Seriously Football: Gifs that keep on giving

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Let's break down this weekend’s big stories courtesy of five gifs that keep on giving.

Number One: Firmino flashes his pearly whites.

Sure, Roberto Firmino scored a hatrick for Liverpool on the weekend - but his standout contribution came in the warm up.

What makes Firmino such a great attacking player? Perfect timing and an ability to read the situation quickly.

Neither of those were on display when the Brazilian mistook a covid temperature test for a photo opp.

Number Two: Vitesse fans at the pearly gates.

Is football more important than life and death? It is according to these guys. 

The Vittesse fans literally brought the house down celebrating at the end of the game - and with a quick adjustment carried right on partying. For fans AND players, cheating life-threatening injury was suddenly just one more thing to celebrate!

Number Three: Handbags in northern Ireland.

Many of us love a good on-field melt down - but teammate-on-teammate violence occupies a special place in EVERY footy fan's heart.

The backstory here was anyone’s guess, but stand out features like a Neymar ‘face grab’ from the downed player and the keeper getting a ball in the back from another defender will keep THIS morale-busting moment trending high, well into the spring.

Number Four: Are you watching Jadon Sancho?

Keep it simple? Play the easy ball? With Sancho still struggling to adjust to life in the premier league,let's hope the Utd midfielder saw THIS clip - which offered living proof that showboating under no pressure at all is still ALWAYS the best option.

Number Five: Man Utd’s season, in a minute, on a moped.

Does art imitate life or is it the other way around? Well, this clip uncannily retells the story of Man Utd season so far.

The wall ride is a great start - it's sprightly, confident and pulled off to a tee - just like that early game against Newcastle. Ronaldo was back in RED and back in BUSINESS.

Then there's a somersault onto the moped It’s less fluid and confident and only just about comes off. And there’s unintended comedy as one wayward leg rings the horn.

What we’re seeing here is Man Utd's almost immediate dip in form. Sure they went on to win a few more games - but it was laboed, completely lacking in fluidity, and increasingly difficult to watch.

Then - the fall. 

And it’s not just a literal fall - it's a fall from grace, with pretty much any thread of dignity out the window. 

It's not just that she goes down hard - it's the sheepish, quizzical look in her eyes -‘Ok that just happened. I just fell over. I just fucked up your bike.’ 

But there's also a flash of mischief that seems to say:  ‘This isn't over! I’m not done. You know it. I know it. We’re going somewhere new now - and it’s bad - and I don’t care.’

What we’re seeing here is Man Utd falling apart in the run up to the international break, hopeless, chaotic, and without any kind of plan whatsoever. 

And then in footage that distills the liquid quintessence of Man Utd’s abysmal showing against Leicester she’s up and away -  half on and half off the already battered bike, accelerating at high speed into a brick wall.

Seriously, Man Utd fans - why do you do it to yourselves? Over and over again?