A classic Eamon Dunphy moment took place on RTE 2's 'Game On' on Monday night, as the RTE pundit was making a point as to why Crystal Palace defender Damien Delaney should be going to Euro 2016.
Dunphy believes that Damien Delaney should be in the squad, and has hit out at the decision to omit him from the 40 man panel that will train in Malahide this month, while also naming two examples of players that are not as good as the Palace defender.
We say naming two examples, but really he only named Paul McShane because he forgot Richard Keogh's name:
It’s wrong. This guy is playing in the Premier League, he’s a very good player. He’s been in the Premier League all year. We have Paul McShane, who’s playing for Reading and he’s not a very good defender.
The guy at Derby County, not a very good defender and has had a couple of nightmares. And, we’ve got a Premier League player and we’re not even putting him on the plane?
That’s not right for the fans, the other players; this guy should be in the team really, and he certainly should be in the squad.
McShane has been enjoying a good campaign as captain of Reading, and Keogh was comfortably one of Ireland's better performers at the business end of the qualification campaign, but Dunphy believes that Delaney is better than both, and also feels that his exclusion after making himself available for selection again is down to previous history with Roy Keane.
He was playing for Keane at Ipswich and he was up on a speeding charge and pleaded mitigation. He said he worked for a very demanding manager and was terrified of being late, hence he was 80 mph or whatever he was doing.
Because he had a row with Roy Keane or he had a misunderstanding with Martin O’Neill; it’s not right that the Irish team should be deprived of a player because of personal differences.
It should not be happening. This guy is top class. We don’t have any Premier League defenders apart from John O’Shea- the other guy is injured, from Stoke (Marc Wilson) So, something is not right there.
Top class? Hang on, it's not like we're talking about Andy Reid here.
Damien Delaney has been good for Palace, but you would have to imagine that his absence from the 40 man squad is down to his initial decision to make himself unavailable having been overlooked by O'Neill in the past, and not just a history with Keane (which probably also is playing a factor to be fair).
Would the Irish side be that much better with Delaney in it? Do you agree with Dunphy that 'something's not right'? Get in touch and let us know.
