Il tecnico non è un idiota (Even I can’t help myself)

Dia dhuit everyone, I’ll try to keep this short and sweet, and maybe lob up another update over the next few days, not quite sure what on, but there will be something relevant to talk about, given the upheaval of the last week. The pleasant upheaval of the last week.

I would presume the majority of you know the details of the deal by now, as filled in a few days ago by Daryl separately, but in case you’re an amnesiac, or had absolutely no interest in the Ireland job and ignored everything relating to it, I’ll drum it in. Giovanni Trapattoni is the new Republic of Ireland manager, on a two-year contract, earning the better part of £1 million a year, (Or 1.4 million Euros, but my laptop doesn’t have the damn Euros sign /o\) who has stated his intention to take the team to South Africa in 2010, believing we can finish above his native Italians en route to world domination. His English is worse than Ronaldo’s knee, his temper is as short as Gianfranco Zola and his style of football is known best for the way that the Lisbon Lions destroyed it over 40 years ago, paving the way for sides like Brazil in 1970, but irrespective of all that, he’s the right man for the job, certainly in comparison with the recent incumbants in the role and the other names lined up to take over.

Most people have come out in support of Trap so far, certainly that can be said of the gutter press in the country, most of whom bizarrely vouched for Dagenham Dave (It’s a vague reference, so fair play if you get it) to get the job. I think the media know full well along with the fans and everyone else involved in Irish football that this is a coup, made possible by the altruism of a man who failed Maths twice at secondary school, yet made hundreds of million from telecommunications, amongst other things. But the media also know about Trapattoni’s reputation. He doesn’t suffer fools, and he certainly doesn’t suffer the media, never has. If they manage to piss him off, he could turn and walk, it’s not necessarily a recurring theme in his career, bu you think a man of 68 needs to be hassled by guttersnipe journalists from shite newspapaers who know a shred of what he’s forgotten about football? Forget it, everyone knows the record that Trapattoni brings with him, and if he’s left to his devices, it should mean success. So hopefully the appointment will have the knock on effect of shutting up the likes of Eamon Dunphy for a while, along with the other pundits knocking around over there.

I am by my nature a cynic, there’s always a negative with our lot, doesn’t matter if we’ve just beat the Dutch 1-0 to knock them out of the World Cup while we go into the play-offs, I’ll just say that we have the play-off to come. It’s largely the same here, and I do have my reservations about the appointment, two in particular. Firstly, what Trapattoni said on Friday, that the deal was too good to turn down. Woah, hang on a second, what does that mean? First off the bat, the deal is too good to turn down, not that he’s relishing the challenge of taking the country to the World Cup (It came in the end, but only after a bit of prodding). Now, I know I shouldn’t be a hyprocrite and criticise the man, but I’m going to be. Does this mean that Trapattoni is in for one last big paycheck, with the focus being on how much he’s taking away a year, rather than how the team is doing in terms of qualification? I just hope this doesn’t amount to mixed up priorities on his behalf, but I’m slightly concerned at the moment. Secondly, it has to be the style of football. Trap has employed a style based around the catennacio techniqued mastered by Inter Milan on the way to two European Cups in the 60’s. It’s worked for him down the years, no debating that, but there was one place where it didn’t work on a big scale, on the international level. Under his tutelage, Italy comfortably made it out of fairly easy qualifying groups for the World Cup in 2002 and for Euro 2004 without too much fuss, other than a 2-1 reverse in Cardiff early in the latter group. But, when it came to the big stage, they only won two games out of seven, and that was their opening match in Japan against a hopelessley out of depth Ecuador side, followed by a last gasp 2-1 win against a Bulgaria side in 2004 generally percieved to be the worst in the competition, at a point where it didn’t matter anyways, as they were out at the groups. Otherwise, there were defeats against Croatia and South Korea (Yes, I know about the controversy, still didn’t play well enough however), along with struggling draws against Mexico and Denmark, whilst failing to held on against Sweden. Italy’s style was found out and found out fairly quickly by decent sides or teams in form. Now, consider that was with the likes of Maldini, Buffon, Nesta, Totti, Gattuso, Vieri et al in the side. We haven’t got that talent in the side, so what does that mean for us. As was noted, Trapattoni will stop the dehabilitating 5-2 reversals in European outposts, but will it guarantee what we actually want, qualification for the World Cup. Hold that thought…

All things accounted for though, it’s a good appointment, on the basis of the track record that the man brings with him, his passion for the game even at his age, and the fact that it’s not Terry Venables. Trap has won more trophies then I even care to list throughout his career, so we’re dealing with a man who knows his stuff in any case. We’re also dealing with a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, and tell the players what he thinks of them, all for their own benefit in the long run, and we also have to remember, that this is not Terry Venables. That in itself makes it a great appointment. So after the debacle of getting to this point, we can afford a certain modicum of optimism over where we’re going now. It’s over to Trap to deliver the goods and get us back to a major competition for the first time in nearly a decade. Of all the men mooted for the role, you’d trust him above almost all of them to get the side there.

I await the Serbia match with interest, to see how he intends to go about things, with any hope it’ll be the first step towards glorious qualification for South Africa, followed by the defeat of Brazil, Argentina, Holland (again), Spain, Germany, France and England en route to being declared the greatest side in the world, even though most of us already knew that. Bet we still get beaten by Cyprus though.

That’ll do for now, went on for a bit longer then I anticipated, but next time out I’ll try to make it shorter. No guarantees though, knowing what I’m like…

Sliante Chugat everyone
Eugene