IRELAND MANAGER GIOVANNI Trapattoni has admitted he faces some difficult decisions ahead of his Euro 2012 squad selection.
Speaking at an inspection tour of the facilities in Montecatini, Italy, where the team will congregate prior to the tournament, the Italian manager told reporters:
“The squad is very important to me and they deserve to come with us, they helped us achieve qualification. But I have to decide which players deserve to come with us.
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“We are watching games all the time. [Assistant manager] Marco [Tardelli] will be at Sunderland v Wolves at the weekend.”
In relation to squad hopeful Wes Hoolahan, he added:
“I have spoken to Marco about him, he has been fantastic. We have already James McCarthy and McClean. This is not the campaign for too many young players, but Hoolahan is not young, he is [nearly] 30.
“We think about him. He played well in the last game I saw. He played in a specialist position behind the strikers.
“I have thought about him and we will consider this option. We have a system and maybe it’s too late to change that system.
“I don’t forget Hoolahan and maybe he will be there for the next campaign for the World Cup.”
Trapattoni also added that he was “optimistic” about injured central defender Richard Dunne’s prospects of being fit before the start of the tournament.
Decision time: Trap admits to selection headaches
IRELAND MANAGER GIOVANNI Trapattoni has admitted he faces some difficult decisions ahead of his Euro 2012 squad selection.
Speaking at an inspection tour of the facilities in Montecatini, Italy, where the team will congregate prior to the tournament, the Italian manager told reporters:
“The squad is very important to me and they deserve to come with us, they helped us achieve qualification. But I have to decide which players deserve to come with us.
“We are watching games all the time. [Assistant manager] Marco [Tardelli] will be at Sunderland v Wolves at the weekend.”
In relation to squad hopeful Wes Hoolahan, he added:
“I have spoken to Marco about him, he has been fantastic. We have already James McCarthy and McClean. This is not the campaign for too many young players, but Hoolahan is not young, he is [nearly] 30.
Trapattoni also added that he was “optimistic” about injured central defender Richard Dunne’s prospects of being fit before the start of the tournament.
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food for thought Giovanni Trapattoni Ireland Italy Montecatini Richard Dunne Wes Hoolahan