McCarthy's (and Kerr's) men abroad Result of the week? No contest - the Republic of Ireland under-19 team's 2-1 win over Holland in Rotterdam, one that's given them a hell of a chance of making this summer's European Championship finals (the second leg is in Cork next month).
Heroes all, of course, but midfielder Seán Thornton grabbed the headlines with his 90th-minute winner, a spectacular volley from 25 yards.
The Drogheda native completed his week by scoring his first goal for Tranmere (a looping header) on Saturday to help them to a 2-1 win away to Wigan. Thornton (pictured) has begun to establish himself in the Tranmere first team the past few weeks and, according to the cross-channel transfer gossip columns, has already attracted the attention of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Sunderland.
One to watch, then.
Our congratulations, too, to Rotherham's Alan Lee, not for scoring against Manchester City on Saturday (which he did, in a 1-1 draw), but for surviving a 90-minute duel with City captain Stuart "Psycho" Pearce, the "highlights" of which were a Pearce tackle that left Lee flattened for two minutes and a Lee elbow that "appeared" to make contact with Pearce's face. Finally, hats off to Richie Foran for his 90th-minute winner for Carlisle on Saturday, one that lifted the club to the dizzy heights of 16th in Division Three, roughly eight places higher than they were expected to finish this season.
The life of the party
The folk at Football365 happened to be looking at the Sun's website last week when they spotted a story about David Beckham's pre-World Cup party to which, the paper claimed, several of the "boys of '66" had been invited.
The headline? Beckham's World Cup party to be graced by Hurst, Moore and co. Soon after the headline was changed to Beckham's World Cup party to be graced by Hurst, Charlton and co, perhaps when they realised Bobby Moore is, sadly, deceased.
The heart of the matter
We were going to say "hearty thanks" to Joe for spotting a commentating gem during the Liverpool v Roma game last week, but that might be inappropriate under the circumstances. Remember, Gerard Houllier (left) returned to the bench for the first time since his heart problems? And what did the commentator have to say about the game?
"This is not one for the faint-hearted." Oh yes. And what did ITV Sport Channel analyst David Pleat say during the very same game? Liverpool's task in facing Roma was not for the faint-hearted. Lads? Stop. Enough.
Erm, next question please
There was a delightful run-in between Besiktas midfielder Tumer Metin and a pupil from Kadikoy Girls High School in Istanbul last week, according to Onefootball.com. Metin and team-mates Tayfur Havutcu and Ilhan Mansiz were invited to the school for a question-and-answer session, but Metin was unimpressed with the standard of questioning and let his audience know it.
"You've got three high quality players like me here, so ask us better quality questions," he told them. An awkward silence was finally broken by one of the girls, who asked: "Which university did you graduate from that you're talking to us about quality?" Crikey. "Teachers then had to intervene to calm the situation," said the report.
Focus on the World Cup
Focus Ireland (www.focusireland.ie) , the agency that caters for the homeless, is offering a stupendously good prize to football fans in a competition on its website. All you have to do is buy a €10 ticket from them to enter a draw for a two-week World Cup trip to Japan for two people, including flights, accommodation and tickets to all three of Ireland's first round matches. The draw takes place April 22nd.
Wordplay (A dry plow)
Honest, we intended leaving our anagram days - say ad nag ram - behind us, but here's three more nuggets for your collection. (1) Misaligned girl (Gilles Grimandi), (2) Jolly bad, shaky feminism (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink) and, creepily enough, No adultery, no virus (Ruud Van Nistelrooy).
Quotes of the Week
Every time a side scores it can no longer be 0-0. - Today's unrivalled commentator Tom Tyrell, on Saturday.
I prefer to live one day as a lion, instead of 10 years like a rabbit. - Rangers' Lorenzo "Bright Eyes" Amoruso.
I never really looked up to Jari Litmanen, I never looked up to anyone in Finland. I didn't watch Finnish football - I thought it was crap. Chelsea's Finnish striker Mikael Forssell should get a warm welcome next time he touches down in Helsinki.
I said to the players before the start, 'just go out and give it 100 per cent, I am not asking for any more than that' - Stockport manager Carlton Palmer, right, (Football 365).
Both teams are on the crest of a slump at the moment and it is difficult to see either winning. - Mark Lawrenson's prediction for the Fulham v Tottenham game.
It is all your fault, the media. It is all because you want to sell more papers. - Spurs' Mauricio Taricco blames the media for the FA's decision to fine him £5,000 for having a punch-up with Chelsea's Mario Melchiot.
Driving them batty
We liked this Onefootball.com yarn last week. One of Romania's oldest clubs, University Cluj, has been having a bit of a bat problem recently, with a colony of the ugly blighters making their stadium their home. Every time the players go in to the changing rooms they have to cover their heads with coats to prevent the bats from making a home in their hair . "They sound like swarms of planes," said one player. The club's directors finally decided to do something about the problem and killed several of the invaders. Problem? They now face jail terms of between two and five years because bats are protected under Romanian law. Oops.
Image rights
Anyone watch BBC2's Newsnight on Tuesday when they had a report on the impending bankruptcy of English football? While commenting on the huge wages paid to top players these days they picked out four of the highest earners in England, sticking a photo of each on the screen. Michael Owen (left), Roy Keane and David Beckham all appeared, followed by Patrick Vieira. The first three photos were fine, but Vieira's name was accompanied by a picture of Leicester City's Frank Sinclair. Vieira, you'd imagine, is entitled to sue.
Football on TV
Wednesday
Republic of Ireland v Denmark, Network Two, Sky Sports 1, 7.30;
England v Italy, Sky Sports 2, 8.0.
Friday:
Newcastle v Everton, Sky Sports 1, 2.0.
Saturday:
Leeds v Manchester United, Sky Sports 1, 12.0.
