The style in which Diego Maradona did things inspired passionate devotion

Leave the high-end stuff to the Champions League. At international level, basic is best

Technical shortcomings aside Ireland already look an improved side under McCarthy

Midfielder will struggle to be motivated after Champions League heartache with Spurs

The mass celebrations in Madrid and Liverpool were no mere happy accident

Brazilian goalkeeper made the big saves when Tottenham’s pressure rocked Liverpool late on

Pochettino has a big decision to make on Kane, Klopp is trying to arrest dismal final record

Reality is club failed to identify a suitable role within the side for the talented Brazilian

Premier League a testament to City manager – but defeat to Spurs will surely rankle

Should fairytale title finish not materialise, Liverpool boss facing a real conundrum

Analysis based on yesteryear is pointless in game that has changed unrecognisably

He has inherited a Manchester United squad of limited mobility and uncertain character

When it comes to winning respect of provincial leagues, nothing beats giving them money

A decade on from Pep, they are just a normal rich team with the best player in the world

Lloris’ error left Klopp celebrating rather than irritably justifying a failed team selection

Is it too much to suggest that the former FAI CEO deliberately took spotlight off the team?

Stepping aside of Irish football’s dominant figure will be seen as overdue by most fans

Daily drip-drip of horror easily forgotten by a young Rice or the crowd at Madison Square Garden

Dazzling start has so far only transformed a disastrous season into a merely bad one

Video assistant referee could further undermine soccer's integrity

Supporters still struggling to make the leap of faith that all will end well this season

Big transfer sagas are so lengthy that by the end the player will do anything just to make it stop

Italian manager does not have the players in the squad to make his style work yet

Wembley victory over Spurs a major feather in United interim-manager’s cap

Unless you’ve been transferred for a huge fee, good luck getting a Premier League game, son

Manager’s priority has to be to address brittle side’s long-term defensive weakness

Spurs look like contenders but will the manager practise what he preaches and stay?

Special One has never recovered from losing faith in his own myth at Real Madrid

José’s ultra-cynical approach to the game reflects the concerns of the club itself

Individual scapegoating has done much to keep English football stupid over the years

For Liverpool, the need to win every game to cling on to Guardiola’s leaders is wearying

Conflicting emotions the order of the day as 'Succession Plan 2022' is unveiled

FAI has passed up the chance to take a new direction with Stephen Kenny

On a week when Irish rugby has scaled rare heights, football is sinking to a new low

United manager dismisses the stats – but he knows the numbers are going against him

Big European clubs see they have more in common with sheikhs than domestic leagues

Lopetegui’s failure in Madrid is down to Ramos’s rapid decline and Ronaldo’s exit

The manager's certainty following the loss to Wales was at odds with current form

Even Messi needs three chances to score a goal, Ireland seldom create three in a match

Master propagandist busy painting Woodward and United hierarchy into an awkward spot

Sarri and Klopp have made the game enjoyable for their players and it reaps rewards

Empty seats at the Etihad could have contributed to opening 2-1 defeat to Lyon

Liverpool and Spurs are both teams that don't rely on superstars and Kane must realise that

International friendlies had completely lost their relevance and competition is needed

Most players declare for Ireland through convenience, not a deep love for the country

If any club was crying out for a new direction, it’s Arsenal. Why then did Petr Cech start?

If Les Bleus could win at such a canter, maybe there's something wrong with the race?

Pace, power, and passion: José’s kind of football is on its way back to the top

Phrase went from ironic joke to arrogant prediction and gave opponents motivation

Southgate’s men unable to respond to Perisic’s equaliser while opponents grow stronger

A jubilant and delirious nation is expecting its superheroes to take it to the final

Kylian Mbappé sublime as Belgium are outfought in subdued St Petersburg semi-final

No room for objective analysis or comment when it comes to England’s World Cup run

Didier Deschamps side played very much to the manager’s style in getting the job done

Harry Maguire’s performance summed up how Gareth Southgate’s side has grown up

The superstar displayed both the sublime and the ridiculous in victory over Mexico in Samara

Last 16 clash proved that the golden era of Spanish football is well and truly over

Easy to jump to the wrong conclusions about a nation we only get a partial picture of

Neymar failed to get on the scoresheet but the five-time winners had more than enough

Both sides went through the motions in Moscow but that could come to hurt French

Panama were so awful it was hard to believe this was taking place at the World Cup finals

‘If the team brings to bear on the pitch their idea, their talent, their ability - we will prevail’

Brazil leave it late to get past stubborn Costa Rica in Group E St Petersburg clash

Mohamed Salah scores late penalty after Egypt fell apart just after half-time

Harry Kane’s late goal brings relief after an old school tournament performance

Nation may expect, but this group of players not stirred by the old ‘up-and-at-em’ game

Portuguese star’s performance was beyond efficiency - it was alchemy

Real mess as Madrid end up with national pariah Julen Lopetegui at the helm

This tournament may be first World Cup in while when pure talent makes the difference

Suspicions of Russia and its president means Western expectations are very low

Salah’s injury and Karius’s disastrous display combine

Real Madrid may be the best team in the world, but Jürgen Klopp is the best manager

The Ukrainian city is in football mode, but reminders of the violence are always there

United boss Jose Mourinho blames FA Cup defeat on Lukaku and Fellaini absence

Beware of the recent ‘defending your title’ curse, but City’s style means they could soar

Liverpool’s match-winner plumps for possibly the worst opportunity in soccer

Arsene Wenger’s side will get a lesson on what they lack when they face Atlético

AS Roma’s early confidence rapidly dissolved at Anfield

Club's strict financial model worked well for the manager and board, if not for supporters

De Bruyne’s the better all-rounder, but the Liverpool striker is astonishing

City coach’s high-minded approach sets him up for criticism but record speaks for itself

Roman Abramovich needs to adopt a new outlook if no longer willing to spend big

The narratives surrounding the country right now leave little room for organisers' attempts at positive spin

Might Lukaku’s good performances have more to do with style than with personal qualities?

Disillusioned fans vent ire at rich owners who lack a coherent strategy on the game

Dortmund will not produce half-and-half Red Bull scarves, cash killing Premier League

Contrast between Lukaku and Morata’s performance was the story of the match

Engrained culture of battling for a ‘cause’ familiar to Real Madrid and Barcelona

Gifted Frenchman’s natural position is clearly not as a shield in front of back four

Klopp and Pochettino disagreed on penalties, but game was example of where top level football is going

NFL system would prevent the new practice from being too finicky and overbearing

Armenian will thrive at Arsenal while Sánchez can show his creativity at United

Most supporters were happy to draw a line under manager’s time in charge

There was a lot more at stake than a childhood dream in Coutinho’s move to Catalonia

Cash is king for the Notorious but he now needs a new dream to chase

Pep Guardiola’s side are quickly becoming the best team the league has ever seen

Despite Mourinho’s protestations, City’s clear superiority is now plain for all to see

The Workers’ Cup, a film about the hard lives of stadium labourers, is sad and revealing

He’s not a winger at all – football terminology needs to catch up with changes in the game

A criticism of the West Brom manager is the way his teams tend to switch off after 40 points