logo
Cliftonville hero Barry Johnston reveals what will give Reds the edge over Dungannon Swifts in Irish Cup Final

Cliftonville hero Barry Johnston reveals what will give Reds the edge over Dungannon Swifts in Irish Cup Final

Cliftonville legend Barry Johnston believes the Reds' big-game mentality gives them the edge over Dungannon Swifts in Saturday's Irish Cup decider.
The north Belfast side are hungry to keep hold of the glittering trophy, and this time, they don't have the weight of expectation and pressure of aiming to end the long wait for Cup success since 1979.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Parky influence hailed by Wrexham executive director Ker
Parky influence hailed by Wrexham executive director Ker

Leader Live

timean hour ago

  • Leader Live

Parky influence hailed by Wrexham executive director Ker

Parkinson was appointed by co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as the Reds' manager in July 2021 and in his four years at the helm, he has led Wrexham to three promotions. Speaking to Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman on The Sports Agents podcast, Wrexham executive director Ker said: 'He's been extraordinary and I think, again, people point to our success and there's, obviously, lots of debate about 'oh, have you thrown a lot of money? Have you done this, that and the other?'. 'I think the single greatest thing we did was hire Phil and say you're in charge. 'It's quite an old-fashioned way of doing things. We don't have a director of football. 'We don't have a head of data, a head of scouting, a head of this, that and the other. You're the manager. You're in charge.' The Wrexham story is now a prominent one around the world, thanks to the success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. Currently screening its fourth season, a further year has been commissioned when Wrexham take their place in the Championship, with viewers and fans being taken for more fly-on-the-wall peaks inside the changing room. While viewers have got used to these behind-the-scenes views, Ker says that Parkinson also has his say on what is filmed for the documentary. He added: 'He has complete carte blanche to turn them (cameras) away. 'But, also, he's come to understand, you know, I think at the start he was probably a little bit reluctant and you've seen the documentary. 'He has a long conversation with Rob, where I think Rob did impress upon him, you know, this is not like Sunderland 'Til I Die, because, actually, we control the cameras. 'So, you're not going to be made to look like a wally. You're not going to get egg on your face. 'We're not going to be intruding... and it's become this extraordinary situation where I think the relationship between Rob and Ryan and Phil, and our players, and dare I say myself and Rob and Ryan, and the players and Phil, we're all so, so close. 'It's a very stable environment. It's very rare, I think, for a manager to operate with as little peril as Phil has done over the last four years. 'There's, like, no point when we've had bad runs, where there's been anything approaching pressure.'

Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz
Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz

Rhyl Journal

timean hour ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz

The Reds had two bids rejected, the last one of £113m which would have seen £100m paid up front with performance-related add-ons, but have finally got the deal over the line. Liverpool will still pay an initial £100m – comfortably surpassing their own record outlay – but the performance-related add-ons, if achieved, would make it a potential British record. Leverkusen had valued the 22-year-old Germany international around £125m but regardless, Liverpool's overall outlay could surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton in 2023 for Moises Caicedo – who turned down Anfield after the Seagulls had accepted an offer which was subsequently matched by their Premier League rivals. Striker Darwin Nunez was their previous record signing in 2022, although they have not paid the full £85m as he has not met all the requirements for certain add-ons to be due. Liverpool, like a number of top European clubs, had been watching Wirtz for some time but did not consider themselves front-runners for his signature. However, after Manchester City pulled out, reportedly due to the spiralling costs of the whole package, and Wirtz expressed a preference for Merseyside over Bayern Munich, sporting director Richard Hughes changed gear. Talks were already ongoing with Leverkusen over Jeremie Frimpong, who became the first new addition to Arne Slot's squad in a £30m deal late last month, which made the line of communication easier. Hughes' connections with his former club Bournemouth mean he was also well-placed to progress talks with the Cherries over the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez, a player he originally brought to the Premier League. The full extent of Wirtz's fee will only be paid if Liverpool enjoy a sustained level of elite success and the club's view is that should that be the case, the considerable cost will have been recouped on the pitch. With Kerkez next on the list their summer spending could edge close to £200m, made possible by financial discipline in the last two windows which saw only Federico Chiesa brought in for a cut-price £10m last August. That approach was justified when Slot's team won the title but with their rivals strengthening it was apparent additions were required in certain areas. It is likely to be their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170m, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75m the previous January. Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their 'Moneyball' reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz, one of the hottest prospects in Europe, falls into that category. The fact the forward, who only turned 22 a month ago, opted for Anfield over more lucrative offers from other European clubs is also seen as validation of the work Slot has done and the squad he already has at his disposal.

Liverpool summer spending to smash £220m barrier with moves after Florian Wirtz
Liverpool summer spending to smash £220m barrier with moves after Florian Wirtz

Daily Mirror

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

Liverpool summer spending to smash £220m barrier with moves after Florian Wirtz

Arne Slot has Florian Wirtz - now more incomings will follow (Image: Getty Images) Liverpool have agreed a whopping £116m deal for German ace Florian Wirtz which could shatter the British transfer record. Wirtz, 22, will complete a move to Anfield next week after the Reds finalised a deal with Bayer Leverkusen - and their summer spending isn't complete, with Kop bosses prepared to smash the £220m barrier. The Reds will pay £100m upfront to the Bundesliga club with the rest due in add-ons which are linked to both the individual success of the player and the team. Wirtz, 22, has be given the green light to travel to Merseyside to undergo a medical and complete the formalities on a long-term contract with personal terms already sorted. The deal will be a record signing for the Reds in excess of the £85m they agreed to pay Benfica for Darwin Nunez in 2022. And should they hit all the add-ons in the deal it will surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023. The Reds did manage to negotiate a lower fee than the £127m package which Leverkusen were trying to hold out for. Wirtz made it clear he wanted to move to Merseyside late last month which gave the Reds a clear path to his signature. Manchester City and Bayern Munich had both tried to convince the Germany attacking midfielder to join them. READ MORE: Florian Wirtz transfer: When £116m star should make Liverpool debut after agreeing deal READ MORE: Seven Liverpool stars make feelings clear on Trent Alexander-Arnold after Real Madrid unveiling The £100m will be guaranteed but, like any modern deal, will be paid in instalments over a number of years while the add-ons will then be paid as and when they are triggered. It's a complex and complicated deal but nothing out of the ordinary for a player so highly-sought after and a financial package so eye-watering. The transfer window is now closed again until next week but deals can still be agreed and medicals done. The deal will be made official next week. Florian Wirtz will join Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Getty Images) Liverpool's spending this summer is set to go north of £220m as they look to land Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, who are holding out for £45m. Jeremie Frimpong has already been signed from Leverkusen for £29.5m. Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is arriving from Valencia for around £30m after spending last season on loan with the La Liga club. The Reds will hope to offset some of the big spending with player sales with £28m already brought in from Caoimhin Kelleher joining Brentford for £18m while they secured £10m from Real Madrid to release Trent Alexander-Arnold from his contract a month earlier. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store