Advertisement
Spectators watch the Munster minor football semi-final in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Tipperary beat Cork by 1-10 to 1-9. ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
Early Doors

The Morning Score: Thursday

Everything you want to know by 9AM, unless your surname is Ferdinand or Dalglish.

Every morning theScore.ie brings you the stories you need to know before your first cup of coffee.

1. #LONG LIVE THE KING The honeymoon relationship between John Henry’s FSG and Liverpool supporters is (un)officially over after the club sacked Kenny Dalglish after a poor league season.

A change was appropriate’ read a statement from the club, a statement which was only released around two full hours after the footballing world had already heard the news.

By the time Liverpool reacted, attention had turned to who may be Dalglish’s successor. Andre Villas Boas and Roberto Martinez are thought to be the likely men updating their CV this morning.

2. #RIO V ROY The Liverpool debacle has almost buried news of Roy Hodson’s announcemnet of the 23-man squad that, he hopes, will carry England to Euro 2012 glory.

His big call was to include John Terry and omit Rio Ferdinand – for ‘ footballing reasons’ of course. While he has also picked four players from his former club, Liverpool. They include Stuart Downing and Andy Carroll. Watch out, Ukraine.

Last night, Ferdinand, 33, dropped a subtle hint that he may retire from international football.

3. #TENSION MOUNTS Ulster flanker, Chris Henry, has hit back (kind of) at Brian O’Driscoll’s assertion that ‘he slows the ball down and gets away with it’. Speaking to TheScore.ie Henry said: Brian’s talking about us slowing  the ball down, but I think Leinster are very very good at it too.

The pair will come face to face shortly after 5pm in Saturday’s Heineken Cup final.

4. #GIRO Roberto Ferrari narrowly avoided a late crash as he sprinted clear of the bunch to win stage 11 of this year’s Giro D’Italia. The result leaves Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha in the pink jersey as overall leader.

5. #GAA The championship may have officially kicked off in New York last week, but this weekend will see the real openers so teams are being named all over the country.

In Ulster, Cavan host Donegal and their new boss Terry Hyland has named a youthful starting line-up with seven changes from the rabble which ended the league campaign with a heavy defeat to Antrim. Galway, meanwhile, have named two debutants in the side to face Roscoommon.

Ireland’s ’12th man’ all set for Poznan

Forward thinking: Lampard wary of Bayern attackers