RTÉ FOOTBALL PUNDIT Eamon Dunphy has again rounded on under-pressure Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni today, saying the Italian has no respect for our football culture.
After the disappointing 2-2 draw with Austria in Dublin last night, the Italian defended his team’s position in the World Cup qualification group, insisting Ireland is neither ‘England or Germany’ and expectations should be lower.
“I think ever since he took the job he’s had that idea it in his mind,” said Dunphy today. “Funnily enough Jack Charlton had the same idea, that we are a little country like Malta or Liechtenstein or Luxembourg. But we have a fantastic footballing tradition here.
“And he doesn’t really respect that. He thinks that we’re minnows and I don’t think we are. We have some outstanding players, we could easily field a Premier League team and a good Premier League team. Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy are among the most promising and outstanding young players in the Premier League.
“So that’s their starting point and therefore they don’t really believe in the players, they don’t encourage them to play the passing game. We’re a better team than Austria and I think we’re a better team than Sweden,” he told Myles Dungan on RTÉ radio.
What do you think?
