not a member? click here to sign up

Green Manifesto

There’s never a dull moment where Ireland are concerned. After a brave Euros qualification campaign came the humiliation of the finals themselves. Then the recent last gasp win over mighty Kazakhstan. As the World Cup qualifier campaign gathers pace, three of the lynch-pins of the squad discuss Trapp’s reputation for managerial stubborness, his controversial selection of players from the lower echelons of British soccer and tell us what’s on their iPhone playlists

Stuart Clark, 02 Oct 2012

The striker’s first season at Nottingham Forest proved to be a frustrating one with the club finishing 19th in the Championship. All was gloom, doom and despondency around the City Ground until July when Forest was unexpectedly taken over by the Al-Hasawi family from Kuwait. Had the 25-year-old gotten wind of what was going on or did he learn about it from Sky Sports like the rest of us?

“I’d heard about this supposed ‘big investment’, but was a bit sceptical because no one knew who they were or how they’d made their money,” Cox says. “I was more enthusiastic about it when they started going for Mick McCarthy as manager. For one reason or another he’d didn’t get the job, so they brought in Sean O’Driscoll who I think has a great chance of getting Forest into the Premier League. If you look at the squad on paper it’s a very talented group of people.”

Prior to Forest, O’Driscoll had spent five-years transforming Doncaster Rovers from hoof it and hope merchants into what journalists christened “the Arsenal of the Championship.” A run of bad form eventually cost him his job but the former Ireland international is still regarded as a potential successor to Trap.

“He looks at who he’s got and plays to their strengths, which is exactly what you want at international level,” Simon ventures. “Since the new gaffer came in, we’ve been passing the ball more and feel very confident in possession. It’s a different level obviously but, yeah, he’s got what it takes to be a future Ireland manager.”

Trap’s continued use of Championship players when there are Premier League alternatives is one of the many reasons the Irish press corps have declared war on Trapattoni. Should top-flight players automatically take precedence over second-tier ones?

“That’s for the manager to decide,” comes the diplomatic reply. “What I would say is that the Championship’s very demanding. You’re playing Saturday and Tuesday throughout the season, whereas in the Premier League it’s usually one game a week unless you’re in a cup competition. They’re coming up against bigger teams and more international players, but they wouldn’t be any fitter than us. I definitely think it’s easier to stay in the Premiership than it is to get out of the Championship.”



Page 2/9     <Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next> 



Related Content

Latest Articles by Stuart Clark

Caught in the net: Punks For The Memories

The energy of punk’s first wave is beautifully captured in a series of snaps now available for your online delectation...


2013-05-10

Hot Press Special Report: Cambodia

It was the scene of one of the greatest campaigns of mass murder in recent decades. In the late ‘70s, Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge sent millions to an early grave across Cambodia. The country is well on the road to recovery but the scars of Pot’s reign of terror remain, as Stuart Clark found in this boots-on-the-ground special report...


2013-05-02

Caught In The Net: The Pyongyang’s All Here

A new documentary lays bare the truth about North Korea – and it’s even more bizarre than you might have expected...


2013-04-29

Public Enemy, live at The Button Factory

A tired ‘n’ emotional punter by the name of Craig is left with a great story to tell the grandkids when he jumps up on stage and instead of being forcibly ejected from the venue is allowed to co-sing – well, co-slur – ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’. DJ Lord’s ‘Come As You Are’ scratch-up, Khari Wynn’s metal riffing and Davey DMX’s funky bass-slapping also contribute to a night of unabashed old-skool panto fun...


2013-04-25

Hot Press meets Richard Dormer

He’s the star of the fantastic Punk-era NI drama Good Vibrations and is about to have a break-out role in fleshpot swords and sorcery drama Game of Thrones. Richard Dormer reflects on an extraordinary year of success and discusses the world premiere he’s bringing to the Abbey...


2013-04-23

Contact Us

Hot Press,
13 Trinity Street,
Dublin 2.
Rep. Of Ireland
Tel: +353 (1) 241 1500

Email:info@hotpress.ie

Click here for more contact information.

Click here to find out more about Hot Press

Hot Press always welcomes feed back so if you've got something to tell us click here.

Advertise With Us

For more detail on how to advertise with Hot Press click here or call us on +353 (1) 241 1540