They went head-to-head back in the day and now they’re back to settle some scores and tell us what they really think of Roy Keane now!
Eamo and Mick have sat on opposite sides in some of the most flagrant flare-ups in Irish football history.
As Jack Charlton’s loyal lieutenant, McCarthy stood square in the firing line of every flying biro from the RTE studio. And with him taking the spot that should’ve been David O’Leary’s over than Big Jack’s Captain Fantastic, Dunphy never held back in his criticism of the centre back or his manager:
That was only a starter ahead of an explosive main course concocted in the Far East with a kick of a fiery Corkonian temper and a few slices of no-nonsense Yorkshire rump straight from the bacon slicer.
The fallout from Ireland’s camp on the island of Saipan saw them bashing one another in the most divisive issue of national significnace since Tayto versus King.
Dunphy became Roy Keane’s unofficial press secretary as he mounted a fierce defence of the departed Irish captain, and squarely aimed his barrages at Mick and the FAI.
And he even adopted the Cameroon colours on the morning of Ireland’s crucial group game in protest against McCarthy regime:
Ireland’s most discerning football mind was still sticking it to Keane haters when he returned to the Irish team under Brian Kerr:
A lot of water – and a fair bit of BS – has flowed since then, but Mick wasn’t holding back when the two butted together again in our Head2Head series.
Mick was up-front in telling us how he’d take on the Fancy Dans of football’s elite:
DING DING! Forget Fury v Wilder – it’s Eamo v Mick, for the first time ever. Tonight on @eirSport pic.twitter.com/2wx3TVaxUH
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) November 30, 2018
And he even got stuck in on Eamon when he jabbed that the controversial commentator made him “ashamed to be Irish”, but Eamo took that blow on the chin:
Eamon Dunphy is back baby!
Eamon makes his return to TV with a series of interviews, produced by @PaddyPower, with five Irish sporting greats.
First up is Mick McCarthy. Dunphy goes where others have failed as Mick opens up on Saipan, leading Ireland and much more. #Head2Head pic.twitter.com/7e5nHUHTvr
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 29, 2018
Hey, that’s showbiz baby!
There’s plenty more where that came from, and you can watch the interview tonight on eir Sport 1 at 10pm. Make sure to catch the rest of the series with Robbie Keane, Ruby Walsh, Graeme Souness and Tomas O’ Sé over the coming weeks.
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