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Passing of the woman whose contribution changed the date of D-Day;

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1217/1422527-maureen-sweeney/

Next week's immigration bill vote looks like it could be fun. Immigration minister Jenrick resigned because, like the far-right fringe, he believes it doesn't go far enough. Cruella Suella is spreading poison all round. Moderate centrists don't like it because it probably removes them from the ECHR, putting them in company with such as Russia and Belarus. Labour are not going to bail Sunak out - why should they? It's not a problem of their making. The UK Supreme Court says that it's probably illegal anyway.

What's a PM to do? GE early in the new year?

Do Irish people really make good soccer players. We rarely produce a player at international level standard that can leave a player dead with skill. Liam Brady and Damien Duff are the only two that come to mind, and Georgie Best who was on another level. A Roy Keane was a great player but very limited skill wise. When it comes to nimbleness and skill, as a race we are great at the fiddle, tin whistle, bodhrán, Uileann pipe, guitar, boxing, plastering and the pen. We seem to have been overly blessed with movement in the elbow, fists and fingers, but useless with the feet. Even Irish dancers look very stiff compared to the Latins and the few lads who venture out onto the floorboards and get too ambitious are in danger of tripping over themselves. Our best chance is immigrants adding to our gene pool. We are seeing that in Athletics and the beginnings of that in soccer. There's hope yet.

I made a similar point to that here some time ago. For some reason, maybe it's just not in our DNA, but we don't produce players with much flair or creativity. We've never played any kind of winning or even 'attractive' soccer, not even in that most overrated era of Irish sport, the time of Big Jack. Maybe Eoin Hand's grossly unlucky 1982 WC qualifying campaign was as good as I remember us getting. All the home nations are variations on a theme; bar 1966, they all get found out sooner or later in tournament football. Maybe it's a Celt/ Anglo-Saxon failing of some sort.

And yes, Keane was a very effective player, but very ordinary skill and ability wise. You wouldn't confuse him with Liam Brady, much less a Messi or Ronaldo.

San Sebastián was heaven. The food, the people, the regatta,  Pilota final, 31st August festival, incredible. 

Ducked to Bilbao for 2 days and saw them play Betis, atmosphere off the charts. Their Semana Grande was on and it was electric in the City. Did walking tours in both but San was a different level

Stayed the other 5 days in Uncle and Aunt's in San Sebastián, had originally intended to go to Biaritz but couldn't leave.

Uncle works for Real Sociedad, was texting Odegaard re he being in my Fantasy Team etc, my head was gone with it, bizarre! Every player who ever played there seems to fall in love with the place.
Fantastic, fantastic time

Would go back as often as I could, it's that good, but don't want to overstay!

May be heading there shortly for a brief stay. Anything to do in particular? What's the best way to see the city? Beaches nice?

Sounds like Stokes has mingled with a bad crowd all his life!

Stokes by name, Stokes by nature.

I suspect that back in Ferguson's day he would have sniffed out and swerved past players who had talent but didn't have the required dedication.

Pogba, Martial, Sancho are soccer's version of the GAA townie in white boots.
Look flash in the good times, but don't roll up their sleeves for any dirty work.

Scouting units can collect a million stats on passes completed, assists, sprints, XGs and all that. It's the other intangibles that can dictate how much a player can achieve.
Certain players kick back and relax once they've gotten the cars and the super models.

Ferguson once said that when Utd were pursuing Stan Collymore, his tendency to be a lad off the pitch put him off.
Collymore ended up at Liverpool where it was white booted, (or white suited) townie central, Redknapp, McManaman, Fowler etc.
All guys who had ability but not the mentality.
Utd are now the ones with the spice boy problem.

Ferguson signed a few duds in his time too. No manager can get it right everytime.

British singer Roger Whittaker takes his last farewell. Resided in Eyrecourt, east Galway for a number of years.

I wouldn't be sure about that.

Next manger appointment will be a crossroads moment for the FAI.

Bring in another inexperienced manager who convinces some that the style of football is more important than results and it will be more of the same for the next couple of qualifying competitions.

I agree. They cannot possible do that. They need someone who can bring the team on and leave it in a better state. Someone like Vera Pauw !

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2023/0911/1404711-bitter-oneill-claims-kenny-was-anointed-by-the-media/

It might seem like sour grapes from O'Neill, but he does have a point. An international manager by necessity is rather limited in what he can do with his squad, and how he shapes the way they play, as he only has them for finite blocks of days every year.

The simple fact of the matter is that we're not a soccer nation, and bar the mercenary/granny rule days of the past, never really have been.

How bad would things be if Mbappe wasn't actually crap tonight?

I think this counter attack or dominating the ball debate is a little distracting.

Arsenal are now a good bit down the track of their system of play and have backed that system in the market bringing in the exact players Arteta requests, while he has spent money I dont think ETH is getting the targets that would be top of the lists. So it's a bit catch 22.

Full out with first 11 they could match most of the top six on their day, but thing that would worry me more is the mentality of lack of it in the tough moments in games. Doesnt seem to be a steely edge to them that teams of the past had, this Sancho carry on it just another example of the type of character that they have at the club.

Antony was Ten Haags man and nearly 100 million wasted on him. Most players brought in played in Dutch league so he's definitely getting his targets.

Onana played under him at one time also, and doesn't look to be any significant improvement on De Gea. Doesn't appear as if ETH's judgement of a player is any great shakes.

[They don't have a huge biosecurity problem, any more than they had when they were in the EU]

FT saying the UK government are not going ahead with the import checks on goods from Europe known as the Target Operating Model. Fifth time they've postponed it.  They stalled on the CE mark earlier this week as well. It has become an absolute disaster for them, as many predicted.

What is the impact of the UK not doin import checks?

Trade from the EU keeps flowing in without the extra cost and delay of veterinary certificates and inspections, but leaves them wide open from a biosecurity perspective and at a trade disadvantage because GB exporters have to meet all the requirements moving goods the other way.  They must be laughing their heads off in Brussels. The farmers and foodies won't be happy.

They don't have a huge biosecurity problem, any more than they had when they were in the EU. But they have ensured that imports are easier than exports, and for a country with a trade deficit that is madness.

You don't have a biosecurity problem until you do.  GB has no biosecurity import control on trade from anywhere in the world, an accident waiting to happen.

I'm going to ask a stupid question, what do you mean by biosecurity problem? Genuine question...

Keeping out disease, pests etc. The wrong thing coming in could wipe out a specific crop or animal, causing mayhem to the farming industry. Should see how serious Australia and New Zealand take this stuff. They'll wash the dirt off your shoes coming in.

Foot and mouth another good example.

I find it impossible to predict the outcome of this match. There is still some improvement in this Kerry side whilst I think Dublin are trying to dig out one last All Ireland from the remnants of the great side. You would think that this would favour the younger more energetic side but Kerry have not really convinced me for large parts of this season. The best form guide is the semi final from last season when it could have gone either way even though Kerry dominated for the best part of that match but Dublin have a few lads back in the squad since then and David Moran has now retired. I think this could go to a replay.

At 5/4 I think the Dubs are great value. Much stronger team all round and would hardly be likely to miss the clutch scoring chances Derry did coming down the stretch. Bar the wonderful David Clifford I think the rest of the Kerry attack is very average  - would Stephen O'Brien or Paul Geaney be anywhere near starting for their opponent? I'd also give Dublin a pronounced advantage in midfield. Quite surprised Kerry are slight favourites for this to be honest.

RIP Sinead,  Shuhada Sadaqat or whatever, the silken voice with the power of a cruise missile, unafraid to tackle the most despicable of subjects even when it would have been a lot easier to shy away from them like the rest of us in the herd for the easier life.

A true Irish legend whose legacy will stand the test of time and not truly appreciated during her own short lifespan...

I'd agree with everything there. She was fearless and sacrificed her career to an extent, for what she believed in. Ridiculed mercilessly at the time, but ultimately proved to be right.

Was she fearless or just ultimately a bit of a nuisance? Did she actually achieve anything by all this soapbox invective? It's quite easy to just speak out about whatever topic is du jour when you have the media platform to do it, but concrete actions are much harder to push through. Unfortunately I think Sinead went down that road so often that the general public just got a bit fed up and pressed the Ignore button for a finish.

I find it difficult to believe that Hugely advanced beings could fly from distant stars, through vast space and time to visit our little planet and when they get here they f**king crash!

I find it amazing how these sighting are almost exclusively confined to the USA.
c***ts are f**king mental.

There does seem to be an unhealthy amount of 'sightings' in the US comparative to the rest of the world

And around Boyle in Roscommon. Something to do with the metallic compass of the earth around there apparently.

Anyway. It turns out she died at her London home, having being found "unresponsive" by police responding to a call. No suspicious circumstances according to report.