Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni said he was not ‘God incarnate’ just because his decision to select Jon Walters had paid off handsomely in their 4-0 victory against Estonia in the first-leg Euro 2012 playoff.
Trapattoni’s decision to give Walters his first start in a competitive match paid off when he scored Ireland’s second goal in a result that leaves them on the brink of qualification for the event.
“I’m not God, I make mistakes,” said Trapattoni. “But after 30 years, I think I understand football a little bit. I thought Walters would be important to defend the ball and help the team to come up the pitch.”
Captain Robbie Keane scored a brace and Keith Andrews also netted one to seal the win.
Elsewhere, Croatia thumped Turkey 3-0, the Czech Republic posted a 2-0 win over Montenegro and Portugal struggled in a goal-less draw against Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2011.
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