James McClean isn’t one to back down, but he has little to gain in row with hometown club

For the moment at least, Derry City are adopting a fairly sanguine approach to the latest chapter in the James McClean saga. Their statement late on Tuesday afternoon was measured, although the pointed reference to McClean’s intervention coming “four days before the biggest match of the Club’s season” left no doubt as to how annoyed they are by the timing. Saturday’s FAI Cup semi-final against Galway United represents far bigger fish to fry.

Equally, though, they surely can’t imagine it will all just die down eventually. McClean isn’t in the habit of stepping back from conflict, particularly when he feels sinned against. In any public spat, it can be difficult sometimes to discern things like timelines and facts and truths. But the one thing you can take as read with McClean is that he’ll fight until there’s no more fighting to be done.