SOCCER: HAVING SUCCESSFULLY battled apparently superior and unquestionably more stylish opponents on Saturday and prevailed thanks largely due to their discipline and collective determination, it was no great surprise when Chelsea emerged as role models for Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday.
That the Italian could be casting the club champions of Europe as plucky underdogs seems remarkable, of course, given the riches that Roman Abramovich has lavished on managers and players in recent years.
Few in the game, though, are more pragmatic than the former Bayern manager when it comes to differentiating between “the show” and “the result” as he likes to put it and the 73-year-old left little doubt about which side had done more to earn his admiration over Saturday’s 120 minutes of action.
“It was a very beautiful game,” he said. “I understand the great disappointment of Bayern, they were sure they would win as Chelsea were missing three or four players. But for us it is a good lesson because when a team has order, even if all of the possession is with Bayern, they can win. I think Chelsea played well and were well organised.”
It didn’t take much imagination to see how this might apply to the Republic of Ireland on the eve of a championship at which they will face Croatia, Italy and, most dauntingly, Spain.
“We need to use our weapons, our strengths,” he said. “It’s not forbidden to do what you can do, it is a game that depends on the personalities of two teams, not one, theirs and ours. Maybe the other teams can force us to stay in our half like Chelsea.
“But they (Munich) had 17 corners while Chelsea had one and both scored a goal. We have a good personality and we don’t fear our opponents. We must have that conviction. We don’t have a Messi or Ronaldo but we have a good group.”
Most of that group was already in place yesterday in Malahide where 15 outfield players and three goalkeepers took a full part in training while Keith Fahey and Kevin Foley stepped up their involvement slightly.
That left just three: John O’Shea, who worked by himself in the gym; Glenn Whelan, who had been given a day off in the wake of his wedding on Saturday and Robbie Keane who had stayed on in the United States for Galaxy’s game against Chivas.
The striker, who is due into Dublin this morning, played no part in the defeat but Trapattoni insisted that he will be fit enough to start training almost immediately with the hamstring problem sustained against San Jose last week not believed to be a serious problem.
O’Shea, he suggested, may shift his preparations outdoors over the next day or two as well while for Whelan the honeymoon will end this morning.
His likely midfield partner in Poland, Keith Andrews, was amongst those getting stuck in yesterday although the Dubliner must contend with the lingering distraction of regime change at West Brom.
The ups and downs of Andrews’s career have been linked in a significant way to his relationship with the managers for whom he has played and having torn up his deal at Ewood Park in order to get back playing again, the 31-year-old is reluctant to end up out in the cold again just for the sake of putting pen to paper.
“He (Roy Hodgson) did wonders for the football club and obviously we’re all delighted for him” said Andrews. “It’s not ideal for me, though. I’m kind of waiting to see who is appointed before committing but I’m happy there and all being well it will get sorted out in a couple of weeks.
“Yeah, they’ve offered me a deal and I’m happy at West Brom but I’m a little bit hesitant until the new manager is announced.”
