The Irish soccer team have been a maligned entity for many years now. They were ridiculed during the Staunton era (although not as much as their unfortunate manager), they were written off as unwatchable cavemen during the Trapattoni era, and they were really pilloried after the humbling fortnight that was the Euro 2012 group stage.
Following Ireland's Six Nations victory this year, Ken Early recounted a conversation with an Irish international which spoke of frustration among the soccer playing fraternity at the more favourable coverage garnered by the Irish rugby team.
He showed Early a photo of a prominent Irish rugby player 'enjoying himself'
If that’s me in the photo they say I’m a f**king alcoholic. But because it’s him, it’s oh, look at him enjoying himself.
In his interesting Sunday Independent column today, Stephen Hunt did not juxtapose the public response to the soccer team with that of the rugby team but rather to the Irish soccer teams of the past.
In advance of the Euro 2012 draw, Hunt said he wanted to play against the big boys and not draw relative minnows. Having seen what transpired against those big boys, and the resulting public ridicule, Hunt has changed his outlook. Had they beaten Iran or Saudi Arabia (or their European equivalent) then they might be held in high regard.
He believes the current crop should be held in just as high esteem as the team of 2002.
I hope the country falls in love with these players. I wanted to draw the big teams in 2012 but now I'm not so sure. Maybe we should have beaten Iran or Saudi Arabia and we could have been hailed as others were. I'm sick of the McAteers getting the credit when this generation, who deserve it as much, are forgotten because of what happened in 2012 against some of the best teams in the world.
Read more: AUDIO: Ewan MacKenna On Why The Irish Media Is Biased Towards Rugby
