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McClean training last night. INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan Information

‘Players pulled McClean up on his rant’ – Doyle

The Wolves striker revealed that several of the Irish players told the winger he had crossed the line with his angry tweet.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND striker  Kevin Doyle has revealed his team’s senior players gave James McClean a stern rebuke after foul-mouthed Twitter rant.

McClean was fuming after being left as an unused substitute during Ireland’s 2-1 win over Kazakhstan in their opening 2014 World Cup qualifier on Friday and the Sunderland winger took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

Describing his experience in Astana as a “f****n’ joke”, McClean added that he was left “embarrassed” at not being sent on by Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

McClean later apologised for the rant, but Doyle said the 23-year-old was still given a dressing down by several players, who pulled him aside straight after the game to tell him his tweet had crossed the line.

We found out about it pretty much straight away and we said it to him straight away – it’s not acceptable,” said Doyle, whose country face Oman in a friendly at Fulham’s Craven Cottage on tonight.

Wolves star Doyle has seen his fair share of off-the-field controversies with the Republic during his international career and he thinks McClean will actually benefit from the experience of his telling off.

“We ended up joking about it the next day,” Doyle added. “It’s been good because it has probably got him integrated in to the group a bit more because we have all been taking the p**s out of him.

“We were thinking of getting him to sing in front of the group again – that made him nervous enough. I think he nearly cried the first time he did it.

“A few of the lads find it quite traumatic when they stand up in front of us so it might have been good for him.”

-AFP 2012

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    Mute Éamonn Flanagan
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    Sep 11th 2012, 8:30 AM

    Glad to hear that the players have ‘forgiven’ James his indiscretion. I have no doubt they will have understood the frustration that caused it and won’t hold a grudge. Pity the same can’t be said about the manager. His suggestion that McLean is not being punished is hollow in the extreme. So many fans have been commenting on Trapattoni’s faults over the past months e.g. His team selections, his tactics or lack thereof, his inexplicable substitute policy, his inability to change approach etc etc. I agree with all of these but for me his greatest fault is his dishonesty. He is dishonest when he says McLean is not being punished just as he was when he said similar things about other players regarding their non-inclusion in the team or squad. He has been dishonest with the players and the fans when he stated that inclusion in the team and squad is largely dependent upon players playing at the highest level (Premier league or equivalent) consistently as witnessed by his continuing policy of playing players who consistently dont meet his criteria before those who do – the latest example being the naming of Paul McShane at centre half when Ciaran Clark is not even in the squad. This beggars belief. He is slowly but surely browbeating players to his will, ruthlessly quelling any dissension (justified or not). This, and his inept style of play is alienating players and fans alike. He must be pressurised to go or sacked before the damage becomes irreparable.

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    Sep 11th 2012, 9:47 AM

    Doyle is coming across as traps bitch

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    Mute Éamonn Flanagan
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    Sep 11th 2012, 10:53 AM

    Perhaps a bit strong Peter but you have an underlying point. It seems incongrous to say the least that Doyle would claim that he is not frustrated at being on the sidelines and then saying that he understands why this is so i.e. his relegation to the Championship therefore, as my postnabove suggests, not meeting Trapattoni’s stated criteria for regular inclusion. The incongruity lies in the fact that Doyle (in Friday’s game alone) watched 5 players (Westwood, St Leger, Ward, Cox and perhaps O’Dea) who also didn’t meet Trapattoni’s criteria start the game. Perhaps, Doyle is engaging in a bit of self-preservation knowing where he to dissent in anyway he would quickly find himself sidelined again. It’s all part of the same malaise just a different way of dealing with it.

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    Sep 11th 2012, 12:49 PM

    The Manager is quite obviously a senile old git.

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    Mute Marc Goldrick
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    Sep 11th 2012, 10:00 PM

    Mclean was right what he did, do not see trap showing him any respect! Its also a disgrace that this man think he is above him self not going to see all the irish players playing in there leagues…..

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