With the season almost over, all eyes will turn to the World Cup in Brazil. Of course, Ireland won’t be there and the selection of Seamus Coleman and Andy Reid in their respective teams of the year is yet another indictment of Giovanni Trapattoni’s philosophy as Irish manager. They also make a mockery of the argument that we don’t have ball-players.
Reports in Italy suggest former Irish boss Giovanni Trapattoni will take charge of our tricolour brothers from Africa, the Ivory Coast, but only after the World Cup in Brazil.
From Carey, Cantwell, and Meagan, to Charlton and Trapattoni. Ireland’s managerial records in infographic form, via Fantasy5Live.com
It was one of the ugliest scenes witnessed at Lansdowne Road. Not the rampaging of English fans hurling rubble onto Irish supporters. Rather Irish supporters hurling vitriol at a former hero who had captained the country in our first ever World Cup, who had cried in the dressing room when we failed to beat Italy in the quarter-final, who later managed his country to another tournament, and who endured, along with his adversarial skipper, a trauma that would scar any man in ordinary life, let alone his footballing one.
Ahead of Ireland’s clash with Germany in Cologne, Ron Ullrich of the cult German football magazine 11freunde.de examines Giovanni Trapattoni’s impact in Munich and the far from unanimous support for current national team coach Joachim Löw.
“I do regret not playing but I was embarrassed and I was so angry that I didn’t actually get on the pitch for even a second at the Euros, I just felt I couldn’t come back and play for him again.” – Darron Gibson tells the Irish Independent.
What happens when a kid comes from Gaelic training on Tuesday urged to play long ball, then at soccer training Wednesday, his coaches tell him something very different? The departure of Giovanni Trapattoni has sparked a bout of soul-searching among Ireland’s football community. The refrain “We just don’t have the players” has focused the attention on just what is happening at grassroots. As the main criticism of Trapatonni centred on Ireland’s manner of play, the issues run far deeper than the senior team. Diarmuid o hAinle explores a uniquely Irish state of affairs and the influence of Gaelic Games on young players.
It fell to David Alaba to put Ireland’s World Cup qualification chances to “leaba” on Tuesday night and with it the Green Army’s Polish lager-inspired hangover from Euro 2012 finally wore off. Dan Mellett asks, ‘What now?’
A double defeat ended Giovanni Trapattoni’s reign as Ireland boss this week. The killer blow was dealt by the classy David Alaba, the type of player Irish fans could only dream of having in the Irish ranks. Host of the YBIG Football Show Dave O’Grady looks at the aftermath and says, for once, this was a dignified break-up.
The Póg Mo Goal Giovanni Trapattoni Era Infographic