John Giles has taken another dig at Republic Of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill following the controversial decision to leave out Wes Hoolahan against Poland on Sunday.
Hoolahan was excluded from the starting line up in Warsaw despite putting in a man of the match performance against Germany three days earlier. O'Neill had told the press that Hoolahan had approached him in the build up to the game and declared himself unfit to start, a notion which seems foreign to Giles.
Writing in the Herald today, the RTÉ pundit is having none of that explanation as he recounts his own playing days in the 70's to try and best argue his viewpoint.
What jars with me is my experience of playing, even though it was a long time ago. I don't think I ever met a player who didn't want to play in every game if he could and often when he probably should not.
Tiredness can be a factor but never an excuse for a player, never something that would limit him so much or change his attitude about playing. Players wants to play
Until you actually go out and play, you never know. I had some of my best performances when I felt worn out before games. Once you get into the rhythm of the match, everything falls into place. Players at all levels have had this experience.
Giles also hinted that the issue boils down to an attitude problem with O'Neill who should have taken a risk with his best player with everything to gain and nothing to lose against the Poles. He also questioned the inclusion of Glenn Whelan.
Against Poland, Glenn Whelan sat in front of John O'Shea and Richard Keogh while the game went on around him. Poland were a jittery mess for long spells in the game and I thought, were there for the taking.
This debate seems like it will rumble on and on, but why would O'Neill take a chance on Hoolahan if he declared himself unfit? Perhaps he felt that Hoolahan would have a bigger impact when the Poles had tired with twenty minutes remaining. After all, it worked with Shane Long against the Germans.
Related:Martin O'Neill Explained Why Wes Hoolahan Was Left Out Of The Ireland Starting Lineup
