Giovanni Trapattoni names final 23 man Ireland squad for Euro 2012
Giovanni Trapattoni has submitted his 23 player squad list for Euro 2012, with Kevin Foley missing out at the expense of Paul McShane.
Foley has been trying to overcome a hamstring problem, but has failed to shake it off, and will be replaced by Hull City defender Paul McShane in the final 23 man squad. Trapattoni was also forced to replace Birmingham City midfielder Keith Fahey, after he did not recover from a groin injury. Paul Green will take his place, and is looking for a new club after rejecting a contract offer from Derby County.
Trapattoni told reporters at the Irish training camp in Montecantini of his decision. “With the injuries that we experienced in the squad over the past week, I have had to make a tough decision when it comes to naming the 23 players that must be submitted to Uefa for the championship,” Trapattoni said. “Kevin Foley, John O’Shea, Paul McShane, Darren O’Dea, Shay Given had all been carrying knocks and we have been monitoring them closely in their recovery.
“Although Kevin has been recovering well, I have made the difficult decision to leave him out of the 23 player list after completing fitness tests on John O’Shea and Paul Mc Shane this morning. I have spoken to him and understand how difficult it is, saying that he can remain with the squad if he wishes.”
Full Ireland squad:
Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall) John O’Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St Ledger (Leicester City), Darren O’Dea (Leeds United), Paul McShane (Hull City); Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Keith Andrews (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Green (unattached), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolverhampton Wanderers), James McClean (Sunderland), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion), Simon Cox (West Bromwich Albion), Jon Walters (Stoke City)
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It’s official – Trap hates Ireland. I understand that the system is some utopian vision, never to be questioned or sullied by less enlightened beings but surely to god it’s a straight forward enough thing to pick yr. best available players?! Having said that, what odds would you give on some neat interplay between Green and McShane leading to an epoch-defining goal (scored by Cox?)that sees us take a step closer to the holy grail? Ah Ireland, I love ya.
McShane and Green. I knew. I just knew it. Ah well. There’s always Brazil 2014.
It’s not like Fahey and Foley were going to see much game time anyway. Those two and O’Dea were the least likely to play (along with the sub keepers obviously).
Even if Fahey and Foley didn’t play, why can’t we have Coleman for McShane and ANYONE for Green.
Coleman isn’t cover for a defender, but a winger, so he’s not an option. When was the last time he played RB at any level?
neither of them will likely kick a ball on the field of play. coleman should be there instead of mcshane, but trap does not fancy coleman for some reason.
oh well, scrap my comment about coleman, i thought he played defense at some point.
Paul, he did when with Sligo Rovers, and a couple of times in his first season at Everton, but not in a few years.
It is the end times.
Foley can play in both full back positions and in centre mid. He’s a big loss. I actually think that McShane is not too bad a fallback for the right back position. At times on saturday he actually reminded me of Carles Puyol. He can be quite dynamic and has an ability to hustle attackers into making mistakes. He may come good yet.
Green is a disaster area. He’s not even the best Irish midfielder at Derby County, never mind one of the four (or five) best in the world. Waste of a squad place.
Paul McShane is God video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGMuoxihmu4
Paul Green does not deserve to wear the green jersey let alone represent us in the euros.hope he breaks both his f#cking legs against the tuscan team hes a bloody disgrace and making a mokery of our country.ultimate plastic paddy if i saw the guy on the street id give him a piece of my mind.its nothing to do with having the honour of playing for us its simply just for his own selfish desires should never have been considered in the first place.and to make all that worse hes probably one of the worst players to have represented us in recent years and if he was fit this season could have cost us a place in the euros.TRAP YOUR TAKING THE PISS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY AND YOU DO NOT GIVE A SH#T ABOUT THE FANS/PEOPLE OF IRELAND
That Youtube video really shows him up for the clown that he is. He cost us aplace at the World Cup and he’ll cost us dearly at the Euros in some fashion. Hopefully neither he nor Green get to kick a ball at the Euros but I fear that they will see game time.
Ronan
Coleman played rightback a few times last season for Everton, and filled in two or three times this season.
I think he is a rightback and not a winger, he looks best attacking from deep rather than taking on a fullback one-on-one like any proper winger. He needs to play rightback next season, I don’t know if he should move to get this chance.
Do you think McShane is a better Rightback than Coleman. If Trap was really thinking about versatilty he would have called up Clark or wilson as they can play leftback and central defence. This is particularly true if O’Shea is dodgy as we will only have 1 recognised leftback
Can we give this “I hope McShane/Green break their legs” crap a rest. It’s complete b*llocks.
In all honesty, I think that most people have based their opinion of Paul McShane on that one youtube video and the criticism Roy Keane levelled at him after Paris.
He may have no pace, but Ireland don’t play a high line and don’t require the right back to attack so he’ll rarely have to make up for lost ground. The youtube hatchet job is just comical – take away that one terrible game against Everton, the red card that shouldn’t have been, a ton of moments that could be viewed in either light and the dumb captions and it starts to look pretty thin. Incredibly, he even shows some good play in that video – a hand-picked selection of his very worst! Granted, he hasn’t played much this season, but neither has Foley. I can’t for the life of me think what he has done to deserve all this personal abuse.
I have never seen Coleman play right back in any game other than friendlies. In the FA Cup semi he gave away a stupid free kick in the corner – a mistake that Trap considered one of Ireland’s worst traits when he took over – which led to a goal. He’s a good player, but needs a season of experience under his belt. And I say that as an Everton fan.
I do think McShane is a better option at right-back than Coleman, primarily because he’s a defender. Coleman isn’t. Nor has he had a great season in any way, shape, or form. McShane hasn’t had a blistering season either, but he’s far more experienced at international level, and can offer central cover – the reason he’s there instead of Foley.
McShane hasn’t been added as a right-back, but for the fact he can play in the middle as well. Something Coleman can’t do, and something Foley can’t do. Clark is the player who could have been in contention for the spot, not Coleman – and he’s not a right-back either. In fact, the only player who is a CB/RB that’s not already in the squad (O’Shea) is Paul.
And I think John made some fantastic points there. Sure, he’s no Philip Lahm, but he’s not the accident waiting to happen that many proclaim he is.
Somebody on Foot.ie posted this scouting report on McShane from 2007, if you read the report and comments it’s interesting to compare the huge optimism around him then (after 2 very promising seasons with Brighton and WBA and a great Ireland debut) with the current consensus:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/apr/17/newsstory.sport16
If we need somebody who has experience of playing both centre half and right fullback then I don’t know what other options we have really.. Coleman (right wing, hasn’t yet played fullback at Premier League or international level), Clark (centre back or midfield, and left back at a stretch) or Wilson (left back / centre back / centre midfield), with a smattering of international experience between them, are the alternatives being suggested. I’m not going to have any great confidence if McShane steps out on the pitch in Poland but as emergency cover it seems to be the best of a bad situation.
I have come to the conclusion that John is actually Paul McShane posting here under a pseudonym.
Ronan/ Richie, I feel like we really need cover at LB and CB-not RB. O’Shea plays on the Right when healthy and Kelly is also a RB while we only have Ward at LB. I understand O’Shea isnt 100% but surely we need some cover for Ward? Ideally, Trap would select someone who is proficient in those positions. That considered, Clark should be the logical choice based on the fact that he considers himself a CB and played LB many times last season pretty effectively. He also could have covered in CM making Paul green’s inclusion unnecessary and allowing room for another player (Wilson, Hoolihan, coleman, etc). He also does his playing in the Premier League instead of being in and out of championship sides like Green and Mcshane.
I understand that Trap was only going to include those who have had game time at these respective positions and thats why Mcshane and Green get the nod. I do however still blame Trap for not giving Clark and some of the other players who he claims lack experience any opportunity to build experience before the Euro. Players like Clark Coleman, even Duffy should have been playing in friendlies for the past year.
That said i suppose i should just be happy that James Mclean got the call up.
@IrishRI
Ha! How dare you! Although I would like to say that Paul McShane is a very good looking man.
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