It got a little lost amid the latest instalment of the never-ending Andy Reid story but it is clear that Giovanni Trapattoni had one other significant issue to address in Malahide on Sunday afternoon.

The Italian came into the room with a few sheets of paper that would eventually be waved as evidence against the charge that he is not doing his job properly by spending most of his year based in Milan, glued to the television.

He has attended just three games in the UK since his appointment as Irish boss, arguing that he is better served taking a seat on the couch and watching three games in one day as opposed to travelling to see just one encounter.

Valid

That approach has raised eyebrows in certain quarters with the valid point being repeatedly made that if Fabio Capello used the same excuse then there would be no such understanding from the English public or, indeed, the FA.

You sense that Trapattoni is now beginning to realise that it is an area where he needs to cover his bases. Bringing in the pages listing the 110 games that his scouting team have watched, and reported back to him on, was an acknowledgement that he needed to provide a counter-argument. To justify what he's been doing to earn his money.

And more significant was his promise to make a few trips over the winter to have a look at the next generation -- a proclamation that will be noted by those mentioned.

"Sure, I will be in the UK in November and December," said Trapattoni. "I will see Celtic, I will see (Cillian) Sheridan. He is 19 and in future we may be able to build a team. I will go and see (James) McCarthy."

He needs to. For all that Trapattoni may have an extensive network, there are situations where his case is weakened by his lack of travelling activity. Bar a late cameo for Sunderland at Aston Villa, the Italian has never seen Reid in the flesh in a match situation. He has never been present a game where Joey O'Brien has been involved either; or a number of other players who are on the periphery of his squad.

Understandably, after a lengthy and successful career in football, Trap is confident enough in his judgment of players from monitoring training sessions but, realistically, watching an individual in a match-day situation and their response to pressure is surely a key part of coming towards a verdict on them.

Sure, the evolution of communications means that video analysis of the game is more detailed than ever before. Statistics can be broken down and parts of matches are more forensically analysed, but you do not have to be an expert on the game to draw a simple enough conclusion that if you're at a match, you have a far greater understanding of what occurred.

Repeatedly, players have stressed how Trapattoni's management style is based upon shape; surely his football brain would garner more from a fuller view of a match in terms of the adaptability of the Irish players. Yes, he has pointed out that his chosen system is rarely operated in English football and he will not learn too much from viewing players in a typically kick-and-rush encounter but it still does not explain ignoring a potential recruit by not seeing him in competitive action.

By all accounts, Liam Brady has been taking in plenty of games and yesterday he spoke about what appears to be a burgeoning array of Irish talent operating primarily at a level below the Premier League.

"Yes, we've got about eight people working for us in scouting capacities and all the reports coming back are that some of the Irish lads are doing really well.

"The lads up in Scotland yesterday, Sheridan and McCarthy, they're ones to watch and there's another lad at Sheffield United, a right back, Naughton, I think his name is."

The only problem with his is that Kyle Naughton seems likely to make his English U-21 debut tonight so a switch of allegiance would have to be considered -- unlikely despite Brady's relatively upbeat assessment of the feedback.

Yet while Brady and Marco Tardelli, Frank Stapleton, Mick Martin and others might be watching games, the bottom line is that there is only one boss and he doesn't appear to be the sort that will take orders from anybody.

The enduring illustration of this came in the second half of last month's World Cup qualifying win over Cyprus. Tardelli spent the majority of this period with pieces of paper in his hand, wandering over towards the boss to make a point that surely related to substitutions. Trapattoni brushed him away, and remained fixated on the match, leaving his assistant flustered. Only in the first minute of time added on was a switch made, with the summoning of Hull player Caleb Folan.

That vignette represents a pertinent point. Yes, his back-up team may be providing ample amounts of scouting reports and observations but their judgment is secondary to the one that matters. It is proven by the point that there were no additions to the squad between October and November; just omissions when there were form arguments for players whose performances appear to have gone unnoticed -- at least injury has finally given Noel Hunt his opportunity.

Such justice should not be determined by chance. We shouldn't need another 'B' international to bring in new faces between now and next summer, the earliest point where another friendly match could take place with the February date being taken up by the clash with Georgia due to fixture anomalies.

The irony, of course, is that by leaving his base more often Trapattoni could make his job as Irish manager easier. Even if it makes his life that little bit more difficult as a consequence.