Trapattoni signs two-year extension

[weldoninhio]

Not happy about his new contract. We play abyssmal football, no creativity, he is more interested in not losing, rather than winning. He is an old man and the fact that he was employed by Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian league and not a big team shows that he is not the star manager he once was.

I'm not saying that we should be playing like Brazil/Spain, but there should be some spark, some creativity or even some bite. Whelan and Andrews are anonymous in the middle.

The arguement of "would you rather have Stan back" is moot, he was a disaster, these things happen. If we got someone else in then maybe we could get the results without the god awful drivel we play at the moment.

[Yard of Pace]

Not happy about his new contract. We play abyssmal football, no creativity, he is more interested in not losing, rather than winning. He is an old man and the fact that he was employed by Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian league and not a big team shows that he is not the star manager he once was.

I'm not saying that we should be playing like Brazil/Spain, but there should be some spark, some creativity or even some bite. Whelan and Andrews are anonymous in the middle.

The arguement of "would you rather have Stan back" is moot, he was a disaster, these things happen. If we got someone else in then maybe we could get the results without the god awful drivel we play at the moment.


Agreed.

[tetsujin1979]

If we got someone else in then maybe we could get the results without the god awful drivel we play at the moment.
At the moment we are getting the results with the "god awful drivel". Get over it.

[Jicked]

Giovanni Trapattoni has accepted a pay-cut in order to continue as Ireland manager until the conclusion of the 2012 European Championships. The 70-year-old currently earns a reputed €2m per year from his existing contract, which expires at the end of next year's World Cup in South Africa, but a smaller sum will be wiring its way into his bank account once his new deal kicks in after the tournament.

It is not known for certain how much Trapattoni's contract has been reduced by but it is not believed to be a symbolic figure.


"I said to the FAI, sure, we don't want any more money than what we are on," said Trapattoni. "One hundred per cent I said that. So I let the FAI decide on this matter. We [Trapattoni and Marco Tardelli] said to the FAI taking less money is not an issue for us. We have agreed financial terms. And I have taken less than the last time because we recognised the current economic climate and the problems that exist in the world."


The manager's willingness to accept a reduction in his annual salary was not believed to be a deal breaker in contract negotiations, but indications are that the flexibility and eagerness shown by the Italian in agreeing to the new deal succeeded in oiling the machinery of the entire process.


Business man Denis O'Brien will continue to pay half the annual salary of the Irish management team – a figure that will be reduced from the estimated €1.5m per annum he is currently handing over – with the FAI stumping up the rest of the money.


Trapattoni will have turned 73 by the time his new Ireland contract expires at the end of the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and the Ukraine but his hunger to manage well into his eighth decade remains undimmed.


"My wife does [want me to retire]," he said. "I have told her in the future that I will take a rest. But now, this is my life. It has been since I was 11 years old, when I started in this football business. I am also interested in my family, in politics and opera. But opera is only a show. Football is about a result."


The Italian also appears confident that the upcoming endgame to Ireland's qualification journey can be a successful one. "I knew that once we got the players to believe in themselves, and in us, that we would make progress," he admitted. "I know now they believe in us because they have good habits now. So when we go into the play-offs against Russia or Germany or Portugal or France or Greece, I will say to them, why won't we believe in ourselves? We have come through a tough group. I think we deserve to qualify."


Meanwhile Kevin Doyle has insisted, as his manager has, that the door has not yet closed on Stephen Ireland coming back into the national squad before the World Cup. "Is it over?" said Doyle when it was suggested that the issue had finally been put to bed following Ireland's public questioning of Trapattoni in an interview last weekend.


"I'm sure if Stephen came out tomorrow and said he wanted to come back and play, he's good enough to be welcomed back." When asked if any return for the player before the World Cup might cause some resentment in the squad, Doyle's response was straightforward. "Not from me."



http://www.tribune.ie/sport/soccer/article/2009/sep/27/pay-cut-for-trapattoni-in-new-contract/

[bennocelt]

Great news, I was fearful that the money wouldnt be there for this so many thanks Denis O'Brien.

.

Jesus:rolleyes:,

anyway another few years of muck football, enjoy it lads:p

[mypost]

I'm not saying that we should be playing like Brazil/Spain, but there should be some spark, some creativity or even some bite. Whelan and Andrews are anonymous in the middle.

If we got someone else in then maybe we could get the results without the god awful drivel we play at the moment.

Yes you are, and no we couldn't.

We got to 3 tournaments in 8 years under Jack. Who gives a stuff about how we got there?

We are getting results. It's not tv-friendly football, but it's getting us there. If Staunton was in charge today, we would probably be fighting Cyprus for 4th, and our seeding for group draws in the future. If that's what you want, then we can hire someone else to play all the Samba-football the purists want, with no end product.

[NeilMcD]

I think the people who sit at home and watch the Irish team like its a tv show and want an entertainment so they convince their wife its better than Eastenders or Xfactor as they fight for the remote are against the contract renewal. Those that go to the games are happy that we have a manger who is organised and has huge experience and has the team playing as a team and is getting the results.

[bennocelt]

Thats fine Neil, just to point out its 11/8 Ireland qualify with PP- how much would u lump on it?:)

[Stuttgart88]

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/soccer/article/2009/sep/27/pay-cut-for-trapattoni-in-new-contract/Funny, when youi compare what Doyle says there to what he is quotes as sying in today's Sunday Indo (although the text in bold is Dion Fanning's not Doyle's):

While Trapattoni insisted Stephen Ireland could return, Kevin Doyle has said he believes the debate is now closed. "I think it's over now, to be honest with you," Doyle admitted. "It's sad. He's a brilliant player. I played up front with him against Slovakia at Croke Park and he was very good.

"I think he said he didn't feel part of the squad or whatever, but you don't really know people in the squad till you've got 25 to 30 caps. I'm only really getting to know people now. It's hard to feel part of it when you are just in and out every three or four months."

[NeilMcD]

Not sure my personal hunch is that we will be knocked out in the playoff by the odd goal which I think is a good performance by the management team. If we get more than that I think that we will have ever so slightly have over achieved.

[Stuttgart88]

I used to say under Kerr and under Stan that there was nothing wrong with the team that a good central midfield wouldn't sort out. Now I think that we need a good full back pairing and a good central midfield pairing before we can be trusted to take teams on in "the right way".

I used to also say that we had some very good players and some who were good enough. Now I think we also have players who aren't even good enough. I think with the players available to us we should actually be worse than we were a few years ago.

Instead we are actually doing better than we were a few years ago. Why's that?

I'm glad we have a manager who is smart enough to recognise what we have and what we haven't got, who has a plan and doesn't go changing things on a whim, who eats our media for breakfast and who has the players believing in themselves and in him.

I myself like to think that Andy Reid's inclusion would make us more pleasing on the eye without sacrificing the pragmatism we play with. I also know that Trap knows a hell of a lot more about these things than I do. It ain't perfect but we're way better off than we have been.

This doesn't mean that I or anyone else can't continue to mark Trap's card and I'll be looking for continued signs of progress as there's no way am thinking that the job is as good as done, but as of late-September 2009 I'm happy with the way things are.

[NeilMcD]

Well said stutts.

[Acornvilla]

trap for taioseach! hed do a steady if unspectacular job! thats what ireland need across the board right now! he deserves his contract and he took a pay cut too

[geysir]

I wouldn't get too excited about the pay cut as a sign of anything.

Trap would revel in the perception that he would do it for the minimum wage if necessary.


Big gamble by the FAI with 1/2 of the salary obligations, Lansdowne Rd costs, 10 year tickets etc. while the LOI is tottering with the elegance of a street beggar.

[Greenforever]

I used to say under Kerr and under Stan that there was nothing wrong with the team that a good central midfield wouldn't sort out. Now I think that we need a good full back pairing and a good central midfield pairing before we can be trusted to take teams on in "the right way".

I used to also say that we had some very good players and some who were good enough. Now I think we also have players who aren't even good enough. I think with the players available to us we should actually be worse than we were a few years ago.

Instead we are actually doing better than we were a few years ago. Why's that?

I'm glad we have a manager who is smart enough to recognise what we have and what we haven't got, who has a plan and doesn't go changing things on a whim, who eats our media for breakfast and who has the players believing in themselves and in him.

I myself like to think that Andy Reid's inclusion would make us more pleasing on the eye without sacrificing the pragmatism we play with. I also know that Trap knows a hell of a lot more about these things than I do. It ain't perfect but we're way better off than we have been.

This doesn't mean that I or anyone else can't continue to mark Trap's card and I'll be looking for continued signs of progress as there's no way am thinking that the job is as good as done, but as of late-September 2009 I'm happy with the way things are.


Agreed 100%

Best position we have been in since 2002 with arguably the poorest bunch of players since Eoin Hand's time

[twoenz]

I think it's great news too. Trap didn't win the European cup with a bunch of amateurs, and he's made us respected, with a limited bunch of players. We've been closer to qualifying for the 1st time since 2002. His comments about Reid and Carsley make it look as if he's going to change his game plan now that we're there too, or at least is open to doing it.

[geysir]

Agreed 100%

Best position we have been in since 2002 with arguably the poorest bunch of players since Eoin Hand's time
We had a much better bunch of players in Eoin Hands time.
Charlton took over a squad which included Moran, Lawrenson, O'Leary, Hughton, McCarthy, Beglin, McGrath, Brady, Sheedy, Stapleton and Cas

[seanfhear]

We had a much better bunch of players in Eoin Hands time.
Charlton took over a squad which included Moran, Lawrenson, O'Leary, Hughton, McCarthy, Beglin, McGrath, Brady, Sheedy, Stapleton and Cas
In comparison to the opposing International sides of the time these were very good players.

[Stuttgart88]

What about since before Eoin Hand's time?

Given, Keane, Duff would have been a candidate (at least) for any XI in any generation of players we've put out. Finnan of a few years back too, and Richard Dunne would have got into the XI of most eras - certainly when we were picking the likes of Daish & Kernaghan. McGeady'd have been on the fringes I reckon.

Most of the other regular starters probably wouldn't have got near an Ireland starting XI since I started watching Ireland in the late-70s.

Edit: forgot about JO'S - he'd have been good enough for most teams of past eras.

[geysir]

Giles had some good players and some poor intl standard players to choose from.
Usually a team then, contained 2, 3 or 4 duds at intl. level.

The difference nowadays is with the squad depth, the sheer quantity of players available, playing at a decent average level.

[tetsujin1979]

bloody students... http://www.universityobserver.ie/2009/09/29/caught-in-a-trap/

[SuperDave]

We had a much better bunch of players in Eoin Hands time.
Charlton took over a squad which included Moran, Lawrenson, O'Leary, Hughton, McCarthy, Beglin, McGrath, Brady, Sheedy, Stapleton and Cas

McCarthy was a journeyman, Beglin was effectively second choice at Liverpool, Stapleton was a goalscoring Gary Doherty (okay, maybe a slight disservice) and Casc.... well, his Celtic and Chelsea record speaks for itself. The bunch of players we have now includes Shay Given, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne, as well as the absent Steven Ireland, who are as good as any of the players at Eoin's hand (boom boom).

The players we had were good, but not significantly better than what we have now. If we qualify for this world cup, the players we have now will be sepia tinged greats in twenty years as well, probably equally undeservedly.

[craig7042]

I used to say under Kerr and under Stan that there was nothing wrong with the team that a good central midfield wouldn't sort out. Now I think that we need a good full back pairing and a good central midfield pairing before we can be trusted to take teams on in "the right way".

I used to also say that we had some very good players and some who were good enough. Now I think we also have players who aren't even good enough. I think with the players available to us we should actually be worse than we were a few years ago.

Instead we are actually doing better than we were a few years ago. Why's that?

I'm glad we have a manager who is smart enough to recognise what we have and what we haven't got, who has a plan and doesn't go changing things on a whim, who eats our media for breakfast and who has the players believing in themselves and in him.

I myself like to think that Andy Reid's inclusion would make us more pleasing on the eye without sacrificing the pragmatism we play with. I also know that Trap knows a hell of a lot more about these things than I do. It ain't perfect but we're way better off than we have been.

This doesn't mean that I or anyone else can't continue to mark Trap's card and I'll be looking for continued signs of progress as there's no way am thinking that the job is as good as done, but as of late-September 2009 I'm happy with the way things are.



I agree that Trap knows what he's doing. Clearly, the starting point had to be to make us more solid and less prone to mistakes. It's still a battle, but the central midfield in my opinion opitomises this new approach. He needed grafters and the creativity is in other positions. Its like LIverpool about 5 years ago. They werent easy on the eye but they began to get results, and over time the quality improves. They are still solid (generally), but its more creative than the Istanbul team. Its a ridiculous argument in the media that says we should be playing fancy/attractive football at this stage... I just dont get that. Its so completely naive... Maybe our style will approve with time but you have to start by just getting results...

[geysir]

McCarthy was a journeyman, Beglin was effectively second choice at Liverpool, Stapleton was a goalscoring Gary Doherty (okay, maybe a slight disservice) and Casc.... well, his Celtic and Chelsea record speaks for itself. The bunch of players we have now includes Shay Given, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne, as well as the absent Steven Ireland, who are as good as any of the players at Eoin's hand (boom boom).

The players we had were good, but not significantly better than what we have now. If we qualify for this world cup, the players we have now will be sepia tinged greats in twenty years as well, probably equally undeservedly.

Lets not forget Ronnie Whelan, another poncy midfielder:rolleyes:

Beglin was effectively first choice for Liverpool, until he broke his leg.

And you can name 4 players in todays team who are as good at those players, which sorta proves my point.

[seanfhear]

Stapleton was a goalscoring Gary Doherty (okay, maybe a slight disservice)
Frank Stapleton played for Arsenal and Manchester utd and was one of Irelands best forwards ever.

Everything else you say is discredited by the above remark.

[Noelys Guitar]

McCarthy was a journeyman, Beglin was effectively second choice at Liverpool, Stapleton was a goalscoring Gary Doherty (okay, maybe a slight disservice) and Casc.... well, his Celtic and Chelsea record speaks for itself. The bunch of players we have now includes Shay Given, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne, as well as the absent Steven Ireland, who are as good as any of the players at Eoin's hand (boom boom).

The players we had were good, but not significantly better than what we have now. If we qualify for this world cup, the players we have now will be sepia tinged greats in twenty years as well, probably equally undeservedly.

Great point on Stapo. but why stop there? Giles, Brady, O'Leary all useless.

[geysir]

The team that got through the '88 qualifiers to the Finals was basically Hand's squad, augmented by Houghton and Aldridge.

[SuperDave]

Frank Stapleton played for Arsenal and Manchester utd and was one of Irelands best forwards ever.

Everything else you say is discredited by the above remark.

Woh! Lets call the ad hominem police! I did admit it was a disservice to the man, but our squad now is not as poor as some say and just by saying that someone played for certain clubs doesn't mean they are great.... I mean, lots of players currently play for Leeds who would never have got near the teams of old. Also, lets not forget the massive lack of other foreign imports in the English game back in the eighties. In effect, the best 100 British and Irish players were first team players in top ten clubs in England and to a lesser extent Scotland.... now, every club has more foreign players and the top B&I players are more spread out across top flight clubs rather than concentrated at five or six of the top flights but it doesn't mean they are worse than their predecessora.... Robbie Keane would certainly still be at Liverpool if Torres wasn't there. And also lets not forget the effect of nostalgia. The players then were not as magnificent as we like to remember. Would we even be having this discussion if Bulgaria hadn't lost to Scotland? Our current squad has plenty of decent players. It may not quite have the strength in depth that the older squad had but I don't think it is significant. I'm not anti-Trap and I think he is doing a great job and deserves this new contract but the allegation that he is operating with the worst Irish squad in a generation is a bit false.... I still think our first eleven is as good as any we've had, which is to say there are a one or two great players, a fair few decent players and then some who are there because there is nobody else.

[seanfhear]

Woh! Lets call the ad hominem police! I did admit it was a disservice to the man, but our squad now is not as poor as some say and just by saying that someone played for certain clubs doesn't mean they are great.... I mean, lots of players currently play for Leeds who would never have got near the teams of old. Also, lets not forget the massive lack of other foreign imports in the English game back in the eighties. In effect, the best 100 British and Irish players were first team players in top ten clubs in England and to a lesser extent Scotland.... now, every club has more foreign players and the top B&I players are more spread out across top flight clubs rather than concentrated at five or six of the top flights but it doesn't mean they are worse than their predecessora.... Robbie Keane would certainly still be at Liverpool if Torres wasn't there. And also lets not forget the effect of nostalgia. The players then were not as magnificent as we like to remember. Would we even be having this discussion if Bulgaria hadn't lost to Scotland? Our current squad has plenty of decent players. It may not quite have the strength in depth that the older squad had but I don't think it is significant. I'm not anti-Trap and I think he is doing a great job and deserves this new contract but the allegation that he is operating with the worst Irish squad in a generation is a bit false.... I still think our first eleven is as good as any we've had, which is to say there are a one or two great players, a fair few decent players and then some who are there because there is nobody else.
Frank Stapleton was a very good player for Arsenal, Man Utd and Ireland.
He was a very good player in the era that he played in. Thats about as much as you can ask of a player.

I see by the size of your return post that you were stung by my remarks and correctly so.

Your credability took a dive with those remarks, I, yourself and everybody that reads them now doubts your bona fides:rolleyes:

[SuperDave]

Frank Stapleton was a very good player for Arsenal, Man Utd and Ireland.
He was a very good player in the era that he played in. Thats about as much as you can ask of a player.

I see by the size of your return post that you were stung by my remarks and correctly so.

Your credability took a dive with those remarks, I, yourself and everybody that reads them now doubts your bona fides:rolleyes:

Tell you the truth, I saw the list of players you posted and was trying to discredit as many of them as possible.... I went too far on stapleton, but the rest hold up. You listed Tony (Top Flight Record, England and Scotland 110 games, 23 goals, aged 28-32, apparently a players peak) Cascarino, among others, as great players of his generation. Yeah. Right. He was the Clinton (15 in 88 PL games) Morrison of his generation.

[seanfhear]

Tell you the truth, I saw the list of players you posted and was trying to discredit as many of them as possible.... I went too far on stapleton, but the rest hold up. You listed Tony (Top Flight Record, England and Scotland 110 games, 23 goals, aged 28-32, apparently a players peak) Cascarino, among others, as great players of his generation. Yeah. Right. He was the Clinton (15 in 88 PL games) Morrison of his generation.
I only jumped in to support Frank Stapleton.It was not my list.

I may have responded to some list of players from Jacks time saying that they were good players which I believe they were particularly against the players from other International sides at the time. I did not put the list but may have quoted it. Cascarino was a better player for Ireland than any club he played for except maybe Millwall.

Yes it was some what easier for players from Scotland and Ireland to get into the top division teams in England in those days.

Back in those days(maybe a little before that) Scotland had many of the best players. I do wonder where all the Scottish good players have gone.

[geysir]

. I went too far on stapleton, but the rest hold up..
Are you sure?
"Beglin was effectively second choice at Liverpool".:rolleyes:
Anyone who states that, does not know the teams and the footballers at that time.
He was amongst the 3 Irish who were first choice for arguably the best team in Europe in the mid '80s

[youngirish]

McCarthy was a journeyman, Beglin was effectively second choice at Liverpool, Stapleton was a goalscoring Gary Doherty (okay, maybe a slight disservice) and Casc.... well, his Celtic and Chelsea record speaks for itself. The bunch of players we have now includes Shay Given, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Richard Dunne, as well as the absent Steven Ireland, who are as good as any of the players at Eoin's hand (boom boom).

The players we had were good, but not significantly better than what we have now. If we qualify for this world cup, the players we have now will be sepia tinged greats in twenty years as well, probably equally undeservedly.

You forgot Paul McGrath. He was also useless. Paul McShane is much better. And Mark Lawrenson, yes I know he played for Liverpool when they were at the height of their prowess and supposedly was rated as one of their best players but tell me was he as good as Kevin Kilbane? I think not.

[Noelys Guitar]

How is this not a good Irish team.
McDonagh
Hughton O'Leary Lawernson Beglin
Heighway Daly Brady O'Callaghan
Stapleton Robinson

3 Liverpool players/3 Arsenal players/Spurs player/Brighton player (later Liverpool)MU player

[zero]

no early extension this time around, looks like uncle gio will have to get us qualified to keep the job.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0510/trapattoni_fai.html

would just getting us to the playoffs be enough?

should it?

edit: i realise bumping this old thread may give the wrong impression, given the title! apologies if so.

[BonnieShels]

Yeah ya b****x. Jumped out of my skin there.

[elroy]

If he qualifies us then no question new contract.
Playoff, then yes I think overall we are continuing to move in the right direction, squad and options are expanding and developing.
Finish third or worse in group, then only way he should be rehired is on far less generous terms.

I am a fan of Trap overall. His style isnt always the most attractive but by and large he has done well with limited resources. Also if we did get rid of Trap at the end of this campaign, the number of REALISTIC attractive options out there are small enough.

[TrapAPony]

I wouldn't give a contract to Trapattoni unless we qualify

[DeLorean]

It's impossible to say without knowing who would replace him. I've been critical at times but would still prefer him over most potential candidates. They would want to be sure of a top class appointment before letting him go.

[TiocfaidhArmani]

Couldn't win Bulgaria or Montenegro home or away in the last campaign and one good performance against a crap French team doesn't change that it was a poor campaign. Now in this campaign we lost our only big game and that was at home to Russia. And this guy is on €2 million per annum and his style of football on top of that is driving people away.

No contract? No chance.

[SwanVsDalton]

Couldn't win Bulgaria or Montenegro home or away in the last campaign and one good performance against a crap French team doesn't change that it was a poor campaign.

If that was poor, when have we had a good campaign?

[DannyInvincible]

Even if Trap won us the World Cup, I wouldn't have him back until he recalls the Reids, Lee Carsley and Dean Kiely!

[The Legend]

lol 3 old men and a fattie..

[elroy]

Couldn't win Bulgaria or Montenegro home or away in the last campaign and one good performance against a crap French team doesn't change that it was a poor campaign. Now in this campaign we lost our only big game and that was at home to Russia. And this guy is on €2 million per annum and his style of football on top of that is driving people away.

No contract? No chance.

He dropped his style of football for the game against Uruguay. yes it was entertaining but a good attacking team walked through us.

[DeLorean]

Couldn't win Bulgaria or Montenegro home or away in the last campaign

Undefeated against a team that, at the time, were ranked higher than us and against a team that are now ranked higher than us, not to mention finishing ahead of both.

[Stuttgart88]

...and the home game vs. Montenegro was a dead rubber anyway, with several players rested.

[Wolfie]

Stick or twist for the next campaign? - particularly if we don't qualify this time around.

I know entertaining "what the players think" can be a bit of a tight rope to base decisions upon but I think the players would like to see Trapp retained for another campaign.

Would this squad of players be willing to adjust again to a new manager with new methods and be expected to "hit the ground running" and qualify first time or would they they prefer the continuity of what they've absorbed from Trapp over the last 3 years??

It would be a surprise if any of Keane, Dunne and Duff were not available for selection for one more campaign.

In addition there are the "Trapp" players who Trapp has introduced to the team, for example Lawrence, St Ledger, Whelan, Andrews, Fahey - all of these players know what Trapp expects from them.

I think its a case of better the devil you know on this one.

[OwlsFan]

I sense a Mick McCarthy scenario with Trap. There is a sizable element of our support who has lost faith in him, primarily because he hasn't selected some obvious players (e.g. Reid, Kenny, Hoolahan etc for whatever reason) and once you lose some of the fans, a manager is doomed because the boo boys are always heard above the silent majority.

I am not sure we could afford his salary in any event. I would like him to stay on but I doubt it will happen if we don't qualify. Cue Dunphy and Giles to start interviewing Paul Jewell again :O

[TiocfaidhArmani]

If that was poor, when have we had a good campaign?

I'm not getting into a long-winded debate about it, it was a poor campaign. Italy played the vast majority of the game in their ground with 10 men and we scraped a draw. Didn't win at home and the rest of the results, especially the failure to beat Bulgaria or Montenegro just once in four games is very poor. Yet we double his wages to €2 million. Someone explain that one to me.....

[SwanVsDalton]

Trap's an expensive manager, no doubt, but I don't think it was a poor campaign. Or at least, it certainly wasn't poor compared to the three that proceeded it. Only right we expect improvement again this time around, particularly in regards turning draws into wins and beating big sides. Jury very much out in those respects.