Giovanni Trappatoni - Well Done

[paul_oshea]

was it just wilson playing in the ports v burnley game?!

Its just annoying we have so many players playing in teams that are going to be relegated. Especially the likes of wilson who is a real prospect.

[dan o d]

thanks to trap the players have rediscovered their desire to play and win for ireland.if stan had still been in charge for that last campaign, many of our older players like kilbane, given, dunne and duff may well be considering their international future right now. instead we have a group of lads who will be 100% commited to get revenge and qualify for the euros

[dr_peepee]

was it just wilson playing in the ports v burnley game?!

Its just annoying we have so many players playing in teams that are going to be relegated. Especially the likes of wilson who is a real prospect.

Possibly to talk to O'Hara too, if the Radio was to be believed. He'll be back at Spurs when Portsmouth go down though.

I hear ye though, re Wilson. I wonder would Redknapp take a punt on him???

[ArdeeBhoy]

One of the lads there reminded me Trappatoni wasn't FIFA's 'flavour of the month' in the light of recent events, given the fuss he made about Italy being probably cheated by S.Korea in 2002.

Which is another plus, with hindsight, in my book.

[tetsujin1979]

was it just wilson playing in the ports v burnley game?!

Its just annoying we have so many players playing in teams that are going to be relegated. Especially the likes of wilson who is a real prospect.

Finnan was at right back as well

Possibly to talk to O'Hara too, if the Radio was to be believed. He'll be back at Spurs when Portsmouth go down though.

I hear ye though, re Wilson. I wonder would Redknapp take a punt on him???

Possibly, he was reserve player of the year while Redknapp was in charge

[Stuttgart88]

Trapp was apparently at the Portsmouth Burnley game, and the Sunderland Fulham game on Sunday. 10 months before the next competitive game. Credit where it's due and all...

If I didn't know you as well I'm not sure I'd have detected the sarcasm.

[dr_peepee]

Ha!! No... I was actually sincere in that one. Didn't expect to see him at a game this side of Easter!!

[Scram]

Not well done. It was only against France that the players were allowed to play. We should have won our group.

Some poster contended that, if we played this open football in the group stages we would have been slaughtered. HOW RIDICULOUS…Georgia, Cyprus and Bulgaria would have ripped us apart where as France could not?? and in fact we beat them 1-0 in Paris!!!

[Stuttgart88]

Not well done. It was only against France that the players were allowed to play. We should have won our group.

Some poster contended that, if we played this open football in the group stages we would have been slaughtered. HOW RIDICULOUS…Georgia, Cyprus and Bulgaria would have ripped us apart where as France could not?? and in fact we beat them 1-0 in Paris!!!

Saying we should have won the group rather than could have won the group is a big statement. For a start, much was made of our luck but Italy got luck in spades throughout this campaign.

I'd tend towards arguing that his first job was to make us cohesive again, achieve confidence by being hard to beat and then build on that platform to ultimately produce the type of performance we did in Paris.

I'm not sure we'd have been capable of producing that performance a year ago.

It's where we go from here that will be the next test.

[geysir]

It's a long time since I have felt this confident that we are going to a very nice place.

[Reality Bites]

Saying we should have won the group rather than could have won the group is a big statement. For a start, much was made of our luck but Italy got luck in spades throughout this campaign.

I'd tend towards arguing that his first job was to make us cohesive again, achieve confidence by being hard to beat and then build on that platform to ultimately produce the type of performance we did in Paris.

I'm not sure we'd have been capable of producing that performance a year ago.

It's where we go from here that will be the next test.

Correct! Traps first Job was to rebuild shape and moral in the Irish team which takes a couple of games both friendlies and qualifiers, The qualifying group was approached in a tactical manner with a big emphasis on NOT LOSING and picking up vital points along the way particularly away from home, Trap mastered this brief very well I think.

By the time the Irish team played that match in Paris I think they were inculcated in Traps philosphy they believed what he was telling them and approached that Final match under instructions from the manager to go for and they did.

[paul_oshea]

It's a long time since I have felt this confident that we are going to a very nice place.

Mosney?

[ArdeeBhoy]

It's a long time since I have felt this confident that we are going to a very nice place.

FIFa have already said 'Non' !

[geysir]

I have moved on, like our great ex manager Jack Charlton said

"But it's all happened, it's over with and Ireland have to move on and move on fast. There are better times ahead and the only way they can get over this and forget about it is by putting it right next time around"

It's just that it's 10 months until the next competition and an annoying WC tournament in the middle.

[paul_oshea]

perhaps zimbabwe might invade SA in june and the WC will have to be called off/suspended.

[Scram]

Saying we should have won the group rather than could have won the group is a big statement. For a start, much was made of our luck but Italy got luck in spades throughout this campaign.

I'd tend towards arguing that his first job was to make us cohesive again, achieve confidence by being hard to beat and then build on that platform to ultimately produce the type of performance we did in Paris.

I'm not sure we'd have been capable of producing that performance a year ago.

It's where we go from here that will be the next test.

We should have won the group. We should have won all our home games. Merely making a team cohesive is not something any decent manager would point to as an achievement. Nor is "a year ago" i.e. “better than Stan” any pointer.

Indeed, we looked far from cohesive in the majority of games, after we scored goals the supposed “structure” was nowhere to be seen. A couple of lucky breaks against mediocre opposition and Italy got us in to second place.

We produced a great performance in Paris under Kerr with 4-5-1 including Andy Reid, this was never built on nor was there mass acclaim for Kerr’s achievements in that campaign.

If Trappatoni was Irish and treated Andy Reid as he has done he would be vilified and removed. Most views on here are clouded by his reputation and the fact that he is Italian. Looking at the statistics and the details of games, not a great performance by any means.

[Reality Bites]

We should have won the group. We should have won all our home games. Merely making a team cohesive is not something any decent manager would point to as an achievement. Nor is "a year ago" i.e. “better than Stan” any pointer.

Indeed, we looked far from cohesive in the majority of games, after we scored goals the supposed “structure” was nowhere to be seen. A couple of lucky breaks against mediocre opposition and Italy got us in to second place.

We produced a great performance in Paris under Kerr with 4-5-1 including Andy Reid, this was never built on nor was there mass acclaim for Kerr’s achievements in that campaign.

If Trappatoni was Irish and treated Andy Reid as he has done he would be vilified and removed. Most views on here are clouded by his reputation and the fact that he is Italian. Looking at the statistics and the details of games, not a great performance by any means.

Anyone outside of Irish football support and a supporter of the game in general would find the above statement to be simply ludicrous.

On paper at the start of the campaign second place in this group seem a stretch for the players at our disposal. I think we were dogged at times and difficult to watch particularly away to Cyprus, but the ends justify the means and we got a result which firmly set us on the way to second place finish..What Trap achieved with Whelan and Andrews was remarkable, who would have thought these guys would have preformed with such strength of character and determination in Paris let alone knew much about either player at the start of campaigh. The manager believed in these players and they in turn returned that believe with a midfield display that hasn't been seen in years.
One of the most important things I alluded to above is the Team Spirit. At last we have a collection of players with character, they are a tight bunch and seem to be enjoying playing under the new management, hence no retirements or sulky displays. The same cannot be said for the Kerr and Staunton eras with widespread unrest and a good many retirements some natural others disillusioned.

Andy Reid has responded superbly to his banishment from the Irish Squad, he has lost weigh and is playing the best football of his career. Why? because for the first time he has been punished for neglecting a God given talent which he has failed to capitalise on through laziness. Reids sudden self-examination would not have been possible without Traps harsh treatment of him in the first place and now I believe the time is set for Reid to be rewarded with a call-up which will happen.

[Uncle_Joe]

If Trappatoni was Irish and treated Andy Reid as he has done he would be vilified and removed

Sorry, but thats just not true. If an "Irish born Trap" had that same campaign, they would be rightly praised.

And as good as Kerr's team's perfomance was in Paris, the performance put in by Trap's Ireland was simply better.

[paul_oshea]

Sorry, but thats just not true. If an "Irish born Trap" had that same campaign, they would be rightly praised.

And as good as Kerr's team's perfomance was in Paris, the performance put in by Trap's Ireland was simply better.

With worse players too probably, or at least players such as duff, finnan etc who were in their prime etc.

[jbyrne]

We produced a great performance in Paris under Kerr with 4-5-1 including Andy Reid, this was never built on nor was there mass acclaim for Kerr’s achievements in that campaign.

thats because we finished fourth in the group and threw leads away against Israel twice in that campaign. most of your other points are plain ridiculous and full of contradiction. we were a mess after stan and we are now a decent team, something we have not been since june 2002