Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Football

Football icons: Lionel Messi

Is Lionel Messi the greatest footballer? Let's take a quick look at some of greatest moments and then let you decide if he's better than Cristiano Ronaldo.  2011 Champions League semi-final v Real Madrid Messi gave Guardiola’s legendary Barca side the lead in the 76th minute and added a second shortly afterwards with one of his best ever goals. They would go onto win the competition, beating Manchester United 3-1 in the final. Five goals v Bayer Leverkusen  These five Champions League goals earned him a rare 10/10 rating from L’Equipe. He became the first player to score five goals in a single Champions League match. Six Ballon d'Ors The Argentinian had to cope with being level with Ronaldo for most Ballon d’Or wins until he won his his sixth in December 2019. During the 2018/2019 season, he scored an incredible 51 goals in 50 matches.  Solo goal v Athletic Bilbao in 2015 Copa del Rey final How good is this goal though? Enough said. Is he better than Cristiano Ronaldo

The latest transfer stories

Let's have another look at the latest confirmed transfers from around Europe. Before moving onto the rumours Memphis Depay to Barcelona. Confirmed Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Memphis Depay on a free transfer. Depay, who joined Lyon from Manchester United in 2017, will sign a two-year contract with the Barcelona. He will reunite with former Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman Ashley Young has returned to Aston Villa Only a few weeks after winning Serie A with Inter Milan, Ashley Young has announced that he will be returning to Aston Villa. Young previously played for Villa between 2007 and 2011 before signing for Manchester United ahead of the 2011/2021 season.  Ashley Young - I’m Coming Home pic.twitter.com/Mlt4UGt6HK — George (@BarronAVFC1) June 15, 2021 Fikayo Tomori joins AC Milan after successful loan spell Tomori joins Milan after they exercised the option to sign him permanently. This was part of his loan move from the Blues in January. The English defender o

Social media reaction as Scotland frustrate England

England and Scotland drew 0-0 draw at Wembley, leaving both countries with their hopes of reaching the knockout stage very much alive. More Euro 2020 reaction The England perspective Ian Wright said: "“There’s no way Foden should be leaving the pitch today… you’ve got Sancho on the bench - 15 goals and 20 assists a season - and he doesn’t even get on. We need to create… I’m embarrassed for us today.”  Jamie Carragher added: "Not creating chances for Kane is about others not him. "The problem in the two games is he doesn’t look fit or he’s tired at the end of a season. I said this after the Croatia game & got a bit of stick but it was the same tonight. " @PGR_analytics spoke about the impact of Jack Grealish: Jack Grealish in 27 mins of play against Scotland - Most Fouled player (4) First place medal - 100% Dribbling success rate  - 6 Ground duels won (100% Success rate)  - 87.5% Pass accuracy View the tweet here The Scotland perspective  Stephen O'Donnell

Two clips of Scotland fans preparing for their match against England

An estimated 25,000 Scotland fans have made the trip to London. As always, they look like they are having a great time.  (This picture was taken before their friendly at Wembley in 2013) Yes Sir, they can boogie Some Scotland fans decided to fly to London. A few of them enjoyed a rendition of 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' whilst they were at 30,000 of feet. The song by Baccara was originally released in 1977 and has become something of an unofficial anthem for Scotland fans in recent years. Scotland fans this afternoon: 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' 30,000 feet up in the air👏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/hRiWiGHKkj — Casual Ultra (@thecasualultra) June 17, 2021 They've got super John McGinn! The Aston Villa midfielder has become a favourite for Scotland fans since his debut for the national team in 2016. As a result, he is one of many players with his own chant.  This was filmed near Kings Cross.  #Scotland fans arriving at Kings Cross #ENGSCO #EURO2020 pic.twitter.

What are the best football documentaries and TV Series?

How has the world of football translated onto the small screen? We have picked some excellent documentaries and TV series that are worth a watch. Dream Team Dream Team was a drama that aired on Sky One from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club. It was certainly more dramatic than many of the Netflix and Amazon Prime series that are based on real-life football teams.  Sunderland ‘Till I Die Sunderland ‘Till I Die is a documentary series focusing on Sunderland A.F.C. The first series showcases their year in the Championship and a second successive relegation. During the second series, fortunes start to improve for the Tyne and Wear side, but it ultimately ends in heartbreak as they lose in the League One Play-Off Final. All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur This is a documentary series focusing on the 2019–20 season of Tottenham Hotspur. It showcases a difficult season for the club, beginning with the sacking of Mau

Three of the best moments from previous England v Scotland games

Ahead of England v Scotland in Euro 2020, let's have a look at some memorable moments from previous matches Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96  This goal at Euro 96 captured Gazza's genius: He knew exactly what he wanted to do with the pass. People still post on social media about this wonderful moment. In the build up to England v Scotland's game at Euro 2020, many fans are urging Phil Foden to recreate this iconic celebration.  More Euros news from Greater Manchester Football Leigh Griffiths free kick double at Hampden Park - 2017 A memorable game that saw Leigh Griffiths score two free kicks before Harry Kane scored a late equaliser for England. It was ultimately heartbreak for Scotland and relief for England and their fans. Scotland invade Wembley in 1977 The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams.  The 76/77 Championship came down to the final game between England and Scotland at Wembley on 4

Manchester United youngsters that could play a part next season

Manchester United have one of the most famous academies in the world The Busby Babes and the Class of 92 are all icons of the club. It will be interesting to see if the club can bring through players to have a similar impact in the future. Let's have a look at those who could play a part next season. Amad Diallo Amad signed from Atalanta in January 2021 and already has a goal for the first team, scoring against AC Milan in the Europa League. It will be interesting to see the part he plays during the 2021/2022 season Hannibal Mejbri The Frenchman has been highly touted for a couple of seasons since he joined the club from Monaco. He is capable of moments of magic and some describe him as a joy to watch. Many expect him to be lighting up Old Trafford at some point next season with the senior squad. More Manchester United news from Greater Manchester Football Shola Shoretire The teenager signed professional terms with the club during the 2020/2021 season and was immediately promot

Sergio Ramos best moments for Real Madrid

The iconic defender has announced that he is leaving Real Madrid. Let's have a look at his best moments in a Real Madrid shirt 2014 Champions League Final - Real Madrid 4 - 1 Atlético Madrid Ramos had an incredible scoring at Real Madrid. Over 100 goals for a defender is extraordinary. One of his most important came in the 2014 Champions League final. With his side trailing 1-0 deep into stoppage time, Ramos scored a 93rd minute equaliser sending the game into extra time. They went onto win 4-1 and secure their first Champions League since 2002.  Leading his club to three successive Champions League titles With the help of Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid went onto become the first team to retain Europe's premier competition in the Champions League era. Having missed out in 2015, they went onto win the competition in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The video below (uploaded to YouTube in 2016) shows five of his best goals. Greater Manchester Football - Sergio Ramos linked with a move to Manc

Can Brentford survive and thrive in the Premier League?

Brentford are looking forward to their first season in the Premier League The majority of their fans will also be walking into their new ground for the first time.  The video above looks at the build of the ground. Potential new signings Axel Tuanzebe  Manchester United's young defender is expected to be leaving Old Trafford on loan and Brentford could be a good option. We have also suggest that he could be on the way to Carrow Road.  Juan Mata Another Manchester United player. This would be a huge shock but he could be available on a free transfer. He would provide the club with an awful lot of experience. He has played in London before.The video below contains his best Chelsea goals. A quick Twitter search of Ivan Toney will show that they have been linked with many more players. It could prove to be a busy summer for the club. How good is Ivan Toney? Toney only moved to the club last summer and he impressed everyone, scoring 31 goals in 45 appearances. He adapted to the Cham

What exactly is the UEFA Europa Conference League?

The UEFA Europa Conference League is an upcoming football club competition run by UEFA for eligible European football teams. The competition will start at the beginning of the 2021/2022 season; it will primarily be contested by teams from the lower-ranked UEFA member associations. Before we go into more detail, the video offers one explanation. What Teams Will Qualify For The New Competition? The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams in the league path for each association: Nations ranked 1 to 5 will have one team. Nations ranked 6 to 15 will have two teams.  Nations ranked 16 to 50 will have three teams You can see the UEFA coefficient by clicking here Tottenham Hotspur will be England's representation in the upcoming competition. Their last season was a hugely disappointing one and it saw Jose Mourinho sacked before it concluded. They did finish it on a high to qualify for this new tournament. What is

Will Norwich City perform better in the Premier League next season?

Or does another relegation season beckon for The Canaries?  Norwich City were crowned winners of the Championship last season, but attention has quickly turned to how they will get on in the Premier League. There’s definitely a lot for Norwich to consider as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.  Reversing the trend for newly promoted clubs Norwich were promoted during the 2018/2019 season but struggled in their Premier League campaign and went straight back down. This is a story that has been replicated this season. Following promotion from last season’s Championship, Fulham and West Brom’s stay in the Premier League was cut short after a relegation.  The Canaries might look to Leeds United for inspiration on how to survive and thrive in the Premier League. Leeds have impressed everyone with their style of play and have utilised the transfer market well.  Burnley are also worth looking at. Since they were promoted back to the Premier League in 2016, they have managed t

Euros latest news and fixture announcements

GreaterManchesterFootball is the place for football news from across Greater Manchester. They are quickly becoming the go to place for football news from Greater Manchester and have gained over 18,500 page views since our launch in January 2021. The England manager resisted the temptation to play Jack Grealish and was rewarded with a superb performance from Sterling as England secured the win their superiority deserved. You can read their full match report here This page contains all the latest match highlights and social media reaction from the tournament.  This includes Scotland's 2-0 defeat in their opening game.  Before the game, their fans enjoyed a great rendition of "Yes sir, I can boogie!" ‘Yes Sir, I can can boogie’ #SCO pic.twitter.com/DcCzQoY3XG — Tom Dearie 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@tomdearie) June 14, 2021 Fixture announcement On the opening day of the season, champions Manchester City travel to Tottenham. Will this mean Harry Kane travelling to Spurs as a City p