Italy v Ireland - 31st May K.O @7.45

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 Trap junior wrote:

Roseanne nice points. While I said MON wouldn't get anywhere near  Trapattoni's record I admit it was a bit of a rash statement. However I really do believe that MON will be doing exceptionally well to merely match Trapattoni's record as manager. 2nd in our first campaign in a group with the world champions, only to be narrowly beaten to France in the playoff. 2nd place in the 2nd campaign with a resounding victory in the playoffs and qualification. Got us up to 17th in the world rankings or something. We know from the Euros onwards it was a bit of a disaster but overall he did an excellent job and only in time will people come to realise that.

For MON to match that record he has to finish 2nd twice plus qualify us for a tournament. I think we will finish at best 3rd this campaign and I think it could be 4th if I am being honest. 

People villified Mick McCarthy back in 2002 but he was our 2nd best manager of all time! It wasnt until the sh*te of Kerr, and Staunton did people appreciate the job he did. Those same people wanted him back as manager in 2013!

Thanks for that.  You are absolutely right, it will be exceptional if MON matches what Trap did in qualifying us for a tournament especially when you consider a number of the players have since retired.  The other thing Trap can be thanked for is bringing through some of the younger/fringe players - it was he who gave Forde his debut for example when he probably thought his chance of getting into the Ireland team would be long gone.  Like most of us, he'd probably have assumed Westwood would be next in line to Given and he has certainly grabbed the chance with both hands.

I do believe MON can do it though.  OK club football isn't the same as international football because you can't buy players in international football but, when he came to Celtic, we had been utterly humiliated in the season just ended and there was no belief that things were going to get better.  15 minutes into his first derby, we were 3-0 up, we went on to win 6-2 and that was the game that I think showed that we were back!  He went on to win us our first treble in over 30 years, got us to a UEFA cup final where we were narrowly beaten in extra time beating the likes of Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Liverpool and to a UEFA cup quarter final the following year - during that run we knocked Barca out with a 19 year old in goals for part of the home leg and and the entire leg at the Nou Camp - he kept a clean sheet each time.  My point is that he is absolutely capable of getting the unexpected out of teams.  

BTW, if we finish third, me being me, I believe we'll win the damn group!    If we finish third, we can still qualify through the play-offs.  If he did that, I'd be every bit as delighted as if we did it by winning the group or coming second.    

Oh God, don't remind me of Staunton.     Someone suggested him for the Celtic job yesterday on another board.    I think even my sanity would be tested if that came to pass. 