TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST Germany was widely considered to be one of the worst-ever displays produced by an Irish team.
The side were hammered 6-1, with an unusual lack of spirit evident, in addition to the poor technique and defensive mistakes that have grown more prominent in Trap’s team of late.
The result has left many Irish fans and pundits suggesting the Italian manager should step down, having presided over one of Ireland’s worst home defeats ever.
Nonetheless, whether he will actually leave remains to be seen.
Those defending Trap will point to the absence of several key first-team players as a partial excuse for the emphatic nature of the loss.
Moreover, they will also likely highlight Trap’s record during his time as Ireland manager, in which he has so far helped Ireland reach one tournament (Euro 2012) and overseen them narrowly missing out on another (World Cup 2010).
In addition, prior to the Euros, Ireland had not lost a competitive away fixture under Trap.
Yet should the FAI ignore the increasingly tenuous positives and listen to the cries of many supporters, there is the added question of whether they can afford the ample compensation reportedly needed to be paid if they want to sack him.
With that in mind, is it time for Trap to step down?
a big huge pile of shite managed by a geriatric Italian who was a good manager 20 years ago.
I lol’d.
Not traps fault. We dont have the talent
More talent than Staunton had, multiplied by ten, and we drew 0-0 at home against Germany in qualification
1 word B****X
people will always look for people to point the blame at. trap has a incredible manager record. face it, the players that played great for Ireland are gone or just about retired. Get used to this style of football, if we qualify for the world cup in Rio i will be very surprised!
For someone called Mrknow you really haven’t got a clue in fairness
Trap is a sap!
Trap is a sap!
Trapattoni’s managerial success largely came in the 70s and 80s. In the past 22 years he has won 3 Leagues (Bayern Munich 96-97, Benfica 04-05 and Red Bull Salzburg 06-07), 1 UEFA cup (Inter Milan 91) and 2 Domestic Cups (both with Bayern in 96-97). Yes he is one of the most successful managers in history but he now seems to be a senile old man. Greatness doesn’t last forever, its time for him to move on. There are plenty of exciting young managers around who can speak the same language as our players, its time to move on before he permanently damages the potential of the current crop of youngsters.
The germans had 10 champions league players playing last night.we where lucky to have 4 premier league players.men against boys.
Saw Shane Long play against Croatia in a Friendly at the Aviva summer 2011. He was outstanding that day got man of the match but for some unknown reason Trap has only given him a bit part in the squad since. This is just one example of how he has treated good players in the squad.
Step down…sack him…he is doing so much damage to Irish football while he is in charge…when Ireland played Germany during Stans regime, we conceded 1 goal over 2 games…remember how he was ran out of town???
Yes and remember Brian Kerr getting his marching orders.
Trap has been indulged whereas Kerr got the bullet the first chance the FAI got.
Maybe because trap is earning considerably more then Staunton and Kerr put together.
We can have a church gate collection to pay him off an get rid of him
Hey Paul… We could pay Trap off in installments by diverting Delaney’s 7,500 euro a week wages from the FAI which which works out at 400,000 euro a year now…absolutely shocking stuff!!!!
I’m going to mass that day.
51% say no….LMFAO!!!
Bullshit John. I will gladly sing for Ireland, even in the darkest of hours. I would also call for Trap’s head. At the end of the day, I thought we were Irish supporters, i.e. supporters of Ireland. That doesn’t mean we like our current crop of woeful players and useless management, just that we support Ireland.
McGeady was a disgrace, never tracked back, caused first three goals. Trap must go, Ireland never gonna score a goal from play, playing so negatively!
Chippy Brady followers vote no or other. Everyone else yes
Seriously at one stage it was 98% possession and that was before they went goal crazy. I am a pool fan for my sins and God do I know when a mangager has lost there team and its time to go for Trapp…
I feel sick 1-6 at home. Embarrassed. Defence was very, very poor. O’Shea (captain) was responsible for draining the confidence from the team with his attempt to try clear the ball (deffo peno) and it only made the Germans angry!
Problem is at the Top!
FAI!
Get rid of Delaney and his cronies (they picked Trap …. & Staunton) and start AGAIN….. Roy Keane for manager and FCUK the begrudgers.
Can’t get any lower – New Start?
trap was a great manager but with Ireland he’s been lazy (has never gone to see his players play a single match in England etc) stubborn (his system) and has pissed off enough players as to take the heart out of the Irish squad, he never really trusted Irish players to be creative and they play with fear and uncertainty. I fear I’ll be dunphys age before I see a great Irish squad again. for the last 20 year’s we’ve had amateurish managers or dismissive ones stifle what I believe could have been a great team up there with the likes of Croatia or Denmark when they punched above their weight on the world stage.
It’s not up to the FAI, it’s Denis O Briens call. And Trapp is looking increasingly like an O’Reilly…
Roy Keane for manager? ? Eh, no. trap should go but not to be replaced by that Plonker.
At least his defensive strategy worked; they managed to contain the Germans to just six goals.
not just trap the entire mentality of the fai… we expect a lot as a sporting nation.
Trapattoni is a great manager, his record speaks for itself, however, his continued insistence on ignoring young players playing regularly in the Premiership, such as Coleman, McCarthy and McClean (only playing them after a disastrous Euro’s), and the ever growing list of players he is falling out with, mean we can no longer have a successful side under his tenure. Brian Kerr was very unfortunate to be jilted by the FAI, and look what he is doing with amateurs in the Faroes, apparently Sweden were very lucky to win 2-1 tonight, I think his management style would bring the best out of our young players, the current situation is far more promising than under Staunton (who lost 1-0 away to Germany and drew 0-0 at Croke Park with paltry options).
In the time it would take to read that comment the Germans would have knocked in 2 goals.
Just saw on the Russia Today website that it was part of the bailout deal, http://www.rt.com/trap-forced-to-play-fahy-and-andrews-as-part-of-IMF-bailout.html
Brian Kerr hasn’t been the Faroes manager for quite a while…
Get with it man, kerr left the faroe islands months ago
The man doesn’t even go to games. Enough said
Great point. When the ‘fans’ stop rewarding pure shite with song and dance…..maybe, just maybe….
Not so fun fact… Before tonight in the entire history of Irish soccer we conceded 8 goals against Germany. If that’s not evidence enough that a change of leadership is needed I don’t know what is!!
With the greatest of respect to him, we need a manager who will scout. and give opportunities to our best players, not just the ones he’s comfortable with.
Mick McCarthy in available.
I’d give Mick another go, if it wasn’t for that pillock Keane we could have been playing South Korea in the Quarter-Finals
Mick introduced Given, Keane and Duff to the Irish squad. He also made Roy Keane captain despite huge personal differences. He is the last manager to get a win against a team ranked higher than us, a record that had now stood for eleven years. He got us to the second round of a world cup amid huge controversy
He may not be the next manager but he probably deserves more credit than what he got back when he lost his job.
If it wasn’t for that pillock McCarthy the team might have had a ball and/or resources to train with in saipan!
If it wasn’t for that pillock McCarthy the team might have had a ball or other resources to train with in Saipan!
Get Roy Keane
His charisma and track record would help the situation alright
To do what. A hit on Trap?
Get lost.
To what point and propose? Replace a has been manager with a never was?
*purpose
He is not the sole reason for the problem but the players are not happy with his style.
Time for all too be pragmatic. new start NOW
We need to pull the weed by the whole root. Get rid of John Delaney who is an overpaid doer of very little and appoint someone who knows a bit about football and is less worried about politics.
Get rid of John Delaney.
54% vote no to Trap resigning?? We must be as thick as they say
Typical Ireland. It’s always the manager. How many managers now have caused is to regularly loose… Ever consider were just Sh1t at soccer…
Bollox talk !!! That’s exactly what trap has the players thinking !! We do have decent up and coming players but he doesn’t want to use them. Or doesn’t know them because he’s not arsed to go and see them play ! Why ? Cause he still lives in Italy
Guys please don’t hate me but u need top players the only Irish players that people know or still know is keane and Damian duff but they are to old, instead of blaming your coach u need the FAI to put money on the Irish league I mean I went to the stadiums and I watched the games, u guys are more into in Gaelic and hurling and is nothing bad with that is your national sport, but if u guys want to play football support ur own teams put money on the Irish league and before someone Slagging me about my country in football well we have a confederation cup and an Olympic gold medal and but of them won it against Brazil ;) I love this country but about football is different XD
Are you saying we should do what Mexicans do and bury our heads in the sand?
Damn right.It needs to start in school AND we need to show a lot more support for our League of Ireland teams. Maybe then there might be a bit of investment in football excellence. Feck the Irish Granny rule, let’s grow our own.
Samuel, this was the largest defeat Ireland has ever suffered on home soil. If you knew anything about the history of Irish football prior to the 80′s, and the complete amateur nature of the game in Ireland back then, you would realise how embarrassing it is that we would have a result like this in 2012, it’s been 30 years since Ireland suffered a defeat of this magnitude!
Is Trap voting in this poll from various devices?
to the 765 people who said no wtf is your brain doing?
Only 6:1 thank God the German’s didn’t go into to second gear.
Off with his head
Feed him to the lions and shove Delaney up the dog’s ar$e and shoot the dog.
Get Harry redknapp in
Footballers need to be managed. This team is in disarray. Traps lost the respect of his players. This is what happens when you don’t blood new players, nobody was on the same wavelength tonight. But when you bypass the midfield for four years, what do you expect.
Theres a lot of people in here commenting who obviously dont know much about football, with respect.
Any team who are even a small bit lesser than their opponents un terms if ability, will generally try make up for that through working harder and showing good spirit and organisation! Thats where it has to at least start, but as we have seen for about 6 games now, we are sadly lacking organisation, ideas and SPIRIT!
that is all down to the manager and no excuses can be made for that! He falls out with everyone except the poor players who he continues to pick and doesnt go to watch any players!
When James Mcclean tweeted about how bad things were after the last shambolic performance in Kazakstan, it was 100% obvious that he has lost the players respect now too… Basically we have NOTHING as long as he stays and will be beat by the faroes on tuesday!
O’Dear and O’Shite at the centre of defence?? Cox on the wing? Long and Clark on the bench. Who picks this team? Does McGeady have naked pics of trap because there’s no other way he should still be playing. We’ll get a heroic win over the Faroe Islands Tuesday to save traps job
Lets face it… The only things us irish are good at is gaelic and hurling and thats because no other country plays them… Oh dont forget drinking and fighting and of course begrudgery…. :))
I have been watching Irish International matches for 40 years. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine I’d be seeing what I saw tonight. Pay him off, go back to Italy old man and grow tomatoes or something because what I saw out there tonight was not Irish and it is the culmination of a long descent into bewilderment – the Spanish actually have a word for it, although it is usually used in other contexts-”Incommunicado”
“what we have here is a failure to communicate”
Peter, don’t feel sorry for Delaney, he gets paid more than his equivalents in both Spain & Italy combined. Look how many LOI clubs could benefit from a fraction of his salary. Back to grass roots I say.
If Denis O’Brien pays half Traps wages, shouldn’t he also pay half his severance?
If the FAI organised a proper Secondary School league similar to the structure of the GAA’s club championship we might find a few decent stars in the making. I love Gaelic and Hurling but it seems to snap up too many athlete ‘s from playing other sports in this country. I’m sure there’s any amount of lads playing GAA that would be decent football players..
I agree.. Maybe if John Delaney wasn’t on such high wages we could afford to do it too. I mean the man gets paid more than Obama.. I don’t get it!
Delaney is a disgrace. When you consider what the GAA have achieved with government support yet SOCCOR teams are like the boxers – changing at the sides of pitches and in containers. The GAA have been really brilliant at developing the clubs and as an amateur organisation they deserve credit. The SOCCOR ie FAI are professional and they have failed miserably all through the Celtic tiger era. Delaney must go. Roy Kean could go in as CEO and manager and sort it out.
No matter what the Irish football team does after that FIASCO, WILL MAKE TRAP LOOK GOOD. Delaney has to go NOW, silly little man.
Disgraceful performance, obviously the supposedly experienced players aren’t up to it so let’s go with youth for the rest of the qualifying campaign. If available-
Westwood
Coleman. Clark. Dunne.(C) Wilson
Brady. Gibson McCarthy. McClean
Long. Walters
O’Dea, Keogh, McGeady, Ward, & Cox never to be in the squad again, start giving the likes of Duffy & Meyler more international experience, get Ireland & Hoolahan back in the squad as well!!
If I did my job like Trap did his tonight I would be told to get out and try not let the door hit you on the way. Compensated for his political style management its the same joke as Mr. Kenny at this stage and we are paying dearly for these Muppets!
Let him stay in charge for the Faroes game and then resign/sack. No point going up to Faroe Islands manager less
Cant spell fail without FAI. That should be their motto.
It was always going to be difficult ! But we played a significant part in our own downfall!!
John that’s what he’s paid to do!!!!!
DIRE! Totally! Tonight, saw 70 percent of our future youth, and that in a sense is what between now and then is what we have to look forward to. Simple, Trap has a lot to answer for, a small example, O’Dea plays for Toronto FC at cost for 3 goals tonight started ahead of Clarke, a proven Premier League player! Enuff said! Silly, he is his own worst enemy, Trap, is he actaually lookin to be sacked, seriously???
This backlash has been coming the last 6 months! No Sympathy! New manager badly needed, play 11 young fellas, and if we are hammered 6-1, so be it! I am ashamed tonight! totally !
1000% you said it! San Marino played away today and lost by 5 – we were lucky it wasnt 10!
Delaney head should be shaved and then sack him ,idiot
Delaney’s shoes for manager. If they can be found.
and still they complain about trap not going to watch third rate players at second rate teams. our second team has been shown to be as merde as trap knew all along. the only reason that half of the players were playing was that the first team and a limited one at that was decimated by injuries. I mean john o Shea as captain of our national team. don’t blame trap blame bad players.
It’s true. GAA filters the money down through the ranks. They have dedicated trainers go into schools and give kids basic GAA skills then these kids end up joining the local teams! More needs to be done by the FAI. A certain TD who I won’t name had the right Idea in Wexford and set up a system that produced a couple of players. No decent player will declare for Ireland with Trap in charge! Time for him to go!
the only belief that Trapp has instilled in the team is that they are inferior to other teams and they play that way. Trapps strength is supposedly getting the team organised defensively but he has failed in that respect. Time for a change.
trap still plays the old Italian mentality football favoritism, the days when Italy only pick players from the 3 top teams, remember Italian football with barasi and maldini etc, they played till 40+ with that mentally its no good for the young players they will never get blooded,we will only end up missing out on a generation of football under him and only when he is forced he might play outside his comfort zone don’t get me wrong i am all for a blend of youth and experience but he has a real childish streak in him along with the aforementioned. ps get rid of that overpaid idiot Delaney!!! really nobody wants him and he has no right to be in the position he is in, who votes this dope to lead the face of irish football and what idiot decides his wage?? almost twice the wage of the other Muppet the rules the country!!!! i know rant rant!!!!!! did we once send a turkey to the euros!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY!! Get rid rid of the time-wasters the country and the fans deserves more.. p.s. i was in Poland!!
I don’t follow soccer at all, but how is it the manager’s fault we have crap players? He seems to be getting most of the blame!
Read my main comment sean and it should explain for you
If you don’t follow football then you can have no relevant opinion on the matter.
“unusual lack of spirit”. Last time we showed spirit was in Stade Francais. Players still feeling sorry for themselves over that, they’ve had a shiite attitude since. performance in the Russia 3-0 was as bad, scoreline hit it unlike tonight. Trap crap, players crap, Germany good, Kazakhstan not bad!
To be fair, I think there’s been plenty of examples since then Brendan – the 0-0 game away against Russia, for example. Granted, it’s seldom been complemented by any real talent or creativity.
Is this still regarded as a competitive sport?! Is this still a sport?!
Sack the team. Get new team purely from league of Ireland players. Then we’ll have a team who are proud to play for their country, who won’t have phantom injuries, and who would give every game their best effort. Then,
when we lose in future, we’d at least be proud of a strong effort.
I agree any of those lads playing in the League of Ireland would give their right arms to pull on the Irish shirt. They would give 100% to the game and the country !
Yea and then we’d also have lost at least 10-0. That would have been better though coz they were tryin hard? What a stupid comment. There are no LOI players ever in the squad for a reason.
Barry the reason is lack of investment in LOI. How come once a player moves to England from a LOI club he is suddenly good enough to play internationally? Schoolboy teams here try to push their top players to England if they are good enough, why, because the club will get compensation. If the money was invested here in LOI the best players could stay here, help to improve the level of our own national league and this would help to improve the national team. We need a strong domestic league to have a top national team because this will encourage young players to continue playing football over GAA, not knocking GAA but we all know promising players who choose GAA over football because they can’t see a future in football.
Simply has to go… Putting players in the squad that didnt even have a team and leaving premier league players at home… Showing too much disrespect to Ireland ONLY HOPE (the future)
Shut your Trap! Nothing could justify tonights result! time to go
Sure Murinio will be writing his resignation letter from Madrid job!
The Sorry thing about tonight is that believe it or not Trap is one of the safest managers jobs in the world!!! no matter how long he wants his job it is there for as long as the man wants it!! Delaney made a mistake but for no money in the world will he ever admit it!!
Delaney – Who can fire this man (Is he bullet proof) how can incompetence persist!! can we get the the Muppet Enda do a YOUR FIRED ON HIM!!!
Trap has no respect for our country, our team, or what it means to be an Irish fan. For months and months the vast majority off FANS have been calling for his end at the helm of the Irish team. John Delaney is using the manager to hide behind the FAI’s awful performance. The fans who have spent their hard hard hard earned cash to support their team deserve better. Here’s why.
1. Our manager was successful in the past but dosent adapt and can’t come to a realization about how the game has changed.
2. He is looking for a retirement fund and couldn’t care less about the future of Irish soccer when his contract is up. This was PROVED in Euro 2012 when he had the chance to give the young players, the future or our team, a run out but tried to save face with his tried and trusted to eventually get embarrassed by Italy. There was no better opportunity to get our future some top class international experience.
3. The players are there but our managers laziness, ignorance and cockiness in failing to go and watch them at club level has been an insult to our national pride as supporters. How many times did Gio fly to Toronto to see how terrible a defender O’Dea is?
4. The FAI have plenty of money, invest in a CURRENT world class manager. E.G: Harry Redknapp. Trapattoni was one of the least ever successful Italian managers but Delaney and Co got starstruck when his name came into the picture despite his horrible international record. We always try not to be smaller then the English at anything but there is NO WAY that they would hire a manager who was seen to be guiding a FC Salzburg through the Austrian mid table .
5. The man can’t adjust. He plays all he knows which is a defensive game. All of our young promising players are attack minded with the exception if Mabey Clarke and Coleman ( why Clarke didn’t play tonight is beyond me) yet this tool hasn’t got the respect or work ethic to play to our current strengths. It may not be as strong as others but its where we are at our best. Let the young fellas do what they do best , sure they will still get beaten but at least their experience will be a trying one to set us up for the future and not an experience that will make them dread international football.
I could go on and on but il get myself too worked up. Our management and possibly our whole association needs a Major change. Sort it out because if this is all that we have to show the English TWICE next year then I hope that they wreck the stadium again before the game can finish.
I cannot understand how 90% of the comments want him out yet 50% of the poll want him to stay? Can no one make a decent argument why he should stay, or is it simply a case of silent majority?
Trap out
A complete disgrace. 6-1 at home is embarresing regardless of who you are playing. Paul Green, Keogh, O’Dea axe em from the squad. Why Ciaran Clark, James McClean didn’t kick a ball last night is a mystery really. You have O’Dea playing while you have a young talent on the bench that starts all the time in the Premiership. Not rocket science
Unfortunate to say but yes it’s time for him to go. He has brought us as far as he can now we are just going backwards quickly. Should have moved on after Euros as he would have kept his respect and dignity. He will be hounded out by a media that are fit enough to lace his shoes. FAI need to show some leadership sack him now and lets move on thanks for the memories Trap u were well paid for it
Anyone and i do mean anyone who still supports trap as ireland boss is a complete tool,who neither knows football or loves football!
It’s now obvious that the players used to buy into Traps way of thinking but now they certainly don’t. Players are being asked to defy the nature of their play and as a result are nervous and uncomfortable. No willingness in the management to try and be different. I think it’s time for Mick Mc Carthy to be given another shot.
Do the 55% who don’t him to go have anything constructive to say ? The vast majority of comments here are by far in favour of him going and at least giving passionate , footballing reasons and suggestions about why they think he should go. ??
I think its either Trap voting or trolls who dont care.
I feel so sorry for John Delaney tonight. All that man has done for soccer and this country and Trapp badly let’s him down. Shockin
What in the name of great odin’s raven has he done besides pat himself on the back with his wages, make a laughing stock of us by hiring trap and Staunton, kill the league of Ireland and get a few rounds in for the sycophants that seem to rally to his side?
Westwood
Coleman/Bruce Duffy/Dunne Clark/o’Shea/St Ledger Wison
Scannell/Treacy/McGeady Gibson/Corry McCarthy/Meyler Hoolahan/McClean/Hunt/Pilkington
(Never Green, Ward, ODea again
Bruce??!!
I reckon wait until after the Faroe Islands match and then sack him even if we win. That way our qualification hopes are kept alive and we have until March to find a new man and rebuild. Try and convince Denis O Brien to pay him and Tardelli off in installments over the next two years.
Problem is, the new guy will be on an awful lot less money, which would rule out any world proven managers from abroad. I’d say it would come down to either Roy Keane or Mick McCarthy.
The safe bet would be Mick as he’s proven himself as an international manager despite his poor club record.
Manuela to be Micks assistant.
Seriously folks?….. He should have been fired ages ago as he had managed to make a reasonably average bunch of players into a less than average team! Qualification to the Euros was only due to the best luck we’ve ever had. I challenge anyone to name more than 2 games where we’ve truly played well with him in charge. ( Estonia doesn’t count as they had decided to lay down and die regardless of their opponents in the play off) ggrrrrrrrrrrrr
trap reminds me of sensini in father ted
There’s only so much you can do with them shitlads.
Ye people are quick to forget! He got us to the euro’s remember? Nearly got us to a World Cup with an average side. There is no need to get personal,insulting the man. He should have left after the euros I agree,but I’d like to see Mr Lowe manage a side of players from the lower leagues of England,against a team champions league all stars ffs. I was there last night and it was a horrible to watch from our perspective…but,I saw the 2nd best team on the planet do what they do
Point well made I was there too shambolic
You can’t polish a turd
Trap got us to the Euros but his been found out. Playin players who play regularly for Premiership teams is a must. O’Dea is btm of the mls wit Toronto says enough about his quality as a player. Cox isn’t a winger. Stephen ward a liability
The survey does not stack up! Most of the comments are in favor of trap to go yet the vote is for him to stay!
I would have been a Trap defender but the team is broken and Trap cannot fix it. The performance was gutless and without heart. Though the players might have once believed in him, his relationship with them has never been good and he has alienated too many (does anybody believe That McClean is actually injured).
Trap should go, how can he justify not going to matches in the uk to watch players..ridiculous if you ask me.. Oh hang on.. I won’t go to work today, I will send my wife instead..
When the manager says ‘ it could have been more, if I didn’t play 3 in midfield’ after a 6-1 home humiliation. There is a man who knows he has the F.A.I behind him 55% of the poll above.
On a positive note, I have nearly 4 years to save for Rio now and the Olympics.
I think Liam brady or give mick another shot .
i believe we can go and dominate the faroes over there and give our qualification chances a timely boost
trapps the man to lead us to the world cup,you’d thought we’d settle for that,keep a cool head,
Nicholas behan is talking sense,this is a possibility and i truly hope you are correct nick.
There are about 49 players currently registered with English Premiership clubs. Most have not had a chance of getting into the Irish squad. Instead we play players from the Championship or worse players with no club. I’m not saying that all players in the Premiership are necessarily better than players in the Championship but surely when the squad is so bereft of talent they deserve a chance to show what they can do. These players play at nearly every club in the Premiership, most of their managers and coaches demand that thy play football, not lump the ball forward and hope for the best, therefore I would assume that most if not all are have some football ability. The very fact that Trap hasn’t gone to see these players on a regular basis shows gross negligence and/or incompetence and/of arrogance any one of which would be grounds for dismissal in any normal job. Sack him. No payoff. Do it now.
“Is it time”…… Hello? Like, yesterday!
Here’s another reason Trappattoni should go:
Following the 6-1 drubbing on Friday night the German Coach, Joachim Löw, said “As far as the Sweden game is concerned, I expect they will be working altogether unlike the Irish team tonight, with different combinations of play, not just long balls,” He continued “… Right from the word go, it was palpable that there was a German presence on that pitch with good organisation as we prepared ourselves for the long ball game which Ireland was going to be playing.”
Trappattoni’s rigid adherence to an archaic, outmoded long ball philosophy, long abandoned by most countries in the world, belies the actual footballing ability which many current Irish players do possess. Of course only a few of them were actually on the pitch on Friday night, and they had clear instructions to avoid such ability under pain of squad banishment. Others with the requisite skills were left to develop pressure-sores on the bench whlle even more gifted footballers were injured or criminally omitted from the squad. Their presence, even if Trappattoni wasn’t bankrupt of plans and/or tactics, may not have altered the result but would most definitley have avoided the trouncing received at the feet of the Germans. Trappattoni says we are not competing with Germany (that was painfully obvious on Friday night), rather our focus is exclusively on Sweden and Austria. Okay so most of us know Germany are likely to top the group but we should have harboured at least a glimmer of hope of a point out of six from them. Things will get worse with defeats to Sweden and Austria a strong liklihood and I would not put my mortgage on six points from The Faroes either – not so long as he is in charge. We might achieve the double over Kazhakstan but that is likely to come down to poor traveling on behalf of the Kazhaks rather than anything a Trappattoni uninspired Ireland might provide against them.