Nine lessons learned from Spurs’ defeat at the weekend;

1. Carlo Cudicini was given one final chance to prove his series of nervous performances last year were, in fact, a thing of the past,  but the motorcycling Italian has shown that he is now well below premiership standard. His tepid attempt to get something in the way of Hugo Rodellega’s bobbling strike is further evidence that he is simply not good enough to act as substitute for a Champions League team.

He cost his team a point today and the gap in talent between him and Gomes is uncomfortable for Spurs management and fans.

2. Where was Eric Edman today? Spurs have a serious problem in overtaking parked buses and taking on teams who play on the counter.  Wigan, after what was a roasting last year, made sure they weren’t going to be exposed down the wings. Lennon and Bale were shackled, double-manned and the main threat for Spurs was nullified.  Stam doing a superbly effective job at right-back.

In last year’s fixture, the pace down the flanks led to numerous cut backs for Defoe to finish. This year, when the wingers had limited success getting past the first man, the second tackler, for the most part, forced the corner. Well done Martinez.

Moving Bale to left-back in an attempt to free him up and allow some Roberto Carlos type runs after half-time was one of the few sensible options left open for Harry. It didn’t work. Wenger talked about the glut of high scoring games as being a result of all teams playing without the handbrake on. This weekend was Wigan’s first away from the DW stadium and with an emphasis to plug the huge leaks, they stymied Spurs main threat.

3. Without the wings to generate chances, Spurs were forced down the middle. The only player on Spurs’s books that could pick the lock of a  parked bus is Luka Modric. It has been a recurring theme under Harry.  Huddlestone and Palacios (both below form) both have their limitations and with Wigan putting an extra man in the area, Spurs never threatened to 1-2 their way into the penalty area.

Krancjar’s creativity improved things slightly in the second-half and maybe Keane should have been brought on instead of Gio but it never looked like happening. Harry has recognised this weakness over the summer but it hasn’t been solved. Spurs needed a Scholes or a Fabregas today, and it’s the main reason Spurs aren’t realistic title contenders yet.

With Scholes, Fabregas, Gascoigne or Giles are currently unavailable or too old, Spurs may have to make do with the energy of Scott Parker or Steven Pienaar as options are thin on the ground with two days left before the transfer window SKYFEST 2010 ends.

4. Plenty want to chalk this surprise loss down to Spurs’s traditional mental frailties.  I disagree. It wasn’t the lack of application; it was, first and foremost, a lack of ability and the lack of a properly creative player in midfield. The flaky reputation of Spurs should really have been put to bed after the run-in last year, but plenty are waiting for these opportunities to criticise the new Champions League team, especially given the fun of Young Boys only lasted for 90 minutes.

If there was a problem with their approach to the game, it was that they didn’t ever really look like overwhelming Wigan early on. They started slowly. It was a tactic that was more in vogue under Jol, where games started at White Hart Lane at a hugely frantic pace. If the opposition could live with Spurs for the first twenty minutes, they then had every chance of catching them late.

It wasn’t the creativity that made the chances, it was sheer force of energy and numbers with players running from deep and different angles. Spurs didn’t have this energy on Saturday, and it may be down to the busy start to the season, and the effect of Wednesday night. The challenge of keeping focused for the weekend after the six (at least) Champions League will trouble Harry and Spurs fans but to put it down to Spurs underestimating their opponents and lacking professionalism this weekend, misses the bigger point.

5. When the opposition just wants to defend and make sure they don’t give up the by-line to Spurs wingers, the team have a problem. Some opposition come to White Hart Lane only want to nick one late on (Wigan, Stoke last year), sometimes Spurs concede early and teams sit back defending the lead (Wolves last year) and even an injury-hit Liverpool at Anfield last year concentrated on not conceding. Without Modric, Spurs simply lack the guile to break down packed defences. Even with Luka in the team, it can be a problem.

6. Harry gets lots of justified praise for Spurs’s attractive approach to the game. Once the wings have been shackled, the team are very quick to bypass midfield and go long-ball, looking for knock-downs and goal mouth scrambles. It could be argued that having Crouch coming on encourages this, but it wasn’t the case this weekend. Its evidence of a lack of ideas on how to break a defence down. It was clear that the battering ram was the only way Spurs were going to score for the last 30 minutes of the game this weekend.

7. Dawson got a yellow card in his eagerness to slide in on his arse. He loves it and it will cost Spurs goals before the end of the season. This willingness to get on the ground almost knocked them out of the Champions League. With a cannier Young Boys forward, the game could have been out of reach before coming back to White Hart Lane. In fairness to the man, he has knocked out a decent career but there is more than a touch of the Babb/McGrath relationship between Dawson and Ledley. I’m not convinced he should be so readily favoured ahead of Bassong.

8. Wilson Palacios hasn’t recovered the form of his first six months at the club. Towards the run in last year, keeping the Honduran on the pitch as he neared 10 yellow cards was seen as crucial. While Spurs prospered in his absence, he came back against United and an unbalanced Spurs side put in an unsteady performance. Spurs fans, more than most, understand the need for a midfield enforcer, but Palacios form is presenting Harry with a problem in the current 4-4-2 set up. The easiest solution would be for Wilson to prove the old adage that class is permanent.

9. Harry has said that they needs three players in the transfer window. Sandro and Gallas promise to back up positions and are welcome but there are still a few areas where Spurs are short. Cover for Gomes  and a central midfielder are needed but one area where Spurs are supposedly strong might need to be examined.

Robbie Keane was almost pointedly left on the bench and a forward is needed. Spurs are becoming a little predictable, and maybe one of the reasons why Gudjonsen was preferred to Keane at the end of last season and is now missed.  Pavlyuchenko will continue to frustrate, Defoe has postponed a required operation, and with the Champions League efforts added into this years mix, something other than the big man/little man combo would be appreciated.

Fabiano would be the dream signing, even if unavailable for champions league until January, but looks outside of Spurs’s budget. Fabiano was left out of Sevilla’s game at the weekend, so maybe all hope isn’t dead.

Not even the incessant rain that teemed down on a heaving White Hart Lane last night could prevent a delighted Harry Redknapp from racing from his dug-out to acclaim Peter Crouch’s converted penalty which secured Tottenham Hotspur’s passage into the group stages of the Champions League.

Even though the Young Boys of Berne kit resembled the colours of a wasp it was Spurs who did all the swarming in a 4-0 second leg victory in front of their long suffering fans last night. Most Tottenham supporters are too young or simply unaware of their club’s early European Cup pedigree when Bill Nicholson fashioned a side that regularly went toe to toe with the best clubs on the continent.

To put Tottenham’s qualification success into context it is worth noting that Newcastle United were the last English club to make it through to the group stages of the Champions League other than the usual ‘big four’ as far back as 2002. True, David Moyes’ Everton upset the apple cart a few seasons ago but fell at the qualifying round hurdle to a talented Villarreal outfit.

Since arriving at a club that was languishing precariously just above the relegation zone Redknapp has overseen a renaissance even few Tottenham fans thought possible. Spurs have been drifting in the shadow of another North London club for too long but last night proved a deserved reward for the careful stewardship of Redknapp, the Chairmanship of Daniel Levy and the millions of investment from Joe Lewis.

Redknapp’s famed ability to ‘put an arm around the shoulder’ of a player and get the best out of an individual who may have lost his way is well regarded. He is a popular figure amongst the majority of the English media and has been mentioned as a possible successor to Fabio Capello in recent weeks. Underneath the newspaper bluster and bland after-match comments however there is also a ruthless streak to the current Spurs manager.

Redknapp’s treatment of Republic of Ireland international and former Spurs Captain Robbie Keane illustrates that he is more than willing to sacrifice a club favourite if the player no longer fits into his way of playing. Keane spent last night’s entire game on the bench and looks set to leave the club before the transfer window shuts in favour of a new striker with a proven Champions League track record. Luis Fabiano has been mentioned over the past few months as a possible Spurs target and a Brazilian who has experience of playing up front as a lone striker for Seville in the Champions League would prove a worthy acquisition.

There is little doubt Spurs will encounter far stiffer tests in the group stages of the Champions League. Yet the North London club are guaranteed three CL home fixtures which should set the pulses racing if they adopt the attacking approach which served them well last night. Utilising the pace of Lennon and Bale on the wings and providing Crouch, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko with enough ammunition to fire in the goals should serve up some electric European nights at White Hart Lane.

Question marks remain over a sometimes porous defence but the signing of William Gallas brings some much-needed European experience to offset the erratic defending of Bassong and Kaboul. The continuing fitness of Gomes, Dawson and King will have the biggest say in how far Spurs will go in this season’s Champions League.

Caution is needed however as much tougher European opponents than Young Boys of Berne will be coming to White Hart Lane with a 4-5-1 formation happy to defend deep and with enough experience to pick Spurs off on the break. Redknapp’s tactical ability will be tested to the full in the group stages especially away from home. The opening half hour of the first leg in Switzerland should act as a warning sign (plastic pitch apart) that a naive 4-4-2 will not suffice against the likes of Inter Milan or Barcelona.

Still, today is a good day to be a Spurs supporter with the excitement of a Champions League group stage draw to be fretted over for the first time ever.

Irrespective of what lies in wait in the coming months, for now, Harry Redknapp can take pride in restoring Tottenham Hotspur to the top table of European football.

Ger McCarthy is author of the book entitled ‘Off Centre Circle’, published by the Evening Echo, which chronicles the curious life of a West Cork amateur soccer player.

David Trezeguet’s ten year relationship with Juventus could be coming to an end ahead of the upcoming Serie A season.

Liverpool have reportedly shown an interest in taking the 32 year old striker to Anfield and this could have a serious bearing on the Premier League online betting.

The Merseysiders apparently made the enquiry after loaning out midfielder Alberto Aquilani to the Turin club. With Trezeguet falling down the pecking order at the Bianconeri, the Frenchman could be tempted with a move to England.

If Liverpool did sign the striker, they would be gaining one of the most prolific goal scorers in recent Serie A history and his absence from the Juventus side could significantly change the Serie A betting odds.

However, Trezeguet hasn’t played a great deal of football over the past two seasons. He missed the majority of the 2008/09 season with a groin injury and was used sparingly in the last campaign. As Juventus finished a disappointing seventh in Serie A, Trezeguet made only 13 league starts, scoring seven goals. There was a bright spot in his poor season last year when he scored his 168th goal for the club, earning himself the record of being the club’s top foreign scorer in their history.

Roy Hodgson has made his interest known claiming the striker might be keen on one last challenge before retiring. As well as pretty much guaranteeing 10 plus goals a season, Trezeguet would be an ideal role-model to the younger strikers at the club, particularly fellow Frenchman David N’gog.

Trezeguet’s CV is as impressive as any out there; a World Cup and European Championship winners’ medal with France, plus five league titles with first Monaco then Juve to boot. It’s fair to say his legendary status amongst the Juve fans will remain for long after Trezeguet leaves the club.

Sevilla have confirmed that Arsenal have today made an offer for Sebastien Squillaci. The Frenchman, who was with Monaco for several years Lyon for a couple and then Sevilla for the last two, is a central defender more renowned for his ability with the ball than his tenacity without it. That’s not to say he is unable to tackle, he is, but he is not quite as good as his resume suggests and is, in my eyes, just a cheap alternative to make up the numbers.

Squillaci was rarely an established part of the starting eleven at Monaco in the early part of the last decade. Gael Givet and Julien Rodriguez were usually ahead of him as the first choice centre backs. Squillaci was part of the squad that reached the Champions League final in 2004 under Didier Deschamps but he was only on the substitutes bench, making an appearance for the final twenty minutes.

In 2006 he signed for Lyon and formed a decent partnership with Cris in the centre of defence which helped Lyon win two more league titles. Squillaci was never particularly liked by the Lyon faithful though, he had a tendency to not perform at his best in the crucial Champions League ties which at the time were the matches which the Lyon fans used to live for (when you win the domestic league so easily for several years, as Lyon did, the focus of the fans tends to stray to European competition) and so in 2008 Lyon transferred Squillaci to Sevilla.

The original plan at Sevilla was for Squillaci and Abdoulay Konko, purchased for nearly €10 million from Genoa, to form a new central defensive partnership. Early on, neither impressed much and soon Sevilla were using Julien Escude, one of the players who the two new signings were supposed to replace, and young Argentinian giant Federico Fazio to play at centre back. Slowly Squillaci forced his way back into the starting team and over the past year his form has improved, helped by playing alongside fellow Frenchman Julien Escude. Squillaci was part of the team that won the 2010 Copa del Ray against Atletico Madrid 2-0.

Now it appears Squillaci will be joining us. He is thirty years old, has played for France twenty times and will probably be the third choice centre back, moving ahead of Johan Djorou but behind Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen.

On the surface, I don’t think it is a good move. I don’t believe he is good enough to permanently displace an in form Koscielny or Vermaelen, which means he won’t offer any genuine competitive threat to their position, yet he has enough of a pedigree to suggest he won’t be satisfied with the occasional appearance either. Most Arsenal fans, I believe, would agree that it would be better if Wenger would just sign an established international centre back, perhaps Per Mertesacker, who could compete for a first choice spot even if it does mean it costs more money. Monaco and Lyon were happy to sell Squillaci on and Sevilla now too are hardly reluctant to see him move.

Should we be satisfied with a mediocre signing?

The last alternative/replacement centre back we signed was also an elder French international unwanted by his previous club. Mikael Silvestre anybody?

Andreas writes for Ireland’s Arsenal website Arsenal.ie

Paraguay striker Nelson Valdez has made it clear his future lies away from Borussia Dortmund. The 26-year-old has fallen out of favour at the Bundesliga outfit in the past season and is looking at another season on the bench under coach Jurgen Klopp.

The former Werder Bremen forward has been linked by those who assess Bundesliga betting odds with teams in both Spain and England. Sunderland and Fulham are both reportedly keen to bring Valdez to the Premier League. In Spain, newly promoted sides Hercules and Alicante have both made the player offers. After nine years in Germany, Valdez is reportedly keen on moving to a warmer climate but isn’t keen on signing for a team who will be battling with relegation this season.

Last season was a frustrating one for Valdez with Dortmund; he only started 18 games in the league and spent the back end of season used mostly off the bench, scoring five times all season. Although never a prolific scorer, Valdez has been a regular in the first team during his time in Dortmund. Valdez was impressive at this summer’s World Cup, as Paraguay reached the last 16 stage. His performance at the tournament alerted Steve Bruce at Sunderland. With Kenwyne Jones recently being sold to Stoke, the Sunderland boss is in the market for a striker.

During his four years with Werder Bremen, Valdez was a regular name on the score sheet. He helped his side to the double in the 2003/04 season, winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal Cup.

With Dortmund keen to offload the Paraguayan before the transfer window closes, some team, more than likely one involved in La liga betting odds, could be in line to pick up one of the bargains of the summer.

The longest running on-off transfer of the 2010-2011 season has finally reached a conclusion this afternoon with England international James Milner signing for Manchester City. Aston Villa will receive in the region of £15 million for the midfielder as well as former Republic of Ireland international Stephen Ireland as part of the deal.

Milner’s warning to Manchester City to speed up negotiations and Villa’s declaration that they intended to field the player in Thursday’s Europa League fixture accelerated the transfer which was completed at lunch time today. The English tabloids will now concentrate on Milner’s impact (or lack of it) in an already star-studded midfield at Eastlands as well as the imminent debut of Italian bad-boy Mario Balotelli.

Yet the decision to pay-off Stephen Ireland and sanction the season-long loan of Craig Bellamy brings an end to two players who have contributed much to City’s cause over the past number of years. The departure of two men who have contributed much to the Eastlands club in the past number of seasons is a much more newsworthy item.

Bellamy

Bellamy’s departure has been widely expected following a fall-out between the Welsh striker and Italian manager Roberto Mancini after last season’s defeat to Spurs at Eastlands. The Italian was reported to have been incensed when he saw Bellamy high-five Spurs’ manager Harry Redknapp coming off the pitch following the North London side’s 1-0 victory which secured Champions League football at the expense of City.

Mancini and Bellamy are reported to have not spoken since that fateful night (an allegation denied by Mancini) when Spurs captured fourth spot from City’s grasp.

Redknapp and Tottenham have long coveted Bellamy and the Welsh international would no doubt have added much to Spurs’ Champions League odyssey in the coming months. Mancini refused to sanction a move to a so-called rival for fourth spot and Bellamy looks set to complete a move to Championship side Cardiff later today. It is a move which will surprise many, seeing a player of Bellamy’s talent dropping out of the Premier League.

The decision probably took into account the fact the Welsh international’s children are living in the Cardiff area and that his relationship with Mancini had deteriorated to the point where he faced a season on the sidelines having failed make Man. City’s 25-man Premier League squad.

Bellamy has a history of trouble-making at previous clubs but was always a threat to the opposition whenever he crossed that white line. City may have spent heavily in rebuilding their midfield for the coming assault on the Premier League title (Vieira, Silva, Toure and now Milner) but Bellamy would have still proven to be a more than effective player to have in their ranks.

His ability to move seamlessly between the role of striker and winger would have been invaluable and City may yet regret not keeping the former Newcastle and Liverpool player around should injuries and suspensions mount during the upcoming campaign.

Ireland

Stephen Ireland made a total of 138 senior appearances for City, scoring 16 times, yellow-carded 9 times and was sent off once since his debut at the start of the 2005/2006 campaign. He is a player with a chequered history off the pitch culminated in his decision to retire early from international football for the Republic of Ireland.

Man City’s player of the year in 2009, Ireland’s majestic abilities in midfield mesmerised opponents and unlocked defences all over the country during one of his best spells at the club under the tutelage of Sven Goran Erickson.

However, Ireland’s apparent inability to work hard off the ball and get back to help out his defence has been suggested as one of the main reasons Roberto Mancini failed to take a liking to the Irishman.

The fact defensive holding midfield players such as De Jong and Kompany have since been chosen as Mancini’s preferred starters in the centre of the park adds credence to the argument.

Ireland (similar to Bellamy) was treated shabbily in his final few days at the club with Mancini insisting he train with the reserves rather than the first team once he had been removed from his 25 man first team panel. The episode is said to have left the former Irish international embarrassed and distraught, but Ireland now has the chance to prove his detractors wrong in the heart of a new, emerging Aston Villa team which includes former international teammate Richard Dunne.

Manchester City have signed a proven England international in James Milner and look set to continue spending heavily in the year’s ahead in an effort to finally reach the holy grail of the Premier League title.

Should City reach that target the contribution of Stephen Ireland and Craig Bellamy should not be forgotten.

Ger McCarthy is author of the book entitled ‘Off Centre Circle’, published by the Evening Echo, which chronicles the curious life of a West Cork amateur soccer player.

Blackpool‘s 4-0 hammering of Wigan Athletic on the opening day of the 2010-11 Premier League season proved the most surprising and eye-catching result of the weekend. It was a remarkable performance for a newly promoted-side still struggling to put a squad together and hotly tipped to go straight back down to the Championship.

Three unanswered goals from Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Marlon Harewood (2) handed Blackpool a 3-0 interval lead before Alex Baptiste added a fourth in the second half to complete one of the most remarkable afternoon’s in Blackpool’s long and storied history.

Wigan Athletic were truly awful on Saturday and couldn’t even string a succession of passes together in as woeful a display as their 8-0 drubbing on the final day of last season.

Yet for all the travelling Tangerine Army’s delight at topping the Premier League for a few short hours the unusually pragmatic words from manager Ian Holloway were a timely reminder to the Blackpool players and supporters that a long hard slog of a season still lays ahead.

“I’m so proud of these boys, some of them only shipped up this week and I had to introduce everybody to each other. We have still have got our feet on the ground as we have got a long, long way to go to get to that target to stay in this wonderful Premier League.”

Wise words but despite the opening day victory the harsh reality of life in the Premier League should hit home next weekend when Holloway takes his side to the Emirates to face a star-studded Arsenal outfit.

There are echoes of Hull City’s equally remarkable start to their debut season in the Premier two seasons ago when Phil Brown’s side shocked the Gunners in one of the biggest upsets in Premier League history. By Christmas Hull’s season began to unravel when a paper-thin squad failed to cope with a succession of injuries and suspensions and results went downhill quickly.

Hull simply hadn’t enough quality and panic buys in an over-inflated transfer market failed to prevent the Tigers from exiting the Premier League after only two seasons. They are now re-building on a drastically reduced budget in an effort to get out of a hugely competitive Championship division.

One look at where Hull City currently reside should serve as a timely reminder to Blackpool fans that unless the club acquires a millionaire ready to invest heavily in the club then the Championship beckons for 2011-12.

But that might not be such a bad thing.

The increased parachute payments for sides relegated from the Premier League now guarantees Blackpool at least £8 million if they fail to stay up this term.

Unlike Portsmouth and Hull City – who were each in a terrible financial state having gone down last season and used the parachute payment to service crippling debt rather than new players – Blackpool’s decision to not pay over £10,000 a week in wages means they will not suffer such monetary issues were they to go down.

Re-investment in the stadium is on-going (if a little behind schedule) and once Holloway has a full season with a settled squad under his belt then Blackpool would certainly start the following season as one of the financially better-off sides in the Championship.

“I’ve only had my lads twice on the grass and it has been a hideous pre-season for me, the chairman and secretary because I am so shocked at what everybody else is on and what they are paying. Make no mistake we are completely out of our depth” said Holloway after the club approached over 40 different players in an effort to get them to sign for the club ahead of the new season.

The harsh reality of life in the Premier League, where money is king, has yet to sting a talented yet woefully thin Blackpool squad. Staying up this season would be nothing short of a miracle for the Tangerines, but being relegated while still keeping the club on a sound financial footing will go a long way to securing the club’s future.

Ger McCarthy is author of the book entitled ‘Off Centre Circle’, published by the Evening Echo, which chronicles the curious life of a West Cork amateur soccer player.

Senior performance against Argentina

The 1-0 loss to Argentina was a pre-season friendly masked as the official introduction to the new Aviva Stadium for the Rep. of Ireland international side. The loss of Giovanni Trapatoni to illness and Robbie Keane’s 100th international cap overshadowed what was an otherwise workmanlike performance from the boys in green.

True, the concession of the match winning goal to new Real Madrid signing Angel DiMaria had all the hallmarks of Sunday league defending, but a rousing final 10 minutes and eye-catching individual performances from Keith Fahey, Paul Green and Damien Duff bodes well for the Republic ahead of some tricky 2010 European Championship qualifying matches.

The Aviva Stadium looked spectacular and the sight of Lionel Messi gliding across the playing surface during a busy opening 45 minutes delighted the large attendance. Marco Tardelli used the game as an opportunity to look at the likes of Cillian Sheridan up front in place of the absent Kevin Doyle and although the youngster toiled hard Ireland he failed to inspire and we simply must have the Wolves striker fit and healthy ahead of the upcoming 2012 campaign.

Argentina proved useful opponents – despite the disappointment of Maradona’s absence – and brought a star-studded side. The bottom line from the performance is that the Republic of Ireland remains a difficult side to beat at home, a tough team to break down, are diligent in defence if still erratic when in possession.

If Trapattoni’s side can tighten up in defence and learn to counter-attack with more conviction then qualification for the European Championships the summer after next remains a realistic target. Disappointingly, there doesn’t appear to be any ‘breakthrough’ stars emerging from the current senior squad so a closer eye may have to be kept on the new Under-21 setup.

Noel Is King

Former Shamrock Rovers and Republic of Ireland Women’s International manager Noel King got his new tenure as U21 Coach off to a flyer with a 5-0 demolition of Estonia at the Tallaght Stadium prior to the senior side’s 1-0 loss to Argentina.

King’s first job as new U21 manager was to recall Anthony Stokes to the starting line-up and the Hibernian striker repaid his new boss with a dazzling individual display which yielded a brace of goals.

Previous incumbent Don Givens had fallen out with Stokes and refused to pick the striker for much of the previous year. The appointment of King has allowed the Hibs’ front-man to return to the international fold and he took the opportunity to remind Givens what he was capable of with two goals and involvement in the other three Irish strikes from James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman and Owen Garvan.

The Republic has struggled at U21 level over the past number of seasons but the fresh injection of King’s enthusiasm and tactical acumen will hopefully see an upturn in fortunes in the coming months.

Young Irwin makes his mark

In the same week Anthony Stokes resurrected his international career (albeit at U21 level) a famous Cork footballing name made his international debut for Sean McCaffrey’s U19 side. Liam Irwin, son of former Manchester United legend Denis, played for the Republic of Ireland in both the 0-0 draw and 1-0 friendly victory over the Ukraine at the Morton Stadium and Frank Cooke Park. Derby County’s winger Ryan Connolly netted the winning goal in the second encounter.

The young Bolton Wanderers midfielder made an instant impression with his neat first touch and intelligent use of the ball and looks set to become a mainstay of the side. Manager McCaffrey was impressed: “He is a good player. He has a great touch, great awareness and a great range of passing. We wanted him to work hard and to pass the ball, I thought he was superb”.

It may not be too long before the tannoy in the Aviva Stadium announces the inclusion of the Irwin name once again for a full Irish football international.

Ger McCarthy is author of the book entitled ‘Off Centre Circle’, published by the Evening Echo, which chronicles the curious life of a West Cork amateur soccer player.