‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, except for Martin O’Neill once more laying waste to Eamon Dunphy.
The Republic of Ireland manager is clearly not sold on this season of goodwill idea and, following on for his thinly veiled attack on certain members of the RTÉ panel at the broadcaster’s end of year awards, the Derryman was at it again last night.
In an interview with Setanta Sports O’Neill again had a cut off Messrs Dunphy et al, describing their views on his use of Wes Hoolahan as “drivel”.
O’Neill has seen his hand strengthened after battling back from poor results against Scotland and Poland to qualify for Euro 2016 and, with a new contract on the way from the FAI, he clearly feels comfortable lobbing a few grenades in the direction of Montrose.
“If I was to listen to everybody picking my team, I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning. And if I was to listen to people who I don’t have a phenomenal amount of time for, I would just pull the covers over my face.
“There are people who are in the game, who have had a say for years and years who really do not have a clue, genuinely do not have a clue.
“My experience, my judgement of players, I think is as good as any.
“I know my team have a fair idea about flair and they certainly have a better idea about flair than some pundits who don’t even attend matches and are making a judgement from a studio.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure out what O’Neill is talking about here. In the wake of the 1-0 win over Germany, Dunphy was apoplectic when his “lovechild” Wes Hoolahan was left out of the team – even going so far as to accuse O’Neill of briefing a newspaper with stats to back up his decision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34J6CRsEquE
Last night O’Neill rejected Dunphy’s suggestion that O’Neill was unwilling to play a skilful player like Hoolahan away from home.
“If you’re asking me if I refrain from playing skilful players when it’s important, I’ve never heard so much drivel in my life,” said O’Neill. “There is nothing I like more than creativity as creativity will win games for you.
“And at Aston Villa, that’s what I spent my time doing – buying creative players mostly. There are lots of ingredients that go to make up a team.
You get the feeling that O’Neill would enjoy next summer in France far more if he knew Dunphy was at home on the couch rather than sitting on the panel with Johnny Giles and Liam Brady.
"If I was to listen to everybody picking my team, I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning" – Martin O'Neill https://t.co/QrIq7ZfiqP
— eir Sport (@eirSport) December 22, 2015
“I really genuinely don’t mind a pundit having a say if he is backing it up with some cogent argument or something he feels might make sense.
“But if he makes a judgement on something that is factually incorrect, then obviously you are going to have to question it or ignore it. Or both.”
It didn’t used to be like this, you know? Martin and Eamon used to be able to sit side by side and exchange football ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHm_52NAdq4
Why can’t these two just work it out?!?!
