John Giles still isn’t happy about Martin O’Neill’s decision to drop Wes Hoolahan.
The Republic of Ireland manager omitted Hoolahan from the team to face Poland last Sunday, saying that the Norwich playmaker had complained of a sore heel prior to the game.
The decision didn’t go down well with RTE pundits Eamon Dunphy and John Giles, and now Giles, writing in his Evening Herald column, has made a pretty bold claim about O’Neill’s estimation of Hoolahan.
The former Ireland manager says that while he accepts O’Neill’s decision at face value, he still feels Hoolahan’s omission signifies an underlying distrust of the player. Giles cites his own experience with his then Manchester United manager Matt Busby as an example of a manager using an excuse to drop a player.
Matt Busby had a way of telling a player he wasn’t playing in a big game which always made me smile. It made a hard job easier.
He would call a player over after training and ask him how he thought he played in the previous match and naturally enough, nobody wanted to sound arrogant or too cocky.
So the response was usually understated. Maybe something like… “alright boss, I think I’m doing okay, but there’s always room for improvement.” This would bring an immediate response along the lines of: “I agree, you could be doing a lot better. You’re dropped for the next game.”
The story is a true one because I witnessed it myself several times and it came to mind during the last week when the issue of Wes Hoolahan’s fitness became the subject of heated debate.
Giles goes on to say that footballers, in his experience, are always prepared to play through tiredness, and claims that O’Neill’s omission of Hoolahan was a glaring mistake.
Tiredness can be a factor but never an excuse for a player, never something that would limit him so much or change his attitude about playing. Players wants to play.
Until you actually go out and play, you never know. I had some of my best performances when I felt worn out before games. Once you get into the rhythm of the match, everything falls into place. Players at all levels have had this experience.
It’s about attitude. For me, the game against Poland was a chance to throw everything at the attempt to gain automatic qualification but O’Neill had already booked his place in the play-offs. I think he got caught between two stools and that was reflected in the team he picked.
What I saw against Poland was confusion. I didn’t see enough of Wes Hoolahan.
Does Giles have a point?
