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Richard Martin

Northern Football Writer

📝 Bio: I'm a football writer covering Manchester United and Manchester City. I am a regular at Old Trafford and The Etihad Stadium and am often found at the City Football Academy or United's Carrington Training Ground for press conferences. I covered Spanish football for 10 years at the height of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era, witnessing Real Madrid win three consecutive Champions Leagues while Barca scooped multiple La Liga crowns. I moved back to my former home of Manchester in 2023, in time to cover City swooping to the treble and a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League crown, plus the never-ending melodrama unfolding at United. Highlights while working for GOAL include interviewing Julian Alvarez, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot.

⚽ My Football Story: My first game was seeing Manchester United getting destroyed 4-1 by Tottenham in 1996, aged eight. It did not put me off and I have since been to over 700 matches across 16 countries and three continents, from standing on the terraces at River Plate and Napoli to filing match reports from the World Cup final in Moscow or the Europa League final in Bilbao. I live and breathe terrace culture but I equally enjoy analysing the game's top players and coaches.

🎯 Areas of Expertise:

  • Manchester United & Manchester City
  • La Liga
  • Fan culture

🌟 Favourite Footballing Memory:

Reporting from the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors in Madrid, a once-in-a-lifetime event and a privilege to experience live.

 

 

 

Articles by Richard Martin
  1. Get him gone! Six reasons Man Utd MUST sack Amorim

    Ruben Amorim claimed after Manchester United's defeat at Brentford that he is never worried about losing his job and that is just as well because, sooner or later, he is going to get his marching orders at Old Trafford. The results speak for themselves. His team have lost 17 of their 33 Premier League matches while winning just nine times. If you want to find a United coach with a worse win percentage in the league, you have to go back to before the Second World War.

  2. Haaland is the difference for Man City - again!

    Never write off Erling Haaland. Even when he hasn't scored after 90 minutes. The Norwegian looked like he was having a quiet game as Manchester City laboured to victory over Burnley but he came alive right at the end, signing off with two goals as well as an assist. Before the striker's stoppage-time blitz, City were grateful to two own goals from Maxime Esteve and one from Matheus Nunes, set up by Haaland.

  3. More Man Utd misery as Maguire & Bruno royally mess up

    Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty and Harry Maguire had a day to forget as Manchester United sank to a worrying 3-1 defeat at Brentford which leaves Ruben Amorim's reputation further in tatters. The Red Devils were hoping to make the most of a bad start by Brentford and record back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time under their coach but it all went horribly wrong and piled more pressure on their beleaguered manager.

  4. Amorim: Let's win for Amad after father's death

    Ruben Amorim has revealed that Amad Diallo has been given permission to miss Manchester United's trip to Brentford after the death of his father. Amad will remain in Manchester rather than return to his home in the Ivory Coast. The coach hopes his team can pay tribute to Amad by securing a second consecutive Premier League win for the first time since he took charge.

  5. 'I slept like a baby!' - Pep praises all-time great Walker

    Pep Guardiola hailed Kyle Walker as one of the greatest right-backs ever and is certain that he will get a big reception from Manchester City fans when he returns to the Etihad Stadium with Burnley on Saturday. Walker helped City win six Premier League titles and the Champions League in a seven-and-a-half-year spell with the club, although he had a sour end to his time there.

  6. Inside Kyle Walker's new life at Burnley after marriage drama

    For a player so crucial to Manchester City’s most glorious period ever, the manner of Kyle Walker's departure was bizarre to say the least. Pep Guardiola had let the cat out of the bag that the then-captain wanted to leave the club on loan for AC Milan at the end of a press conference after City had hammered Salford City in the FA Cup in early January.

  7. Mbeumo has won over Man Utd fans - but now he needs goals

    On statistics alone, it might look like Bryan Mbeumo has made a slow start to life with Manchester United. He has one goal in his five matches since his £71 million ($95m) move from Brentford, contrasting with four goals at the same stage of last season with the Bees. But ask any fan who has been their best player so far in this stop-start season and they will most likely name the Cameroon forward.

  1. Ekitike, Emery & the EPL's biggest winners & losers

    With two Big Six clashes and a Merseyside derby, there was a lot to get excited about in the Premier League this weekend. And with last-minute goals, red cards aplenty and a couple of narrative shifts, it sure did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola did his best Jose Mourinho impression and took his Manchester City side to Arsenal to defend deep and play on the counterattack.

  2. Man Utd fight for Amorim with help from blundering Sanchez

    Last week, Ruben Amorim suffered the ignominy of Manchester City fans chanting his name ironically. But last night, his Manchester United players proved that they believe in his project and are ready to fight for him. Facing Chelsea was probably not what the coach wanted in his next outing after the chastening derby defeat but his side made a flying start and eventually earned a 2-1 win.

  3. Arsenal, beware! Haaland is in Viking mode and wants vengeance

    "Off the pitch I'm a calm guy that just wants to have fun and enjoy my life," Erling Haaland told Time Magazine in July. "On the pitch I want to attack like a Viking." The Manchester City striker's love for the Scandinavian seafaring conquerors is well known. He dressed up as a Viking at a Halloween party just a few months after joining City. And while speaking to the prestigious American current affairs magazine, he zeroed in on his fascination with them.

  4. Man Utd boast record revenues and claim to be top performing club in Europe

    Manchester United have posted their highest ever amount of revenue for last season, despite having their worst campaign on the pitch in 51 years. On Wednesday, the Red Devils published their latest financial results, which they said show 'the enduring strength and resilience of the club' as well as the benefits of 'difficult decisions taken', namely making an extra 200 staff members redundant.

  5. How Napoli became a safe haven for Manchester's rejects

    "Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism," said Diego Maradona. When he played for Napoli in the more prosperous northern cities like Milan and Turin, he and his team-mates would be subjected to banners reading 'Welcome to Italy'; 'Napoli, cholera sufferers' or 'Vesuvius, wash them with fire'.

  6. RANKED: Haaland, Salah and the best PL strikers ever

    Erling Haaland was back to his very best as the striker led Manchester City to a thumping derby win over Manchester United on Sunday. The Norwegian made yet more history, becoming the joint-top scorer in the fixture as well as the fastest player to reach 90 Premier League goals. And a beaming Pep Guardiola declared that Haaland was in the best form of his career.