Sport

‘Game’s gone’: Manchester City had an unexpected commentator in the Champions League last night – Noel Gallagher

The perfect vocal warm-up ahead of the Oasis reunion tour: co-commentary on a big European night?...

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 6th November 2024

In case you weren’t tuned into the Champions League action, you’ll no doubt be surprised to hear who served as a special guest commentator for Manchester City last night: Noel Gallagher.

As you do.

Believe it or not, we’re not pulling your leg; the iconic Manc musician wasn’t just at the stadium to watch his beloved Blues in Lisbon on Wednesday evening, he was given the opportunity to join Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist in the commentary box for their game against Sporting CP.

In what was a first not only for TNT Sports but indeed a major televised football competition too, Noel Gallagher didn’t just share a few quick words about his club before or after the game from pitchside, he was on co-comms alongside the professionals for the entire game.

Safe to say there were a few fair double-takes when people switched on the telly to hear the guy who usually sings ‘Little by Little’ talking about possession and pass completion rates.

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Although ‘Fletch’ and McCoist naturally did most of the heavy lifting on the night, the older Gallagher brother was regularly turned to throughout the game. In fact, we were surprised to hear just how many times one of the two broadcasters uttered ‘Noel?’ to get his thoughts.

Gallagher’s association with the club has only grown stronger in recent years, having often given his thoughts pre and post-match at the Etihad – not to mention most recently collaborating on an official Oasis ‘Definitely City’ clothing collection – but this was very left-field, to say the least.

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Obviously trying to hold his bias as best he could, the 57-year-old was actually rather critical of Man City before, during and after the match, especially with their results of late, initially predicting a 2-2 draw but warning of more goals in the second half when the two teams went in at the break level with one a piece.

Nevertheless, the decision to get a celebrity turned pundit in the commentary box was just too jarring for some watching at home, and many took issue with the fact that a very famous City fan became the focal point of their otherwise regularly scheduled programming and impartial coverage.

While there were plenty that no doubt did enjoy the special one-off guest appearance by the legendary songwriter and guitar player as a bit of fun to mix things up, the vast majority slammed TNT, calling it everything from “embarrassing” and “a joke” to asking, “What the fuck is football coming to?”

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To sum up the general consensus in one very cliched footballing sentiment, the phrase seen most online was simply: “The game’s gone.”

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The Times‘ take on Noel Gallagher moonlighting at commentator was to dub it a stunt that “represented the world going completely bonkers”, quipping, “What’s next, Ozzy [Osbourne] on [Aston] Villa?”

Besides commentary itself, very few would have predicted the outcome at full-time and certainly not the scoreline, as Sporting won the game 4-1 with three comeback goals scored inside just 11 minutes and a final blow delivered by in-form striker Viktor Gyökeres to round off his hattrick.

In the end, it turned out a few Reds managed to get some enjoyment out of the surprise appearance as there was double the irony in that not only did City go on to lose while Noel was commentating but it was also at the hands of Rúben Amorim, the head coach set to take over at Manchester United next week.

One person fan wrote, “I take it all back whoever decided to put Noel Gallagher in the commentary box is a f***ing genius” while another added, “Can we have Noel on co-comms every week?”

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What did you make of getting a celebrity on co-commentary – is it something you’d like to see more of or was it not your cup of tea? You can watch the highlights from their significant defeat, their heaviest since September 2020 and a rare margin for Man City in the Guardiola era, down below.

It’s the first time Manchester City have lost three games in a row since 2018.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — TNT Sports (via screenshot)

Sport

Super League ‘Rivals Round’ fixtures confirmed, with two big North West clashes

Danny Jones Danny Jones Super League Rivals Round games 2026 fixtures

The Betfred Super League (BSL) ‘Rivals Round’ games for 2026 have been confirmed, with two big regional clashes coming in time for the spring.

Returning for 2026, the annual meeting of multiple teams coming up against their fiercest and most historic rivals will land on round seven of the calendar over the traditional Easter weekend.

Despite the competition having sadly lost Salford Red Devils following their forced relegation, local rugby fans will still be glad to see the borough of Wigan, as well as neighbouring Cheshire and nearby Merseyside clubs, coming up against each other in what is a highly anticipated fixture on the calendar.

Announcing the now fully confirmed matches this week, the total of seven matches are set to be played between Friday, 3 April and the following Sunday, 5 April.

In the Super League’s own words, there are few gameweeks more box office than the Rivals Round – “where the games mean more, hit harder and have the ability to divide towns and families.”

After the inaugural edition of the modern round in 2021, this year saw the division record a best-ever attendance of 86,080 across a six-match period, and with an extra game being played next season, we’re expecting more ground to be broken.

“The most intense and historic rivalries will go head-to-head with huge crowds anticipated, emotions running high and everyone expected to bring their A game”, say the BSL.

  • St Helens v Wigan Warriors – Friday, 3 April
  • Hull KR v Hull FC – Friday, 3 April
  • Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos – Friday, 3 April
  • Catalans Dragons v Toulouse Olympique – Saturday, 4 April
  • Warrington Wolves v Leigh Leopards – Saturday, 4 April
  • Huddersfield Giants v York Knights – Saturday, 4 April
  • Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity – Sunday, 5 April

One of the most notable exclusions among the slate, of course, is that of Salford Red Devils, as various players and staff members continue to leave the club during this increasingly concerning and deep period of uncertainty.

Salford supporters have given a clear response following the decisive drop in IMG gradings:

Salford Red Devils supporters meet winding-up adjournment with a petition of their own
SRD RLFC‘s future still hangs in the balance.

Although they are now longer in rugby league’s premier domestic tier, Salford are still expected to take part in the Challenge Cup tournament, which begins in January.

Betfred and the RFL revealed the most recent ties on Monday, 24 November, with the Devils due to face either Royal Navy Rugby or Hammersmith Hills Hoists in the second round.

Meanwhile, with the new campaign kicking off in February, rugby fans will only have to wait a couple of months to witness the upcoming instalments in the various rivalries.

Safe to say it’s going to be a spicy Easter break.

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Featured Images — Fleets (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Pep Guardiola admits heavily rotated squad was ‘too much’ after landmark home loss

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pep Guardiola admits he made too many changes to squad Leverkusen UCL game

Pep Guardiola has conceded that his heavily rotated side, which saw almost an entirely different team from the previous matchday squad, may have been “too many changes” as Manchester City suffered their first home loss in the Champions League group stages in more than seven years.

Man City suffered a 2-0 defeat whilst hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium – a place that has been largely a fortress in European fixtures since the Catalan coach arrived – but the biggest headline on the night was the whopping 10 personnel changes Guardiola made to his starting XI.

It has been argued that Pep has become overly reliant on star striker Erling Haaland (who has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League and UCL combined this season), and the virtually ‘start-from-scratch’ outfit he fielded on Tuesday night definitely didn’t do him any favours.

Speaking to various media in post-match interviews and the press conference after the game, Pep admitted that his wholesale rotation gamble may have been “too much.”

Considering the only continuity between the batch that faced Leverkusen and the previous squad that narrowly lost to Newcastle United was the still relatively new CDM, Nico González, we think he might be on to something.

In fact, as if the conviction behind the decision wasn’t already questionable enough, Pep insisted before the game that he would have made more if he could, but with fellow central midfielder talisman Rodri still injured, the number 14 was the sole teammate who remained from the weekend.

There are always going to be lapses in sharpness and fluidity when a lineup is shuffled, but it’s fair to say that it’s almost guaranteed when you remove every individual bar one.

Perhaps this was a somewhat covert/loaded attempt to shine a light again on previously mentioned complaints regarding squad depth in relation to the increasingly congested fixture list, with both Guardiola and the aforementioned Euro 2020 winner having flagged their concerns about the calendar.

This is also the second time in just a matter of days that the 54-year-old has held his hands up and taken accountability for making “huge mistakes”.

Pep Guardiola apologises for ’embarrassing’ camera operator confrontation

Not only was it City’s first Champions League loss of the season, but as mentioned, the first and at home in the competition’s initial stages in more than half a decade.

It’s quite a record that Pep has clung onto, which should get plenty of recognition in its own right, but supporters will nevertheless be hoping to get back to winning ways soon and avoid stringing together any more consecutive losses.

Last November was the first time Guardiola had ever lost four matches in a row during his entire career, and with a trio of very winnable fixtures coming up in the league, we would bank on a big reaction in the next game against Leeds.

If you missed the game, you can watch the highlights from Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen down below.

What did you make of the performance, Blues?

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Featured Images — CBS Sports Golazo (screenshot via YouTube)

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