In what could be feasibly his last game as Ireland manager, Giovanni Trapattoni has made a few surprising changes to the team to face the Faroe Islands tomorrow night.
After the 6-1 defeat to Germany on Friday night, Trap’s grip on the Irish manager’s job is hanging by a thread at the minute and defeat to the European minnows tomorrow evening would almost certainly seal his fate.
Perhaps with that in mind, he has wielded the axe to the team that were pummelled by the Germans on Friday night and has quickly abandoned the experimental formation that foundered badly three days ago, hardly a surprise when it was the first time it was tried in a competitive game. Against the second best team in the world.
Trap makes three changes in personnel, with Robbie Keane returning up front alongside Jonathan Walters in a 4-4-2 system, with Robbie Brady starting instead of Simon Cox on the wing and Marc Wilson given the nod ahead of Stephen Ward at left back.
Keith Fahey also loses out as Trap reverts to a flat four in midfield, while Darren O’Dea can consider himself lucky to hold onto his spot after a horror show against the Germans. Shane Long still hasn’t done enough to warrant a starting spot, but will probably feature from the bench at some stage.
The changes will likely come as a welcome surprise to most Irish supporters, particularly the inclusion of Wilson and Brady at the expense of Ward and Cox, even if it might prove to be too little, too late as far as our Italian manager is concerned.
Ireland team to play Faroe Islands: Westwood, Coleman, O’Shea, O’Dea, Wilson; Brady, Andrews, McCarthy, McGeady; Keane, Walters
