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McCarthy marked out by old head on young shoulders
The indications from Irish assistant manager Marco Tardelli suggest James McCarthy could receive a debut call-up for next month’s friendly against Brazil. The 19-year-old has hit the headlines with a couple of goals for Wigan recently - but what really marks him out as something special is his maturity.
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Would another change of format benefit the League of Ireland?
Bohemians midfielder Paul Keegan reckons that an increase in the number of teams in the Premier Division would bring more fans through the turnstiles. Is he right?
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Transfer deadline day as it happened
A host of Irishmen have completed transfers on deadline day - and the biggest deal of the lot, Robbie Keane to Celtic on loan, went through late on Monday evening. Read all about the Ireland skipper’s Parkhead switch, Leon Best’s move to Newcastle United, Keith Treacy’s nervous signature at Preston, Daryl Murphy’s Sunderland exit and several other deals for Irish players in the eleven-a-side.com transfer deadline day blog.
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Scot-free Celtic on one-way ticket to nowhere
For Sunday’s win over St Johnstone, the Celtic manager named a starting line-up at the weekend without a single Scot. With results and performances seemingly worse than ever, how long more will proud Bhoys fans put up with this rapid move away from the club’s roots?
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Trap trek: the next generation
The phrase “golden generation” is often used in relation to international football, with England and Portugal clear examples in recent years. It’s not stretching a point to describe the current Irish squad as a golden era of our own, but as the long-serving stars reach the veteran stage, can Giovanni Trapattoni unearth new talent to invigorate them?
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Pantomime villain Tevez masks United’s real enemies
Cupping his ears from the centre circle was a provocative gesture by Carlos Tevez, but Manchester United fans directing their bile in his direction are missing the bigger picture. Their club is sinking, and the inability to sign Tevez last summer was a symptom of the malaise.
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Bohs’ Fenlon stance to be applauded
Last week’s Pat Fenlon saga ended disappointingly for the Bohemians manager but the League of Ireland club deserves credit for conducting its business on a level playing field.
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Insurance vultures paint past in warm glow
A few showers of snow, a bit of ice on the roads and games are called off virtually en masse. Whatever happened to hunching your shoulders against the cold and barrelling on, and – key point – taking responsibility for your own actions?
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Delaney parting shot puts league in the spotlight
Long-serving League of Ireland defender Clive Delaney heads off for Australia this weekend, and his articulately-expressed disenchantment with the Irish football scene should be a wake-up call for everyone with an interest in its fortunes.
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The Cup is reeling from a decade of mortal blows
Regardless of events at Old Trafford on Sunday, the FA Cup is still dying on its feet, writes The Mouthpiece in his first blog of 2010.
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McCarthy was wrong to dress Wolves in sheep’s clothing
Mick McCarthy’s decision to rest his entire side for the trip to Manchester may have been grounded in characteristic common sense, but it places undue pressure on his players when Burnley visit on Sunday.
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Threesome: Half-way line specials
Inspired in Maynor Figueroa’s heroics for Wigan Athletic last weekend, here’s a hat-trick of goals from the half-way line. And no, it doesn’t include David Beckham...
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Fergie: greatest of all time?
Should Sir Alex Ferguson manage to lift the Premier League title again this season, it will have been his greatest in a line of stunning achievements.
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English triumphalism reminds us all of the real enemy
England’s first potential stumbling-block will be Brazil in the semi-finals. That’s how one newspaper reacted to the World Cup draw at the weekend, nicely doing its bit to restore the old enemy to its rightful place.
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Embracing progress would be Fifa’s best compensation
The legacy of last month’s World Cup play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland will ultimately be the implementation of video evidence – despite the trenchant opposition of Sepp Blatter.
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