Mick McCarthy insists that Seamus Coleman will retain his place in the Irish side — and the captaincy — regardless of his varying fortunes at Everton this season.

He becomes the first man to manage both clubs.

Bruce had a cabbage thrown at him before last night's game.

Birmingham hauled themselves out of the relegation zone and left Sunderland further in trouble at the wrong end of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-1 win at St Andrew's.

Mick McCarthy says he is as surprised as anyone by Ipswich's flying start to the new Championship season after they made it three wins from three with a 4-3 victory at Millwall.

Cardiff maintained their 100% start to stay top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-0 home win over Sheffield United, but Aston Villa dropped into the relegation zone after losing at Reading.

Former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy endured a disappointing 25th anniversary in management, as his Ipswich side were comfortably beaten 3-1 at Cardiff City on Saturday and he admitted afterwards that the Blues are in a Championship relegation scrap.

Danny Drinkwater is confident the same core of players who inspired Leicester’s Premier League title triumph last season can turn around the Foxes’ miserable form and save them from relegation.

Ross Gaynor has always let his football do the talking, even if sometimes it has landed him in trouble.

Robbie Keane has been included in Ireland’s squad of 23 for the European Championship finals despite a calf injury having ruled him out of the match against Belarus at Turner’s Cross.

In-form Stephen Gleeson returned to haunt MK Dons on Saturday, scoring the opening goal as Birmingham maintained their unbeaten start to the season to climb to seventh in the Championship.

When you’ve spent a career scrapping in every tier of English football, as Rene Gilmartin has, a promotion to the Premier League is treated with a healthy does of scepticism rather than elation.

How the Irish fared: It’s a football tradition. Club opts to dispose of player. The player finds new club. The old and the new meet and the player returns to haunt former employers.

How the Irish fared

WHEN the Chelsea team bus snakes its way past the rows of terraced housing surrounding Turf Moor, Jose Mourinho and his players will be left in no doubt they are a long, long way from the stucco-fronted piles that surround Stamford Bridge.

West Ham have taken steps to improve their style of play by appointing former Hammers and England striker Teddy Sheringham as the club’s new attacking coach.

Former Republic of Ireland number one Shay Given feels Christmas has come early after being rolled out of cold storage to make the 600th club appearance of his career today.

Celtic 1 Dundee United 1

The FAI are satisfied that fan segregation will work well at next month’s high profile friendly between England and Ireland at Wembley, allaying fears of any repeat of the crowd trouble which disfigured the FA Cup semi-final between Millwall and Wigan on Saturday.

The goalkeeper who took the scenic career route, travelling via such less than glamorous football way stations as Galway, Derry, Cardiff and Millwall, has finally arrived at his destination of choice, at the seasoned age of 33.

The Football Association has contacted Leeds to ask for El-Hadji Diouf’s version of events as part of an investigation into footage which showed the striker being racially abused during a match at Millwall in November.

The chief superintendent of the Metropolitan Police’s Public Order branch, Mick Johnson, says his force is working closely with football clubs at tackling racism in the light of further allegations which surfaced last night.

Hull midfielder David Meyler was been withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Poland after failing to shake off a knee problem.

Millwall 2 Aston Villa 1

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert confirmed he has been told by club owner Randy Lerner that his job is safe but insists he will never be guilty of resting on his laurels.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has hinted that he is unlikely to throw Richard Dunne back into action for tonight’s FA Cup visit to Millwall.

Paul Lambert insists he is still the right man to lead Aston Villa, whose season is approaching crisis point after their shock Capital One Cup semi-final exit at the hands of npower League Two side Bradford.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert admits the next week is “huge” for the midlands club as they strive to steer clear of relegation trouble and maintain their pursuit of a cup double.

Bolton Wanderers striker Marvin Sordell was back on Twitter today despite fears from his manager Dougie Freedman that the striker has become ‘obsessed’ with social media.

He goes through the same routine as every other week.

The Football Association today charged Leeds manager Neil Warnock with improper conduct for his comments about referee Mark Halsey following his side’s 1-0 defeat at Millwall on Sunday.

Six football fans arrested after an offensive banner was unfurled at Millwall have all been released on bail.

Mick McCarthy has been named the new manager of npower Championship strugglers Ipswich.

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.

Harry Kane is yet to play one minute of Barclays Premier League football, but Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is convinced that the 19-year-old striker is good enough to make an impact on the top flight this year.

In his Ranelagh home, Eamon Dunphy is immersed in work on his autobiography. Chuckling, he confides he plans to call it Wrong About Everything, the perfect title, he reckons, for heading his critics off at the pass. He rises at 5am every day to begin the work, a revelation which will surprise those who would find it much easier to imagine Eamon Dunphy rolling into rather than out of bed at that hour of the morning.

We were all eagerly anticipating the squad announcement on Monday.

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins praised the character and professionalism of his players after they secured a return to the Premier League.

Southampton secured promotion to the Barclays Premier League with a 4-0 win over Coventry City in front of a jubilant sell-out crowd at St Mary’s.

Bolton forward Kevin Davies has been ruled out of tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Millwall due to a knee injury.