Crazy Commentary Lines 🎙️ “Nobody’s Touched Him”

My good friend Mr Liam Mackey @liammackey1 has spoken on the election in Brazil : B Bopped By Lula.

Some massive performances Tony, we back! 🟩⬛️

A 24th @OfficialCorkGAA SFC title for @NemoRangersGAA at Pairc. They deservedly beat @the_Barrs 1-19 to 2-12 to snap final losing streak. Midfielder Brian Murphy my MOTM, podiums too to Mark Cronin and Ross Corkery for two massive defensive plays - yes defensive - in second half. First title as manager for Robbie O’Dwyer.

🚨 Steven Gerrard on Declan Rice’s performance against Bayern Munich: “I was watching Declan Rice, and there was a moment in the second half that told me more about him than the goal did. Arsenal were 2-1 down, Bayern were beginning to look comfortable, and Declan had already spent most of the evening doing the difficult work. Covering spaces, tracking runners, protecting the defence, trying to get Arsenal playing. Then I noticed him pushing further forward. I remember saying to someone beside me, ‘Watch Dec now. He’s had enough of this.’ Because I recognised that feeling. Sometimes you’re playing in midfield, you’ve done everything the manager asked you to do, and you look at the scoreboard and realise you’re still losing. You can keep doing your job and hope somebody else changes the game, or you can decide you’re going to take a bit more responsibility. That’s what I saw from Declan. And the thing I admire is that he didn’t abandon his defensive responsibilities to do it. He was still covering ground, still reading danger, still making himself available. People don’t always appreciate how difficult that is. When you’ve spent 80 minutes chasing players like Harry Kane and trying to control Bayern’s midfield, your legs should be telling you to stay where you are. But Declan was arriving in attacking positions like he’d only just come onto the pitch. Then the opportunity comes, Gyokeres helps create the opening, and Rice finishes it. Brilliant goal. But for me, the goal was the reward for what he’d been doing all evening. I remember when he was at West Ham, people used to talk about the money Arsenal paid for him. Was he worth it? Could a defensive midfielder justify that fee? I always thought that was a strange way to judge him. You’re not just buying somebody to win tackles. You’re buying a player who can look around when things are going wrong and say, ‘Right, I’ll deal with this.’ You can’t put a simple price on that. And I know Arsenal didn’t win tonight. Declan will probably be the first person to remind everyone of that. Players like him don’t come off the pitch celebrating a draw just because they’ve scored. But if I’m an Arsenal supporter, I’m looking at that performance and thinking we’ve got somebody we can depend on when the game gets uncomfortable. That’s what separates very good midfielders from the ones you build a team around. Anybody can look confident when their team is winning. I want to see what you do when you’re losing, you’re exhausted, and there are 10 minutes left. Tonight, Declan Rice gave his answer.”

🚨Thierry Henry on Declan Rice: “Sometimes, I watch Declan Rice play for Arsenal, and I genuinely wonder what people expect this man to do before they finally give him the respect he deserves. “Do you want him to win the ball, carry it forward, break the opposition's press, create chances, score goals, deliver set pieces, protect the defence, motivate his teammates and still be the first person running back when Arsenal lose possession? “Because if that is what you want from one midfielder, then I have a question for you: what exactly are the other ten players on the pitch being paid to do? “Declan Rice has reached a point where people have become so accustomed to his excellence that they no longer appreciate it. When he wins the ball, they say he is only doing his job. When he drives Arsenal forward, they say he should be doing more. When he scores, they ask whether he can do it consistently. And when he delivers a performance that wins Arsenal a big game, suddenly somebody wants to explain why another midfielder is still better than him. “I played with some incredible footballers during my career, and I understand that every player has a different responsibility. But one thing I have learned about football is that the best players are often the ones who make everybody around them better. Declan Rice does that for Arsenal. “And the funny thing is, if he played for Manchester City, Liverpool or Real Madrid, some of the same people questioning his quality would be making compilation videos, discussing his market value and explaining why their club should sign him. “But because he plays for Arsenal, we have to turn every compliment into a debate. “Let me make something clear: you do not have to call Declan Rice the best midfielder in the world. Football is about opinions. You can prefer Rodri, Pedri, Vitinha or whoever you like. That is perfectly fine. “But if you watch Declan Rice week after week and still cannot recognise how complete, influential and important he has become, perhaps the problem is not Declan Rice. Perhaps you have already decided what you want to believe about him. “And that is the problem with football today. People would rather win an argument about a player than appreciate what the player actually brings to the game. “My advice? Keep watching Declan Rice. One day, you might finally understand why Arsenal are so reluctant to play without him.”

The late John O'Mahony remembered for his passion and support as Kerry town hosts tidy towns awards independent.ie/county/kerry/…

Great stuff, Tony. Don’t forget the @TyroneGAALive SFC Final replay on Friday night, 7.30 - Edendork v Errigal Ciaran.

People often ask me about my travelling schedule -well here is the weekend . On Thursday after @EPPGroup Study Days in Sicily , was due to fly to Rome & get a connection to @DublinAirport . But , my flight was delayed over 2hrs., so no hope of making connection.Eventually got flight to Barcelona, had to change terminals ( a bit of a nightmare, brutal signposting) & caught @Ryanair flight to Dublin.Drove home to Killarney( big delays with motorway maintenance on M7 & N21.Got home at 1.30am. Friday morning joined All Ireland GAA Golf Challenge players @Killarney1893 & @Beaufortgolf , helping to raise funds for #Gather4McGahan (Catriona) , then went @CrokePark for the v well organised @officialgaa Champion15 event. Back home to Killarney, Saturday morning . Caught up with a few jobs, then onto Little Island, Cork for wedding of Tracey & Colman , Back to Kerry Sunday morning . Sunday evening went to 2 funerals , my great friend & champion canvasser , the wonderful Tommy Counihan in Macroom & Martina Ní Shuilleaháin - daughter of ex @MunsterGaa Chair , Gerry & sister of former Cork hurlers , Diarmaid ‘The Rock’ & Paudie . Home again to Kerry & left at 2am to come to Strasbourg via @Airport_FRA . Made it on time to attend @EPPGroup meeting, opening & voting @europeanparliament , chairing @FineGael delegation meeting & attending & voting @EU_ENV . Now 10pm, time for a scoop, a spud. & a sleep !! Sin an saol ! 🧐