No wonder it took them so long. Alexis Sanchez is a Manchester United player – we know because the club went to the lengths of producing a gloriously dramatic video of someone playing ‘Glory, Glory Man United’ on piano with Sanchez taking in the cold Old Trafford air in his new kit. At last, it […]

8 years ago

Poor Mkhitaryan must be gagged, bounded and stuffed into the back of a boot at this stage. Jose Mourinho confirmed on Friday in his pre match press conference that the club have all but secured the signing of Alexis Sanchez, we’re just waiting. Again. The big stipulating factor holding up the move has been Henrikh […]

8 years ago

Wes Hoolahan is not Zidane. He’s not a world beater. He is 35. He has played in just 17 of Norwich’s 27 league games this season. He’s even misplaced passes before. Why’s any of that really relevant? Can no-one just watch a game and judge him as a footballer and judge him on the impact he has on every […]

8 years ago

10 months later, the wait is almost over. For Ireland. For Everton. For Seamus Coleman. Life’s not fair sometimes, especially when you have people like Neil Taylor recklessly hurling themselves around looking to make a point but making themselves look a coward more than anything. Coleman was flying at the time. He was leading his […]

8 years ago

Wes is gonna Wes. There’s not much left to say really. Football comes easy to Wes Hoolahan and, no matter the standard of opposition, it never affects him because he’s at home with the ball at his feet. Everyone you play in this game is only human. They sweat and bleed like anybody else and […]

8 years ago

The term ‘call of duty’ is just three words thrown together and it sounds good. Most management in any walk of life would probably love to put the person first over the product in every single interaction and decision but the reality is that most management jobs can’t afford to look beyond the short-term and, […]

8 years ago

There’ll be no shortage of opportunities to lie around on your arse watching gold TV, if you’re not bothered going out to the games. 17 National League games are set to be broadcast across seven weekends on eir Sport with 17 different counties being shown on the box. The coverage kicks off on Saturday 27 […]

8 years ago

They’re in every club, the moaners. Well, we probably all are the moaners, in fairness – ah, for God’s sake, we definitely are. But what would you do without your club? Granted, yes, you’d probably complain less, you’d have more free time, you’d have less headaches, and you wouldn’t have months on end of waiting around […]

8 years ago

Shane Blaney is taking his shot. The Donegal man turns 19 on Saturday and, on the week of his birthday, he’s become a professional footballer. Doncaster Rovers have placed good faith in the Finn Harps defender with a two-year contract where he will now link up with Darren Ferguson, son of the great Alex. NEWS […]

8 years ago

It’s a bloody exciting time to be a Shamrock Rovers fan. On Saturday, the Hoops took a new-look side for a test drive in a friendly with Corduff and dismantled the opposition 12-0. Greg Bolger made his debut. .@Greggyb6 made his debut for the Hoops at the Academy on Saturday pic.twitter.com/brHiMRVycG — Shamrock Rovers FC […]

8 years ago

Bowe gathers, Bowe gathers… Bowe gathers. TOMMY BOOOOOWEEE! Most rugby players could only dream of carving out a career and making memories like Tommy Bowe did. The Ulster Rugby icon has announced his retirement from the game he lit up with electrifying brilliance and the sport lost a little bit of its soul in the […]

8 years ago

Tommy Bowe found his gears. Dogged by injuries, it’s been a tumultuous career twilight for one of the nation’s favourite sons. On Monday evening, after a senior career that spanned 15 seasons, 69 international games and two Lions tests, Tommy Bowe confirmed that he’d be bowing out after one last fight. The Ulster trailblazer had […]

8 years ago

The law of attraction. If you ever watched that documentary on YouTube, the one that’s supposed to have transformed Conor McGregor’s life, you’d take a few things away from it. All people care about is money. A lot of people are bullshitters. But, 3), that things really are genuinely possible if you really believe in […]

8 years ago

It’s a long way to May. No-one will care about the McKenna Cup or the FBD League once the championship gets into the full swing of things but, sometimes, it can just give you a little idea of how a team are really looking heading for Spring. It was in the McKenna Cup in 2012 […]

8 years ago

Even Karius and Lovren know this isn’t great. One step forward for Liverpool and a sobering realisation that they still have another pile of steps to go if they’re ever going to get real with themselves. The signing of Virgil Van Dijk was money well spent, however much money it was, but they’re still suffering […]

8 years ago

Journalists have all sorts of different ways to get the reaction they want. The ‘war of words’ is a classic where you basically just read out quotes from another manager to the manager before you and, even if they’re vague or indirect, you immediately stir the pot and force a comeback. You can agree with […]

8 years ago

Ed Woodward will not sit by idly. Manchester United are flexing their muscles and taking the full power of their name, their size and history for a test drive as they attempt to drag Alexis Sanchez away from the clutches of Pep Guardiola. The Arsenal attacker is said to have already agreed personal terms with […]

8 years ago

You can’t keep a good man down. Seamus Coleman is back in training for the first time in 10 months. The Donegal native suffered a horrific leg-break back in March thanks to a reckless Neil Taylor tackle during the stalemate with Wales at the Aviva and, after months of surgery, rest and rehab, it seems […]

8 years ago

The number one sport in the country. The national game. Football. Which football? Gaelic football. Football. More people tuned in to watch two counties play in a code of Gaelic Games than the amount of numbers who watched the whole country bid for a place in their first World Cup in 16 years. Over 1.14 […]

8 years ago

Cristiano Ronaldo can be a frustrating f**ker at times. Around this time last season, he hit similar road bumps. His form wasn’t great, he was petulant, he was lazy, he was blaming others. Of course, the most Ronaldo thing about it all is that, when you question whether he might be coming to the end […]

8 years ago

It’s unbelievable how a man can be so successful and still be so haunted by what he didn’t win. No-one will match what Mick O’Dwyer has done in the game of football. Four All-Irelands as a player, eight as a manager. 21 All-Ireland finals, Leinster success with Laois and Kildare and even a Tommy Murphy […]

8 years ago

The man can’t catch a break this season. Just back from injury after undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer, Garry Ringrose is now facing another six weeks on the treatment table. The centre suffered an ankle injury in Leinster’s demolition of Ulster during the final inter-pro weekend and could be out until the end of […]

8 years ago

What might have been. Johnny Doyle has already gone down as one of the all-time Kildare greats. He’s still a household name in Ireland, he’s still an inspiration to younger generations. But, if it wasn’t for Mick O’Dwyer, Doyle would never have won a Leinster championship. It was the Kerry great, of course, who led the […]

8 years ago

Inches. Minutes. It’s all there ever is between Mayo and the best side of this generation. It’s all there ever is between Mayo and Sam. Listen, just because Mayo can last with Dublin, just because they force what people are arguing to be the greatest team ever to go to the well time and time […]

8 years ago

Friday: “If Wexford can keep us to 15 points they’ll maybe see that as a moral victory…” (Paul Clarke, Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup manager) Sunday: Yesss! 1-12 to 0-14 win for our footballers against Dublin in the O'Byrne cup. Very encouraging display for Paul McLoughlin and his team. Loch Garman abú! — Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) January […]

8 years ago

It’s the loneliest place in the world, the road back from injury. And, when you’re young and still trying to make the breakthrough to the big time, being sidelined at any stage – never mind for half the season – can be frustrating, disheartening and, if you let it, it can set you back. Conor […]

8 years ago

Listen, we’re all going to have excuses at some stage and they should be respected – where possible. Some players have families, some have work commitments, some are just victims of bad luck at bad times and some are going to be on the piss all day so what can you really do? Sometimes, it […]

8 years ago

In November last year, Ben Woodburn scored in a cup game game and wrote his name into the history books as the youngest ever goalscorer for Liverpool Football Club. At 17 years of age – and 45 days – the Welsh international, who has also already had some massive nights for his country, goes down […]

8 years ago

Let’s see if the GAA can guess what the problem is based on this clue: The provincial structure is the problem. Well? Any guesses? We’re going to hit this every single year because the complaints that everyone has about the football championship can be solved by changing one thing the GAA are going to refuse […]

8 years ago

Ryan Cassidy, remember the name. Another St. Kevin’s Boys product, the Irish striker has built an instant rep for himself across the water. Having signed for Watford only months ago back in July, Cassidy, at just 16, is on the radar already for the Premier League club as he leads the scoring charts of the […]

8 years ago

“Nobody gets unanimous praise — ever. The best the timid can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those who stand out…” (Seth Godin) Welcome to Ally Pally. Welcome to the big time. Boos and jeers for any of the world’s best athletes can seem disrespectful. It can look like ignorance of their […]

8 years ago

He’s so accurate he can hit one dart with two darts. That’s Michael van Gerwen. He lands a dart onto the treble 20 and he hits the other two right off the same flight. That’s consistency for you. The world number one was put to the pin of his collar on Saturday night in the […]

8 years ago

Five darts for a place in the final, you’d think Michael van Gerwen would toss four in the bin. That was breathless. It was exhausting. It was nerve-jangling, it was terrifying, it was an emotional rollercoaster. A game you just could not believe. Rob Cross has set up a New Year’s Day final with Phil […]

8 years ago

Whether you like Phil Taylor or you… don’t like him, there’s no denying that he’s one of the true greats. Maybe the greatest. It’s only fitting that the 16-time world champion will appear in the New Year’s Day final of the PDC World Darts Championship in what will be his last ever appearance in the […]

8 years ago

Jose Mourinho is really lucky that Manchester United are desperate. That’s why he’s defended so aggressively in the face of substandard performances. That’s why, when he spends 300 million and demands more, he still has sympathisers. United simply need this one to work and Mourinho is just the wrong man benefitting from being there at […]

8 years ago

Graham Carey isn’t a great goalscorer but, by Jesus, he’s a scorer of great goals. That’s why, when the 28-year-old Blanchardstown native lobs the ‘keeper when the ball is running away from goals, Plymouth Argyle fans shrug their shoulders and reason that they’ve seen it all before from the attacking midfielder. 🚀 Another Saturday, another […]

8 years ago

They’ve dropped to third, they’ve won two of their last seven games, drawn the last three – modern day Manchester United just won’t perk up. To make matters worse, Ashley Young is sure to be hit with a three-game ban for an utterly pointless attack on Dusan Tadic during the 0-0 home draw with Southampton. […]

8 years ago

He had the movement, he had the pace, he had the strike and he had the connection from the sort of range that would’ve taken this ball in past manys a goalkeeper. He also had David De Gea in his way. And, so, Shane Long’s wait continues. It would’ve been quite the place to score […]

8 years ago

Liverpool should be allowed to indulge on a frivolous spending spree for one centre half because they got so much value on Mohamed Salah. Signed for an initial €42m fee, Salah’s transfer could rise to up to €50m and, already, he looks like he’s worth every single cent. The laughter has been silenced, the critics have […]

8 years ago

Maybe he should get another chance. Again. In the space of 19 league games, Aiden McGeady has scored as many goals for Sunderland as he has in 92 caps for Ireland. You can nearly sympathise with Martin O’Neill for sticking with the winger who served him so well at Celtic 13 years ago and sticking […]

8 years ago

It’s not even an argument

8 years ago

Let’s get real. Anyone who has a problem with James McClean winning the RTÉ Sports Personality of the Year award, they’re either unreasonably disrespectful or completely ignorant of what it takes to get to where he has gotten to. We’re talking about a man who has risen above all hopefuls. Everyone with an interest in […]

8 years ago

It’s not easy. You lose 1-0 to one of the best teams the Premier League has ever seen, you’re newly-promoted and you’re being asked about the type of football your team has just produced. Rafa Benitez could just as easily have been your typical, grumpy, sharp manager in his post-match press conference when the wounds […]

8 years ago

A big failing in Liverpool’s general transfer policy when it comes to defenders – in particular, centre halves – was addressed on Wednesday. For the first time in far too long, the club went out and bought a back better than all the rest of the ones already at Liverpool. They’ve had this unhealthy obsession […]

8 years ago

January 5. FA Cup 3rd Round. Anfield. Liverpool v Everton. Liverpool fans have had to wait for the arrival of Virgil van Dijk, the man himself has had to wait to join the club he wanted to join, but if ever he was going to make a perfect first impression, it would be in a […]

8 years ago

John Terry might think Jamie Carragher is one of the best Premier League defenders of all time but Carragher doesn’t even think he’s the best Liverpool defender this decade. Terry heaped praise on an embarrassed Carragher with his questionable Premier League dream team but the Merseyside legend sees someone a lot better than him now […]

8 years ago

This makes some team

8 years ago

He didn’t see it coming

8 years ago

This is our year

8 years ago

Here’s what’s wrong with a picture of the LGFA wanting to stand on its own two feet. Footballers all over the country suffer because of it. Young girls who start off in clubs the same way we all do, who grow up through the underage teams – firstly with the boys and then in their […]

8 years ago