Trap opens door for new faces to excel

When Giovanni Trapattoni sends out an inexperienced collective to face Poland at the Aviva in a fortnight, there will, we think it’s just about safe to say, be plenty of vacant green seats at the D4 venue.

Actually, let’s be honest. The FAI could hand out tickets for free along O’Connell Bridge the afternoon of the game and the ground would still have empty pockets dotted around the arena.

And the simple reason is (no, not the recession), such is the antipathy currently held by the general public towards the national side, it seems like a chore for football fans, whether they have to travel from Cork or Clondalkin, to part with cash to watch their team play.

“Too many players I’ve never heard of”, my local shopkeeper whined as I dropped in on the way home this evening, the squad being read out on radio rather than me bringing it up in conversation having previously noted his flippant views on the beautiful game. “Why would I bother paying to sit in the cold to watch some awful football?”

But, being (perhaps foolishly - ed) optimistic, this is the start of a clean slate and while 2012 was our annus horribilis, it is time to look forward and draw a scribble through any reflections of what has gone before.

Certainly, Trapattoni has adhered to one of the nuggets of advice afforded to him by the powers that be at Abbottstown following the chastening Germany-Faroe Islands double header in October, opting once more for youth over the same old faces which had precluded the future generation from getting any sort of a look-in in previous non-competitive games.

He has, unless, you’ve been living under a rock since then, been a more frequent visitor to Premier League games too, seeing Norwich in action twice. Would Anthony Pilkington have been included if Trap wasn’t in situ at Carrow Road to see him in the flesh rather than on the DVDs the Italian claims to constantly watch?

“He is a great player with a lot of potential, and somebody that we’re most interested in,” the manager says of the Canary. “We’ve been following him for a long time. We’re obviously without Damien Duff, but he’s the sort of player that has the ability to play on both the right and the left. He’s good, and well known for his goal scoring ability, and  I think that will certainly add something, but it’s not just that- technically he’s extremely good, and tactically aware on the pitch also. This makes me really look forward to having him in the squad.”

Yet scanning down through the players' clubs list, it is Derby County that feature most prominently alongside Sunderland, with three players from each club named in the 27. Unsurprisingly, Trap has seen the Rams on a couple of occasions as well.  Sammon, Hendrick and Richard Keogh are not major names to draw punters out, and in truth, are unlikely to feature in March when Ireland travel to Stockholm, but you can’t criticise the manager’s newfound willingness to bring new faces into the squad.

Trap says of the trio: “Sammon has been the player that has been most on our radar prior to this. We have been looking at him for some time. He has a good technique, and has a strong physical presence. Keogh has a good personality, and we like what we have seen so far.

“Also with question marks over Sean St Ledger and Richard Dunne’s fitness, it’s always good to be looking at other options in central defence. Hendrick is a very good, dynamic player, who shows a lot of ability and technique in and around midfield and we very much look forward to working with him. I think these three players have a good chance to be involved, not just for this game, but for future matches.”

What’s more, the Italian said he is likely to give Sammon, Hendrick and Pilkington plenty of game time. He added: “ I think these three or four new players- Hendrick, Pilkington, Sammon will provide technical support, also physical. I wish to see their personalities. From what I have seen from them at their clubs, they have good personalities, it is very important for them to show us the same attitude and personality.”

The major positive for followers of the domestic game is that nine ex-League of Ireland players were part of the squad announced.

Not only will that strengthen your hand during the inevitable barstool bitchfest if you choose to watch the match in the pub rather than at the ground, but the inclusion of Conor Sammon makes it 11 to have been named in the past two squads, with Keith Fahey and Damien Delaney named in the party for the Greece game but omitted on this occasion.

Republic of Ireland squad to face Poland (Bolded players have previously played for LoI clubs): Westwood, Forde, Henderson; O'Shea, Clark, O'Dea, Dunne (standby), McShane, Coleman, R Keogh, Cunningham, Ward; Pilkington, McClean, Brady, McGeady, Whelan, McCarthy, Hendrick, Meyler, Hoolahan; Cox, Long, Walters, Sammon, A Keogh, Doyle.