The FAI have confirmed the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni from the Republic of Ireland job.

Mick McCarthy believes masterminding Ipswich Town’s escape from relegation will have silenced some of those who doubted him after his sacking at Wolves in February last year.

As most people break up for their Christmas holidays this weekend, the football fixture list goes into overdrive.

Birmingham 0 Ipswich 1

Mick McCarthy is expected to be named the new Ipswich manager this morning.

Mick McCarthy is in pole position to become the new Ipswich manager, although an appointment is not expected today.

Former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy is set to be named new manager of Championship’s bottom side Ipswich Town, who parted company with Paul Jewell last week.

Ipswich today announced that they have parted company with manager Paul Jewell by mutual consent.

West Ham have allowed goalkeeper Stephen Henderson to join Ipswich on loan, the npower Championship club have confirmed.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has today suspended the betting on Giovanni Trapattoni’s reign as Ireland manager ending before 2013 following a torrent of bets.

Former Aston Villa and West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker has signed for npower Championship strugglers Ipswich.

Blackburn’s first game of the post-Steve Kean era finished in a 1-1 npower Championship draw at Charlton, while rock-bottom Peterborough secured their first points of the season with a 3-1 win at promotion hopefuls Hull.

Barnsley 1 Ipswich 1

Brighton manager Gus Poyet intends to enjoy his side going top of the Championship but knows it is too early in the season to get carried away.

We’re set, you feel, for a long, not-so-hot summer of Fundamental Wrongness.

Sorry, but we’ve no chance now. And looking back, we never had a chance.

Sean St Ledger has dismissed reports he is due for the exit door at Leicester City and is intent on proving his worth to manager Nigel Pearson at next month’s European Championships with Ireland.

Birmingham City boss Chris Hughton insists midfielder Keith Fahey’s groin injury will not prevent him from making the Euro 2012 squad.

Ipswich 1 Barnsley 0

Cork City’s latest signing, Shane O’Connor, has become embroiled in a Twitter controversy with former manager Paul Jewell.

Keith Andrews last night attempted to force a deadline day move from Blackburn by handing in a transfer request.

Paul Jewell has vehemently denied that his criticism of assistant referee Amy Fearn following Ipswich’s defeat to Birmingham last night contained a sexist remark.

Birmingham 2 Ipswich 1

SUNDERLAND’S promising Irish defender John Egan has joined Championship side Crystal Palace on loan.

REPUBLIC of IRELAND midfielder Keith Andrews will be out of action for five weeks after tearing a hamstring in Ipswich’s St Stephen’s Day 1-1 draw at Leicester City — which could put his hopes of a January transfer in jeopardy.

IPSWICH boss Paul Jewell is confident he has a chance of keeping on-loan Ireland international Keith Andrews at Portman Road for the second half of the season, despite interest from a string of Premier League clubs.

REPUBLIC of IRELAND midfielder Keith Andrews says he doesn’t expect to play for his parent club Blackburn Rovers ever again.

Ipswich manager Paul Jewell has underlined his desire to keep star loan midfielder Keith Andrews at Portman Road.

IPSWICH TOWN boss Paul Jewell has denied claims that a bust-up with Colin Healy led to the Ballincollig man’s departure from Portman Road earlier this week.

Cork City have spoken to former midfielder Colin Healy, whose contract with Ipswich Town at Portman Road has been terminated by mutual consent, according to the Evening Echo in Cork.

Ipswich 0 Crystal Palace 1

Nottingham Forest boss Steve McClaren had blamed off-field “squabbling” for his side’s poor start in the npower Championship this week and they responded by going down without a fight at Burnley.

Blackpool 2 Ipswich 0

UNLIKE Robbie Keane, Keith Andrews had no qualms about dropping down a tier in England earlier this month but the midfielder praised the Ireland captain last night for a decision that has split opinion on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Ipswich have fought off competition from Barclays Premier League clubs to sign out-of-contract midfielder Jimmy Bullard.

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger intends to resolve the futures of wantaway captain Cesc Fabregas and contract rebel Samir Nasri “very quickly”.

BLACKBURN’S Republic of Ireland international midfielder Keith Andrews is expected to join Ipswich Town on a season-long loan prior to the start of the Championship season on Saturday.

Arsenal have confirmed forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has joined npower Championship side Ipswich in a permanent deal.

Blackburn striker Jason Roberts has rubbished reports linking him with a move to npower Championship side Ipswich.

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington has left out record goalscorer David Healy for next week’s Carling Nations Cup double-header in Dublin.

ROY KEANE has revealed his biggest mistake as Ipswich boss was accepting the role before meeting chief executive Simon Clegg and admitted the job wasn’t the right one for him.

DAMIEN DUFF is out of Ireland’s European Championship qualifier against Macedonia in June.

Swansea 4 Ipswich 1

THE Premier League has fallen out of love with Wigan a little but beyond the grey perception of a half-empty ground in a rugby league town, there is side brimming with youth and vigour.