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England were proactive and stayed in the game but could not dislodge India’s No. 3

Sidharth Monga25-Jan-20252:01

Tilak’s finishing reminds Manjrekar of MS Dhoni

India are used to their No. 3 sealing tense chases in limited-overs cricket. With the legendary one retired from T20Is, the new one shepherded India to a 2-0 lead with a 55-ball 72 that Virat Kohli himself would have been proud of. With wickets falling around him, Tilak Varma had to tamper with his natural game and even farm the strike in the end, but he produced just enough hits to take India over the line with two wickets in hand.The two sides brought two diametrically opposite styles to the match. India continued testing England with spin, bowling 14 overs of them for 118 runs and six wickets. The beleaguered England side kept going hard at them, somehow managing to get to 165, and then unleashed high pace and bounce on a surface that gave them just enough zip. They defended bravely, gambling twice with spin, but while the pace and bounce brought them wickets, it also travelled. Jofra Archer went for 60 in his four overs. Tilak took his last over, the 16th, for 19 to tilt the scales decisively.Same, same but differentA first-over wicket for Arshdeep Singh. Check. This time with a bouncer bowled across the body of Phil Salt with two men back for the hook.A first-ball wicket with spin. Check. This time to home boy Washington Sundar, who replaced the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy.Wickets for Varun Chakravarthy. Check. Harry Brook bowled through the gate the first time he faced Varun.Tight bowling from Axar Patel. Check. And this resulted in the two big wickets of Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone.However, England refused to get bogged down. They kept hitting back despite the loss of wickets. Buttler scored 45 off 30. Score 90 for 5 in the 12th over.Varun Chakravarthy bowled Harry Brook for his first international wicket at his home ground, Chepauk•BCCISmith and Carse boost EnglandDebutant Jamie Smith, playing in place of the unwell Jacob Bethell, displayed early promise by playing Axar like a medium-pacer and lofting him over long-on. India seemed to have gone to the well too often when they introduced the part-timer Abhishek Sharma, the fifth spinner. Smith took him for a six and a four off the first two balls, but eventually he, too, went to the well once too often and hit a third arm ball straight to long-off.Brought in to provide batting depth, Brydon Carse displayed all-around ability, hitting three sixes in his 31 off 17. Two of them came off Varun, again under the assumption that everything turns in or goes straight on. A poorly judged second run, though, resulted in his run-out, costing them a big kick in the end. The last four overs brought them just 29.Pace meets fireArcher and Mark Wood let the ball rip under the night sky. Wood seamed a quick delivery back to trap Abhishek, but not before the opener had taken down Archer by carving him for three boundaries in the first over. Varma went a step further by giving him the 1-2: back away and cut for four, followed by a swept six out of the stadium. In between, Archer’s pace accounted for the wicket of Sanju Samson.Tilak Varma hit five sixes in his knock•AFP/Getty ImagesEngland dig inEngland didn’t back down, and kept testing the middle of the pitch. They went for runs, but Carse managed to get the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Dhruv Jurel with just that length. Jamie Overton piled on with a corker first ball to take the glove of Hardik Pandya as India lost three wickets for 21 runs in four overs and slipped to 78 for 5 in 9.1.Rashid drops WashingtonWith a little bit of grip available to him, Adil Rashid bowled beautifully in the middle overs to pile the pressure on India. Four runs came off 11 balls for the stand. Then a flying bouncer for five wides brought India relief. However, Wood again seemed to have produced the wicket, but Rashid dropped a sitter at mid-on. A no-ball, later in the over, was followed by a six off the free hit, and two glorious back-foot aerial punches to hard lengths that cleared mid-off. Now 53 required off seven.England buy their way backCarse again produced a beauty to hit the top of middle of Washington. India still had one more allrounder before they could get into the tail. Buttler bought that wicket with the introduction of Liam Livingstone’s spin. Axar holed out to deep midwicket, to open one end up with 40 still needed off 31.Tilak prevailsButtler went to Archer to drive home the advantage but Tilak cracked the game open. A top-edged six didn’t quite amuse Archer, who had seen Tilak do that earlier as well, but the flat square-cut for the follow-up six stunned him. More desperation followed when Arshdeep toe-ended a boundary but Archer had been distracted by his backing away and wasn’t attacking the stumps at any rate.Buttler gambled again with Rashid. Tilak farmed the strike early, and gave Arshdeep just one ball to play out. Like Axar, Arshdeep, too, swung hard and holed out to deep square leg.Carse again bowled a tight over to leave 13 off the last two, and Buttler gambled again. Tilak took the first four balls again. For just three. Now you can’t blame the lower order for lack of consistency. Even Ravi Bishnoi swung at Livingstone, but this time the edge flew just over short third.Tilak finished it off with a searing cover-driven four with four balls to go.

Rangers supporters have certainly enjoyed their Europa League nights in recent seasons and, well, their side appear destined to return to their favourite competition.

On a truly disastrous Tuesday night at Ibrox, the Light Blues were demolished by Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, three down inside 20 minutes, before Danilo’s goal from close range shortly after the interval reduced the deficit, but could not spark a full-scale comeback.

The Brazilian was leading the line due to an injury suffered by Cyriel Dessers, while Hamza Igamane was only deemed fit enough to come off the bench on the hour mark, given that he’s still recovering from an injury of his own.

Nevertheless, both Dessers and Igamane have been strongly linked with moves away throughout the summer, the Light Blues rejecting a bid from Lille for the latter as recently as earlier this week, so perhaps Russell Martin will need to strengthen his attack.

Rangers' need for attacking firepower

Danilo’s consolation goal against Club Brugge was, remarkably, his first in a Rangers shirt since the demolition of Celtic all the way back on 2 January.

In total, since arriving from Feyenoord for around £6m two summers ago, the Brazilian has scored just 13 goals in 56 outings for the club, sitting out a whopping 58 matches due to various injury problems.

Appearances

56

Starts

24

Apps of 15 mins or fewer

11

Matches not in the squad

58

Matches an unused sub

11

Goals

13

European goals

2

Minutes per goal

185

Assists

10

Thus, should Dessers and Igamane both be sold, Rangers cannot rely on Danilo, both in terms of quality but also his availability.

Thus, according to reports, via the Sun, Rangers are interested in signing young Villarreal striker Karl Etta Eyong.

Reports in Spain claim that Swansea City have had a loan offer rejected, while Leeds United and Levante, as well as Rangers, are also interested in signing the 21-year-old.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Glasgow giants have already signed ten new players this summer, so could the centre-forward be the latest name added to that list?

What Karl Etta Eyong would bring to Rangers

Born in Cameroon, Etta Eyong began his senior career at Cádiz, primarily representing their B team, featuring only twice for the senior side, before swapping one Yellow Submarine for another last summer.

Well, fair to say, he caught the eye playing for Villarreal B in the Spanish third-tier, scoring 17 goals in 30 Primera Federación appearances, thereby the division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Club World Cup star Gonzalo García of Real Madrid.

As a result, he was rewarded with his senior debut in April before, in only his second substitute outing in La Liga, heading home a last-gasp winner against Girona at Montilivi that was key to his side securing Champions League qualification.

Now, following the sale of Thierno Barry, the 21-year-old started a La Liga match for the very first time last Friday night, again breaking the deadlock with a header as Villarreal beat newly-promoted Real Oviedo 2-0 at Estadio de la Cerámica.

Thus, he has been labelled both an “exciting talent​​​​​​​” and a “physical beast”, with writer Kai Watson describing him as a “powerful penalty box striker​​​​​​​”, impressed by his “determination​​​​​​​” and “anticipation” in the penalty area.

As all Spanish clubs continue to tighten the purse strings​​​​​​​, in an attempt to comply with La Liga’s Draconian squad cost limit regulations, Villarreal would surely be open to selling the youngster, whose estimated transfer value is around £5.6m.

Signing Etta Eyong would of course be a risk, as he’s certainly not proven himself consistently at a high level, but he could turn out to be an absolute bargain in the long run.

Hamza Igamane, for example, arrived from Botola Pro side AS Far 12 months ago for just £1.7m, and could now be sold for around £15m, which is exactly the type of recruitment Rangers need to be targeting if they’re going to compete with Celtic financially.

Danilo is offering very little as Rangers’ centre-forward, that we know. He’s the third choice centre-forward without any injuries, so if Etta Eyong did arrive and thrive in Glasgow, it would surely only be bad news for him.

Not Djiga: Rangers must axe star who "looks like he's hasn't kicked a ball"

As Rangers’ Champions League hopes went up in flames, beaten 3-1 by Club Brugge, a summer signing “looks like he’s hasn’t kicked a ball before”.

ByBen Gray Aug 20, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur’s business in the transfer market over the last couple of years has been seriously impressive, helping the club end the 17-year wait for any form of silverware.

Attention has been turned to investing in younger talents, buying them at bargain prices and allowing them to develop and improve to reach their full potential in North London.

The likes of Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are just two examples, with the pair featuring in a combined tally of 100 outings between them despite their tender ages.

Both have shown the rewards their current recruitment focus could yield if done correctly, with Thomas Frank needing to continue such a trend ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, they’ve also spent big in the past, as seen by Mohammed Kudus’ £55m transfer from West Ham United this window, with other big-money additions also being lined up.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for Morgan Gibbs-White

Two weeks ago, Spurs triggered the £60m release clause in Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract at Nottingham Forest, with a deal expected to progress after such a move.

However, that switch swiftly ground to a halt after Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis raised an issue with the transfer, claiming that the Lilywhites made an illegal approach for his signature.

No one even knew that the England international had an option in his current deal, entering talks with the player and his agent without the approval of his current employers.

It had subsequently been reported that the 25-year-old remained keen on a move to North London this summer, although the latest developments appear to suggest otherwise.

Having travelled with the Forest squad on their pre-season tour of Portugal, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man has since quashed any speculation after penning a new deal with the Tricky Trees.

The playmaker has committed his future to City Ground until 2028, with journalist Fabrizio Romano outlining that a move to Spurs is now “off”.

The Spurs player who’s already worth more than Gibbs-White

With Gibbs-White undoubtedly one of the hierarchy’s main targets this summer, other options will likely be drawn up as a result of his decision to stay put in Nottingham.

However, trust should be placed in the recruitment team to make the right call, something which they’ve done as seen by their recent success rate in the market.

As previously mentioned, with the likes of Bergvall and Sarr, the club have got it right in previous times, just like they have with winger Brennan Johnson, who’s excelled at the club in recent months.

The Welsh international arrived in a £47.5m deal from Forest back in the summer of 2023, with such a price tag appearing a huge chunk given he’d only had one prior year of top-flight experience.

However, a couple of years on from his transfer, it appears to be a shrewd piece of business, racking up a total of 23 goals within his 85 appearances for the club.

18 of which came in the most recent campaign, subsequently proving all of his doubters wrong after he was forced to deactivate his social media accounts following abuse from supporters for his lack of impact.

The 24-year-old is also responsible for one of the biggest moments in the club’s recent history, scoring the winner in the Europa League final – topping off a dream campaign for the youngster.

As a result of his rise in the last few months, Johnson, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by international teammate Aaron Ramsey, is now valued at a staggering €75m (£66m) by CIES Football Observatory.

His subsequent value is higher than that of Gibbs-White, who’s deemed to be worth £60m due to his release clause, showcasing the phenomenal rise he’s endured during his time at the Lilywhites.

Tottenham’s most expensive signings of all time

Rank

Player

Fee

Signed from

Year

1

Dominic Solanke

£65m

Bournemouth

2024

2

Tanguy Ndombele

£62.8m

Lyon

2019

3

Richarlison

£60m

Everton

2022

4

Mohammed Kudus

£55m

West Ham

2025

5

Brennan Johnson

£47.5m

Nottingham Forest

2023

6

Micky van de Ven

£43m

Wolfsburg

2023

7

Cristian Romero

£42.5m

Atalanta

2021

8

Davinson Sanchez

£42m

Ajax

2017

Stats via Transfermarkt

If he can continue his incredible form into the 2025/26 campaign, he will be a key player in Frank’s quest to lead the side up the Premier League table.

The prospect of Johnson linking up with Gibbs-White once again after their time at the City Ground was certainly an exciting one, although the former teammates will remain foes against next season.

Related Bigger talent than Gibbs-White: Spurs open first talks to sign £70m CM

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making a move for another young Premier League talent this summer.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jul 24, 2025

It’s clear from Manchester United’s chaotic summer transfer activity that improving their attacking output is a top priority.

Already, Matheus Cunha has entered the building for a fee of £62.5m and he represents a superb addition, having bagged an electric 15 Premier League strikes for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.

Next in line looks set to be Bryan Mbeumo.

The Cameroon sensation was even better than Cunha in the English top-flight last season, adding 20 goals of his own after expertly leading the line for Brentford all across the 2024/25 campaign.

But, things are unlikely to stop their as Jason Wilcox and Co go about improving Ruben Amorim’s squad.

Man Utd offered chance to sign £44m forward

Staggeringly, United’s most potent striker last season was Rasmus Hojlund, who only powered home a weak four strikes in league action, with six big chances missed along the way.

Therefore, it’s no great shock to see millions and millions are being splashed to try and land the best of the best in the attacking department, as another new attacker is now lined up to make the switch to Old Trafford.

As per a report from the Stretty News, Amorim and Co have been offered the chance to land former Everton marksman Moise Kean during talks with the player’s representatives.

Sources close to Stretty News reveal that Kean could be available for around the £44m mark after finding his goalscoring groove in Italy, but it will rest on what Amorim desires in the forward positions, away from Cunha and Mbeumo entering his ever-growing camp.

It’s stated that the former Sporting boss will have the final say on whether United pursue Kean’s services or not, but whether or not Amorim green-lights a deal, the Italian certainly wants the move, according to the report.

Why Kean would be great alongside Mbeumo

If the manager wants another red-hot goal machine, he will surely come to the realisation sooner rather than later that the 25-year-old is a worthwhile signing to make, with the Fiorentina ace potentially linking up with Mbeumo to devastating effect if he does soon head back to England.

Kean is a different beast altogether now from his mundane Everton spell, which saw him net just four goals for the Toffees from a largely unmemorable 39-game stint.

Last season in the Serie A alone, Kean scored a hefty 19 league strikes, with his entire output overall in all competitions coming in at a venomous 25 goals, five more than Mbeumo managed when starting week in week out for the Bees.

Kean’s league numbers (24/25) vs Mbeumo’s (24/25)
Stat (* = per game)	Kean	Mbeumo
Games played	32	38
Goals scored	19	20
Assists	3	7
Shots*	3.3	2.2
Big chances missed	22	8
Big chances created	4	17
Stats by Sofascore

Whilst Mbeumo can line up as an out-and-out centre-forward, his attacking qualities aren’t just strictly grounded on firing home goal after goal, with the Cameroonian creating a mighty 17 big chances last season in the Premier League when patrolling down the right wing, alongside slotting in as a striker.

Therefore, with the 25-year-old potentially being pushed out to the right to accommodate more for his creative flair, Kean could become Amorim’s main marksman up top in the process, with the Italy international no doubt keen to ensure he doesn’t squander 22 big chances on the big occasion for the Red Devils.

He will certainly be gifted more opportunities in front of goal if he lines up next to the incessant Mbeumo, and with Thomas Tuchel once referring to Kean as “fearless” during their time together at Paris St. Germain, he should be able to take to the pressures of such a monumental move in his stride.

After all, the “top-class” forward – as he has also been glowingly referred to by scout Jacek Kulig – will be extremely hungry to right the wrongs of his barren stay on Merseyside in Manchester, as United’s attack becomes more and more of a frightening prospect by the day.

A dire 15th place finish under Amorim last season isn’t deterring some big names from wanting to make the leap to the Theatre of Dreams, with Kean desperate to be a success story to push United up the league standings, as both the Italian and Mbeumo prepare to potentially terrorise Premier League defences together.

He'd be a bigger coup than Mbuemo: Man Utd open talks to sign Pogba 2.0

Manchester United’s work in the transfer window has shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 29, 2025

Birmingham City were an absolute joy to behold at the very top of League One last season.

Chris Davies’ rampant Blues would only lose three of their 46 league fixtures, leading to a colossal 111-point total being reached, with standout figures such as Jay Stansfield very much raising the excitement levels with a bumper 19 strikes tallied up in third-tier action.

Come the end of their very enjoyable League One marathon, Birmingham would go on to accumulate a mightily impressive 84 goals.

They won’t be receding into their shell when heading back up to the Championship, with plenty of fresh strikers now being linked to make the switch to St. Andrew’s to boost their already frightening firepower, which includes a promising Premier League-bound talent.

Birmingham monitoring situation of £10m striker

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, the super-confident Blues are now monitoring the situation of Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph.

GIVEMESPORT states that Birmingham have been interested in the Spanish hotshot for some time now, with Davies’ men potentially seeing this opening in the summer transfer window as the perfect opportunity to strike up a deal.

RC Strasbourg are also noted as an interested party- on top of a January £10m bid from Real Betis being mentioned – but Birmingham have successfully flexed their muscles recently to win a similarly expensive striker from a Premier League side.

Of course, Stansfield cost £15m to pick up from Marco Silva’s Fulham last summer, with everyone at St. Andrew’s hopeful that Joseph can go down as an unbelievable success story much like the former Cottagers forward.

How Joseph can be Stansfield 2.0

It was somewhat of a gamble to fork out £15m for Stansfield’s services, considering the electric number 28 only had 21 strikes next to his name in senior action in the EFL before confirming a permanent Birmingham stay.

Now, that lavish fee doesn’t look too steep, with Stansfield an integral part of the Blues’ promotion story.

When moving up a division, Birmingham will be keeping their fingers crossed that Joseph can play an equal starring role, but this time around he could be the exact figure they desire in helping Davies’ men consolidate themselves as a Championship-worthy outfit.

After all, despite fading into the background at times last season under Daniel Farke’s wing, Joseph would still chip in with three goals and three assists in league action. This is a more than respectable return when you weigh up the fact that the 21-year-old only started 11 Championship contests.

With Leeds now in the big time, Joseph will be worrying that his first-team opportunities will become even more sparse. Therefore, a move to St. Andrew’s could be just what the Spain U21 international needs to kick on as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Stansfield, a fellow young striker who was also on the periphery of his then employers, Fulham, before finally becoming a main striker option in the West Midlands.

Leeds

73

6

3

Leeds U21s

33

19

3

Leeds U18s

4

1

1

Spain U21s

11

8

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

That was the case even as Stansfield scored a blistering 38 goals for both the Fulham U18s and U21s combined, with Joseph not that far behind on a healthy total of 20 on the youth pitches at Thorp Arch, away from also hammering home six strikes in the senior ranks.

Staggeringly, Stansfield would only ever reach two senior goals at Craven Cottage, but all of that is firmly at the back of his mind now as Birmingham’s leading star.

The “dynamite” Leeds forward – as he was once glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – will want to be held in the same high esteem soon, rather than fighting it out for scraps at Elland Road.

Therefore, another statement striker deal could soon be on the cards at St. Andrew’s, as Joseph possibly joins and fires in the goals to make Birmingham’s transition to Championship life as smooth as possible.

Birmingham City want to beat EFL rivals to sign Klarer 2.0 this summer

Birmingham City could land their next Christoph Klarer by signing this gem from Germany.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 18, 2025

The Hill Dickinson Stadium will begin life in the Premier League by playing host to Brighton & Hove Albion, one week after Everton’s season opener away to newly-promoted Leeds United.

David Moyes deserves all the plaudits for his remarkable work on Merseyside this year, replacing Sean Dyche in January and taking a weary 16th-place outfit, one point above the drop zone, up and up towards 13th, some 23 points above relegated Leicester City.

The shift has been profound, but now Moyes must sustain and indeed advance his progress in a new setting, retaining the magic and feeling that Goodison Park and its crowd instilled through to the pitch.

So much uncertainty. More than a measure of anxiety. However, tenfold that amount in regard to the excitement of a new age. Of course, Everton need signings to make it happen, with a striker right at the top of the wish list.

Everton chasing new striker

As per Spanish outlet AS, Everton are interested in striking a deal for Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto, although it must be said that Atletico Madrid are also in the race and have actually established contacts with the Brasileiro Serie A side.

Thankfully, Alberto isn’t the La Liga side’s priority, and if the Toffees put in the groundwork over the coming weeks, they might find themselves stealing ahead.

Valued at €20m (about £17m), Everton are joined by Roma – also owned by the Friedkin Group – in their bid for the Brazilian, as they line up a swoop for the striker.

What Yuri Alberto would bring to Everton

Described as “clinical” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, the club could strike gold by winning the race to sign Alberto, who at 24 is finally ready to settle on the European stage and improve a Toffees team looking to progress toward the upper echelon of Premier League football.

Everton like a Brazilian forward, having reaped the rewards of signing Richarlison from Watford way back when, but they have probably missed the 28-year-old’s fiery personality and dynamism after selling him to Tottenham Hotspur for £60m in 2022.

As per FBref, Alberto ranks among the top 10% of forwards during this year’s Serie A season for goals scored per 90, as well as pass completion and aerial duel success rate. His roundedness and dominance as a focal point suggest he could be the man Everton are looking for to front their project.

2025

35

13

1

2024

57

31

7

2023

63

15

9

2022

44

18

6

2021

55

19

4

Alberto knows his way around a finish, make no mistake. The mobile and determined striker would add a bit of flair to Moyes’ side, raising the threat levels in front of goal, moreover.

There’s no doubt that he’d prove an upgrade on the Dominic Calvert-Lewin we’ve come to know over the past couple of years, but maybe he could be the manager’s own version of Richarlison too.

Though Iliman Ndiaye has restored the thrill factor for the Blues, Richarlison’s tenacity and hunger gave Everton something special and distinctive across four consistent seasons, wrapping up his time at the club with 53 goals and 15 assists across 152 appearances.

Once tipped by Carlo Ancelotti to become “one of the top strikers in Europe”, Richarlison’s time at Tottenham has left plenty to be desired.

Still, his Brazilian tenacity has remained a core part of his skill set, and now Alberto could emulate that quality under Moyes’ wing, having been described by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be a “complete forward” with a “powerful, athletic” build.

Richarlison, physically imposing, good with his head and endowed with a natural prolificness, might have been linked with a return to Merseyside in recent months, but Everton have entered a new chapter and would instead be better off pursuing a fresh and younger face.

Still, Alberto can become the club’s next version of their South American maverick.

Their best attacker since Lukaku: Everton lead race for £50m star on loan

Everton are in the market for another maverick attacker

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 18, 2025

Southampton have now held talks with a 35-year-old coach as a possible alternative to the heavily linked Will Still, as their search for a new manager continues.

Latest on Southampton’s manager search

Saints are once again looking for a new manager after Ivan Juric left the club even before the Premier League season came to an end. It is a rather difficult job for any interested manager, as Southampton are heading back to the Championship after a disastrous campaign and will no doubt have some of their best players poached by Premier League clubs.

Related Approach made: Southampton now in advanced talks to hire new 4-3-3 manager

He’s just left his previous role…

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 19, 2025

The league comes to an end next week, and the club will hope they can have a new man in place as soon as possible to give them the best chance of aligning with their new boss in the transfer market.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is one manager under consideration, and according to David Ornstein, Rohl is considering his options, but Southampton may not be a priority given he has interest from the Premier League and the Bundesliga. Steven Gerrard has also been linked with a move to St Mary’s, but those links have gone rather quiet in recent weeks.

Along with Rohl, Will Still is heavily linked with a move to Southampton, and it’s been reported that Still is in advanced talks over a move to St Mary’s after leaving RC Lens.

Still told reporters that his decision to leave Lens was so he could be closer to his family: “I will not be the coach of Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season at Bollaert. For multiple reasons, the main reason behind my decision is that I need to go back home. It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife for her well-being.”

It’s claimed that Southampton are confident of agreeing a deal with Still for him to become their new manager, but he is not the only person they have recently spoken to.

Southampton now hold talks with 35 y/o who's just been sacked

As well as holding talks with Still, according to The Guardian, Southampton have also held talks with recently sacked Tom Cleverley.

The Guardian reports that the Saints are looking to rebuild after their relegation and have identified a handful of young, up and coming managers who could be in charge next season, with Cleverley one of those.

The 35-year-old is currently out of work following his sacking from Watford after the Hornets fell short of the Championship play-offs, making him their 12th such casualty in the space of just six years.

This update goes on to state that Cleverley, who likes to operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation, has made a good impression on Southampton during those discussions, and he now has a strong chance of becoming the club’s new manager – Cleverley is seen as one of the most promising young English coaches in the game.

Tom Cleverley’s managerial record

Games

61

Won

20

Drawn

14

Lost

27

Points

74

Points per game

1.21

Cleverley’s time at Vicarage Road was his first time as a senior manager, as the former Manchester United midfielder had been working in Watford’s academy before he was given the caretaker role at the end of last season. Cleverley is still very early into his coaching career, but the same could be said for Rohl, who has only managed Sheffield Wednesday, and while Still has managed a couple of sides in France, it is very clear the club are planning for a new dawn with a long-term vision.

Liverpool are on the verge of winning their second-ever Premier League title in the coming weeks, as they sit 13 points clear at the top of the table with just six games left to go.

The Reds have only won the Premier League once in the history of the competition, winning under Jurgen Klopp in the 2019/20 campaign, and are not set to secure their second.

Arne Slot is on course to claim the title in his first season as a manager in England, having arrived from Feyenoord last summer, and he will go down as the latest in a long line of impressive recruits from the Eredivisie.

Liverpool have tapped into the Dutch market for players in the past, whether that has been directly from the Eredivisie or not, and have now done so to find a brilliant manager, having been successful in the past on the playing side of recruitment.

One Dutch recruit, who did not come directly from the top-flight in the Netherlands, was integral to the first Premier League title success, as central midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum played a key role.

Why Wijnaldum was integral to Liverpool's title win

The Netherlands international played 37 of the club’s 38 Premier League matches that season, starting 35 of them, as part of a regular midfield trio of himself, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho.

Of the players to start at least one game, no Liverpool star completed a higher percentage of their passes than Wijnaldum (90.8%), which shows how reliable he was with the ball at his feet.

He also averaged 4.20 progressive passes and 2.27 progressive carries per 90 to build up play from a midfield position, which shows that the Dutch ace did not always play it safe with the ball at his feet.

Wijnaldum’s development at Anfield was interesting because he was signed from Newcastle United in the summer of 2016 off the back of a return of 11 goals and five assists in the Premier League for the Magpies during the 2015/16 campaign.

The Dutch star arrived at Liverpool as an attacking midfielder who had proven his quality at the top end of the pitch in the top-flight for his previous club, but Klopp developed him into an all-round midfielder who could be a solid option as a number eight.

He ended his Liverpool career with just 22 goals, four of which came in the Premier League in the title-winning campaign, in 237 matches, which illustrates his change in style from Tyneside to Merseyside.

That change in style, however, made him integral to Klopp’s title-winning team because Wijnaldum was a consistent performer, hence his 35 starts, who offered reliability and progression in possession, putting in the hard yards whilst providing quality on the ball.

Instead of being a consistent goalscorer or constantly creating chances, the former Newcastle star did his job in the middle of the park without too much fuss, chipping in with the odd goal here and there, to make himself a reliable figure for the German head coach.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Liverpool have, now, unearthed their new version of Wijnaldum in the current squad, and it is not Alexis Mac Allister – despite his impressive form of late, with a goal and an assist in his last two matches.

Liverpool have unearthed their new Georginio Wijnaldum

Mac Allister did arrive at Liverpool off the back of scoring ten goals in the Premier League for Brighton & Hove Albion in the 2022/23 campaign, but six of those strikes came from the penalty spot.

This meant that the Argentina international only provided four goals and two assists in the top-flight outside of penalties before his move to Liverpool to become a well-rounded midfielder at Anfield.

Whereas, Dominik Szoboszlai scored ten goals and provided 13 assists as an attacking midfielder for RB Leipzig in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign before his switch to England, and only two of those goals were penalties.

The Hungary international, as Wijnaldum did when he joined from Newcastle, arrived at Anfield as an incredibly promising attacking midfielder who had the potential to provide goals and assists, and has followed the Dutchman’s path to becoming an all-rounder in the middle of the park.

Szoboszlai has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 63 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League to date, which illustrates the shift in style in his game since his time in the Bundesliga.

The Hungarian dynamo has been moulded into a perfect box-to-box midfielder for the Reds since switching Germany for England, utilising his fantastic work rate and engine in midfield more so than his ability to score and create goals.

He has started 24 of his 30 appearances in the Premier League so far this term and, interestingly, offered more than Wijnaldum did during the title-winning campaign under Klopp in several parts of the game as a midfielder.

As you can see in the chart above, Szoboszlai has been far more creative with his use of the ball than the Dutchman was, whilst also doing more out of possession by making blocks, tackles, and interceptions.

That chart shows that the 24-year-old Liverpool star, who was described as “unstoppable” by Fabrizio Romano earlier this year, is a brilliantly well-rounded midfield figure because he can combine quality on the ball with hard work and defensive quality off it, making him a key player for Slot in the middle of the park.

Appearances

30

Goals

5

Big chances created

9

Assists

3

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.3

Duels won per game

2.9

As you can see in the table above, Szoboszlai has still found a way to incorporate his attacking qualities into his game, with eight goal contributions, but they are not as prevalent as they were during his time with Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

Therefore, Liverpool have repeated the masterclass they played with Wijnaldum, turning him from an attack-minded midfielder into an all-round number eight, with the Hungary international, who is now set to have played an integral role in the club’s second-ever Premier League title success.

Liverpool strongly positioning themselves for £68m goalscoring midfielder

He would offer a goalscoring boost from midfield.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 16, 2025

Hopefully, this trophy will be the first of many titles in his Premier League career with the Reds, as they will hope that this season is far from a one-off success.

If Bruno Fernandes doesn’t produce, just who else will step up for Manchester United?

That was again the burning question on Tuesday evening, as a typically blunt Red Devils side were edged out 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Anthony Elanga’s early strike proving the difference between the two teams in the end.

In a way, the visitors were almost doomed to fail from the outset as Ruben Amorim opted not to select Rasmus Hojlund through the middle, with the resurgent Dane starting on the bench despite having found his groove again with goals against Leicester City and Portugal in recent weeks for club and country.

His replacement, Joshua Zirkzee, was unsurprisingly rather ineffective in that number nine berth having failed to win a single duel nor even attempted a shot, with late substitute Harry Maguire twice coming closest to drawing his side level after being thrown on at the death.

And so, the Old Trafford side remain on a negative goal difference heading into Sunday’s Manchester Derby, with work no doubt being done behind the scenes on acquiring suitable attacking reinforcements this summer.

On a more positive note, however, there was reason for optimism regarding the visitors’ display up until the final third, with a handful of individuals catching the eye.

Man Utd's key performers vs Forest

Starting with Fernandes, it wasn’t a vintage display from the man who’d scored five goals across his last three games heading into Tuesday’s clash, although much of what was good about United still came courtesy of the Portuguese’s right foot.

Having been deployed further forward in a number ten berth, the skipper notably combined with Alejandro Garnacho early on before producing a save from the sprawling Matz Sels, while the roles were memorably reversed in the second-half, as Fernandes picked out his young teammate with a delightful lofted ball over the top.

In all, the former Sporting CP playmaker registered six key passes – two more than any other player on the pitch – having also chalked up the most touches on the night, with 111 in total, to further rubberstamp his influence.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, the returning Leny Yoro was also a standout following his recall to the starting lineup, with the teenage Frenchman denying ex-United star, Elanga late on with an expertly timed sliding challenge just outside the area.

That key intervention evoked memories of the 19-year-old’s mirror tackle on Darwin Nunez at Anfield back in January, having showcased his innate recovery pace in both cases to make such a crucial challenge.

The former Lille starlet should well be a mainstay in the back three moving forward – fitness permitting – with the same now also true of Diogo Dalot.

The Man Utd star who's becoming as undroppable as Fernandes

Since his arrival in Manchester back in November, two of Amorim’s six most used players have been Fernandes and the aforementioned Dalot, a fact that has only served to highlight the duo’s quality and availability amid an injury-hit season.

Bruno Fernandes

28

12

9

Diogo Dalot

28

2

2

Noussair Mazraoui

28

0

1

Rasmus Hojlund

28

6

3

Alejandro Garnacho

28

2

4

Joshua Zirkzee

28

5

1

Andre Onana

25

0

0

Matthijs de Ligt

25

1

0

Manuel Ugarte

23

1

1

Leny Yoro

22

0

0

In a way, the lack of alternatives at wing-back or full-back has ensured that Dalot, in particular, has almost been an undroppable figure regardless of his form, although on current evidence, he is now actually deserving of his secure role in the side.

Formerly the club’s Players’ Player of the Year for 2023/24, the Portuguese defender had endured a difficult start to the new campaign, with notable errors including his foul on Tyler Dibling away to Southampton, or his inability to track Brennan Johnson in the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

More recently, under Amorim, the 26-year-old had looked distinctly uncomfortable when operating in an unorthodox left wing-back role, while having also come under fire for failing to pick out a surging Hojlund in the 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad, with club legend Paul Scholes branding that decision “criminal”.

Such moments have raised question marks over his suitability in this 3-4-3 set-up, although in recent weeks, the former Porto man has quietly stepped up to the mark, having first teed up Fernandes in the FA Cup clash with Fulham last month.

That has since been followed by a further assist for his compatriot against Leicester, while Dalot also got on the scoresheet himself in the second leg against Sociedad, having rifled home in superb fashion from inside the area.

While no goal involvements followed on Tuesday night, Dalot was a real outlet down the right flank, having successfully completed 80% of his attempted dribbles and racked up three key passes from his 98 touches.

Diogo Dalot

The long-serving defender – who won six duels in total – also struck the woodwork with a looping header, having looked like one of the few in blue who could threaten the hosts in the final third.

With the £85k-per-week ace now being afforded a consistent run in the side on his favoured right flank, it looks as if he is beginning to grow into this wing-back berth, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst suggesting that Amorim has ‘gravitated’ towards both Dalot and Fernandes since taking the job.

Performance in Numbers

Dalot’s former Porto youth coach, Antonio Folha, has also outlined just why the defender is so important under the new coaching regime, having told the MEN that:

As has been clear to see amid Dalot’s regular game time of late, he remains a key figure in this struggling United side. If he can maintain his recent revival, however, he could also be a central part of what will hopefully be a more successful team in the years to come.

Man Utd may have found the next Pogba who "belongs to a different era"

Man Utd could have the new Paul Pogba in their ranks at Old Trafford

ByRobbie Walls Apr 1, 2025

The Mumbai Indians captain picked up 3 for 31 on Monday night, and has bowled his full quota in three successive games

Vishal Dikshit07-May-20241:14

‘Hardik’s bowling a positive sign for India with the World Cup coming’

A strange trend had emerged soon after India’s T20 World Cup squad was announced. Of course, it was more for the LOLs on social media and WhatsApp groups, but a number of players in that squad of 15 began going through lean times in IPL 2024. Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube bagged ducks; Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav fell cheaply; and Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh leaked over 50 runs each in the games that followed the squad announcement. There too, like he has been all season at Mumbai Indians, the outlier was Jasprit Bumrah.Until Monday. Until then, Suryakumar had scored a not-so-inspiring 232 runs from eight innings. Then he unfurled his scintillating, vintage boundary hitting against Sunrisers Hyderabad, putting to bed all kinds of questions around his form heading into the T20 World Cup 2024.The real reversal of that World-Cup-bound players’ trend came before Suryakumar’s fireworks, when Hardik took the best figures of the night with 3 for 31. That showed promising signs of his wicket-taking ability and his fitness and the possibility that he could play the fifth bowler’s role in the India XI come the World Cup next month. Just like he was in the ODI World Cup six months ago, Hardik will again be a crucial cog in the India XI as finisher and third pace-bowling option whenever India play two spinners and two quicks. For someone who has “no replacement” in the words of chief selector Ajit Agarkar, Hardik’s bowling form and fitness would have given him and the team management bundles of confidence.Related

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Monday was the third game in a row in which Hardik bowled his full quota of overs, which bodes very well for the allrounder, who came into the competition after a long ankle-injury layoff. In those three games, Hardik has picked up seven wickets across all phases of the game: one in the powerplay, five in the middle overs (7 to 16) and one in the death overs (17 to 20). And he has done that by bowling a variety of deliveries from his repertoire, depending on the conditions and the batters.Hardik Pandya picked up 3 for 31, the best figures of the night in Mumbai•BCCIAgainst Kolkata Knight Riders, he first sent Sunil Narine back in the powerplay before dismissing a set Manish Pandey by taking the pace off off a cutter that the batter miscued to extra cover. While bowling against Lucknow Super Giants a week ago, Hardik kept going for the hard length with a fairly new ball that made KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda miscue their shots. Hardik’s three-for against SRH, however, would have been much sweeter because it set up a thumping win for MI after four losses on the bounce. Hardik came on as soon as the powerplay ended, and on seeing the movement on offer, he tried to hit tricky lengths and get the ball to nip around.”I like bowling to the areas and see what the situation requires [me to do],” he said at the presentation. “If the wicket has grip, I do it, if not, like today, I thought the ball was nipping around and bowling at the right areas would be a right option and I think it worked.”Hardik brought himself into the attack after six overs when SRH were 56 for 1. MI had fielded a thin pace attack that started with Nuwan Thushara and IPL debutant Anshul Kamboj, who leaked 32 runs in his first two overs. If Hardik had not stepped up on the night as the fifth bowler, SRH might have scored a lot more than 173.”It is good for him and obviously good for Indian cricket. Obviously, he’s been selected in the World Cup team,” Kieron Pollard, MI batting coach, said of Hardik’s recent bowling displays. “It’s all coming at the right time, though one thing for us is that we’ve never doubted the ability and the talent in that individual.”MI have two more games to go – against KKR and LSG – and if Hardik can bowl eight more overs while collecting some wickets and not going for too many, he might be among the most confident Indian players flying out to New York.