Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Jim McGuinnes returns - and says Dublin are beatable, Gerry Thornley on squad for South Africa tour, O’Brien bullish about US Army Ranger and Martial missing for West Ham

Horses at Ballydoyle. Photograph: Irish Times
Tue May 10 2016 - 08:36

Jim McGuinness returns

Today sees the return of Jim McGuinness’s weekly column, and he begins by assessing the major players in this summer’s Championship and their chances of dethroning Dublin in September.

He writes: “The All-Ireland champions have cast such a formidable spell over the football scene that it is difficult for people to see past another sweep. My feeling is that they are beatable. They are absolutely beatable.”

McGuinness believes it will be the usual suspects - Kerry, Donegal, Mayo et al - who have the best chance of troubling Dublin, and suggests the men from the West are most capable of doing so.

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“I believe Mayo have the potential to beat Dublin in an All-Ireland final. But it remains to be seen if they will take the action required to make that happen.”

Gerry Thornley column

In his column today Gerry Thornley looks at the likely make-up of Joe Schmidt’s squad for Ireland’s tour of South Africa, and suggests Munster’s poor season and failure to make the play-offs could hinder the chances of a number of their players of making it onto the plane.

Ballydoyle ahead of Derby

Brian O’Connor was at Ballydoyle yesterday to speak to Aidan O’Brien about his prospects for next month’s Epsom Derby, and he defended the performance of main hope US Army Ranger at Chester: “At Chester he had to learn more in one race what he should be learning in two of three races. He’s the horse that’s probably open to the most improvement.

“I’m going to hope he’s not too babyish and will be able to take it [IN THE DERBY].”

Martial injured for West Ham clash

Tonight will be an emotional one for West Ham fans as they take on Manchester United in the final ever game at Upton Park. A win will be huge for the visitors in their push for Champions League football, but they head to the Boleyn Ground without key man Anthony Martial who has failed to recover from a hamstring injury.

What to watch out for:

Football

Manchester United travel to Upton Park to play West Ham (SS1, 7.45pm)

There is a full programme of League of Ireland fixtures tonight, with Derry City welcoming Finn Harps in the televised game (Setanta, 8pm ko)