McCarthy's men abroad

Player of the week? Roy Keane. Right, that's that sorted. Runner-up? Andy O'Brien (left). For lots of reasons:

(1) he scored the winner for the Irish under-21s against Cyprus midweek; (2) he escaped inevitable relegation with Bradford by moving to Newcastle for £2 million; (3) he, as we speak, is very much looking forward to his debut for Newcastle - away to Bradford. Hate that.

The main reason, though, we've singled Andy out is because we suspect he mightn't have got quite the reception he was hoping for from the Newcastle faithful when he was unveiled. Why? Well, Newcastle vice-chairman Douglas Hall had told the Toon Army only last week that "if the manager wants to bring a player like Rivaldo - or anyone like him to the club - then the board will go out and get him".

Luckily no one believed him, otherwise 184,000 frenzied Geordies, wearing black and white stripy shirts with "Rivaldo" printed on the back, would have assembled at St James's Park to welcome "de naaa . . . Andy O'Brien!". And would they not have liked that.