Dunphy and doomsayers are missing the point

Soccer analyst: Some pride restored. No, last night doesn't erase what happened against Cyprus. It doesn't change the fact we're short of top-class players. It doesn't mean we're back in contention for qualification for the finals.

But we got a performance, from a makeshift team, that proved to the supporters that these players do actually have pride and, perhaps most important, considering the pressure he's under, want to play for their manager. There were plenty who doubted that.

But I think it was always going to be that way. They're hardy players - it was inevitable they would respond with some fire.

And we've found a player in Paul McShane. Yes, he should have done better for the equaliser, but he had a hugely impressive debut, looked comfortable, cool and aggressive when he needed to be. Of course he has a long way to go, but we saw enough potential there to suggest we might have found a centre half of quality.

This result must buy time for Stan. On what basis could you possibly sack him now, after a game for which he had to beg, steal and borrow players? Let him build on this. Give him a chance. Our problems weren't solved last night, but we can at least take heart from the display.

I would like to think that the result will shut a few people up, for now. The media, and I am part of that, deal in extremes; they go overboard when we win, overboard when we lose, there is no middle ground.

Eamon Dunphy has been having a go at me and Ray Houghton, and probably a few others, calling us apologists for Stan and accusing us of heaping blame for what's happened on the players, rather than pointing the finger at the manager.

Look, I've never been an apologist for anyone, including Steve Staunton, and on, for example, the issue of failing to call Lee Carsley up for the Cyprus game I was critical of him, as I have been of some of his team selections.

I haven't seen Stan since he got the Irish job. Yes, I played with him and had a lot of time for him, but that simply does not cloud my judgment when it comes to expressing opinions. And surely we are all entitled to express our opinions?

I just think Dunphy, and others, are missing the point. The FAI decided the direction Brian Kerr was taking us in was not acceptable - I felt he should have been given more time - and decided to replace him with someone with no experience in management. And they gave that man a four-year contract.

Where was Dunphy's judgment then? Did he describe it then as a disastrous appointment? Not that I recall. A handful of games later he's calling for him to be sacked. That's just a knee-jerk reaction.

As for the argument that we have better players, playing with leading Premiership clubs, than I and others suggest - well, look at these players. In the last two years how many times have Damien Duff and Robbie Keane played really well for Ireland? And on top of that, Duff is having a bad time at club level too. He deserved credit for the effort he put in against Cyprus, and for how he played last night, but the old Duff still isn't there.

John O'Shea? He hasn't been a regular in the United side for at least two seasons. Andy O'Brien can't get a game at Portsmouth, Clinton Morrison is playing in the Championship, Andy Reid was sold by Spurs, Stephen Carr has struggled at Newcastle, and so on. How can you argue we have enough top-quality players to make us a top-quality team?

We have one excellent player, Shay Given, a few consistently failing to play to their potential (and that pre-dates Stan's arrival). The rest are mediocre.

Out of our first-choice XI how many do you honestly think any leading country in Europe would want in their team?

When things go horribly wrong, as in Cyprus, everyone has to share the blame - to attempt to absolve the players of responsibility, well, that's just nonsense.

Of course the manager has to take his share of the blame too, but if, say, Finnan, Dunne, O'Brien and O'Shea are of a higher quality than I believe them to be then how could they possibly perform as they did against Cyprus? And these players are playing in what I believe to be a very mediocre Premiership; outside of the top four there's nothing, so we can get a little carried away about the level they are playing at.

That's how I see it, so my view - my honest view - is that to see the sacking of Steve Staunton as the solution to the problems we are experiencing is just short-termism; it's just too easy.

And I stand by the opinion that our biggest single problem is a serious shortage of players of real quality. But we can take encouragement from last night, as the FAI should too. Give the manager time.