posted Nov 11, 2008

Whilst some of Trap's decisions have boggled the mind I think it's a bit early for people to be going overboard with regard to Reid, O'Brien etc. We wanted a world class manager, now we have one so, let him manage, let him pick the team after all, is that not what he is paid to do? I'm like a lot of people on here, I see Long being picked when I think Noel Hunt deserves his chance, why didn't he give young McCarthy a run-out against the Poles? But that's just my thoughts, he's the manager, he picks the team that he thinks will suit his plans and nobody can change that. Liam Brady is there to advise and consult but at the end of the day it's Trap's shout and he can't pick everybody so, Reid and O'Brien will just have to work their way back into his squads, not a bad thing if you think about it.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

How exactly do they "work their way back into his squads"? On Premier League performance, they're good enough to get onto the team ahead of at least 4 of the selected midfielders. It's a really vindictive decision, and I agree with BrightEyedBoy, if they don't make the playoffs, Trapp will be a failure, and if they get beaten in the playoff, the questions will remain about his attitude.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Our chances of qualifying for the Euro ch. were ruined, when our trainer Stan put Darren Gibson (no experience, first cap, away, and leading 0-1 )on against Slovakia and left Reid sitting on the bank... we only drew and lost our last real chance! Someone should mention to Trapp in Italian, that he's repeating the last sacked trainers errors!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Agree with IRISHED, we wanted a good manager, well we got one. He comes with fantastic C.V. and as stated above, he cannot pick everyone. We have collected 2 wins & a draw so far so he should be backed 100% by the fans. I would love to see Andy Reid in midfield, no one in a green jersey can split a defence like him, but I will not start to complain until qualifers are over. Give the man a chance.

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posted Nov 12, 2008

When is it OK to criticise him, or should we just bow to him at every juncture? People would criticise Stan for this sort of decision - what's so different about doing it to Trapp?

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posted Nov 12, 2008

What's so different about doing it to Trapp?

Seriously? Staunton regularly picked bizarre teams and squads. He had no clue what he was doing, was a mess in interviews and had no experience or credibility to back him up. Most crucially, we got really poor results under Staunton and never looked like there was a vision behind the team.

Trapattoni on the other hand has won 10 major league titles, all the major european competitions and has bags loads of experience at all levels of the game. His squad and team selections have been consistent and he has a clear vision of how he wants the team to perform. Also, crucially, his results have been very good so far. Bear in mind too that this is the worst squad of players any Irish manager has had to choose from since before 1982.

The guy is a legend of the game and by a distance the best manager the Irish football team has ever had.

So hopefully that answers your question irishAddick as to why critising trapattoni is different to criticising Stan!
That's not to say the man is above criticism, but he at least deserves some respect. If he says the Irish team will get better results without Reid in the squad than with him there, then I'd trust his analysis above anybody else current making comments about it in the media.

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posted Nov 13, 2008

Thing is, being a club manager is very different to being an international manager. As a club manager, you can sell off Andy Reid and buy in another player who'll be exactly as good and won't have an "attitude" or will do the exact job Trapp wants him to do. As an international manager, you have to work with the cards you're given and pick the best available squad and craft a strategy around that. On current form, that means Reid and O'Brien and Noel Hunt, and doing everything you can to get another player back. Trapp's not doing that.

His record as an international manager with Italy is not at all impressive (they limped out of the World Cup - controversy or no controversy, they should never have been in that position - and were even worse in the European Championships - Denmark and Sweden were no slouches, but a top class manager at Italy should be able to beat at least one of them, no?). Best of all, he seems to blame everyone around him for things that go wrong, suggesting a conspiracy in both of the major tournaments to knock Italy out. Presumably, when Ireland start to lose he'll blame Dunphy et al for their attacks on 'team morale'.

"Bear in mind too that this is the worst squad of players any Irish manager has had to choose from since before 1982."

This line would suggest that you don't believe that there is ever a time to criticise Trapp, because sure we beat Georgia away, and what else would ya want now after that. Sure aren't the team brutal anyway? We should all be ounting are blessings, right?

I don't have it in for Trapp at all. I just hate the idea that because he has a record that everything he touches turns to gold. If he makes bad decisions (to me, as I said before, this particular one is muppetry of the highest order), then he should be criticised. If he gets great results, he should be praised. I'm not hugely convinced about the results so far. Montenegro were looking for a beating. Georgia weren't even playing at home, and if 1-0 against Cyprus is a great result, then I suppose I give up.

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posted Nov 16, 2008

Reid is overweight, he dosent look like a top class footballer. Watching him he does tire after about 60 mins and will fade badly out of games, what is the point of picking a player from the offset is not naturally fit enough.
I can see were trap is comming from

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posted Nov 19, 2008

Reid is fit and is a top class player. Even last year when he was, by his own admission, unfit, He came into the sunderland team and added the quality required at premiership level and made a massive difference to sunderland surviving in their first season back. As for this rubbish about being miserable, Reidy (and his guitar) is legendary for morale at club level. Sort it out or get out Trappatoni, ya talking rubbish!

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posted Feb 9, 2009

i think andy reid is the difference between r. of ireland's critisized 'boring' football and the not so often 'exciting' football. The man is the complete creator of chances and is a key in ireland's qualification hopes. Just look at his recent performances for Sunderland in the greatest league in the world. His performance at the weekend was surely good enough to deserve a recall? Questions on his fitness should be answered through a substitution, if he isnt fit enough to go a full game then take him off whens hes done, he surely good enough to fill the void in midfield left by Stevey Reid. The man deserves his place in midfield over Gibson and Whelan and Trap should award him with that. Im not critizing Trap as im a huge admirer of the man and i think hes changed our play at the min but he really does need to sort out Andy Reids position before we lose him altogether. Would also love to see Stephen Ireland, Finnan, Joe OBrien back in that team.

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