Spoiler: he doesn’t rate him at all. Gary Neville never holds back when assessing performances and those performing. However, you feel that, with his obvious connection to Manchester United, he’s in a position to go in on the current Red Devils crop a little harder than players at other clubs. After Saturday’s exhilarating double-header of […]

8 years ago

Some game. Following a tense week of stand-offs and statements, the sound of the referee’s whistle at St Conleth’s Park was music to the ears as football took over on Saturday evening. And, thankfully, it turned out to be an absorbing game too in Newbridge as Mayo and Kildare went hammer and tongs in round […]

8 years ago

This will undoubtedly blunt the Colombian attack. Hopes of England’s World Cup chances seem to be undimmed despite a slip-up against Belgium’s second-string. Losing to Roberto Martinez’s Red Devils meant second place in Group G for the Three Lions, setting up a round of 16 clash with Colombia. The South Americans are unpredictable. Their campaign in […]

8 years ago

Manchester United fans would have been excused for thinking ‘hell yeah’ when they signed Marcos Rojo. It was August 2014 and, having somehow survived David Moyes’ doomed tenure as Alex Ferguson’s successor, they needed a lift. That summer, United offered their best impression of a galáctico transfer window in snapping up Angel Di Maria and […]

8 years ago

Awful news. Moroccan footballer Amine Harit has reportedly been involved in a hit-and-run car accident which killed a pedestrian. Police in Marrakech have confirmed (via Breaking the Lines) the Schalke midfielder, who turned 21 earlier in June, was driving the car following reports that his 14-year-old brother had been behind the wheel. Initial reports claimed that […]

8 years ago

Start me up. That’s the Rolling Stones song Ernie Els would have played on his plane every time it took off. Yes, at one point Ernie Els had his own plane. When ‘The Big Easy’ was in his prime, he was a globe-spanning golfing colossus. The South African’s mantlepiece is stacked, having won 71 professional […]

8 years ago

It’s difficult to see how this benefits the team. Remember France at the 2010 World Cup? They cheated their way to South Africa thanks to Thierry Henry’s outstretched hand at Ireland’s expense, only to implode in spectacular fashion once they got to the tournament. Four years on from reaching the final in 2006, a spate […]

8 years ago

We may not have heard the last of this. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri could face punishment over their goal celebrations in Switzerland’s 2-1 victory over Serbia. Xhaka and Shaqiri both made an Albanian nationalist Black Eagle symbol after scoring as the Swiss came back from a goal down to win their Group E clash […]

8 years ago

Bad blood. Ireland have done it. Joe Schmidt’s side went to Sydney and got the result they were looking for, edging past Australia to win 16-20 after an incredibly tight, tense and endlessly dramatic series decider. Johnny Sexton had an eventful evening inside the Allianz Stadium. Ireland’s talismanic fly-half received a thundering hit from Samu […]

8 years ago

Well said. It was always going to be a hostile reception for Ireland in Sydney. Joe Schmidt’s men walked out on the pitch at the Allianz Stadium confident of taking down the Wallabies in the series decider. Australian fans could be excused for their partisanship, but there are always those who take it too far. […]

8 years ago

Brian Kerr is the gift that keeps on giving at this World Cup. The former Ireland manager has lit up RTÉ’s coverage of the showpiece in Russia with his hugely entertaining soundbites on co-commentary duties. I’ll refer the uninitiated to the below. Brian Kerr has been the real star of the #WorldCup so far! 😂 […]

8 years ago

Completely out of left field. This summer was expected to be a busy one for Manchester United. Determined to challenge Manchester City’s Premier League supremacy, Jose Mourinho has already made a couple of eye-catching additions to his squad in the shape of Brazilian midfielder Fred and young Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot. Inevitably, there will have […]

8 years ago

Things have been going well for England in recent weeks. Gareth Southgate’s side looked convincing in their two pre-tournament friendly wins over Nigeria and Costa Rica and there has been nothing but positivity coming out of their training camp. England get their World Cup campaign underway with a tough-looking game against Tunisia on Monday night […]

8 years ago

Slaven Bilic’s punditry is refreshingly forthright. He says it how he sees it. There is no dressing it up, no verbal diarrhea. He speaks his mind and that’s good: as a guitar-playing football manager fluent in at least four languages, Bilic’s mind is an interesting place. On Sunday night, the Croatian was handed the perfect […]

8 years ago

Looked far from his best. Heading into the World Cup, there were concerns over two high-profile players: Mohamed Salah and Neymar. The Egyptian’s injury in the Champions League final for Liverpool plunged his tournament into doubt. He was ultimately included in his country’s squad but was not fit enough to feature in the 1-0 defeat […]

8 years ago

He’s already having fun. Some players perfect a certain technique. Thierry Henry mastered the side-footed finish in a one-on-one, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was wonderfully adept at firing through the keeper’s legs and Zlatan Ibrahimovic seems to have got the kung-fu kick shot down to a tee. For wide players, the dream is often a quick […]

8 years ago

Hirving Lozano was touted as one ‘one to watch’ at the World Cup. The exciting winger was widely expected to be Mexico’s outstanding player and, judging by his performance against Germany, he’ll have no problem living up to the billing. The 22-year-old PSV Eindhoven starlet, who has been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton in […]

8 years ago

We’ve never heard of this before. High stakes attract high levels of paranoia. Considering there are no higher stakes than the World Cup, you can do the math about the resulting paranoia. Players and coaching staff covering their mouths while speaking to each other has become a common sight. Anything to fend off those pesky […]

8 years ago

Phil Mickelson knows the rules of golf as well as anyone. Lefty has been a tour pro for nearly 30 years. He has been confronted with countless rulings during his 49 professional wins but, for all that Mickelson has experienced, what occurred on the 13th hole on Saturday at the US Open has to go […]

8 years ago

Cristiano Ronaldo knows what he’s doing. He always has. Although he was nurtured by Alex Ferguson after the Scot signed him as a raw, precocious 18-year-old, the Portuguese winger always knew what he needed to do to reach the pinnacle of his profession: work, work and more work. Ronaldo’s career has been defined by a […]

8 years ago

A long time coming. It was a night of beginnings and endings inside the Aviva Stadium. John O’Shea bid farewell to Ireland after a 17-year international career, bowing out in his 188th appearance for his country during the 2-1 friendly win over the United States. But, while O’Shea’s story has ended, for Darragh Lenihan, the […]

8 years ago

What a match. Having watched the remarkably well-oiled machine that is Galway sweep Wexford aside earlier on Saturday, we were treated to a much more intense, nail-biting encounter at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Cork and Limerick went hammer and tongs in their Munster championship round-robin clash, producing some superlative hurling in what was box-office Saturday sporting drama. […]

8 years ago

An Irish footballing legend. 118 and out. With 34 minutes of Ireland’s friendly against the United States, John O’Shea’s number went up and exited stage left. The 37-year-old defender would have liked the last act of his 17-year international career to be in Russia, of course, but while he had to settle for the US’s […]

8 years ago

It’s good news (if you’re a Galwegian, that is). Galway almost enjoyed the perfect evening at Innovate Wexford Park. Almost.  The Tribesmen dominated pretty much from start to finish, Conor Whelan’s early goal setting the All-Ireland champions on their way to another impressive victory, but the sight of Joe Canning going down injured was enough to […]

8 years ago

Out of nowhere. Rory McIlroy is a confidence golfer. When it’s low, it shows in his grimaces and slumped shoulders. When it’s high, though, there’s nobody better to watch. Thankfully, it was very much the latter as the world number six strung together a sensational round to catapult himself into contention at the Memorial Tournament. […]

8 years ago

Andrei Kanchelskis had two wonderful feet. The Russian is best known for his four-year spell at Manchester United between 1991 and 1995, during which he became one of the Premier League’s greatest wingers. An old-fashioned winger, too. None of this inverted, cutting inside business we see in the modern game. Nah, Kanchelskis got the ball and […]

8 years ago

Those pesky Yanks. Ireland take on the USA on Saturday night looking to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 defeat to France on Monday. The friendly at the Aviva Stadium marks John O’Shea’s final game for Ireland as the 37-year-old defender pulls the plug on international career spanning 17 years and 117 appearances, including appearances […]

8 years ago

Showing their true colours. The FAI gets a lot of slack – and maybe rightly so – but they deserve a lot of credit for making a statement in their latest move. On Friday, the Irish soccer’s governing body announced that the Republic of Ireland players will wear jerseys sporting the LGBT rainbow flag when […]

8 years ago

He’d clearly had enough. There were astonishing scenes on South African television on Saturday evening as former Springboks player Ashwin Willemse walked off set after accusing fellow presenters Nick Mallett and Naas Botha of ‘undermining’ him. The incident came following the Lions’ win over the Brumbies at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Presumably being asked for his assessment of the game, […]

8 years ago

He had been struggling with an injury. Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Romelu Lukaku told him he was not fit enough to start the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea. The Belgian striker took his place among the substitutes before eventually coming on with 20 minutes remaining, having failed to sufficiently recover from the ankle […]

8 years ago

“I’m curious to know what people will write.” Jose Mourinho does not feel as though Chelsea were deserved FA Cup winners. The Blues edged Manchester United 1-0 in the showpiece at Wembley, with Eden Hazard’s first-half penalty proving enough to give Antonio Conte his second trophy in English football. United were hugely careless in the first-half, […]

8 years ago

Remember the name. Ireland has a habit of producing top golfing talent and it looks as though we may have the next Rory McIlroy on our hands as 15-year-old Tom McKibbin is set to make his European Tour debut next month. McKibbin, who plays at McIlroy’s home course, Holywood Golf Club, will compete in the […]

8 years ago

Not good news for Lukaku. Manchester United’s starting line-up for the FA Cup final against Chelsea has been revealed earlier than usual. According to the Manchester Evening News, here is United’s starting eleven. David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Alexis […]

8 years ago

Some introduction. Moving to a Premier League team can be an overwhelming experience for a young footballer. For some, they go from living with their parents to competing at an elite level in a matter of weeks. It’s undoubtedly a hugely exciting – and daunting – time in a budding footballer’s life. And it seems […]

8 years ago

Should be a decent run out for the lads. It may not be mean anything in the long run, but Scott Brown’s testimonial between Celtic and Ireland still offers the chance for one or two budding international hopefuls to impress Martin O’Neill. O’Neill and Roy Keane, former Celtic manager and player, of course, return to […]

8 years ago

That’s more like it. The last couple of weeks have been up there with the most trying in Declan Rice’s fledgeling career. This season has offered significant evidence that the West Ham and Republic of Ireland defender has a bright future ahead of him in football. Of course, like any budding star, there are a […]

8 years ago

Jurgen Klopp has wished Steven Gerrard all the best. The Liverpool manager was asked about Gerrard’s appointment as Rangers manager on Friday, saying Celtic fans will be wowed by their arch-rivals landing such a high-profile name. Last week, Celtic clinched their seventh successive Scottish Premiership title with a 5-0 thumping of Rangers at Celtic Park. […]

8 years ago

“He hasn’t got a clue what he’s letting himself in for.” Steven Gerrard has taken the plunge. A fearless leader on the pitch, there has always been an expectancy that Liverpool’s former captain would follow some of the club’s most iconic players into management. Graeme Souness did it badly. Kenny Dalglish did it brilliantly (then […]

8 years ago

They made a stance. Cliftonville players refused to acknowledge God Save The Queen ahead of their Irish Cup final defeat to Coleraine on Saturday afternoon. The Reds went head-to-head with the Bannsiders at Windsor Park in Belfast, with the north Belfast side keeping their heads bowed as the British national anthem rang out over the […]

8 years ago

It wasn’t pretty. After The Masters concluded, and as Patrick Reed began his year-long parading of the green jacket, Rory McIlroy shut himself off. The Northern Irishman, exhausted from a draining four days around Augusta, packed up his stuff and returned to Ireland, where he engaged in some much-needed R&R. He binge-watched the TV show […]

8 years ago

There is simply no place in football for this. Brighton secured their Premier League status on Friday night with a 1-0 win over Manchester United. For Seagulls fans, it was a time to celebrate, a time to toast to another year in English football’s top-flight, rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s finest. Brighton’s fans […]

8 years ago

He’s not wasting any time. Steven Gerrard has a big job on his hands at Ibrox but he is banking on his pulling power helping him navigate the tricky waters of the transfer window. Gerrard was unveiled as the new Rangers boss on Friday and has already set his sights on potential targets as he […]

8 years ago

Mourinho was not a happy bunny. Manchester United do not like away matches against promoted teams. Having already lost on visits to Huddersfield and Newcastle this season, United fell to a 1-0 defeat at Brighton on Friday night. Pascal Gross’ second-half goal was enough for the Seagulls to clinch three precious points and leave Jose […]

8 years ago

Well, that was quick. Amir Khan delivered an emphatic statement of intent by knocking out Phil Lo Greco after just 40 seconds. Khan hit Lo Greco with a devastating right immediately and, after a body shot, it was all over, with Khan barely breaking a sweat in what was his first fight in two years. […]

8 years ago

The speculation is intensifying. Arsenal appear to have made a significant breakthrough in their search for Arsene Wenger’s successor. After the Frenchman announced that he would be stepping down in the summer after nearly 22 years in charge, several names were mentioned as speculation mounted. Among those believed to be under consideration were Patrick Vieira, […]

8 years ago

He also hit back at United’s critics. Jose Mourinho has used his post-match press conference to reveal that he has the backing of the Manchester United hierarchy after guiding the club to their second FA cup final in three seasons. United recovered from going a goal down to beat Tottenham 2-1, with Alexis Sanchez and […]

8 years ago

Huge upset. Mark Selby’s hopes of clinching a third successive World Championship came crashing down after falling to a 10-4 defeat in his first-round match with Joe Perry. After a disastrous opening session left him trailing 7-2, Selby was unable to roar back in the evening session as Perry humbled the two-time defending champion. Perry, […]

8 years ago

What a performance. There can be no denying that Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United has not panned out quite how the club would have intended but, if Saturday was a glimpse into what’s to come, there is hope for the forward yet. Sanchez endured one of his worst displays in a United shirt last […]

8 years ago

They needed a kick up the backside. Jose Mourinho was visibly irate at how his Manchester United players started their FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham. Spurs came flying out of the traps with intensity and purpose and took the lead after ten minutes when Christian Eriksen swung a cross to Dele Alli to fire home […]

8 years ago

Big decisions from Jose. Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba both start for Manchester United as Jose Mourinho names his side for the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham at Wembley. Sanchez dropped to the bench for United’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Wednesday, with it being unclear whether the Chilean was being rested or dropped after […]

8 years ago