SHAY GIVEN BELIEVES that Giovanni Trapattoni’s time as Republic of Ireland manager is up.
Despite coming under renewed pressure since the defeat to Sweden, Trapattoni is determined to see out the end of his contract which is believed to run until next summer.
Only a win against Austria tonight would salvage any hope of Ireland finishing second in Group C and qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
But Given, who retired from international football after the disappointment of Euro 2012, feels the writing is on the wall for Trap.
“Trapattoni has had a good reign,” the Aston Villa goalkeeper told talkSPORT this morning.
“We just missed out on the World Cup with the Henry handball in Paris and then we qualified for the European Championships.
He’s had a good run at it but I just think people in general are looking for a change. They want someone fresh in with fresh ideas.It could be the end of his tenure and time for someone else to take the reins on and hopefully lead us to the next World Cup and European Championships.
The limp display against Sweden has led to concerns that the players have lost all faith in Trapattoni but Given said that there was never any dressing-room rift during his time in the squad.
“There’s never been a problem at all. One of the problems probably is the language barrier. Sometimes it’s difficult for him to get his message across with his lack of English.
“We are a small nation, people shouldn’t forget that, and it’s difficult to qualify for these major tournaments.”
