DANIEL MCDONNELL
FOR James Mcclean, the hardest part is over. It may sound strange, but getting into Giovanni Trapattoni's squad is more difficult than forcing a way into his starting XI.
The Ireland manager has a reputation for being conservative, but it generally relates to his tactics rather than the manner in which he deploys his personnel. If someone fits the mould, then he's not afraid to pitch them into the centre of action.
Last week, Sean St Ledger reflected on his ascent to the heart of Trapattoni's team. He thought his ship had sailed when squad after squad was named without him. Injuries opened the door, the manager liked what he saw on the training ground and, two weeks later, he was lining up in Sofia for a crunch World Cup qualifier. His trial run was a friendly against Nigeria at Craven Cottage. “I know people say that friendlies can be pointless,” said St Ledger, “But that was a very important one for me.”
Simon Cox's promotion to the set- up last summer went along the same lines. And that's the template for Mcclean. That's why he can genuinely believe that his trip to Poland will result in some game- time.
After four years in the job, Trapattoni's idiosyncrasies are obvious. A player's form with their club is down his list of priorities. It is the application on the training pitch that defines their role in his plans.
POSITIVE
Evidently, Mcclean left a positive impression in February when he was brought in for a cameo against the Czech Republic. The manager was criticised for leaving the Derry lad on the bench but that sort of missed the point.
Seamus Coleman spent the occasion of his first call- up sitting on the sidelines for 90 minutes against Norway. By throwing the 23- year- old into the game for the final minutes, Trapattoni was confirming that the Sunderland star had followed instructions in Malahide. He was never going to throw him in the start, but the belated involvement was a vote of confidence. A sign of trust.
Last week in Mullingar, Trapattoni delivered a strong hint about yesterday's news. He suggested that Mcclean was almost certain to be a member of his final 23. That was the story of the day and the reasoning was telling.
While the 73- year- old indicated that the League of Ireland product was a lucky player, he added that he was impressed by the manner in which he maintained his form. Ahead of the Czech game, the manager curbed the enthusiasm about the new recruit by pointing out that he'd only played a handful of matches. The inference was that he might have been a flash in the pan.
But Mcclean has maintained the momentum and, while he hasn't quite been producing 8/ 10 performances in every match, he has coped with his new profile and the extra attention from opposition defenders who might have been taken by surprise by an unknown quantity.
He remains a strong- running, fearless