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Giovanni Trapattoni addresses the media at Craven cottage this morning. INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
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Robbie Brady needs first-team action to seal Irish spot, warns Trapattoni

“We need to play with the players who know the system and who know what they can do because the Germans are strong,” says Trap.

IRELAND MANAGER Giovanni Trapattoni has told Robbie Brady he must play first-team football if he is to build on his impressive international debut and become a regular for his country.

The 20-year-old forward marked his maiden senior appearance for his country by scoring one goal and setting up two others in a 4-1 friendly international win over Oman at Fulham’s Craven Cotagge home in London yesterday.

However, Brady has yet to make a senior appearance for Manchester United and veteran Italian boss Trapattoni said he needed to force his way into the reckoning at Old Trafford or go out on loan to a second-tier Championship club in order to develop his career.

“This is a problem we have in our team, that five or six players only usually play 30 minutes or so every week,” said Trapattoni.

And the 73-year-old Trapattoni ruled Brady out from playing in the Republic’s next World Cup qualifier against Germany in Dublin on October 12.

“I have been asked whether players who play in friendlies will play in the qualifiers immediately after before and in the case of the game against Germany, the answer is no. Absolutely no.

“We need to play with the players who know the system and who know what they can do because the Germans are strong.”

Ireland produced one of the worst performances of Trapattoni’s reign on Friday as they scraped a 2-1 win in Kazakhstan thanks to last-gasp goals from Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle. But the veteran manager insisted: “I choose the players on the basis of the job ahead.

“Obviously there are players in the squad who are coming back like Richard Dunne and maybe Damien Duff.”

Brady in action last night. INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

Brady impressed on loan at Hull last season and took part in United’s pre-season tour of South Africa. The forward, who can play on either wing or just behind a main striker, became the record goal-scorer for the country’s U-21 team last week, but Trapattoni thinks he still has plenty of room for improvement

“Brady played well, he has good creative qualities,” the manager said. ”But I spoke with him after the game and told him he needs to understand that although he is a good dribbler and he shows good personality, he must also sometimes play it simple.

“There were two or three times last night where he missed the opportunity to pass the ball.”

Job security

Trapattoni’s position was called into question after Ireland’s poor showing at Euro 2012 and it came under fresh scrutiny following Friday’s lacklustre display in Astana. However, an enthusiastic Trapattoni said: “We now know better the attitude of the players we have brought in and we played better yesterday than we did in Kazakhstan.”

Trapattoni said last week he hoped to persuade the 33-year-old Duff out of international retirement.

But asked if the winger, who plays at Craven Cottage for Premier League Fulham, would return for the qualifying double-header against Germany and the Faroe Islands, Trapattoni replied Wednesday: “I don’t know.

“I don’t know what I am doing on October 12. Maybe I eat fish or drink milk. I can’t discuss this now.  I will speak about this when it is the time,” he added.

- © AFP, 2012

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