The Ireland manager has come across like a mechanic shaking his head ruefully at a hissing engine, before saying he might be able to fix it, but it’s going to cost ya.

Farrell has to get the good ship back on course in jig time before he jumps said ship.

Uefa have created a series of set-piece events that are almost without greater context. Champions League games seem to take on their own narratives.

A brainy, single-minded foreigner allied to the best of British - worrying times.

The Ireland manager seems to have copped that so much of this job is about appearances: being seen to be out there.

Despite suffering a third seven-goal spanking in Champions League football as Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers won't be adapting his approach.

A football World Cup in November, Champions League games on a Thursday, a Lions tour that concludes in August, and no inter-county GAA in September

Nothing became Italia ’90 like Ireland’s leaving of it and the affection that we came to hold for the man who ended the dream.

Going by Georgia’s experience, Ireland is about ten years away from competing at the top level of international football again, but only if we start doing the right things now. But then we knew that.

The game is really about things like book value, amortisation and pure profit.