Ireland build up to the 2012 Euros - Trapattoni’s 23-man squad

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EURO 2012: Trap’s 23. Part One – The Goalkeepers

Updated: Tuesday, 01 May 2012

Shay Given: The Lifford custodian has 16 years of service between the posts for the Republic by Ed Leahy



The EURO 2012 countdown has officially begun and excitement is building as we await the announcement of Giovanni Trapattoni’s 23-man squad next Monday at Aviva Stadium.


Over the next few days we’re going to have a look at the players in contention to make it onto that plane to Poland. So first up, the goalkeepers.
Three of the Republic of Ireland’s 23-man squad will be goalkeepers. A relatively new initiative from FIFA, the 23rd position gave countries the luxury of an extra shot-stopper, allowing for the unlikely scenario where two keepers would be either injured or suspended.
Former Ireland striker, Niall Quinn was often considered the extra keeper in the squad, while some countries tried to get around the rule by naming an extra striker as the third-choice keeper.
The current rule states that all three named can only play in goal and cannot be used as outfield players. There’s no doubt about who Ireland’s number one for Poland will be but who else is going to EURO 2012?



Shay Given
Ireland’s number one for over ten years, Shay Given has never been seriously challenged as first choice keeper, despite Dean Kiely’s best efforts when the Ireland squad boasted two of the English Premier League’s best goalkeepers.

The Aston Villa man is one of the few Irish squad members with the experience of playing in a major international tournament as Given played in all Ireland’s matches at the 2002 World Cup.

After a disruptive end to his club career at Manchester City, where Given was kept on the bench for a season by Joe Hart, the Donegal man is now back playing regular club football, where he is almost single handedly keeping Aston Villa’s head above the troubled waters of the Premier League relegation zone.

The Lifford native missed six weeks of the season with a hamstring injury but has been an ever-present for Villa since returning in January.
Given made his senior debut way back in 1996 and 121 caps later, the former Newcastle shot-stopper looks like he can hold that Ireland jersey as long as he likes. Expect Given to play every minute of Ireland’s three group games, and beyond.
Verdict: First-class seat with added legroom for Ireland’s number one








Keiren Westwood
After securing his Premier League move to Sunderland and having amassed eight international caps, Westwood has established himself as Shay Given’s official understudy in the international team.

Westwood’s three previous years with Coventry City earned him rave reviews as he became a regular member of successive Ireland squads.

And his maiden season at Sunderland got off to a great start as he soon claimed the number one jersey. And a string of fine performances, including a quality display against Manchester United, would have had Shay Given looking over his shoulder as Ireland secured qualification to EURO 2012.

However, an injury and a change of manager has seen Westwood spend the second half of the 2011-12 season on the bench. Worryingly for Westwood at club level, Craig Gordon started for Sunderland at the weekend.
But with Sunderland’s season effectively over, Martin O’Neill might just be as likely to give the Ireland keeper a run out for either or both remaining fixtures.
Verdict: Pack your bags, but be prepared to spend the tournament warming up Shay and watching on from the bench.







Colin Doyle
The 6ft 5inch Cork native first appeared on the international radar with Birmingham City as they secured promotion to the Premier League back in 2007.

Doyle was first choice keeper at the start of the following season in the Premier League but soon lost the jersey to Maik Taylor who, along with Joe Hart, kept Doyle on the sidelines for the remainder of City’s Premier League tenure.

He signed a one-year contract extension following City’s relegation to the Championship and has seen a revival of fortunes in the 2011-12 season under the management of former Ireland international Chris Hughton.

Doyle played the last four games as Birmingham number one, with the Blues staying unbeaten and securing their spot in the play-offs.
And Doyle’s clean sheet against champions Reading on Saturday, which included a penalty save from fellow Irishman Ian Harte, may just give Giovanni Trapattoni food for thought ahead of the squad announcement.
If Doyle can keep the number one jersey and impress in the play-offs he may find himself in Trap’s plans sooner rather than later.
Verdict: Staying home. Four league appearances are unlikely to change Trapattoni’s mind at this stage.






David Forde
Former Derry City keeper David Forde has steadily improved and proved himself as a solid and reliable shot-stopper and has recently been rewarded with several calls into the senior squad.

Now playing his football at Millwall, following two relatively unsuccessful seasons at Cardiff City, Forde has established himself as the Lions number one and had 27 league appearances throughout last season.

Forde missed a chunk of the 2011-12 season with a thigh injury and finished the season on the bench with Northern Ireland international Maik Taylor impressing.

Taylor kept the Galway man out of the team for the last ten league games as Millwall moved out of relegation trouble to secure their Championship place finishing 16th, 17 points clear of the drop and 18 away from the play-offs.
Forde has two caps after playing against Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup and in the friendly victory over Italy last June. Ireland won 2-0 against Trapattoni’s countrymen and Forde’s clean sheet and impressive performance will probably see him on the plane to Poland next month.
Verdict: About 75 per cent certain of making the squad so make sure that passport is valid, but will be third-choice keeper and unlikely to see any action in Poland.





Darren Randolph
Having played at every level for Ireland from schoolboy to Under-21 and B level, the Motherwell keeper is knocking on the door of the Ireland senior squad after receiving a call-up for the EURO 2012 qualifier against Macedonia and also the Carling Nations Cup games against Northern Ireland and Scotland.

At club level, Randolph has now established himself as number one at Fir Park and has played all season as Motherwell, currently third behind Rangers and Celtic and pushing for European and potential Champions League football next season.

EURO 2012 will probably come just too soon for the Bray native to secure a place on the plane to Poland but if Trapattoni is looking for a keeper with a full season under his belt, then Randolph might just get that nod as third-choice stopper.
Verdict: Randolph is unlikely to get the call this time and may need a move from Motherwell to England’s Premier League or Championship to get serious international recognition.











Paddy Kenny
Possibly Ireland’s second best keeper playing at the moment, and like Dean Kiely, Paddy Kenny would have won lots more international caps had it not been for Shay Given’s dominance in the number one jersey.

Personal problems were well documented during his latter days at Sheffield United, while a playing ban also added to the end of Kenny’s international career.

Kenny, however, has enjoyed a renaissance at club level helping QPR reach the promised land of the Premier League. Keeping Rangers in the top tier has proved more difficult, although through no fault of his own.

At 33 Kenny could certainly still do a job for Trap and fans might still be more confident seeing the QPR keeper stepping into Given’s position should injury or suspension befall Ireland’s all-time number one. But it’s not going to happen.
The Verdict: Enjoy the summer break, Paddy. It’s looking like the Championship again next year.



Best of the rest:
Former Bohemians and Ipswich Town keeper Brian Murphy looked to have worked his way into Trapattoni’s thoughts and a Premier League move to QPR could have taken Murphy to the next level.


Paddy Kenny’s form has kept Murphy quiet this year, limiting his first team action to one Carling Cup appearance so the 28-year-old will be looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.


Joe Murphy has played all season for Coventry City but will now find himself playing League One football as the Sky Blues finished second last and were relegated from the Championship.


And while 23-year-old Stephen Henderson, on loan at West Ham from Portsmouth, was called into the senior squad for Ireland’s most recent international against the Czech Republic, he is unlikely to be considered for this summer’s tournament despite impressing all season with troubled Portsmouth. At 6ft 4inches, Henderson is definitely one for the future.

rte sport

 

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EURO 2012: Trap's 23. Part 2 - The Defenders

Richard Dunne - a vital piece of Trap's jigsaw as the Republic look to cause a stir this summer by Ed Leahy

With an Italian manager at the helm, it is no surprise that the Republic of Ireland’s recent successes are based on a solid defence, and the point in Moscow during the recent qualifying process was the perfect example of Trapattoni’s philosophy in full effect.
What is a surprise, however, is the Italian’s admission that he will sacrifice a defender in place of an extra striker when the Republic of Ireland EURO 2012 squad is announced on Monday afternoon at Aviva Stadium.
Five strikers will, however, be standard amongst most squads going to the championships and Trapattoni must think he has enough cover with his seven chosen defenders travelling to Poland in June.
And while most of those seven spots are already set in stone, there are still a couple of difficult choices for the Ireland boss to make ahead of the much-anticipated announcement.

Let’s have a look at what defensive options are available to the Republic manager as the English domestic season draws to a close:


Richard Dunne
There is only one place to start when assembling the defenders for the trip to Poland, the heart and soul of the Ireland team, Aston Villa’s Richard Dunne.

The central defender has rarely, if ever, underperformed in an Ireland shirt and the colossal performance in Moscow showed just how much of an asset he is to Trapattoni’s defence.

A nasty fall was followed by a spell on the sidelines with a broken collarbone, leaving the nation to sweat on Dunne’s fitness as the games counted down and the season neared its end.

Thankfully for all concerned, the Honey Monster returned to play a full 90 minutes with relegation threatened Villa last weekend and inspired Alex McLeish’s side to a clean sheet and a much-needed point.
No centre forward in Europe will relish an encounter with Tallaght’s finest and it is fitting reward for the service that Dunne has given his country that he will rub shoulders with the world’s best players this summer.
Verdict: If Trap only had two words in English (no sniggering down the back), they would be Richard Dunne. First name on the list and a player that any of the 16 teams competing would love in their own squad.


Kevin Foley
A neat and tidy full back with a penchant for going forward, Kevin Foley has played his way into contention for a place in the squad thanks to several solid appearances under Trapattoni’s tenure.

Part of the Wolves mafia, Foley has been an ever-present in Trapattoni’s squads with the versatility to slot into midfield as well as his preferred position of right back.

Foley had a mixed campaign at club level as he was troubled by an ankle injury at the start of the season, but has played a lot of first team football since Christmas and that, along with the more important fact that Trap seems to like him, should see him squeeze into the final 23.

Verdict: You would imagine that Foley is inside the tent looking out, but could possibly be sacrificed as part of Trapattoni’s masterplan.


Ian Harte
A veteran of the 2002 World Cup, Ian Harte is a name that has rarely been mentioned since the arrival of Giovanni Trapattoni as Ireland manager. Not surprisingly, it must be said, as Harte was virtually anonymous for the first couple of years of Trapattoni’s tenure.

What is a little worrying is that Trapattoni had not been alerted by the FAI about Harte who has had two fantastic seasons with Reading, helping them reach the play-off final last year and secure promotion back to the Premier League this season.

On top of the return to the top flight, Harte was named in the Championship team of the year, which shows the influence he has had this season.

With a relatively inexperienced left back, Stephen Ward, currently holding the left back position, what harm to bring along someone with the experience that Ian Harte possesses as back-up?
And we haven’t even mentioned Harte’s cultured left foot. Set-piece precision and free-kick specialist, Harte might be 34 but he has lost none of his pace from the World Cup campaign in 2002 – he will be first to admit that his game was never based on pace.
Harte’s desire to play for his country still remains, but it is a shame that his manager didn’t appear to be aware of his existence.
Verdict: Trapattoni doesn’t do sentimentality and will not be calling upon Harte’s services this summer or beyond, you’d imagine.


Stephen Kelly
After a very quiet season at new club Fulham in the 2010-11 season, Stephen Kelly firmly re-established himself as a Premier League player this year cementing his place at right back in Martin Jol’s side.

Kelly also seized his chances at international level and was rewarded with the honour of captaining his country in the friendly against Uruguay last year.

Injuries have led to Kelly getting opportunities to impress the gaffer at both centre half and full back and the former Birmingham and Spurs man played in the all-important first leg play-off win in Estonia.
Verdict: Kelly should make the squad and will be cover for either of the full-backs or at centre half.


Paul McShane
Less than 12 months ago, Paul McShane was leading Ireland out against former World champions Italy and marshalled Trapattoni’s side to an impressive 2-0 win.

A constant in Trapattoni’s squads until the latter end of the EURO 2012 campaign, McShane has had a turbulent time at club level and spent the first half of the season sitting on the bench at Hull City before securing a move to the not-so-glamorous Crystal Palace.

The move may have gone unnoticed by many of the Premier League loving Irish football fans but Trapattoni will be impressed with his desire to play first team football.

Still only 26, McShane’s international career is far from over and may just sneak into the reckoning as Trapattoni fills those last few seats on the plane.
Verdict: After failing to get a call for the last game with the Czech Republic, McShane is set to be excluded from the final 23. Should be first reserve and will not be booking any holidays until that EURO 2012 final squad is confirmed.


Darren O’Dea
Now plying his trade at Elland Road, Darren O’Dea is a player that many would have assumed would be an established Premier League player by this stage of his career.

O’Dea remains on the books of Celtic and despite starting 38 games for Leeds this season, the centre-half will most likely be looking for another club during the summer.

However, the international set-up appears to suit O’Dea and being part of the central defensive pair alongside Richard Dunne for the epic 0-0 draw in Moscow cemented his place in Trapattoni’s plans guaranteeing a place in the 23-man squad.

Verdict: travelling to Poland as the main central-defensive cover for Dunne and St Ledger. With injuries and suspensions more likely in defence, expect O’Dea to have some part to play this summer in green.


John O’Shea
Anytime a player departs Old Trafford, the media spotlight remains to document the perceived road to obscurity. O’Shea, however, has bucked that trend and, if anything, has improved as a player since his Manchester exit.

The move to Sunderland was queried by many but O’Shea had proved himself at United as a loyal servant and rightly decided to get away and establish himself at another Premier League club.

Life on Wearside started with injury, an out-of-form team and an under-pressure manager; O’Shea must have been questioning his choices.

However, the arrival of Martin O’Neill has done wonders for his new club and for O’Shea who has had an impressive season, now playing in the centre of defence.
O’Shea will head to the Euros as the first-choice right back but his future may lie in the middle of the four for the upcoming campaign and perhaps earlier if injuries or suspensions kick in.
Verdict: A player hitting his best form at the perfect time, John O’Shea is now one of the senior internationals and deserves the recognition alongside Dunne, Duff, Keane and Given.


Sean St Ledger
A player who has a turbulent time in recent seasons at club level, but like so many who have worn the green before, when Sean St Ledger puts on the Republic shirt everything seems to click.

Of course, it helps to be playing alongside someone of the quality of Richard Dunne, but St Ledger has put in just as many important and impressive shifts throughout the Trapattoni era.

Trapattoni will not be too concerned by St Ledger’s less-than-hectic season at Leicester, in fact, he may consider it a blessing considering the doubts that have surrounded the other half of Ireland starting central defensive partnership.

A good display in the green this summer could see St Ledger eventually get that Premier League move that his international form would merit.
Verdict: No doubts that St Ledger will be on the plane and looks set to start alongside Dunne in the centre of defence.

Stephen Ward
With Kevin Kilbane owning the left back shirt since Giovanni Trapattoni took charge, Stephen Ward must have wondered would he ever get a look in with the Republic.

Leaving Bohemians in 2007 for Wolves, Ward went through a positional metamorphosis as the striker turned midfielder before stumbling upon the left back position, where he has remained for the past three seasons at Molineux.

Thankfully, the attacking instincts remain and Ward constantly sets up attacks and scores the odd goal, including one against Estonia in the EURO 2012 play-off.

Still a relative newcomer to the Ireland set-up, Trapattoni appears to be happy with Ward taking over from Kilbane and the Dubliner should be in the starting XI for the opening game of the tournament.
Verdict: Certain to be selected in the 23 but Trapattoni is probably still keeping an eye on that left back position. So Ward needs to keep doing what he has been doing to make that jersey his own.


Marc Wilson
With so many Ireland players struggling to play every week at club level and others languishing with mediocre Championship clubs, you would imagine that a player who had played over 40 games this season in both the Premier League and Europa League would be a shoe-in for a place in the Ireland 23.

Not so for Stoke’s Marc Wilson who only has one cap for his country in what has been an eventful international career thus far. Born up north, Wilson played at schoolboy level for Northern Ireland before declaring for the Republic.
A misunderstanding with Trapattoni has also resulted in Wilson being ostracised from the current squad, for the time being at least.

At 24-years-old, Wilson should come back into the international set-up for the 2014 campaign after again refusing to venture back north following an approach from former Shamrock Rovers boss and new Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill.

Wilson is comfortable on either side of the centre-halves and can also do a job in midfield. It’s just a shame that the former Portsmouth player hasn’t had a proper chance to show Trapattoni what he is capable of, yet.
Verdict: Wilson will definitely not be named in Trapattoni’s squad on Monday but could possibly be told to stay fit in case of emergency closer to the tournament.


Best of the rest:

Ciaran Clark is another established Premier League player that has not been given the chance to show what he can do at senior international level.

With only one fixture available to Trapattoni since EURO 2012 qualification, it was always going to prove difficult for the young guns to get a look-in ahead of the summer.
Certainly one for the World Cup qualifiers and being team-mates with Richard Dunne and Shay Given, Trapattoni will certainly be kept up to date with Clark’s progress.

Steven Reid is another World Cup veteran who could have brought some real experience to the squad. Reid has also suffered from a bit of ‘lost in translation’ with Trapattoni with the Ireland manager apparently questioning his ability to recover from injury.

Reid has recovered and was instrumental in West Brom’s stress-free season in the Premier League, earning a new contract with the Baggies. Injury would probably have ruled Reid out of this summer’s tournament but at 31 and set to start his tenth season in the top flight, what chance of a return to the international fold for the World Cup qualifiers?

Damien Delaney has played five times for Trapattoni and has had a solid season at Portman Road with Ipswich. A late arrival on the international scene, Delaney would have had to rely on injuries to make the squad.

He’ll be keeping an eye on Richard Dunne’s progress over the coming weeks but there’s one or two ahead of him in the queue as things stand.


Shane Duffy recently landed on the international scene with a late call up for the Czech Republic clash in February. Less than two years since Duffy’s freak accident at an Ireland training camp, where he had to undergo a life-saving liver operation, the centre-half is now also knocking on the door of Everton’s first team having played several league and cup matches for the Toffees. Another one for the future and should feature in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

 

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EURO 2012: Trap's 23. Part 3 - The Midfielders

Will James McClean be on the plane for Poland?
By Ed Leahy

The arrival of James McClean on the Premier League scene this season sparked a spate of debates about the Ireland midfielders that would be travelling to this summer’s European championships.


McClean had not even received an international call-up and was not even officially eligible, yet the clamour for his inclusion reached fever pitch as the Derry City starlet lit up the Stadium of Light under the expert tutelage of new Sunderland boss, Martin O’Neill.


Trapattoni was last to jump on the McClean bandwagon, yet he has since been swayed and has now admitted that the former Candystripe is 90 to 99 per cent going to Poland.
So McClean’s probable inclusion has made the midfield eight even more competitive, and with so much quality to choose from in this category, some big names are going to be left behind.


But let’s look at the midfielders who could justify selection for the EURO 2012 Republic of Ireland squad:


James McClean

Less than 12 months ago, McClean was putting the fear of God into full-backs the length and breath of the country. Derry City had unearthed a gem, yet to the average Ireland football fan, the name would not have rang any bells.

Luckily for the lively left-sided midfielder, some top English clubs were paying attention to the League of Ireland and McClean was snapped up for a bargain and shipped off to the banks of the Wear and to Sunderland.

Remarkably, McClean made his Premier League bow less than five months ago and it was just over four months since he made his first start for his new club.
So was Trapattoni right to be slow to embrace McClean? Is he really good enough to justify a place in the EURO 2012 squad considering he played no part in the qualification process?
McClean’s club performances (24 starts since 1 January) have proved that the ability is there and no better judge of a player than Martin O’Neill. And when Trapattoni saw the spontaneous crowd reaction as McClean made his Ireland debut, he probably felt that it was a win-win situation to take the young Derry man to Poland.
McClean’s inclusion is akin to England’s gamble on Theo Walcott at the 2006 World Cup. The Arsenal youngster wasn’t used in that tournament, but Trapattoni is almost certain to utilise McClean at some stage in Poland. Expect the Sunderland man to get a good run in the pre-Euro friendlies and those performances should dictate whether McClean might be starting that opening EURO 2012 game in Poznan against Croatia.
Verdict: Didn’t personally think that McClean would be going to the Euros until Trap let the cat out of the sack last week. Four months of high-octane Premier League football hasn’t exposed any flaws but will the Ireland rookie be accepted by those that matter most, his new international team-mates.


Glenn Whelan

Four years into his Stoke City career, 28-year-old Glenn Whelan is in the prime of his career going into this summer’s championships. There is absolutely no chance that Whelan could be omitted and he is certain to start the opening game against Croatia.

Trapattoni has been good for Whelan and likewise, the hard-working Stoke City midfielder has been a revelation for the Ireland boss. The central midfield workhorse position is not the most glamorous job but it is one that is needed for the Trapattoni machine to function.

And coinciding with the successful European qualifying campaign, Whelan’s club career has also flourished as the former Sheffield Wednesday man was recently rewarded with a new contract at the Britannia Stadium.
Verdict: The pundits take pleasure pointing out the limits of Whelan’s talents but without the Stoke midfielder carrying out orders for General Trapattoni, the Irish would be enjoying an extended summer break, watching the Euros from the bars of the Costa Del Sol. Whelan’s on the plane.


Keith Andrews

After a turbulent year at club level, Keith Andrews will be delighted to get back to a bit of normality in the international set-up.

Like his midfield partner at international level, Glenn Whelan, Andrews knows the job that Trapattoni wants him to carry out and he has been performing it to the manager’s satisfaction, which guarantee’s Andrews’ place in the squad and a start in the tournament opener in Poznan.

Trapattoni’s reluctance to tinker with selection and formation, especially in the midfield engine room, has benefitted the central pairing as other talented midfielders have not been given ample opportunity to displace the Whelan-Andrews axis.

Despite Andrews’ club issues, the midfielder played plenty of first-team football at Ipswich and with West Brom since his deadline day transfer to escape from the sinking ship that is Blackburn Rovers. Andrews will be a free agent at season’s end so a solid EURO 2012 should see the 31-year-old land a nice deal at a club looking for a hard-working, reliable midfielder.
Verdict: Another easy target when things aren’t going well for Ireland but Andrews’ work-rate allows Trapattoni to include two flair players in his midfield four. The only opinion that matters will deem that Keith Andrews will be on the plane in June.


Damien Duff

Ten years ago Damien Duff was terrifying defenders and scoring vital goals at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea. Fast forward to the 2011-12 season and the tricky winger is still showing that same form and desire that has cemented his place in the Ireland starting XI and he remains one of the fans’ favourites ahead of the summer’s championships.

Duff’s season started last June as Fulham went through the qualifying stages of the Europa League, however, the midfielder has not been overused and has only played 34 times for the Cottagers. And at 33, the Dubliner’s club form earned a contract extension to stay at Fulham until the summer of 2013

Verdict: The Ireland legend is still loving his football and wearing that green jersey. Hopefully his goal celebration will be as good as his Japanese bow when he scored against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup.


Darron Gibson

What do you do when your international manager tells you to leave Manchester United? Well Darron Gibson eventually heeded the advice and, like John O’Shea moving on to Sunderland, the transfer has been a revelation for Gibson who has seamlessly slotted into the Toffees’ midfield. And Gibson has since become an instant fans’ favourite, scoring the winner against Manchester City less than a month after joining the Goodison Park outfit.

Despite being called up to the squad for Ireland’s last fixture against the Czech Republic, Gibson had to pull out through injury. The injury has cleared up and Gibson played an important role in Everton’s impressive finish to the season, also playing the full 90 minutes in the 4-4 draw with former club Manchester United.

Gibson has yet to show what he is capable of in the green of Ireland but has shown glimpses of the quality he possessed including the wonder strike against Wales in the Carling Nations Cup.
Verdict: Surely Trapattoni wouldn’t leave him behind after making the ultimate sacrifice, leaving Old Trafford. Gibson must have one and a half feet on the plane but will be playing it cool until he hears Trap announce his name on Monday.


Paul Green

A late arrival on the international scene, Paul Green made an immediate impact on the Ireland team as he scored on his first international start against Algeria.

The Derby County midfielder (he is leaving in the summer) missed the end of the qualifying campaign due to a bad knee injury picked up at the end of last season but returned to the Ireland squad, albeit belatedly, for the Czech Republic friendly in February.

Green has won ten international caps in the two years since joining up with Trap’s squad so he obviously ticks a lot of boxes as far as the manager is concerned.
Green is a neat and tidy Trapattoni-style midfielder who will work hard and joins up with the attack from time to time and he has slotted in at right back at club level but it would surely take a lot of injuries for the Derby man to get a run out in defence.
Verdict: His short Ireland career was tarnished by some bad press following the defeat to Russia at Aviva Stadium. However, Trapattoni kept the faith as he played the full 90 on the night. Still in with a shout of making the final 23 but will probably just miss out.


Keith Fahey

Another of the League of Ireland exiles who made an immediate impact on arrival in England when he signed for Birmingham City. The former St Pat’s midfielder helped City to promotion to the Premier League and spent two seasons in the top flight earning his first senior international call-up along the way.

Fahey has played several important cameo roles in the green jersey and scored the only goal of the game when Ireland secured three valuable away points in Armenia.

Birmingham’s relegation from the Premier League last year will have done Fahey no favours as he has been out of the spotlight all season. He has, however, played a big part getting City to the play-offs and started over 40 games so far this season, including some high-profile Europa League fixtures.
Fahey is a great passer or the ball and very composed when in possession. He has a quality that brings a new dimension to the Ireland midfield when he plays, and is equally comfortable in the middle or out wide.
Verdict: So many permutations in midfield that someone who helped Ireland qualify is going to miss out. Will it be Fahey? Hopefully not but it’s a close call. If the rumours of an established player not being available are true, it just might work in Fahey’s favour.


Seamus Coleman

The former Sligo Rovers defender was transformed into a midfielder by David Moyes at Everton and received his first international call-up as a result of impressive performances on the right wing during the 2010-11 season.

The clamour for Coleman’s inclusion in Trap’s squad last year was not too dissimilar to the James McClean furore this year. However, Coleman’s five international caps so far have not appeared to overly impress the manager, while the 2011-12 season at Goodison Park has been a mixed bag with injuries resulting in Coleman playing less than 20 games.

Verdict: Close but no cigar for the Killybegs youngster. Will probably be kept on the reserve list in case of injuries but there will be plenty more opportunities for Coleman in future campaigns.


Stephen Hunt

Another member of the Wolves mafia, Stephen Hunt is one of those players every manager loves to have at their disposal and one that no defender wants to be marking.

Hunt has been an integral part of Trapattoni’s Ireland project and has worn the green 38 times since his debut in 2007. The former Reading midfielder has been used more recently as an impact sub for Ireland as he sits behind Aiden McGeady and Damien Duff in the pecking order for the wide midfield role.

The arrival of James McClean on the international radar will certainly have given Hunt food for thought considering he was playing in a struggling Wolves team and has missed a large chunk of the season run-in following a hernia operation.
Thankfully for Hunt, he returned for already relegated Wolves last weekend and will, no doubt, be begging Terry Connor to give him the remaining two games to build fitness ahead of the Euros.
Verdict: Once Hunt can prove his fitness he will make Trap’s 23. The arrival of McClean, however, could limit the Deise man’s involvement at EURO 2012.


James McCarthy

For a player with just three international caps, James McCarthy has already had an enormous amount of press coverage in relation to his Ireland career.

The Wigan midfielder was another player to face the wrath of the Trapattoni communication machine and things were not looking too good for McCarthy at one stage with reports claiming that he was ready to turn his back on Ireland to play for his native Scotland.

Reports were rubbished and a truce appears to be in place as McCarthy was called into the squad for the recent clash with Czech Republic. McCarthy was also recently praised by assistant Marco Tardelli but that just could mean he’s in the ‘one for the future’ category.
Verdict: Watching some of McCarthy’s recent performances for Wigan, most notably putting Tomas Rosicky in his pocket in the victory at the Emirates Stadium, you would imagine that the midfielder would be guaranteed a place in the Ireland 23. But this is Trapattoni that we’re dealing with. All will be revealed on Monday. Gut feeling – In…!!


Aiden McGeady

An ever-present in Trapattoni’s squads, Aiden McGeady is now playing his club football in Russia with Spartak Moscow after leaving Celtic in 2010. The decision was baffling, however, the quality of the league that the tricky Ireland winger is playing in cannot be questioned as it is ranked seventh by UEFA.

Recent reports from Moscow regarding McGeady’s form are positive and that will please the Ireland boss who has shown great faith in the winger throughout the qualifying campaign.
Verdict: McGeady will make the 23 and should start the opening game against Croatia.


Best of the rest
Hats off to throw-in specialist Rory Delap who has continued to impress with Stoke in the Premier League but with absolutely no hope of getting a call up from Trapattoni.


And what about Liam Lawrence? A regular in the last World Cup qualifying campaign, the hard-working right-sided midfielder fell out of fortune as his club side Portsmouth went into freefall. Now on loan at Cardiff, Lawrence has helped the Bluebirds into the play-offs and may have something to celebrate this summer, although it won’t involve the words Poland or aeroplane.


Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan is a class act and has proven himself to be of Premier League quality. The Ireland management team are keeping tabs on the former Shelbourne player’s progress but there’ll be no phone call this week regarding EURO 2012 affairs.


Likewise, Hoolahan’s team-mate Anthony Pilkington has had a superb season at Carrow Road in the Premier League and should see some senior international action in the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.


Sunderland’s David Meyler has seen very little action this season, while Keith Treacy has six caps in the last two years but has recently been spotted in League One, of all places, helping Sheffield Wednesday’s quest for promotion.


And the last word on midfielders goes to Stephen Ireland. A shame that such a class act is not even being considered for international duty but no manager in his right mind would spring him into the EURO 2012 squad at the last minute.


The right noises are starting to come from Camp Ireland about returning to the international scene and, while it’s not the most coveted of awards going this year, Ireland was named Aston Villa Supporters Player of the Year.

 

[hill16]

Republic of Ireland midfielder James McCarthy will miss this summer's European Championships for family reasons, with James McClean included in the 23-squad announced today.
McCarthy’s father has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. :(
The news was confirmed as Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni named his 23-man squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
In a statement McCarthy said: "I have discussed this with the manager. He was very understanding and I thank him sincerely for that.
"I take this opportunity to re-affirm my complete commitment to playing for the Republic of Ireland. It is a huge honour and source of pride for me and my family."
Trapattoni spoke to McCarthy last week and said the midfielder told him he was not ready "psychologically" and preferred to stay at home.
The Italian said McCarthy would have been in the squad, but refused to say who benefited from his absence.
The other talking points from the squad announcement at the Aviva Stadium were the inclusion of Sunderland's McClean and Seamus Coleman being named on the stand-by list.
McClean's form since breaking into the Sunderland side this year has seen him overtake Coleman as the back-up wide man.
The four other players on the stand by-list are goalkeeper Darren Randolph, Paul McShane, Paul Green and Andy Keogh.
Elsewhere in the squad, there were few surprises with Trapattoni opting for three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and five strikers.
Trapattoni said: "I had the very difficult task in choosing this 23-man squad. Several players have proven their abilities to us during the qualifying campaign, and we are thankful to all who have played a part. However, we are happy with our choices.
"The stand-by list consists of very capable players who we would be happy to call upon if needed. The game against Bosnia in the Aviva Stadium will be the beginning of our Euro 2012 journey and it is important for the players to feel the energy from Irish fans before we go to our training camp.
"We will look to emulate the attitude and performance that brought us qualification, and push our limits further as we prepare for this tournament. We will be focused as we enter this important time."
Ireland squad:
Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall);
John O'Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolves), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St Ledger (Leicester), Darren O'Dea (Leeds), Kevin Foley (Wolves);
Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolves), James McClean (Sunderland);
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Shane Long, Simon Cox (both West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke).


Stand-by: Darren Randolph (Motherwell), Paul McShane (Crystal Palace), Paul Green (Unattached), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Andy Keogh (Millwall).


Really feel for James McCarthy hope his Da makes a full recovery