'A credit to the country': Keane leads Trapattoni tributes following Italian's departure from Ireland job

By Colin Young

Published: 19:16 EDT, 11 September 2013 | Updated: 19:57 EDT, 11 September 2013

Ireland captain Robbie Keane led the tributes to former boss Giovanni Trapattoni following his departure.

But while the LA Galaxy striker, who had hardly given a ringing endorsement of the Italian coach after defeat in Vienna on Tuesday night, was full of praise for the five-year reign, others were more damning in their assessment.

Former Ireland international and Sportsmail columnist Kevin Kilbane said the Irish team had failed to progress under Trapattoni, pointing out that his home record in competitive matches proved to be worse in the long-run than Stephen Staunton, the man he replaced.

Credit: Striker Robbie Keane led the tributes to recently departed Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapttoni

Staunton meanwhile, like Kilbane an Irish centurion, said former Celtic and Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill was the obvious choice as successor but the FAI have a 'tough job’ landing him.

Keane last night issued a statement through is Dublin-based PR company, praising the work Trapattoni had done since he first took charge of an Ireland team five years ago this month.

He said: 'I want to acknowledge the tremendous job that Giovanni Trapattoni did for the past five years for the Republic of Ireland national team. 

'In my view he has been a credit to the country and has carried himself with dignity as befitting a man who has given so much to world football. 

'It is always sad to see people go but we are all aware it is a part of professional sport. I personally want to thank him for what he has done and wish him well.’

Given so much: Keane said Trapattoni had done a tremendous job and had carried himself with dignity

Man for the job: Steve Staunton believes Martin O'Neill (pictured) is the obvious choice to succeed Trapattoni

Earlier in the day, Keane’s Ireland team-mate James McCarthy held a press conference at Everton’s training ground to mark his £13million move to Goodison Park.

It was his first meeting with the Merseyside media since his switch from Wigan on transfer deadline day, when he was given permission by Trapattoni to leave the Irish squad and complete his return to the Barclays Premier League.

But it also coincided with the announcement of Trapattoni’s exit and inevitably overshadowed proceedings.

'I got on well with him,' said the midfielder. 'He's such a nice man. He'd talk to me now and again in broken English and was good to me.

'It took me a while to get into the team but thankfully I got in and he stuck by me. He gave me my chance. He has been good for me.

'He gave me my debut and I'm thankful to him for that. I'm gutted to be honest by the news. He was a very good manager. I enjoyed working under him. It's a blow to all the players.

Chance: Everton midfielder James McCarthy (right) said Trapattoni gave him his Ireland debut and stuck by him

'Trapattoni did a magnificent job and I don't think anyone can fault how well he's done for us.

'He got us to a European Championship, and was just short against France in the play-offs for the last World Cup. As a club manager was really, really successful too.

'We were in contention again in these World Cup qualifiers. But then we slipped up on Friday and lost to a late, late goal last night.’

But former Ireland international Kilbane, who was an ever-present in competitive matches under Trapattoni until he was forced out of a Euro 2012 qualifier two years ago, offered a harsher assessment of the Trapattoni reign.

The Sportsmail columnist, who this week backed calls for a complete overhaul of Irish soccer from grassroots to the national side, said the Italian’s ice-cold persona had not helped the game advance over the last five-and-a-half years since he had been appointed by the FAI.

He said: 'You can’t overlook that he did make a difference when he first came in, and as players we recognised we had a real legend of the game as our manager and we responded to him. But in the last 18 months we have not progressed and there have been no fresh ideas.

Legend: Despite a good start, according to Kevin Kilbane, Ireland haven't progressed under Trapattoni

'We qualified for the Euros but we were on the cusp of that under Brian Kerr. And when he came in for Steve Staunton, we needed to be harder to beat, and he achieved that, but he didn’t bring in massively new ideas to the team and ultimately he will be remembered for our failure at Euro 2012 and the Germany defeat at home last year. 

'Looking back, I know he picked and I played under him, but I said at the time he should have gone after the Euros. And we haven’t on as a team since.

'But that’s the nature of football. Managers are always remembered for the more negative things, just as fans remember the Mick McCarthy era for his bust-up with Roy Keane, and Stan for the Cyprus game.

Infamous: Many Ireland followers will remember Roy Keane's bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy

'We might be hard for world class teams to beat (apart from Germany) but we have struggled to beat teams who are not that much better than us. And I look at the Sweden and Austria teams and although there were world class players like Ibrahimovic and Alaba, I didn’t see anything else that would have worried among the other 20 players in either team and if I’d been playing I would have been confident we could beat them.

'The way I was brought up, whether it is Sunday football, schoolboys, non-league, league or international football, the manager earns his crust at half-time or five minutes before a game. In all the games I played under Trapattoni, we would hear very very little from him at those times. 

'That was lacking even more after Liam Brady left the scene and he definitely missed him. It was harder for him to get his thoughts across during games and at half-time.

'Maybe he thought he had done his preparations and had worked as hard as he could on the training ground with players with limited ability, therefore he didn’t need to impart any more knowledge. But some times those subtle little changes at the break, or a quiet word in a player’s ear if he is having a tough time, can make all the difference.

Quality: Despite having a player like David Alaba, Ireland should have felt confident they could beat Austria

'The classic one for me was Russia at home. We had been totally outplayed and over-ran in the first-half. When we came into the dressing room and sat down, it was as quiet as I’d ever heard it in an Ireland squad. And he said virtually nothing.’

Meanwhile Staunton, who worked under O’Neill as a scout at Sunderland, said he was the obvious choice for the job.

He added:'`He's got more experience than anybody out there so it wouldn't be a bad shout.

'He's managed Celtic for five years and done really well up there, and at other clubs he's done really well, so that wouldn't be a bad choice.

'Who knows what the FAI have in mind, but Martin would be up there high on the list. I would like to see an Irishman get it or somebody who's from these islands, who knows what the Irish boys are about and knows the mentality. The FAI has a tough job now.’