Having accrued numerous honours during nearly five decades in football the Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni is focused on ensuring his team emerge victorious in their EURO 2012 qualifying encounter against Slovakian in Zilina. By his side will be Marco Tardelli which is logical given the striker spent ten years of his playing career at Juventus with “Il Trap”.
But both know that they are entering uncharted territory as both are used to winning with this Irish team.
In his last job the Italian supremo heralded his arrival to Austria by securing the national title in his first season and with the support of the wealthy club owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, the richest club in the country could have expected nothing less than to retain the title in the second season. However it was not to be and the Republic of Ireland gained his services.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s coaching career has spanned over three decades during which he managed eight different teams - Juventus, Inter, Bayern Munich, Cagliari, Fiorentina, Benfica, Stuttgart and Salzburg - winning a total of 23 trophies in all. Amidst these titles are ten championship titles spread over four different countries with seven league triumphs form his time in Italy.
In Germany he won a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1997 and another title in Portugal with Benfica in 2005. In terms of records Trapattoni is up with all-time European list alongside Austrian coach Ernst Happel and two Scots, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jock Stein who each have 26.
Amidst all the glory and success there are a couple of less glorious moments on the exceptional CV the major one being his time managing Italy between 2000 and 2004. Beaten in the Round of 16 at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan the Italian went one worse at the EURO 2004 when the team exited in the first round in Portugal.
His second time at Bayern Munich was more controversial than the previous stint but winning the Bundesliga title spared his reputation after a fall out with some key players at the club. Years later he returned to Germany but with Stuttgart and that all ended after eight months when Stuttgart won only five games in 20 matches in 2005.
The club president at the time of his departure at Vfb Stuttgart said "Giovanni Trapattoni is an absolute gentleman and one of the most successful trainers in the world. Nevertheless, his work with the team has not been as efficient and successful as we had hoped."
When the Republic of Ireland were drawn in the same qualifying group as Italy for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa it must have been appealing to Trapattoni to take on his country of birth. Born on St Patricks Day the trip to South Africa would have been a fairy tale finish. However it was not to be either for him.
The defeat last Friday to a razor sharp Russian side managed by a crafty Dutchman, Dick Advocaat - raised on total football - highlighted two very contrasting styles as the Italian is a disciple of Catenaccio - the system beloved by so many Italian managers.
In its most literal translation the word means "door bolt" and describes a system that focuses on defence with a highly organised back line designed to prevent the opposition from scoring goals against – with goals for coming from whatever scraps are won on the break.
Managers like Fabio Cappello are also enthusiasts of the system and base their game around a four- four-two system that can struggle to cope against teams that play fast diagonal balls. As a professor of football, Advocaat would have clearly known the weakness of the Irish team ahead of the match at the Aviva Stadium.
Widely lauded for the system that stemmed the leaking of goals that pervaded the Steve Staunton era it has proven more challenging to please fans when the team is seeking goals – or trying to win matches at home. Albeit on Friday two were scored with one coming from a set piece - following a dubious penalty.
Clearly the evidence against France in the 2010 World Cup play off in Stade de France showed that the team - released of the shackles – can play attacking football at speed.
The arguments of whether Andy Reid and Stephen Ireland could add to the mix is one of those debates best left for the pub as they are not part of the Manager's plans and are now absentees. That fact notwithstanding, it is clear their style was counterproductive to the defensive straight jacket that Trapattoni prefers - and to great effect so far it has be said.
However in Zilina on Tuesday something more creative is needed as once again Trapattoni enters the choppy waters of criticism – to which he is accustomed – that brought about the end to his Italian national career and his time at Bayern Munich.
It is unlikely he will emerge from the Slovakia encounter without the three points on Tuesday as the players know now that when the straight jacket no longer works they have to take their own action.
Especially if they want to make the 2012 finals.
©OSM
No comments:
Post a Comment