TV pundit Eamon Dunphy rounded on Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni tonight after Italy’s 2-0 win – and said our Italian manager had made huge mistakes.
Dunphy fumed that Seamus Coleman, who he described as “one of our best young stars”, wasn’t “even at the tournament.”
He said the Killybegs man, a star with Everton, would have given Ireland options on the right when Trapp “had no-one even on the bench.”
The pundit tore strips off the substitution decisions throughout the tournament.
“It was desperate stuff, dire,” said Dunphy, who decried the fact that Derry’s James McClean hadn’t been picked for tonight’s game.
He described the state of Irish football as “stone age, redundant and barren.”
Ireland lost the game 2-0 tonight, but Irish supporters sang throughout game.
With speculation mounting that Shay Given may retire, former star Liam Brady said he shouldn’t rush a decision.
“They all need to take a few weeks to think about it and not rush any decision,” he said.
Asked if he thought Shay Given was fit, Trapattoni dismissed that suggestion when it was put to him on RTE.
“It was not Shay Given. Shay Given saved also two or three balls. It’s the defenders with the two opponents, they were not careful. They did not pay attention. It was not the fault of Shay Given,” he said.
Trapattoni said after the game that he was hugely disappointed with losing two goals from corners.
“We have a dignity. We play also for our credibility and our honour,” the Italian said.
“I asked the players for commitment and I think the players showed us their commitment. In the first 30 minutes, we had two or three shots on goal but Italy are strong also.
“The set pieces for us, it was a disaster. There is this little mistake, this little misunderstanding and then it’s possible to concede this goal in this situation.
“Technically, Italy is a little bit superior but we play a good game. Without these two set pieces, we could have got a draw.”
