Following Ireland's recent qualification for the Euros next year, presenter Nathan Murphy invites the panel to discuss the articles which focus on Roy Keane and Martin O'Neill.
Shane McGrath of the Irish Daily Mail, justifies the coverage and says:
"They are the story and I think that tells you something about the nature of this team, they're no superstars and I'm sure there would be loads of articles about Roy Keane if he was still playing. They're of limited means and whether deserved or not, the credit is going to O'Neill and Keane. And obviously O'Neill deserves a lot of praise for basically turning around a campaign that looked in pretty bad shape".
L`abbraccio al fischio finale tra Martin O`Neill e Roy Keane. L`Irlanda vola a #EURO2016 https://t.co/WNPAC2QfBX
— Andrea Pezzoni (@andreapezzoni87) November 16, 2015
Nathan Murphy highlights an article written by Eamonn Sweeney of the Sunday Independent who had been critical last year when Ireland lost to Scotland, but in this week's paper declared that Monday night's moment of triumph belonged to Martin O'Neill.
Reacting to the criticism, former rugby international Fiona Coughlan said:
"He wasn't really given enough time to develop the team and get them to play the way he wants them to play. People are saying they're playing with a passion and heart that Irish soccer players haven't had for a couple of years".
Discussions then shift to an article written by Ewan McKenna and his profile piece on Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane which explores the media's fascination with Keane.
Shane McGrath asks if Martin O'Neill knew the kind of attention that Keane would generate as his second in command. McGrath also praises journalist Dan Taylor for declining to fall into the trap of portraying Keane as a degenerate in his piece in The Observer.
"There have been times when Keane has been depicted in the British press as someone who took life and jumped off the cover of punch magazine and that he was this wild Irish psychopath",
The British journalist, as Nathan Murphy points out, makes critical assertions about Keane's book and accuses him of using it as a tool for settling old scores. Fiona Coughlan believes Keane published it prematurely.
"Why didn't he wait until he retired? It would have had more value when he retired and he would have had more stories to tell. At times, he has taken the bulk of the media focus and that has benefited the players because it allows them to focus on their own thing. They clearly respect him".
#JonahLomu scored eight trys against England. Is this one the best? He runs over Mike Catt! https://t.co/yRUAcHjD5w
— Oddschecker (@Oddschecker) November 18, 2015
The sudden death of rugby icon Jonah Lomu also features in the paper review and everyone was in agreement that Hugh McIlvanney's article was a superb tribute to Lomu's enduring legacy.
"He frames it in 1995 and that is the definitive age of Lomu," said McGrath, "particularly in terms of the public persona. Nobody had seen anything like him before that World Cup. It's a beautiful piece. Lomu had a tough childhood and a tough illness but he kept going".
Breaking sports news - Anthony Cunningham has tendered his resignation as Galway hurling manager #gaa #hurling pic.twitter.com/wG49LoGOCA
— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) November 16, 2015
Nathan Murphy then steered the conversation to media coverage of Anthony Cunningham's harrowing resignation as the Galway hurling manager following a seven week impasse.
Fiona Coughlan says she was shocked at Cunningham's persistence to remain in a job when his subordinates no longer wanted him there.
"I'm just a bit confused about Cunningham wanting to stay on so long considering he knew the players didn't respect him and weren't going to play for him. It has been played out so publicly in the last two months, it's so disappointing the way it's gone. It should have been done behind doors".
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