Posts

How England's starting eleven performed against Wales

Image
It was a comfortable victory for England over Wales in their international friendly. The match was a great opportunity for Tuchel to see how his side cope without Harry Kane Author | Josh T Stadium |  Wembley Stadium How the match was won Morgan Rogers extended his fine form from the Serbia game by converting Marc Guehi’s cross after just four minutes. Club team-mate Ollie Watkins doubled England’s advantage from close range seven minutes later. Bukayo Saka then curled a left-foot shot high past Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow to register his 13th international goal. How the players rated Jordan Pickford | A history-making night for the keeper as he broke the record he shared with Gordon Banks for consecutive clean sheets, now standing at eight. Made a smart save to deny David Brooks but was otherwise rarely troubled | 6.5 Ezri Konsa | The Aston Villa defender was moved to right-back as John Stones came into the centre, covering for the injured Reece James. Konsa looked solid as ...

Man United prepared to give manager three years to turn the reds around

Image
Manchester United are prepared to give their manager three years to turn things around This is despite their inconsiderate start to the season Author | Olivia T Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists he will not take a “kneejerk” decision to sack Ruben Amorim and has indicated he will afford the head coach three years to demonstrate his capabilities at the club.  Amorim has been under pressure, having struggled to turn the club around. The 40-year-old has been in charge for 11 months but is yet to win back-to-back league games and the team sit 10th. READ MORE | Visit GM Super News for the latest Man United match reports United have picked up 37 points from his 34 league games, finished 15th last season, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby in August. Amorim has faced questions over his 3-4-3 formation, which is yet to pay dividends despite a summer net spend of about £170m. Ratcliffe is regarded as a key supporter of Amorim but the head coach has admitted that if results do ...

A vital win for Scotland in qualifying campaign

Image
Scotland 3 -  1 Greece Scotland moved closer to a World Cup play-off place as Lewis Ferguson scored his first international goal to inspire a dramatic comeback against a dominant Greece at Hampden. Author | Sean M Stadium | Hampden Park In his record-equalling 71st game in charge, head coach Steve Clarke’s side sought revenge for their Nations League relegation at the hands of Greece at the same stadium in March. For more than an hour, Scotland struggled against the visitors, who looked certain to be ahead by at least three goals before Roma left-back Kostas Tsimikas converted a rebound just after the hour. The Tartan Army voiced their frustration loudly, but Ryan Christie quickly restored parity from a corner, with his effort surviving a lengthy VAR review, setting the stage for a remarkable turnaround. Ferguson then struck from close range following a scrappy free-kick with 10 minutes remaining, turning tension into euphoria as Clarke’s side seized a priceless lead. The victo...

England ease to comfortable friendly win over Wales

Image
England 3 - 0 Wales A fairly straightforward evening for England as they prepared for their upcoming qualifier against Latvia. Author | Lauren W Stadium | Wembley Stadium Head coach Thomas Tuchel kept faith with the squad that delivered his most emphatic victory, a 5-0 win over Serbia in Belgrade, and they produced another commanding performance. England overwhelmed Wales in the opening stages, taking a three-goal lead within 20 minutes. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers extended his fine form from the Serbia game by converting Marc Guehi’s cross after just four minutes. Club team-mate Ollie Watkins, deputising for the injured captain Harry Kane, doubled England’s advantage from close range seven minutes later. Bukayo Saka then became Arsenal’s highest England goalscorer with a brilliant strike, curling his left-foot shot high past Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow to register his 13th international goal. Rogers also struck the woodwork after the break. Although Wales improved as England’s t...

England explore back-up options for Harry Kane

Image
The England manager considers Harry Kane alternatives Thomas Tuchel is assessing options ahead of the friendly against Wales after Kane suffered an injury, though with World Cup qualification likely, the absence is not seen as critical. Author |  William G Kane's influence on the team is clear. The captain has scored a record 74 goals in 109 appearances, while the rest of the squad has combined for 53. Since his debut in 2015, Kane has contributed 26.4% of England’s goals, with Raheem Sterling, last capped at the 2022 World Cup, the only other player to reach 20 goals. Ollie Watkins In Tuchel’s squad, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is the most likely candidate to step in. Watkins frequently replaced Kane from the bench during last summer’s Euros, including scoring the winner against the Netherlands in the semi-finals. He has five goals in 19 caps but has managed only one goal for Villa this season. A memorable moment for Ollie Watkins and England... pic.twitter.com/ueEePB0R1F —...

Mixed fortunes for the English sides in the Women's Champions League

Image
The league phase of the Women's Champions League has begun... There were mixed fortunes for the English sides, including a defeat for last year's winner. Author | Josh T The action started at Meadow Park as Arsenal hosted Lyon.. A bad start for Arsenal in the defence of their crown Melchie Dumornay punished Arsenal’s defensive errors with two quick goals as Lyon overcame the reigning Champions League holders in the opening round of the league phase. Renee Slegers made five changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League, but the alterations failed to have the intended impact. Arsenal had started brightly and were rewarded when Alessia Russo put them ahead. However, their attempts to play out from the back repeatedly invited pressure, allowing Lyon, eight-time winners of the competition, to seize control. Once in front, the French champions dominated possession, leaving Arsenal to rely on long balls towards Russo in a frustrated search for ...

Is the Scotland national team on the verge of history?

Image
Scotland v Greece Preview A win here would be a huge statement of intent from Scotland as they look to secure a place in next summer’s World Cup. Author | Alan White Stadium | Hampden Park Let's explore where Scotland's game against Greece might be won and if they have to what it takes to reach their first World Cup since 1998. Fortress Hampden? Hampden Park has history, but it is not always easy to say it has heart and soul when Scotland play there. There have been thunderous exceptions, of course. The 2-0 victory over Spain in March 2023 , complete with Rodri’s tears, remains unforgettable, as does the storm-lashed triumph over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Georgia a few months later, inspired by Scott McTominay. Scotland v Spain | Euro 2024 Qualifying An arena unloved by many, Hampden still has the capacity to shake on its best nights. Scotland will need one of those on Thursday, when Greece arrive in Glasgow desperate to revive their own World Cup hopes while denting those of the...