GEORGIOS SAMARAS claims Celtic are a better team than Rangers – and insists the Ibrox side will be undeserving champions if they clinch the title against Dundee United on Sunday.

OUR BELOVED old dog disappeared the other day: I believe she was dog-napped.

IT WAS as if we were transported back in time.

CORK manager Conor Counihan has insisted he will not be drawn into any quick decision about his future position after the disappointment of Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final replay to Kerry.

THIS COLUMN bows to no man in its admiration for all things Tipperary. Clonmel Chardonnay. Liberty Square. Horse and Jockey. The list goes on and on, and is now joined by The Book.

JOE CALZAGHE has branded boxing “a dying sport” and is glad he is close to ending his career rather than just starting out.

PAIN, accepts Jerry Flannery, goes hand in hand with ambition, but the Munster hooker doesn’t want a repeat of the hurt inflicted on the province by both Connacht and Ulster in recent weeks.

Damien Enright meets with Foxes of a very different kind

RAFAEL BENITEZ held “positive” talks with Liverpool’s co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett last night, despite seeing his side slip further behind in the Premier League title race.

EXCUSE MY old Norse but what a bummer of a summer to come home to, after flying all the way from Iceland.

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan hailed his side for the way they handled a heavily-watered artificial pitch to claim an impressive Champions League draw at Spartak Moscow.

ROY KEANE gave the clearest indication yet last night that Cork City forward Roy O’Donovan will turn his back on Fulham and sign for Sunderland in the coming days.

PRESSURE intensified on ITV bosses to take responsibility for the spate of phone-in scandals yesterday after chairman Michael Grade admitted he would have resigned if he had been chief executive at the time of the deceit.

JUST two weeks after claiming he wanted to leave Chelsea, Didier Drogba is set to upset his employers once again with the release of a DVD chronicling his life story in which he admits he wanted to fail the medical he took before he joined the London club and was “disgusted” when he eventually put pen to paper at Stamford Bridge.

EVERTON manager David Moyes praised Phil Neville as the club captain shrugged off a bout of sickness to score his first goal of the season.