Pep Guardiola has sparked some debate among Manchester City fans after naming Ederson the “best player” on the pitch during their defeat against European heavyweights Real Madrid.
City took the leak against the increasingly familiar Champions League foes with an impressive team move finished off by Erling Haaland following a rocky start to proceedings, but an answer back from fellow phenom Kylian Mbappe saw the team draw level just after half-time and the game opened up even more.
It looked as though the Blues had avoided further late drama after Stockport’s very own Phil Foden earned them a crucial penalty and Haaland once again dispatched it, but it wasn’t to be as former City product Brahim Diaz made an immediate impact off the bench to score against his old club.
The goal came from a stray Ederson kick-out and then bad went to worse as it often does in football and the decision to come early and try to close down Vinicius Jr. saw him chipped by the Brazilian and Jude Bellingham tap home the winner in the 92nd minute. A beyond painful end for the home fans.
It was another midweek capitulation as not only is it the first time they’ve come undone against the 15-time champions but it also felt like a repeat of the same story for much of this season.
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Man City haven’t just been off their usual formidable form in the Premier League, currently sitting fifth in the table, but they seem to have a consistent issue in the UCL: that being letting in late goals.
The collapse against the Spanish giants made it seven goals conceded in the last 15 minutes throughout the tournament so far this season, facing a total of 20 shots from the La Liga leaders on Tuesday night alone – the most of any team visiting the Etihad in any competition since Pep arrived.
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Injuries have caused plenty of defensive problems for sure but the recent rotation of goalkeepers has also caused even more uncertainty in the backline, it would seem, and Ederson’s return between the sticks has already been a point of contention among some fans.
The 31-year-old had an up-and-down game, to put it mildly, having nearly given away a penalty in the opening 10 minutes were it not for an offside flag, before going on to make a number of key blocks in the first half as Madrid piled on early pressure.
As it turns out, his performance was so defiant for the majority of the game that Pep made a point of beginning his post-match interviews by singling out Ederson as the “best player” against a dangerous Madrid team, even despite his mistakes. You can see his press conference in full here:
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Is Pep right – was Ederson the best City player against Madrid even despite his mistakes? Or is he just protecting his team?
It’s fair to say the comment has sat so well with everyone, with one fan writing: “Ederson has actually cost us so many UCLs. They want me to give him credit for kicking the ball”; another said: “Ederson has single-handedly manipulated Manchester City today. Such a brilliant matchplan was ruined by that idiot.”
A third simply wrote, “Ederson, man. He’s finished”. On the other hand, even an opposition fan did side with Pep’s defence of the player, pointing out that “Mbappe and Bellingham would have scored at least two goals each if not for his wonderful saves” earlier in the game.
It’s also worth noting that City have conceded not just the most goals of any side in this year’s Champions League thus far but more in 38 games in all comps this season (56) than they did in 59 games last term (54), and while Ederson hasn’t been in net the whole time, he is still the first choice.
Regardless, the Manchester club have a lot of work to do if they are to make it past Carlo Ancelotti’s side on their home turf in the decider of the playoff tie next Wednesday, 19 February. Will Ederson remain in net or will Guardiola turn to Stefan Ortega this time? We’ll have to wait and see.
You can watch the highlights from the dramatic first leg down below.
Manchester United to debut first ‘tifo’ banner before Lyon game
Danny Jones
Manchester United is set to debut its first-ever ‘tifo’ banner ahead of their big game against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday night.
The Red Devils are staring down their biggest game of the season – arguably one of their biggest in some time – as they must beat Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final to advance in the competition, which is their only chance of silverware this year.
It’s been a tough start for new manager Ruben Amorim since he arrived at Old Trafford, with Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS ownership group having been amidst turbulent times pretty much ever since they took up a minority stake in the club.
All that being said, and with Man United’s financial obstacles now well-publicised by the co-owner himself, winning the tournament and therefore securing a shot at Champions League football next season is crucial to how their ambitious rebuild and, notably, stadium redevelopment plans pan out.
With that in mind, the club are looking to be bolder than ever when it comes to creating an atmosphere for the crucial knockout fixture, announcing that a tifo banner will be unveiled inside the stadium for the first time in the club’s history.
For any of those still unclear on what a tifo is, they are large, colourful, choreographed displays typically organised by the supporters themselves, which spotlight things like club badges, legendary players, insignias, messages and more.
Popular in various other parts of the continent and beyond, especially in the likes of Italy (where the trend first started) and Germany, as well as southern and eastern Europe, this particular part of global football fan culture hasn’t really made it over to the Premier League just yet.
Not too far away from the kinds of big banners that are commonplace throughout most football, only even more massive and usually much intricate in shape, design and detail, the club has confirmed their inaugural attempt at a United tifo will feature an image of Sir Alex Ferguson.
As for what it’s going to look like, the specifics are being kept under wraps for now, but the club are said to have worked with fan representatives closely on the project before being shared with captain Bruno Fernandes to get his seal of approval.
The flag shown during this year’s Munich Disaster memorial observation. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For now, the only details revealed are that “the ‘tifo’ will be raised from the ground to the roof, in front of the halfway line, creating a spectacular moment ahead of kick-off in M16.”
There have been plenty of banner displays, both in protest and to mark important memorials, already this season, but this promises to be a whole different kettle of fish for the club.
During their most recent Europa League fixture, those up in the stands even got to witness Old Trafford putting on pyrotechnics for the first time, though it’s safe to say they didn’t quite nail the concept.
In fact, it looks like the club itself would be the first to admit it, as they also confirmed that the pre-match pageantry will include “red-and-white pyrotechnics will also appear adjacent to the banner, in a larger display than the one seen before the win over Real Sociedad in the previous round.
You can read more down below:
We need YOUR help to create a special atmosphere on Thursday night 🫵🔊
See our plans for this week's #UEL quarter-final second leg, which includes a unique Old Trafford first 👀⬇️#MUFC
Bury FC legend Nicky Adams confirms retirement after more than two decades
Danny Jones
Bury FC is saying goodbye to a veteran of Greater Manchester football as local legend Nicky Adams has announced he will be retiring at the end of the season.
The Bolton-born midfielder has enjoyed a 22-year career, playing for 10 different clubs in that time, most notably Bury, where he began as an academy product and earned his first senior minutes back in 2005.
Having been with the club across four different stints and by far the largest chunk of his playing days, making more than 200 appearances for the North West Counties side, he’s practically part of the furniture at this point.
But the time has finally come, as Adams revealed he will be retiring from professional football at the age of 38 – his longevity being an incredible achievement in itself.
⚪🔵 Nicky Adams has announced his retirement from football.
Adams has had a 22-year football career and will hang up his boots at the end of the season to take up a full-time coaching role.
Confirmed via a club statement on Tuesday, 15 April, the Shakers informed fans that Adams, who returned to his home club back in December, will be able to toast hanging up his boots with a promotion party if they avoid defeat against Burscough.
Adams has represented several other Greater Manchester teams in the past too, playing 85 games for Rochdale and 59 for Oldham Athletic, as well as 88 for Radcliffe FC.
Having scored 14 goals during his time with Bury, as well as serving as club captain, he told the club: “I think it’s perfect timing for me, I’m learning the coaching side of it. I’ve been doing that for the last few years, and I’ve got a big opportunity to go and do that full-time now.
“I came here at 16 years old; I’ve come back a few times now, I’ve played over 200 games for the football club, I don’t need to tell anyone what it means to me.
“I’ve had some unbelievable times here, and I’ll be forever grateful to this football club, which gave me the opportunity to go and be a professional footballer and go on the journey that I’ve been on. I’m forever grateful for that.”
Speaking on his return late last year, it’s plain to see how big an impression Gigg Lane has left on him.
He may be calling time on his playing days, but he’s not going anywhere.
Manager Dave McNabb went on to say: “I’m not really sure how to put into words the impact that Nicky has had on me and this group since he walked back through the door in December.
“His legendary status at this football club is well-known and documented. I had heard a lot of good things about his character and his personality through mutual friends and people within the game, so I knew he was going to be a good lad and have a positive impact in the dressing room.
Even with this knowledge, never did I expect to meet such an honest and caring man with enormous levels of integrity and with such high standards and principles. He’s a leader amongst men. When he talks, people listen. He gets the best out of others.
He is trusted and respected by everyone. He drives positive relationships within the group. He is the glue that holds things together. I’m proud to have brought him back to HIS football club, I’m proud to have played a very small part in his illustrious career but most of all, I’m proud to be able to call him a friend.
Signing off with a sentiment, McNabb added: “Good luck Nicky, you’re a legend.”
Danny Jones -
12th February 2025 
