Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Darragh Ó Sé on fearful football, Brendan Rodgers rocked in Gibraltar, Rory McIlroy says Olympic golf doesn’t matter and Dan Martin holds on to third place

Brendan Rodgers saw his Celtic tenure begin with a humiliating defeat to Gibraltan side Lincoln Red Imps. Photograph: PA
Wed Jul 13 2016 - 08:32

Darragh Ó Sé on fearful football

In his column today Darragh Ó Sé has become the latest critic of last Sunday’s Connacht final between Galway and Roscommon, but he suggests it is fear - rather than a defensive mentality - which is stifling the game.

He writes: “The problem with Gaelic football these days isn’t that teams are setting up defensively. It’s that they’re doing it badly. And they’re doing it badly because they’re scared of doing anything else.

“Players are playing to a script laid down by managers and those scripts are just dripping with fear. Teams are basing their gameplans around a fear of what the opposition will do to them. That is no way to live. It’s certainly no way to play football.”

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However Sean Moran takes a more sympathetic view of the dull draw in Salthill: “But uppermost in both teams’ minds was the desire not to lose at the last minute and taking chances with a slippery ball in marshland conditions was not going to happen with the prospect of a replay on the table.”

Red Imps show great character

Brendan Rodgers Celtic tenure got off to a humiliating start as he saw his side lose 1-0 away to Gibraltan side Lincoln Red Imps last night. The winning goal was scored by Lee Casciario, who works as a policeman rather than a footballer.

McIlroy to concentrate on the important stuff

The Open starts tomorrow yet much of the talk at Royal Troon yesterday centred around the Olympics, with Rory McIlroy making it clear he has no regrets over his decision to pull out of the games.

He said: “I’ll probably watch the Olympics. But I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch...Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, stuff that matters.”

Martin remains third

Dan Martin remains in third place in the Tour de France and 19 second behind leader Chris Froome after yesterday’s 10th stage, which was won by Australia’s Michael Matthews. Today sees stage 11 from Carcassonne to Montpellier.

What to watch out for:

Cycling

Stage 11 of the Stade de France from Carcassonne to Montpellier (TG4 1.10pm-4.50pm, Eurosport 1 1.15pm-4.30pm, ITV4, 2pm-4.30pm)

Golf

British Open practice (Sky Sports 1, 2pm-5pm)

GAA

U-21 hurling semi-final between Waterford and Clare (TG4 7.30pm)