SOCCER: PRIOR TO the furore over who said what, and where and when they said it, Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni had a number of footballing concerns that were never going to go away.
Chief among them was the dilemma he faces in picking a match-fit defence for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia in Skopje on June 4th.
That task got a bit trickier yesterday when it was confirmed Seán St Ledger will miss the game with a knee injury, joining Aston Villa defenders Richard Dunne (suspended) and Ciarán Clark (hamstring) on the sidelines.
It leaves Trapattoni without his two first-choice centre backs and four players to fill the gaps, but with Darren O’Dea due to return from injury against Scotland on Sunday and John O’Shea possibly making his return to competitive action against Barcelona tomorrow night in the Champions League final, things are far from ideal. Stephen Kelly is carrying a minor knock but management are confident it will not be a problem.
Despite the withdrawal and a testing week for the manager with regards to the whereabouts of one or two others, he was looking on the bright side yesterday. “We have (Darren) O’Dea, John O’Shea, Kelly and (Damien) Delaney – we have enough at the back. O’Dea is good, that is the good news. He is available and that is important, especially for Macedonia. I hope that John O’Shea finishes the game (against Barcelona) without injury.”
The veteran, of course, may not even play.
O’Dea was fairly solid at centre-back against Macedonia in March.
St Ledger sustained his injury in a training ground clash with Clark, so a look at his fitness in the final Carling Nations Cup game will be crucial.
Having taken the day off from media commitments on Wednesday, the manager was more chipper than he was after the 5-0 win over Northern Ireland, when the result was overshadowed by the absences of James McCarthy, Marc Wilson and Anthony Stokes. His rhetoric then was of a man who had just about had enough, but there was a more conciliatory tone yesterday. “For me, there is no difficulty. The players are like kids, they are younger but acting in an adult world so you must be patient. We have to have patience, patience, patience.”
As to whether the likes of McCarthy might feature in a Trapattoni squad again, he replied: “Never say never. For me, there are never players who stay at home. All we want is a commitment.”
He added: “I’ve said it before, but we must educate these young players. They must answer, it’s important. They are kids and they must communicate if they are injured or available, it’s important.
“It’s communication for the supporters and that is fair play. I’ve spoken to English club managers and it’s possible for them to say ‘can a player have a rest or play 30 minutes’?”
The Italian again dismissed the notion he has been disrespected, insisting he is but an outsider. “It’s respect for you, respect for the Irish people, for the FAI, not for me. They must have respect about being Irish, for the country. They have a responsibility to the fans, the media, the FAI. I am Italian, I can go to another country. But they are the rules of life. The young must understand this.”
Glenn Whelan (ankle) and Keith Fahey (migraine) know the rules at this stage and both joined up with the squad yesterday. Robbie Keane and Keith Treacy also took yesterday off but neither are major concerns. The captain and goalkeeper Shay Given will get some game-time on Sunday.
“Sure, they can play possibly the first or last hour or 45 minutes. Our interest now is getting them rest for Macedonia.”
Meanwhile, Niall McGinn has stressed his commitment to Northern Ireland after fans hit out at his revelation he was a Republic of Ireland supporter. The Celtic winger apparently made the claim after Tuesday’s 5-0.
Northern Ireland meet Wales at the Aviva Stadium tonight at 7.45pm (live on Sky Sports 1).
