Eamon Dunphy has never been happy with how Wes Hoolahan has been used by the Republic of Ireland team.
For a number of years, while Giovanni Trapattoni was Ireland manager, Dunphy called for Hoolahan’s inclusion in the squad, citing the clear lack of a creative midfielder like the Norwich player in the Irish team.
Dunphy has continued to champion the cause of Hoolahan during Martin O’Neill’s reign, and hasn’t been shy about criticising the Ireland manager during RTE’s coverage when Hoolahan has been left out of starting teams or substituted.
In fairness to Dunphy, who is known to flip flop on certain opinions, he has been right about Hoolahan for a long time, even if he can be prone to exaggeration.
The 34-year-old isn’t on the level of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but he’s the most creative, intelligent player at O’Neill’s disposal, and the rest of the Ireland team are much better for his presence on the pitch.
As evidenced by Hoolahan’s man of the match performance in Ireland’s 3-1 win away to Moldova on Sunday night.
Without him, the team look brainless.
Who was your man of the match? https://t.co/ajjo86yGt6
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 9, 2016
However, even when Hoolahan is included in the Ireland team, Dunphy doesn’t seem happy, because the RTE pundit says O’Neill will, in all likelihood, drop Hoolahan for the next game, away to Austria in November.
Dunphy, speaking on 2fm’s Game On, also has a theory about O’Neill and Hoolahan, claiming that the Ireland manager is reluctant to praise the Norwich playmaker.
“The Wes Hoolahan issue. [O’Neill] doesn’t play Wes except when it is absolutely unavoidable,” Dunphy said on Monday night.
“He refuses to name him in his praise. He was glowing in praise of James McClean last night as Damien Duff observed on RTÉ’s panel. He is curiously reluctant to acknowledge Wes’ contribution, which is outstanding.”
James McClean and Wes Hoolahan are fire and ice, but Ireland would have been lost without them – @dionfanning https://t.co/zZYkCkEgef
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 9, 2016
The former Millwall and Ireland midfielder also said Hoolahan is good enough to get into the England team, and that Ireland won’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup without Hoolahan in the team.
“We have a player that would probably get into the England team. I saw England play and I saw France play Bulgaria and there are very few players, if any, better than Wes Hoolahan.
“I would hazard a guess that Wes Hoolahan has no chance of starting the next game with all players available.
“We’ve got Austria-Wales-Austria in our next three games and if we start with the centre-halves we started with last night and without Wes Hoolahan, we are not going to the World Cup.”
He almost definitely went too far with his praise for Wes here, but the point stands – Ireland are a better side when the midfielder starts.
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