Eamon Dunphy reacts to Roy Keane's Saipan Exit on RTE's Prime Time, May 2002

Eamon Dunphy debates the fall out from Roy Keane's ejection from the Republic of Ireland World Cup Squad in Saipan. Discussants include the FAI's John Delaney.

[@Mojo-IRE]

I’m the treasurer of the association. I’m in charge of the finances - John Delaney Had a good chuckle at that.

[@DannyBoySmith1993]

2:54 "You're a good guy John, one of the reformers of Merrion Square" hahaha even Delaney chuckled at that. Crook!

[@dlbia9569]

the corrupt pig, him and his yes men have set irish football back another 20+ years .......ye that didn't age well 😂😂😂

[@EverGreen1888]

Exactly. Delaney knew he was called out for what he was

[@66556086]

Yeah that aged well

[@ryandeane427]

I dont get it tbh. I know Delaneys a crook, but what does he reference with the reformer of merrion square bit?

[@phlhoran12396]

That aged like left out Milk! 😮

[@scan865]

You're one of the good guys John😂😂😂

[@swinetrek]

That Delaney eejit always talking about penny pinching. He knew they didn't have kit and a training ground. Whose fault is that? Not Roy Keane's.

And now the FAI are 55 million in debt Delaney should be in jail

[@bighands69]

He was training on a pitch in Saipan that had barbed wire buried just below the surface. There was also massive holes that had concrete exposed. This was the real reason for all that happened. He kicked up a fuss about it and was attacked by his team mates in the process who all backed the McCarthy FAI stance. Keane was a born winner and he could not stand incompetency. You do know that the same thing occurred with Dennis Irwin and that was the reason he retired from Irish national team.

[@shanet5604]

Cite the Irwin incident! Thanks !!

[@rohithraman6488]

to be fair he could have handled it better

[@samsummer8382]

Lol my guy makes it sound like the somme

[@kitpalmer1583]

@Rohith Raman from all I can tell, he tried his best to be professional about it. He went to politely leave first, was persuaded to rejoin, gave an interview to a friend in the press, then when it came out McCarthy accused him of faking an injury to get out of a game. Not that it would've been the right thing to do necessarily, but Mick's lucky he didn't get sparked for that 😂

[@thinkofitthisway7804]

@@kitpalmer1583 I like Mick McCarthy and I also like Roy Keane. What Roy Keane said, I have no doubt, was true. No one has disputed what he said, just the way he said it. Essentially Roy was more of a professional in his approach to the game than Mick and, for that matter, many of his teammates. But Roy knew what he was involved in, and he should have taken a back seat for a couple of days until the team got to Japan. In the background of all this was the specter of the FAI and their penchant for screwing things up as they surely did with the planning for Saipan. No one has blamed the FAI - but they were the biggest culprits.

[@creasem5988]

Fair play to Eamon Dunphy for defending Keano.

[@mickdunne981]

@ Crease M Dunphy was soon to fall out with Keane.

[@alexpower1335]

keano keano

[@henri3927]

The only person to stand up for Keane. Fair play to Dunphy

[@michaeldevaney5728]

@@henri3927 i believe roy Keane at heart is a good man and a good person but the reality is that he let the Irish people down to the extreme

[@michaeldevaney5728]

Roy Keane sent himself home end of story he is selfish to the extreme he let the Irish people down to the extreme

[@eyesopen66]

Roy was professional, Irish FA weren't.

[@cearta6379]

The fai you mean. Not trying to be pedantic either, the Irish fa is a separate organisation

[@graemefarrell4983]

Cea rita spot on

[@szithaanu9934]

I'm watching this trying to wrap my head around the fact that the Saipan incident happened 17 years ago.

[@CaminoAir]

I'd agree with you for the most part. McCathy did make some strange tactical decisions in qualifying matches, but I don't know the actual circumstances he was facing. I'd prefer to see McCarthy back as manager now, ahead of O'Neill. Dunphy was right about the FAI being the actual core problem.

[@CrazyIrishDrunk1]

Roy Keane was/is telling the truth, the FAI is a fuckin joke, they don't give a fuck about the Irish Team, no wonder we don't do as well as we should be. Things need to change

[@octaviancaesarhibernicus4447]

Jonathan Po how did they think he was gonna react,training in a car park while other teams have every luxury under the sun.

[@pauldg837]

Both are good comments and I agree with both of them.

[@dtrellis]

It's amazing to still see people carrying on the Keane v McCarthy debate, ten years later and well after the two protagonists have got over it. It was extreme stubbornness from both men and there were no winners. The incompetence and corruption in the FAI goes deeper than anything one player or manager could fix. Nowadays they're €60 million in debt thanks to a new stadium they're struggling to fill and John Delaney still pays himself €400,000 a year.

[@bighands69]

Mick McCarthy was anything but the best manager. He had a good team and he also blow other chances to qualify. A better manager would never have blown those chances. It is irrelevant to what the public believe Ireland were training in Saipan which was a death trap. The FAI in Ireland are a joke. They travel first class while players were in economy class and were subject to horrible conditions. How many players actually come out and fought against this that should be a real measure.

[@dtrellis]

For the record I think McCarthy did a good job with Ireland - we were seconds away from automatic qualification in 2000, lost out on away goals in the playoff, and missed out by a single goal in the 1998 playoff. In addition to that he had the side playing a more attractive & positive style of football than they had since the early '80s, and better than any of the 3 subsequent managers have achieved.

[@bighands69]

Nearly did not win the race.

[@bighands69]

Nearly did not win the race.

[@dannyboyle8041]

Completely irrelevant to this topic.

[@shanet5604]

McCarthy was slagging off the goal scorer for Macedonia the whole game in ‘99 !!!

[@waynemonaghan8587]

Ireland wouldn't have nearly got out of the qualifying group for 2002 world cup without Keane

[@robertoc2485]

Well said Eammon. Roy wouldn't have left without good reason.

[@rohithraman6488]

So Mccarthy was totally to blame? Imagine an Ireland player in that squad who dreamed of going far in that world cup and then their captain strolls out a week before the tournament starts! They did well without Keane but give that a think

[@dylanmulroe9978]

@@rohithraman6488 Roy’s a born winner, the FAI are a joke and still to this day they’re a joke

[@rohithraman6488]

@@dylanmulroe9978 A born winner yes, he had an elite mentality, I'm not denying that whatsoever, but there are other born winners in football yet they don't abandon their teams on the eve of a tournament

[@michaeldevaney5728]

@@rohithraman6488 well said super comment yur totally correct

[@michaeldevaney5728]

I believe roy Keane is a good man and a good person but the reality is he let his country down to the extreme

[@EricCartman1st]

agreed, if you had to go war Roy is the man you want by your side , heart of a lion and great bottle for a big game

[@Connief1990]

3:10 😂😂 Oh Christ... That's true.

[@ericcantona4178]

did you watch this

[@MartyMolloy]

[2:53]"Now I know you're a good guy, John. You're one of the reformers" Eamon Dunphy's laser-like perception hits the bullseye again!!!

[@seankinsellasean]

They didnt pick raul and they won the euros and world cup, keane walked away and we had a great world cup your arguement is invalid dunphy

[@baillie67]

Thats good to know because i was a bit dissapointed to hear that there are more utd,liverpool ,now city fans.Its only the best league because of all the foreign players there.Celtic is not just about the football its a link with our ancestry and of that im very proud.

[@waynemonaghan8587]

Biggest shame I'll ever see...that world cup was the first era of my time as a football fan and Ireland would never have got out of our qualifying group with Holland and Portugal without Keane...if i had 3 wishes one would be go back to 2002 with keane playing in the finals

[@oliver69cork]

You are so right-wonderful to see that someone can take not the usual one sided argument-keane or mccarthy but the third dimension+the FAI who caused this debacle.Fairplay to you as i keep trying to tell people don`t mind the personalities but sit back and take the broader view-intelligence=you

[@baguhmeister]

John delaney 'I would never cross the line' 10 years on hes picking traps team

[@EricCartman1st]

look im a liverpool fan and a massive fan of roy as a footballer , but at no time was he even close to being the best player in the world , thats an insult to Zidane and Ronaldo the real one , he wasnt even the most talented midfielder in utds team , scholes was a better footballer than roy and roy has said that himself .

[@fincaman2]

The Problems the team had at the time were all caused by the FAI Keane as captain should have supported his manager and rallied the players he had a massive row with the goalkeeping coach trying to tell him how to do his job

[@MarkPJordan]

"I know yer a good guy John". Fast forward a few years...

[@danielmcdermott138]

What do you mean?

[@rampageclover9788]

Dunphy was spot on here.

[@baillie67]

Loved roy keane and wish he was at celtic 10 yrs earlier.As you're a utd fan could you tell me honestly do celtic have a big support in ireland or is it mainly english teams the south supports.

[@09weenic]

baillie67 oh please love us !!😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

[@shanet5604]

No time for Celtic after I had my ticket for Roy Keane’s testimonial with that lot and flicked cigarettes and my own flags in my face ?? I’m Irish ! I’d been to Celtic park ! And those fans were disgraceful that night !!!

[@oliver69cork]

Amazing people don`t seem to see that the FAI escaped the blame here-they got away when mick and keane fought.What a shame keane did`nt play,even without him they did well.But it spoiled the event.Keane probably expected too much,mccarthy did`nt insist on enough and FAI delaney and co slipped by?

[@davidmorrissey5075]

Whats Eamo's opinion now?

[@cbourke7437]

How thing's have changed now with Eamon's opinion on Keane. No time for him at all these day's.

[@baillie67]

Im with you all the way in your comments.Celtic supporters are a family and that bond with ireland shall never be broken.

[@09weenic]

Most septic fc fans are plastic paddies - simples

[@iKILLIANO]

So who sent Roy keane home?

[@SArmagh681]

simply incorrect, that game was one where Ireland played better for most of the match and their main weakness was in the midfield, at the time Roy keane was not only one of the best midfielders in the world, he was also one of the best players. An Irish team with their usual captain and best player would have won that game

[@Tianton1]

After Ferguson kicked him out of Utd my view on this changed.

[@wks107tdv123]

@mgsbo14 Agree with alot of that. Giles, Brady (I think) were all on Micks side & Jack Charlton a few years later went on to say something similar about how Roy should have listned to Mick & that the manager is always right, some bullsh!t like that anyway. But if you have an incompetant manager like Mick in charge & he trys to belittle his captain the way he did infront of all his teamates & coaching staff it's no wonder Roy went balistic at him. I think there was a big breakdown in

[@mmmohhh8567]

wks107tdv123

[@eamosdabest]

I wouldnt say he never wanted to be there, he went there with the intention of doing well in the tournament but he got there, and there wasnt even any balls!

[@ShawnDrymen]

The spin master Delaney at the peak of his powers 😁

[@shanemcnamara5224]

Jesus, that little smile at 2:55 from dodgy Delaney!!

[@damvid21]

Man, he has really aged badly in the last 10 or so years.

[@JannahAlFirdaus91]

alcohol

[@baillie67]

Thanks for that.A bit disappointed by that but celtic through and through.

[@09weenic]

baillie67 which is why he spent about six months of his 20 year career at the piggery 😆😆😆

[@eoinfl]

I know you're you're good guy John 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wks107tdv123]

I never said anywhere that Keane was a good manager or that he was a better manager than Roy Keane. Roy called him names after he made a show of him in front of the other players & staff & thats when Roy had enough.

[@wks107tdv123]

@mgsbo14 communaction tho aswell, maybe if Mick & Roy had a chat about there feelings & what they were angry & unhappy about in a private conversation just the 2 of them this mess might never have happened. But Mick did cross the line when accused Roy of faking injury, that is pretty low.

[@JamieDowney92]

How can you even say stokes is anything like Stephen Ireland??? Stephen had no desire to play as he has said in the past, stokes on the other hands wants to play for Ireland he has said time and time again. He pulled out of the friendly in may and if I remember rightly wassint their a few others aswell and walters also pulled out of that?

[@clarker89]

2:25 to 2:55 is fuckin spot on!

[@britturk123]

The manager is NO 1 if a player cannot understand that then unlucky, even if he is as brilliant as Roy Kean i think he will know that more now that he has managed a team its not easy.

[@henriklarsson3468]

norman whiteside is northern irish..if u ask him he will say he is british not irish

[@2010EoinMurphy]

He was missed. If he had been there they could have gone to the final. He held too much power, more than Mick McCarthy it seems.

[@TT_1221]

Roy Keane abandoned his team. Full Stop. He had a problem with authority and McCarthy was his Manager. He could have been one of the greatest, he had the God given talent and the work ethic and he was given every opportunity in the game but his anger and resentment from childhood or whatever eventually pressed the self destruct button on his career. He was no Pele, he was no ambassador for the game or example to follow.

[@chrislacey8776]

Delaney a reformer?? How misjudged was that 😆

[@Chortleclips]

A bad workman always blames his tools.....Hes just too intolerant and his bad temperament is the reason he cant manage a team himself

[@Inthemixmedia]

Where wur dur footballs???

[@wks107tdv123]

@MrCloonfad Mick McCharty sent him that was a fact, Mick said himself he sent him home. Get your facts right in future.

[@moonpop1]

i dont think thay have more irish history than this .FACT....... Willie Maley.....BORN IN NEWRY CO DOWN.......Mr Maley was the longest serving manager at Celtic. In his 43 years as manager, he won 16 league titles, 14 Scottish Cups, 14 Glasgow Cups and 19 Glasgow Charity Cups.

[@alangregg5520]

Well done Roy.

[@nigefal]

Dunphy changed his tune fairly quickly after this as usual

[@Shaftsus]

I remember this, absolute disaster for the country before the world cup, supposedly, we go on to the 2nd round, drawing with the eventual finalists and we're knocked out by a very lucky Spanish side. Now the papers are creating problems, such as Trap being "unpredictable", losing his temper, its all bullshit, we're going to the Euros and since we're there we'll make an impact and we won't disappoint. No matter what happens we will leave Poland and Ukraine with our heads held high.

[@shanet5604]

Say again….

[@johndoyle1810]

I think the fai played the underdog card and Roy Keane saw the truth and went home

[@michaeldevaney5728]

Keane sent himself home

[@seankinsellasean]

Its a game of football at the end of the day he should have just went out and gave his all on the pitch and then moaned about it afterwards

[@shanet5604]

You need extreme people skills to deal with the player Roy Keane

[@patricioeltoro1985]

Delaney has pure shifty eyes, he is as crooked as a barrel of snakes. Good riddance to bad rubbish! 🇮🇪☘

[@robertoc2485]

That other guy from the FAI is wrong.

[@jackkenefick2696]

alan cardwell whoever he is

[@662dodz]

respect for dunphy he knew where roy was coming from on this one the fai are a joke and all of europe is laughing at them and their pathetic association the germany game just put it into the headlines

[@tonycurtin2376]

Delaney........found out eventually,a good time Charlie.

[@bertrach]

They got there and they had no kit except what they took themselves, no footballs and the training ground was dangerous. The people who didn't speak out are the villains. And to add insult to injury, McCarthy accused Keane, in front of the whole squad, of faking an injury because he missed one game. The onus was on McCarthy to heal the rift.

[@waynemonaghan8587]

Keane was a winner and even though we would not have won the world cup why not set up and give ourselves the best chance we could

[@rampageclover9788]

@@waynemonaghan8587we would have repeated Italia 90’ at least if Roy had stayed

[@rowangallagher]

Lol so weird seeing John Delaney 🙈

[@daveeol1987]

saipan really was the most sickening episode in irish football.worst than paris

[@alexpower1335]

team mates arsed gone speak up

[@helltopo]

It's quite amusing watching Dunphy making excuses for Keane's petulant behaviour in 2002 considering what he thinks about him now. Keane was and still is a selfish oaf.

[@Shaftsus]

lets wait and see, I honestly don't think we were that bad against Croatia, their goals were lucky although I'd concede they were the much better side...lets see what happens, anyway I was drunk when I made that comment :P

[@rizzla47]

yeah defo man he was always honest,even with himself,he knew he wasnt a really skillfull over the top type of talent................. he mighta been wrong about teaching ronaldo to work hard and track back though hehehehehe...

[@andyhello23]

No matter what roys problem was, boy did ireland miss him against spain. Spain were there for the taking by ireland that day, and they could of done with his driving spirit on the pitch. I bet roy watching that game knew he should of been there. He really let down the fans, and irish team, who could of done with there best player at that moment, as that game in 2002 against spain ireland should of won, and spain were there for the taking, but they missed the influence on the pitch of keane. I bet roy where ever he was that day when ireland played spain, and they lost on penalties knows he should of been there, and i bet his mates and family believe that too. Its amazing its 20 years ago now, but i bet that missing that game really haunts roy keane, as it ended his aura for irish fans as that player would would do anything for the team. Spain were there that day for ireland to beat, and they missed keane ability to control the center of the park. Spain were very weak team then, and ireland should of won, they lost on penalities.

[@shanet5604]

He’s since said he did watch that match and if he had stayed they could have beaten Germany and had South Africa in the 2nd round ffs ! It was a total mess that all Irish fans did not deserve !!

[@notoriouseagle1074]

@@shanet5604 Costa Rica would've been their 2nd round opponent. In theory, they could've gone deep. Costa Rica, then the USA, then South Korea had they won the group

[@shanet5604]

@@notoriouseagle1074 I stand corrected then,must be thinking of SA maybe getting Spain’s spot at the time,too many permutations went through after all the what ifs that mess caused !! lol !

[@shanet5604]

It was actually Paraguay that Germany drew ffs…

[@Rathardican]

Keane ditched his country. End of.

[@davidkavanagh8175]

Mick mc,carthy, let Ireland and the team down simple if you take the time and do your research

[@EricCartman1st]

I give up on Ronaldo working hard but since his time as a young skinny kid at Man U, he has come a long way , its just the stupid strops and all round acting the tool on the pitch that makes it hard to like him , but in all fairness he is some footballer when he wants to be.

[@bighands69]

Ireland did not have the talent to make it to the final. They could not beat an average performing Spanish team they had loads of chances but not the actual ability to put the ball in the net.

[@boycemark6470]

Head on Delaney at 1:39...eh?

[@gerardbyrne5563]

ahh fergi said he wasn't world class EATEN BREAd is soon forgotten but fair play to you Tommy p s who do you support

[@phlhoran12396]

As history and time has truly showed us John Delaney and the utterly deplorable FAI were the true villians in this particular narrative, akin to the arsonist who sets a house on fire and then mingles with the townsfolk & displays a fake outcry of horror as they watch it all burn to the ground! 😮😮😮

[@fod2011]

That treasurer fella seems like a reasonable man

[@MrStonecold69]

this clip is funny i bet dunphy regrets making this appearance he hates keane now

[@blaknblond]

keane was stuck with a useless bunch who then played above themselves to prove their worth....so roy was still helping by default

[@MultiSamson1]

mick mccarthy.

[@baillie67]

Now you're being silly.If you had a liking for a scottish team i take it that would be rangers?

[@georgekenny9820]

They did fine without him.

[@CrazyIrishDrunk1]

they more likely would've did better with him.

[@marksmyth5505]

They would have done a lot better with him.

[@sir243_simr]

rubbish comment, with keane spain would have still won simple as that!!!!!

[@octaviancaesarhibernicus4447]

ss ri no they wouldn't, if Keane had stayed we obviously would've won the world cup......!

[@michaeldevaney5728]

I believe roy Keane at heart is a, really good man and a good person but the reality is roy Keane let the Irish people down to the extreme

[@flooberbloob]

Nothing selfish about it. Delaney had no excuse for the FAI's ridiculous approach to the world cup. The FAI bigwigs travelled in style while the players were hung out to dry. No footballs the first day of practice? practice on a stony parking lot for Prem players? McCarthy should have stood up to the FAI for his players long before Keane's outburst. Embarrassing in the extreme. The FAI were rolling in dough and refused to prepare properly like the other teams. Same old amateurs at the helm.

[@Burncourtable]

Dunphy went on to call keane a politican and a bullshitter after he wrote his bio

[@franko05dublin]

Roy Keane wasn't missed at that World Cup. He pussied off home like a little girl. Mick McCarthy did a superb job and all real football people know this. G'wan Big Mick!

[@dannyboyle8041]

franko05dublin Do you honestly hand on heart believe that was the case rather than him understandably feeling disgraced and let down by the people who should’ve been looking after him and his teammates in the best way possible? Get real.

[@robertoc2485]

You've got to be joking

[@howiryadoon]

Ireland would not have been at that world cup without Roy! Was superhuman in the qualifiers v Portugal and Holland.

[@rob_3417]

Danny Boyle probably a scouser

[@rob_3417]

Stick with the gaa boi

[@662dodz]

clueless?????

[@gerardbyrne5563]

its sad because he is the best ever player Ireland had and that's McGrath Brady Giles who were great players but Keane was the best I really am disgusted that mick McCarthy set him up by accusing a great player of faking injury and the other players were gutless they wudnt have been in that world cup if Roy Keane hadn't dragged them out of a group that had Portugal and Holland which with Roy Keane s leadership and without him they scraped out of the group to meet Spain who Ireland would have beaten if Roy Keane had been there all because he wanted to train not drinking and barbecue s with the press which is the real reason mick McCarthy and ray Tracey decided it was a good idea to spend a week in Saipan the with out balls or football pitch typical Irish attitude go for a sing song and piss up no Roy Keane is a true professional and its a crying shame for football

[@tommygriffin783]

I am no United fan, but I don't have to be, you hit the nail on the head. With Roy Keane they could have reached the Semi-Finals that year as it was a year of big shocks (Turkey & Korea reaching the semis that year don't forget). But typical Irish, they get out of an easy group (with the exception of Germany) then they bang on about how great they did without Roy. tut tut

[@dannyboyle8041]

You forgot to mention George Best. Remember that the North of Ireland is just as Irish as the South.

[@garyodriscoll7988]

Danny Boyle ✊🏼

[@jerryoshea3116]

Gerard byrne Have to disagree there..He would have to stand online behind those players..Giles was a Midfield Genius,Brady was a fantastic Midfield player for Arsenal&Sampodoria..And Paul McGrath was a absolute Legend and in my mind def Ireland's best player.Contributing to Ireland getting the Quarterfinals in Italia 90..Roy Keane on his day was a fantastic world class player..But it really is all about him..Ramon Dunphy talks an abundance of nonsense..There's no way RK was the best player in the world at that time..Unfortunately one of the reasons Roy resented Mick McCarthy was he saw him as a journeyman player&Plastic Paddy(a humorous but sometimes Sarcastic label attached to first Generation Irish born abroad) who had found himself at the Helm of the Irish Football Team&..The Irish GAA really had'nt a clue until Jack Charlton took over,and managed to gain the Irish Football Team some respect by getting then playing well..So RK was hoping to see the 5* Treatment he was used to receiving at Man U..

[@Mani26031981]

@@jerryoshea3116 completely nailed it mate. 👍 In fact, Keane should never have been made Ireland captain.

[@boycemark6470]

He disrupted what seemed to be training... Maybe I heard it wrong... Nope!

[@helenheeney2284]

Roy always tells the thruth Delaney is gone now should have listen then to Roy Delaney a creep serves you right

[@johndoyle1810]

I think the f.a.i. Put on a poor show especially in the World Cup in Saipan the poor standard of facilities is a joke it’s the two fingers to the team

[@rizzla47]

yeah im irish,but i gotta agree,keane was a fantastic player,but the type of player he was(graft,hard work,attitude etc) can never be considered the best over like you said the likes of zidane or a long list of others in their prime(skill,flare players),it ll always be more attractive to watch and the majority of the time,its also more effective,,one thing keane IS in the running for,,imo,,,is possibly having the most honest and pure competitive attitude(you never saw keane dive!!)

[@joeheffernan01]

ps im going mad he aint a Dub???? hahaha, im glad he aint cause id be mortified that a traitor would live in my county...nuff said!!!!!

[@arthurmorgan7086]

Joe Heffernan shut up you fucking jackeen gob

[@anthonytoner11]

If Keane had stayed he would have picked up a straight red in one of the group matches which would have being a worse disruption to the team.

[@dannyboyle8041]

antono t You don’t know that. Narrow minded comment.

[@cianomalley7049]

@@dannyboyle8041 true, it would have been a huge disappointment if Roy were to be sent off in one of the games.

[@shanekelley7682]

Roy Keane is a winner.