"Can I have a Kit-Kat, chunky?"
"you mean a big one"
"No a normal kit-kat you fat bitch"
yeah i know, bit of a rant on my part, but to be honest, i don't care if giles isn't that clued up on the foreign leagues. i know what i need to know about them. it's his critique of the irish team/players i care about...and almost always find him straight down the line. it really annoys me that i don't get to hear more from him and sounness because of dunphy's endless spouting of utter ****.
Am not a fan of Dunphy, he spouts alot of rubbish, sensationalist stuff and tries to intimidate Souness, who is a far superior analyst imo (there was a classic recently where Souness asked Dunph who he had ever managed and Dunph replies Ive managed to stay alive for sixty something years baby!) classic
After the recent France game, Dunph came out with Finnan, S Reid, A Reid and Lee Carsley should be in the squad. Injured, injured, ok and really? He also called Fahey a left back not too long ago.
I like Giles, he is set in his ways a little but at least he can talk a decent tactical game, his knowledge of players isnt the most extensive. He is far superior on newstalk if you ask me, more humorous and more relaxed.
The problem with other stations is that the analysts appear too much polished, too scripted and stick to cliches etc. Compare Souness on Sky versus RTE for example. Has to said Billo pulls the strings very well on RTE as well in comparison to DM or PC.
Dunphy is a necessary evil. He is what makes RTE coverage better than BBC/iTV/Setanta/Sky/C5. Changes are going to have to be made as the panel gets too old, and if they are all made at once that different way of doing things will be lost.
The most important new face needs to be a new anchorman. Whoever takes Bill's seat needs to be introduced to the rarified aptmosphere of the RTE panel gradually, and needs to experience Dunphy on a rant, and be told thats ok. If they all go at once and someone like Keane goes off on one, odds are the chair will cut accross him and go to commerical before he says anything controversial.
I've said before I would like to see RTE bring in Colin Murray to replace Bill. The World Cup could be the ideal place to blood him.
Well theres two sides to this. Giles doesn't make judgement on reputation i.e his mind isn't made up on a players abilities until he has seem him play there and then.
I remember everyone on Sky was raving about Zlatan Ibrahimovic before a particular champions league game calling him one of the worlds greatest strikers despite the fact none of them had seem him play maybe 2-3 times. Giles reserves his judgement for a player until he sees him perform to a certain level. Thats a good point in Gilsey.
However, he has this knack of referring back to how the game was played in his day which is obviously a flaw of his. He also made one staggering statement that he doesn't believe in tactics........ thats right he claimed that they mean nothing. And that kind of statement sums up whats wrong with Johnny Giles analysing the modern game.
However as a previous poster said, he is great at calling a game as he sees it.
I'll always remember Gilesey during the World Cup in Germany in 2006 - he was co-commentating on a Costa Rica game and kept referring to them as Puerto Rico! Legendary!![]()
The problem with Giles analysis of football these days, is that it's a different game. he says it himself, he doesnt believe in things like attacking or defensive midfielders, only midfielders. Now, that was the way it was up until maybe the late 80s early 90s, but that is something that is evolved so obviously these days that any analyst shouldnt have to "believe" in it, they should know about it. It's a fact of life. Like, not all strikers will score goals, but some will be more creative, like not all wingers these days flake down to the byline and swing in crosses, some cut in and shoot themselves, like all defenders wont mercilessly crease a striker but some prefer to organise and position themselves intelligently. Why he cannot see such a blatant point of evolution and place of balance as this, I honestly have no idea. Believing Mascherano should be creating chances from midfield is as deluded as suggesting Messi should run to the byline and swing in crosses because he plays on the right wing.
As a player though, he is top 3 for Ireland without a doubt with only McGrath and Keane that could really go ahead of him and Brady & Given probably just behind. As a soundbite, he has his moments, but as an analyst of the game these days and his knowledge of players and club backgrounds, it's not great.
I don't think knowledge of the game ebbs to a great deal with time.
If we were to apply the same logic to Trapattoni as some on here do to Giles, we could say that Trap played in a different era and knows nothing about the modern game.
It's still 90% the same game. Still 11 players, goalie, defence, midfield and forwards. You still have the need for discipline, keeping your shape, keeping things tight, getting around players, being able to pass and delivering an end product.
The need for an end product from a player is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.
I don't think there is a winger playing today, bar perhaps Ryan Giggs, who can deliver an end product like George Best was able to do.
The principles of the game are pretty much the same.
Jesus. Football's a simple game lads. Giles knows the game.
I'd agree with ya to a certain extent in what ya say about Traps "outdated" approach. However this is more effective with a side like Ireland.
Giles having failed as a manager himself didn't go too far with his own philosophy of football being a simple game.
He also manages to take a stab at chairmen and directors whenever he gets a chance which probably stems from his own management days. He is probably blinded by this really. To say such a thing as to not believe in tactics is staggering though.
I can still respect him as a great player and criticise him as a pundit.
By being a pundit he opens himself up to criticism and praise alike. He's extremely lazy in his background and preparation work. He can normally be fairly accurate in summarising a game he has just seen. I know alot of people who ca do that also.
Unfortunately Dunphy and Whelan aren't amongst them
Agreed. One of the best players I have ever seen in a green jersey. However, he repeats himself ad nauseum as a panelist and 90% of the time agrees with Dunphy (in case people haven't noticed). They praise Giles and castigate Dunphy and yet they are nearly always in agreement (Hand, Charlton, McCarthy, Kerr, Staunton (no surprise there) and Trapp). Castigated them all with the laughing buffoon as the front man.
Typical Panel discussion over the past 20 Years
O'Herlihy introduces the discussion with some over the top statement, Dunphy makes a few over the top personal attacks, Bill laughs, Giles pulls on the side of his jacket and agrees with Dunphy and says it's all about getting the ball down and passing, the gombeen in the middle (other than Souness) agrees with the other two, DUnphy then contradicts himself, Bill laughs, Giles pulls on the side of his jacket and repeats it's all about getting the ball down and passing, Dunphy agrees with Giles and makes another outrageous statement, Bill laughs, the gombeen in the middle agrees with Giles, one clip of 10 seconds (from hours of football) is shown to emphasise their point, Dunphy then makes a joke, Bill laughs, Giles pulls on the side of his jacket, says he doesn't want to repeat himself but that it's all about getting the ball down and passing, DUnphy agrees with Giles, Bill laughs, has a dig at Charlton and says it's time for a break.
After the break Dunphy says we're world class, we would have won the World Cup but for Hand, Charlton, McCarthy, Kerr and Trapp. Giles tugs at his jacket and agrees. Panel predict an Irish defeat.
The game - Ireland take the lead and play really well. Half time. Panel says players have released themselves from the manager's grip and opposition are hopeless. Dunphy agrees with Giles. Giles agrees with Dunphy. Bill laughs.
Second half. Opposition equalises and it ends a draw. Giles and DUnphy blame manager. Giles says it's all about getting hold of the ball and passing and that we fell back and that we should have gone on. Dunphy agrees. Bill laughs and blames Charlton (even though he's gone 13 years ago).
Balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance balance
The addition of Souness helps but we haven't had it for over 20 years..
It should be called the I Agree with Eamon I agree with John Show.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
You think a man who has been regularly and successfully managing for the past few decades and who has written a book on modern coaching techniques has no advantage over someone who watches the odd Champions League game and some Premiership highlights? Heck, he talks about the evolution of the roles of the various positions in his book; something Giles has been criticised here for dismissing.
You think Giles has no knowledge of the game then? Including of the modern game?
Someone who won 2 league titles and played in a couple of European club finals is going to have knowledge of the game.
Like I said, it's 90% the same game. Fitness levels have improved, diet, lifestyle, etc have improved, having said that, Leeds were renouned for looking after their players.
You don't get to the European Cup final without having knowledge of the game.
The old vs modern debate is a bit silly to be honest. It's almost exactly the same game. When Giles talks about a midfielder for example, the same principles still apply today as then. You get on the ball, you look up, and you thread a good pass. And that's the problem with many premier league midfielders. They are unable to pass. Anyone who watched Kaka last night would have seen how a midfielder should play and set up goals. He got on the ball, and threaded a perfectly weighted pass for the forward. It's a pity many premier league midfielders are incapable of doing that, with their modern methods and all that.
Last edited by Emmet7; 26/11/2009 at 1:14 PM.
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