While Mick McCarthy is always prepared to cut a little slack for a couple of his more experienced and established names, the manager has never sought to minimise the weight he attaches to the general requirement that, in order to play for their country, his players really need to be playing for their clubs.

Liverpool are through to the Champions League final after beating Barcelona 4-0 in the semi-final second leg at Anfield to win 4-3 on aggregate.

Two cuts sent to visual Qualification for Euro 2020 gets under way this evening, and the big boys have been limbering up in their own inimitable way.

Are Bayern back in business?

Manuel Pellegrini wants to get West Ham’s season back on course while at the same time doing his old club a favour.

Liverpool bowed out of the FA Cup on an evening when Jurgen Klopp, via his 21st century boys, signalled that this season it is one competition too many.

So little about this Manchester United season has been extreme. This is a team with rounded edges, who send watching supporters and journalists into an slumber.

Daniel Storey shares his Merseyside derby questions

Martin O’Neill says he understands what James McClean is going through, having himself experienced hostility from the crowd at Windsor Park when, as a young Catholic during the Troubles, he first broke into the Northern Ireland team in the early 70s.

Defender Virgil van Dijk realises consistency will be the key if Liverpool are to topple Manchester City as Premier League champions.

Manchester United’s troubled International Champions Cup campaign suffered another blow, with a 4-1 defeat to Premier League rivals, Liverpool, in Michigan on Saturday night.

Today: Ozil could be the fall guy again for Germans.

Chris Hatherall previews Wednesday’s World Cup action as the tournamnet heats up.

A day after being put under investigation by Fifa for complaining about the refereeing of their 2-1 World Cup loss to Switzerland and misbehaviour by fans, Serbia’s football association has filed an official complaint with the sport’s governing body alleging “biased officiating” by referee Feliz Brych.

Brazil 1 Switzerland 1: Steven Zuber denied Brazil victory in their opening game of the World Cup last night, as Switzerland fought back to snatch a famous 1-1 Group E draw in Rostov-on-Don.

Brazil have spent four years trying to atone for its last World Cup match, the calamitous 7-1 defeat as hosts by Germany.

If there is one lesson to be taken from the football season almost gone, it’s that plans are not just for workshy scholars, writes Tommy Martin.

How many top strikers would pass up the chance of a hat-trick so a man who might end up taking their place could get a goal?

Barely two minutes had passed before Fantasy Premier League managers were greeted with their first bizarre sight of Gameweek 29.

Tottenham climbed to third in the Premier League after Harry Kane scored a second-half winner to settle the north London derby against Arsenal.

Anthony Martial’s goal early in the second half proved enough to give Manchester United a battling 1-0 win at Burnley and close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Burnley climbed into the Champions League places as Ashley Barnes' late winner earned them a 1-0 victory over troubled Stoke.

Stoke City 0 Liverpool 3: It was not always pretty and certainly not lacking controversy, but Liverpool left Stoke City with a victory that looked routine, even if much of the game told a different story.

The Irish Football Association will support the roll-out of video assistant referees across key international fixtures having seen Northern Ireland's World Cup dream shattered by a controversial penalty decision.

Northern Ireland 0 Switzerland 1

Northern Ireland experienced their own Thierry Henry moment in a World Cup play-off as Switzerland gained the upper hand in Belfast with a controversially-awarded penalty.

Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City stormed to the top of the Premier League with a 6-0 rout of Watford at Vicarage Road.

Substitute Peter Crouch took advantage of a terrible defensive mix-up to earn Stoke a 1-1 Premier League draw at West Brom.

Liverpool have finally kick-started their summer recruitment drive in earnest after completing a deal for Roma winger Mohamed Salah.

Stoke City 1 Liverpool 2: Liverpool’s Champions League challenge is taking their players to their absolute limits — but manager Jurgen Klopp admitted he played his ‘get out of jail’ card at Stoke City.

Antonio Conte has hailed the ‘fantasy’ Cesc Fabregas has brought to Chelsea’s pursuit of the Premier League title.

Wolves won an FA Cup tie for the first time in six years to stun Stoke 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke 3 Swansea City 1: Stoke striker Wilfried Bony ended his 310-day goal drought with a brace to haunt old club Swansea.

West Ham got a win against Sunderland.

Chris Hatherall celebrates the Euro 2016 wow factor.

France 0 Switzerland 0: France topped Group A despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Switzerland — who also qualified for the last 16 — in Lille.

English Premier League stars Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne scored the goals as Belgium warmed up for Euro 2016 with a 2-1 victory against Switzerland in Geneva.

Liverpool 4 Stoke 1: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Divock Origi has all the attributes to succeed after the young striker came off the bench to score twice in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over Stoke at Anfield.