Trapattoni could become the Tinkerman for one night only

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni, center, talks with his players during the official training of Ireland on the eve of the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group C match between Spain and the Republic of Ireland in Gdansk, Poland, Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Photo: AP/Peter Morrison

Miguel Delaney

14 June 2012

Make no mistake — because Giovanni Trapattoni can’t afford to. In order to keep Ireland at Euro 2012 by at least a drawing with Spain, the Italian must both change and make history. And, to do that, he’s likely to surprisingly change his mind.

Unwilling to name his starting XI on the eve of the game, Trapattoni did say he would make “maybe one or two” changes to the team who lost 3-1 to Croatia.

If the rumblings from the camp are to be believed, they will be Jonathan Walters or Simon Cox for Kevin Doyle, with whoever comes in shuffling between midfield and attack to further congest the Spanish supply lines.

For a manager that is fixated with his rigid 4-4-2, even that subtle shift marks a significant — and somewhat unprecedented — change. But, then, it will take something like that to secure an unprecedented result.

The dimensions of the Spanish challenge are, of course, well known: world and European champions; possibly the greatest team of all time.

But the dimensions of this exact match, for Ireland, go even deeper. There is an argument that it is the biggest game the country has ever faced.

Even if the 1990 World Cup quarter-final against the hosts, Italy, was a higher stage, it feels the stakes and the status of the opposition are a level up again here. Ireland have never absolutely had to get a result against a team of such renown.

Indeed, they never really have got such a result against a team of such renown. In the 11 years since Jason McAteer’s goal beat Holland to send Ireland on the way to the 2002 World Cup, the team have only beaten one team ranked higher than them in a competitive match: Slovakia in 2007. As goes without saying, they’ve also never beaten the defending world champions in a competitive match.

As such, Ireland’s progress is going to require something of a freak occurrence.

“Listen, we know it will be a tough game,” said skipper Robbie Keane. “We’re playing against the best team, with the best players in the world. We’re not naive, we’re not daft. We have to give exactly what we’ve been giving in the last few years: that commitment, that desire. Probably everyone in this room has written the script — Spain are going to beat us. Certainly, no one in our dressing room believes that. And, as captain, I don’t believe it. It’s 11 against 11, 90 minutes.”

Keane’s expected inclusion in that very XI – indeed, he all but confirmed he will appear as a lone striker – has caused some debate in Ireland.

Several polls have been marginally in favour of dropping the 31-year-old, as he is enduring the worst drought of his international career since 2001. That the run is still only five games says a lot about Keane’s prolific history for Ireland.

“We weren’t creating much as a team,” Keane argued of his own blank against Croatia. “We’ve only got a couple of games left. Hopefully, we get a couple of opportunities and, be it against Spain or Italy, hopefully I can take them.”

The likelihood is, of course, that Spain will have the vast majority of the opportunities and possession. This is the case in most matches because opponents adjust their system out of acceptance that Spain simply have more of the ball. With Ireland, however, it will be because all of their games are that way. Defending deep is the standard tactic.

And, given how Spain can get frustrated by such approaches and even leave themselves open to quick breaks, that at least offers hope.

Another reason for hope may be the state of the PGE Arena pitch here in Gdansk. The Spanish players already complained about it after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Italy.

Unlike his compatriots, however, Trapattoni says he has no problem with the pitch being watered beforehand. In surprisingly relaxed and good-humoured mood, he even joked about it last night, gently mocking his captain for playing in the United States with LA Galaxy.

“I’ve already read the forecast,” said Trapattoni. “The forecast says tomorrow morning will be raining. Maybe it’s a mistake. For us, in Ireland, it’s always raining. And in Las Vegas too, aye Robbie? Maybe we can also ask for the pitch to be watered.”

The upbeat mood was in stark contrast to the severity of Ireland’s challenge. Trapattoni, Keane and Ireland won’t mind, however, if overturning expectations becomes something of a theme.

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Trapattoni could become the Tinkerman for one night only

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