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Eamon Dunphy's Opinion Regarding Arsenal Changed So Quickly, Even He Had To Laugh

PJ Browne
By PJ Browne
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Is this a little bit unfair? Perhaps. Everyone should be allowed to change their opinion.

Is it amusing to watch though? Undoubtedly.

Eamon Dunphy's capriciousness is notorious. On Wednesday night, during RTÉ's coverage of Arsenal's crucial Champions League tie with Olympiacos, it was at a level which even he could not help but crack a smile about.

Pre-match, Dunphy wrote Arsenal off. The Gunners required victory by two 'clear' goals to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament. (What a 'clear' goal is in this respect, we're not sure. If Arsenal had won 2-0, but there had been uncertainty regarding whether or not the ball had crossed the line for one of their goals - making it an 'unclear' goal, would they been doomed for Thursday night football along with Man Utd?)

Dunphy felt Olympiacos - 'a good thing to qualify' - would have too much for the London side and their shaky, third best in the Premier League, defence. Koscienly(!) and Mertesacker were assessed as being 'not great'.

Koscielny appears to be a player whom Dunphy formed a steadfast opinion about three years ago and is unwilling to reevaluate. Just last night, on BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand labeled the Frenchman as the best defender in the Premier League.

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Come half-time, and Arsenal being a goal to the good on their Greek hosts, the pragmatist in Dunphy realised a change of forecast was required to save face.

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Arsenal swifly went from having meagre expectations of making the last 16 to having a great chance.

Such was Eamon's personal amusement with the adjustment of stance, his tongue wagged from his mouth, labrador-like.

 

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Post-match, there was praise for Arsenal's unexpected fortitude, especially in the face of their mounting injury problems.

There was also relief regarding a great, barring Man Utd's exit, two nights for the European coefficient of the Premier League.

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It's likely Richard Scudamore has less emotional investment in these numbers than the RTÉ analyst.

The doubt over English football's UEFA coefficient and the effect it could have on the number of Premier League teams qualifying for the Champions League has possibly caused Dunphy many a restless night.

Surely his monthly sleeping tablet bill will tumble now that the Premier League's four berths in the competition would seem to have been secured.

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Watch: 'They're Not Good Enough' - Roy Keane On Man Utd's Champions League Exit

Read: Eamon Dunphy Has Made It Perfectly Clear How Little He Rates This Man Utd Squad

 

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