Author Archives: Mark McElroy

The most telling example of the size of the job Ralf Rangnick has on his hands at Manchester United wasn’t during the defeat to Wolves, a game where United were outfought, out-thought and outplayed. It wasn’t during the draw at Newcastle, where United should have been beaten by a team that will only stay inContinue reading “What’s wrong with Marcus Rashford?”

It had been coming, that much was plain to see. When the irrepressible Mo Salah put away his third – and Liverpool’s 5th – of the afternoon on Sunday, there were scenes of jubilation in the Liverpool end – catharsis for a big win at Old Trafford which, despite United’s struggles in the post-Ferguson era,Continue reading “Ole’s at the wheel, but he’s fallen off a cliff – where to from here?”

19 August 2020, Szusza Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary. NK Celje 2-0 Dundalk FC. 90+5’. Free kick to the Slovenians in a dangerous area. “Rogers with a save, a double save! …and it’s put into the back of the net. Dangovic the substitute makes it 3-0, that really just adds insult to injury for Dundalk….” AContinue reading “What’s ‘good for the League’ is a white elephant in Ireland – Pippo Giovagnoli and Dundalk are proving it”

Bulgaria 1-1 Ireland. Ireland 0-1 Finland. Not quite the brave new start we had hoped for. It has to be said, the cold facts make for grim reading. 1 goal scored. From a header. At a set-piece. From our centre half. The only goal scored in two games during the greatest tactical revolution Irish footballContinue reading “This time next year Rodney, we’ll play like continental Europeans….”

As I write this post, a long underrated team of underdogs is celebrating achieving their just rewards, rightfully being praised for world class excellence in the field of football, and has a Champions League final to look forward to, to top it all off. But enough about RTÉ, I’m here to talk about two otherContinue reading “RotenBullsport Leipzig, Doha Saint-Germain and the ‘caring’ conundrum”