TEAMtalk guest Adam Bate is hoping Giovanni Trapattoni's rigid approach does not hinder the Republic of Ireland's bid to reach Euro 2012.

The jury is still out on Giovanni Trapattoni and his Republic of Ireland team - but with a Euro 2012 play-off against Estonia coming up, the verdict will soon be in.

Trapattoni has certainly brought respectability back to the Ireland side. They are a disciplined outfit once again and have overcome the horrors of Steve Staunton's period in charge, including his nadir - the 5-2 defeat to Cyprus in October 2006.

The Italian has had to rebuild and he has done so by organising his team. Ireland conceded just one goal in their last five qualifying games and, ultimately, it was their solid defensive play that secured a play-off place.

This miserly defence reflects the approach Trapattoni has taken in order to get Ireland back on track. In many ways, it mirrors the days of Jack Charlton's Ireland - stick to a rigid formation, hit the ball long and play up to the plucky underdog tag.

There's a spirit about the camp and it's something Trapattoni has worked hard to foster. He has developed a club culture - showing remarkable loyalty to the players he trusts.

This is the perhaps the greatest strength of Trapattoni's Ireland. But could it also be their greatest weakness?

After all, loyalty to players can be a double-edged sword. Keith Andrews, for example, continues to enjoy his manager's faith despite dropping down to the Championship with Ipswich Town.

But this is at the expense of Wigan Athletic's exciting young talent James McCarthy and Norwich City's experienced Wes Hoolahan, who have both been forced to wait for their opportunity.

On the flanks, Trapattoni was happy to rush Aiden McGeady back from injury to play in the crucial qualifier at home to Slovakia but appears unwilling to trust Everton's 23-year-old winger Seamus Coleman.

And it is perhaps up front where Trapattoni's preference for going with what he knows has been most noticeable. Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle remain the first-choice strike partnership despite the former moving to America and the latter struggling for goals.

Indeed, Stoke City's Jon Walters outscored both men in the Premier League last season, while Leon Best has surprised many with his impressive form at Newcastle United.

Despite scoring nine goals in 23 Premier League games, Best was only drafted into Trapattoni's squad for the Estonia games after Shane Long's withdrawal.

This lack of flexibility hints at Trapattoni's cautious nature and was a feature of his reign in charge of the Italian national team.

Trapattoni came under fire in his home country for several high-profile negative substitutions in major tournaments.

In the 2002 World Cup, his introduction of midfield battler Gennaro Gattuso for star forward Alessandro Del Piero when 1-0 up against South Korea backfired horribly and the Azzurri were knocked out.

Two years later against Sweden at Euro 2004, Trapattoni decided to withdraw both Del Piero and fellow forward Antonio Cassano in favour of midfield duo Mauro Camoranesi and Stefano Fiore. Italy duly surrendered their lead and ultimately failed to qualify for the knockout stages.

It's a memory that will surely be at the forefront of Trapattoni's mind if his Ireland side are not assertive enough over the two legs.

Perhaps their current approach will be enough to win this tie - in which case he will have guided Ireland to their first major tournament in a decade and his cautious methods will be vindicated.

But if they fall short, Trapattoni will be accused of surrendering a great opportunity due to his rigid approach. The time has surely come for Ireland to abandon the unlucky losers tag and embrace success.

Follow Adam on Twitter at @ghostgoal and check out his blog at GhostGoal..