The FC 100: Loves Talking Football.

                 
(Trapattoni in his previous job as a dirty old man)

Giovanni Trapattoni has been appointed as the Republic of Ireland’s new manager, ending a four-month search for Steve Staunton’s successor.

The Italian will have gone a long way to forming a good relationship with Irish fans already by declaring his belief that Ireland can win a tricky group that includes Italy and Serbia. He said:

“Ireland are not a second-rate team, they are supposed to be a first-rate team. Qualifying for the World Cup in 2010 will be hard, and playing against the Italian team will make me proud, but it should be possible for Ireland to come first.”

Trapattoni managed Italy from 2000 to 2004 and brings a wealth of experience and a hugely impressive track record at club level, with six Serie A titles with Juventus and one with Inter Milan to his name. He has also won domestic club titles with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Salzburg.

“In the last two weeks I received offers from various clubs, and about 10 days ago representatives of the Football Association of Ireland approached me. I found their offer very interesting. I am very comfortable here in Salzburg. We won the Austrian title last year and we have a great chance to win the title again this year again. But the opportunity to manage the Irish team would give me a lot more time to spend with my family. My lawyers in Milan and representatives of the FAI came come to an agreement and I accepted their offer. Leaving the title as a farewell present to my Bulls is now my number one aim.”

 (Brady in his days at Juventus) 

Trapattoni will also try to bring RTE pundit Liam Brady into the new Irish set-up and he believes the Irishman can combine any post with his current job at Arsenal. Brady also played under Trapattoni at Juventus and is well-respected within the game. As the panel said at the press conference, Trapattoni is keen to bring in someone Irish to work with the team and Brady, a fluent Italian speaker, fits the bill perfectly.

“I know Liam from our mutual time at Juventus,” said Trapattoni. “I called him and asked him for his thoughts on my commitment with the FAI, and when he said it was okay, I asked him for assistance if needed. I am positive that  Arsene Wenger, who is a friend of mine, will lend me Liam’s services if I called him.”

The FAI are holding held a press conference to anounce the arrival of Giovanni Trapattoni.

Ray Houghton: “I couldn’t give a more glowing report. 100% hand on heart when I spoke to him for two hours I knew he was the right man for the job. We need to get everyone behind the new manager coming in.”

Don Givens: “It seemed like a pipe dream at the start”

Houghton: “We will not reveal who we interviewed. Some were in employment, some weren’t. I think there was around 7 who were interviewed.”

Givens: “It’s a two-year contract starting on the 1st of May with an option to renew it afterwards.”

John Delaney: “He can come here and do a press conference while he is employed with Salzburg or he can come here in May. Over the next couple of days we’ll talk about that. He’ll live in Milan.”

Delaney: “He deserves a lot of credit for the gesture. I hope more people like him get involved in investing in Irish football. (referring to the man who has offered to pay half of the managements’ wages).”

It’s an important week ahead in the footballing world. Kind of. Well we’re gonna try and make it sound like it’s important anyway.

International Week:

Fabio Capello took his first training session as England manager today. While the media feverishly tried to figure out who will captain England against Switzerland, a rare honest moment from a Premiership footballer came when Steven Gerrard admitted the players were nervous about meeting Capello.
The fact that Beckham was left out indicates the Italian will not be succumbing to popular or media opinion. While it seems cruel to deny Beckham the 100th cap, the simple fact is - it’s not.
We’ve said our piece about Beckham:

http://thefc100.wordpress.com/2007/11/20/england-v-croatia-preview/

Continue reading ‘The week ahead’

16:46 Meanwhile hosts South Africa have drawn Nigeria in a tough group in the African section of the draw…

16:42 So there it is then. Scotland and Wales have the toughest groups. Northern Ireland and Ireland will be hopeful of getting second. England will be quietly confident. Who would have predicted that??

16:36 Pot 7: France, Romania, Serbia, Lithania, Austria and Faroe Islands. Not bad for France, not great though. Romania looked really strong in Euro 2008 qualifying and led the Netherlands the whole way. Serbia are generally tricky, though France will not be knocking their knees just yet. Austria are the biggest name in the 5th seeds but some fans have asked the government to pull them out of Euro2008 as they fear an embarassment. Blimey.

16:34 Pot 8: IRELAND. Yes they get capitals because they’re my team. It looked good for a while there. Italy threw a spanner in the works. Ireland have a great shot though, at least at a play-off place. Bulgaria are decent, yes, but revenge against Cyprus, a familiar foe in Georgia and the mighty Montenegro should all be beaten, leaving a fight with Bulgaria to secure second place. Italy won’t fancy their games against Ireland too much though. If Ireland can get them in Croke Park next year the atmosphere will be sensational and Ireland will at least be reminded of their glory day in 94 when they beat Italy 1-0. Unfortunately this does mean Ray Houghton will be providing the commentary for RTE….bugger.

16:32 Pot 9: It’s going to take a titanic effort again from Scotland. Netherlands haven’t looked great so far, but they will get stronger, no doubt, as Van Basten gets more time with them. However, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland are no push-overs. A runner up spot will be a tough ask, let alone even winning the group.

Continue reading ‘World Cup Draw - Live!’

Well, Israel did it. Russia crumbled and the draw that kept their hopes alive was dashed when straight after hitting Israel’s post, they conceded a last-minute equaliser.
England coach Steve McLaren reinforced his god-like status when he revealed how he was always sure it would come down to the final game against Croatia. Fair play Steve. Maybe England lost to Russia last time out on purpose.
The Sunday Times’ Joe Lovejoy reveals today that several sources in the FA have revealed McLaren is on borrowed time regardless of Wednesday’s result at home to Croatia.
Continue reading ‘Israel 2 Russia 1 (plus a round-up of Scotland, Wales, North+Rep of Ireland)’

Stephen Ireland has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad to face Germany and Cyprus over the next four days. The news is another blow to Steve Staunton as he prepares to try and get some morale boosting points on board although it is a case of too little too late for Ireland who are realistically out of the reckoning to qualify.

Staunton has faced an unending cycle of criticism from the media in Ireland. Performances have been poor in games that should have been easily won by a team with Ireland’s quality of player. Cyprus and San Marino each inflicted misery on Ireland, while the performances against Slovakia and the Czechs last month effectively ended any hope of qualification for another major tournament.

However, in his defence, Staunton has provided great support to Stephen Ireland over the debacle of his withdrawal half-way through last months qualifying  games. The Man City midfielder has been criticised over his handling of the episode albeit despite the fact that he clearly had issues that would have affected any player, or any person for that matter. The way Ireland went about withdrawing however, was unfair on Staunton, a coach who has given him not only a lot of support, but has also been a strong influence on Ireland’s rise to prominence as a quality midfielder. Ireland’s goals for his country have certainly gone some way to paying back that debt, however Staunton can feel aggrieved that the player has decided to withdraw from the International games this week ahead at a time when Staunton needs him more than ever.

Continue reading ‘Stephen Ireland’

  McFadden: ‘ave it’.

Well it was a dramatic night in Europe as the Euro 2008 qualification groups began to really heat up, with some groups incredibly tight entering the last three games.

Group A:

• Poland - 21 (11)
• Finland - 19 (11)
• Portugal - 17 (10)
• Serbia - 16 (10)

Portugal will be kicking themselves after blowing a fantastic opportunity to close in on leaders Poland. Poland were held to a 0-0 draw earlier on the Wednesday meaning Portugal hosted Serbia in a game both sides knew was vital to their qualification chances. But just as the weekend produced 2draws between the top-4, Wednesday followed suit with Serbia’s 88th minute equaliser crushing Portugal’s hopes as Poland had done on the Saturday with a late equaliser of their own. Simao gave Portugal an early lead with a free-kick, however when Dejan Stankovic swung over a free-kick of his own late on, Ivanović was able to turn the ball in from close range leaving Group A tighter than a……

Group B:

• Scotland - 21 (9)
• Italy - 20 (9)
• France - 19 (9)
• Ukraine - 13 (

Scotland produced the shock of the night when they defeated France by a goal to nil for the second time in this group, this time away from home. James McFadden’s sublime strike ensured that Scotland took two wins from two over the four days and are now top, as our delightful little league table shows you (see above). While France possibly can’t take anymore sporting defeats after their shock loss to Argentina in the hosts opening game of the ’fakey jokey’ World Cup last Friday, Scotland know that they are in a phenomenal position to make next years tournament. Italy are also in a better position after a 2-1 victory in Ukraine. Shevchenko scored his first goal of the season (he still gets a game at International level) but Antonoio Di Natale struck either side of the hosts’ goal to send Italy second. Scotland still have work to do, Italy and Ukraine must visit Hamden Park, while France face the tricky trip to Kiev, but the Tartan Army have given themselves the best possibly chance, although Darren Fletcher was ruled out of the Ukraine game after another yellow card last night.

Group C:

• Greece - 19 (
• Norway - 17 (9)
• Turkey - 17 (
• Bosnia-Herzegovina - 13 (9)

In another tight group, Norway and Greece drew 2-2 at the Ullevaal Stadium, giving Turkey the opportunity to close the gap, thanks to a 3-0 win over Hungary at home.  While Bosnia can still qualify mathematically, their shock defeat at home to Moldova looks like it’s ruled them out of the running. Turkey face Greece at home and Norway away in vital remaining fixtures which will decide this group.

Group D:

• Germany - 22 (
• Czech Republic - 20 (9)
• Republic of Ireland - 14 (9)

It’s all over barring a miracle for Steve Staunton’s men after another away defeat, this time 1-0 to the Czech Republic. Despite a Kevin Doyle effort which hit the post and several other chances, Stephen Hunt’s harsh red card just past the hour mark effectively ended any hope Ireland had of getting a crucial goal. Marek Jankulovski’s fine effort seperated the teams, and a tearful Staunton admitted after the game that it had probably ended Irish chances for 2008, with the focus now on rebuilding for the 2010 World Cup. Whether Staunton remains in charge is up for discussion though, with the media likely to be on his back following one point from two vital games in the week. Germany should wrap up the group as they have a game in hand, however should Ireland reclaim some pride by beating them in Croke Park, they will face the Czechs to decide who goes through as group winner.

Group E:

• Croatia - 23 (9)
• England - 20 (9)
• Russia - 18 (9)
• Israel - 17 (9)

Yep, you guessed it, it’s a little too tight to call. England’s two 3-0 successes have blown the group right open again, but Croatia’s 6-0 hammering of Andorra leaves them well in control of their own fate. England must travel to Russia and host Croatia in two vital games left to play, while Croatia host Israel in what will be the away sides last chance of qualifying next month. Game on…….

Group F:

• Sweden - 19 (
• Spain - 19 (9)
• Northern Ireland - 16 (9)
• Denmark - 14 (

Spare a thought for poor old Northern Ireland fans this morning. Successive defeats to Latvia and Iceland have probably ended their chances yet again, after new boss Frank Worthington was unable to replicate Lawrie Sanchez’ previous successes in this group. Spain won 2-0 at home to Latvia while Denmark hammered Liechtenstein 4-0 to set up next month’s home tie with Spain as the vital key to remaining in the qualification hunt. Spain host Sweden in November in an attempt to reel in the group leaders who have a game in hand to go three points clear at the top.

GROUP G:

• Romania - 20 (
• Netherlands - 20 (
• Bulgaria - 18 (9)

Bulgaria remain in the hunt for qualification after a comfortable 3-0 win over Luxembourg at home last night. However the night was almost perfect for Bulgaria and Romania before Ruud van Nistelrooy popped up in the 91st minute to secure a 1-0 away win over Albania, after it had looked as though the minnows would throw a spanner in the Dutch hopes for going level on points with leaders Romania. Next month’s clash between Romania and the Netherlands is now even more significant, with the winners likely to end up as automatic qualifiers from the final group. Romania still have a tricky trip to Bulgaria to contend with in November though so there’s still plenty to play for for each of the top three sides.

So there it is. Group D is the only one which we can comfortably say we know who the top two will be. For the remaining groups it is game on and there will be plenty more twists and turns to come no doubt.

     VS        

 The Republic of Ireland have been keeping a reasonably low-profile ahead of their vital double-header against Slovakia and the Czech Republic this week. While manager Steve Staunton has been heavily criticised by the Irish media so far, things are beginning to click for his team, and the impressive 4-0 win over Denmark in last month’s friendly has increased optimism that Ireland can take the necessary points in these games to give themselves a shot at qualifying.

While Germany are well out in front, and have a huge goal difference thanks to their 13-0 demolition of San Marino, Ireland are very much in the mix for second spot, and can take heart from the fact that they should have beaten the Czechs in Lansdowne Road back at the start of qualifying, instead they had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Furthermore a 1-0 win over Slovakia in March exposed the Eastern Europeans as a team that Ireland are well capable of beating. Confidence will go a long way, and the Czechs will go into the match in confident form as they face San Marino on the Saturday. If Ireland beat Slovakia, it will essentially become a straight fight for second with the Czechs and it makes Wednesday’s encounter all the more intriguing.            

Staunton:  We have to change the mindset of the whole country. We’ve never done well against big teams away from home but, in saying that, we have accepted that draws have been great results. They are - but only if you qualify. At the end of the day, I want us to have a winning mentality. I think the lads proved in Denmark that there is a belief within the squad and that will grow with each game and get-together

                                         Pld         Pts

• Germany                   7           19   
• Czech Republic         7            14
• Rep of Ireland            7            13
• Slovakia                    7             9 
• Wales                       6             7
• Cyprus                      7             7
• San Marino                7             0

Saturday, 08 September 2007

European Championship Qualifying

(McLaren’s cheek implants get the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’)

Fixture, Group, Time:

Belarus v Romania, G, 17:00
Croatia v Estonia, E, 19:30
England v Israel, E, 17:00
Georgia v Ukraine, B, 16:00
Hungary v Bosnia-Herzegovina, C, 15:00
Iceland v Spain, F, 21:00
Italy v France, B, 19:50
Latvia v Northern Ireland, F, 17:15
Luxembourg v Slovenia, G, 16:00
Malta v Turkey, C, 18:30
Moldova v Norway, C, 19:00
Netherlands v Bulgaria, G, 19:30
Portugal v Poland, A, 21:00
Russia v FYR Macedonia, E, 16:00
San Marino v Czech Republic, D, 19:15
Scotland v Lithuania, B, 15:00
Serbia v Finland, A, 19:15
Slovakia v Rep of Ireland, D, 19:30
Sweden v Denmark, F, 19:30
Wales v Germany, D, 19:30

There’s something wrong with me. I actually nervously anticipate international football weeks when I can no longer find a decent game four or five days a week. It’s not like I watch football all the time. But I like to have the option in case something tickles my fancy. I don’t like to have to go through pages and pages of Steve McLaren’s dillemas about midfielders; whether Northern Ireland and Scotland have what it takes to qualify; how bad Wales are and whether the Republic of Ireland can complete a miracuolous recovery to save Steve Staunton’s reputation as manager. The problem is, they’re the same stories every time the clubs say goodbye to their best players for a week or ten days. With the club scene we get to see games with players who play together all the time, take pride in their performance (mostly) and have some sense of team morale and rhythm to their game. International teams are strange to watch as they should really be the best eleven players (fitness permitting) the country has to offer. And yet watching Ireland struggle to a win over San Marino or England playing….anyone, you realise that these teams will always be bound by differences. It must be hard playing alongside players you can’t stand. Should we really believe that Gerrard and Gary Neville relish each other’s company? Do the Chelsea and Liverpool lads suddenly realise that they could potentially be best friends if only they weren’t training every single day to beat them on the football pitch?

Still, being thankful for small mercies, at least we’ve got to the important stages of the groups, where results really matter and we can see who the potential Euro 2008 competitors will be. Of the British and Irish teams, only Wales can rule themselves out of the running for qualification, and this is another reason to be cheerful. While England have qualified for all the recent major tournaments, the others have been struggling of late, with the Republic of Ireland having failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments following a promising campaign in 2002.

Group B: Scotland: Scotland are in a decent position given that they have World Cup 2006 Final participants France and Italy in their group. Having pulled off a shock 1-0 win over France earlier in qualifying, Scotland know that they have to repeat that performance against one of the two footballing giants in order to at least gain a play-off spot. While the chances of qualifying are slim, victory over Lithuania on Saturday will help as Italy and France square off this Saturday, while Italy travel to Ukraine in another tricky trip on the same Wednesday that Scotland travel to France. Four points from the two games will leave the Scotland camp hoping that they can get back onto Europe’s biggest stage.

Group D: Ireland: The Republic of Ireland face two tricky trips to Eastern Europe, starting with Slovakia on Saturday. After some poor performances in the earlier stages of qualifying, the Irish media were calling for Steve Staunton’s head. Now, on the back of a 4-0 win over Denmark in a friendly last month, plus wins in tricky games against Slovakia and Wales in their last two group games, Ireland are beginning to show signs of pulling together at the right time. Slovakia have left out some experienced players for the Ireland game and Ireland will know they need to take the maximum points from that game before a harder test in the shape of the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The Czechs aren’t the team they were though, and were indeed fortunate to salvage a point from their trip to Ireland earlier in the group. That night, the Czechs were second best to an Ireland team under new management. Next Wednesday, Ireland will hope to take a major step towards Euro 2008, six points from the two games will have to be the aim with Germany six points ahead and the other three teams battling for the play-off place.