The return to domestic football of such a high profile player as Damien Duff was always going to create a stir and the two-time Premier League winner made sure of that when he was unveiled as the new Shelbourne manager yesterday. Duff takes over after the Reds were promoted back to the Premier Division for the 2022 season and, in his typically outspoken fashion, he was not shy in saying what he thinks of the domestic game yesterday, specifically the facilities in place. The new Shels manager is upbeat about his club's plans for the AUL but says that across the country football facilities are light years behind those of the GAA. "I'm not hammering what's gone on here, but my kids have gone massive into GAA over the summer. I've been to a lot of Gaelic training grounds and they wipe the floor with football," he said. Moving on to European action and Liverpool booked their place in the last-16 of the Champions League last night with a 2-0 win over Atlético Madrid at Anfield thanks to goals from Sadio Mané and Diogo Jota. In her TV View column Mary Hannigan covers both of those stories, writing that both Duffer and Liverpool's "delicate ecosystems" are brewing up a storm. Meanwhile, speaking of some of the best players ever to come out of Ireland, Barry Landy's book extract this morning looks back on the extraordinary career of Inchicore native Anne O'Brien who was a star of European football but only played four times for Ireland.
Moving to rugby and Andy Farrell will name his Ireland side to play Japan later with Gerry Thornley reporting that Leinster's impressive form is set to be rewarded all over the pitch. Indeed, as he writes, it could even see the Andrew Porter-Rónan Kelleher-Tadhg Furlong trio line out in green. On Saturday, Johnny Sexton will line out for his 100th Test match for Ireland and yesterday halfback partner Conor Murray spoke about his experience of playing with the Leinster man 68 times. "Watching him grow since I started playing with him in 2011, and knowing him as a friend and a personality, he's a great fella. Unbelievably competitive, loves any type of sport where there's something to be lost or won," Murray said.
Moving to GAA and in his column this morning, Ciarán Murphy writes that he expects a few more soakings over the next few weeks as he togs out for club matches before GAA dressingrooms reopen. The issue has caused hassle for clubs for a long time now since matches resumed after lockdown in 2020 and, even now coming into November, it doesn't look like anything will change with players forced to change in the car park and then endure a freezing cold drive home covered in mud and rain.
Elsewhere, both Sport Ireland and the IABA reaffirmed their support for high performance director Bernard Dunne yesterday, rubbishing an anonymous document which was circulated before the Olympics calling Dunne's position into question. "I have absolute confidence in Bernard Dunne," said Ciarán Kirwan. "I chaired the interview selection panel that appointed him. We are investigating it [SWOT]. We know whose fingerprints, hand prints are on it. Nobody has taken responsibility."
