Senior international Megan Campbell has strongly urged the FAI to make an external appointment to succeed Colin Bell as manager of the Irish team and warned that anything else would be a “cop-out” and signal a regression for the women’s game here.

The FAI have confirmed that women's national team head coach Colin Bell has left the role.

Current owner Dean Hoyle announced early last month that he had agreed to sell a 75% stake in the club to lifelong Terriers fan Phil Hodgkinson but the EFL have not yet approved the deal.

Denmark defender Mathias Jorgensen has seen enough of Ireland in the past 20 months to believe not even Mick McCarthy can extinguish their defensive instincts.

There are two distinct types of difficult games to watch, depending on your preference.

Jurgen Klopp was at his snappiest with the Anfield press corps when it was suggested before this match that an exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich would only boost their chances of winning a first domestic title in 29 years. He said the suggestion was mad. Now we will see if the energetic German coach is right.

The day starts well. (Spoiler alert: it will not continue in this vein.)

Sligo Rovers have added more firepower to their squad on the eve of the new SSE Airtricity Premier Division season.

Daniel Storey on the weekend's talking points...

Huddersfield have confirmed the appointment of Jan Siewert as their new head coach.

Daniel Storey's talking points after the FA Cup weekend

The legendary Italian football journalist Gianni Brera, regarded as the chief propagandist for the notorious catenaccio system of defensive play, once wrote that “the perfect match would end 0-0”.

The prospects of Declan Rice reaffirming his allegiance to Ireland are rapidly receding after bookmakers last night stopped taking bets on the West Ham United mainstay defecting to England.

Shamrock Rovers will receive a League of Ireland record fee if goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu plays for Manchester City’s first team or the senior international team.

West Ham still without a win.

They’re coming home, they’re coming home, the footballers are coming home… Well, to their home from home at any rate, the heroes and villains, the few triumphant and the many also-rans, all back from a sensational month in Russia and returning to what nobody ever calls the ‘bread and butter’ of the Premier League (#notthegreatestleagueintheworldbutwedontcallitthateither).

The pressure was ratcheted up on Stephen Bradley’s tenure as Shamrock Rovers head-coach when they became the first side to lose to basement side Bray this season.

Daniel Storey reviews this weekend’s Premier League action.

Olivier Giroud hasn’t put a foot wrong since joining Chelsea from Arsenal. Will he get the nod ahead of Alvaro Morata for the Barcelona clash this week? writes Daniel Storey

Jose Mourinho vowed to use the rest of the campaign as a catalyst for an improved Premier League title charge next season after effectively conceding this year’s crown to Manchester City.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had Huddersfield Town counterpart David Wagner as the best man at his wedding but the German word for sentiment — gefuhl — did not enter his mind for a moment last night.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no intention of buying his way out of trouble and insists back-to-back defeats is no reason to become “nervous” and dip into the transfer market.

Man United and Spurs, should they progress, were also handed away draws.

Cancelling Christmas isn’t an obvious means of ingratiating yourself with a raft of new employees but it appears that Sam Allardyce can do no wrong at Everton where the latest chapter in one of British football’s most intriguing careers has kicked off on the most promising of intros.

Burnley’s impressive start to the campaign is this season’s ‘Cinderella’ story but the stereotype of the Lancashire club led by a gruff ‘old-school’ manager disguises the very effective method behind their rise.

Norway 2 Rep of Ireland 1

Daniel Storey reviews the weekend’s Premier League action

Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1: Jose Mourinho suggested his entire Manchester United team should come to the press conference to explain themselves after this bizarre surrender at newly-promoted Huddersfield but, showing the same sort of resolve they had displayed for the previous 90 minutes, his players firmly ducked the challenge.

Mourinho must accept his role in Manchester United’s passiveness

Ireland 4 Israel 0: Reece Grego-Cox felt honoured to escalate Ireland’s U21 European Championship qualification crusade yesterday against Israel.

If Martin O’Neill was seeking encouragement about the talent pool for the next campaign, the Ireland manager should have received some assurance from the display of the next generation.

Ireland U21 0 Norway U21 0

Declan Rice admits the desire to resume working with Roy Keane endures but helping Ireland’s U21s break their major finals duck is his immediate objective.

In an U21 qualifying group which underdogs Kosovo have taken the early initiative, victory for Ireland in Azerbaijan today (4pm Irish time) is a must for their 2019 European Championship hopes.

Burnley have announced the signing of striker Nahki Wells from Huddersfield for an undisclosed fee.

After an unconvincing victory over Crystal Palace, it’s clear that Liverpool need the future of Philippe Coutinho sorted out sooner rather than later.

Burnley finished the season with four Irish starters: one of the few highlights for Irish players in the Premier League this season, says John Fallon 

Uefa U21 European Championship qualifier

Ireland U21 boss Noel King has strenuously denied pursuing Northern Ireland-born players for his squad following allegations made by Michael O’Neill.

Liverpool fans yearn for the success enjoyed by the club in the 1980s, writes Brendan O’Brien.

FA Cup Fifth Round Replay