pretty much restricted himself as things got bad to the by now traditional changing of the two wingers and a fresh pair of legs up front.

“Our individual performances were good and I won’t be thinking to change,” he said. “My team played well. I must look tomorrow at the players but I am not tempted to change.”

Sit down then Andy Reid. Unpack your toothbrush.

The little details. Was Trap pleased with these? We were practically beseeching him to give us some hope.

“Two or three players they were tired, their performances was a little bit inferior to what we saw in the past. They must think positively though. When I say that, you know our performances in the past. We were missing some strength.”

Yes. And we allowed ourselves to dream of the players eating spinach and Weetabix from now till Wednesday. Anything is possible. Including a Fifa inquiry into the ugly (ish) scenes at the end of the game when the Irish and French players squared off and said mean things to each other. Never did Croker need a traditional pitch invasion as much as it did then.

“One of their players insulted our player,” said Giovanni sadly. “I name the sin but not the sinner. Very bad. For me it was a surprise.”

We yearned to hear the nature of the insult and to share the pain. A slight on Jedward? A jape about having big ears? A Nama joke? What could have set it off? Giovanni’s lips were sealed. And when they are sealed so too are the lips of Manuela. No gossip there then.

Trap’s press conference was brief if not as brief as that of Domenech who, having secured the only away win of the play-offs, tired quickly of being asked about the alleged spat between himself and Thierry Henry.

On Wednesday, if the evidence of Croke Park is anything to go by, Domenech’s team will finish us off while still missing some of their brightest stars. Raymond will bumble on to another World Cup. Trap will remain our patron saint of football.

And it will be a long time before we get to sit at a meaningful Irish press conference.