Despite the Football Association of Ireland’s sense of euphoria at capturing Giovanni Trapattoni, the Italian will take over as Republic of Ireland manager with the country’s side at its lowest ebb in over 20 years.
The Republic have failed to qualify for three successive major tournaments, which did happen in the late 1990s, but the team’s efforts under Steve Staunton in the Euro 2008 campaign represented a low in recent history.
Trapattoni’s arrival is being touted as a masterstroke by the Football Association of Ireland and the likes of John Giles, Kevin Moran and Eamon Dunphy have been among the names to applaud the Italian’s arrival.
However, Trapattoni faces a major task in re-establishing the Republic of Ireland as a genuine force.
BBC Sport examines some of the challenges facing Trapattoni as he begins the quest to guide the Republic to the 2010 World Cup finals.
Different pundits have differing opinions as to the current strength of the Republic’s playing pool.
Eamon Dunphy, whose vocal opposition to suggestions that Terry Venables should get the job helped sink the ex-England coach’s chances, believes Trapattoni will be working with “some very talented players”.
Certainly, the in-form Richard Dunne, Robbie Keane, Shay Given and Damien Duff come into that category although the Newcastle winger is still feeling his way back after serious injury last year.
One of Trapattoni’s first tasks should be ensuring that Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland is coaxed back into the Republic squad after his controversial withdrawal from international duty last autumn.
The midfielder’s outstanding display in Sunday’s Manchester derby showed Republic fans just what they have been missing.
The new Republic manager must also move to persuade Steve Finnan to reverse his recent decision to quit Republic duty at the age of 31.
Former Republic star John Aldridge told BBC Sport that the return of Ireland and Finnan would boost an already “decent squad”.
“We might lack a bit in terms of one or two areas where he haven’t got cover but overall we’ve got 20 or so players who are playing a good quality of football in good quality sides in England (and Scotland),” Aldridge added.
“It’s going to be all about moulding them into a unit and giving them the belief that we can go on and qualify.
“Look at what Greece have done in the last few years with their playing pool.
“Their coach (Otto Rehagel) has been absolutely fantastic. They won the European Championship in 2004 and they have qualified again for Euro 2008.
“We’ve got some really good midfield players - not at the standard of Roy Keane - but good players.
“Andy Reid, Steven Reid, Lee Carsley does a good job…so we’ve got some good midfielders.
“Hopefully, Damien Duff is going to get back to form after his injury. He and Robbie Keane, playing up front along with (Kevin) Doyle, are both matchwinners.”
The Republic’s biggest failing in recent years has been defensive frailty.
Brian Kerr won’t want to be reminded of both games against Israel in the last World Cup qualifying campaign when his side conceded a last-minute equaliser in Tel Aviv and then blew a 2-0 home in Dublin before drawing.
Those four dropped points ultimately cost the Republic a place in Germany in 2006 and Kerr his job.
Aldridge believes Trapattoni will want to build his team from the back and one suspects that Richard Dunne will be a pivotal figure for the defensive-minded Italian.
“Jack Charlton gave us structure and made us hard to beat. When you are hard to beat, you can build on that,” says Aldridge.
“We’re not hard to beat at the moment and we’ve even struggled in places like San Marino.
We’ve got to be solid and stop leaking goals
The pattern of struggling to defend leads also ruined Steve Staunton’s reign.
In the last European Championship qualifying campaign, the Republic squandered leads against Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and the last-minute concession of a equaliser in Bratislava summed up the inability to defend an advantage.
“We’ve got to be solid and stop leaking goals,” adds Aldridge.
Sixty-eight-year-old’s Trapattoni’s attitude to discipline is likely to be a different wavelength to a number of the pampered Premiership stars in the Republic’s squad.
Aldridge goes so far as saying that the Irish set-up and mentality is likely to be “alien” to the Italian.
“Therefore, he’s got to have somebody in beside him who knows what Irish football has been all about for the last 20 or 30 years.
“Trapattoni has talked himself about getting Liam Brady in with him and someone of that calibre is certainly the kind of person he should be looking at.”
But Aldridge won’t be surprised if the Republic players are dealt some Capello-like dictats so jolly games of golf may be ruled out of bounds.
“I can see him possibly changing it in a similar fashion to the way that Capello has been trying to do in terms of the discipline side of things with England.
Traps is a bit of a ‘Catenaccio-style’ manager - old school Italian defend a one-nil lead with 10 men behind the ball with a sweeper
“But this fellow knows his stuff. The players should have great respect for what he has achieved in the past. They have got to have faith that he can take us forward.”
In terms of Trapattoni’s likely relationship with the press, Irish Times Rome correspondent Paddy Agnew said earlier this week that the Italian “doesn’t do PR” so he may adopt a similar strategy to Sven-Goran Eriksson by not opting to have media favourities.
The FAI’s joy at their coup in attracting Trapattoni may not shared by a large band of journalists who hitched their wagons to the campaign to have Terry Venables appointed.
As a result, there may a few bruised egos and long-memories in the press pack and these folk will grasp the chance to hit back if Trapattoni’s reign shows the remotest sign of turning sour.
The benefit of Trapattoni’s experience must be allowed to filter through to the grassroots of Irish football.
John Aldridge is encouraged by the Italian’s desire to get Liam Brady on board and he is hoping that other former Republic of Ireland players will be attracted into the FAI’s coaching structure.
“Besides Chippy (Liam Brady), you have under-21 and under-18 managers and you should be getting in people who know it’s all about.
“We shouldn’t just have schoolteacher types.
“What about Jason McAteer as an example of someone we should be getting in? He’s been there and done it.”
Source: Trapattoni’s test
