Eamon Dunphy didn't take long to respond to Martin O'Neill's criticism of him last week when the Irish manager said that Dunphy “wasn't even a good player”.
Speaking about O'Neill on 2FM's Game On show tonight, Dunphy said:
“The game [O'Neill] wants to play is very conservative, long-ball stuff... I mean he signed Emile Heskey twice.”
As insults go; that takes some beating. But Dunphy was nowhere near done. He was merely training his sights on the Ireland management team.
“I'm not impressed by Roy Keane as a manager or as an assistant manager at all,” he said. “Arguments in hotel lobbies, that incident the other day... he doesn't really for me, look the part. He said recently that he was ready for management again... I don't think there is any management job out there for him. Or for O'Neill.
“I have reservations about the management team. Shane Long, who everyone now agrees is a certain starter; he didn't start many games. He didn't start against Germany, he didn't start against Scotland.
Wes Hoolahan the same. I don't know if [O'Neill] knows his best team. I'd be optimistic [about Ireland getting to the quarter-finals] but it depends on how they are managed and I can't predict that.”
Dunphy continued on to warn Irish fans that Hoolahan is by no means a guaranteed starter – despite the Norwich midfielders beloved status among Irish fans.
“[O'Neill played] Wes for 15 minutes against Holland, 15 minutes against Belarus... that doesn't look to me like a starter. He might start Hendricks instead. Nobody knows with this guy.
Dunphy went on to further criticise O'Neill's selections.
“The player who should be there and he isn't there is Damien Delaney. He played all season in the Premier League, played in the FA Cup final for Crystal Palace and is a top-class centre-half. He is not there because of the management team. It's outrageous that he's not there."They put out a story, they spun it, by saying that he would only come [to the Ireland squad] if he was guaranteed a place which isn't true.”
