Has Trap gone Senile?

The Volt

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0517/ireland.html

Giovanni Trapattoni has made Paul McShane captain of the Republic of Ireland team to play their under-23 counterparts in Malahide on Tuesday.

McShane will play at right full back with Eddie Nolan or Greg Cunningham occupying the other flank.

Everton's Shane Duffy, currently at the centre of an eligibility row having played played underage matches for Northern Ireland, is included at centre half alongside Celtic's Darren O'Dea.

Liam Lawrence will play on the right side of midfield along with newcomers Paul Green and Keith Fahey, with Shane Long selected in an unfamiliar role on the left.

Leon Best and Cillian Sheridan form an experimental strikeforce against an Airtricity League under-23 selection managed by former Cork City and Drogheda United boss Paul Doolin.

The match will be played behind closed doors.

Trapattoni's original squad has been depleted by the loss of David Meyler, Darron Gibson, Stephen Ward and Caleb Folan through injury, while Keith Treacy has returned to Preston after having his hernia problem assessed.

Portsmouth's Marc Wilson and James McCarthy of Wigan are yet to meet up as they nurse knocks, and Manchester City full-back Greg Cunningham has been added to the squad which trained for the first time on Sunday night.

Many of the bigger names - Richard Dunne, Stephen Kelly, Kevin Kilbane, Sean St Ledger, Aiden McGeady, Damien Duff, Glenn Whelan, Keith Andrews, Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane - will join up next Sunday.

He's losing the plot :eek::eek::eek:

Daysha

Non-story really. It's a training game behind closed doors so it doesn't even count as an international cap.

Anyway he's far and away the most experienced player on that starting XI....even if he is fcuking useless!

Rekop dog

Yeah most CAPS out of everyone there by far. Simple decision.

Kiwi_knock

Have they announced who is playing in goal. It is only an experimental side, the captaincy really means nothing in this game. Mc Shane is the most experienced so he gets it, simple as that.

SantryRed

Trappatoni has just said now that he only looks at players in the LOI after they've moved to England, even to the Championship. Ridiculous attitude.

The Volt

It shows that McShane is very much in his plans though doesn't it? Some role model for the likes of Duffy coming in.

Reganio 2

Voltwad wrote: »

It shows that McShane is very much in his plans though doesn't it? Some role model for the likes of Duffy coming in.

Yeah it is. If I was Duffy and McShane was captain I would be thinking that I could become the new Pele.

Kiwi_knock

Get Gary Doherty back in that team, Mc Shane and the Giner Pele would put the fear of God into any opponent.

tim_holsters

Once upon a time I actually thought McShane was going to be a top top player. Seems remarkable now.

ocokev

Mcshane will put his head where others wouldnt put their foot a final swan song for the unpredictable one.

LeeroyJones

this is a training match, I'm shcoked to see how much media attention it's got.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Hopefully Duffy and O'Dea do enough to get McShane down the pecking order

Lukker-

SantryRed wrote: »

Trappatoni has just said now that he only looks at players in the LOI after they've moved to England, even to the Championship. Ridiculous attitude.

Sounds reasonable to me, gotta have ambition to play for your country.

Stevecw

Ah yeah I know its a thrown together team, but still bad to see McShane as an Ireland captain!! Geeze, that is bad but i suppose apart from him there is only Lawrence as another regular senior player.
Fancy the Airtricity crew to beat that Irish team!

Johner

What's even more shocking is how McShane is anywhere near the Irish setup.

Seaneh

He has captained teams before at underage level, he was the obvious choice.

abouttobebanned

I personally think the abuse he gets on this forum is unfair. Pot shots at a player giving all for his country, yet there are people who bow at the altar of Roy "Traitor" Keane, and Stephen "Liar" Ireland.

Liam O

abouttobebanned wrote: »

I personally think the abuse he gets on this forum is unfair. Pot shots at a player giving all for his country, yet there are people who bow at the altar of Roy "Traitor" Keane, and Stephen "Liar" Ireland.

LOL

abouttobebanned

Nothing funny there Liam. I said I think the abuse that Mcshane gets is unfair. Did I say that I think people abusing footballers, or anything generic like that, is unfair?

Trying to be a smart ass fail.

JerryHandbag

ocokev wrote: »

Mcshane will put his head where others wouldnt put their foot

...hence why he was once hospitalized for trying to kick start his motorbike* :pac:

*not true

CSF

Lukker- wrote: »

Sounds reasonable to me, gotta have ambition to play for your country.

Oh go away ffs.

Kiwi_knock

If I was Ireland manager I would not pick LOI players as I would not think they would be suited to the challenges of international football. Exactly the same way I would treat players in League 1. Unless your playing in the Championship, Premiership or Scottish League you should not be playing for Ireland

noodler

I will defend someone like Kilbane to the hills but I honestly think the national team should cut its losses with McShane.

The errors I can directly link to him already in his short career are staggering. It all culminated with his schoolboy mistake in Paris.

I honestly can not see what a premiership club sees in him. If he gets another move to the prem I will be absolutely shocked.

parker kent

SantryRed wrote: »

Trappatoni has just said now that he only looks at players in the LOI after they've moved to England, even to the Championship. Ridiculous attitude.

The Championship is a far higher level than the LoI. The Championship has players this season that are in the Argentinian world cup squad. It is a different level altogether. Fair enough, on occasions players in the LoI have the ability to make it in the top two leagues in England. But the only way of actually knowing that is to move to England.

I'm all for players who don't get games at 17/18 moving home, especially if they are homesick, but they have move over at some stage. Same as it is better to stay here and actually play instead of rotting away in Premiership youth or reserve team. But the LoI is not good enough for International footballers. To say otherwise is myopic. As much as I'd love the LoI to be a top-level league, it is not.

Edit: As for McShane, at least it is just a practice game. Plus Trap comes from a mindset where the guy with the most caps is the captain. He is just keeping that going. But hopefully he is nowhere near the pitch come the qualifiers.

Jordan Berbatov

Anyone else feel kind of sorry for McShane?

Kiwi_knock

Sort of feel sorry for him, as he should never really be going near an international team. Highlights the lack of talent in the squad when Mc Shane is our back up defender.

Le King

McShane is a great worker and has a fantastic attitude. But he isn't good enough to be in the International set-up.

gustavo

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

If I was Ireland manager I would not pick LOI players as I would not think they would be suited to the challenges of international football. Exactly the same way I would treat players in League 1. Unless your playing in the Championship, Premiership or Scottish League you should not be playing for Ireland

Incredibly myopic view

The view that the 2nd tier of English football is some baseline of being good for international football is totally ridiculous

Father Damo

gustavo wrote: »

Incredibly myopic view

The view that the 2nd tier of English football is some baseline of being good for international football is totally ridiculous

He is 100% right. You simply dont hone your skills enough to play against lower end Budesliga players from the likes of Georgia if you are plying your trade trying to get around Finn Harps defenders at the weekend. Its why they have this under 23 international challenge team ffs.

M5

Voltwad wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0517/ireland.html




He's losing the plot :eek::eek::eek:

i thought you were allowed to name a number of over age players if you wished....

smallerthanyou

Jordan Berbatov wrote: »

Anyone else feel kind of sorry for McShane?

Little bit. He isn't a great good player but is there anything to be said for giving him another year or two and if nothing improves cut the losses? He's not that old. 23 or 24 is it?

gustavo

Father Damo wrote: »

He is 100% right. You simply dont hone your skills enough to play against lower end Budesliga players from the likes of Georgia if you are plying your trade trying to get around Finn Harps defenders at the weekend. Its why they have this under 23 international challenge team ffs.

Well Finn Harps are in the First Division for one thing.

And I didn't even refer to the LoI in my post.My point being that it's farcical saying that we should only pick from one of those 3 divisions as if we've never gone lower in the past.

Good thing poor Robbie Keane didn't succeed at Inter or he would have never gotten many caps I suppose

eagle eye

gustavo wrote: »

Incredibly myopic view

The view that the 2nd tier of English football is some baseline of being good for international football is totally ridiculous

This is the way things are done though.

Keith Andrews wasn't even considered for an Ireland squad two years ago when he was playing in League Two at 26 years of age.

Now he is a starter.

Ush1

smallerthanyou wrote: »

Little bit. He isn't a great good player. Is there anything to be said for giving him another year or two and if nothing improves cut the losses?

Full international squad isn't a place to do that. Look what it cost us!

eagle eye

smallerthanyou wrote: »

Little bit. He isn't a great good player but is there anything to be said for giving him another year or two and if nothing improves cut the losses? He's not that old. 23 or 24 is it?

So you say he is not a good footballer?

I'd suggest that everybody who starts games regularly in the English Premier League is a good footballer.

Ush1

eagle eye wrote: »

So you say he is not a good footballer?

I'd suggest that everybody who starts games regularly in the English Premier League is a good footballer.

By international standards, no, he's not a good footballer.

He might get regular starts in the championship now.