A number of subjects relating to Irish football confused Robbie Savage over recent days. The first was the identity of the 'well-presented' man on RTÉ talking about Ireland's loss to Serbia. Help from his social media following and a quick Google search later, Savage had picked up the basics regarding Eamon Dunphy.
Dunphy's assertion that if Wes Hoolahan had started against Georgia, Ireland would have won also confused Savage. The former Wales international thought the RTÉ analyst's opinion was nonsense, believing that a 35-year-old playing who plays for Norwich would not have been the difference between one point and three.
The third matter which baffled Savage was the expectations of the Irish football media and public. Savage believes that they are too high and that even a third place finish in Group D of the World Cup qualifiers would be an overachievement for this Ireland team.
The players that Martin O'Neill has at his disposal [Ireland] are the third or fourth best team in the group.
The group of players that Ireland have, there's no Duff, there's no Roy Keane, Robbie Keane, Shay Given. I don't see any real leaders on the park. Is that Martin O'Neill's fault? You might say he should galvanise them, his man management skills are the best.
If they win the next two games, they'll be in the playoffs with a squad that I believe is overachieving. How many players play regularly in the top league in the world?
I just think expectations from football fans now are far too high. Ireland were never going to win the group. Nobody would have said that Ireland would win the group. Would Ireland finish second above Serbia and Wales? Wales got to the [European Championships] semi-final. Third? Yeah.
Savage, who was speaking at the eir Sport pack season launch, questioned how many Ireland players would get into the Wales starting line-up.
If Seamus Coleman was fit, yeah no question. Duffy, it's a possible if Wales played three centre-halves. He wouldn’t get in over Ashley Williams and Ben Davies but James Chester and James Collins, he might.
Who else? Shane Long over Hal Robson-Kanu or Sam Vokes? Possibly not.
Robbie Brady? Not ahead of Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey or Gareth Bale.
As he looked through the Ireland team against Serbia, Savage saw a side bereft of both leaders and also players who could produce a moment of magic to get Ireland on the scoreboard.
This is what I don't get. There's no Roy Keane - who's going to grab that game by the scruff of the neck? Listening to Mr. Dunphy: Wes Hoolahan, who can't hold a regular place in the Championship. I feel sorry for Wes Hoolahan and he does play well for Ireland and he can see a pass. It's very difficult for the guy to not play week in, week out and then expect him to go win games on his own for Ireland. That's what I can't get my head around. It's a bizarre statement.
There's no Robbie Keane. Looking at that Serbia game, who's going to pop up with the winner? I'm looking around the Ireland side, Robbie Brady from a free kick, possibly. Where are the leaders? Where's the Shay Given in goals shouting at players? Randolph's okay but he's no Shay Given.
Pictured is BT Sport football analyst Robbie Savage, who was appearing to promote the BT Sport line-up on the eir Sport Pack, at eir Group HQ. eir Sport today announced an exciting line up of live content for the new season on the eir Sport Pack. The UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the Premier League, rugby’s European Champions Cup, the AIB Club Championships and the Allianz Leagues will all form part of a bumper season ahead.
