FORMER IRISH INTERNATIONAL and football pundit Eamon Dunphy says he was “baffled” by Ireland’s match with Oman last night, questioning why manager Martin O’Neill left out several first-choice players.
A team comprised mostly of fringe players defeated their Asian opponents 2-0, ahead of the team’s opening European Championships qualifier against Georgia on Sunday.
“I thought it was a completely meaningless exercise,” Dunphy told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme. ”It’s a mystery. It was a golden opportunity to play the team that will start against Georgia for an hour. The centre-half partnership of Marc Wilson and John O’Shea have never played together in central defence, for example. It was a golden opportunity for them to play together.”
“You need to get the rhythm and shape together of the team for Sunday. I don’t think the reason [O'Neill] gave, that players are unfit, stands up to scrutiny.”
“If last night was nothing to do with Sunday, and on the face of it it wasn’t, what was the purpose of it? To get 14,000 people into the Aviva?”
However in spite of these issues, Dunphy’s remains confident that Martin O’Neill can deliver success as Ireland manager
“I feel optimistic,” he revealed. “I have great faith in Martin O’Neill and a lot of faith in the players he has at his disposal.
“It is a tough group, there is no doubting that, but the Trapattoni era was a lost era. I think Martin will play the best players and will get the most out of them, so I’m very optimistic indeed.”
Celtic are just not clinical enough at this level. It’s an issue domestically also but they can get away with it.
The amount of chances they are creating and only having two goals to show for it are criminal.
There wasn’t much between the sides for large parts of the game but Leipzig took their chances well.
@Ciarán Rice: While I agree with you on the clinical edge side, I think it’s hard to say there wasn’t much between the sides tonight. Jota, Kyogo, and Hatate had their odd half moments.. maybe Taylor too. Likes of Nkunku and Szoboszlai tore it up tho and Simakan, who isn’t even a natural right-full, ran Celtic ragged up their left flank which was justified by his assist. Most of Celtic’s chances just fell to them when RB were sloppy coming out from the back and the press worked well.
Wasn’t up for RB either, would have happily enjoyed Celtic winning had they done so. Record away to German opposition is poor tho so I kinda knew what to expect… 14 without a win in EC/UCL history. Game in Parkhead will be interesting tho!
@Ultan Corcoran: the first half there was nothing between the sides. The stats point to that also. Pretty much 50/50 in possession and think Celtic slightly edged the amount of chances in the first.
The second half however, was poor from Celtic when McGregor went off injured. It was 1-1 at that point and still fairly balanced. Once he was subbed Celtic completely gave up the midfield.
Think you’re dismissing Celtics pressing stating that it was poor play from Leipzig at the back. Celtic deliberately forced Leipzig into the those errors. That’s the game they play. Leipzig, of course, did similar to Celtic.
By ‘dented’ you mean ‘over’?
@David Lawlor:
Why would you think they are over? Two winnable games to come at home. RM will be already through.
Not over yet as two home wins would really set it up travelling to Madrid who would already be qualified presumably, wishful thinking but could 7pts qualify them maybe, just maybe
@Noel Doherty: it’s over. They haven’t a chance of qualifying.
@Stephen Foster: I think you’ll find they still have a chance of going through. To say they have no chance proves how thick you really are.
Uphill battle from here on , it could have been a bit different if Celtic had a finisher in the team , Carter vickers was a loss also .
@Tricksy: completely agree. Losing our two centre backs it was always going to be difficult but the game was evenly matched. Then McGregor went off injured and Celtic completely lost the midfield.
As much as Kyogo is a brilliant player, he’s not a top class finisher. Giakoumakis is a brilliant finisher but isn’t as good a player as Kyogo and doesn’t really suit the system. Major issues up front.