Robert Lewandowski is turning out to be one of football’s biggest stars, but against Ireland we saw another side of the Pole in full flow. In the time that this campaign began and finished, it could be said that Robert Lewandowski established himself as the best no.9 in the world. Excelling at club level for … Continue reading
“What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.” As a Dublin fan, I have had many great days following the boys in blue. I was on the Nally terrace, down near the goals, when the Dubs beat Kerry by a single point to win the All-Ireland in 2011. I had an amazing view of … Continue reading
Sunderland don’t need a new manager, they need a new lease on life. In Simon Kuper and Stefan Syzmanski’s book’Soccernomics’, there are two big takeaways for any football managers or sporting directors of a club: the higher a team’s wage bill, the better they are likely to do, and investing in youth gets you further. … Continue reading
Premier League money vs. Europa League glory. There used to be a time when football managers expressly aimed to qualify for Europe. A decent mid-table side might look to push for a top six or seven position. It was a sign of progress for the manager and the team, perhaps a chance for players to put … Continue reading
As you may have read in the news yesterday, Adam Johnson was charged with three counts of sexual activity with an under-age girl and one count of sexual grooming. We don’t know the full story yet. All we know is that the Sunderland player has been charged by the police and will appear before a judge … Continue reading
I went to your not-so-average viewing party last month to find out about the Irish eSports scene. The Woolshed Baa & Grill on Parnell Street, Dublin is a veritable modern sports bar. The Australian influence is there to see; it doesn’t remotely look or feel like an Irish pub. The downstairs feels somewhat cramped. The … Continue reading
Decreasing attendances, the worst world ranking in the country’s history, a stagnating league and a shiny new stadium. All things that the FAI have overseen this past half-decade. But the men in green blazers have a plan, writes Stephen McGovern. Commuting southbound on the DART between Pearse station and Lansdowne Road in the evening, you … Continue reading
Tim Sherwood was installed as the Aston Villa manager this week after what seemed like an eternity of being linked to every Premier League job that became available. The former Blackburn Rovers manager has had to wait since last May to return to the dugout, after he was let go by Tottenham Hotspur, but his patience … Continue reading
Irish cyclist Sam Bennett has won stage 6 of the Tour of Qatar, beating off the likes of Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff to the podium. It is the biggest win of the rider’s career thus far. Bennett finished the flat stage, which started at the Sealine Beach Resort and finished with 10 laps around … Continue reading
I realise this is not the first time this will ever be said, but I never liked Alan Pardew. I always got the impression that he was arrogant, loved a good excuse to cover up his failures, and undeservedly got the Newcastle job following Chris Hughton’s unfair sacking. Admittedly, the latter part of that argument … Continue reading
The Novelty Act 