#( — gifts given to jack grealish. )

[emma-mack]

Happy Birthday to my day one, ( @grealishxoxo ) You're literally the best friend a girl could ask for, and thankful for you forever. You best have the best birthday, working or partying, it best be in real Grealish style. Miss you as always, see you soon xo. Em x

Essential organizer

After shave sets

Birthday cake

[the-offside-rule]

Jack Grealish (Manchester City) - Snowman

Day 9 of Christmas

Y/n and Jack had bee running around the house since late last night, making sure that their daughters Kayla and Sophie's Christmas was perfect. They had laid out Kayla's Manchester City kits on the sofa, along with her various other toys from 'Santa'. Jack had taken the pleasure of eating the biscuits and the brandy since Santa apparently prefers a glass or two of brandy before leaving the house and going to the next.

The sunlight had just about shone through their curtains when they heard their daughters barging through the door, Kayla slapping down hard on her Dad, with Sophie trying to jump up on the bed. "Dad! Wake up! Santa came!" Kayla squealed. Sophie had given up on climbing the bed and ran over to her mum's side of the bed and poking her, babbling along. Y/n smiled and lifted the 2 year old before patting Jack beside her. "Jack, love." He grumbled. "Can we skip Christmas this year?" He asked. "No!" The two girls replied. "Silly dad!" Kayla giggled, pulling at his arm. "Can we go? I wanna see the presents!" He groaned and nodded, before hopping out of bed and throwing on his night gown. Oh god how he had turned into such a typical Dad on Christmas day.

They crept downstairs, Jack leading them all. He opened the door slightly and peaked in. "Oh dear, I can only see coal-"

"No!" Kayla nearly sobbed. "Only messing." Jack replied before opening the door fully and turning the light on to show a living room full of gifts, big and small. Kayla ran around, not knowing which to open first. "Y/n let Sophie waddle around, touching all the presents and grabbing some to bring back to help open, whilst Jack sat beside Y/n and watched Kayla run around tearing into her gifts. "Why's it got your name on it?" Kayla asked. "Well, Grealish is your name too, sweetheart." Jack replied. "I would've liked Haaland better." He looked back to Y/n who hid her laugh by smiling with Sophie at her colourful new toys.

As the day went by, Jack helped Y/n in the kitchen as they watched their daughters play outside in the snow. "We'll bring them in soon. Make sure they don't get sick." Jack said as he cut the carrots. "Let them finish the snowman first. This is the first snow they're actually allowed to play in." Y/n said. "I know I just-"

"Hi mum! Hi dad!" Kayla said sprinting in and running upstairs, whilst Sophie stood at the door giggling. "What's funny?" Y/n asked. She pointed at Jack who forgot he had Kayla's Christmas headband still on his head. "What? Do you not think I look stylish, Soph?" He asked while posing and making her giggle even more. "Silly daddy." Y/n chuckled along as she bent down to zip up Sophie's coat a bit more. "You haven't called me that in a while, love." Jack joked. "Jack, I-"

“Dad?” Kayla asked. “Can we use this scarf?” Jack looked at the designer scarf she held in her hands. “That’s Gucci.” Jack said. “You named your scarf?” Jack shook his head. “No, no. It means it's special.” Kayla’s eyes lit up. “So it’s perfect for our snowman. He’s special too.” Jack looked over to Y/n who looked back amused, almost to say 'Do it.' Jack let out a sigh and nodded. “I suppose so.” He said. Kayla cheered and ran outside, chucking the scarf around the pile of snow with coal as a mouth.

"Mum!" Kayla called in. Both parents looked out as Kayla pointed to what they believed to be the snowman. "It looks like dad now!" She shouted, making Sophie burst into a fit of giggles. Y/n laughed. Jack simply looked over to her, the same way he did the first Christmas he spent with her. Oh how the times had changed. From having to spend them away from eachother, to now spending them with their two daughters. He loved this woman and he loved the two little ladies out the back, laughing at something that bared no resemblance to him bar the Gucci scarf. "It's identical." Jack said. Y/n turned back to face Jack and nodded, matching the same face of love and adoration as he did. "The spitting image, love."

[footballerimaginess]

So I need your help: I may have gone overboard with prompts for Christmas and I am unable to get them all written because well I stupidly haven’t written any yet. So please can you help me decide 10 prompts you’d like to see. I have left out 2 of them as I know I will be writing them. I will also be doing an anyone you like as well as an Instagram file. But please help choose the 10 for me. Just send me an ask or comment on this post, they will be written eventually. Just maybe later than you or I would like them to be x  SCENARIO 1. Snow on Christmas Day Pablo Torre 3. Shopping Mason Mount 4. Decorating the tree Mats Hummels 6. Mistletoe kiss Darwin Nunez 7. Ugly Christmas jumpers Rodrigo De Paul 8. Christmas movies Antoine Griezmann 9. Christmas Food/Drinks Emile Smith Rowe 10. Building a snowman Rodrigo Bentancur 11. Secret Santa Conor Coady 12. Snowball fight Ruben Dias 13. Ice Skating Dele Alli 14. Christmas pregnancy announcement Ferran Torres

15. Leaving treats out for Santa Reece James 16. New Year’s Eve Ruben Dias DIALOGUE 1. “Is that present for me?” Timo Werner 2. “You know what they say, don’t eat yellow snow” Tammy Abraham 3. “Nobody can have enough Christmas jumpers” Buyako Saka 4. “Christmas songs always make me smile” Son Heung Min 5. “You have not bought the dog a Christmas jumper have you?” Jan Oblak

6. “You’re really making me wear matching pyjamas with you?” Pablo Gavi

7. “I missed you this Christmas” Giovanni Reyna 8. “You have eaten all of those chocolates haven’t you?” Pablo Gavi 9. “The snow looks cute in your hair” Reece James 10. “Have you ever seen a sexier Father Christmas than me before?” Ruben Dias 11. “Let’s write your letter to Santa” John Stones 12. “It is absolutely freezing” Anyone You Like 13. “Why are you sad this Christmas?” Neymar 14. “It is so cold, warm me up please” Jack Grealish 15. “This is the best gift you have ever given me” Virgil Van Dijk 16. “I saw Mummy kissing Father Christmas” Martin Odegaard/ Ben Chilwell

[mrsmctominay]

Fluff Alphabet Jack Grealish pls❤

Fluff Alphabet- Jack Grealish

A- Activities Jack likes to take you out with his family. Seeing you get along so well with his siblings is so heart arming. You're his little sisters best friend and she always gets so excited to see you.

B- Beauty Your confidence is very attractive. You don't care about what anyone says and you always have 100% faith in yourself.

C- Comfort Soft kisses on the forehead, gentle back rubs, 'Everything's going to be okay angel'. Little things like that from Jack calm you down instantly.

D- Dreams His dreams for the two of you are big, but he doesn't think about them too much. He's waiting for the right moment where you can let the future unroll.

E- Equal I feel like it's a given that Jack's the more dominant one... He's the decision maker. Holidays, restaurants, Jack decides.

F- Fight He can hold a grudge. If he's really pissed off, he wont talk to you for hours. You've got to be the first to apologise, even if he's in the wrong.

G- Gratitude He's very grateful for everything you do for him, he just doesn't show it very well. Deep down, he knows that you're one of the best people in his life but he just doesn't let it show.

H- Honesty If there's something little that Jack thinks you wouldn't want to know, he wont tell you even though you love listening to everything he has to say. He doesn't keep anything massive from you but there has been a few upsets over it.

I- Inspiration Your support is unmatched. When times were tough, you helped push him through. Your confidence and determination is also a big part in inspiring him to not give up. If you can do it, so can he!

J- Jealous Jack is a jealous man, but he's confident that you're all his. Of course he gets jealous when other people chat you up or when his male fans comment on your instagram posts but he gets to touch so who's the real winner here...

K- Kiss

He was already an expert in this particular area, and you weren't so bad either. The first kiss just flowed so perfectly it's like you'd been kissing each other for years.

L- Love He tells you that he loves you multiple times a day. The first time he said it, was at a party. He whispered it in your ear and you immediately said it back.

M- Marriage He definitely wants to marry you but as I say, he doesn't think about it too much right now. He wants it to be at the perfect time and that wasn't right now, despite the fact your relationship is going so well, his career is just a lot right now.

N- Nickname 'Pretty', 'My one' and 'dolly' are his go-to nicknames for you. They just roll right off the tongue.

O- On Cloud Nine The boy never stops talking about you. No one ever mentions it to you though, Jack tells everyone not to tell you how much he goes on about you. It's very very obvious how in love he is with you.

P- PDA A hand on the bum or around your waist is good for him. Although you've been caught having a smooch quite a few times whilst being on holiday...

Q- Quirk Jack prides himself on how well he compliments you. Every other sentence is a compliment. He knows how to make you feel gorgeous even if you do already know it.

R- Romance Any trips he goes on with the team (club or country) he brings you back a gift. He tries to get something new every time so I suppose you could say he's romantically creative in that sort of aspect.

S- Support He knows how much you support him, so he tries to match it. He is behind you every step of the way in anything that you do. Even if he is busy with work, he always finds a way to show his support.

T- Thrill He likes to spice things up every now and again (😉😉). Routine gets a bit boring for you both, so why not eh?

U- Understanding He always tries his hardest to understand your feelings, and he gets frustrated with himself when he can't. He's learning to understand the signs of when you're upset or uncomfortable etc.

V- Value How could he possibly not value a person that gives him and his family so much joy? You're beyond important to him, even if he doesn't show it.

W- Wild Card He likes waking up early on his day off to make you breakfast. His only day to rest and he chooses to spend it treating you. What a true gent.

X- XOXO Jack is practically a human sloth. His routine goes: Go to training, leave training, come home, cuddle with you, eat and cuddle more.

Oh and did I mention that he cuddles more before bed, in bed and whilst you're asleep?

Y- Yearning He keeps little polaroid's of the two of you in his wallet or phone case that he looks at when he's missing you a little too much.

Z- Zoo Dogs dogs and uh more dogs. Yes please.

[florianwirtz]

Better - Ben Chilwell & James Maddison

(I swear the pic looked better in my program lmao) The aim of uploading something before the year ends has been achieved whew! Hope you like it :)

warnings: strong language, mentions of drug use

"Don't make such a face, it's gonna be fun!"

Abruptly, you turned your face to your friend who sat just beside you in the taxi, driving you to an unknown destination.

"I was looking out of the window, you weren't even able to see my face!" You protested while rolling your eyes even though you knew that lying was pointless.

Because her frown already showed that she didn't believe a single word you said.

"The fact that I had to practically force you out of the house and your decisiveness to stay home has already proved me enough that you weren't so keen to attend today's party. But you can't stay in forever! Uni just started and you already forgot how to have fun."

A little annoyed already, you shook your head. "You're forcing me to a birthday party from a guy I haven't spoken in ages. Not only that, but he's a rich footballer who earns more money in a year than I ever will, meaning I can't even gift him something which he could afford by himself."

"As if he cares! Jack will be happy regardless and obviously, he invited dozens of people so he rented out a whole club. Just rich people things, don't you worry.” She said with a slight chuckle and you couldn't help but form a little smile as well

Your friend wasn't kidding when she said that Jack rented out a whole club. The security only let you enter through a guest list and additionally asked for your ID. And when he couldn't find your name, he immediately pointed to the exit.

“Madam, this is a private party and I strictly got the order to only let invited guests in. Mr Grealish doesn't need any unnecessary press so please, leave. Your friend, however,” He gave her a nod. “She can stay.”

Without any resistance, you accepted your destiny. You haven't heard of Jack for years now and even back then you hadn't been that close. Sure, you still followed each other on social media and sometimes when the news showed sports, you heard about his team’s result, but you couldn't remember when the last time was you talked to each other in person. Other than your friend, who managed to keep in touch with him due to being the girlfriend of one of his former teammates. It only made sense that he didn't invite you.

However, you still found it amusing that he wanted to avoid press so badly after all something will get leaked through social media anyway

If it wasn't for your friend’s persistence, you would've already been on your way to the bus station, but she didn't stop discussing with the security guard so you felt obligated to stay with her.

“Look, can't you just bring Jack here? He can confirm that she's an acquaintance.”

At first, he refused to do anything but since your friend didn't accept a no as an answer, after 10 minutes, he finally disappeared in the crowd, leaving you two in the cold.

“You didn't have to do this. There is probably a reason he didn't invite me and that's cool,” you assured her but she wasn't even open for a discussion.

“I didn't drag you outside and let you come all fancy just to let some security guard say you can't enter.” Then she rolled her eyes judgementally. “Well, you could've at least work a bit more on that fancy part.”

“Hey, I think my outfit is just fine! And maybe you should've told me earlier that we're going to a club, I couldn't predict that cause you're always dolled up,” You grinned as you folded your arms around your washed out pullover and took a look on your jeans full of holes.

It didn't take as long as you expected until Jack arrived with a few of his friends in his back.

As soon as he saw you both, his face brightened up and he greeted you warmly.

“Yo, long time no see! So glad, you are here! He said to you while hugging you tightly and showed the guard a sign of approval.

“I know her, she can come in.”

Doubtfully, the guard asked again. “Sir, are you sure?”

Admittedly, Jack already looked a bit tipsy so you definitely understood why the security guard was questioning his decision-making. Not even you expected such a cordial welcome, given the fact that you barely talked over the years.

“Yes yes yes, let her in, she's a good person,” Jack emphasised once again and finally, the guard freed the way, but not without giving you a suspicious frown, which you answered with a cheeky grin.

Inside the club, the warmth immediately hit your body after having to freeze outside. Jack and your friend already exchanged words excitedly and after that, you finally had the chance to congratulate him on his birthday.

“Happy late birthday, Greasylish!” With a small smile, you gave him a hug which he accepted with a heartfelt laugh at the mention of the nickname.

"Will you ever stop calling me this stupid nickname? Look, my hair isn't even greasy anymore!" He attempted to sound mad but his grinning expression betrayed him as he ran his fingers through his hair full of gel which made you die of laughter because of how ridiculous his gesture looked.

And suddenly, for a short moment, you understood why you once had called him one of your closest friends as the two of you continued to banter and chat. It didn't feel awkward at all like you had first expected, in the end, you were just two friends catching up on each other's life. You were genuinely happy to learn that he was playing in the Premier League at his boyhood club and while the results were not so great at the moment, he was confident that his team would only get better with time.

"Jaaaaaack!" A female voice screamed over the loud music and soon your conversation with Jack was interrupted by one of his friends.

Immediately, you noticed how the huge smile of the girl changed to a cool gaze, obviously directed to you. After that, she blabbered with him continuously but her eyeing you up from time to time didn't escape your view and you really tried hard to refrain from laughter.

She either thought you were or attempted to be his girlfriend and Jack was too dense to notice because he was just as tipsy as the girl probably was. Either way, you took it as a sign to leave them alone and stood up from the chair before Jack stopped the conversation and touched your shoulder lightly. Confused by the gesture, you looked at him which he answered with a small grin.

"We need to take a picture together, gotta tell the others you still exist!"

While he didn't exactly say who he meant with the others, you had a brief idea and there were some acquaintances of him you wanted to hear of again.

Nevertheless, you accepted his proposal and positioned yourself beside him. Your smile probably looked a bit forced but it didn't really matter as Jack's expression likely showed indications of being hammered as well. You just hoped it didn't end up all over social media as you didn't want to start any speculations.

"See you later, then." This time you put on a genuine smile which he returned before he focused on the conversation with the girl again.

A few glasses of gins later you quickly realised why you couldn't stand the general circle of acquaintances of well-known people. Most of them seemed so unauthentic and superficial to you. While the people you talked to remained polite most of the time, you immediately felt how their expressions were judging you either because of your casual appearance or the way you couldn't really comment on topics like fashion, cars or even football. Was it really that strange to be friends with a footballer and not being interested in football at the same time?

Back then when you were closer to Jack, most of his friends at least had pretended to like you back but even then you've always felt so out of place. Which is why you didn't mind it that much when you stopped seeing each other. You've always felt like you had needed to act like you were somebody else.

Your friend was untraceable too so you just played with your straw from your drink and took a sip from time to time, hoping time would fly fast so you could drag your friend home soon. Partys like these just weren't your kind of thing.

"Wow, don't think I've seen you here before." A blonde-haired man approached you from behind and took a seat beside you.

You didn't even bother to take a closer look at the person since he wasn't the first who had tried to hit you up with such a pick-up line. Instead, you acted like you didn't hear him and focused on observing the crowd on the dance floor.

"Uh, not so talkative, aren't you? Or already shit-faced?" He put his face closer to yours which made you instinctively turn farther away from him.

Annoyed by his pushy behaviour, you finally took a closer look at him and gave him your coldest glance. If he wouldn't try to start a conversation desperately, you would've found him sympathetic judging by his looks as you definitely considered him attractive.

"No, I'm just immune to bad pick-up lines." You answered shortly and concentrated on your drink again.

But he didn't give up so quickly and bend himself to you again. This time you didn't move, instead, you observed his expression which still had the same goofy smile on him. You just shook your head laughingly.

"If you want to talk to me, you have to do better than to just creepily stare at me."

He raised his eyes in surprise and then nodded.

"Fair enough. You're up for a drink then?"

"Sorry no," You declined politely. "Can't trust someone strange to me to drug me potentially, sorry mate."

This time it was him who laughed at you which made you shrug your shoulders questioningly. Whatever he wanted to indicate with that, you didn't know.

"I probably get lots of negative press if I'd do that so I can assure you I won't harm you in any way."

Now he had caught your full attention and you looked at him properly for this first time during your encounter.

"Do I need to know you? Are you somewhat famous or what?"

He laughed even harder at your confused reaction and finally, introduced himself.

"Well the whole country probably knows me and you are at a party of a footballer, so I assume yeah? I'm James. James Maddison, I play football for Leicester City in the Premier League."

Finally, it made click in your brain and you nodded slowly. It all made sense now. He probably thought that you knew who he was and you just played hard to get. Still, you had to disappoint him.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea who you are as I don't know shit about football, sorry. I did hear from your team, so I'll give you that."

"What?! No way you're not interested in football!" James couldn't believe what you've just said. "How do you know Jack then?"

You chuckled a bit as you had gotten this reaction quite a few times today.

"Mutual friends. My friend who is here today is the girlfriend of one of his friends."

After that James seemed to break the ice between you two because unlike his counterparts, he was actually interested in what you did. And you had to admit that he was a pleasant conversational partner. Because you were able to hold a conversation about other topics than football and you immediately noticed that he knew that there were more important things than football and together you shared a few laughs together as well.

"Hey. Fancy to get to know my mates? I swear they're not as bad as I described them," He suggested after you both finished your drinks. "You're gonna encounter them sooner or later anyway."

You had no idea what he implied with that sentence but you knew that he surely saw more in you than a random person if he was ready to introduce you to his friends.

"Uhm sure..." You answered not as confidently as you would've liked to. Flashbacks from your time in Jack's circle of friend came to your mind. You were almost sure that it's going to end up exactly like this but of course, you couldn't tell James that. Instead, you just followed him through the crowd until you arrived at another room near the dance floor.

"Ohhh Madders who is that beauty you brought here?" Immediately, one of his friends said to you as you took a seat beside James.

You just rolled your eyes in annoyance. "The beauty can speak for herself, why don't you ask her?" You back-talked feisty and the rest of the group immediately hollered because of your reaction.

"Sorry Josh, that's a big L for you." Another one told him and this time it was you who laughed.

Most of James' friends were already tipsy so it wasn't as awkward as you expected. In fact, it was even a bit fun to try to have a conversation with them and you just pretended to understand what they were talking about when in reality, their gibberish didn't make sense to you.

It was all fun until a certain moment.

"Lads, what did I miss?" A new person arrived behind you and as you turned your head around you couldn't believe who it was.

"Ben bro, Madders found a pretty lady under Jack's friends. Not only that, she's a bold one!" Someone whose name you already had forgotten explained to him.

You, however, didn't really notice as you were still in shock in order, to realise who it was. The only person you had hoped you wouldn't meet at this party. Ben Chilwell. Your ex-boyfriend. The reason why you had broken off every contact with Jack and any other acquaintance of Ben.

And he seemed to recognise you as well since he returned your intense stare but afterwards pretended not to know you and simply took a seat beside James.

"This is Ben, my best mate in the team and also outside I guess." James introduced you two and you just forced your best smile, trying to dissemble your nervousness.

"Nice to meet you," Ben greeted you with a slight undertone which you immediately noticed and offered a handshake.

"Likewise." His grip was much harsher than you had remembered from a few years ago.

To your luck, James hadn't noticed anything weird about you two, so he just chatted normally with his best friend while you just avoided looking into Ben's face as best as possible.

From time to time, you did risk a fast sight at Ben which he returned most of the time which made you look away as fast as you could, only to repeat the procedure all over.

Lookswise, he was still like you remembered. Sure, he wore his hair different now and the beard was definitely not there a few years ago, but you still saw the same expression when he laughed or noticed how he still has the habit to scratch his head when he was thinking.

Why did you still care? You didn't know exactly.

At some point, you excused yourself from the others for a toilet break. Instead, you went outside to take a breath of fresh air. Right now, you just wanted to be alone, in order to arrange your thoughts. Seeing Ben again had affected you more than you had thought it would. Maybe it felt like that because Ben and you never really broke up officially. In fact, you never argued about anything serious. You simply started to grow apart after you had started to attend university and he started to play for the first team around the time, leaving you both busy and no time for each other. At some point, you had just stopped contacting each other and never saw each other again.

Back then, you had talked yourself into that you two weren't meant to be and it probably wouldn't have lasted long anyway as he was now a rich footballer who could get somebody better than you.

But now, suddenly, you questioned all the feelings you had suppressed all these years.

"Long time, no see."

Suddenly, the person you wanted to see the least right now, appeared in front of you which made you freeze for a minute.

"Indeed Ben, hope you are well."

"Yes, I'm good, thank you. Didn't expect you here, to be honest." His expression was unreadable, however, you noticed the way he was scratching the back of his head that he was also nervous to talk to you.

"Well, it's kinda random, I didn't plan to come." You just carried on the small talk, avoiding most eye contact effectively.

You enquired about his football career while he informed himself about your university life even though you both knew exactly what the other one was doing as you had told him everything when you had received your acceptance letter and you had been present when he had signed his first professional contract. In the end, you both only wanted to avoid talking about what you should've talked about the whole time.

"Didn't know you're hooking up with my best friend now." Suddenly his indifferent tone changed into bitterness which first caught you off guard, but you immediately answered him back with the same attacking tone.

"Didn't know you can decide now who I should talk to or not. Also, how should I've known he's your friend when you never told me in the first place? Haven't heard from you since you've become a superstar footballer, my bad."

"So suddenly it's my fault? You could've just contacted me as well. But apparently, I wasn't as important as your prestige university, huh? Probably thought I'd never make it anyway and now you're just digging after another rich person."

This statement of him hurt the most. Did he really think you only dated him because of his money and status? It was so ridiculous and you barely managed to hold back your tears. Why did he feel the need to hurt you like this?

"Who says you didn't find someone better than me after you made it? There are more than enough models and influencers in attendance, probably better to show off on social media than a university student, right?!"

This time you couldn't hold back your tears anymore and ran off to the toilet. You just couldn't bear his presence right now. You had never thought that he was capable of hurting you like this, even after all these years.

You didn't know how much time you had spent in the toilet and let your tears fall down quietly, but after a while, you received a message from James.

Where are you? Aren't you feeling well? Shall I bring you home?

If you can't go home, you can come to mine if you want?

You hesitated a bit before you answered. On the one side, it was true that you really wanted not to be here anymore and it sounded plausible to let James accompany home. On the other side, you couldn't stop thinking about how your last conversation with Ben ended. Should you try to apologise to him? Or were you in the right to feel hurt and should just go home with James?

Who’s gonna love you better? You choose. Ben or James?

[euro2020blogjayb]

Semi finals blog - Part 1

England have reached the final of a major tournament for the first time in 55 years after defeating Denmark 2-1 at Wembley in front of over 60,000 supporters! The last time England reached a final was in 1966 and that was when Sir Geoff Hurst scored a hattrick at Wembley to win the World Cup for the Three Lions. This is a monumental achievement and will go down in history. Gareth Southgate has done a terrific job with his highly talented and skilful squad of players. England finished top of Group D after beating Croatia and the Czech Republic as well as avoiding defeat against bitter rivals Scotland. They have been very good in the knockout stages, defeating Germany with aplomb and absolutely destroyed Ukraine in Rome. To finally get over the semi final stage shows improvement in the England team. It shows progress and has made a nation of people believe again. It has restored national pride and it has made a lot of people fall back in love with international football. More importantly, it shows that the players and the manager have bottle. They have learned their lessons from the harsh experience of defeat from the 2018 Russia World Cup when Croatia scored the winner in extra time. This semi final also went to extra time but England were by far the better team and deserved to win the match. Denmark looked tired and out of ideas. They struggled to respond to the barrage of attacks coming from England’s players.

 The boy from Brent, Raheem Sterling, won a penalty which Harry Kane took. Kasper Schmeichel, who was absolutely terrific and my man of the match, saved the penalty but Kane was able to get to the rebound and put it into the back of the net subsequently. This would be the winning goal of the match. The goal that would send England through to the final of Euro 2020. Thankfully, England were able to hold on to the lead and saw the game out. The post match scenes were lovely to see. The players were applauding the supporters and were singing along to Sweet Caroline. The atmosphere was fantastic. The mood was good and people were clearly in very high spirits. If England win the final against Italy on Sunday then there will be total pandemonium and jubilation. There is no doubt about that.  I must congratulate Denmark for getting so far in the competition. They have been terrific and all the players get my respect and admiration. They were able to overcome the odds, especially after losing their talisman, Christian Eriksen , from the first game. Thankfully he is recovering and is currently in good health. After losing their opening two matches, Denmark won three games in a row and gave England a really good game. Every single one of them are heroes and the country should be very proud of how far the team have come. 

It can be argued that the penalty awarded to England was soft however, when you watch the replay of the foul, there is contact between Joachim Maele’s leg and Raheem Sterling. Sterling was travelling at such a high speed that even minimal contact would have been enough to have caused him to fall over. Sterling did what most players would have done. If you had the chance to win your team a penalty during extra time to go one goal ahead you would go down in the box if there was contact. England deserved a penalty anyway because earlier on in the game, Harry Kane was fouled in the box but the referee gave Denmark a freekick instead. You can even argue that the Denmark freekick in the first half should not have been given because there wasn’t a foul on Vestegaard. Swings and roundabouts. Sometimes in football you need a decision to go your way. You need a bit of good luck to get over the line and go all the way. I’m not saying England were completely lucky to go through. They deserved to get to the final and are in there on merit. Denmark did not have the same level of intensity as England and Southgate’s men were slowly wearing the opposition out. England have good players in all areas of the pitch therefore they can push teams to the limit and make them suffer which is what happened. Denmark were on the ropes for a while and were hanging on for dear life. 

Denmark took the lead in the first half thanks to an excellent freekick from Mikkel Damsgaard. The youngster from Sampdoria scored the first goal of the match and scored the one and only goal against England in the entire tournament so far. Jordan Pickford perhaps could have done better and possible could have changed his positioning  slightly so that he would have been able to save the freekick. He looked a little shaky but he will be glad that his defence put in a solid performance. Harry Maguire was magnificent. He has been terrific in this European Championship. He won 8 aerial duels and always tried to drive forward to start attacks. As a Man Utd fan, this is a delight to see and although I criticised him a lot in 2020, I can’t praise him enough now. Luke Shaw was tremendous as per usual. Don’t really need to say anymore about him. Rice and Phillips did well in the midfield. Mount looked lively. Saka was really good. At 19 years of age, it has become very apparent how talented he is. He has put in some very mature performances during this tournament. It is no surprise that Gareth trusts him and gives him a start in such a huge game. Raheem Sterling was once again a threat and was making lots of direct runs into the opposition half. He is an excellent player and he should be the player of the tournament for England because he has been fantastic. His contribution has been massive.  After Denmark scored and made the score 1-0, England responded. They did not panic or capitulate or make silly errors which was very reassuring to see. England only increased the intensity with which they attacked. Sterling made a darting run into the box and shot but Schmeichel made a great close range save. England were not done though. Kane made a wonderful pass to Bukayo Saka that cut through the Danish defence. Saka saw Sterling and made an accurate cross. The Danish centre back Simon Kaer had no choice but to try and clear the cross but in the event of doing it put the ball into his own net and scored an own goal. The scores were level. 1-1. Game on. 

England continued to attack in the second half. Out of the two teams they looked more like scoring. Denmark did create chances although they did not trouble the England backline or Pickford that much. Dolberg made some good shots but it was nothing too serious or worrying. England kept attacking and Harry Maguire almost scored from a header. He has been very dangerous with his headers. He scored a really good headed goal against Ukraine in the QFs. The score was level at 1-1 at normal time. It had been a pulsating 90 minutes of football. 

England had the momentum during extra time. After the penalty and the goal from Kane, Southgate went to a back five, substituting off Jack Grealish for Kieran Trippier. It paid off and England finished the game 2-1 as winners. Into the final.

England will play Italy on Sunday in the Euro 2020 final under the famous golden Wembley arches. It is going to be a difficult game. It will be very fascinating to see the tactical battle being played out. How Kane and Sterling try to find ways through the mostly impenetrable defence especially with the experience of Bonucci and Chiellini there. The Italians love defending but this side can also attack and score goals. Lorenzo Insigne is very good and Frederico Chiesa is superb when he goes forward as he is very direct and his shooting is impressive. He has scored two huge goals for Italy in the knockout stages of this tournament. He is a player that Kyle Walker will need to keep quiet. Italy’s midfield three of Marco Verratti, Jorginho and Nicolo Barella is very strong. They are all very technically gifted players therefore they are good at transitioning the play from defence to attack. The midfield battle will be an interesting one. England have Mason Mount who can make good through balls and passes into the final third. Kalvin Phillips is a master at interceptions. Declan Rice’s distribution is very precise most of the time. We shall see how things pan out. England can win but Gareth Southgate needs to get his tactics right and do everything he can to nullify the Italian players. Mancini is a good manager therefore if he needs to change the formation, structure or his tactical approach, he will do so. Italy have tremendous squad depth like England. Locatelli, who was excellent in the group stages can come on, Berardi is quite dangerous on the right wing and Torino forward, Belotti is good at holding up the ball. England have flair players that are creative and will be to create chances and unlock defences. Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish can come off the bench. The youngester, Bellingham can provide some much needed pressing and aggressive play with his youthful energy and enthusiasm. Jordan Henderson can come in to stabilise the midfield as he brings a lot of experience plus has a winning mentality because he has won major trophies with Liverpool and will add composure to England’s midfield which  will help them to dominate the game in the middle of the park.  Italy have not lost a game since 2018 but every long winning streak must come to an end. It’s time for England to get some glory. It’s time to end all the painful memories and bring football home. It’s up to you England. It’s up to you Southgate. You know what you need to do. You know what’s at stake. This is the chance to create history. Let’ s do it. Let’s win the final. Make the nation proud. It’s coming home. 

[prleaguebib]

Harry Maguire sets Manchester United challenge ahead of Tottenham fixture - Manchester Evening News

Harry Maguire sets Manchester United challenge ahead of Tottenham fixture – Manchester Evening News

Harry Maguire says Manchester United must put their mistakes right when they host Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

United are ninth in the league after they were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Jack Grealish had given Dean Smith’s side a deserved lead at the weekend before an own goal from Tom Heaton gifted United a way back into the game…

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29-goal pairing, Grealish vs Tomori: Where Aston Villa vs Derby will be won and lost

Aston Villa and Derby County will clash this weekend as they bid to secure promotion to the Premier League.

The two sides finished fifth and sixth in the Championship respectively but Dean Smith and Frank Lampard will lock horns at Wembley in a bid to reach the rarefied air of the top-flight.

Villa have not been in the Premier League since 2016, while Derby dropped through the trapdoor in 2008.

How will the clash be settled, then? Football FanCast takes a look at where the game will be lost and won.

The key battle – Grealish vs Tomori

Jack Grealish has been in genuinely superb form this season and has inspired the club to the final.

Villa embarked on a 10-game unbeaten run following the attacking midfielder’s return from injury, having been on a five-game winless run prior.

His direct dribbling and ability to spot a pass could prove vital to Smith’s team; he has laid on two assists in the play-offs, both of which came in the first leg against West Bromwich Albion.

Fikayo Tomori, the on-loan Chelsea defender, could be given the job of marking Grealish out of the game.

A gifted defender, he won the club’s Player of the Year award and has missed just one Championship match thus far this term.

The key dynamic – Loanees vs Loanees

Both Villa and Derby have a number of players on short-term deals.

Villa, in particular, have five stars on loan – Axel Tuanzebe (from Manchester United), Tammy Abraham (from Chelsea), Anwar El Ghazi (from Lille), Kortney Hause (from Wolves) and Tyrone Mings (from Bournemouth).

Abraham, in particular, has been brilliant, scoring 26 goals in 41 appearances and firing the club into the play-offs. He scored in the first leg against West Brom.

The Rams, too, have Tomori and Mason Mount from Chelsea and Harry Wilson from Liverpool.

The latter two have scored a combined total of 29 goals this season – 11 and 18 respectively – while both laying on six assists.

It remains to be seen how many players can be kept for next season but they will certainly play a key role at Wembley.

The result may ultimately spin on which loanee performs best.

The deciding factor – Pressure

This is a massive, massive game.

Villa and Derby are each 90 minutes away from the Premier League but neither were ever really in contention to win automatic promotion to the top-flight.

If Villa fail, they will surely have to sell Grealish, with Tottenham Hotspur potential suitors.

If Derby fail, they may well lose all of their loanees, along with Lampard, who is sure to be a candidate for a number of top-flight jobs as they become available.

There can be nothing more riding on this encounter; whoever deals with it best will win promotion.

The impact subs – Jedinak vs Huddlestone

Experience is key.

Both sides have a number of exceptional young players but both Tom Huddlestone and Mile Jedinak, players with Premier League experience, will be vital, particularly if their respective side is winning.

They can be the calming influence, keeping their heads while all around them may be in danger of losing theirs.

After all, they may not get too many more chances to play in the Premier League again.

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2X9RYqz via IFTTT from Blogger http://bit.ly/30P23eK via IFTTT

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Aston Villa’s John McGinn and Jack Grealish hoping to dine out on Wembley triumph

Aston Villa sliding by moment came after sacking Steve Bruce in October with the team struggling in 12th position

French superstar Thierry Henry was considered to add va-va-voom to the sleeping giants before they settled on the less glamorous Brummie Dean Smith, whose managerial resume contained Walsall and Brentford.

The judgment has proved inspired. Smith, a boyhood Villa fan, masterminded 10 wins in a row to put them in the playoffs and on Monday they face Derby at Wembley in football's richest game, worth £ 170million to the promoted winners.

Dean Smith has mastered a remarkable promotion push since his appointment at Villa

It came after Villa sacked Steve Bruce, with the club garage in 12 position in the league

"Steve Bruce signed me. At the time I was gutted, and worried, when he went, I thought the new guy was going to like me, "admits Villas player of the year John McGinn.

" We were linked with Thierry Henry and I didn't know whether he liked Scottish players! I was intrigued when Dean Smith got the job but I was lying if I wasn't to say I was nervous, anxious to see if I was his child or player.

'My position changed slightly when he came in, I played a little bit higher up, and after a couple of weeks he pulled me and said, "I don't think you realize how good you can be." It was great to hear from a new manager.

Tammy Abraham's 26 goals on loan from Chelsea will earn him attention from Derby's defense at Wembley but the midfield relationship between McGinn and the gifted Jack Grealish that really makes Villa tick.

Many Premier League clubs regard the pair with envy and McGinn, who was heavily courted by Celtic manager Brendan Rodger last summer, says the partnership is strong on and off the pitch.

Thierry Henry would have been the glamor appointment, but Villa , rightly, went for Smith

'A lot of lads have families but myself, Jack and Olly from the sports scence department always go out for food together on a Thursday night. It started during our winning run and become a superstition. We have similar ages and have similar interests.

'Jack is one of the best I've played with. He's comfortably the best in the Championship – he just glides with the ball. He definitely helps me because he's man-marked so I get free rein to run about!

'Everyone has the perception he's some sort of bad boy but he's a hard worker and a great leader (as captain) about the past couple of months. I think he was unlucky not to be in the last England squad. "

Villa are one of English football's great clubs. Only they can claim alongside Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea to have both won the League and FA Cup Double, and the European Cup.

The past three seasons spent outside the Premier League have been tough with financial worries and a beaten play-off final against Fulham 12 months ago.

Tammy Abraham's 26 goals will earn him attention from Derby's defense on Monday

Tammy Abraham's 26 goals will earn him attention from Derby's defense but it's the midfield relationship between McGinn and Jack Grealish that really makes Villa tick. Their partnership is strong both on and off the pitch.

"Myself, Jack and Olly from the sports science department always go out for food on a Thursday night. It started during our winning run and become a superstition.

"Jack is one of the best I've played with. He's comfortably the best in the Championship – he just glides with the ball. He definitely helps me because he's man-marked so I get free clean to run about!

'Everyone has the perception he's some sort of bad boy but he's a hard worker and has been a great leader [as captain]. '

Villa have spent three seasons outside the top flight and lost in the play-off final to Fulham a year ago. For McGinn, though, there's a sense of destiny after beating West Brom on penalties in the semi-final. "I had the feeling it was going to be West Brom's night but big thanks to Jed [goalkeeper Jed Steer] and the lads taking penalties. It doesn't matter how we've done it. We are there. "

McGinn is also aware that Norwich-born Steer might be eligible to join him on the Scotland team. "If we beat Derby, I'll bring him a" See you Jimmy "hat and a can of Irn-Bru!"

Former Chelsea and England legend John Terry will be alongside Smith in the dug-out this time and desperate to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. Those who doubted Terry could be a subordinate to Smith given his own reputation as a leader have been surprised by the chemistry between the pair.

McGinn reveals neither are particularly ferocious towards the players. "Rich (Smith's other assistant Richard O'Kelly) is a bit more the bad cop!" he says.

'The managerial team take different parts of training and are very respectful of each other. There’s no ego and "I've achieved more than the others." Aston Villa into the Premier League. "

The midfield relationship between John McGinn (R) and Jack Grealish (L) really makes Villa tick

For McGinn, it's been a whirlwind 12 months since leaving Hibs, choosing Villa after Celtic left their interest drag on too long.

Though he's played internationals at Hampden and faced the Old Firm at Celtic Park and Ibrox, considering this game as the biggest of his career.

There is also a sense of destiny after squeaking fits West Brom on penalties in the semi-final. 'I had the feeling it was going to be West Brom's night but big thanks to Jed (goalkeeper Jed Steer) and the lads taking the penalties. It doesn't matter how we've done it. We are there. ”

McGinn goes into the game voted by his peers and the club's supporters as Villa's stand-out player this season. He's that weird wide or all-roumd midfielders who can stop, create and score goals.

He's also aware that Norwich-born Steer might be eligible to join him in the Scotland team. "It's been mentioned," hey smiles. "If we beat Derby, I'll bring him a" See you Jimmy "hat and a can of Irn-Bru!"

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Championship Betting: Why Dean Smith can get 6/1 Aston Villa promoted

(New post on FreeBetAlerts.com) - https://freebetalerts.com/2018/10/11/championship-betting-why-dean-smith-can-get-6-1-aston-villa-promoted/ #Football, #Freebets, #Tips

Championship Betting: Why Dean Smith can get 6/1 Aston Villa promoted Please share.

. looks at the positive things new manager Dean Smith will bring to Villa Park, arguing they are good value to go up this season at 6/1… “That could finally have changed with the appointment of Dean Smith, a lifelong Villa fan renowned for slowly turning a club’s fortunes around by instilling a clear tactical philosophy. It is a welcome relief from the aimlessness of Steve Bruce’s tenure.”

Aston Villa are a club strangely burdeoned by their own rich history, their stature in the game making it difficult to adapt to relegation from the Premier League without resorting to self-destructive tendencies. They don’t deserve any sympathy for this approach – essentially buying their way back to their rightful place – but for supporters, most of whom carry no such sense of entitlement, it has been frustrating to watch those in charge pursue short-termist solutions.

That could finally have changed with the appointment of Dean Smith, a lifelong Villa fan renowned for slowly turning a club’s fortunes around by instilling a clear tactical philosophy.

It is a welcome relief from the aimlessness of Steve Bruce’s tenure, which was largely defined by buying the Championship’s most influential footballers and throwing them onto the pitch together. By the end it was absolute chaos, leaving fans crying out for more attractive football and – more importantly – a clear vision for how to get Villa back to the Premier League.

Smith can give Villa the humility they need

Then again, Smith’s appointment might not be as sensible as it sounds. The new owners, who bought the club in August 2018, reportedly approached Thierry Henry before turning to the former Brentford manager. Henry represents a glamorous (and risky) choice that perhaps shows a naivety and lack of pragmatism at boardroom level. Villa desperately need consistency, humility, and patience, while Smith needs to be given time to get his ideas across – even if that means another year in the Championship.

Smith should be able to convince the board, even if they are currently sceptical; his wide-reaching philosophy and excellent interpersonal skills suggest the former Brentford manager can change the outlook of the club as a whole. Expect thoughtful press conferences, in-depth discussion of the process, and a sense of calm that will help Villa build organically for the future. That’s just what Villa need: to slow down, to rid themselves of the panicked urgency that saw Tony Xia spend wildly on overrated players.

His tactics can get the best out of Villa’s attackers

Assuming Smith will be given with patience he craves, there is no reason why the 47-year-old cannot be a huge success at Villa Park. He plays expansive attacking football based on ball retention and slick short-passing football, something that always goes down well with fans (thus buying more time for things to click) and should finally offer this talented squad a strategy suited to their gifts.

Villa’s array of attackers is unmatched in the Championship (they can still be backed at 6/1 to be promoted). In terms of goals alone, Jonathan Kodja and Tammy Abraham have both hit 20 in a single Championship season while Scott Hogan netted 14 in the first half of 2016/17 under Dean Smith at Brentford before joining Villa in the January window. Playing with width, bravery, and attacking intent will create numerous opportunities for the Villa strikers.

Yannick Bolasie, John McGinn, Albert Adomah, and Anwar el Ghazi are all exceptional wingers for this level, and all should flourish in a system with greater complexity than Bruce’s. For starters, they will be unshackled from conservative defensive contributions and, thanks to the aestheticism of Smith’s short-passing philosophy, will enter the final third with considerably more room to accelerate into.

Jack Grealish will take centre stage

Then there’s Jack Grealish, the most naturally gifted playmaker in the division. Smith certainly won’t shove the 22-year-old out to the wing like his predecessor, instead giving him centre-stage by releasing Grealish into a free role that allows him to collect the ball from deep and instigate Smith’s silky passing football.

There is no better player to use as a lynchpin for an aesthetic brand of football, and consequently Grealish’s form should improve. What’s more, Smith’s attacking instincts ensure the creative burden on Villa’s number ten will lessen. As expectations lower and opposition defenders are drawn away, Grealish’s output should increase. If Grealish hits his peak then the other pieces will fall into place in no time at all.

It won’t take much to turn Villa Park into a fortress

Villa Park is one of the best stadiums in the country and there is a long history of manager’s turning the place into a fortress; the wide pitch and daunting atmosphere should allow a possession-dominant Villa to suffocate their opponents.

And a strong home record could be all it takes. Villa are currently just four points off the play-offs despite languishing in 15th, while second-place West Brom – though nine points clear of their rivals – are catchable. They’ve conceded 17 goals in 12 matches, a porous record that will eventually see their current form decline. Leeds United are widely expected to burn out, leaving a surprisingly open field for Villa to sneak up automatically.

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[footballerimaginess]

Updated List Christmas Prompts

If they are in bold, they have a player already and don’t request for them. Please make sure you put scenario or dialogue when you are requesting.  SCENARIO 1. Snow on Christmas Day Pablo Torre 2. Christmas market Leon Goretzka  3. Shopping Mason Mount 4. Decorating the tree Mats Hummels  5. Baby’s first Christmas Pierre Emile Hojbjerg  6. Mistletoe kiss Darwin Nunez  7. Ugly Christmas jumpers Rodrigo De Paul  8. Christmas movies Antoine Griezmann  9. Christmas Food/Drinks Emile Smith Rowe  10. Building a snowman Rodrigo Bentancur  11. Secret Santa Conor Coady  12. Snowball fight Ruben Dias  13. Ice Skating Dele Alli  14. Christmas pregnancy announcement Ferran Torres 15. Leaving treats out for Santa Reece James 16. New Year’s Eve Ruben Dias  DIALOGUE 1. “Is that present for me?” Timo Werner  2. “You know what they say, don’t eat yellow snow” Tammy Abraham  3. “Nobody can have enough Christmas jumpers” Buyako Saka  4. “Christmas songs always make me smile” Son Heung Min  5. “You have not bought the dog a Christmas jumper have you?” Jan Oblak  6. “You’re really making me wear matching pyjamas with you?” Pablo Gavi  7. “I missed you this Christmas” Giovanni Reyna  8. “You have eaten all of those chocolates haven’t you?” Pablo Gavi 9. “The snow looks cute in your hair” Reece James  10. “Have you ever seen a sexier Father Christmas than me before?” Ruben Dias  11. “Let’s write your letter to Santa” John Stones 12. “It is absolutely freezing” Anyone You Like  13. “Why are you sad this Christmas?” Neymar 14. “It is so cold, warm me up please” Jack Grealish  15. “This is the best gift you have ever given me” Virgil Van Dijk 16. “I saw Mummy kissing Father Christmas” Martin Odegaard/ Ben Chilwell