RTE Panel

[Grafter]

I'm not looking for bombastic commentary.... but the best kind of commentary I feel is where the commentators set off (at least at the beginning of the game) with a sense of optimism and hope... sort of like it's going to be a rocky journey tonight but we're in this together hoping for a greater good.
I also think that a prerequisite for a co-commentator is good communication skills, the ability to add some lightness to proceedings at times and a quick turn of phrase!

For what it's worth, if you look back to youtube RTE coverage of the Belgium '97 playoff defeat, it struck me after the game how Bill O' Herlihy and panel spoke highly of team in defeat.... however I think post Saipan especially, perhaps some realised that negativity makes more waves in Ireland than positivity.

I must say that I would have enjoyed watching the Poland match the other night a lot more (despite our struggles in Warsaw) and found it less of an ordeal if our state broadcaster had realised that on a Sunday night, the average man, woman and child could do without the moanfest before the week ahead!!!

[Kingdom]

Good post grafter. I wonder about the 97 team. Mick's first campaign first post Charlton;, rake of kids; unheralded players, and players heading to retirement; plus the performance away from home was good, they never flinched and really upped the ante.

[DeLorean]

Our lucky charm Jim Beglin isn't on duty tomorrow night! Next they'll announce that Jimmy Magee is doing commentary!

Jim Beglin - Twitter (https://twitter.com/jimbeglin/status/665324639057391616)

[tetsujin1979]

or move it to TV3

[NeverFeltBetter]

I hope the entrenched mainstays of the current Panel take next years tournament as a good point to call it a day.

[OwlsFan]

Had a quick glance at it last night. Poor George H lost the run of himself when we scored the penalty. He said we were 2 up in the tie - the away goal thingy had confused him He said it twice but then eventually corrected himself :)

I thought Long had missed his opportunity but he is definitely nudged in the back by the defender just as he is about to shoot.

[DeLorean]

MON has "slight dig" (http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/1219/755210-oneill/) at RTÉ panel

[backstothewall]

MON has "slight dig" (http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/1219/755210-oneill/) at RTÉ panel

That was Martin making a wee joke. He has a strange way about him but tongue was firmly in cheek.

[DeLorean]

I think he was making it seem lighthearted but it's exactly what he thinks (and we all know). There's an extended interview with him on Setanta Ireland tomorrow night at 8:30pm, just saw a little clip and he said something similar but in much stronger terms, quite clearly aimed at Dunphy at the very least and possibly one or two more with him.

[seanfhear]

Dunphy is better ignored (like most knaves and fools). Its a pity RTE and so many Irish people don't also do this.

[eitoof]

Dunphy is better ignored (like most knaves and fools). Its a pity RTE and so many Irish people don't also do this.
It's hugely annoying that Drunky gets the amount of airtime he does when there so many more intelligent, knowledgeable options out there. One could say the same about George Hook and Joe Brolly in other sports.

[DeLorean]

You can only laugh at Dunphy at times, he was in 'loveable rogue' as opposed to 'spiteful b@stard' form last night. They had the usual discussion about Ronaldo and the way his petulance, diving, etc. still lets him down, for a player that should be almost universally embraced at this stage. There was a time when Dunphy's stance was... "It doesn't matter how great he is when he behaves like that", but that has officially transformed to... "it doesn't matter how he behaves when he's that great"! He the said he "should have just embraced him from the start".

[OwlsFan]

I surfed on to some Setanta awards programme a few days ago and my old favourites. G&D were being interviewed on the stage. D was holding a glass of wine and was tired and emotional and went off mumbling something about loving John Delaney (who was also at the dinner). Haven't seen it on Youtube yet but I suspect so few people were watching it, it hasn't got out there.

[eitoof]

So Giles is finishing up with RTE after the summer. No harm. He's outdated and his knowledge of the modern game is a joke. "Well, Bill, I don't know much about the Algerians". Any chance Dunphy would toddle on too?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Remember watching Spain play in 2002 and he adored Ruben Baraja. "Who is that lad?".

[DeLorean]

You'd think he'd have known him from covering Valencia in the CL, they made the final the year before with Baraja, Aimar and Mendieta their three midfielders that everybody knew. I distinctly remember Dunphy still mentioning Aimar and Baraja as key players for Valencia long after Aimar had moved on from the club. "Our scholar of Spanish Football", as Bill used to call him.

[seanfhear]

So Giles is finishing up with RTE after the summer. No harm. He's outdated and his knowledge of the modern game is a joke. "Well, Bill, I don't know much about the Algerians". Any chance Dunphy would toddle on too?Surely they can't leave Dumbphy there without Giles to bestow some credibility upon him.

Surely no one else is going to embarrass themselves to caste credibility on the ridiculous one.

[geysir]

RTE lose their last vestige of moral courage.

[hoops1]

Even at the age Giles is he is still one of the best football analysts on any station never mind here. I know it can look bad when you don’t know all the players all the time, but something he never gets wrong and that’s in his expertise in the way the game should be played and what professional players should and shouldn’t be doing. Giles knowledge of the game is second to none. Ryle Nugent knows absolutely nothing about football and it shows by the treatment Giles is receiving. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever to bring in younger men to do the job simply because of their age. It really is a sad situation.

[bennocelt]

Rather they get rid of Dunphy and Brady

[Real ale Madrid]

Even at the age Giles is he is still one of the best football analysts on any station never mind here. I know it can look bad when you don’t know all the players all the time, but something he never gets wrong and that’s in his expertise in the way the game should be played and what professional players should and shouldn’t be doing. Giles knowledge of the game is second to none. Ryle Nugent knows absolutely nothing about football and it shows by the treatment Giles is receiving. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever to bring in younger men to do the job simply because of their age. It really is a sad situation.

This.

Giles has forgotten more about football than any of us will ever know about it. Get rid of the other two clowns.

[tetsujin1979]

there was footage of the panel's reaction to Robbie Keane's equaliser against Germany in 2002. If anyone finds it, I'd be much obliged

[KK77]

Even at the age Giles is he is still one of the best football analysts on any station never mind here. I know it can look bad when you don’t know all the players all the time, but something he never gets wrong and that’s in his expertise in the way the game should be played and what professional players should and shouldn’t be doing. Giles knowledge of the game is second to none. Ryle Nugent knows absolutely nothing about football and it shows by the treatment Giles is receiving. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever to bring in younger men to do the job simply because of their age. It really is a sad situation.

But he has lost touch with the modern game they say! He doesn't know anything about the false number nine, the high press, playing between the lines and the number 10!

[hoops1]

Ye all those things never existed before they are all new and Vardy broke the record of consecutive games to score, Shearer is the all time top scorer and football never existed before sky or the premier league

[BonnieShels]

Even at the age Giles is he is still one of the best football analysts on any station never mind here. I know it can look bad when you don’t know all the players all the time, but something he never gets wrong and that’s in his expertise in the way the game should be played and what professional players should and shouldn’t be doing. Giles knowledge of the game is second to none. Ryle Nugent knows absolutely nothing about football and it shows by the treatment Giles is receiving. It makes absolutely no sense what so ever to bring in younger men to do the job simply because of their age. It really is a sad situation.

Like RaM I have to agree 100% with ya.

I listen to Gilesy on OTB every Thursday and I never ever come away without something learned or enlightening, whether it's an old story or something he saw in a game that us laymen (not posh obvs) missed out on.

To keep Dunphy in this scenario is a crock. And a disgrace.

[TonyD]

Like RaM I have to agree 100% with ya.

I listen to Gilesy on OTB every Thursday and I never ever come away without something learned or enlightening, whether it's an old story or something he saw in a game that us laymen (not posh obvs) missed out on.

To keep Dunphy in this scenario is a crock. And a disgrace.

Spot on. I can't understand the criticism of Giles. To me he speaks plainly and in common sense terms about the game and makes a lot of sense. I used to love listening to him as co-commentator during a game. To criticise him because he doesn't know who plays left back for Valencia, or some such, is to miss the point. The point about keeping Dunphy on is that he is, as they would say in TV terms "box office". He gets people talking about whatever rant he has going at any particular time, so that's why he is being kept.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Nobody criticized him for not knowing the names of footballers.

[BonnieShels]

Nobody criticized him for not knowing the names of footballers.

He was being criticised on the basis that because he doesn't know the name of footballers or what a trequartista is.

I would sit all day listening to John talk about Leeds in the 70s than listen to James Richardson and his ilk over-pronounce "Gianluigi".

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I used to love watching him on Channel 4.

Can't understand why Sky Sports never made him the face of their football coverage.

[BonnieShels]

Perhaps he didn't want to leave Italy?

[osarusan]

I said this elsewhere and similar on here before:


I always thought Giles was a very good analyst of a game in progress. Able to see stuff that other analysts couldn't.

But his lack of any research ("I don't know too much about this team Bill") which seemed to be something of a badge of honour for him annoyed me a lot. He would still go on stereotypes of teams (like the dour defensive German team) well after they'd changed completely.

[OwlsFan]

Like RaM I have to agree 100% with ya.

I listen to Gilesy on OTB every Thursday and I never ever come away without something learned or enlightening, whether it's an old story or something he saw in a game that us laymen (not posh obvs) missed out on.

To keep Dunphy in this scenario is a crock. And a disgrace.

You say Giles is great and Dunphy a disgrace and yet one of Giles' most commonly used phrases is "I agree with Eamon". Even Gift Grub has picked up on this. Other than on Saipan, the two agree on all aspects of football from attacking every Irish manager since, errr, ummm, John Giles, Ronaldo, style of football, tactics, uncle Tom Cobley and all. It is obvious that Dunphy worships Giles and takes his lead from him on just about everything but says it in a more controversial way to attract attention (e.g. Dunphy threw the pen after the Egyptian game but Giles agreed with everything he said - that is the difference in a nutshell). One is the showman - the other the silent assassin (as regards Irish managers).

[Real ale Madrid]

You say Giles is great and Dunphy a disgrace and yet one of Giles' most commonly used phrases is "I agree with Eamon". Even Gift Grub has picked up on this. Other than on Saipan, the two agree on all aspects of football from attacking every Irish manager since, errr, ummm, John Giles, Ronaldo, style of football, tactics, uncle Tom Cobley and all. It is obvious that Dunphy worships Giles and takes his lead from him on just about everything but says it in a more controversial way to attract attention (e.g. Dunphy threw the pen after the Egyptian game but Giles agreed with everything he said - that is the difference in a nutshell). One is the showman - the other the silent assassin (as regards Irish managers).

Dunphy and Giles are like chalk and cheese if you look at their contributions in the media in general. Look at Dunphy's articles on rte and compare them to Giles on Newstalk for example. They agree on the panel a lot of time - but to be fair they are watching the same thing - one them would lose credibility eventually if they always disagreed.

Listen, I'm no massive fan of the rte panel but if I was creating a list of 3 in preference of who I'd like to get rid of - Giles would be 3 - Dunphy and Brady would both be 1.

[Stuttgart88]

Dunphy very critical of MON's WAG response. Much ado about nothing I think. As Geysir pointed out the answer seemed as much to highlight the silly nature of the question.

[DeLorean]

Politically correct Eamo they call him.

Geysir called it perfectly. Unfortunately the masses of dimwits wouldn't get that though.

[Lionel Ritchie]

@eitoof -Respectfully, do you know a lot about the Algerians? Do you reckon Richard Sadlier or Didi Hamann do either?

I shall miss Giles and hope someone else covering our games realises there's a market out there for a commentator who isn't impressed by big reputations and cares not a jot about the next wunderkinds high 80's rating on FIFA16.
It's only when they're gone...

[eitoof]

@eitoof -Respectfully, do you know a lot about the Algerians? Do you reckon Richard Sadlier or Didi Hamann do either?

I shall miss Giles and hope someone else covering our games realises there's a market out there for a commentator who isn't impressed by big reputations and cares not a jot about the next wunderkinds high 80's rating on FIFA16.
It's only when they're gone...

Honestly, no. Which is why I'd kinda like the guys previewing the game to have some bit of a clue about what to expect.

I get that Giles has been good in the past at what he does but, and it's only my opinion, I don't particularly enjoy his punditry anymore.

"Formations don't really matter Darragh" doesn't cut it anymore.

[geysir]

"Formations don't really matter Darragh" doesn't cut it anymore.

"Formations don't really matter Darragh .....if players don't have the moral courage to get on the ball"

or something similar.

[DeLorean]

Independent.ie - John Giles slates James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan and puts forward intriguing Irish midfield (http://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/john-giles-slates-james-mccarthy-and-glenn-whelan-and-puts-forward-intriguing-irish-midfield-34588981.html)

[SkStu]

"Formations don't really matter Darragh .....if players don't have the moral courage to get on the ball"

or something similar.

Haha this made me laugh.

[geysir]

Independent.ie - John Giles slates James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan and puts forward intriguing Irish midfield (http://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/john-giles-slates-james-mccarthy-and-glenn-whelan-and-puts-forward-intriguing-irish-midfield-34588981.html)

John is not taking any prisoners since his rte rejection, he's wielding the axe but re-affirms his love for Wayne.

John Giles slams Gary Neville, 'political animal' Hodgson and basically the entire England midfield (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/john-giles-slams-gary-neville-political-animal-hodgson-and-basically-the-entire-england-midfield-34591471.html)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Jeez, I'm not sure I'd want Didi Hamann coaching U-10's.

[OwlsFan]

Dunphy and Giles are like chalk and cheese if you look at their contributions in the media in general.

The usual love-in the night before. According to Dunphy John Giles was the only person in the world (I jest not) who has noticed that Messi is off his game and both agreed that the Atletico performance wasn't cynical. Fair enough, but the longer this goes on, it becomes more obvious that Dunphy takes his cue from Giles on everything: Irish managers (all of them), Glen Whelan, James McCarthy, style of football, Ronaldo (both had a change of heart at the same time), Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, anyone who isn't in the Irish side, Atletico, English football....the list is endless The hero worship gets more pronounced as the years go by and is it any wonder therefore that Giles begins his bit as ever with "I agree with Eamon" - of course he does because Dunphy has taken his opinion from him.

[DeLorean]

As much as I agree with most of that (still like Giles though), I think Giles was somewhere in between when it came to Atletico being cynical. Dunphy was saying that they simply aren't cynical, Brady was saying they were completely and utterly cynical and Giles was somewhere in the middle. He said they foul more than most teams and there are cynical elements, but overall they do what they can to complete and their game is based more on hard work and good organisation than cynicism. I thought Brady was being as ridiculous as Dunphy on this one.

The thing about Giles being the only one to notice Messi being out of sorts was priceless, he actually really meant it as well. What planet is he living on? I think this is the first time in Messi's career where he's gone five consecutive games without either a goal or an assist - the whole world has noticed his slump! I think he even outdid that a few minutes later though when he said that Atletico are the Leicester of Spain. :D

[geysir]

Didn't Dunphy jump in with both feet again when he said something like, 'John should know what cynicism is, he was with Leeds for all those years'? :D

You could almost hear the echo of Fitzpatrick's leg breaking in the moment.that followed but Giles remained suitably stoic and ignored the barb.

[DeLorean]

Eamo before the CL final this evening said something like "the better 'team' always beats the side with better individuals", while predicting Atletico to win, disregarding the fact that this Real side have beaten them in their last two CL meetings despite being perceived (probably justifiably) as a lesser team with better individuals. Brady praised Atletico's La Liga defensive record and couldn't remember the last time they conceded two goals in the CL... Answer: the semi final Liam. Before that: the quarter final.

[DeLorean]

So we've Martin O'Neill (including a viewers Q&A thing I think) on TV3 tomorrow night versus the Johnny Giles RTÉ swansong (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/liam-brady-john-giles-is-simply-the-best-409420.html).

I'll watch RTÉ I think and record MON.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

EXCLUSIVE: "Pretending to be grand had stopped working" - Richie Sadlier on how he became a psychotherapist

https://www.joe.ie/fitness-health/exclusive-pretending-to-be-grand-had-stopped-working-richie-sadlier-on-how-he-became-a-psychotherapist/569499

[DeLorean]

Euro 2016: (http://entertainment.ie/tv-highlight/Euro-2016-Two-Shades-of-Green/388797.htm)Two Shades of Green (http://entertainment.ie/tv-highlight/Euro-2016-Two-Shades-of-Green/388797.htm) (Tonight - RTÉ 2: 9:30pm)


Euro 2016 was the first major football tournament that both the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland football teams qualified for. This special reflects on the incredible tournament performances from both teams as told by the players themselves. The documentary follows both teams' qualification campaigns, as well as their journey through France during the summer. Robbie Brady, Seamus Coleman, Gareth McAuley, and Michael McGovern are among the contributors.

RTE Soccer: Twitter (https://twitter.com/RTEsport/status/814416464723619840)

[DeLorean]

Enjoyed that. It didn't cover the qualification campaigns though (misleading information above ^^).