RTE Panel

[backstothewall]

With Ukraine v France being delayed due to rain, a fantastic debate about the Irish media's treatment of Trap has broken out.

Intriguing stuff. Worth sticking on if you gave the game a miss

[Stuttgart88]

Would love to have seen that.

Any synopsis?

[irishultra]

It was excellent TV, but Dunphy made a really odd point. He mentioned the 3 billion going into the Premier League and linked it to Trapattoni(this is the money that's paying his salary...) does anyone know what he was getting at? It made no sense, its not like we were talking about England team?

[Stuttgart88]

There's talk of pyramids etc on another thread. English football disrupts our pyramid really badly, as it does to Scotland. The £3 billion will only make it worse. Pre-EPL we used to be essentially a part of the British pyramid and in many respects we still are, but we get no solidarity payment and only paltry transfer fees. In that context I see the increasing inflow of £££ to England as making things harder for us. Is that Dunphy's point?

[geysir]

There's talk of pyramids etc on another thread. English football disrupts our pyramid really badly, as it does to Scotland. The £3 billion will only make it worse. Pre-EPL we used to be essentially a part of the British pyramid and in many respects we still are, but we get no solidarity payment and only paltry transfer fees. In that context I see the increasing inflow of £££ to England as making things harder for us. Is that Dunphy's point?
Nah, Dunphy doesn't extend his thought process that far. He was justifying why the media should be asking the hard questions from Trap and somehow tried to relate it to Trap's salary and ended up rambling about £3bn of TV money which comes into the game from the pockets of the people into Trap's bank account. therefore the journalist has the right to represent the people.
Brady was more or less saying that football is the relevant issue not Trap's salary, that you don't need to justify asking football questions from Trap because he's paid a nice salary, just ask the (damn) questions.

[backstothewall]

Brady and Dunphy were also debating Traps quotes that were in the papers this morning, and the possible meanings of them. Brady saying that they were deliberately given a false meaning, Dunphy and Sadlier saying the press have every right to ask for clarification on what he meant.

Brady was waving about a copy of the Irish Daily Mail at one point. Suggested the press meet before these press conferences to agree how to hammer him. Dunphy, Sadlier and Darragh Maloney saying that doesn't go on in their opinion, but agreed that certain people within the press sensationalise issues when it suits them, and that their editors encourage this.

[Uncle_Joe]

I thoughy Brady made Sadlier look quiet foolish actually. There seemed to be a mutual respect between Dunphy and Brady, both acknowledging the other had a point but any defence Sadlier put forward for the journalists right to ask certain questions was put down pretty quickly by Brady. I'm not the biggest fan of Sadliers analyses and so I might be a bit biased in how I saw it, but still it was a fascinating discussion.

[NeverFeltBetter]

While RTE was having a pretty interesting debate on all these topics in order to fill the time before the game re-started, ITV threw on highlights of England and France.

[Murfinator]

I enjoy the off the cuff debates that goes on in the RTE panel, not afraid to disagree with one another which is great. Was another similar incident between Kenny and Dunphy a few days ago.

[geysir]

There was a good retort quip from Brady after Maloney remarked that he was surrounded by 2 former Millwall players, unusual to have ex Millwall players showing in front of tv.
Yeah, drawls Brady, you'd usually see them showing up in the dock.

[thischarmingman]

thought this was worth posting here


]You think you know Bill O’Herlihy. He’s like that inoffensive ornament on the living room mantel that blends in against a beige wall. The background noise you’ve got used to.

The uncle that’s always there at special occasions, good humoured and chatty, but you don’t delve deeper into his personality and before you realise it he’s gone, back to his day-to-day meanderings you know nothing about.

But whatever about you underestimating a man too often introduced shallowly as the chair of a football discussion, you wonder does he undervalue himself? Back at the beginning of the year, when the suggestion of ghosting his autobiography crept up, we went for a cup of tea together to discuss the finer print. He was warm and engaging, but he was reticent too as his opening words were as worrying as they were humble. "To be honest, I don’t know if anyone wants to read about me," he announced. "And I’m not even sure I’ve done enough to justify a book. What is there to write about?"

Minutes later though, there was an unstoppable torrent of stories as empty cups were whisked away and refills arrived at our table. It was a jumble of personalities and eras, of characters and places, together forming a sort of social history you didn’t dare interrupt.


http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0609/sport/more-than-okey-jokey-196846.html

[Kingdom]

thought this was worth posting here



http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0609/sport/more-than-okey-jokey-196846.html

Laughing Bill asked some really good questions about Irish football the other night. It was kinda creepy.

[irishultra]

''There was Eamon Dunphy refusing to talk to him on and off air for a couple of days during the 1982 World Cup because he thought O’Herlihy called him, and not his comments, cheap.''

:eek: The lads are going 30(plus?) years, wonder what them days were like?

[Murfinator]

With Bill 73 and Giles 71 you'd imagine they're drawing near the end? Darragh Maloney is a really good anchor and with the likes of Kenny Cunningham and Richie Sadler the next generation are quite god and in truth an awful lot better. I think nostalgia has blinkered us to the actual quality of insight from Bill and Giles for the past while. Dunphy never had that of course but he remains entertaining, just keep Ronnie Whelan away.

[OwlsFan]

The Panel - my favourite topic :) Since it came in to being, it has one primary objective - that is to attack the incumbent Irish manager. Every single one of them has got it in spades from Laughing Bill, who usually leads the attack and still snipes at Charlton, Giles and Dunphy. Up to relatively recently it was just the "I agree with John/Eamonn" show with no balance but at least this year Brady is there to at least put up some defence of Trap (the attacks started way before the tournament). They are of course entitled to express their views but what always annoyed me is there was no one presenting a dissenting view about Hand, Jack, Mick or Kerr (hard to find a dissenting view for Stan). Even the polls they were running were anti manager "Should Trap have brought McLean even though he wasn't going to play him". Talk about stirring up anti-Trap feeling.

If I get a penny for everytime I hear Giles talking about playing the ball out from the back with no danger I'd be a rich man. Look at the first 3 minutes of the Croatia and Spain games ffs to see where the danger lies. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr but no one mentions that. It's watchable because it's a comedy show really and we know the characters so well. I was interested though in hearing Dunphy knocking Keane as a pundit. Claims he can't analyse a game even though he has been a manager. I think Dunphy fears the controversial seat in the panel may be offered elsewhere.

[Stuttgart88]

with the likes of Kenny Cunningham and Richie Sadler the next generation are quite god That's high praise :)

[Deckydee]

I think these are they:

http://www.balls.ie/2012/06/16/liam-brady-vs-richie-sadlier-video/

http://www.balls.ie/2012/06/16/liam-brady-accuses-irish-media-agenda-giovanni-trapattoni-video/

[Stuttgart88]

Great stuff Decky, thanks.

I agree more with Brady - the media has had an agenda, most of all David Kelly who constantly spouts nonsense and has done since Trap was appointed. Even on Weds or Thurs (pre-Spain) Kelly was critical of the choice of Sopot as our base as the hotel was a few hundred yards from the fans, whereas Spain were up in the hills playing cards - a manifestly better option for some reason only obvious to Kelly. Kelly facetiously cited "the little details". I saw the team hotel and very nice it was too, and in a lovely spot where the players coull relax.

It was Kelly's typical poison which discredits any justified criticism of Trap he may have. I think Brady is also partially right - Trap's comments about the players making uncharacteristic mistakes was not a pop, it was fair comment. Dunphy is also right though, Trap's tactics and selection put them even more up against it that they needed to be. Cox in midfield FFS.

I personally think Trap's methods are out of date and reduced our already low chances of getting out of the group, and his selections have been odd over the years. But - our press always turns on managers and they hunt as a pack. Stan deserved it, but I still think Kerr was driven out for factors unrelated to results and performances (which didn't justify his retention imho).

[BonnieShels]

This week has seen the Trap out brigade out in force. The same flag waving, plastic hammer toting gombeens that we all know.

Trap shouldn't leave. his tactics were flawed and some of his decision making was suspect. But I can only hope that he can see the errors.

As Stutts says his comments re the players making mistakes never came across to me as him having a pop at them at all. But like anything you will hear what you want to hear.

[bennocelt]

This week has seen the Trap out brigade out in force. The same flag waving, plastic hammer toting gombeens that we all know.


Could be argued thats the ones supporting Trap and the "sure it will do attitude"?, and "we are only little ireland", etc etc -

[BonnieShels]

Could be argued thats the ones supporting Trap and the "sure it will do attitude"?, and "we are only little ireland", etc etc -

Well from my point of view it's more of the "Let's not rush into anything". I think we have the bones of a decent side waiting in the wings. We can do it.

[Stuttgart88]

They do say that the root of the next crisis is the response to the current one!

However, I was always glass-half-full when it came to Trap but I just don't see him seeing the error of his ways. For Italy, surely at least one player has to be dropped? Surely Gibson who directed play so well against Bosnia has to come in, possibly alongside both Whelan and Andrews. O'Shea has been muck, so Stephen Kelly deserves a shot.

[OwlsFan]

Could be argued thats the ones supporting Trap and the "sure it will do attitude"?, and "we are only little ireland", etc etc -

If he had adopted that attitude, I am not sure we would have made the finals among the elite of world football.

[BonnieShels]

They do say that the root of the next crisis is the response to the current one!

However, I was always glass-half-full when it came to Trap but I just don't see him seeing the error of his ways. For Italy, surely at least one player has to be dropped? Surely Gibson who directed play so well against Bosnia has to come in, possibly alongside both Whelan and Andrews. O'Shea has been muck, so Stephen Kelly deserves a shot.

Too late...

http://foot.ie/threads/167942-Italy-Vs-Ireland?p=1604575&viewfull=1#post1604575

[Stuttgart88]

Saw that. This man is not for turning, to paraphrase someone I respect and like a lot less than Trap.

[Spudulika]

I'm only getting the snips from rte player, but it's coming across very clearly that RTE, their paper allies and other assorted "experts" are on the Trap must go kick. The simple reason is this. They were proved wrong! The Irish media bought into the hype about how ireland could do this and that, mainly to whip up viewers/readers/listeners. Now in self-righteous outrage, they point their snot covered fingers at a man who has built a side that has brought us through a very tough qualifying group (twice), gradually blooded in young players, and now with his announcement about the starting line up for tomorrow, he has to be admired.

What the assorted hacks that believe themselves to be the moral guardians of the Irish public forget, is that when they all wander back to watching the sky league, and whinge about how the FAI are ruining the sport in Ireland, their constant search for negative slants (especially re. LOI football) is the reason why league football is ignored by the large majority of the public, while their papers/stations etc cover in increasing orgasmic glory the crapulence of them across the water. Our national team manager is not a louse of the lowest degree (Bilic), a puppet (Advocaat) and respects his players, despite our meeja's increasingly shrill insistence. We could lose him before the end of the year is out - especially once the scumbag stunts kick off by our wonderful meeja.

[OwlsFan]

The RTE Panel is not about calling it as it is (frequently heard by themselves and their supporters) but as they see it. A big difference. It's all about controversy and it has worked over the years. 2.3 million viewers for the Croatia game. You can't argue with such figures but Coronation Street gets massive figures as well - not sure there is much of a difference between the respective programmes.

ITV have now after all these years copped on and enter Roy Keane. RTE has at last a fight on its hands for bullshi**ing with another controversial figure in the opposite corner, hence the need for Dunphy to attack him recently. It is entertainment. The trouble is some people are actually influenced by what Laughing Bill says, the man who said "Rejoice" (after we were knocked out in Paris) because we had played well.

They ran a poll last night along the lines of was what Roy Keane said about the Irish team correct. 70% said he was. They didn't actually specifically say what part of what Roy Keane said people were voting for or was it a vote on whatever Roy Keane says is correct or not? Je d'esperere.

[geysir]

It's Bill who never fails to send my irritationmeter into the red zone. He supposedly plays the naive dumb role, maybe he does and maybe it is just a coincidence that his opinions on football matters are actually naive and dumb. He'll bring up some snide question and disingenuously dissociate himself from the question by saying he found it in such and such a paper.
I don't have any special endearment towards Maloney but the guy is a country mile ahead of O'Herlihy when it comes to honesty of opinion and quality of debate but wouldn't have the necessary grit to challenge Dunphy's sensationalism.

[OwlsFan]

Last night was bizarre. They had a whole host of video clips ready from Swansea City to Coleman and Pilkington. They show one clip of a Swansea City player throwing a ball to his own player and then in contrast one clip of O'Shea throwing a ball up the line. These two 3 second clips from hundreds of hours of football were to make a point. Surprisingly NO clips were shown of how we conceded our first three goals in each competition by giving the ball away in our half when we tried to play football. A clip from Anfield of a Swansea player giving the ball to a Liverpool player who gives it back to Swansea who then score. Dunphy says Swansea got a standing ovation at Anfield because of the football they played. Picture in support shows Swansea fans standing up applauding their team!! All the clips of Coleman were from not last season but the one before. No mention that Pilkington was not a regular in the Norwich team.

Brady who had up to then put up a staunch defence in support of Trap looked like a beaten man :( The RTE Panel once again led by Laughing Bill has stuck the knife in to the existing manager. The fact that the results went against him just sharpened them. It has been the agenda before every tournament, every qualifying campaign, no matter who the incumbent manager is because it is great for the ratings. It is the stuff of the tabloid press. Ronnie Whelan in commentary said the substitutions made no sense to him yet they resulted in the most concerted period of pressure we had.

I am reminded of wolves who had been stalking their prey for a long time descending on their victim when he trips up and they tear his body apart.

[geysir]

Bill picked out an ott quote from Roddy Collins and managed to sneer at Roddy at the same time.

[Irwin3]

Last night was bizarre. They had a whole host of video clips ready from Swansea City to Coleman and Pilkington. They show one clip of a Swansea City player throwing a ball to his own player and then in contrast one clip of O'Shea throwing a ball up the line. These two 3 second clips from hundreds of hours of football were to make a point. Surprisingly NO clips were shown of how we conceded our first three goals in each competition by giving the ball away in our half when we tried to play football. A clip from Anfield of a Swansea player giving the ball to a Liverpool player who gives it back to Swansea who then score. Dunphy says Swansea got a standing ovation at Anfield because of the football they played. Picture in support shows Swansea fans standing up applauding their team!! All the clips of Coleman were from not last season but the one before. No mention that Pilkington was not a regular in the Norwich team.

Brady who had up to then put up a staunch defence in support of Trap looked like a beaten man :( The RTE Panel once again led by Laughing Bill has stuck the knife in to the existing manager. The fact that the results went against him just sharpened them. It has been the agenda before every tournament, every qualifying campaign, no matter who the incumbent manager is because it is great for the ratings. It is the stuff of the tabloid press. Ronnie Whelan in commentary said the substitutions made no sense to him yet they resulted in the most concerted period of pressure we had.

I am reminded of wolves who had been stalking their prey for a long time descending on their victim when he trips up and they tear his body apart.

Started 23 of their PL games. Only Hoolahan (25), Johnson (25), Holt (24) started more than him from the midfielders and strikers. Lambert adjusted shape and personel on a game-by-game basis. 8 goals from 23(7) wasn't a bad return. Joint-top Irish-eligible PL goalscorer with Long.

[Murfinator]

Bearing in mind Pilkington has sat on the fence as to whether he even wants to play for Ireland or not. Not to mention that he's yet another wide player, I'm not sure who ever believed our problems were the wingers to begin with but all the solutions people are dredging up appear to be wingers.

It's just the general "heres some good players we aren't playing" kind of thing with disregard for the context of who we already have or who they are proposed to replace.

[OwlsFan]

Bill picked out an ott quote from Roddy Collins and managed to sneer at Roddy at the same time.

It was Giles who seemed bemused by the quote and Bill backtracked. Roddy said Irish football had been put back 20 years!! Not 2 years, 4 etc but 20.

[Spudulika]

I watched the 2 pieces on the player this afternoon, was extremely irritated by Dunphy - he actually was pleasing and interesting on the ear when he was praising the team and pumping them up before the tournament. Brady was the only realistic one and the voice or rational thought. The way RTE and the meeja promote themselves as "better than them across the water" is laughable. It's the same as Croatians saying "oh everyone says our women are the most beautiful", so say many others. Pure and utter nonsense that is bought by those who are finely balanced with chips on both shoulders. The non-picked player rundown was very dangerously done - aimed at slapping the coach and those around him. Nobody challenged Dunphy's monotonous monologue and it was interesting that they only had players in the sky cash cow league - nothing from north of the border or even lads of Irish extraction further abroad. They are fake, pseudo intellectuals and driven by one of the twin pillars of RTE - Bill. The other pillar being another PR person (Terry prone) who's hubby heads up the station. So think about it - Bill and his family have an agenda to make sure their clients and products and agendas are pushed, same with Prone (who advises politicians etc) and it's an incestuous mess that keeps the nation subdued. Nonsense. Pure and utter nonsense. The meeja will now continue hacking away (pun intended) until there is nothing left of the coach and his staff. They have no honour so they don't understand how others can have it and keep going. Shameful!

[barney]

It was Giles who seemed bemused by the quote and Bill backtracked. Roddy said Irish football had been put back 20 years!! Not 2 years, 4 etc but 20.

Some load of nonsense isn't it. Anyone who makes those statements deserves a kicking.

1. It's just a cliche to say "we've been set back x amount of years". Rarely any substance to it.
2. In may ways, we hadn't moved forward in 20 years anyway.

[Murfinator]

They are fake, pseudo intellectuals

I don't think anyone watching are watching it for the insightful analysis or that anyone takes Dunphy serious. At the very least RTE have uneducated babble for analysis that winds up being entertaining, BBC/ITV have uneducated babble that isn't entertaining. The standard of punditry in general for the sport is very low and how the average pundit winds up knowing less about the game outside of England then the average FM player is truly astounding.

[geysir]

It was Giles who seemed bemused by the quote and Bill backtracked. Roddy said Irish football had been put back 20 years!! Not 2 years, 4 etc but 20.
Maybe my memory is faulty, but I though O'Herlihy introduced it as a quote from Roddy Collins, 'for what it's worth'.

Whenever Bill introduces some quote from another pundit (of sorts) it usually goes without saying that the pundit in question is of a low breed intellect and introducing the quote to the panel is not meant to insult the great and fabled RTE pundits.

[Charlie Darwin]

Justified in Roderick's case, to be fair.

[geysir]

It's besides the point if it's justified or not. Bill who probably doesn't know one end of a football from another, doesn't look as if he has ever kicked a ball in anger, sneering at a (daft) opinion from a LOI 'legend'.
He should have more respect for the LOI football 'legend' and just let the panel deal with the question. He's supposed to be objective

Can you imagine, say on ITV, the presenter brings up some quote from an RTE pundit saying 'for what it's worth' and have all the pundits guffaw about how thick those RTE paddies are and how they know nothing about football. Yet the assumed superiority the RTE panel claim about themselves (mainly Dunphy and O'Herlihy), have no reserve about doing so with their overseas punditry colleagues, unless of course those colleagues just happen to be sitting beside them.

[bennocelt]

Just curious - has anyone got a link to what Roddy Collins said?

[Stuttgart88]

Caroline, me trousers is burst.

[Real ale Madrid]

Last night was bizarre. They had a whole host of video clips ready from Swansea City to Coleman and Pilkington. They show one clip of a Swansea City player throwing a ball to his own player and then in contrast one clip of O'Shea throwing a ball up the line. These two 3 second clips from hundreds of hours of football were to make a point. Surprisingly NO clips were shown of how we conceded our first three goals in each competition by giving the ball away in our half when we tried to play football. A clip from Anfield of a Swansea player giving the ball to a Liverpool player who gives it back to Swansea who then score. Dunphy says Swansea got a standing ovation at Anfield because of the football they played. Picture in support shows Swansea fans standing up applauding their team!! All the clips of Coleman were from not last season but the one before. No mention that Pilkington was not a regular in the Norwich team.

Brady who had up to then put up a staunch defence in support of Trap looked like a beaten man :( The RTE Panel once again led by Laughing Bill has stuck the knife in to the existing manager. The fact that the results went against him just sharpened them. It has been the agenda before every tournament, every qualifying campaign, no matter who the incumbent manager is because it is great for the ratings. It is the stuff of the tabloid press. Ronnie Whelan in commentary said the substitutions made no sense to him yet they resulted in the most concerted period of pressure we had.

I am reminded of wolves who had been stalking their prey for a long time descending on their victim when he trips up and they tear his body apart.

You repeatedly slam the rte panel on here - yet bizarrely you continue to watch them - in fact you must have watched the piece last night repeatedly.

Weather you agree with the panel or not - all they offer is an opinion - weather they are right ar wrong is irrelevant - you'd swear these three were misleading the public on important issues ffs.

Let it go! there's a weath of podcasts,articles, and forums where you can get informed reliable analysis. You are flogging a dead horse slating the rte panel. They are there because they are popular - weather you or I like them or not.

[geysir]

Owls has the complete right to express his opinions on the rte panel, he doesn't start these threads but once the thread has started ..... he cannot resist. RTE is a public service broadcaster and the window to the national team for the bulk of the population. Other media outlets are not public service.
I find Owls' analysis original :D and a refreshing contrast to the status quo public service censorious propaganda and self assumed/appointed role as the authority on Irish football. Just because they are popular does not mean they are removed from observations and perceptions about their hypocrisy, bias, agendas, and of late their p'iss poor shoddy attempt to present the acclaimed alternatives available to what Trap selected for the squad.

[Stuttgart88]

Dunphy should never have had to ask Brady if there was anything coming through.

[pineapple stu]

Roddy said Irish football had been put back 20 years!! Not 2 years, 4 etc but 20.
Qualification for the next World Cup in the Americas so. :)

[OwlsFan]

You repeatedly slam the rte panel on here - yet bizarrely you continue to watch them - in fact you must have watched the piece last night repeatedly.

Weather you agree with the panel or not - all they offer is an opinion - weather they are right ar wrong is irrelevant - you'd swear these three were misleading the public on important issues ffs.

Let it go! there's a weath of podcasts,articles, and forums where you can get informed reliable analysis. You are flogging a dead horse slating the rte panel. They are there because they are popular - weather you or I like them or not.

Trust me, I did not watch that piece repeatedly. I watched it once live with a couple of football friends and who laughed with me at the selective clippings and nonsense that was spouted.

I think who manages our team is an important issue and to quote your own phrase ffs. I also think it is not right that the national broadcaster should launch campaigns to attack the national managers from Hand through to Trappatoni. The trouble has always been that Giles has a philosophy of football and Dunphy has bowed to it. Thus there was never a debate as such as Laughing Bill took everything they say as gospel and then starts spouting it himself. I thought Darragh Maloney was good last night chairing the debate as he put forward contrary arguments for a change. But of course it ended with another anti-Trap poll should he remain on as manager? Why not have a poll such as has Laughing Bill ever been at a football match outside of the studio, is Giles too old for his job, is Dunphy's head so far up Giles' ar@e that it's suffering from collitis? Mind you I was surprised that as many as 30% said Trap should stay despite having heard the manager being torn to shreds.

Interesting little cameo at the end. Dunphy slated England and said they has no chance. Giles said he wasn't too sure and perhaps with the luck they have been having they were in with a chance and politely suggested that to Dunphy. Cue Dunphy to retreat hidden behind laughter.

I watch it Real Ale like I also watch Coronation Street (wife makes me) which is also hugely popular. For the farce element.

[Murfinator]

But Dunphy is there purely for the farce element, you say it as if watching him for the car crash farcical comments aren't the only reason he's on television. Its why everyone watches him, I've never met someone who took him seriously.

[Real ale Madrid]

Trust me, I did not watch that piece repeatedly. I watched it once live with a couple of football friends and who laughed with me at the selective clippings and nonsense that was spouted.

I think who manages our team is an important issue and to quote your own phrase ffs. I also think it is not right that the national broadcaster should launch campaigns to attack the national managers from Hand through to Trappatoni. The trouble has always been that Giles has a philosophy of football and Dunphy has bowed to it. Thus there was never a debate as such as Laughing Bill took everything they say as gospel and then starts spouting it himself. I thought Darragh Maloney was good last night chairing the debate as he put forward contrary arguments for a change. But of course it ended with another anti-Trap poll should he remain on as manager? Why not have a poll such as has Laughing Bill ever been at a football match outside of the studio, is Giles too old for his job, is Dunphy's head so far up Giles' ar@e that it's suffering from collitis? Mind you I was surprised that as many as 30% said Trap should stay despite having heard the manager being torn to shreds.

Interesting little cameo at the end. Dunphy slated England and said they has no chance. Giles said he wasn't too sure and perhaps with the luck they have been having they were in with a chance and politely suggested that to Dunphy. Cue Dunphy to retreat hidden behind laughter.

I watch it Real Ale like I also watch Coronation Street (wife makes me) which is also hugely popular. For the farce element.

In terms of football, yes its important, - but they are not giving out irresponsible financial advice for example. I think you have lost perspective on the issue.

I think rest of your post is contrived nonsense, but 2 more points:

You never mention Brady above - who was staunch in his defence of Trapatoni the day after the Spanish game.

Those Polls should not be taken seriously - 75% of people thought we would get a result in the Spanish game. Was it a legitimate question to ask ? Well after 3 defeats and a goal difference of -8, even if you don't agree - surely it was a legitimate question to ask and not the source of some hidden agenda.

[tetsujin1979]

I think using phrases like "Laughing Bill" take away greatly from the point you're making.

You're slagging them for acting amateurishly, and throw in a childish insult.

[OwlsFan]

In terms of football, yes its important, - but they are not giving out irresponsible financial advice for example. I think you have lost perspective on the issue.

I think rest of your post is contrived nonsense, but 2 more points:

You never mention Brady above - who was staunch in his defence of Trapatoni the day after the Spanish game.

Those Polls should not be taken seriously - 75% of people thought we would get a result in the Spanish game. Was it a legitimate question to ask ? Well after 3 defeats and a goal difference of -8, even if you don't agree - surely it was a legitimate question to ask and not the source of some hidden agenda.

It's a football programme. Are we not allowed discuss it and the views it puts forward and in the context of football who manages the football team is very important to me. It fact it is as important as some some financial programme giving out financial advice.

I did actually mention Brady in a previous post and yes he did staunchly defend Trap both on and off air apparently. I was away in Poznan for most of it but I was informed of it. Apparently he said to Dunphy at the start when the latter predicted we would get to the next round that he was only praising the Irish team so he could have a go at Trap when the team didn't perform to expectations. I have waited years for something like that on the Panel although Souness has in the past been excellent.

The agenda is not "hidden". It has been there for over 3 years and back to the Charlton etc eras. God knows Bill (not Laughing) said at the end of the Paris debacle that we were to "Rejoice" because we had played a different brand of football despite the devastation of losing out because of the handball. Madness!! Could you imagine in your wildest dreams (nightmares), the host of any TV show saying a nation should rejoice because a team had played well and yet had been knocked out of the world cup by a handball goal. The bias against Trap had got to him so much that he thought that this was a matter to rejoice at.

I think we know where the contrived nonsense comes from.

No, the Polls themselves are not to be taken seriously but the agenda behind the questions are.

At least we're out now and I can relax and just watch the anti-English and anti-Ronaldo show that will now take the place of the anti-Trap show.