RTE Panel

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!!!

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.

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

Jim Beglin - Twitter

or move it to TV3

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

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.

MON has "slight dig" at RTÉ panel

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

MON has "slight dig" at RTÉ panel

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

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.

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

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

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

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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.

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".

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.

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?

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

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.

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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.

RTE lose their last vestige of moral courage.

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.

Rather they get rid of Dunphy and Brady