THE STRAGGLERS HAD hardly left the Friends Arena on Friday when Giovanni Trapattoni once again began to face questions about his future.
Tonight, four days after his players provided the best arguments in recent memory for continuing his reign as manager, Ireland have to do it all over again.
That’s life for Trapattoni. That’s life in Group C where, nestled behind runaway leaders Germany, only a single point separates Sweden, Ireland and this evening’s opponents Austria in the race for that all-important second spot.
Before the trip to Stockholm last week, four points was set as the target from the two games. The job is half done; a draw tonight would probably guarantee Trapattoni’s position until the end of the campaign but in reality, this is a game they desperately need to win.
That partly explained the surprise yesterday when Trap confirmed that he is throwing Conor Sammon in at the deep end for his first competitive start. Ireland didn’t have a single shot on target against Sweden and, with Robbie Keane and his 54 international goals ruled out through injury, the creative spark of Wes Hoolahan or Robbie Brady might have helped to unpick a lock or two.
Sammon has only scored once in his last 13 games for Derby County while Shane Long, his strike partner tonight, is only marginally better with two in his last 14 for West Brom. Challenged by the numbers, Trapattoni backed his front men and explained that the role they are asked to do with their clubs is often a difficult one and one which doesn’t necessarily lead to goals. Only the Messis and Maradonas of this world are truly capable of going it alone up front.
The decision to go with Sammon and Long, it seems, has been shaped by respect and caution for what the Austrians might bring to the party themselves. Marcel Koller’s men landed in Dublin on the back of the 6-0 thumping they dished out to the Faroe Islands. There’s no Peter Stoger or Toni Polster this time — or Harry Ramsden, one presumes — but they will have every confidence that they can repeat their 1995 successes.
“We are at home but we don’t know what Austria will do,” Trapattoni said at yesterday’s pre-match press conference.
We have to think about if they are coming and pressing, or if they stay and wait for us.You have to choose this situation. Will they wait for us and come in counter-attack, or will they come and pressure? Give us space or will we need to find the space?
With Long and Sammon up front, he explained, Ireland can adapt to both eventualities.
Trapattoni’s respect, no doubt, is conditioned by the fact that he knows many of tonight’s visitors and has seen their talents first-hand. Veteran striker Marc Janko and midfielder Christoph Leitgeb both played under him at Red Bull Salzburg as did Andreas Ivanschitz, briefly.
He knows those coming through as well. Bayern Munich’s David Alaba and Austria Vienna striker Philipp Hosiner — top scorer in the Bundesliga with 27 goals in 26 games — need no introduction.
“I said to the players this morning we must spend every little bit of energy,” Trapattoni said, “because only with this attitude and commitment we can put our opponent in difficulty, because Austria is a good technical team.”
If that is the intensity of effort that will be required to stifle and shut Austria out, Trapattoni clearly felt that it would not play to Hoolahan’s strengths.
The Norwich City playmaker is at his most dangerous in the attacking third but “if Hoolahan needs to work for 100 metres, you spend energy and you don’t always have Hoolahan in this position.”
Much like in Stockholm where he introduced Hoolahan, Sammon and Andy Keogh in an attempt to snatch all three points late on, timing tonight’s substitutions will be key, he said.
But until then, it’s a safe bet that James McCarthy will try to pick up where he left off in Friday’s Man of the Match performance, directing Ireland’s best ventures.
The Wigan midfielder was only added to the starting line-up when Glenn Whelan was forced out with an ankle injury. Whelan returns tonight but the strength of McCarthy’s performance means it is Paul Green who is benched instead, though even his harshest critics might struggle to find fault with his contribution against the Swedes.
Friday was only a glimpse of what McCarthy has to offer, Trapattoni said.
James has good quality. I told him I’ll punch you if you don’t stop being shy, because he has quality.He has these qualities already. He only needs to improve his confidence.
The only doubt is over the fitness of Marc Wilson, who was named in the starting XI yesterday despite suffering from a slight groin strain. Wilson is due to be assessed again this morning and, if he is not ready, Stephen Kelly will step in to take his place.
The Reading defender is back in the squad having papered over the cracks of his very public spat with the manager last month, as is Kevin Doyle who put last week’s text snub behind him and re-joined the squad yesterday as a replacement for the injured Keane.
Doyle already played one “get out of jail” card in Kazakhstan and, given the chance, might well do so again. Tonight’s is a game which Ireland need to win and which Trapattoni simply cannot afford to lose.
Ireland: David Forde, Seamus Coleman, John O’Shea, Ciaran Clark, Marc Wilson, Jon Walters, James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan, James McClean, Conor Sammon, Shane Long.
Austria: TBC
