Ireland winger Aidan McGeady is enjoying life under Giovanni Trapattoni and has spoken of how he is given much more freedom on the pitch to move off the wing and challenge for possession in central midfield areas. This is in contrast to the rigid set-up he plays under at Celtic with Gordon Strachan.
"I've really enjoyed working under him," the Celtic and Ireland winger said.
"He wants everybody to work hard on the defensive side of the game but I wouldn't say that he was defensive-minded. He wants you to be progressive and encourages me to drift into little pockets of space."
"At Celtic I play out wide - and am told to stay out there - but with Ireland, Trapattoni wants me to come inside."
"It's not a playmaker role, but if I haven't seen much of the ball during the game he encourages me to come inside and try and pick up possession infield. He sees me doing more damage in the middle."
McGeady's creativity will once again be employed in this fluid role when Georgia arrive at Croke Park on Wednesday, for a match critical to both sides' hopes.
The visitors, beaten 2-1 in the corresponding fixture back in September, need a win to revive their faint hopes of qualification, while Trapattoni believes the psychological importance of victory means the game is also a must-win for his Irish team.
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