What we’re watching - What next after Hoops delight
Five2Follow - today’s developing stories
23 May 2026; Both teams enter the pitch before the FAI U17 Cup final match between St Kevin’s and St Joseph’s at Frank Cooke Park in Dublin. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Rovers win proves Shams need new leaders to step up to the plate
Cathal Dervan, Editor
International football was all the rage at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night - and then the reality of actual Premier Division football in the League of Ireland took centre-stage and Sligo won the battle of the Rovers, against the Shams as they like to call them.
You see the Sligo diehards regard themselves as the true and only worthy owners of the Rovers moniker in domestic Irish football, a claim they sometimes love to throw in the face of anyone from outside Yeats Country as I have found to my cost.
Shamrock Rovers are the Shams in their vernacular. And their Rovers did lay claim to the bragging rights again on Friday night as their snatch and grab late, late win proved once again that nothing can be taken for granted in football - not your right to a name or your right to a win.
Let’s get back to international football before we discuss the Sligo win in this battle of the Rovers. Before the match, those sitting around me in the main stand were keen to discuss the international merits of Shams ‘keeper Ed McGinty and winger Adam Brennan, both of whom report to the Irish team hotel on Monday morning for the friendlies against Qatar and Canada.
They are just the latest players to benefit from Heimir Hallgrimsson’s almost over eagerness to experiment post the Prague disaster that was the World Cup play-off against Czechia. And they probably deserve their chance, even if my own belief is that Brennan should stay with the Under 21s barely six months into his Premier Division career after serving his time with UCD in the First Division.
McGinty is a different story. He’s now 26 years of age and played under 21 football previously for both Stephen Kenny and Jim Crawford so he is not new to the international debate.
What’s interesting is that both McGinty and Brennan will report for senior Ireland duty this morning - even though the Shams or Rovers, depending on what you want to call them, face a rejuvenated Bohs at Dalymount Park tonight.
We will call them the Hoops for the rest of this article actually, that can’t spark an argument. And Hoops boss Stephen Bradley remained true to his word on Friday night when he confirmed that both his players will be allowed to put their international ambitions before club duties tonight - even though Bohs have kept Dawson Devoy out of the Ireland camp until after tonight’s fixture and Friday’s game, with Sligo of all people.
Bradley, once the brightest young talent in Irish football, is to be applauded for allowing his players to take advantage of an opportunity he never got himself. But you have to wonder if he had second thoughts on Friday night when the Shams never seemed to get out of second gear against a Rovers side that never gave up chasing and harrying and generally getting in the way of the champions.
John Russell’s team got the reward for their perseverance with Carl McHugh’s injury time winner, a goal that was always in danger of coming the more Shams failed to impose themselves in their usual manner despite the probings of an impressive Jack Byrne in their midfield.
That it was a defensive error from the home team that led to the winner, this time from Tunmise Sobowale, was no surprise. They were too slack and too lacking in focus throughout, something Bradley will doubtless address at Dalymount on Monday night.
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And that brings us back to international football. Pico Lopes was a more than interested spectator at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night. Before the match he was part of a moving tribute by the club to those players, supporters, officials and volunteers who are no longer with us. At half-time he received an emotional send-off from the Tallaght fans as he prepared to set sail on the World Cup adventure with Cape Verde over the weekend.
At full-time he shook many hands as well-wisher after well-wisher offered their support ahead of the games against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Pico was a busy man on Friday - off the pitch. On it, he was badly missed and more so for his leadership qualities I suspect. Shamrock Rovers need to find a new Pico while he is away on World Cup duty, someone who will drag them out of their occasional slumbers and ensure they remain focussed game in, game out. That’s what sets the top teams apart - no doubt Stephen Bradley will ponder that conundrum as Pico, Ed and Adam enjoy their international breaks.
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After a season of turmoil and mediocrity, MO’N managed to get an unlikely double over the line in Glasgow, A Celtic State of Mind looks at what’s needed next.
The key stories developing today
Martin O’Neill will discuss his future with Celtic owner Dermot Desmond this week and hasn’t ruled out remaining at the club after steering the Bhoys to an unexpected double, sealed with Saturday’s 3-1 Scottish Cup final win over Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at Hampden Park.
The 42 website is one of many outlets reporting on O’Neill’s post match remarks when he told a press conference that he won’t rule out continuing in the role after saving Celtic’s season following the departures of Brendan Rodgers and William Nancy.
The website reports that when asked about his future, the former Republic of Ireland boss said: “If you were asking me, will you start back in a week’s time? I genuinely couldn’t do that.
“I’ll have to have a think. I think in the next week, I’ll meet up with the owner (Dermot Desmond), see what he’s saying. He hasn’t said anything to me, so I don’t know whether that’s good news or bad news.
“I will genuinely have a wee look at it to see. But I would be thinking that the football club, to go forward, to go forward properly, would probably be looking at somebody younger. I would have thought that in the last few weeks they would be looking at options.”
Spurs had only confirmed their Premier League survival when new boss Roberto De Zerbi was already looking to start plans for next season, knowing that another 17th place finish isn’t good enough after the 1-0 win over Everton that kept them up.
Speaking to the media after a Joao Palhinha goal ensured the great escape on the final day of the season, De Zerbi outlined his plans.
The BBC reports that he said: “It’s now around 7pm, and around 8pm or 9pm we will start working towards next season.
“Next season we have to build a top, top, top team. We don’t have to change too many players in our squad, but we have to bring in some first level players.”
Ireland boss Carla Ward has slammed Arsenal’s decision to release Katie McCabe, now linked with a summer move to WSL rivals Chelsea or Manchester City.
Ward told the Irish Mirror’s Mark McCadden that it is ‘bonkers’ that McCabe is no longer a Gunner and that Katie would feature in the Ballon D’Or reckoning if she was English.
“I hope we don’t speak out of turn by saying this, but if Katie was English, I think everybody would be saying right now she should be in Ballon d’Or conversations,” said Ward who has included Katie in her squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and France.
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has again confirmed that goalkeeper Ed McGinty and winger Adam Brennan will be released from club duty to report in with Ireland on Monday morning for the upcoming friendlies - even though derby opponents Bohs have kept Dawson Devoy back for Monday’s Dalymount Park clash.
Speaking to the Irish Sun after Friday’s home defeat to Sligo, Bradley said: “Adam will meet up, and Ed’s the same, no change. I’ve been talking for a long time that players in the league deserve to be called up, who have the ability to be called up. What they’ve done is irrelevant really.”
Robbie Keane is being linked with Celtic again after the record Ireland scorer confirmed his departure as manager of Hungarian side Ferencvaros where he won the league title last season and the Cup this campaign.
“After an incredibly enjoyable and successful 16 months at Ferencvaros, I have made the difficult decision to bring my time at the football club to an end,” said Keane, as quoted by RTE Sport.
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