Remarkable Recovery

Euro 2008 was a hugely enjoyable tournament on a number of levels. Viewers across the globe were spoilt with a month of delightful, positive football. Spain were indisputably the best team on show, and deserved winner of their first major championship in 34 years. However, a personal highlight was the re-emergence of Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic, after he had spent most of 2007 recovering from 2 kidney transplants.

Rio and Usher Discuss Tactics

There are any number of reasons to dislike Rio Ferdinand. From his failed attempt to become football's equivalent of Mike Murphy in 'Rio's World Cup Wind-Ups', to missing a drugs test due to a shopping trip, to kicking female stewards, he really does his best to test the public's tolerance of him.

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Big Jack: The Waterboy

As age catches up with us, cynicism is a number of unwanted traits we acquire. Suddenly, scanning through the history of our lives, we focus on memories of our younger years. We scoff sneerly at pastimes, hobbies, favoured television programmes, fashion sense and cringe at times when we embarrassed ourselves through the folly of our youth.

Late Drama

It was the sort of goal that you would expect the team leading 2-1, rather than those chasing the game at the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline, to get. Catching the opposition out on the break with a swift counter-attack in the 90th minute to put the gloss on a convincing 3-1 triumph.

Under Fire

What a difference a couple of days make. Whilst in the midst of the worst start to a season in England's top division since 1930, news filtered out of Fratton Park that the players and staff of Portsmouth Football Club had not been paid. Rogue owner Sulaiman al-Fahim, complete with replica shirt with his own name on it (still better than Mike Ashley's 'Smith 17′ effort) comes out with mixed messages regarding the funds available for reinforcements in January.

Top of the Pops

Having been invaded by wingers, second strikers and midfielders last season, the Premier League top scorers chart is beginning to have a familiar look to it again. It's populated by centre-forwards. 7 games into the season the top 10 scorers in the league are all strikers.

On the Comeback Trail

One Thomas Haynes Bayly wrote this commonly uttered phrase. No, I never heard of him either. But there is much truth in this statement. These days one way for a footballer to raise his profile, and become a favourite amongst supporters and pundit alike is to take a leave of absence for a couple of games.

Matchday One in the Champions' League group stages had a familiar feel about it. All the English teams won, both Raul and Filipo Inzaghi scored for

Inzagi: Still Scoring Goals

their respective clubs, Real Madrid were involved in 7 goal humdinger, and only one of the record 8 newcomers managed a victory on their debut in the Champions League as it is today.

In the aftermath of England's destruction of Croatia on Wednesday, it seems international football is suddenly back in fashion. Since the last World Cup, any national team service was a nuisance. That it was seen as an unwelcome distraction from the money-printing industry that European club football has become.

40 not out

Robbie Keane divides opinion on this island more than most of our sporting icons. Everyone can appreciate Padraig Harrington's recently acquired nerves of steel, Henry Shefflin's beautiful touch and poise with a hurley in his hand, or Colm Cooper's unerring accuracy with either foot However, it seems the Tallaght native cannot seem to convince everyone of talents.

Old Foes

My attention on Saturday evening was drawn to the Coca-Cola Championship, or Division 2 as it was called up until BSkyB came along, and the clash between recently relegated West Bromwich Albion and Ipswich Town. Roberto Di Matteo and Roy Keane faced each other as players on numerous occasions during their careers, with one particular incident in the Charity Shield in 2000 leading to one of the 11 red cards Keane received during his Manchester United career.

Alberto Aquilani's transfer to Liverpool from Roma was completed with the

Injury-prone?

minimum of fuss, which is highly unusual for a transfer involving Liverpool considering the unsuccessful Gareth Barry saga of last summer, and this year's Xabi Alonso blockbuster. The Italian has signed a five year deal, and the thing that will worry the Anfield faithful is that in his last five seasons at Roma, he has started a miserly 60 Serie A games.

Live to Fight Another Day

My college days, as for many third level students, are a bit of a blur. A disproportionate amount of evenings were spent in the various public houses and nightclubs of Cork City. Blotched memories of drinking €2 pints in the Maltings, dancing in Fast Eddie's and some harmless boyish horseplay in Gorby's remind of my time in living in the 'Real Capital', as the locals like to call it.

Remember a more innocent time, when one would have missed a match on telly for whatever reason. Maybe out shopping, out for a drive, out for a walk, you know the usual reasons. Then you get a spare second, and send off a text

Ashton: Out of Favour

message 'Any score?', or some variation of it.