IRELAND MANAGER GIOVANNI Trapattoni was pleased with a workmanlike Irish performance that earned three more points on the road to Brazil.
Robbie Keane hit a hat-trick to see the Boys in Green overpower the minnows of the Faroe Islands 3-0 at the Aviva Stadium tonight. The home side made hard work of it at times howewer, though the Italian insisted afterwards he was happy with the performance.
“Yes, I think I say congratulations to the players because we score these goals but in the first half we played well,” Trap told RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue. “We had three or four opportunities and we continue and achieve confidence and trust and I think we deserved to win. It was important to have these opportunities. But in the first half we had the sun in the eyes. I said to the players they lose the moment they pass the ball.”
Asked if Wes Hoolahan would start the Sweden game after an impressive display in midfield, Trapattoni refused to commit.
“In this moment he played well. I already said he’s a great player but in the past we had a squad of players and we achieved qualification for the Euros. Hoolahan, McCarthy, Whelan. Whelan is an important balance for one or the other. Experience is important also,” he said.
We’ll have full reaction from the player mixed zone and press conference in the morning.
