Soccer:Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has reiterated his satisfaction with his side's maximum points haul from the first two Euro 2012 qualifiers, but warned against complacency ahead of a far trickier double-header next month.
The 3-1 win over Andorra at the Aviva Stadium last night came courtesy of goals from Kevin Kilbane, Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane and sent Ireland top of Group B ahead of Slovakia, who beat Russia 1-0 in Moscow, on goal difference.
The Italian opened his press conference at the Clarion Hotel, Dublin Airport, this morning by confiding: “After these two results it’s very difficult to contain my excitement."
However, he quickly managed to keep a lid on things and described the situation he and his team are in now as a "good starting point for the future," and added: “I think we’ve found way that can allow us to achieve qualification.
“Yesterday, I congratulated the players but I told them to remember it’s only the second game and to think about the fact that when you become strong, the others will try to get at you.
“We can’t start to believe we’re the best just because of these two games.”
Dick Advocaat’s beaten group favourites will face Ireland in Dublin on the eighth of next month, before Trapattoni takes his side to Zilina to face Slovakia four days later.
“The first game next month will be very important. If we win, Russia will be a long way behind us and we can think about Slovakia and go there with confidence.”
Slovakia’s win came courtesy of Miroslav’s Stoch’s first half strike but Trapattoni insisted Russia were unlucky to get nothing from the game.
“They played well and didn’t deserve to lose. They created more chances but made a mistake and conceded on the counter attack. They are a good team but both can play.”
The manager welcomes the fact he may have a selection headache ahead of the Russia game if Keith Andrews recovers from the groin strain that kept him out action over the last week.
Derby County's Paul Green has deputised in his absence but looked shaky at times, especially away to Armenia in Yerevan.
“This is the manager’s dilemma but it’s better have many such choices,” he said. “Two years ago I would have wondered what the options were. Now we have these decisions to make.”
