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Trapattoni faced the press yesterday. INPHO/Donall Farmer

Should Trap stay or should he go? Here are the cases for and against

Since the rout by European champions Spain ended Ireland’s hopes of progression, the manager has had to answer questions about his future with the FAI. Here we spell out the pros and cons.

ALL OF A sudden, Giovanni Trapattoni’s potential departure has become a real talking point. Despite the fact that he still enjoys considerable support, that he has already signed a new contract and that he responded to suggestions he may leave with defiance, there is a definite debate. Here, we attempt to spell it out…

Reasons Trap should stay

  • Whatever about what has happened at the European Championship, taking Ireland there met the team’s stated target. That means he deserves to try and meet another.
  • The defeats give a false impression of the team due to the quality of the group. Imagine Ireland had been in Group A. It would surely have been a completely different tournament.
  • The manager has mentioned he’ll make changes. This time, given the watershed this tournament will surely bring, he’ll make them.
  • Trapattoni has also put in a solid base (recent defeats notwithstanding). He should be allowed to build on it.

Reasons Trap should go

  • When you look at it, four years is actually quite a long time in international football.
  • Trapattoni’s tactical errors — not least playing two in midfield against Spain — illustrate a manager who, while once great, is now out of step.
  • It’s time for a fresh approach in general. New, younger players promoted. A new manager. Just different ideas.
  • The conservative football was defendable while the team were getting results. It isn’t if they’re not. At least, if we were to get similar results against teams like Germany and Sweden in qualifying, it could be done in a style that actually entertains people.

What do you think?


Poll Results:

He deserves another campaign (1106)
Time to go, sadly (753)
Not sure (638)

Euro 2012: talking points, day 8

‘What did he do after he played?’ Trap hits back at Roy Keane criticisms

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61 Comments
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    Mute Barry Flynn
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    Jun 16th 2012, 2:40 AM

    i reckon the FAI should sack John Delaney too to be honest

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    Mute Pig Boy
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:07 AM

    Its time to go ,serious limitations with his stubborn tactics ,He had 2 years to prepare his squad for Spain and it went wrong in a big way. Some older players need to move on also ,no talk of retirements which to be fair is not a good sign .Give youth a chance next week ,nothing to lose .

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    Mute bandido anuso
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:56 AM

    We only qualified 7 months ago

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    Mute Pig Boy
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:32 AM

    Hi bandido anuso ,
    Sorry Trap all is forgiven

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    Mute Seán Dunne
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    Jun 16th 2012, 11:22 AM

    To be fair the tournament isn’t over yet. bit early to talk of retirement with a game still to play even if the game means nothing

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    Mute Sean O Luanaigh
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:07 PM

    you could have spent 10 years preparing and they still would have lost. get real.

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    Mute thomas walsh
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:08 AM

    He clearly knows soccer, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear though.

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    Mute Ann Mc Kennedy
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:28 AM

    Our players just aren’t good enuf-defo agree with the pigs ear analogy.. we have heart and soul by the tractor full but that doesnt win games.. Sowwweeeeeeeee!!

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    Mute Daragh Devlin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:26 AM

    Terrible tactics, a style of play as attractive as skid marks on an underpants, inability to make changes, reluctance to bring the best players available while instead bringing sub standard players and some so poor they haven’t even got clubs. The man should quit but he won’t cos hes stubborn and the fools in the FAI are paying him way over the odds .

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    Mute Eoin Mac An Ri
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:29 AM

    So…… We should bring back stan?

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    Mute Diarmuid Walshe
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    Jun 16th 2012, 10:51 AM

    Terrible tactics???What tactics???

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    Mute Shane Barry
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    Jun 16th 2012, 2:33 AM

    infairness it was a group of death no matter what we weren’t getting through, I think traps done good to date

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    Mute Barry Aston
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:25 AM

    His style is defensive, lacking player permissions to be creative & this will not change unless Giovanni steps aside. Do we really want more of this with at least some flare growing from younger players? Thank you good sir for everything, but time for an absolute Republic of Ireland Footall Team direction overhaul. From grass routes to top level.

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    Mute Eoin Gildea
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:12 AM

    What players in the squad have this creative flare you speak of. Delusions of grandeur.

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    Mute Declan Geraghty
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    Jun 16th 2012, 4:50 AM

    The FAI need to build a Centre of Excellence complex. All our young prospects get poached to lower league English clubs. If they had a complex where the best young players could get proper training with quality coaches we’d have a much better team in years to come. They could then invite scouts from all the leagues in Europe to come and see them.

    Think of having young Irish players dotted around Europe in Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga etc. They don’t have to be with the top teams, but it’d still be better than them learning their trade in the lower English leagues.

    Unfortunately the FAI are too cheap and it’ll never happen.

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    Mute Michael Heneghan
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    Jun 16th 2012, 5:12 AM

    Players should play in the League of Ireland first,and then transfer to TOP europen clubs

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    Mute Eoin Gildea
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:21 AM

    Brilliant point Declan

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    Mute Wolfgang Weisen
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:03 AM

    Disband the entire team and wind down the FAI. Like the Eurovision, it’s clear we just don’t have what it takes to either create a good team here or even import talent on the back of their long dead Irish grandmothers.

    Forget about soccer. Lets move on as a country and focus on elephant polo or something, at least we’ve done reasonably in that previously.

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    Mute Simon McGrath
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    Jun 16th 2012, 2:23 AM

    Get Harry in

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    Mute Robert O'Sullivan
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:56 AM

    Well said daragh

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    Mute Darin Hobbit Cox
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    Jun 16th 2012, 4:54 AM

    You can’t make chicken soup out of chicken shit!

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    Mute Richard Mark Rodgers
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    Jun 16th 2012, 4:38 AM

    With a tiny population based on former garrison towns we clearly show that we cannot compete but we give great value for money. On the other side the Management of Irish soccer are overpaid and opinionated. We need a small Executive of talented people both in Sports and Marketing terms and get rid of the rest.

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    Mute Eoin Gildea
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:20 AM

    Population argument is rubbish. Look at Croatia. As a friend said, as long as people spend their money buying foreign league jerseys, travelling to England to spend their money on teams outside Ireland youth and development like Liverpool, man Utd. Etc. there’ll be no money here to develop youth players, and good Irish teams. About 1000 youths go to English trials a year, roughly 2 succeed, and of the 998 that return home, 95% never kick a football again. These players need to be nurtured, not disillusioned by failing in a foreign league. Support your own you muppets.

    27
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    Mute Robert O'Connell
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    Jun 16th 2012, 7:30 AM

    Simple as, we are a small country trying to play and compete at the highest level possible. Once in a while we get a bit of luck mixed with no small amount of talent. Personally I would like to see the squad kept a bit fresher but trap has done well. We were in a group that was just too good.

    Trap gets us to a competition and nearly got us qualified to a world cup. I think we have little to complain about and if he goes I have no faith in the fai getting a better manager.

    Tactics were a bit off, I thought the Team looked sluggish except for Andrews, possible over trained prior to tournament but even that withstanding. We were never going to get out of the group.

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    Mute Mick Staines
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    Jun 27th 2012, 12:45 PM

    Yes we are a small country , Just like poor New Zealand, population 4.3 million, who struggle with rugby and that terrible soccer team Uruguay, Population 3.3 million..

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    Mute Martin Mac
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:30 AM

    He had to go. Appalling tactics won’t play form players. Give Roy Keane the job.

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    Mute Eoin Gildea
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:24 AM

    Oh my god. That would be a complete disaster. Keane, are you joking?

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:29 PM

    Keane u r mad. Chris Houghton should and is the only possible manager that should be given the job and bring back Brian Kerr to develop young players as he has done before

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    Mute Enda McCabe
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    Jun 16th 2012, 5:11 PM

    @Martin , don’t even joke about that.

    @Robbie, that’d be the same Chris Hughton that took the Norwich job 3 weeks ago then?

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    Mute Gary harte
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:14 AM

    lets get real here, we dont have the players so our priority should be to identifying new talent we can bring through and start from there. i think we will struggle there because we dont have alot at present. We should also give trap credit for bringing a limited team to the euros which was no mean feat. If we want to blood new players then we need to move on without him.

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    Mute Pj Kiernan
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    Jun 16th 2012, 10:14 AM

    Thats the whole problem,the squad he brought with him.he left at least 5 players at home who should be in the first team

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:26 PM

    Left players at home that should be starting. Also how do u bring on an unattached player over a premier league player ????

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    Mute Ciaran McMahon
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:10 AM

    Trap should go. He never seems to want to experiment tactics at all in friendly games. He has allways used the basic 4-4-2 formation and most of the time he was used the same starting 11. I think it is time for change of manager and also change of players and we should have a fresh start. People like Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Shay Given have been great servants to the team but it is time for them to move on. We should call up young players to the squad such as Anthony Pilkington, Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark, even Wes Hoolahon even though he isn’t young. Also Greg Cunnigham and Shane Duffy etc.. People like Long, Walters and Mcclean should defo be starting.
    If Trap does not want to do this then out he should go

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    Mute Dexter Gordon
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    Jun 16th 2012, 7:34 AM

    Give him another chance – on condition that he learns to speak English first.

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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:42 AM

    Can’t understand why people want this stubborn old man to stay? Obviously lot of journal readers know nothing about soccer! Interesting to see if O’Brien cut his salery down would he hang around? The guy only flys in for games rarely watches players playing for their clubs and you could tell even some of the players are frustrated with his tactics!

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:39 PM

    Actually can’t remember a game he has been to to watch players. Hasn’t he said he watches them on DVD ?? :( :(

    He should be travelling to as many game as possible along with his coaching staff surely each could get two games a wk in and compile reports on each of the irish players.

    Also players would want to start moving to teams were they’d play instead of been happy collecting there pay for reserve games

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    Mute Pj Kiernan
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    Jun 16th 2012, 10:17 AM

    The man is a complete fool .his comments after the spain game are proof.’they played well in training’ the first team played the second team in training,a under 12 team would play well against the likes of green and mcshane

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    Mute Audrius Neviera
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    Jun 16th 2012, 5:56 AM

    No c’mon lads…Spain and Italy may have Xavi and Pirlo, but Ireland still have Long Cox.

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    Mute Colm Wynne
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:04 AM

    All this complaining about Trap… What a load of crap, as if ye would do a better job… Get real, truth is he’s the best we’ve had for a long time, ye know that so quit talking shit and get on with it…

    One more thing, who cares if he’s not fluent in English, that’s not his job… He’s a football manager

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    Mute Diarmuid Walshe
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    Jun 16th 2012, 10:55 AM

    Keane isnt fluent in English either.

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    Mute Kevin Lynch
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    Jun 16th 2012, 8:42 AM

    No point in reaching the finals of competitions if your not going to compete. Delaney said had trapp was doing a super job and was happy with the way he was progressing…… We were given our worst beating in over 40 years. We had 1 shot on goal. If this is progress, maybe we should get Trapp to talk to the ECB and the IMF, this place could be the land of milk and honey by say 2099.

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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:55 AM

    Never understand fai giving managers new contracts before tournaments Delaney was on today fm talking shite as many have said watch them get poor attendance at the Aviva during the next campaign, look at Hodgson and England that’s how you bring young players in and win.

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:44 PM

    It’s ridiculous contracts should be given at the end of tournaments not before.

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    Mute Cari Machado
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    Jun 16th 2012, 7:42 AM

    Trapattoni has also put in a solid base (recent defeats notwithstanding). He should be allowed to build on it.

    http://postcanyontrading.com/

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    Mute Davy Soup
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:46 AM

    It would cost the FAI a fortune to sack Trap so not going to happen. Let’s stick with him for one more campaign. He is no clown, 23 trophies in his cabinet prove enough for me. I believe he will change things up for our next campaign and introduce new players. Retirements of some of our senior players will also remove the shackles of loyalty Trap showed to those who helped us qualify. He will be as disappointed as any fan with our performance in the competition and will do all he can to improve the team for Brazil. If we pull of a result v Italy we all might feel a bit more positive about ourselves.

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:42 PM

    Been honest not bothered by the result if he starts with a different 11 would like to see Westwood McLean Gibson start cant say there unproven if they don’t play look at chamberlain for England. Taught he done well to be honest

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    Mute Sam I Am
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    Jun 16th 2012, 9:41 AM

    Little chance he’ll leave, the FAI won’t pay his contract up (O’Brien might). And then theres the question who will replace him? Roy Keane? Beg Staunton back?

    Whether you like his tactics or not he got us to the first European championship since 1988, that is no mean feat. Plus we were a handball away from the world cup.

    What more can a small nation exporting its players to the bottom half of the prem/ championship expect really?

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    Mute Jimmy Dunphy
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:55 PM

    Rednapp !!!

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    Mute Darren Burke
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:11 PM

    First qualification for the Euros in 24 years, of course he deserves another campaign. Also, enough with the ‘Roy Keane to take over’ suggestions please!

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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Jun 16th 2012, 11:26 AM

    A bit of player power maybe refuse to play for the old codger if called up, why go to make up the numbers when your never going to get a game?

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:48 PM

    Don’t think not playing for him would be of any use just call up some one who will. I’d play under anyone to repesent my country everone who’s ever played no matter what level that’s the dream. What they need to do is force him to change tactics and play like they did against France. One of the best performance by any irish team and now we have got backwards not forward

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    Mute Rod Large
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    Jun 16th 2012, 11:23 AM

    Roy K as next Ireland manager and God help the blazers in FAI!

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    Mute Sxcc James
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    Jun 16th 2012, 3:35 PM

    looked like he was going to die of a stroke. let him go ppl he’s old

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    Mute Fay
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    Jun 16th 2012, 11:24 AM

    You know what annoy’s me..before the euro’12…they were all going..”trap is brilliant”..now after the 2 games and,the players were crap!…..we are throwing him to the wolfs!.make your minds up!…MY RANT IS OVER!!…

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    Mute Robbie Cronin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 12:45 PM

    I never liked him so the euros proved I was right ,wrong tactics wrong squad

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    Mute Andrew Clavin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 4:12 PM

    i dont think we were all saying that he was great..its fine qualifying..but we have to compete!

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    Mute Andrew Clavin
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    Jun 16th 2012, 4:11 PM

    he has done his bit in getting us to a tournament.fair play to him,but…
    he seems to fall out with players at times…darron gibson is a better player than andrews or whelan!..coleman is a premier league star..hoolahan can upset a defence ..yet they were not given a chance.
    we need to move in a different direction,trap has said he wanted to make us hard to beat…well he has been found out im afraid.
    Brian mcdermott at reading has spoken of his desire to one day manage Ireland,,,he has some family connection..he wud get us passing the ball.

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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Jun 16th 2012, 1:30 PM

    Fai should pull him in and tell him in no uncertain terms that he needs to start with some of the fringe players on Monday and if he doesn’t like it get out, I get the impression that he thinks he can just blame the small player pool for the poor results and it’s not his fault as for the poster ranting about us all complaining about turning on him before the tournament not through a lot of fans could see this was going to be a disaster he had been a lucky manager up until now but found out this tournament time to go

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    Mute conor coughlan
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    Jun 16th 2012, 11:36 AM

    he shud stay nd the world cup they shud hav got in henry cheated nd they got into the euros nd u cant say hes bad

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    Mute Seamus Ryan
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    Jun 17th 2012, 2:59 AM

    Greece, Croatia all dispelling this small nation crap. Both teams organised by managers that pick a system to suit his players, not as Trap does. His system is the only system and the players have to fall into that system. Trap played 5 in midfield against Spain put Cox in as the 5th midfielder but he is a striker. He brought Cox on against Croatia and played him on the left even though he had two wingers on the bench. He is too stuborn and to old to change and I think the team will sufer because of him.

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