Conan Doherty
“The best thing to do is to talk to the papers and this is a game that goes on behind the scenes… but it’s not a problem for me.” It’s hard to look at the Belgium camp and not think that there’s a bit of unrest among the ranks. Marc Wilmots and Thibaut Courtois appeared in […]
10 years ago
Those elusive and badly needed three points
10 years ago
And so it begins. All over again. If Wednesday night’s relatively calm shenanigans – relatively – were the warm-up act, the main event is promising to be absolutely bonkers. Just beautiful https://t.co/gB1bit6c3o — SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 16, 2016 By Thursday, Bordeaux found itself overrun with green. The memories of Paris will live on forever but […]
10 years ago
Jan Vertonghen makes an outrageous claim about Ireland
10 years ago
Just beautiful
10 years ago
Is Gareth Bale in the top five players in the world? Sure, he’s one of* the dearest (*in the interest of not upsetting Ronaldo) but has he proved that he’s one of the very, very, very best? At 26, the Welshman is bloody extraordinary and, although he will maybe do it one day, he has […]
10 years ago
Gave it his all
10 years ago
Coleman sat at home four years ago as Ireland exited Euro 2012 with a whimper but their fans at least took a few plaudits. Now, it’s all different. Now, Coleman is a leader of his country. Now, Ireland are disappointed with picking up their first point in a major tournament for 14 years and, now, […]
10 years ago
Bollocks anyway. It looks like Jon Walters won’t be available for Ireland against Belgium. Martin O’Neill’s men head for Bordeaux to face off with Marc Wilmots’ side on Saturday. A draw against Sweden has actually put the Irish ahead of the Belgians in the group after one game. However, after battling through for 65 minutes […]
10 years ago
Everyone was Irish, everyone was one
10 years ago
There was an interesting moment in the press area after Ireland’s draw with Sweden. Glenn Whelan has probably left changing rooms for years without so much as a glance in his direction but, on Monday night, the media wanted a piece of him. The same lad who has been questioned on so many occasions by […]
10 years ago
At this stage, it’s nearly hard to enjoy the Wes Hoolahan effect. It’s nearly hard to enjoy his intricate passes, his silky footwork, his vision, his courage, his genius, because every time he does something so damn good and so damn beautiful, you’re hit over the head with this God awful reminder that he’s 34 […]
10 years ago
1-1. It’s always 1-1. Wes Hoolahan’s goal was cancelled out by a Ciaran Clark own goal during Ireland’s Euro 2016 opener, but it was a spirited performance from Martin O’Neill’s men who dominated most of the game. Here’s how the players rated. Darren Randolph 7 Fantastic reflexes and a really strong right hand to turn […]
10 years ago
I wasn’t in France 10 minutes before it all kicked off. – “So are you here supporting Northern Ireland?” for God’s sake, right? – “No, I’m not. I’ll be cheering for the Republic.” – “But you’re from Northern Ireland?” – “Just… forget it, alright.” As introductions to tournament football go, Marseille 2016 was a baptism […]
10 years ago
England are going to stop themselves winning Euro 2016
10 years ago
It wasn’t a great night for Joe Hart in Marseille but he’s not taking the blame for Russia’s equaliser anyway. The England number one didn’t have too much to do during a 1-1 draw on the south coast of France but, when he was needed in injury time, he could only watch Vasili Berezutski’s header loop […]
10 years ago
This is not pretty. This is not football. The build-up to Saturday night’s England and Russia game in Marseille has been real ugly at times. Images, videos, news stories of the scenes on the south of France have already left a sour taste in the mouth but it continues. Watch: English football fans are involved in […]
10 years ago
Disaster. An injury time equaliser broke English hearts as they were held in Marseille by a gallant, but limited, Russian side. England dominated the opening half but failed to find a way through. The second half display was less convincing, but Eric Dier’s brilliant free kick appeared to have secured a deserved victory. But in […]
10 years ago
You can win all the qualifying games you like but this is where it matters. Nobody gave Roy Hodgson any sympathy after Brazil in 2014 because of how they got to the World Cup in the first place. Cruising through the qualification bouts never amounted to any more slack for Fabio Capello. It’s tournament time […]
10 years ago
Seamus Coleman wasn’t the best player in Killybegs. He never made the county teams or any of the schoolboys’ select sides and he wasn’t even picked for the south west Donegal development squads. Technically, he had a lot to work on. Mentally, he was always going to have to choose sooner or later between soccer […]
10 years ago
There can only be one. Last Man Standing – the best and worst game on the planet. So addictive, so infuriating. Obsessing and cursing over it all at the same time. We’re all experts when it comes to football scores – especially during tournament time – but most of us just prefer the little benefit of hindsight […]
10 years ago
Thank you, Victor. Short but… pointless. Jose Mourinho is taking no prisoners. The Manchester United revolution is well and truly underway but there’s no future for a certain Mr Valdes. Victor Valdes is off to Standard Liege but he leaves behind a flood of memories at Manchester United#MUFC pic.twitter.com/mbpRSXYlnx — SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 21, 2016 […]
10 years ago
Just one change
10 years ago
This would be something. Manchester United are moving in on Alvaro Morata. The 23-year-old Juventus striker is said to have a buyback clause option in his contract for Real Madrid to activate – believed to be in the region of €30million – but the Spaniard’s former club have no interest in keeping him, even if they’re […]
10 years ago
Unleash the left peg. Robbie Brady has been inconsistent with his set pieces so far in a senior international jersey but the Irish faithful know what he’s capable of. https://twitter.com/Patch99/status/535024453177335808 Against Holland, in the last game the Dubliner played in preparation for Euro 2016, the Norwich full back’s deliveries were bloody deadly. Here is that […]
10 years ago
The country’s most popular player is scandalous
10 years ago
This would’ve been iconic
10 years ago
This has caused a mixed reaction
10 years ago
And there we thought we were onto a winner too. Shane Long’s form for club and country is really bloody exciting and you can’t get away from that. The Southampton attacker scored three and assisted four in his side’s last seven games of the Premier League season as he led the line during an unprecedented […]
10 years ago
18 years of age. Renato Sanches is a fine prospect, full of talent and potential and all the rest. Bayern Munich snapped him up before anyone else could and Manchester United were left reeling. “I had several offers but I chose Bayern Munich,” the Portuguese youngster said recently. “Manchester United? I think everyone knows that […]
10 years ago
At 31, Daniel Agger should still be the classy, elegant centre back who commanded boxes wherever he wanted to. At 31, that thunderous left foot of his should still be one of the most prized and feared possessions in Europe’s top leagues. At 31, he should still be at the peak of his considerable powers. […]
10 years ago
A morality committee? Imagine they had one of those in the Premier League. They wouldn’t tolerate this sort of behaviour in Iran anyway. Well, not yellow trousers at least. Three-times capped goalkeeper Sosha Makani has been suspended for six months for wearing what has been described as Spongebob Squarepants trousers. The 29-year-old who plays for […]
10 years ago
“Ronaldo became the world’s best by being the hardest-working man in football.” Like him or hate him, it’s hard to deny Cristiano Ronaldo his dues. He’s worked damn hard to get to where he is today. He might not have the same natural ability as a Messi and a lot of of what he’s achieved […]
10 years ago
Even for Jon Walters
10 years ago
You’ll not get 5,000/1 but you will get serious odds for it. 150/1. That’s what Ladbrokes are pricing Ireland’s chances of winning Euro 2016 at. 150/1. Only three teams have longer odds. In fact, Ireland’s chances of success in France are being touted as so slim that they’re odds-on to exit the tournament at […]
10 years ago
Don’t get too excited, Manchester City fans. No Neuer. No Alaba. No Xabi Alonso. No Robben, Ribery, or Lewandowski. All those links, forget about them. Pep Guardiola cannot sign any Bayern Munich players. It’s in his contract apparently. Even the like of Douglas Costa, who was so good in that Bayern-Juve Champions League clash this […]
10 years ago
At least they’ll have an excuse now. It’s back: the hype. Biennially, there seems to be a sort of cleansing ritual in England, a national acceptance that maybe, just maybe, the footballers in the country just aren’t good enough. It’s refreshing, it’s necessary, but it’s fleeting. Ahead of every tournament, although we’re promised it won’t […]
10 years ago
Ireland play Sweden on Monday and, let’s just come out and say it, they need to win. At the risk of sounding like our media brethren across the Irish Sea, piling pressure and unrealistic expectation on the hyped English national team, the Republic’s first game of Euro 2016 is a big one. It won’t make […]
10 years ago
Lord knows we’ll need it
10 years ago
Martin O’Neill has apologised for his use of the word ‘queers’ at a public event in the Cork Opera House last week. The Republic of Ireland manager was speaking at the event with Today FM’s Matt Cooper when he was asked about his trip to the Super Bowl with Roy Keane. The Derry man responded by […]
10 years ago
It makes perfect sense. Leicester City could be about to lose their main threat. The man they play through. The man that sets the tone, makes them a threat with and without possession. Claudio Ranieri could be about to lose the same guy whose three-game suspension caused a complete change in line-up at the end […]
10 years ago
A French citizen who spoke of “plans to carry out several terrorist attacks” is being detained in Ukraine. A man was arrested last month on the Ukraine-Poland border and is being held by Ukraine’s State Security Service. It is believed that the man, who’s identity has not yet been revealed, had made contact with illegal […]
10 years ago
Third place would give us a nightmare draw too
10 years ago
Shane Looonnnggg has done it. A moment in time captured forever. No-one will forget that Shane Long goal in a hurry. The day the world champions came to Dublin and the day Lansdowne Road rocked them to their very core. The day Shane Long put the ball in the German net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceG7EUOjDGg It will live […]
10 years ago
What a guy
10 years ago
Leicester are not giving up their top goalscorer without a fight. And Jamie Vardy is not giving up the King Power Stadium without some serious thought. Continue to be a hero at Leicester, better contract in offing. Or move to Arsenal, at 29, one last shot at big move. Decision expected asap. — John Cross […]
10 years ago
If you wanna dance, you better pay the band. If you wanna get Zlatan Ibrahimovic for free, you better fork out a crazy wage for him. Apparently Manchester United have already signed the Swede and apparently they’re going to be paying him over €256,000 a week. The 34-year-old said that there will be an announcement […]
10 years ago
This fight was only going in One Direction… Niall Horan and Sam Allardyce’s bad blood has been bubbling for years now but, on Sunday, the pair finally sorted their differences. England beat the Rest of the World 3-2 at Soccer Aid 2016 thanks partly to a Roberto Carlos-esque strike from Mark Wright. Ronaldinho did his […]
10 years ago
We’re not afraid anymore. You hear? We’re not afraid anymore. Belgium are struggling. Okay, Ireland lost to Belarus in their last warm-up game whilst Belgium beat Norway 3-2… but their makeshift defence is looking unconvincing. WATCH: We thought Ireland were bad but Belgium's defence is really struggling after injury crisis https://t.co/hyLJyh976p — SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June […]
10 years ago
