Giovanni Trapattoni took the bold and unusual step last night of naming the Ireland team who will begin their European Championship campaign against Croatia next Sunday, an indication of the manager’s increasingly bullish mood before the tournament.
In his press conference at Budapest’s Ferenc Puskas Stadium, Trapattoni reeled off the 11 players who will begin Ireland’s final warm-up fixture against Hungary tonight but stated that, barring injury, the same side will also feature in Poznan.
While there are still slight fitness concerns over Shay Given and John O’Shea, who have been troubled by knee and ankle and calf complaints respectively since meeting up with the Ireland squad, Trapattoni’s confidence is in marked contrast to Roy Hodgson’s lengthy list of injuries with England.
The Italian, who has long intimated that the bulk of the side who secured qualification for Euro 2012 would form the bedrock of his team, denied that his tactic amounted to overconfidence or that it would provide Slaven Bilic, the Croatia head coach, with a psychological advantage before their meeting.
“I have already said that the team that will start tomorrow is the same that will start against Croatia,” Trapattoni said. “It is an easy answer. That is the team that won us qualifying and all the team is in good form. We couldn’t change. When we have needed to have change, the other players have done the same, but I couldn’t change because they’re doing so well.
Advertisement
“I watch DVDs, we have a scout at every game, friendly or official, and it’s the same for the other managers — they watch and see our games and our team. It’s not only the last 90 minutes — they know all about us. We know all about them.”
Trapattoni argued that the rest of the squad would benefit from the certainty of knowing who was playing, a contention that again dredged up recent memories of England; Fabio Capello, Hodgson’s predecessor, was accused of causing uncertainty by naming his XI an hour before kick-off. There was a logic, Trapattoni said, to the first team being granted as much time as possible to practise set-pieces.
There were no complaints from Robbie Keane, the Los Angeles Galaxy striker and Ireland’s captain. “I think since the manager has taken over he’s been very comfortable naming his team early,” he said. “Some do it an hour and a half before the game and not all players like that, but the manager has always done it like this. It’s always good to know that you’re playing.”
In light-hearted comments, Marco Tardelli, Trapattoni’s assistant, has already mapped out Ireland’s progress from group C. “I am worried about Croatia but we have a plan,” he said. “We’ll draw with Croatia, win against Spain and then win against Italy to qualify as first from the group.”
That suggestion brought a smile from Trapattoni. “Marco is full of enthusiasm,” he said. “Sometimes the dream can also come true. But it’s important we start with the first 90 minutes and win. We have to achieve that and after we can also dream.”
Advertisement
Ireland do not recognise their portrayal as underdogs. “We don’t think so, but maybe it’s good for us that people think that,” Keane said. “We feel very relaxed. There has been an intensity about our games and we haven’t lost for a very long time, but it’s important to have a calmness about you. It’s been very good.”
Teams
Hungary (probable; 4-5-1): A Bogdan (Bolton Wanderers) — V Vanczak (Sion), Z Korcsmar (Brann), N Meszaros (Debrecen), Z Laczko (Sampdoria) — J Varga (Debrecen), A Pinter (Real Zaragoza), T Koltai (Gyor), V Koman (Monaco), B Dzsudzsak (Dynamo Moscow) — A Szalai (Mainz).
Ireland (4-4-2): S Given (Aston Villa) — J O’Shea (Sunderland), R Dunne (Aston Villa), S St Ledger (Leicester City), S Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers) — D Duff (Fulham), K Andrews (West Bromwich Albion), G Whelan (Stoke City), A McGeady (Spartak Moscow) — R Keane (LA Galaxy), K Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Referee: K Hansen (Denmark).