Let’s have a look at a couple of headlines in the Irish sporting media this morning, shall we?
‘Trapattoni McCarthy feud set to continue’
‘Trapattoni will not change his ways even for McCarthy’
‘Coleman happy to keep on the right side of Trap’
The first two are dramatic enough but perhaps the last headline is most telling. Young, talented Irish players are clearly so afraid of the dinosaur like Irish national team manager that they are telling reporters they are simply happy to stay on his good side. Even the grumpiest of dinosaurs weren’t this belligerent, scary or stubborn.
Obviously no one here or anywhere else for that matter is suggesting that ‘Gio’ is deliberately trying to scupper future Irish soccer plans. Furthermore, it seems funny to be bringing this up just hours after a convincing Irish win, 3-0 over an admittedly abysmal Wales. The problem is Trap has consistently shown he is the polar opposite of the 'right' manager to lead this promising Irish team forward.
In case you missed it, this week Trap appears to be dishing out some sort of public punishment to the young star-in-the-making, despite the fact that James McCarthy is guilty of nothing but following the desires of his parent club, Wigan Athletic, who pay his weekly wage and are currently embroiled in a bitter relegation battle in the English Premiership.
McCarthy has good reason to rest too, instead of playing in a completely meaningless friendly against a Wales side that would struggle to beat a decent Sunday league squad. He is resting an ankle that caused him to miss three months of football. At this early stage of a potentially brilliant player’s career, isn't that important?
Not to the great Trapasaurus Rex.
Ignoring the fact that McCarthy is clearly not pulling a Stephen 'My Granny died' Ireland, Trap has publicly castigated and embarrassed a young man who has done absolutely nothing wrong. If this was a single, stand alone incident, you might completely over look it. However as anyone who follows team Ireland knows, that is blatantly not the case.
Trap has been alienating Irish talent since the day he got here.
The stubborn 71 year old has refused to bring to an end a ridiculous, childish feud between himself and the talented Andy Reid, and he is also busy completely overlooking the most successful Irish goal scorer as we speak. Celtic's Anthony Stokes has been banging in the goals all season long and recently passed the 50 mark in Scottish football for his brief, young career.
How on earth is Stokes not in the side, let alone squad? Only Trap knows.
Imagine a side with McCarthy pulling the strings in midfield, grafting alongside the guile and creativity of Andy Reid, with Coleman bombing down the wings and Stokes banging in goals from all angles. Instead we are left with Glenn Whelan, face puffy and red like an embarrassed schoolboy, toiling admirably but with a great deal of futility in the center of the park.
There is no better analogy for the Trapattoni reign than the average Glen Whelan pass.
Backwards.
Glen v Spurs
15 successful passes, 10 of those are side-to-side or backwards. I am no physicist, but you are not going to generate much forward play, going backwards.
And yet every time Ireland play we are forced to suffer through another 90 minutes of turgid midfield play from Whelan, a man who is afraid to go forwards.
15 successful passes, 10 of those are side-to-side or backwards. I am no physicist, but you are not going to generate much forward play, going backwards.And yet every time Ireland play we are forced to suffer through another 90 minutes of turgid midfield play from Whelan, a man who is afraid to go forwards.
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