If rumours that Trap is prepared to drop Kevin Doyle for Simon Cox against the Russians for Tuesday afternoon, we’re in far deeper trouble than expected.
By Niall Delaney
After presiding over a truly shambolic performance on Friday night, rumours are persisting that Giovanni Trapattoni may actually be playing for the other team, which would at least explain his cack-handed management of the Irish international football squad.
Word is reaching us at JOE towers that the grossly overpaid Gio has finally admitted that he “prefers Cox”. Not only is it bad enough that he regularly watches Cox in training and insists on taking Cox [along for international duty, which is of course what Niall is referring to] all the time, actually declaring his preference for Cox has come as shocking news to the average Irish fan and presumably Mrs Trapattoni.
Yes folks; the news coming from the Irish team set up as they make their way to Moscow, is that Il Trap may plump for pudgy West Brom benchwarmer Simon Cox over the superb Kevin Doyle for the crucial game against the Russians.
Just who does this guy think he is? Cox ahead of Doyle is madness but shows us succinctly the enormous arrogance of our manager.
Maybe it’s a case that he thinks a plastic paddy will take to the plastic pitch better or maybe he’s got the hump because the FAI are to halve his wages yet also offer a two year contract extension if we reach the play-offs, but either way it would a crazy gamble by the Italian.
Admittedly, Doyle was off colour against the Slovaks but the Wexford man is allegedly annoyed that his manager keeps blaming the knee injury Doyle had been suffering from as the reason for his poor showing.
Despite the fact that Doyle started and finished all three of Wolves Premier League games, the Irish management team were again bleating on about the injury on Saturday, while Doyle himself says that he’s fine.
In other bad news ahead of Tuesday, John O’Shea has been ruled out by injury and will not travel to Moscow, which means that (shudder) Darren O’Dea will come into the team at centre half, with either one of Stephen Kelly or Kevin Foley coming in at right back.
Also, in what looks like an attempt to win favour with his employers and save them a couple of long haul airfares, Cox-loving Trap has refused to call up Leon Best or Jon Walters as striking cover, threatening us instead with the news that he may unleash the totemic Andrew Keogh against the surely quivering Muscovite’s
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