Breffnigolfer wrote: » 1. If it was ok with Martin O'Neill, it's ok with me. 2. So what? It was a nothing, meaningless, "friendly, a full 24 hours later. You'll obviously pick whatever suits to knock the man but you must admit that O'Neill, FAI, the players, Delaney, to a man, have done nothing but lavish praise on Keane and the contribution he has made to the job so far? Or, do you have a different view? Just to knock him? A bigger crime for management would be to bring the squad to a chipper and fill them with fried food the night before an important qualifying match. Imagine if that happened? And imagine if it happened and the team lost heavily?
Choochtown wrote: » I'll have to throw in another vote for Roy "I don't do friendlies unless it's my own in which case RTE can televise it live" Keane. The man who walked out on his country on the eve of the World Cup finals complaining of poor preparation actually chose to be a pundit for an English TV channel covering the Champions League final the night before Ireland played Turkey in a Senior International match in Dublin and he was assistant manager of the team!!!! You couldn't make it up. And by the way what was it Roy said about pundits?
Choochtown wrote: » Can you defend an assistant manager that goes abroad to sit in a TV studio the night before his team has a match? Seriously?
Breffnigolfer wrote: » Not necessarily. One only has to read his posts to see how closed his mind is. I've outlined my arguments, those choosing a viewpoint which ignores the truth are trying to oppose me.
Breffnigolfer wrote: » Is that the best you can do to denigrate a great man?
DeanAustin wrote: » Usually happens when someone loses an argument. ........
Grandeeod wrote: » And how did you come to that conclusion?
Breffnigolfer wrote: » Go on, admit it, you're one of those who belt out Olé, olé, olé at all the matches, thinking it's an Irish chant? You don't know much about soccer, BTW,
DeanAustin wrote: » Oops
Billy86 wrote: » Apologies, I missed 1998... so that is once in 34 attempts in football WC/EC qualifying compared to 3 times in 30 attempts (or 5 in 34, one tied with France) for rugby and the five/six nations.
DeanAustin wrote: » You may need to check your facts. Ireland topped their qualification group once more than you were right in this post.
Grandeeod wrote: » Since Saipan, Roy Keane has proven he is an utter attention seeking, disturbed, bell end. No question about it. He is about to find out that his "Irish issues" about winning with the national team are as overstated as his ability.
mikeym wrote: » John Delaney is Irelands biggest sporting embarrassment. Tv3 could make a programme on this.
Billy86 wrote: » We were deadful in the late 80s and 90s as has been mentioned, but to be fair meanwhile in football we have competed in 34 WC/EC qualifying campaigns over the span of 55 years and finished have top... never.
CrabRevolution wrote: » You've just summed up why those Hull fans were bandwagon jumpers though. They didnt go to the Brighton match because the opposition was unappealling and the match seemed unimportant. That's nearly the definition of a bandwagon supporter, one who doesn't go to matches vs. Brighton, but goes to matches vs. Arsenal. Also Walsh Cup matches in January are like pre season friendlies on soccer, only less important.
Schwiiing wrote: » That 5th round match was against Brighton, low attendance is to be expected. How many people will come to see Kilkenny in January? It wont be 80,000 that's for sure.
Breffnigolfer wrote: » Tell me what Mattie Holland ever did for Ireland?
CrabRevolution wrote: » Yes, Ireland is the only country on earth where people want tickets to the biggest sporting event of the year.Hull's 5th round match in the FA cup this year had about 10'000 people at it including away fans. 3 rounds later they sold out their allocation of 25'000 in Wembley for the final, and presumably picked up thousands more of the "neutral" tickets. Is that a bandwagon or does it only apply when Irish people do it?
Schwiiing wrote: » The ridiculous clamour for tickets for an All Ireland Final in both codes. The biggest yearly bandwagon event in the world.
Breffnigolfer wrote: » The team was so properly prepared they decided to fly one hour time zone past Japan so they would be better acclimatised when they got there.(Ray Treacy's exact words to justify picking Saipan) McCarthy failed to spot Spain were down to 10 men, continuing to play with 4 defenders against one attacker for half an hour. McCarthy said it was "pointless" practising penalties so they didn't practise. McCarthy picked Ian Harte in every match and took him off in every match, despite it being obvious to the World and his mother that he was in the depths of a slump. McCarthy was a joke. He ordered Keane to leave. Keane is the best player to have played for Ireland in the past 20 years. Our great shame, as a nation, was there weren't enough like minded players and staff to get the best results possible, instead, like McCarthy, Quinn, Staunton, happy to be there for the party. Keane was a winner, the rest pathetic losers. Tell me what Mattie Holland ever did for Ireland? McCarthy was the manager who told Denis Irwin, with countless medals, premiership appearances and international caps, to go out "and prove yourself " I was at every home qualifying match for the campaign and we qualified despite McCarthy, not because of him. He's found his level at Ipswich, a mid table championship team. Remember the match v Holland? Roy Keane drove the team that day like never before. He set the tone and the others followed. Ireland was greatly helped by tactical naivety from Louis Van Gaal who ended up with four centre forwards on the pitch having replaced two wingers. A blind man could see how Ireland, 2002, were so desperately let down by management. A golden opportunity lost forever.
Breffnigolfer wrote: » I would contend the likes of you are an embarrassment. The way you cannot see what actually happened in Eaipan, or do not want to see what happened, is a joke. Facts were Keane was fighting for a more professional approach from the FAI and was let down. The management and other players were on a jolly, just happy to be there.
NoMore MrNiceGuy wrote: » Test matches in rugby are not taken as lightly as soccerball friendlies. .....
