GIOVANNI Trapattoni has walked into his first crisis as Irish manager after several newspapers slammed him for allowing Robbie Keane to skip the week-long training camp in Portugal in order to prepare for his June wedding.
Keane is believed to have asked Trapattoni for the week off as he needs to put the finishing touches to his wedding plans, which are reported by some papers to include a stag party in Las Vegas.
The Ireland captain will then link up with the squad for the game against Serbia at Croke Park on Saturday, May 24, and the match against Colombia in London the following Thursday.
“Robbie Keane rang me last week and asked if he could miss the training camp as he is tired after a long season and also because he is getting married soon,” explained Trapattoni.
“I understand this. He has played over 60 games for Tottenham and he looks tired. It is better for him to have a week off and come back fit and fresh to play against Serbia.”
The absence of Keane and injured stars Shay Given, Joey O’Brien, Steven Reid, Darron Gibson, Lee Carsley, Kevin Kilbane and Richard Dunne from the training camp, as well as Celtic’s Darren O’Dea and Aiden McGeady and Manchester United’s John O’Shea due to club commitments, means Trapattoni will take a weak squad to the Algarve.
There’s also no place for Stephen Ireland, Steve Finnan or Andy O’Brien, who have yet to commit to an international return despite meeting Trapattoni in Manchester last week. Cardiff City’s Stephen McPhail will join up with the squad after the FA Cup final against Portsmouth on Saturday.
There are seven uncapped players included in the first Trapattoni squad, namely O’Dea, Scannell, Damien Delaney, Kevin Foley, Owen Garvan, Wesley Hoolahan and Glenn Whelan, while veteran goalkeeper Dean Kiely is back after a five year absence.
“I am taking 20 players to Portugal and many of them will be young — that is good. I know the famous players and I want to know the young players. I will use Portugal to see how they train and how they play,” said Trapattoni.
“I will learn a lot about them over the next two weeks. Any player who is not in this squad is still in my thoughts. Some players who were not in the preliminary squad are in this squad because they have impressed and are playing in positions where we had vacancies.
“We will continue to monitor every Irish player from the start of next season and if they impress, they will be brought into the squad. The next two weeks are important. It is my first opportunity to work with the players and I am looking forward to it.
“We will have two training games in Portugal and the games against Serbia and Colombia so I will get to see all the players playing.”
The situation regarding Manchester City midfielder Ireland dominated Tuesday’s press conference again, with Trapattoni confident that Ireland, O’Brien and Finnan, currently injured, will all return in the autumn.
“As you know, I spoke to Steve Finnan, Stephen Ireland and Andy O’Brien last week in Manchester and asked them to return to international football,” the new manager said.
“I left the door open for them to return and it is now up to them to decide what to do. But I am optimistic.
“The moment I left Stephen Ireland I told him, I will wait for you and he said to me, okay. I understood Stephen. I understand he is young. I have children, I have a son and I understand him.
“I am confident, I trust he will come back. I spoke with him and normally when I speak with a player, I look the player in the eyes. The eyes never lie. I have trust he will come back.”
The Football Association of Ireland have confirmed that Ireland’s game against Serbia will kick-off at 7:45 on the 24th to facilitate fans who want to watch Munster’s Heineken Cup final appearance before making their way to Croke Park.
Trapattoni’s team has climbed one place in the official rankings list published by FIFA – despite being inactive since the last list was published in April.
The Republic of Ireland squad is:
Goalkeepers: Colin Doyle, Dean Kiely, Joe Murphy.
Defenders: Alex Bruce, Damien Delaney, Richard Dunne, Kevin Foley, Stephen Kelly, Paul McShane, Darren O’Dea, John O’Shea.
Midfielders: Damien Duff, Owen Garvan, Darron Gibson, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Hunt, Aiden McGeady, Stephen McPhail, Liam Miller, Darren Potter, Andy Reid, Martin Rowlands, Sean Scannell, Glenn Whelan.
Forwards: Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane, Andy Keogh, Shane Long, Daryl Murphy.
Celtic Close
CELTIC and Ireland star Aiden McGeady has pledged to beat the yobs and fulfill his potential at Parkhead despite a recent attack by drunken Rangers fans outside a Glasgow nightclub.
Newcastle and Sunderland are just two of the English clubs linked with the talented winger, but McGeady is adamant he will not be driven out of the Scottish game.
“It’s just something that happens in Glasgow where everybody you meet is a Celtic or Rangers fan. A lot of the time it’s people who don’t know anything about football and just want to have a go at you to try to get a reaction,” said McGeady.
“It’s the same for a lot of footballers in Glasgow, although I don’t think any one of them had it worse than Neil Lennon and he dealt with it pretty well.
“You have to develop a thick skin, but it’s not a big deal most of the time. People are either going to shake your hand or give you abuse but they won’t drive me out, not at all.
“Some of the Celtic players live in Edinburgh and can walk down the street there without getting any hassle. But Glasgow is totally different. Still, I wouldn’t say that it would drive me away from Celtic.”
Gordon Strachan’s team ensured the Scottish title race will go all the way to the final day thanks to Sunday’s 2-0 win over Hibs when Steve McManus and Scott McDonald scored the goals that keep the pressure on Rangers.
“It was a good game and a fitting finish to the season at Parkhead,” said Strachan afterwards. “It was end to end and, at one point, it was like basketball. So I think everyone got their money’s worth although obviously we are more satisfied than Hibs.
“But, trust me, it’s all about the result. I’ve heard some rubbish since I’ve come here about people wanting to see stylish football and all the rest of it, but everybody wants to watch winning football. We will try and perform at the same time as you’ve seen against Hibs but trust me, if we had performed like that and got beaten, there would have been all hell to pay.
“We have 11 days to wait before our last game but we just get on with it. I’m just happy that the players have put themselves in a position where the last day is important.”
Soccer Shorts
IRISH fans traveling to Moscow for next week’s Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea have been assured by the Russian Embassy in Dublin that a match ticket and a valid passport will allow them to enter the country with the normal visa requirements . . .
FORMER Aston Villa trainee Stephen Foley is a target for several eircom League clubs after his release by Bournemouth while Shane McFaul could also move home after he was let go by Brighton . . .
BRAY Wanderers striker Patrick Kavanagh has landed the eircom/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month award for April . . .
STEPHEN Carr’s Newcastle career is over after manager Kevin Keegan decided not to offer him a new contract after four years at the club . . .
WATERFORD United have appealed to local businesses to help the club overcome a new financial crisis that threatens their future . . .
GARY Breen has been released by Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, who has also transfer listed Darren Potter and Stephen Elliott . . .
FORMER under-21 international Paul Tierney is among 11 players released by Coca-Cola Championship side Blackpool . . .
SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane has told former international teammate Ian Harte that he has no future at the club . . .
CRYSTAL Palace and Nottingham Forest have been linked with Colchester’s Irish midfielder Mark Yeates . . .
GILLINGHAM have released Irish striker Barry Cogan but want to keep Gary Mulligan at the club . . .
FORMER Irish midfielder Thomas Butler has signed a new contract with Swansea City . . .
IRISH winger JJ Melligan has been transfer listed by League One side Leyton Orient . . .
BURNLEY have offered Irish midfielder James O’Connor a new con-tract . . .
FINN Harps have turned the sod on their new ground at Stranorlar.
Sports Shorts
GOLF: Padraig Harrington will play alongside Graeme McDowell for the first two rounds of the Irish Open which gets underway at Adare Manor on Thursday, while Darren Clarke will partner Paul McGinley. Thomas Bjorn, winner of the Irish Open two years ago, is out of the tournament with a back injury but Lee Westwood has been confirmed as a late entrant . . .
BOXING: Bernard Dunne will return to the ring at the next Hunky Dory’s Fight Night which takes place at the National Stadium in Dublin on July 12, when he will joined by fellow Irish stars Matthew Macklin, Andrew Murray, Oisin Fagan, Darren Corbett, Ian Tims and Keith Cresham . . .
BOXING: The Irish boxing squad will complete their Olympic preparations at a special camp in Vladivostok, Russia, in late July.
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