Dunphy is a skinny, little RAT. Dunphy explains and has a dig at Hunt !

[Billys Boots]

The late leveller was lucky IMO the first pass out of defence was fluke and took our whole midfield out of the game, after that it was open for them with players overlapping.

Ah no way Sligonian, that was the best pass I've seen in some time - he (Pirlo) looked up when he saw the ball coming towards him, saw the massive gap on the left and whacked the ball into it.  Most skilful moment of the game, in my book anyway.

[mountainboii]

7 of the players that featured in the 2006 World Cup Final played in Croker on Saturday night. The Italian goalkeeper and back four came from AC Milan and Juventus, Buffon is arguably the world's best keeper, Pirlo as good a midfielder as anyone etc, so this was no medicore Italian team, and they were looking for a result as well. Also it would hardly be the biggest surprise in the World if they retained the trophy next summer (discount their 2008 Euro campaign and thus year's Confederation Cup)

The Irish performance was on a par with any of the halcyon days of yore and for anyone to rubbish it, is ludicrous, be they in RTE studios or on this board.

Exactly- how many Ireland players would get on the Italy team do you think?
Keane is the only definite I can think of.  Cases could be made for 1 or 2 others but not many.

There wouldn't be a pile of difference between Given and Buffon, Dunne and Legrottaglie, Duff/ McGeady and Di Natale, Keane and Iaquinta. O'Shea would be pushing an aging, slowing Zambrotta hard too. That's almost half the team. Eight of their starting eleven on Saturday were in their 30s, there are a good few boys there living off reputations earned 5 or 6 years ago. The fact that so many line out for AC Milan and Juventus has become increasingly meaningless over the last 4 or 5 years, those two no longer challenge at the summit of European football. The fact that the best club side in Italy by a mile over the last few years has barely had an Italian in the team is very telling. Italy won't challenge at next year's world cup, not a hope. I watched Saturday's game in Rome, from the lads in the bar to the corriere della sport, very few Italians rated their team that highly.

This is not to say the result at the weekend was not a good one, but some here are kidding themselves by holding the current Italian side in such high regard.

[magpie seanie]

7 of the players that featured in the 2006 World Cup Final played in Croker on Saturday night. The Italian goalkeeper and back four came from AC Milan and Juventus, Buffon is arguably the world's best keeper, Pirlo as good a midfielder as anyone etc, so this was no medicore Italian team, and they were looking for a result as well. Also it would hardly be the biggest surprise in the World if they retained the trophy next summer (discount their 2008 Euro campaign and thus year's Confederation Cup)

The Irish performance was on a par with any of the halcyon days of yore and for anyone to rubbish it, is ludicrous, be they in RTE studios or on this board.

Tony, that is horseshit. The performance was good for the first 20 but we played second fiddle thereafter. The lack of end product of McGeady (supposedly our most creative midfield player) was a joke. Yes there was application and determination but to compare it to the best days for the national team is complete rubbish.

Dunphy got excited (as he does) and went over the top. His clarification/backtrack is more accurate. The team management must be criticised when the guy playing left wing can't cross the ball yet you've a guy who did the business against one of the best teams in Europe the week previously not in the squad.

[Billys Boots]

I genuinely believe that Dunphy's sole purpose on RTE is to generate debate/interest by saying whatever ludicrous idea comes into his head - whether he believes it or not is irrelevant, he's there to get people watching and RTE can justify what they're charging for advertising. 

[longrunsthefox]

7 of the players that featured in the 2006 World Cup Final played in Croker on Saturday night. The Italian goalkeeper and back four came from AC Milan and Juventus, Buffon is arguably the world's best keeper, Pirlo as good a midfielder as anyone etc, so this was no medicore Italian team, and they were looking for a result as well. Also it would hardly be the biggest surprise in the World if they retained the trophy next summer (discount their 2008 Euro campaign and thus year's Confederation Cup)

The Irish performance was on a par with any of the halcyon days of yore and for anyone to rubbish it, is ludicrous, be they in RTE studios or on this board.

Italy needed a draw and got it. No big tickle. In the great days of yore Ireland beat Italy, Holland, England... when they needed to. I wouldnt get too excited just yet.