It took well over a year, but the day has finally come- Jesse Lingard has scored in an English competition. It came on a pitch in absolutely horrible, awful shape and it was scored against Tranmere Rovers, a League One side that looks destined for League Two next year.
So yes, the forward who has been referred to by at least one pundit as “a professional Instagrammer” is finally back on the score sheet, and all he had to do was play against a side that it essentially on par with the fourth tier of English football, on a pitch in horrific shape. Find your level! Here is the video footage, just in case you don’t believe that it actually happened:
Jesse Lingard scores his first goal in English competitions in 366 days ?
Stream the FA Cup on ESPN+ ?? https://t.co/2FP76LLC2v pic.twitter.com/HAn0PzBfMQ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 26, 2020
Adding to the craziness, Phil Jones, yes Phil Jones actually scored too! United then get goals from two more highly unlikely names to appear on the score sheet- Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot. The Red Devils rolled to a 5-0 halftime lead by halftime, and with it secured a place in the fifth round.
Lingard did his patented “J Lingz” celebration after scoring, and rightfully caught a lot of heat for it on social media. Speaking of Twitter, here are some of the more notable and colorful reactions to Lingard ending his goal scoring drought (it’s more like the Sahara Desert) today.
Lingard should have just walked back to start kick off again, hows he doing the JL celebration after not scoring for a year and when he does it’s against Tranmere
— DSS ?? (@Daniel_sStevens) January 26, 2020
https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1221458903843602442
Lingard and Jones scored pic.twitter.com/Sj4zS8y2dh
— Nicolae Butnar (@NicolaeButnar) January 26, 2020
Let's settle who is better this year
RT for Messi
Like for Lingard #TRAMUN pic.twitter.com/GLJXoTuvs7— Deji. (@Dejii4PF_) January 26, 2020
Lingard & Jones walking into training on Monday like.. ? pic.twitter.com/RtdSBMr5uv
— Danny Culley (@DannyCulley7) January 26, 2020
Lingard new contract can finally be announced now
— Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) January 26, 2020
Ole to Ed Woodward: “ Lingard’s got a goal today we’ve just won 6 against Tranmere, don’t think we’ll need signings. I can work with this”
Ed Woodward: Say no more ?— Saeed TV (@SaeedTV_) January 26, 2020
Lingard now has many goals in 2020 as he had in all of 2019. United won by a final score of 6-0.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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