European Super Football

Derby County 4 - 0 Portsmouth Derby County brought an emphatic end to their poor form as they cruised to victory against lowly Portsmouth in the Championship. Author - Chris C Kane Wilson gave Derby - a side that had won just one of their previous 11 games and none of their past six - the ideal start as he slotted home the opener with a first-time finish after cleverly being picked out in the box by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. Eiran Cashin powered home a header from a corner to double the first-half advantage before Ebou Adams soon made it 3-0 at Pride Park with a close-range effort that was deflected in by Pompey defender Tom McIntyre. Marcus Harness then forced a fourth against his former side, with his dancing run into the box ending with a cutback pass that pinged off Pompey captain Marlon Pack for an own goal. A closer look at what happened The game in the East Midlands was the first between the Rams and Pompey since they came up together from League One last season, with Portsmo...

 Northampton Town 1 - 0 Derby County Derby's dreams of promotion took a hit as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against mid-table Northampton, dealing a significant blow to their aspirations. It was a tough loss for Derby, with Northampton securing their first victory in six games, and notably, their first-ever win against Derby. Sam Hoskins emerged as the hero for Northampton, scoring his 15th goal of the season with a strike in the first half. Initially, Derby seemed to have control of the game, enjoying the lion's share of possession. However, they squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 20th minute when Martyn Waghorn missed a clear chance, side-footing the ball over the bar with the goal gaping. More news from across the English Football League League One news and stories Against the flow of the game, Northampton seized their chance midway through the first half. Louis Appere chased down a long ball and displayed excellent awareness to find Hoskins, w...

 Derby County 2 - 0 Carlisle United Derby County secured promotion to the Championship after a confident and assured final-day win against already-relegated Carlisle United at a jubilant Pride Park Stadium. The Rams required only a draw against the division's bottom side to end their two-year stay in League One. However, Max Bird's powerful and curving shot from outside the box, which found the back of the net after just five minutes, had Derby County supporters singing and celebrating to the tune of 'we are going up'. James Collins then sealed Paul Warne's side's promotion with a composed and close-range finish on the hour mark to complete the victory. This marks 50-year-old Warne's fourth time leading a team to promotion from League One, having previously achieved this feat three times with Rotherham United as they alternated between the second and third tiers of English football. Click here to find more stories from the English Football League The be...

Derby County 1 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday A dramatic injury-time goal from Jamal Lowe, following a sensational strike by Barry Bannan, completed a stunning comeback for Sheffield Wednesday as they overcame Derby County at Pride Park. Author - Chris C Derby, urged by manager Paul Warne to start with more urgency, appeared to heed the call when Ebou Adams fired them into the lead after just nine minutes. Adams coolly converted Marcus Harness' fizzing cut-back, setting the tone for a bright first half for the hosts. Returning loanee and top scorer Jerry Yates had two golden chances to extend Derby’s lead after the break. His close-range effort was brilliantly saved by Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle, and minutes later, his header rattled the crossbar following a corner. However, Derby’s inability to double their advantage proved costly. On his 35th birthday, Barry Bannan delivered a moment of magic, curling a sublime left-footed strike from the edge of the box into the top ...

Middlesbrough have released a statement regarding a compensation claim against fellow Championship side Derby County  The statement reads: "MFC is aware of the media speculation regarding its claim against Derby County and has read last night's statement by the EFL. The club wishes to ensure that, to the extent possible given that the arbitration claim is confidential, the full facts are in the public domain, rather than ill-informed speculation." Why are they making a claim now? "MFC became aware that Derby County was cheating under the P&S Rules during 2018/19. MFC first intimated a claim against Derby County in May 2019 immediately following the end of the 2018/19 season. The claim was held in abeyance whilst the EFL Disciplinary Proceedings against Derby County were followed through to a conclusion.  "MFC then sent Derby County a Letter Before Action in the autumn of 2020 and started arbitration proceedings against Derby County in January 2021. Derby...

Derby County are in the news again News reports indicate that Derby County boss Wayne Rooney turned down the chance to talk with Everton about their managerial vacancy.  He wants to stay and help Derby out of the mess that threatens their entire existence.    (Wayne Rooney also had a spell playing for Derby) Rooney said: "Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the job, but I turned them down, It was a difficult decision. I believe I will be a Premier League manager and that I am ready for that 100%." He added: "If that comes with Everton, great. But I have a job at Derby, which is important to me." Derby were docked 21 points, their main signings were free agents and loan deals. He turned down the Everton managerial job because helping Derby avoid relegation is "important" to him. I'd be the happiest human if Wayne Rooney manages to keep Derby up. Legend! ❤ #mufc pic.twitter.com/rq7Ey2a1QY — UtdFaithfuls (@UtdFaithfuls) January ...

Swansea City 1 - 1 Cardiff City Callum Robinson came off the bench to rescue a point for Cardiff City with a late equaliser against arch-rivals Swansea City, securing their first point of the season in the South Wales derby. Liam Cullen had ignited the already charged atmosphere by putting the Swans ahead after just 10 minutes, capitalising on a rebound after Ronald’s volley was parried by Ethan Horvath. Cardiff seemed destined for a sixth derby defeat in seven matches after a lacklustre first-half performance, but manager Erol Bulut's substitutions sparked a significant improvement, leading to Robinson’s well-crafted equaliser. The 79th-minute goal shifted the mood inside the Swansea.com Stadium. Although the Bluebirds couldn’t find a winner, this draw will have felt like a small victory after their tough start to the season, having lost their first two games with a combined score of 7-0. This was the first draw between the two teams since 2020 and a relatively subdued affai...

Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 Derby County Josh Windass scored an extraordinary goal from deep inside his own half as Sheffield Wednesday cruised to a convincing victory over Derby County in the Championship. Author - Chris C Windass picked up the ball in his own defensive third and unleashed a stunning strike from over 60 yards, sailing it perfectly over Derby’s goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. Barry Bannan, Djeidi Gassama, and Anthony Musaba also got on the scoresheet for the Owls, while Jerry Yates and Ebou Adams managed consolation goals for the Rams. A closer look at what happened as Wednesday move up the table The breakthrough came after lively wing-back Gassama exposed the lack of pace in Derby defender Sonny Bradley, delivering a low cross that left Bannan with a simple finish. Derby initially struggled but began to find their rhythm. Efforts from Kane Wilson and Nat Phillips forced good saves from Wednesday keeper Jack Beadle, while Yates hit the post just before half-time...

 Derby County have been docked 12 points by the English Football League, sending them to the bottom of the Championship. (A picture taken from outside their ground in 2012) The club has also confirmed the appointment of administrators. Wayne Rooney’s side had picked up a credible 10 points from eight games but are now six points adrift of second-bottom and rivals Nottingham Forest. The chief executive of the English Football, Trevor Birch, added in a statement: “I appreciate that this is a challenging and concerning period for everyone associated with the club, particularly the staff and supporters, and it is our intention to work proactively with the administrators and all relevant parties with the objective of securing a long-term and viable future for Derby County.” Click here to read more news from the English Football League A truly bleak situation for the club Derby also stands to be deducted a further nine points, and given a suspended three-point deduction, for a separate...

The Joint Administrators of Derby County have released a statement to update fans on the current situation. It starts: This statement provides a summary of progress to supporters and the media in respect of Derby County Football Club. As we have previously reported, we are dealing with a large number of sensitive issues and felt that issuing reactive statements in response to the recent statements issued by various related parties would at best be unhelpful and also may hinder or prejudice discussions we are having with the same parties. Our perceived lack of recent communication has therefore been both tactical and deliberate. The full statement which can be read here includes a section on the claims from two EFL clubs. This section says: "These have been well documented both by us previously and more recently, by others making statements. We do not think it would be helpful, in view of the sensitivity of these matters, to elaborate on the discussions we have been having other...

Birmingham City have announced the appointment of Wayne Rooney as their new manager. The 37-year-old former England captain has joined the Championship club on a three-and-a-half-year deal. He succeeds Blues head coach John Eustace, who was perhaps controversially sacked after 15 months in charge. Read the stories behind a football icon.  The new American owners of Blues, Shelby Companies Limited, have made their first managerial change by appointing the ex-Everton and Manchester United striker. They took over the club in July.  In his new role, Rooney will be supported by his former England team-mate Ashley Cole alongside his old United colleague John O'Shea, the assistant coach of the Republic of Ireland men's national team. Carl Robinson and Pete Shuttleworth will also be part of Rooney's backroom staff after both assisted him at DC United. Click here to read more news from the EFL Wayne Rooney's managerial career will continue with his third job in management, f...

Bristol City 1 - 1 Cardiff City Luke McNally's powerful header earned Bristol City a hard-fought point in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Cardiff in the Severnside derby. Cardiff's Anwar El Ghazi came close to scoring in the first half, hitting the post from close range in what was otherwise a period dominated by Bristol City. However, it was Cardiff who took the lead after the break, with Ollie Tanner producing a moment of magic—beating two defenders and smashing the ball into the top corner after Bristol City carelessly lost possession. Cardiff had chances to extend their lead but were wasteful, and they paid the price when McNally headed in the equaliser on 73 minutes. This came after Fally Mayulu hit the post, and Cardiff struggled to clear the resulting pressure fully. A draw seemed a fair outcome, though it did little to boost either side’s momentum ahead of the international break. Both teams have had underwhelming seasons, with Bristol City sitting 17th in the Champio...

Celtic 3 - 0 Rangers Celtic continued their recent dominance in the Glasgow derby with a straightforward win over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. Arriving as strong favourites on their home turf, the champions weathered an early burst of energy from Rangers before reasserting their familiar control. Daizen Maeda calmly finished from close range after a cross from Alistair Johnston, with Rangers caught off guard from a simple throw-in. Earlier, Kyogo had a goal disallowed for offside against Nicolas Kuhn. Still, the Japanese striker soon added to his impressive derby tally with a precise strike from the edge of the box. Rangers were fortunate not to be further behind by half-time and came out with more intensity in the second half. However, Cyriel Dessers squandered a key chance, firing tamely at Kasper Schmeichel when a sharper finish could have reignited the game. The second half was more subdued, with chances for both sides. Kyogo surprisingly hit the side-netting after bein...

Fulham were unable to find a breakthrough in the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic as they were held to a 0-0 draw by bottom club Derby at Craven Cottage. They were seeking an eighth successive win but they were denied by Wayne Rooney’s side. The home side were left frustrated after being unable to capitalise on a succession of good chances.  Let's have a look at some of the best reaction Wayne Rooney said after the game: “It is a good point, a very difficult game against one of the best teams in the division. After the last week, to get four points against Bournemouth and Fulham, they deserve credit for that.” “I give the players big demands every day and they haven’t let me down one bit, We’ll keep fighting and pushing, you never know – even if there’s a small chance of staying up.” Here's @WayneRooney on 'a good point' at Fulham! 🗣️ #DCFC — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) November 24, 2021 Silva added: “It wasn’t our best performance but we created enough to win...

Derby County are not going down without a fight.  An immense performance against promotion West Brom left them still well adrift at the bottom of the Championship. There's still plenty of hope within the club.  Their sixth league win of the campaign came thanks to a defensive howler. This gifted substitute Colin Kazim-Richards the only goal of the game. Kazim-Richards could well turn out to be key in their bid for survival in the second tier of English football. That level of experience is always important. After the match, Rooney told the BBC and other media outlets: "I could see something happening between the defender and the goalkeeper. Them getting so close to each other, you hoped it would fall for us. It did and he [Kazim-Richards] put in a nice finish. "The administrators have confirmed they have had bids from other companies and it needs to be done before January. I'm trying to plan for the future of this club and if it keeps dragging on, it's not hel...

 Brentford 3 - 2 Fulham Brentford's impressive Premier League season continued as they overcame west London derby rivals Fulham. This kept their hopes of European football very much alive. Tony impresses again Bees' striker Ivan Toney was the talisman. He made it 22 successes out of 22 from the penalty spot for Brentford as they closed to within three points of sixth-placed Newcastle United. He was outstanding here as his side secured a deserved three points. Thomas Frank's side made a lightning start and could have scored three times even before Ethan Pinnock's shot deflected off Tim Ream to put Brentford ahead after only six minutes. Click here to read more news and stories from Brentford Football Club>>> A rare setback for Fulham in their bid for European qualification Fulham are having an outstanding season of their own, and they finally gained a foothold before drawing level six minutes before the break when Israel forward Manor Solomon continued his r...

 Football is the most popular sport across the continent.  This has resulted in thousands (possibly millions) of articles being published each year, all of which combined analyse every inch of the beautiful game.  The disadvantage of this is if you want to read some insightful analysis, it's hard to know where to start. We're here to help. Let's explore some of the best football blogs and articles published in recent months. " Floodlights " ( CC BY 2.0 ) by  It's No Game From Media Referee -  Can Wayne Rooney’s Derby County build a successful future? This interesting article from Media Referee looks at the future of Derby County. After suffering a points deduction, many experts said they were certainties to get relegated and face a grim future. However, this article points out that Derby does have a lot going for them.  Icons: Wayne Rooney Since the article was published, Derby have gone on a great run leading to some changing their predictions....

We're having a throwback to September 2006. This was a time when the mood at Goodison Park was very different. When the 'big clubs' visited Everton at that point, the Toffees usually expected to cause a shock. Author - Sarah W  Do you remember when Everton played Liverpool in 2006? Andy Johnson and Tim Cahill were outstanding for the Toffees. eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/search/label... youtu.be/lMQtkPJd634?... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 6 December 2024 at 14:18 This resounding 3-0 victory over Liverpool in the September 2006 Merseyside derby was their biggest derby triumph in 42 years. It was achieved with a clinical performance and solid defensive organisation. Let's have a closer look at what happened. Tim Cahill opened the scoring after 23 minutes, capitalising on a loose ball to slot home from close range. Just 12 minutes later, Andrew Johnson doubled Everton’s lead. He pounced on a defensive error by Jamie C...

 Let's travel across Europe for some talking points Spain: Bellingham shines for Madrid The former Borussia Dortmund midfielde r again proved Real Madrid’s match-winner, scoring in injury time to snatch a 2-1 La Liga victory over Getafe. Real Madrid played their first home game at the Bernabéu this season. Liam is a Manchester United fan, and watched the game on TV: "Bellingham is a special player. I really wish he was playing for Manchester United." You can see some highlights in the video below. Footage from  LaLiga - YouTube Italy: Napoli lost at home to Lazio The Italian champions, Napoli, faced their first loss of the season when they were defeated 2-1 at their home ground by Lazio. It was a surprising turn of events as Lazio's Luis Alberto scored the opening goal with a clever backheel after 30 minutes, despite Napoli dominating the game. Napoli, now under the management of Rudi Garcia, who took over from Luciano Spalletti in June, quickly levelled the score...

Dundee United 2 - 2 Dundee Dundee twice came from behind to deny Dundee United a victory in their Scottish Premiership return, as the first city derby in over two years lived up to its billing as the game of the weekend. There was a fantastic atmosphere created by both sets of fans. After a dull start on Saturday with two 0-0 draws, three early goals set the new top-flight season ablaze. Dundee gave their hosts a guard of honour before last season's Championship flag was raised, then left Kristijan Trapanovski plenty of space to slot the opener after just 13 minutes. Seb Palmer-Houlden equalised from close range five minutes later, but Miller Thomson restored United's lead with a similar finish—all within the first 15 minutes of the game. United deserved their lead, but Dundee finished stronger in a thrilling end that saw a Luke McCowan penalty 11 minutes from time. Dundee United now remain unbeaten in seven derbies , while Dundee have not won at Tannadice in their last 13...