Luke Edwards of the Daily Telegraph has written a passionate piece denouncing James McClean 'insulting' decision to turn his back on the English flag ahead of Saturday's friendly in America.
Edwards, it should be pointed out, has previously defended McClean's refusal to wear the poppy on the grounds that the symbol holds a different meaning to people from McClean's home town.
However, he believes turning away his face away from the English flag during the anthem was a different thing entirely. It was, Edwards asserted, 'a disrespectful act that hints at something ugly in his views'.
I do not believe you should insult the flag of any country that you visit, let alone one that has welcomed you and one where you have made your home....
It is the national flag of the country that has welcomed McClean and he has insulted it to make a crude political point...
If he finds the sight of the flag so abhorrent, why is he here? If he hates the national anthem so much, if it stands for something he is so hostile to, why would he want to make his home in a country where his neighbours, friends and employers are loyal to that flag?
Edwards said he fully supported McClean's decision to play for the Republic of Ireland team and further asserted that he supports call for the English fans to drop the somewhat retro 'No Surrender to the IRA' chants that they still go in for. However, Edwards compared McClean to those English fans.
Edwards has irked Irish supporters in the past.
It's almost two years now since Edwards reassured his readers that Republic of Ireland football fans would welcome Martin O'Neill because he was a Catholic, no doubt recalling how Jack Charlton became a hate figure here on account of his Protestantism.
In contrast, Alexander Netherton has written an opinion piece defending McClean's right to take his stance.
