Rep.Ireland v Kazakhstan KO 19:45 *Mod Note Post #125*

Adrift

If he had studied Trap's responses he'd realise no matter what the question was, it could be answered with some combination of these words. "Mentality" "Confidence" "Robbie Keane" "The Situation" and maybe a cryptic reference to the possibility that he agrees in principal that changing up tactics would be good but really has no intention of entertaining the notion. Now that's a pro.

glineli

I think we have bigger problems than whether King went over the top in an interview. This is Dunphy making something out of nothing. Every post match analysis is turning into the Dunphy show.

By the way, he has a new book out now, available at all good book shops!!!

rebelomar

DeanAustin wrote: »

A lot of sense in your post but I think there is a danger of everyone believing that there is only one way to play and that's like Spain or Swansea or whoever.

Wimbledon won the FA Cup in 1988 - they didn't play possession football.

Greece won the Euros in 2004 - they didn't play possession football.

That's only two examples off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more.

Cheers

I take your point but these were flash in the pan type successes but for success or even relative success to be sustained it needs to be based on a progressive system of play IMO.

I agree we currently cannot play as expansive a game as Spain or even Swansea. (Swansea have readjusted this season imo and become slightly more direct/incisive in their play) that's why I say a version of this. Like I say we will have to mix and match our approach against better teams but what we started to see last night should be the benchmark against the weaker sides.

I look at Everton this season and see a side passing the ball more than before but still having an educated directness to their play. That is kind of what I'm suggesting.

I suppose I'm thinking beyond the next campaign maybe should have stated so.

I think most fans agree we need to readjust and then streamline the underage structures to promote more technical ability in our future internationals.

The seniors having relative success(being in contention to the death for qualifications) at least trying to play decent football will help sell the idea to grassroots.

Xavi6

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Fair play to Noel King, the questions being asked by RTE have been a disgrace for a long time.

Except there was nothing wrong with that question.

King's happy-go-lucky salt o' the earth routine was in full swing and he expected a three minute pat on the back.

Well it doesn't work like that and it was a legitimate query from someone whose job it is to ask it.

I was a bit baffled as to why Delaney said that there was no chance of King getting the job before a ball was kicked. If that's how he reacts to a simple question than oul John finally got something right.

rebelomar

Xavi6 wrote: »

Except there was nothing wrong with that question.

King's happy-go-lucky salt o' the earth routine was in full swing and he expected a three minute pat on the back.

Well it doesn't work like that and it was a legitimate query from someone whose job it is to ask it.

I was a bit baffled as to why Delaney said that there was no chance of King getting the job before a ball was kicked. If that's how he reacts to a simple question than oul John finally got something right.

At least he picked a fight with the media rather than one of his players I suppose!

DeanAustin

Xavi6 wrote: »

Except there was nothing wrong with that question.

King's happy-go-lucky salt o' the earth routine was in full swing and he expected a three minute pat on the back.

Well it doesn't work like that and it was a legitimate query from someone whose job it is to ask it.

I was a bit baffled as to why Delaney said that there was no chance of King getting the job before a ball was kicked. If that's how he reacts to a simple question than oul John finally got something right.

There was nothing wrong with the question to be fair. All King had to do was continue on the "3-1, 80% possession, what else do you want/expect? You're all entitled to your opinions lads but you can't argue with the result and stats." Job done. In fact he could have used the line of questioning to illustrate how expectations in this country are sometimes ridiculous. Instead, he confirmed why most people think he's out of his depth.

All that said, while O'Donoghue didn't do anything wrong last night, he has been an absolute disgrace over the course of the campaign. His manner of questioning for Trapattoni was over the top and extremely aggressive. If I was Trap I'd have lamped him. King got of lightly in comparison but I don't believe that O'Donoghue's manner of questioning (as opposed to the questions themselves) over the course of the campaign should be tolerated.

Laois_Man

I am a bit annoyed that so many people are allowing themselves to be led by Dunphy's ranting!

I don't see anything Noel King said wrong or in how he said it. It's not as if he swore or screamed his head off.

He simply challenged the question. Tony O'Donoghue did imply that Stokes and Doyle performed poorly (which they did) but the panel then pretend these players weren't critisised by the question at all.

The panel are just out to get him coz he calls them out on the wafflers they are. And then they put on their holier than thou act, take the moral high-ground, and pretend they don't mind that at all! When King critisises the job the RTE panel do, they call it a personal attack. When they critisise the job he does in his job, they pretend it's different.

The biggest insult I saw last night came from Dunphy challening Darragh Malonely's line of questioning...treating him like a dope who doesn't know the difference between a personal attack and critisim of the job they do. I felt embarrassed for Daragh Maloney. Never for Tony O'Donoghue.

DeanAustin

Laois_Man wrote: »

I am a bit annoyed that so many people are allowing themselves to be led by Dunphy's ranting!

I don't see anything Noel King said wrong or in how he said it. It's not as if he swore or screamed his head off.

He simply challenged the question. Tony O'Donoghue did imply that Stokes and Doyle performed poorly (which they did) but the panel then pretend these players weren't critisised by the question at all.

The panel are just out to get him coz he calls them out on the wafflers they are. And then they put on their holier than thou act, take the moral high-ground, and pretend they don't mind that at all! When King critisises the job the RTE panel do, they call it a personal attack. When they critisise the job he does in his job, they pretend it's different.

The biggest insult I saw last night came from Dunphy challening Darragh Malonely's line of questioning...treating him like a dope who doesn't know the difference between a personal attack and critisim of the job they do. I felt embarrassed for Daragh Maloney. Never for Tony O'Donoghue.

It's not the first time Dunphy has made Maloney look like a dope. If I was Maloney, I'd be compiling a 'private dossier' on Dunphy and his spoof and calling him on it the next chance I got. There is more than enough material. I felt bad for the fella last night because he was caught off guard and probably thought of a million good comebacks afterwards. We've all been there but it was unfair of Dunphy to put the fella in that position I thought.

The one thing you can be sure of though is that Dunphy will leave another opening and Maloney should be ready to pounce and crucify the spoofer when he does. Sadly, he'd probably suffer professionally if he did.

Adrift

Dunphy has done some amount of backtracking in his time. Most recently he seems to have forgotten the abuse he himself doled out regarding Glen Whelan. King came across badly during the interview, but Dunphy's analysis was hilarious. He likes to label people as "bullys" and King earned himself that title last night for his little outburst but make no mistake, Dunphy is the real bully.

wonga77

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I think King is a complete joke and yes, he should have just been quiet and kept moving.

But look at it from his point of view: He was told he was purely caretaker for 2 games and not in the running, and in the 2 weeks he's been in the job the tag-team of Giles/Dunphy have completely tried to destroy whatever image he might have in the public eye. Yes, he is out of his depth, but there is a nasty touch that we have seen many times before. When Dunphy doesn't like someone, he doesn't hide it. And he makes it personal. He is a complete hypocrite to be leaping to O'Donoghue's defence like that, dressing it up as a service to the public and his RTE colleague. He is a bully. You don't agree with the tactics or selection, fair enough. Spare us the "travesty", "Shambles" and "real footballing people will be shocked/saddened/..." brand of crap.

This isn't an analysis panel, it's school-yard bullying.

And I would love to see him manage the team, put your f**king money where that cavernous hole in your face is.

This. Sums the whole thing up for me

Left Back on the Bench

glineli wrote: »

I think we have bigger problems than whether King went over the top in an interview. This is Dunphy making something out of nothing. Every post match analysis is turning into the Dunphy show.

By the way, he has a new book out now, available at all good book shops!!!

its called the rocky road baby!!

Pighead

Adrift wrote: »

Dunphy has done some amount of backtracking in his time. Most recently he seems to have forgotten the abuse he himself doled out regarding Glen Whelan.

In fairness to him he did say last night that he regretted what he said about Whelan and was sorry for singling him out.

glineli

Laois_Man wrote: »

The biggest insult I saw last night came from Dunphy challening Darragh Malonely's line of questioning...treating him like a dope who doesn't know the difference between a personal attack and critisim of the job they do. I felt embarrassed for Daragh Maloney. Never for Tony O'Donoghue.

And Dunphy calls King a bully..................

Adrift

In fairness to him he did say last night that he regretted what he said about Whelan and was sorry for singling him out

And you think that's an acceptable apology? Dunphy is in the game long enough to know to think before speaking. He singled out Glen several times in this campaign, and whilst singling out a player for poor performances is ok, commenting on their personal life or indeed an attack on their person is not acceptable. "Gutter Journalism" I believe Dunphy himself described such practices. The comments were uncalled for really "How does Glen have 50 Caps?" "How does this man own a nice car?" We could say the same about Dunphy.

But Glen isn't the only one, Gibson was described as being "Brain Dead" by Dunphy, yet when Dunphy was in the midst of his campaing to get rid of Trap, he used Gibson as an example of an "exciting player" that Trap has chosen to ignore. The list goes on and on. The damage is done with comments like that and it's very easy to say Oh I regret saying that a week later.

Even when we're doing well Dunphy isn't happy. I remember after a game in the 2010 WC qualifying campaign he was on one of his rants and Grahame Souness politely pointed out that Ireland were sitting 2nd in a Group ahead of Bulgaria and Behind Italy and how he could only dream Scotland could achiieve something like that. Dunphy will never be satisfied and will criticise all and sundry along the way.

kryogen

King doesn't have a whole lot of experience dealing with the media like that, he had just come off the field after a win and was on a high, he is right that Doyle and Stokes do play those positions for their clubs at times. He could have handled it better sure, but I think its understandable that he got a bit miffed considering the focus should maybe have been on at least ending the campaign on a high and looking to the future. What difference does it make really what tactics King has employed, or would employ for the future since he wont be anywhere near the job? The game was won, the team scored 3 goals, he wont be around for the next fixture so why bother grilling him? If we lost then sure, go ahead question why he didn't play this player or that player, but he won!

The lads in the studio I wont even comment on, I don't watch Rte anymore for football and that's about as much of my time as I would give them though frankly, as long as they still get people going this way there is no hope they will ever be challenged/replaced, they are doing their job well. Getting viewers

Pighead

Adrift wrote: »

And you think that's an acceptable apology?

You said Dunphy had conveniently forgot about the abuse he had dished out to Whelan. I simply pointed out that he hadn't.

Dempsey

Pighead wrote: »

You said Dunphy had conveniently forgot about the abuse he had dished out to Whelan. I simply pointed out that he hadn't.

He had to correct himself then he went off on one

Moneymaker

I don't see the big deal with what King said?

He got a bit carried away but some of the vitriol thrown at him has been disgraceful.

He's brought in players that were left out, Andy Reid showed the future manager he still has a lot to offer and that the team when encouraged, can actually at least try and pass the ball around. And he won the game that realistically we should expect to win.

Now he could handle the media better but as far as i'm concerned he did his job, and the team can move on.

Quixoticelixer

No harm to see King put a bit of heat on O'Donoghue like that, O'Donoghue can be a bit disrespectful in his style of questioning, he was particularly nasty towards Trappatoni a few times. I get that the interviewer has to ask difficult questions at times, but O'Donoghue carries it with a real air of "I know better than you" at times.

King could have handled it better, but O'Donoghue is a man in need of a serious attitude adjustment. I don't have a problem with the questions he asks, it's how he does it.

Nalz

Noel Kings response was unprofessional, stupid and childish imo

Whether he was right or wrong, he could have put across his message in a less embarrassing, awkward and cringy way.

It was great tv though!

Agricola

Quixoticelixer wrote: »

No harm to see King put a bit of heat on O'Donoghue like that, O'Donoghue can be a bit disrespectful in his style of questioning, he was particularly nasty towards Trappatoni a few times. I get that the interviewer has to ask difficult questions at times, but O'Donoghue carries it with a real air of "I know better than you" at times.

King could have handled it better, but O'Donoghue is a man in need of a serious attitude adjustment. I don't have a problem with the questions he asks, it's how he does it.

The reasons Trap never got pissed off with Tony OD over the years are A) Trap is a pro who knows the game and the media circus inside out and he would have had a far harder time from the Italian media during his club career and certainly during his stint managing Italy. Italian reporters generally think they are more qualified than the managers to run the team and they are not shy about telling them that. Can you imagine the dogs abuse he got from the Italian media following the 2002 world cup?
Last night's line of post match questioning would be a walk in the park for Trappatoni.

And in defense of Tony OD himself, all he is trying to do is put the panel's criticisms to the manager. He doesnt have a personal agenda as far as I can see, isnt pretending to be a football anorak, he listens to what the panel say, what questions they raise and then asks the manager those questions because that's what the public are thinking about. No point in him just going into the mixed zone and slapping King on that back for a job well done.
IMO, he put the questions to him in a considered, professional way. It was King who lost the plot.

Quixoticelixer

Agricola wrote: »

The reasons Trap never got pissed off with Tony OD over the years are A) Trap is a pro who knows the game and the media circus inside out and he would have had a far harder time from the Italian media during his club career and certainly during his stint managing Italy. Italian reporters generally think they are more qualified than the managers to run the team and they are not shy about telling them that. Can you imagine the dogs abuse he got from the Italian media following the 2002 world cup?
Last night's line of post match questioning would be a walk in the park for Trappatoni.

And in defense of Tony OD himself, all he is trying to do is put the panel's criticisms to the manager. He doesnt have a personal agenda as far as I can see, isnt pretending to be a football anorak, he listens to what the panel say, what questions they raise and then asks the manager those questions because that's what the public are thinking about. No point in him just going into the mixed zone and slapping King on that back for a job well done.
IMO, he put the questions to him in a considered, professional way. It was King who lost the plot.

Everything you've said here is fair enough but I think O'Donoghue definitely had a personal agenda when it came to interviewing Trap for a while.

weldoninhio

Everyone is saying that King is gone now and that we should get on with the new manager. Don't you realise that this is the man in charge of the 21s. He shouldn't be in charge of U10s going on those 2 performances and his delight at how we played.

We need move away from the small-time mentality that King and Trap have about Ireland and get back to the mentality that we can give anyone a game. Not to be afraid of any team in Dublin. I'm fed up with our captain and manager coming out and saying we are a small country and what do we expect.

When did we become so defeatist??

Wacker The Attacker

RikkFlair wrote: »

Will a win in this having any bearing whatsoever on the seedings for the Euros 2016?

The win last night means that Romania need to win both legs of their play off to deny us a second seeding for the euro qualifiers

Wacker The Attacker

weldoninhio wrote: »

Everyone is saying that King is gone now and that we should get on with the new manager. Don't you realise that this is the man in charge of the 21s. He shouldn't be in charge of U10s going on those 2 performances and his delight at how we played.

We need move away from the small-time mentality that King and Trap have about Ireland and get back to the mentality that we can give anyone a game. Not to be afraid of any team in Dublin. I'm fed up with our captain and manager coming out and saying we are a small country and what do we expect.

When did we become so defeatist??

When did you lose your sense of reality and perspective? Where we are in the current rankings is a very accurate reflection of the standard of our squad. To expect that squad to compete with the best sides in Europe over a sustained period is unrealistic.

The_Kew_Tour

We need a manager who is gong to make the team believe we are best in the world.

Lot of our problems is self belief

Pighead

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

We need a manager who is gong to make the team believe we are best in the world.

Lot of our problems is self belief

That's Wacker The Attacker out of the running then.

Agricola

weldoninhio wrote: »

Everyone is saying that King is gone now and that we should get on with the new manager. Don't you realise that this is the man in charge of the 21s. He shouldn't be in charge of U10s going on those 2 performances and his delight at how we played.

Good point, aside from the tactical side of things which he seems to be lacking, I don't like the idea of fellas like that coaching underage players. It's that old "ah shure we havent a hope, we'll go out and give it a lash anyway" mentality.

I think this bunch of players were good enough to compete for the play-off spot. Ok, with Given and Duff gone since the last campaign, it makes it that bit tougher, but we probably had enough quality to be there or theres about on the last match day. Things just went off the rails under Trap in the last few months. His aura was lost forever after the hidings meated out in the euros last year.

Your Airbag

Agricola wrote: »

And in defense of Tony OD himself, all he is trying to do is put the panel's criticisms to the manager. He doesnt have a personal agenda as far as I can see, isnt pretending to be a football anorak, he listens to what the panel say, what questions they raise and then asks the manager those questions because that's what the public are thinking about.

There is the problem. The panel are so tactically inept and rife with personal agendas that their questions are not fit to be put across.

I like them for the comedy and entertainment value but no serious boradcasting agency would allow a panel of pundits to act like they do and have an interviewer act as their mouthpiece but this is RTE and here we are.

Saying all that, the panel was more entertaining then the match last night, as usual, and I will continue to tune in.

Agricola

Your Airbag wrote: »

There is the problem. The panel are so tactically inept and rife with personal agendas that their questions are not fit to be put across.

I like them for the comedy and entertainment value but no serious boradcasting agency would allow a panel of pundits to act like they do and have an interviewer act as their mouthpiece but this is RTE and here we are.

Saying all that, the panel was more entertaining then the match last night, as usual, and I will continue to tune in.

I agree that there is something off about the pitch side reporter acting as a mouthpiece for Dunphy and Giles, but still, would I take the RTE panel over anything BBC, ITV, and SKY have to offer? Without doubt.

Yes they have some agendas, particulary Dunphy but on the whole they are very impartial and don't worry about annoying old colleagues and golf buddies the way the UK pundits do. They call it as they see it, even if they sometimes see it a bit arseways!

wonga77

Agricola wrote: »

I agree that there is something off about the pitch side reporter acting as a mouthpiece for Dunphy and Giles, but still, would I take the RTE panel over anything BBC, ITV, and SKY have to offer? Without doubt.

Yes they have some agendas, particulary Dunphy but on the whole they are very impartial and don't worry about annoying old colleagues and golf buddies the way the UK pundits do. They call it as they see it, even if they sometimes see it a bit arseways!

The reason i dont like them is pretty simple, they offer no insight into any match, international or club, Half the time Giles doesnt even know the name of players, They dont seem to know any more than any other joe soap that reads the tabloids, eg-Dunphy is the resident La Liga expert because he sits down to watch a bit of Barca or Real on a sunday evening. Brady just sits there with a face like a slapped arse and Sadlier is so negative in his appearance and manner that any potential insight is lost the moment he starts every single sentence with a scowl. I like Bill but he really only sits there and stirs the pot so he isnt of much use either.
The whole panel, Whelan, Houghton etc included need a major overhall and new faces with different outlooks on games are required. As someone pointed out earlier the panel is similar enough to what was there in 1990, people are sick of listening to the same ole cliches.
On the flipside i find Didi Hamann to be very good whenever he's on

Sergio

weldoninhio wrote: »

Everyone is saying that King is gone now and that we should get on with the new manager. Don't you realise that this is the man in charge of the 21s. He shouldn't be in charge of U10s going on those 2 performances and his delight at how we played.

We need move away from the small-time mentality that King and Trap have about Ireland and get back to the mentality that we can give anyone a game. Not to be afraid of any team in Dublin. I'm fed up with our captain and manager coming out and saying we are a small country and what do we expect.

When did we become so defeatist??

Hallelujah!!!!!!! finally an Irish supporter who has a bit of optimism!

I couldnt agree more and i think the likes of Robbie Keane should be ashamed of himself for his comments and i think its time he hung up his boots anyway.

If we get the right coach in to work with the current crop of players then i believe we can definitely play alot better than what we have been in the past few years.
BELIEF in themselves is what the players need.Look what Greece achieved when they had the right mentality ffs and they had a very average team arguebly worse than our squad.

DeanAustin

wonga77 wrote: »

The reason i dont like them is pretty simple, they offer no insight into any match, international or club, Half the time Giles doesnt even know the name of players, They dont seem to know any more than any other joe soap that reads the tabloids, eg-Dunphy is the resident La Liga expert because he sits down to watch a bit of Barca or Real on a sunday evening. Brady just sits there with a face like a slapped arse and Sadlier is so negative in his appearance and manner that any potential insight is lost the moment he starts every single sentence with a scowl. I like Bill but he really only sits there and stirs the pot so he isnt of much use either.
The whole panel, Whelan, Houghton etc included need a major overhall and new faces with different outlooks on games are required. As someone pointed out earlier the panel is similar enough to what was there in 1990, people are sick of listening to the same ole cliches.
On the flipside i find Didi Hamann to be very good whenever he's on

I'd agree to an extent. Those boys, who paid to analyse a game, really should do some research and know who they are talking about in advance.

However, what they can do and do well (Giles and Brady anyway) is dissect what's in front of them. They don't need to watch foreign leagues or know the name of every Carlos Kickaball to watch a game and be able to analyse it in a sensible way.

Giles is brilliant at that for my money. He knows football even if he doesn't know every player. He has a brilliant brain and while I don't agree with everything he says, I do think he talks a whole load more sense than pretty much any pundit out there.

briany

wonga77 wrote: »

On the flipside i find Didi Hamann to be very good whenever he's on

Part of the reason why Didi was such a welcome addition was because he brought a sane counterpoint to Dunphy's ramblings. It's yin and yang, and whether we like it or not, the only thing that really differentiates RTE's coverage from other larger channels, besides budget, is the fact that we have a couple of pundits who bring a loose, say-anything approach with them straight out of a bygone era. I think that will be lost when the old guard retires, maybe not over night but it'll be worn down pretty quickly when it's game after game of 3 or 4 pundits giving balanced, reasoned, well researched - and maybe dry - analysis.

Agricola

wonga77 wrote: »

The reason i dont like them is pretty simple, they offer no insight into any match, international or club, Half the time Giles doesnt even know the name of players, They dont seem to know any more than any other joe soap that reads the tabloids, eg-Dunphy is the resident La Liga expert because he sits down to watch a bit of Barca or Real on a sunday evening. Brady just sits there with a face like a slapped arse and Sadlier is so negative in his appearance and manner that any potential insight is lost the moment he starts every single sentence with a scowl. I like Bill but he really only sits there and stirs the pot so he isnt of much use either.
The whole panel, Whelan, Houghton etc included need a major overhall and new faces with different outlooks on games are required. As someone pointed out earlier the panel is similar enough to what was there in 1990, people are sick of listening to the same ole cliches.
On the flipside i find Didi Hamann to be very good whenever he's on

I dont think knowing the name of every journeyman pro or even every international team (Giles: "Kagastan" ) is really the most important thing when it comes to insightful analysis. Ive watched more than enough British coverage to know you can have all the young relevant pundits you like, but that does not a good football panel make. You'd hear more cliches out of Hansen and Shearer in one match, than you'd hear out of Dunphy and Giles in a full season. British coverage is 70% flashy graphics and tech, 20% spoof and 10% useful analysis.
I think most people would agree RTE's coverage is superior to the rest, if you can omit Dunphy's occasional eegiting from the equation.

briany wrote: »

Part of the reason why Didi was such a welcome addition was because he brought a sane counterpoint to Dunphy's ramblings. It's yin and yang, and whether we like it or not, the only thing that really differentiates RTE's coverage from other larger channels, besides budget, is the fact that we have a couple of pundits who bring a loose, say-anything approach with them straight out of a bygone era. I think that will be lost when the old guard retires, maybe not over night but it'll be worn down pretty quickly when it's game after game of 3 or 4 pundits giving balanced, reasoned, well researched - and maybe dry - analysis.

Agree. Ive always thought armchair football watching will be far worse off once these old fellas retire because often the pre and post match chat is better than the actual game itself. Last night being a case in point. Im not looking forward to the day when Darragh Maloney replaces Bill and we have a couple of personality free zones sitting in Giles and Dunphy's seats. I'll miss the mock battles for one thing!

Ronnie Whelan and Dreary Sadlier arent half bad so there is some hope for the future. Bring in Peter Collins to anchor it I say. That guy is a loose cannon!

weldoninhio

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

When did you lose your sense of reality and perspective? Where we are in the current rankings is a very accurate reflection of the standard of our squad. To expect that squad to compete with the best sides in Europe over a sustained period is unrealistic.

Last night Scotland completed the double over Croatia. Croatia, who walked over us last summer. The first game was a smash and grab, fair enough. Last nights game they deserved to win. All down to Strachan, and his belief in his team, and their belief in themselves. They have no world class players, even very few prem players. But they have a manager who believes in them, and that rubs off on the squad. BELIEF is 90% of the battle. It's 11 vs 11.

DeanAustin

weldoninhio wrote: »

Last night Scotland completed the double over Croatia. Croatia, who walked over us last summer. The first game was a smash and grab, fair enough. Last nights game they deserved to win. All down to Strachan, and his belief in his team, and their belief in themselves. They have no world class players, even very few prem players. But they have a manager who believes in them, and that rubs off on the squad. BELIEF is 90% of the battle. It's 11 vs 11.

Great stuff. How many points ahead of Croatia did Scotland finish in the end?

Aenaes

Sergio wrote: »

Look what Greece achieved when they had the right mentality ffs and they had a very average team arguebly worse than our squad.

You mean the Greek squad which had players dotted around European leagues and some regular Champions League players?

weldoninhio

DeanAustin wrote: »

Great stuff. How many points ahead of Croatia did Scotland finish in the end?

Strachan only came for the last few games. How did Scotland do before they had a manager who believed in them??

But I reckon you already knew this.

Idbatterim

I dont think knowing the name of every journeyman pro or even every international team (Giles: "Kagastan" ) is really the most important thing when it comes to insightful analysis. Ive watched more than enough British coverage to know you can have all the young relevant pundits you like, but that does not a good football panel make. You'd hear more cliches out of Hansen and Shearer in one match, than you'd hear out of Dunphy and Giles in a full season. British coverage is 70% flashy graphics and tech, 20% spoof and 10% useful analysis.
I think most people would agree RTE's coverage is superior to the rest, if you can omit Dunphy's occasional eegiting from the equation.

I agree, the English punditry is so pathetic! there is literally no comparison. The heated debate etc that goes on between the boys is great to watch...

DeanAustin

weldoninhio wrote: »

Strachan only came for the last few games. How did Scotland do before they had a manager who believed in them??

But I reckon you already knew this.

You have taken two games and used them to say that it's 11 v 11 and we have as much chance of qualifying as anyone.

By your own admission one of those games was a smash and grab. The other game was meaningless to Croatia so your point is weak at best.

fryup

clickhere wrote: »

Noel king was out at rovers when Giles and Dunphy came back from England to start the football revolution at milltown. There is history between Kinger and Dunphy.

oh ya, can you elaborate

CSF

witnessmenow wrote: »

Out of curiosity what do you think O'Donoghue said wrong?

I really don't think O'Donoghue could be faulted, There is no way you could describe Doyle or Stokes as "natural wingers" even if they have played there before

O'Donoghue has developed a reputation for these interviews and you could tell he was getting ready to go off on one. King by far the worse of the 2 on the night, but King has very little previous whereas Tony has about the professional level of Dunphy.

Lightbulb Sun

Aenaes wrote: »

You mean the Greek squad which had players dotted around European leagues and some regular Champions League players?

In fairness he has a point. There were no world class players in that squad and most played in Greece. That said, can't see us doing a Greece.

keeponhurling

grenache wrote: »

Mick McCarthy or Guus Hiddink for the permanent job please.

There's a sentence you don't see used too often

weldoninhio

DeanAustin wrote: »

You have taken two games and used them to say that it's 11 v 11 and we have as much chance of qualifying as anyone.

By your own admission one of those games was a smash and grab. The other game was meaningless to Croatia so your point is weak at best.

So pointless that their manager got sacked after it. Those Croats are fairly ruthless!!

Dempsey

weldoninhio wrote: »

So pointless that their manager got sacked after it. Those Croats are fairly ruthless!!

To be pedantic, he offered his resignation and it was accepted.

weldoninhio

Dempsey wrote: »

To be pedantic, he offered his resignation and it was accepted.

Croatian Football Association (HNS) president Davor Suker said: "The HNS executive board decided unanimously to relieve Stimac of his duties and terminate his contract while the body has also decided to name Kovac as his successor.

To be pedantic, thats what the Croatian FA said.

Dempsey

weldoninhio wrote: »

Croatian Football Association (HNS) president Davor Suker said: "The HNS executive board decided unanimously to relieve Stimac of his duties and terminate his contract while the body has also decided to name Kovac as his successor.

To be pedantic, thats what the Croatian FA said.

My bad, going by his post match press conference, he offered his resignation to HNS

jacool

Dempsey wrote: »

My bad, going by his post match press conference, he offered his resignation to HNS

They said that because they didn't receive any comment from him directly, they fired him. He had only spoken to the media apparently, so everyone's right, sort of.
I don't think he's in the running for the Ireland job though, because he doesn't get on with the media!!