European Super Football

It's time to explore another football icon  Paul Ince is a former English footballer and manager, who was most recently manager of Reading.  Author - Jack L Ince played professionally from 1986 to 2007, starting his career with West Ham United and later representing Manchester United, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town and Macclesfield Town in England, as well as Inter Milan in Italy.  Source | Inter Milan YouTube An interesting fact With a combined total of 271 league appearances for the two, Ince is one of the few players, especially in the Premier League era, to have represented both of arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester United . A closer look at his career Ince spent the majority of his playing career at the highest level; after breaking through with his boyhood club West Ham United in the Second Division. He joined Manchester United in 1989, where he won the Premier League twice, the  FA Cup  twice and the Footb...

Manchester United have announced that Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard will leave the club once their contracts expire Both players drew widespread attention as part of United's Youth Cup winning side of 2011. Pogba departs again.  A statement on United's website reads: "The club can announce that Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United at the end of June, upon the expiry of his contract." The Frenchman has enjoyed a long association with United, having joined the club's Academy from Le Havre at the age of just 16. Pogba quickly progressed through the ranks, first impressing in the Under-18s and then swiftly moving upwards to the Reserves. In the 2011/2012 season, he made a few appearances. However, in the summer of 2012, due to strong competition for places at Old Trafford, Pogba joined Italian giants Juventus. He quickly became a success at Juve as he helped them lift four consecutive Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias. However, in 2016, he made the emotion...

Could Paul Pogba be returning to Manchester? Reports suggest Manchester City are exploring the possibility of signing Paul Pogba as the midfielder prepares to return to professional football in March.  Author - Macca It is believed that Pogba is hesitant about a move back to Manchester due to his previous experiences with City’s fierce rivals, Manchester United. Pogba’s career has been on hold following a doping ban that initially sidelined him for four years. That suspension was recently reduced to 18 months, making him eligible to return to action in March 2025. The 31-year-old parted ways with Juventus in November, leaving him as a free agent. City are reportedly considering Pogba as they navigate one of the most challenging campaigns of Pep Guardiola’s tenure. A combination of injuries and recruitment struggles has left their squad stretched thin, particularly in midfield.  What's going wrong for Manchester City? Tottenham thrash Premier League champions Rodri’s absenc...

It's time to explore another iconic Euros moment.  Let's throwback to Euro 96. This was the first time England and Scotland had met in a major competition in seven years. A tactical analysis Terry Venables' 4-4-1-1 from the previous match gave way to something a little different. Manchester United's Gary Neville , who had just won the double with other members of the 'class of 92' was to join Stuart Pearce in flanking Tony Adams in a back three. Gareth Southgate stepped into midfield alongside Paul Ince, with Paul Gascoigne tasked with being a central creative outlet. Teddy Sheringham was to work off Alan Shearer up front. Darren Anderton and Steve McManaman would be rotated frequently between the wings throughout this match and the rest of Euro 96.  A brief match report After a scrappy, nervous first half, England stepped up a gear, and a peak-form Alan Shearer scored his second goal of the tournament with a superb header from a Gary Neville cross in the f...

Chesterfield 3 - 0 Boreham Wood Chesterfield secured the National League title and promotion to the English Football League with a comfortable win over Boreham Wood. Check out the scenes as Chesterfield were crowned champions. Footage from  Tom Pike - YouTube Jamie Grimes scored twice and Liam Mandeville scored immediately after halftime as the Spireites remain 21 points clear of nearest challengers Barnet, who defeated Dorking 6-0.  Chesterfield goalkeeper Harry Tyrer made an excellent early save from Tom Whelan's free-kick. However, the hosts took the lead in the 28th minute when captain Grimes headed home Mandeville's corner from near the penalty spot. Less than a minute into the second half, Mandeville scored to make it 2-0 after receiving a cross from Armando Dobra. The crowd of 9,907 was treated to Chesterfield's 100th league goal of the season when Grimes scored his second of the game, with Dobra providing an excellent assist. More reaction to Chesterfield...

 Let's explore the history of the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United.  It is considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in world football along with the Old Firm derby in Scotland and the Superclásico in Argentina. Gary Neville is a player that often symbolised the rivalry between the two clubs. This means more! Fans and players of both clubs have often argued that this rivalry means more than each local rivalry. People have often said hat the rivalry has been fuelled by the proximity of the two major cities that they represent, their historic economic and industrial rivalry, significant periods of domestic footballing dominance and European success, and their popularity at home and abroad, as two of the biggest-earning and widely supported football clubs in the world. Each club can also claim a level of historical supremacy. They are the most successful English teams in domestic, European and worldwide competitions. Between them they have won 39 league tit...

Manchester United 0-1 Atlético (aggregate 1-2) Renan Lodi headed the only goal against Manchester United to edge Atlético into the last eight The first half was high on endeavour but low on chances. It saw Anthony Elanga ]denied by the head of Jan Oblak from a low Bruno Fernandes cross before Rodrigo De Paul's deflected shot was pushed away by David de Gea. João Félix did have the ball in the net for the visitors, but Marcos Llorente had strayed offside before teeing up the Portuguese striker. It proved a short reprieve for United. João Félix's back-heel released Antoine Griezmann, who stood up an inviting cross to the far post for Renan Lodi to head in. The Red Devils increased the pressure after the break, and nearly levelled when Jadon Sancho's ferocious volley fizzed just over. Raphaël Varane thought he had forced extra time with a thumping header from Alex Telles' free-kick, but Oblak continued his stunning resistance as Atlético dug in to see out the remaining t...

 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...

QPR 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers Jack Colback fired home a stunning winner in the 76th minute to lift Queens Park Rangers to within three points of the Championship play-off spots with a hard-fought victory over Blackburn Rovers. Author - Craig H Stadium - Loftus Road QPR v Blackburn highlights - www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE1I... eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/p/efl-202420... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 5 February 2025 at 20:50 In a pulsating, end-to-end contest, substitute Colback struck first-time from the edge of the box to seal Rangers' first points in three games, continuing their resurgence since December. QPR had taken the lead early on when Ilias Chair’s inviting free-kick was glanced in by Michael Frey, netting his seventh goal of the season. Blackburn, however, responded strongly after the break, with Tyrhys Dolan levelling from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half following a foul by Koki Saito on Callum Brittain....

Hibernian 1 - 2 Celtic Let's have a look at how the match unfolded and some of the best reaction Kyogo Furuhashi inspired Celtic to their first trophy under Ange Postecoglou with a compelling Scottish League Cup final victory over Hibernian. The Japanese forward finished smartly to get Celtic level within a minute of them going behind to Paul Hanlon's towering header for Hibs. He was then too quick for Hibs' defenders as he latched on to a quick free-kick to lob Matt Macey and win Celtic the trophy. The Celtic boss was delighted Ange Postecoglou spoke with the media after the match: "I can't guarantee success, but I wanted to give the fans hope and they saw that from the first day. It hasn't been smooth, we have had ups and downs, but I think they saw hope in us. "The players are so resilient. I'm so happy they have had their rewards for it today." 🗣 Ange Postecoglou on Kyogo: “Good luck trying to keep him out today mate, there was no cha...

 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...

Chelsea v Barrow: Live social media posts and reaction from Stamford Bridge Barrow, who are joint top of League Two, started the night 64 places behind Chelsea in the football pyramid. Click here for more EFL Cup news and stories Live text commentary - How did the match unfold Full-time announcement Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a convincing win over League Two Barrow at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were too strong for the Bluebirds, despite manager Enzo Maresca making 11 changes to the team that defeated West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday. Chelsea 5 - 0 Barrow Nkunku completes his hat-trick . He tackled keeper Farman and passed the ball into an empty net. To be fair, after being 3-0 down, Barrow fans probably thought it should have been 7 or 8-0.  Chelsea 4 - 0 Barrow Two minutes after the restart, Pedro Neto scored his first Chelsea goal by tapping in after Mykhailo Mudryk's pass . Barrow fans are fearing a thrashing. Chelsea 3 - 0 Barrow T...

Manchester United 4 - 1 Chelsea Manchester United confirmed their place in the top four of the Premier League after cruising past Chelsea with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford. There was a great atmosphere at Old Trafford Casemiro gave his side the perfect start with a towering header from a Christian Eriksen set-piece after just six minutes, and while the visitors provided a threat in the first half, particularly as the break drew closer. United scored a second goal at a crucial time as Anthony Martial doubled the Red Devils lead deep into stoppage time. Erik ten Hag’s side came out strongly again after the interval, dominating the play but for David De Gea being called into a couple of saves. The Theatre of Dreams turned jubilant as their side steamed ahead with two more goals later in the half. More Premier League news:  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Bruno Fernandes was brought down by Wesley Fofana in the box, and the Portuguese converted the resulting pena...

Spain 3 - 3 Netherlands The match finished 5-5 on aggregate. Spain won 5-4 on penalties Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Estadio de Mestalla Spain had twice taken the lead in normal time, both courtesy of Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal. But Memphis Depay marked his 100th Netherlands cap with a penalty early in the second half, before debutant Ian Maatsen’s thunderous strike forced extra time. Yamal restored Spain’s lead with a stunning solo effort, curling a beauty into the far corner, but Xavi Simons hit back with another Dutch penalty after Simón had brought him down in the box. The shootout saw Lang rattle the crossbar before Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen kept out Yamal. However, Simón produced the crucial stop from Malen, allowing Pedri to send Spain through to a last-four clash with France. The victory extends Spain’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 matches, and they haven’t lost in the Nations League since a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in September 2022. A...

 Bromley 2 - 2 Solihull Moors  Bromley won 4-3 on penalties Bromley won on penalties against Solihull Moors  to secure a dramatic promotion to the English Football League for the first time in the club's 132-year history. Captain Byron Webster scored the winning penalty to maintain his 100% winning record at Wembley with four victories.  Bromley took the lead twice through their top scorer Michael Cheek, who calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner to open the scoring. Joe Sbarra equalized for Solihull shortly after the half-time break, but Cheek won and converted a penalty to put his side back in front.  This is the place for all the latest EFL news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Click here to find news from the world of Non League Solihull captain Jamey Osborne then equalised for the Moors once again to send the game into extra time. Neither side managed to find a winner, with Ravens substitute Alex Kirk twice hitting the woodwork....

 Manchester City 3 - 0 Sheffield United Riyad Mahrez scored the first hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final since 1958 as Manchester City outclassed Sheffield United at Wembley.  It was @ManCity who booked their #EmiratesFACup Final spot as @Mahrez22 bagged a hat-trick 🎩 — Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 22, 2023 It was a very straightforward afternoon for City as they start preparing for a big few weeks.  The Blades are in a superb position to go up automatically as they stand seven points clear of Luton in third place with a game in hand and going up, along with reaching an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. That would represent a fantastic season for manager Paul Heckingbottom and his team. Their fans will all be delighted with that. Jamie is a Man City fan from Sheffield. He said: "That was a professional performance from us. I hope the Blades go and get promotion now. I look forward to playing them again next season.  Let's explore some of the best Sheffi...

Nottingham Forest 1 - 8 Manchester United (February 1999) Do you remember when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored four goals in the last 11 minutes as United thrashed Forest? Author - Liam C Remember when United thrashed Forest 8-1 in February 1999? Highlights of that match here - youtu.be/HZg1D0nFWGg?... Visit eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com for a detailed throwback [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 1 April 2025 at 17:11 The visitors were already cruising to victory with two goals apiece from partners Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke when Solskjaer was sent on as a substitute. His first was a simple tap-in and three more goals followed as Forest's defence fell apart. Forest's veteran Dave Beasant made a series of good saves in the first half, but he was powerless as United registered the biggest away win since the Premiership's inception. This is a record that still stands today.  A closer look at what happened back in 1999 The first was ju...

It's time to for another sliding doors moment in football  We travel back to 2004. Manchester United face Porto in the last-16 of the Champions League.  Author - Liam C What actually happened? A ontroversial offside call against Paul Scholes became a pivotal moment in European football history. The disallowed goal cost United a place in the quarter-finals, while Porto, managed by the up and coming manager José Mourinho, went on to win the competition and launch Mourinho into the managerial elite. But what if Scholes hadn’t been ruled offside? How might this alternative scenario have changed the landscape of world and European football? Scholes wasn’t offside: United progress Had the linesman not flagged Scholes for offside, Manchester United would have progressed to the next round of the Champions League. Scholes' goal was legitimate, and had it stood, United would have won the tie on aggregate, knocking out Porto and ending their European dreams. With the Red Devils movin...