SOME are laughing and some are weeping but one way or the other, the plight of Manchester United has left few football fans untouched.

DAMIEN DUFF has been judged Ireland's outstanding players at the World Cup by FIFA's technical studies group.

WEST HAM fears were realised yesterday when Jermain Defoe became the first Hammer to seek a transfer, less than 24 hours after the club’s relegation from the Premiership.

D-DAY is fast approaching for Rio Ferdinand as he mulls over whether to stay at Leeds or join Manchester United in a potential blockbusting transfer.

ALEX FERGUSON is to step up his search for a player in the image of Roy Keane after two years of frustration.

WEST BROM chairman Jeremy Peace is completely confident Gary Megson will not quit the club to take up the vacant managerial post at Sunderland.

CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho has insisted his team attend training on Christmas Day as they look to maintain their position at the top of the Premiership.

MANCHESTER UNITED skipper Roy Keane admits the Old Trafford club must get through their Champions League qualifying clash with European rookies Zalaegerszegi.

THE Republic of Ireland squad held most of their training session behind closed doors in Tel Aviv yesterday, and by the time the media were granted access to the Blumfield Stadium, first impressions were decidedly mixed.

FRANK LAMPARD warned Chelsea’s title rivals that Jose Mourinho’s champions-elect are ready to dominate the Premiership for years to come.

THE best performance by Denis Irwin that I witnessed live was the one he produced when Ireland beat Italy in the World Cup finals of 1994.

ALEX FERGUSON was yesterday charged with improper conduct by the FA.

ALEX FERGUSON'S new right-hand man Carlos Queiroz believes his job at Manchester United is to help make the club "more perfect".

JOHN O’SHEA has set his sights on a regular international berth after furthering his Premiership education with another rock-solid display at Old Trafford on Monday night.

WHAT the British couldn’t achieve in 800 years of occupation here has now been secured in less than a decade.

ALTHOUGH they lie fourth in Group Four, France remain convinced they will qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals by taking six points from their upcoming qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and the Irish.

EAMON Dunphy’s Friday night chat show on TV3 has staged a dramatic recovery in the ratings battle with Pat Kenny’s Late Late show.