LIAM BRADY smiled as he watched his 69-year-old boss warm down after yesterday morning's training session in Lagos, Giovanni Trapattoni dragging a mat on to the rain-sodden pitch for a lengthy routine that began with sit-ups and concluded with stretching exercises so vigorous the Italian appeared to have elastic bands for muscles. Brady had, after all, talked glowingly of Trapattoni's energy at the time of his appointment, and here it was spectacularly visible for all to see.

Between sit-ups, the manager kept an eye on the squad's equally demanding warm-down, directed by the fitness coach, Fausto Rossi, this following a lively "two touch" training game staged on one half of the Lagos pitch, part of Trapattoni's campaign to speed up the players' passing and reduce their propensity for overcarrying the ball.

Daryl Murphy (Achilles tendon), Shane Long (calf), Wes Hoolahan (knee) and Darren Potter (heel) sat out the session but Trapattoni expects all to recover from their assorted knocks in time for Saturday's game against Serbia, at which point he hopes Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Aiden McGeady, Darren O'Dea and John O'Shea will have joined up with the squad.

While initially insisting he had no preference for who would win tonight's Champions League final, "only for the team that deserves it", Trapattoni expressed the wish that O'Shea would have a winner's medal in his luggage when he arrives in Dublin on Friday. Did he send him a good-luck message?

"No. I am superstitious about wishing people well before a match in case they lose, I prefer to congratulate them after the victory. I sent Robbie Keane a text after the League Cup final (when Spurs beat Chelsea) and I hope I will be congratulating John O'Shea too."

In the absence of Dunne and O'Shea, the two central defensive slots were filled by Paul McShane and Alex Bruce in the games against Portimonense and Lagos, and, surprisingly in McShane's case, both players drew yet more praise from their manager yesterday.

McShane, in truth, had moments in the two games that suggested his confidence-sapping season with Sunderland has taken its toll, which might be the precise reason Trapattoni is choosing to praise him.

Asked who else had caught his eye this week Trapattoni once again picked out Andy Keogh, the Wolves forward fast closing in on McGeady as the player the manager most often compliments.

"I already know the "famous", like Damien Duff and Kevin Doyle, but some of the young have been a surprise, like Keogh. He plays football," he said, tapping his head with a forefinger, "he thinks, he is clever, he understands immediately what to do."

The smile and the nod suggested Keogh might well be pushing for a place in Trapattoni's team, if not immediately then soon enough.

"This was a very important week. I am very happy not with the results but with the attitude. I think the players understand better what I want from them," he said. "They understand we can play more quickly, and more as a team. Against Lagos, for example, I saw the strikers pressing and helping the midfield, and the midfield helping our defence. That's good. They work hard, they have a good attitude. I hope against Serbia and Colombia we can show our fans that the week here was very, very positive."

As for the system he will have his team playing, it was back to the keyword of the week: flexibility.

"I have changed my systems over the years, many times. Thirty years ago football was very different, I played with a famous libero, (Gaetano) Scirea. After, with Liam (Brady) and (Marco) Tardelli, I played 4-4-2. In Germany 4-3-3, in Portugal 4-3-3, in Austria 4-4-1-1. Here I think we have players who can change when we need to, 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1 - for example with Robbie (Keane) and (Aiden) McGeady also. We can change the system, the players learn quickly, they are flexible."

Any thoughts those players have about enjoying a restful evening watching tonight's Champions League final at their hotel in Luz might have to be revised.

"Yes," said Trapattoni, he would be looking at the final - with the squad. "I said to the players that I have been 50 years in football as a player and coach but every game I watch there is something new, something to learn - it is always possible to improve and to learn."

One suspects it will be another coaching session. They will trust, though, it won't be followed by sit-ups and stretching exercises.