Tense. Liverpool threw away two Premier League points on Saturday as West Brom recovered from going 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at The Hawthorns. Salomon Rondon’s late strike salvaged a point for the struggling Baggies, who have now taken four points off Manchester United and Liverpool in their last two games. With a Champions League […]

8 years ago

It’s a convincing argument. There has been a deluge of reports in the past 24 hours since Arsene Wenger announced that he would be stepping down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season. After almost 22 years in charge, Wenger will finally bid farewell to a club he helped transform into a genuine […]

8 years ago

This won’t go unpunished. You have to wonder what goes through a footballer’s mind sometimes. Take Ahmed Hegazi. The centre-half has been a regular fixture in the West Brom starting line-up this season and the Baggies will need him for the last few games of the season as they attempt to pull off an unlikely escape […]

8 years ago

He just couldn’t get it going on the Sunday. For Rory McIlroy, it was another mixed week at The Masters. The Northern Irishman, having played some beautiful golf around Augusta to put himself in a great position after three rounds, faltered on the final day as Patrick Reed clinched the Green Jacket. Paired in the […]

8 years ago

This would be fantastic. The Ryder Cup may be coming back to Ireland. After the brilliant success of the 2006 edition of biennial golf competition at The K Club, Adare Manor is throwing its hat into the ring. Adare Manor owner JP McManus confirmed the news today at the launch of the 2020 JP McManus Pro-Am. “If […]

8 years ago

The amount of brilliant players he’s had at Arsenal is staggering. During his 22 years at the Arsenal helm, Arsene Wenger has managed some of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League. From fellow Frenchmen Thierry Henry and Robert Pires to Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, Wenger had an enviable pool of […]

8 years ago

Truly lovely words. Arsene Wenger is one of the greatest football minds to ever grace the game but he is also a fascinating man. An extremely well-read and cultured individual, Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996 as a Renaissance Man. The Frenchman, a footballing intellectual who holds economic and engineering degrees, was a jarring continental […]

8 years ago

This would be a very interesting appointment. So, after 22 years, Arsene Wenger is finally leaving. The idea that the Frenchman won’t be in the technical area at the Emirates next season is a strange one, admittedly, but also one that will bring a lot of joy to Arsenal supporters. Because the sad fact is […]

8 years ago

United fans won’t want to believe this. Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly made the first step in their pursuit of Paul Pogba. The newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions are said to be admirers of the French midfielder and, according to ESPN, have made contact with Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola over a potential move. PSG are reportedly just […]

8 years ago

The Manchester United midfielder will retire at the end of the season. Michael Carrick has revealed that he ruled himself out of England selection after feeling ‘depressed’ following his experience at the 2010 World Cup. Carrick won 34 caps for England, the last of which came against Spain in November 2015, but has revealed that […]

8 years ago

Ouch. Jose Mourinho’s fractious relationship with Iker Casillas is well-documented. The Portuguese coach clashed with the legendary Spanish stopper during their time together at Real Madrid which, according to Casillas, stemmed from Mourinho taking exception to him having a conversation with Barcelona pair Xavi and Carles Puyol. Casillas, Xavi and Puyol were teammates at Spain […]

8 years ago

Paul Scholes clearly hasn’t been impressed with some of Manchester United’s big guns lately. The United legend was on punditry duty for BT Sport’s coverage of United’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday and, although it was a comfortable performance for Jose Mourinho’s men on the night, Scholes took the opportunity to offer his assessment […]

8 years ago

Classy gesture. Alan Browne has donated the Ireland jersey he wore during his full international debut to help a Cork man. Browne put the jersey up for auction in aid of the Jack O’Driscoll Appeal Fund. O’Driscoll was left paralysed after seriously injuring his spine during Storm Emma earlier this year. O’Driscoll, 19, was walking […]

8 years ago

You had us at Fergie. Modern football isn’t explosive enough. There’s a controversial statement. Sure, there are still rivalries, back-and-forths between managers in press conferences (Mourinho and Conte being this season’s highlight) and moments of genuine excitement, like last week in the Champions League. But these days, in the Premier League anyway, there is a […]

8 years ago

The Manchester United legend is less than impressed. Paul Scholes did not hold back when discussing Paul Pogba’s performance against West Brom, saying the Frenchman was ‘disrespectful’ towards Jose Mourinho. Pogba was the United hero in the Manchester derby, scoring twice in the stunning 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City, only to struggle to impose […]

8 years ago

During the build-up to Manchester United’s game at Bournemouth, Jose Mourinho was in a fairly jovial mood. The United boss gave his usual pre-match interview to BT Sport. It’s difficult to predict whether Mourinho is going to smile, scoff or scowl at a reporter asking him a question about his team selection but, on Wednesday […]

8 years ago

Rafael did not get on with Louis van Gaal at United. During his two years as Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal didn’t win over a lot of fans. The Dutchman, who was appointed in the summer of 2014 to much fanfare after leading the Netherlands to third place in the World Cup, became an […]

8 years ago

Martial! Jose Mourinho has pleased Manchester United fans with his team selection for the visit to Bournemouth. Anthony Martial is back in the starting line-up having had to be content with a place on the bench in recent weeks. Not only is the Frenchman in the team, Marcus Rashford also starts in what looks to […]

8 years ago

“I went to a very, very dark place.” If you haven’t been listening to JOE’s Unfiltered with James O’Brien podcast, you’ve missed out on some great stuff. From Eric Cantona to Mark Hamill, Russell Brand to Nick Clegg, the host has had fascinating discussions with some of the most recognisable names from the worlds of showbusiness, politics and […]

8 years ago

It would be an interesting move for him. Ryan Manning has endured mixed fortunes since leaving Galway United for Queens Park Rangers in 2015. Signed by Harry Redknapp, the talented midfielder struggled to establish himself at Loftus Road, eventually breaking through at the end of 2016. Since then, he has offered flickering glimpses of his […]

8 years ago

This will be very interesting indeed. Does Cork side Castlehaven have any “top, top players”? Well, Harry Redknapp will soon find out as the former Tottenham, Portsmouth and QPR manager is headed for the west coast of Ireland. As part of AIB’s The Toughest series, Redknapp and Premier League legend Gianluca Vialli will swap soccer […]

8 years ago

The pair worked together for three years at the Bernabeu. In the summer of 2009, Real Madrid made the mother of all transfer statements. In the space of a week the Spanish giants, famed for securing galácticos signings like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham Luis Figo and Ronaldo (the original), landed two of the most gifted players on […]

8 years ago

A return to action would really be an added boost for Leinster. After two months out, Robbie Henshaw is on the cusp of a return. The centre injured his shoulder scoring a try in Ireland’s thumping Six Nations win over Italy but Leinster have suggested that he will feature in their European Champions Cup semi-final […]

8 years ago

“It is with great sadness that we learnt of this outcome.” Ulster Rugby players have issued a statement following the departure of Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding from the side. Jackson and Olding had their contracts revoked following an internal review launched in the wake of the not guilty verdict from their Belfast trial last […]

8 years ago

Great story. In December 2015, the Soda family arrived in Northern Ireland after fleeing the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo. Ahmed Soda was just 11 at the time and didn’t speak a word of English. It was, understandably, an overwhelming time in his life. After settling in Belfast with his family, though, he soon discovered […]

8 years ago

If you didn’t tune into West Ham v Stoke on Monday night, we don’t blame you. It’s not exactly the most attractive Premier League fixture on paper and pretty much played out as expected, with the two sides playing out a mostly forgettable (dramatic finale not included) 1-1 draw at the London Stadium. But the […]

8 years ago

Their careers at Ibrox look to be over. Rangers will suspend Kenny Miller and captain Lee Wallace after the pair were involved in a furious exchange with manager Graeme Murty following the club’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic. The Hoops put Rangers to the sword at Hampden Park on Sunday, with goals from Tom […]

8 years ago

Jackson had been linked with the French side this week. Clermont Auvergne head coach Franck Azema has rubbished reports linking his side with a move for Paddy Jackson. The 26-year-old fly-half was this week strongly linked with the French club after having his contract revoked by Ulster Rugby and the IRFU. Jackson and former teammate, Stuart Olding, […]

8 years ago

No more Mr Nice Guy. Jose Mourinho is ready to wield the axe on some of his under-performing Manchester United stars after thier ignominious defeat at home to West Brom. United lost 1-0 at Old Trafford to the Premier League’s bottom club, leaving Mourinho less than thrilled with some of his players’ output. United face […]

8 years ago

I mean, it was a ludicrous moment. Manchester City took the pain of exiting the Champions League to Liverpool out on Tottenham on Saturday night as they won 3-1 to edge even closer to the Premier League title. Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling all scored for Pep Guardiola’s side, with Christian Eriksen’s strike […]

8 years ago

Alex Ferguson hated losing more than anything. Not only did Fergie thrive on winning, he loathed failing. Luckily, his 27 years or so in charge of Manchester United brought more success than failure. But not only did the Scot have that singular desire to succeed, he drilled it into his players. Time and time again. […]

8 years ago

Brilliant. It’s not often we wish we were on a Ryanair flight but it wouldn’t be too bad right about now. Michael O’Leary, fresh from winning the Grand National on Saturday, suddenly appeared on a flight and announced a free bar for every passenger. A video on Twitter shows O’Leary telling passengers “there’s going to be […]

8 years ago

Gigi Buffon won’t let go. Gianluigi Buffon has refused to apologise for his comments on referee Michael Oliver. The legendary Italian stopper reacted furiously to Oliver’s decision to award Real Madrid an injury-time penalty in their Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash with Juventus. After penalising Medhi Benatia’s challenge on Lucas Vasquez, Oliver suddenly found himself […]

8 years ago

“This one’s for him.” At the end of an incident-filled Grand National that had us on the edge of our seats right until the dramatic photo-finish, Davy Russell threw his head back in disbelief. The veteran jockey had never won the Grand National and wasn’t sure he’d won it today either. Tiger Roll had pulled […]

8 years ago

What a race. All the way to a breathless, epic conclusion, Tiger Roll held on to the win the 2018 Grand National, giving jockey Davy Russell his first win at the prestigious race. Roll pulled clear after the last fence in a fantastic run but was run unbelievably close by Pleasant Company, who made an […]

8 years ago

He’s not known for his goalscoring prowess. Sunderland were unable to hang on for a much-needed victory as they drew 2-2 with Reading on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cats, languishing in the relegation zone, were given a rare reason to cheer though as two unlikely goalscorers got on the scoresheet: Paddy McNair and Lee Cattermole. The […]

8 years ago

“If he wasn’t quite so arrogant he’d probably be embarrassed about missing a tackle like this.” Matt Le Tissier offered withering criticism of Mike Dean’s performance during Chelsea’s win over Southampton after the referee failed to punish Marcos Alonso for a shocking studs-up challenge on Shane Long. The Chelsea defender left the Ireland striker in […]

8 years ago

Keith Gillespie had an eventful career. He was unable to nail down a spot under Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but forged a good Premier League career for himself at Newcastle and later Blackburn Rovers. Gillespie, who earned 86 caps for Northern Ireland, has had well-documented troubles with gambling but, being declared legally bankrupt in […]

8 years ago

Terrible, terrible tackle. Chelsea, looking dead and buried at one point at St Mary’s, fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Southampton. Two goals from Olivier Giroud and an Eden Hazard effort in an extraordinary nine-minute burst clinched all three points for Antonio Conte’s side after a dramatic afternoon. But Mark Hughes will be […]

8 years ago

Ronaldinho would be proud of that one. One of the greatest things about social media is that it keeps us up-to-date with grassroots football. We can all grow a bit tired of watching Alexis Sanchez play the piano or see a picture of Mohamed Salah accompanied by whatever record he broke this week. So, it’s refreshing […]

8 years ago

His new employers are far from happy. Nine-time Republic of Ireland international Anthony Stokes is set to be disciplined by Apollon Smirnis after missing three consecutive days of training. The 29-year-0ld striker, who joined Apollon on an 18-month deal from Hibernian in February, hasn’t managed to find the net after appearing four times. “Stokes has not […]

8 years ago

He didn’t seem right. As Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez came alive at the Etihad to stun Manchester City, Romelu Lukaku remained a strangely subdued figure. The Belgian striker had been in fine form leading up to the derby, scoring in three consecutive games against Swansea, Brighton and Sevilla. However, he looked out-of-sorts against the […]

8 years ago

The GAA wants to awake its ‘sleeping giant’. In the grand surroundings of Belfast City Hall on Friday afternoon, the GAA officially launched Gaelfast, its five-year plan to promote and develop the participation of Gaelic games in Ireland’s second-biggest city. Gaelfast is the GAA’s biggest-ever non-capital initiative north of the border. Bankrolled by a healthy […]

8 years ago

If it gets us there, we’re not going to complain. CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, has asked FIFA to expand the World Cup from 32 teams to 48, starting with the 2022 tournament. According to reports on Thursday, CONMEBOL has requested that a planned expansion for the quadrennial football tournament in 2026 be brought […]

8 years ago

To paraphrase the immortal words of Michael Corleone, just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in. 3-0. 4-1. 0-3. 1-2. The Champions League quarter-final first legs had their moments. Ronaldo’s bicycle kick and the electricity inside Anfield as Liverpool thumped City were the two that endured most in the memory as […]

8 years ago

Would Manchester City welcome them to the Etihad with open arms? Manchester United managing director Richard Arnold has admitted that the club’s current plans to expand Old Trafford may force them to play elsewhere for a while. United are currently looking at possibly expanding Old Trafford from its current capacity of 76,000 to somewhere in […]

8 years ago

Massimiliano Allegri was gracious in defeat. As Gianluigi Buffon raged and Giorgio Chiellini made ‘how much did you pay the referee?’ gestures towards the Real Madrid players, the Juventus manager’s post-match remarks were comparatively measured. Allegri had been irate on the touchline after Michael Oliver awarded Real a penalty deep into added time for Medhi […]

8 years ago

Roy Keane has been conditioned to hate Liverpool for a long time. His disdain for Arsenal goes back a long way, too, and he’s not too fond of Manchester City either, as you’d expect from an ex-Manchester United captain. But Keane gets his message across on the sofa rather than the pitch these days and […]

8 years ago

Buffon is one deeply heartbroken man. Gianluigi Buffon was in no mood for a measured post-match interview following Juventus’ heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid. The legendary Italian keeper was sent off by referee Michael Oliver after furiously protesting the penalty decision that ultimately crushed Juve’s European dreams. Buffon, playing in his last Champions League game for […]

8 years ago

“His decisions last night were borderline crazy.” In a season of so many superlatives for Manchester City, this past week has really plunged them into despair. Well beaten by Liverpool over two legs in the Champions League, dumping them out at the quarter-final stage as well as squandering a two-goal lead to lose the derby […]

8 years ago