Euro 2020 is already off to a cracking start for England fans.
It’s been a long time coming – but after a year of postponement due to the pandemic, with the sun shining and temperatures soaring, European football’s flagship tournament finally got underway over the weekend.
24 countries are battling it out for the sought-after trophy, including three UK home nations – England, Scotland, and Wales.
The tournament’s first match saw Italy secure a win over Turkey on Friday, but for many Mancunians and football fans up and down the country, all eyes were set on Sunday when England would face the team that knocked them out of the World Cup in 2018.
Gareth Southgate’s squad faced Croatia in their first match at Wembley Stadium, securing a solid 1-0 victory – which is the first time England has ever won their opening game at the European championships.
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The goal by Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling looked to kick-start what we’re all hoping will be a special summer of sport.
But it perhaps won’t quite be the summer of sport we were all expecting.
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Euro 2020 is due to take place right through until 11 July, but after a ruling which sadly looked imminent for weeks prior, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has this evening confirmed that the country’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’ – which was originally set as 21 June – is to be delayed by four weeks, with an anticipated lifting of all lockdown / social restrictions now set for 19 July, at the earliest.
The UK government has always maintained the stance that it would be guided by “data not dates” when it comes to introducing each step in its “irreversible” roadmap for lifting the current national lockdown, and that the date for each step was not set it stone.
Despite this admission though, today’s latest decision will have undoubtedly still dealt a blow to the rafts of England fans who were hoping to bring the unrivalled atmosphere of the 2018 World Cup and previous tournaments back to Manchester.
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While bustling fan parks, roaring goal celebrations, pints being thrown in the air, hugging strangers, and joining in for renditions of Three Lions may not be on the cards this year after all, that doesn’t mean we still can’t make some unique memories.
Against all the odds, maybe Euro 2020 will be the tournament that England fans remember fondly for years to come?
We can always still hold out hope that football is coming home, right?
Manchester’s Oast House
It truly is all to play for this week, as England face fellow home nation and old rivals Scotland this Friday in the second match of the Group Stage.
Fans will descend on Wembley once again, with a kick-off set for 8pm.
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Looking for somewhere to watch?
Manchester is a city that’s obsessed with football and its engrained in our culture like nothing else, so it’s understandable that there’s plenty places in the city centre that are pulling out all the stops in the safest way possible for the Euros this year, and after being inundated with messages from our loyal audience who were keen to find out the best places to catch a match this summer, we’ve knuckled down and did the leg work for you.
So if you’re looking for some recommendations ahead of England vs Scotland this Friday, you can check out 20 of the best spots in Manchester city centre here.
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Don’t fancy hitting up the city centre this weekend though? Prefer to celebrate at home instead?
Cheering on the national team in the company of fellow eager football fans definitely has its appeal, but it’s not for everyone and many would rather spend it with their nearest and dearest in the comfort of their own home or garden instead.
If that sounds a little more up your street, then you’re not alone, as we asked our Facebook community to send us pictures of their garden setups ready for last Sunday’s match – and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
If you’re thinking of kitting out your garden this weekend, then you can head on over and check out the roundup article for some inspiration here.
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Startling statistic raises eyebrows around Manchester United’s defensive capabilities under Erik ten Hag
Danny Jones
Things continue to go from bad to worse for Manchester United this season and yet more unfortunate statistics following another chaotic showing have once again put their capabilities under Erik ten Hag, especially in defence, under scrutiny.
Man United got off to a dream start at the Estádio do Dragão against Porto, starting on the front foot and scoring two goals inside 20 minutes and from two sources who needed them most: Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund returning from injury.
However, it didn’t take long for the home team to pull one back – just a few minutes in fact – and then by the 50th minute the visitors suddenly found themselves losing 3-2 and chasing an equaliser into stoppage time.
Thankfully, Harry Maguire got them out of jail right at the death but it is that now apparent trend of conceding multiple goals in a short space of time that has raised even more serious questions around the team’s mentality, resilience after letting one in and ability to defend in general.
Just in Europe since the start of last season, Man United have conceded two goals in four minutes at Bayern, two in 10 mins vs Galatasaray (h), two in four minutes vs Copenhagen (a), two in nine minutes vs Galatasaray (a) and now two in seven minutes vs Porto (a).
As you can see, it’s not just that this was the 31st time since the beginning of last season that United have conceded two more goals in a match, the most any current Premier League club in that time, but it seems to be the short bursts in which these goals come.
As broken down by ESPN’s Rob Dawson, it seems to be a case of when it rains it pours as the above stat is in Europe alone, where they seem to be picking up even more bad habits on top of that immediate vulnerability after letting one in.
Despite it scoring 12 in their last four matches in Champions and Europa League competitions and even managing to go 2-0 up in three of them, they haven’t managed to win a single one, as the draw against the unconvincing Portuguese side also marked the fifth European game in which they’ve conceded a trio of goals at the other end.
Worse still, according to even more damning stats thrown up by Opta, this ultimately became the 24th time Erik ten Hag’s side has conceded three goals or more in a game – again, the most of any Premier League side and with several of those goals coming in short bursts.
Alarming stuff, but the Dutchman is keeping calm at least on the surface, telling media that he and the players are “mad and motivated” by the current situation but that fans have to remain patient and hopeful that the results will start to improve.
“Don’t judge us in this moment, wait until the end of the season. We’re in a process.”
Erik ten Hag has full belief in his squad moving forward 💪
Match hero Maguire also came to the manager’s defence in his post-match press conference but did once again hit at a problem with motivation and belief: something that both Christian Eriksen rather concerningly touched on last month, admitting that the dressing “didn’t want it enough.”
The Red Devils must now play an in-form Aston Villa who recently won late on their long-awaited Champions League away at Villa Park this weekend and, as if he didn’t need one already, a win is essential for Erik ten Hag.
What about you, United fans – how long do you think he realistically has left to turn things around?
You can watch all the highlights from Man United vs Porto down below.
Featured Images — TNT Sports/Sky Sports (via Screenshot)
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Luke Littler is holding a meet-and-greet this weekend – but not exactly where you’d expect
Danny Jones
Young darts sensation Luke Littler has about as big a 12 months as a professional could hope for and many of those who don’t even watch ‘The Arrows’ now know his name, so much so that he’s already holding a meet-and-greet that is selling quicker than you say ‘180!’
Warrington locals are set to welcome Luke ‘The Nuke’ back to his hometown but it’s fair to say the event is taking place exactly where you would have expected.
The 2024 World Series, Premier League of Darts and Players Championship winner’s fame and reputation have continued to skyrocket ever since his debut, so he’d easily have fans lining up pretty much anywhere, especially in the WA postcode.
Nevertheless, hordes of kids looking to follow in his footsteps and bolster a new generation of youth darts players can attend Luke Littler’s meet and greet at none other than… a Smyths Toys Superstore.
Credit: Smyths Toys
As you do.
Located on the JunctionNINE Retail Park, Warrington Symths Toys will see the 17-year-old taking photos with fans, chatting to budding darts hopefuls and, as it turns out, show off his new personal collection.
Yes, while there will be plenty of wholesome selfies and wide-eyed little kids looking to meet their local hero, Littler and his team chose this particular location as Smyths Toys will be stocking his new range of Target Darts.
Once again, his meteoric rise has seen a huge uptake in young people wanting to try their hands at the sport, with the official Luke Littler Cabinet Set even being named as the Judge’s Pick for ‘Best Gift for Teens’ at the 2024 Christmas Wishlist Awards.
Beyond that, the shop also has the highly sought-after Luke Littler Magnetic Dartboard set for the little one, as well as the Luke Littler Steel-Tip Brass Darts, designed in celebration of the 17-year-old’s tremendous performance at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.
Speaking ahead of the event, Littler said: “I’m really excited to meet everyone at Smyths Toys in Warrington this Saturday! It’s been an incredible year for me, and I can’t wait to connect with fans in my hometown and inspire the next generation.”
Adam Thompson, Head of Marketing at Target Darts added: “We’re thrilled to host this fantastic meet-and-greet event with Luke Littler. Luke has had an extraordinary year and we’re proud to celebrate his success with this special opportunity for fans to engage with him…
“It’s a great way to inspire young players and bring the darts community together and we can’t wait to see everyone in Warrington!”
The meet and greet will kick off from 1pm on Saturday, 5 October but you’ll have to be quick if you want to secure a spot. However, the store will still be open between the regular hours (9am-8pm), so you can still try your luck to try and catch a glimpse of ‘The Nuke’ and pick up a darts set or two.
Emily Sergeant -
14th June 2021 
