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Euro 2012: Is Irish Squad Talented Enough to Make Some Noise This Year?
Published: May 18, 2012
In the course of qualification, Trapattoni's tactical approach frustrated fans. He was steadfast in his adherence to "the system" (a rigid 4-4-2 formation), which saw the Irish team appear shackled on the pitch with each player confined to his respective role. Players such as Andy Reid, Anthony Pilkington and Wes Hoolahan, whom the public believed might add a creative dimension to the team, were seemingly shunned. They are good players, conceded Trapattoni, but not quite good enough for him to remodel his system.
Perhaps the main defence of Trapattoni's approach is that he has made Ireland difficult to beat; in 10 competitive games in the qualifying for Euro 2012, for example, Ireland lost just one game. More pertinently, proponents of Trapattoni's system raise the fact that the decorated coach has, after all, led Ireland to their first major tournament in 10 years—and their first European Championships since 1988.
Nevertheless, despite this impressive feat, there are weaknesses in the system, which were painfully exposed in qualifying, and these may indeed prove costly. The most notable case comes from the game against Russia in Dublin, when Trapattoni's men conceded three goals without reply as the statuesque midfield struggled to respond to the fluid, technical style of play of the Russians. The Irish eventually pulled two goals back to lose 3-2, but the performance was telling.
With this in mind, consider Ireland's opponents in the tournament: Spain, Croatia, Italy.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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