‘This is not politics, this is humanity’ Marcus Rashford has responded with a lengthy statement after his bid to extend free school meals over holiday periods was voted down by MPs. Fresh from scoring his team’s winner in Paris on Tuesday night, Rashford had started Wednesday by tweeting he would be keeping a close eye […]

5 years ago

Greenwood missed United’s last two games Manchester United have reportedly warned teenage forward Mason Greenwood about his discipline. The 19-year-old broke into the Ole Gunar Solskjaer’s first team during last season, finishing the campaign with an impressive tally of 17 goals. Having missed United’s last two games – away victories at Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain […]

5 years ago

United’s debt has more than doubled The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on Manchester United has been laid bare as the club announced its latest financial update on Wednesday. The release of United’s latest financial figures revealed the club’s debt has surged to £474.1 m – a staggering rise of 133 per cent in the last year. […]

5 years ago

‘This is not a Covid problem and these children haven’t been treated as a priority’ Marcus Rashford has hit back at a Conservative MP who took exception to the footballer suggesting some MPs are ‘turning a bind eye’ to the needs of children living in poverty in the UK. Fresh from his on-field heroics in […]

5 years ago

“There are a few reasons why they don’t do this job.” Jurgen Klopp has questioned Jamie Carragher after the Sky Sports pundit underlined the importance of bringing in another central defender to Liverpool. Discussing the fallout from the long-term knee injury picked up by Virgil van Dijk in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, Carragher appeared to suggest […]

5 years ago

We’ve been here before, haven’t we? For the second time in his career, Marcus Rashford scored a crucial late goal to seal victory for Manchester United away to Paris Saint-Germain. Not quite as late or dramatic as *that* penalty the season before last, but his winner secured United a winning return to the Champions League […]

5 years ago

What is it with Manchester United and penalties in Paris? Bruno Fernandes scored the first goal of Manchester United’s Champions League return from the spot away at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, though only at the second attempt. A foul on Anthony Martial presented United with the chance to take a first-half lead at the […]

5 years ago

“None of the players slept” News that Virgil van Dijk will be ruled out with a long-term knee injury has come as a massive blow to Liverpool’s hopes of retaining their Premier League title. Van Dijk, as you’re probably more than well aware by now, was clattered by Jordan Pickford during the opening stages of […]

5 years ago

*Checks year* It is is 2020. October 2020. Petr Cech is 38 years of age and was last seen playing football for Arsenal some time last season. Or was it the season before? We don’t even know. Which probably says a lot. All this considered, you can see why we – and pretty much everyone […]

5 years ago

Carragher speaks for all of us Jamie Carragher has tweeted his disapproval after reports emerged claiming Liverpool and Manchester United have entered into discussions over a proposed European Super League. According to a report by Sky News, the new competition – which will be known as the European Premier League – would see up to […]

5 years ago

Quiz time Yet again, the time has come to put your otherwise-pointless knowledge of football from years gone by to the test. The first in a new series of FootballJOE quizzes, we’re testing your knowledge of 2000s Champions League footballers. Below you’ll find 50 faces belonging to players who played in the competition at some […]

5 years ago

How quickly things change in football Only a matter of days ago, rumours swirled that all was not well between Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Bruno Fernandes. The Portugal international was substituted at half-time of United’s 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham earlier this month, and was followed by reports that he […]

5 years ago

Not to worry. Not like they’re up against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe Following their return to the competition, the Champions League draw could have been far kinder to Manchester United. As well as having to take on last year’s semi-finalists RB Leipzig in the group stages, they’ve also been pitted against beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain. […]

5 years ago

Quite possibly the hardest one yet We’ll level with you, we’re probably going to be saying that every week from now on. Five editions in, and things are getting increasingly tricky. Avid followers of the FootballJOE Badge Quiz will have noticed we’re scouring every corner of the globe now, not just picking the crests of […]

5 years ago

“He’s the best centre-half I’ve ever seen, he’s that good” Danny Murphy believes Liverpool are more vulnerable without Virgil Van Dijk after the defender was ruled out for a lengthy period with a knee injury on Sunday. The Dutch international was injured after a challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the early stages of […]

5 years ago

‘I’m ready for the challenge ahead’ Virgil van Dijk has vowed to return from injury ‘better, fitter and stronger,’ in an Instagram post shared on Sunday night. The Liverpool defender was injured after a challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the early stages of Saturday’s Merseyside Derby and was substituted minutes later. The […]

5 years ago

Van Dijk was substituted after 10 minutes of the Merseyside Derby Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp indicated he was concerned about the injury picked up by Virgil van Dijk during Saturday’s Merseyside Derby. Van Dijk was clattered by Jordan Pickford in a controversial incident during the early moments of the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park and […]

5 years ago

Pickford relayed his apologies to Van Dijk via Henderson Jordan Pickford has sent his apologies to Virgil van Dijk after his poorly-timed tackle saw the Liverpool defender leave the Merseyside Derby due to injury inside the opening ten minutes. After making a slow start, Everton were already trailing to Sadio Mane’s opener when the goalkeeper […]

5 years ago

Robinho had returned to the club only last week Former Manchester City and Real Madrid player Robinho has had his newly-signed contract with Santos suspended, a statement from the Brazilian club has announced. Santos had announced the 36-year-old’s return for a fourth stint at the club only last week, but a statement released on Friday […]

5 years ago

Caught your breath yet? Nah, us neither Liverpool were denied a late, late winner in an action-packed Merseyside derby on Saturday after Sadio Mane was deemed to be offside in the build-up to what had looked like a crucial goal from Jordan Henderson. Jurgen Klopp’s side had led twice after goals from Mane and Mo […]

5 years ago

Pickford somehow escaped punishment Most of those watching the dramatic early stages of the Merseyside Derby on Saturday afternoon will be wondering how, exactly, Jordan Pickford stayed on the field. 10 minutes in, with Everton already trailing to Sadio Mane’s third-minute opener at Goodison Park, Pickford clattered into Virgil van Dijk after a ball was […]

5 years ago

The tweet was described as ‘patronising’ and ‘out of touch’ Manchester United have deleted a tweet which asked supporters where they were watching Saturday night’s Premier League encounter with Newcastle United after complaints it was ‘patronising’. The game at St. James’ Park will be the first to be aired on a controversial new pay-per-view scheme […]

5 years ago

A lively start to the Merseyside Derby Virgil van Dijk had to be withdrawn through injury after less than 10 minutes of the Merseyside Derby on Saturday after being on the receiving end of a shocking challenge from Jordan Pickford. After a slow start from Everton, Liverpool had taken the lead through Sadio Mane inside […]

5 years ago

United did all they could to try and bring Bale to Old Trafford in 2013 By now, it’s little secret that David Moyes would have quite liked to have signed Gareth Bale when he arrived as Manchester United manager in 2013. After taking charge of United from Sir Alex Ferguson, Moyes identified Bale – along […]

5 years ago

Expect to hear plenty more about PBP For anyone naive enough to think a line had been neatly drawn under so-called Project Big Picture, well, think again. News of secret plans to shake up the structure of the Premier League and EFL broke last weekend. As part of the proposals, the size of the English […]

5 years ago

Another Merseyside Derby, another quiz This one is straightforward. Simply name any man to have scored a goal in any Merseyside Derby this century. All you need is their surname (or the first bit of it in some of the trickier-to-spell names) for the mark, and we’ve rather generously given you each player’s nationality *and* […]

5 years ago

“Whatever’s going on in his head, it’s all over the place” These are strange times we live in. Very strange indeed. So strange, in fact, that even Roy Keane appears to be mellowing a bit. Maybe. Over the last couple of years we’ve had more than a few examples of Keane delivering the bluntest of […]

5 years ago

“We’re all very quick to judge. There’ll be people ripping him apart on social media…” Harry Maguire’s wretched slump in form continued on Wednesday night, as his sending off for England contributed to a Nations League defeat by Denmark at Wembley. Buoyed by the weekend win over Belgium, England had controlled the early stages of […]

5 years ago

Maguire’s sending off proved crucial as England lost to Denmark Gareth Southgate has backed Harry Maguire to bounce back from his slump in form after the defender was sent off in England’s defeat by Denmark on Wednesday night. After England had controlled the early stages of their UEFA Nations League game with Denmark, two bookable […]

5 years ago

A disappointing night all round for England Reece James was shown a red card seconds after England lost their UEFA Nations League game with Denmark on Wednesday night. Denmark won the game thanks to a Christian Eriksen penalty in the first half, with Harry Maguire also sent off Gareth Southgate’s side before half-time for receiving […]

5 years ago

Fernandes is said to have doubts about Solskjaer Exactly how much truth there is to stories suggesting all is not well between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Bruno Fernandes isn’t clear at this stage, but the speculation doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. United’s 6-1 hammering at the hands of Tottenham has cast […]

5 years ago

Ronaldo became the world’s best player at Old Trafford, but he could easily have been plying his trade at Anfield instead The story of how Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in English football in the summer of 2003 has been widely told. As a teenage Ronaldo shone for Sporting Lisbon in a preseason friendly against them, Manchester […]

5 years ago

Balotelli is – again – eyeing a new challenge Former Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is close to joining a new club after becoming a free agent earlier in the year. After leaving Liverpool (initially on loan) in 2015, Balotelli had played for AC Milan, Nice and Marseille before returning to his home […]

5 years ago

Neymar reached another milestone for his country Neymar completed a hat-trick for Brazil on Tuesday night, helping his side to a 4-2 win over Peru in a World Cup qualifier in Lima. His first goal of the night came from the penalty spot and brought Brazil level after falling behind to an early Andre Carillo […]

5 years ago

The magic of the Nations League is alive and well Usually, when San Marino play a game of football, it only ends one way. The mountainous microstate’s football side only gained affiliation with UEFA and FIFA in the late 1980s and, since playing their first competitive game, have lost pretty much every time they’ve taken […]

5 years ago

Lyon expected Arsenal to return with a second bid For all the talk doing the rounds at the start of the summer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wanting out and Mikel Arteta having no money to spend, things didn’t work out too badly at all for Arsenal. Not only did they convince their Gabonese striker to ink […]

5 years ago

Aguero could be set to swap The Etihad for Milan After nearly a decade at the club, Sergio Aguero’s time as a Manchester City player could be drawing to a close. The Argentine, currently sidelined with the knee injury picked up in June, is in the final year of his contract at The Etihad, and […]

5 years ago

United’s attempts to play hardball backfired Amidst the chaos of a drama-filled transfer deadline day at Old Trafford last week, you might easily have missed the news that Sergio Romero’s eleventh-hour move from Manchester United to Everton had collapsed- much to the annoyance of the player and his wife. The Argentine goalkeeper has slipped to […]

5 years ago

The time has come The fourth edition of the FootballJOE Badge Quiz is here. You know how this thing goes by now, and seeing as you’ve almost certainly spent a week revising every single J-League club crest in preparation for this moment, it’s only right we keep this bit brief and let you crack on. […]

5 years ago

Liverpool’s transfer business appears to be done Though most clubs will have concluded their transfer dealings a week ago, speculation has continued to link Liverpool with one final piece of business. An injury to Alisson, followed by a less-than-convincing showing from Adrian in the hammering by Aston Villa, had seen some reports claim Jurgen Klopp […]

5 years ago

“My bank account is overdrawn and I’m bankrupt if my luck doesn’t turn” For a brief while, there was hope that a young Nicklas Bendtner might blossom into a top striker at Arsenal. After showing promise in the club’s youth sides, he had made his first team debut at just 17 in the League Cup […]

5 years ago

Premier League clubs voted 19-1 in favour of the new plans The Premier League’s plan to charge supporters £14.95 to watch games not screened by Sky Sports and BT Sport has been met with a wave of criticism. Many supporters have voiced their concern, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville also condemning the move in […]

5 years ago

Tissues at the ready As far as starts to a season go, few can claim to have had a better one than Dominic Calvert-Lewin. While James Rodriguez might be credited as being the catalyst for Everton’s 100% run to the Premier League summit, it’s the 23-year-old who had provided the firepower with six goals in […]

5 years ago

Everton are strengthening their presence in South America It’s been a phenomenal start to the Premier League season for Everton. Four games, four wins, and a growing belief that such form – coupled with Liverpool’s capitulation at Aston Villa – might see them get another three points in this month’s Merseyside derby. Carlo Ancelotti has […]

5 years ago

RVP nearly made an unexpected comeback All in all, Robin van Persie was probably pretty content when he called time on his playing career in 2019. A career which started and ended at Feyenoord had seen him win trophies with Arsenal and Manchester United, enjoy a stint in Turkey with Fenerbahce and collect over 100 […]

5 years ago

Messi to City is still a possibility Lionel Messi, you might have heard, is not entirely happy with life at Barcelona these days. In an extremely turbulent summer, Barca were humiliated by eventual winners Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a result which was followed by the news their greatest ever player wanted out. Messi […]

5 years ago

The 16-year wait is over Leeds United are back in the Premier League. And what better way to celebrate than by wasting a few minutes of your day trying to remember every single player to score a goal in the English top flight for them since the invention of football in 1992? You’re almost certainly […]

5 years ago

Woodward decided against United’s move to Haaland Erling Haaland was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United prior to joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020. Were it not for Ed Woodward, he may have sealed a switch to Old Trafford instead of the Bundesliga club. Haaland had left Molde FK to join Red Bull […]

5 years ago

‘The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over’ Marcus Rashford has been awarded an MBE for services to vulnerable children in the United Kingdom as part of the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. During the early weeks of lockdown, the Manchester United and England forward lobbied the Government into a U-turn […]

5 years ago

Even the most ardent Manchester United fan will struggle with this one… They might have had a few mediocre seasons recently, but Manchester United are still the dominant club of the Premier League era. Since 1992, over 100 players have scored for them in league games. In this quiz, we ask you to name as […]

5 years ago