All posts by h716a5.icu

The ice beneath Ange Postecoglou has become even thinner, if that were even possible. Indeed, the end is surely nigh as far as his term at Tottenham Hotspur is concerned.

As Spurs lost 4-2 to Wolves on Sunday afternoon, it came as little surprise, truth be told. The errors that dominated the game were of little shock either.

Postecoglou has engineered some brilliant football since arriving at Spurs but the error-stricken performances from his players have been all too frequent now.

The Europa League may well still provide solace for the Aussie and his bunch of players but not even that feels like it will save him from the sack.

Indeed, the display at Wolves just about summed up their season.

An error-riddled display from Spurs (again)

Spurs can score goals; we know that under Ange. They did find the net twice on Sunday, netting through loanee Mathys Tel and substitute Richarlison. However, it was too little too late. The damage had already been done.

It all started early on when Rayan Ait-Nouri’s volley found the net. Guglielmo Vicaro’s punch from a Wolves free-kick didn’t go very far and as a result, was powered home by the left-back.

Vicario had a total nightmare between the sticks for Spurs, notably handed a 2/10 player rating by Football.London’s Alasdair Gold at full-time.

That wasn’t the goalkeeper’s only error. He nearly cost the visitors again just moments later. His pass out from the back didn’t find a teammate and Jorgen Stand Larsen somehow missed from a matter of yards out.

A comedy of errors continued later in the half when Vicario parried the ball into Djed Spence who bundled in an own goal.

The stopper wasn’t the only Spurs player at fault, far from it. Cristian Romero was caught in possession for the third goal, which allowed Ait-Nouri to tee up Stand Larsen. This time he did not miss.

Lucas Bergvall, usually so crisp and composed in possession, was then at fault for the fourth. Caught on the ball by Matheus Cunha, the Brazilian stole it away from him before racing away from Ben Davies and Romero to find the net.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

Despite all of that, there were more underperformers in the Spurs camp.

Spurs have found their new Tanguy Ndombele

In July 2019, Spurs smashed their transfer record to bring £63m man Tanguy Ndombele to the club.

It was a landmark transfer and one that Daniel Levy hoped would take Spurs to new heights. While the Frenchman had his moments, he unfortunately flopped big time in the capital, leaving in June 2024 when his contract was cancelled. It was a huge waste of investment.

2019/20

29

2

4

2020/21

46

6

4

2021/22

16

2

1

So, what went wrong? Well, speaking to the Athletic, one training ground source encapsulated it perfectly, stating: “Tanguy is the maverick of the team, he can do stuff that nobody else can do. Incredibly talented, incredible ability, just sometimes you just want to be like, ‘Tanguy you’re so good, just do the basics’.”

Perhaps guilty of doing too much, or in fact, being a little lazy, it was unsurprising that it never worked out for him at Spurs.

Now, in a slightly different sense, Postecoglou may have found the new version of Ndombele in Yves Bissouma. We’ll tell you why.

Writing at full-time, the aforementioned Gold handed the Malian midfielder a dismal 4/10 rating, suggesting that ‘sometimes he looks good on the ball, sometimes looks like it’s alien to him.’

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That could easily sum up Ndombele too. So gifted on the ball, there were moments when it looked as though he didn’t know how to kick a ball.

Bissouma didn’t arrive for quite as much as the Frenchman but he did move from Brighton with considerable hype attached to his name, joining in a £35m move.

Sadly, despite a few flashy moments, like Ndombele, it hasn’t quite happened for another big-money midfielder at Tottenham Hotspur.

He has been withdrawn at half-time on three occasions in the Premier League this term and was perhaps fortunate not to have the same fate on Sunday, instead dragged off after just 55 minutes.

Bissouma set the tone early on, booked inside the opening eight minutes of the game. From that moment onwards, he failed to offer Postecoglou’s side the protection they needed against a rampant Wolves.

Minutes played

55

Touches

49

Accurate passes

38/40 (95%)

Key passes

0

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

0

Crosses

0

Duels won

4/8

Possession lost

4x

Fouls

2

Tackles

3

Dribbles past

1

He did complete 95% of his passes but only won 50% of his duels, failed to complete a key pass and gave away two fouls.

It was another average display from a man who looks like he should be sold in the summer. Spurs have plenty of exciting young players coming through in a similar area of the pitch, chiefly Bergvall and Archie Gray. They should be prioritising their minutes instead.

For the new Ndombele, his time at Spurs should surely be up in a few months time.

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Celtic have had mixed success in the Scottish Premiership since the club returned to action after the final international break of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Hoops made a fast start to the last stretch of the season when they hammered Hearts 3-0 at Parkhead in their first game after the break, thanks to two goals from Daizen Maeda and one from Jota.

However, they followed that up by being beaten by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone away in the Premiership in their most recent match on Sunday.

It was a disappointing performance and result for the Hoops, who could have little complaints about the scoreline after they failed to produce the kind of quality supporters have become used to seeing from them in the final third.

The difference in Callum McGregor’s performance between the two matches illustrated the difference in Celtic’s play, and why the former Scotland international is so integral to Brendan Rodgers’ style of play.

Why Callum McGregor is integral for Celtic

In the 3-0 win over Hearts, the left-footed star completed a staggering 99% of his attempted passes – making 66 of 67 – and assisted Maeda for the opening goal with a through ball that split open the Jam Tarts defence.

The Scottish ace also won two of his three physical duels during the match, whilst also making two interceptions, and was not dribbled past a single time by an opposition player, which shows that he excelled in and out of possession.

This meant that McGregor was able to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, by effectively screening in front of the back four and using his quality on the ball to create the opening goal.

Against St. Johnstone, however, the captain played the full 90 minutes and did not create a single chance for his teammates despite having 79 touches of the ball and completing 94% of his passes.

Minutes

64

90

Key passes

2

0

Assists

1

0

Pass accuracy

99%

94%

Duels won

2/3

1/6

Interceptions

2

0

Dribbled past

0x

1x

As you can see in the table above, McGregor’s use of the ball and his actions defensively were nowhere up to the standards he set during the win over Hearts, as the Saints midfielders got the better of him far too easily in physical duels.

The difference in his performance correlating with the difference in results speaks to how integral he is to Celtic, because he is the heartbeat of the side and much of the team’s success depends on him playing to his level in the middle of the park.

McGregor, who has started 28 of his 29 appearances in the Premiership this season, provides a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield, controlling games for the Hoops, but allowed his level to drop against St. Johnstone and it contributed to the loss.

There is a former Celtic player, however, who has gone on to develop into being an even better player than the Hoops skipper in a deep-lying midfield role, as Ryan Christie has thrived since moving on from Parkhead.

How much Celtic sold Ryan Christie for

The Hoops reportedly sold the Scotland international to Bournemouth for a reported fee of £1.5m in the summer of 2021, having spent six years at Parkhead.

Christie made 151 appearances for the Premiership giants during his time in Glasgow, scoring 42 goals and providing 44 assists, before his move down south to the Championship – at the time.

During his time with the Hoops, the left-footed whiz predominantly played as either an attacking midfielder or as a winger as part of the midfield set-up, as he looked to impact games with goals and assists.

Christie was capable of the spectacular, as shown in the clip below, and even racked up an eye-catching tally of 21 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.

At that point, it seems unlikely that anyone would have predicted that Christie would go on to become an upgrade on McGregor in the number six position, as he was thriving as an attacker before his move to Bournemouth for £1.5m.

However, that is what has happened as the former St. Johnstone star has gone on to become an exceptional deep-lying midfield player in the Premier League at the Vitality.

Why Christie is now an upgrade on McGregor

Since signing for the Cherries, the bulk of the 30-year-old star’s appearances for the club have come as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder, which is a big change from purely playing as an attack-minded midfielder or winger for Celtic.

If you compare Christie’s performances against McGregor’s over the past 365 days, whilst both now play in similar positions in midfield – unlike their time together at Parkhead, then it appears as though the left-footed ace would be an upgrade on the Celtic captain.

As you can see in the chart above, the Bournemouth star offers significantly more out of possession whilst also providing his team with more from an offensive perspective, when it comes to creating chances and building play that leads to shots.

Similar conclusions can be drawn by comparing Christie’s form in the Premier League to that of McGregor’s in the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown below.

These statistics, this season and over the past 365 days, suggest that the former Bhoys ace would currently be an upgrade on McGregor in midfield, by doing more to help out his defence whilst also providing more creativity with his passing from a deep-lying role.

The Scottish ace was hailed by former Cherries defender Joe Partington earlier this year, as the former Celtic man was lauded for his consistency in the middle of the park.

Partington said: “Ryan Christie’s consistency this season is incredible. His level is so so high – his ability to look exceptionally in control of what he’s doing. I hope its not underwhelming to say he’s outstandingly basic.”

He added: “His touch is always perfect, his pass is always the right weight at the right time at the right angle – he plays the pass to the right player in the right moment into the right space.”

Christie, who has started 27 of his 29 appearances in the Premier League, has consistency to go along with his quality on the pitch, and consistency has been an issue – albeit over just two games – for McGregor since the international break.

However, there is no guarantee that he would have developed in the way that he has if Celtic had kept him at Parkhead, as the midfielder may have stuck to his role as an attacker, rather than being moved further back into a number six position.

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Therefore, the Hoops may not see Christie as one that got away from them from that perspective, but he was still a quality player who was sold for a relatively small amount of money, which should be frustrating for the Scottish giants.

Leeds United look ready to sell a Daniel Farke regular who the Whites boss has previously called the “best”.

Leeds back on top of the Championship with five games to go

It was another eventful night in the Championship on Tuesday, with Leeds returning to the top of the table after their 1-0 win at Middlesbrough.

Dan James scored the winner early on, whereas Burnley were held by Derby County and Sheffield United fell to defeat at home to Millwall.

Karl Darlow kept his first clean sheet in the league for Leeds in what was his second start after replacing Illan Meslier.

The Frenchman has been a regular under Farke’s reign at Leeds, however, he decided to drop the goalkeeper after errors against Swansea City at the end of March.

Talking about the decision, Farke, who called Meslier the “best in the league” last year, said: “Obviously he was involved in both [Swansea] goals in the last game, and it was a shame because after the penalty save he was on his way to being man of the match.

Games

88

Goals conceded

71

Clean sheets

42

Minutes played

7,913

“So it was clear we had to make a decision. And we had to make it early in the week, because in that position the players need clarity, and Karl [Darlow] needs the time to prepare. We had a pretty open, honest conversation. Of course he’s disappointed he won’t start. But he took it very professionally and he was still more disappointed about the Swansea game.”

Leeds have been linked with Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic, Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale and even Newcastle United’s Nick Pope, and it looks as if they are willing to cash in on their now number-two shot-stopper.

Leeds ready to sell Illan Meslier and are working on replacement

Talking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown has heard that Leeds are ready to sell Meslier this summer and are already “working” on a replacement.

“He isn’t going to be a part of their plans for the future. From what I hear, Leeds are going to listen to offers for him in the summer. Question marks have been raised about him throughout the season because he keeps making mistakes and it’s costing them dearly.

“It has to come to a point where the manager sits him down and says it’s not good enough. You look at the successful teams, they’ve all got a top-class goalkeeper, and that goes from the likes of Liverpool and Man City over the years to Burnley at the moment.

“So Leeds are going to see if they can raise some money from him, and then whatever they bring in will go towards signing a new goalkeeper. They’ve already been working to identify replacements, and they’ll know who might be available.”

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On £30,000-a-week, Meslier is under contract at Elland Road until 2026, so this summer looks like the last chance the Whites can recoup some or all of the £5m they paid back in 2020.

If you ignore his underwhelming display on Sunday, it has largely been a positive start to life at Arsenal for Eberechi Eze.

Despite it taking him a little while to get up to speed with what Mikel Arteta wants from him, the former Crystal Palace star has already amassed five goals and four assists for the team in 18 games.

Moreover, he’s already etched his name into the club’s history books by scoring an unreal hat-trick in the North London Derby, the first anyone has scored since 1978.

Appearances

18

Starts

14

Minutes

1216′

Goals

5

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

135.11′

Points per Game

2.50

So, fans should be delighted about reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be the club’s future Eze.

Arsenal target their future Eze

With the transfer window reopening next month, Arsenal have once again begun being linked with a host of talented players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo has been touted for a move to the Emirates, as has his £120m teammate Elliot Anderson.

Yet, as talented and potentially game-changing as the two Forest men are, neither one could be described as Eze-like, nor a long-term heir to him, unlike Holger Quintero.

Yes, according to a recent ESPN report, Arsenal are looking to sign the highly rated teenage talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the club have already agreed a deal in principle for the midfielder and his twin brother, Edwin Quintero.

The two 16-year-olds are said to be in London at the moment to iron out the final details of the move, with an official announcement to come at a later date.

They will then move to the Emirates in August 2027, when they are both 18, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters.

Holger Quintero is unlikely to make an impact on the team for some time, but based on what those in the know say about him, he could prove to be Arsenal’s next Eze.

Why Holger Quintero will be Arsenal's next Eze

Now, the first thing to say is that given Eze is still just 27 and in fine form, there is little chance of Quintero coming in to replace him.

However, five or six years from now, when the former is ageing out, the latter could be the ideal player to step in and add creativity to the midfield.

At least it sounds like that is the case based on what those in the know are saying, like Ben Mattinson.

The Como scout has described the 16-year-old as a “skilful attacking midfielder with 1v1 prowess to take on players,” which sounds an awful lot like the former Palace star.

Moreover, he highlights that, in addition to his close control, the teenager also has an “excellent weight of pass” and is a “decisive creator with a killer final ball.”

That combination of being a direct threat while also creating ample opportunities for teammates is just like the Englishman at his best.

It’s not just Mattinson raving about the young phenom, though, as U23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as someone who is blessed with “high technical & intellect qualities” and is “effective in all thirds of the pitch.”

Finally, if that still isn’t enough, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has been bold enough to describe the midfielder as “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”

Ultimately, while it is too early in his career, Quintero looks like an exceptional superstar in the making, and his combination of incredible close control and game-breaking passing means he could be the perfect long-term heir to Eze.

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Shane Burger also joins new coaching set-up at the Utilita Bowl

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2025Russell Domingo, the former South Africa and Bangladesh coach, has been named Hampshire men’s head coach on a two-year contract. He will be joined in the club’s new coaching set-up by another South African, Shane Burger, who previously coached Scotland before moving on to Somerset.Domingo was in charge of South Africa between 2012 and 2017, followed by a three-year stint with Bangladesh. He has been head coach of Johannesburg-based Lions since 2023, and has also worked in the PSL. ESPNcricinfo understands Domingo will continue in his Lions role, splitting his time between the UK and South Africa.He succeeds his countryman Adrian Birrell at Hampshire, with Birrell stepping down at the end of the 2025 summer after seven seasons on the south coast.Burger joins as assistant coach (bowling), while former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams will continue in his role as assistant coach (batting).Related

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“I’m thrilled to be joining Hampshire Cricket,” Domingo said. “This is a club with incredible history, outstanding facilities at Utilita Bowl, and a clear vision for success both on and off the field.”I’ve been genuinely impressed by the ambition here and the strong cultural values that underpin everything Hampshire does. The combination of developing young talent whilst competing for trophies is exactly the challenge I’m looking for, and I can’t wait to get started.”I’m looking forward to working alongside Jimmy and Shane and getting to know the players as we prepare for what promises to be an exciting season ahead.”Burger said: “I’m really excited to be joining Hampshire Cricket. The quality of young bowlers coming through here is exceptional, Sonny Baker, Eddie Jack and Scott Currie have already earned England recognition, and I’m looking forward to helping them continue that development.”I love the ambition and vision of the club and the future seems bright. I’m excited to be part of that journey alongside Russell and Jimmy and I can’t wait to get started.”Hampshire endured a turbulent finish to last season, losing in both the final of the Vitality T20 Blast and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. They appeared destined for relegation to Division Two of the County Championship, after suffering a points deduction for a substandard pitch, before being reprieved on the final day by Durham’s collapse against Yorkshire.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, added: “We’re delighted to announce our coaching team for next summer. Russell Domingo will serve as head coach, with Jimmy Adams and Shane Burger joining him as assistant coaches. Together, they form a strong and experienced unit that will continue to champion the cultural framework that has underpinned Hampshire cricket over the years.”We exist to win and to develop, and I’m confident this team will continue to drive that ethos as we move into an exciting future. It’s a fantastic place to be at this moment in time, and the season ahead promises great opportunities.”

Those of a Liverpool persuasion will feel battered and bruised after Arne Slot’s side’s staggering drop-off this season.

The slew of defeats have forced a retreat from their position at the top of the Premier League ladder, and as Alexis Mac Allister said after arresting the losing run at West Ham United on Sunday, the title is not on anyone’s mind; rather, finding a measure of consistency and fluency on the pitch is the incentive right now.

Liverpool might have spent a bucketload this summer, but they also parted with key players, with writer Eddie Gibbs saying, “Liverpool right now look like a side caught between three different ideas of themselves, with none taking root.”

A few tweaks are needed, to be sure. And Liverpool are considering a new wide forward to restore balance across the frontline.

Why Liverpool want a forward

When Liverpool capped off their summer spending spree with the British-record addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, the Premier League was in concert: Liverpool had signed a host of elite players.

And while Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Saturday, it’s been a testing start to the season, with injuries and a lack of fluency a by-product of Liverpool’s wider struggles.

Florian Wirtz, too, looks like he is starting to click into gear, but the Reds have been imbalanced in the final third, and adding width would open up a new dimension from which Slot could rebuild his side’s form.

Well, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are frontrunners in the race for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who has been among the standout forwards in the Premier League this season.

The Ghana international, 25, has a £65m release clause which becomes active in January, and so Liverpool are not alone in their interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham also ready to lodge bids if the right opportunity presents itself.

In fact, Pep Guardiola’s side have initiated contact, so it’s time for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to roll up his sleeves.

Why Semenyo would be a better signing than Isak

Semenyo has only gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship in January 2023. Andoni Iraola has taken that promising skillset and sculpted it into something special.

Now, Semenyo is considered to be “one of the best players in the league” by BBC writer Umir Irfan and it’s a sentiment many would agree with after a prolific start to the campaign, six goals and three assists posted in the Premier League already.

Two-footed and effortlessly dynamic, Semenyo has proved too tricky to handle for many Premier League defenders in recent memory, something of a monster in the duel and a fearsome, rip-roaring asset down the wing. He is a big-game player besides.

The thing is, Semenyo is conservative in his athletic application; he does not prance about with the force of an uncoiled spring. In this he echoes Luis Diaz, who brought a different flavour to Slot’s title-winning team and has not been directly replaced.

Perhaps Semenyo could be the signing that Liverpool need, one which would prove even more impactful than Isak, who has yet to prove he is worth the record sum, even when banked by such illustrious heights in black and white over the past several years.

Matches (starts)

13 (11)

12 (12)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

43.5

49.6

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (0.5)

2.2 (1.2)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.9 (77%)

Chances created*

1.9

1.3

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Recoveries*

2.7

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

0.9

1.8

Duels won*

5.2

6.3

Gakpo has enjoyed a quietly effective season on the left so far for Liverpool, even against the current of their crisis. However, he is far less mobile than Semenyo, and he lacks the clarity and sparkle on the ball that Semenyo imbues the Cherries flanks with.

It really cannot be understated how unique Semenyo is. This is a winger who is making incremental gains, a winger who could now bloom into a true superstar not only in the Premier League but in Europe’s elite club competition too.

Liverpool have been imbalanced this season, and this is the profile that Liverpool need. It has the potential to be the best signing of the season for the Reds, albeit one which should have been completed back at the start of the campaign.

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The former Australia captain found her stride after a tricky start and Scorchers fell short in a rain-shortened chase

AAP14-Nov-2025Meg Lanning hit top gear in her 100th WBBL game as Melbourne Stars won a rain-hit clash with Perth in Adelaide by 16 runs.The former Australian captain, dropped on 18, went berserk after a slow start to finish unbeaten on 90 off 55 balls as the Stars reached 173 for 4.A storm hit, reducing Scorchers’ chase to 95 off nine overs in a tweak that could have favoured the chasers. But Stars jumped all over them as they finished 78 for 8.Fresh off a century, Beth Mooney reached 14 off six balls with three boundaries before Kim Garth’s clever slower ball brought her undone.Wickets fell regularly, Annabel Sutherland hitting the top of Sophie Devine’s off stump to further stall momentum. Scorchers kept swinging but were never truly in the hunt, Sophie Day taking 3 for 7 from her only over.Earlier Lanning, coming off a brisk 60 in a rain-spoiled affair earlier this week, made the most of the life given to her when Ebony Hoskin spilled a chance at short third. She cruised to 35 before exploding with three boundaries and a six to go to 50 off 35 balls.The boundaries kept coming – Devine punished in particular – before Lilly Mills pegged Stars back with late wickets that starved Lanning of the strike in the final three overs.”I couldn’t get it off the square in the last two overs, fell off a cliff there,” Lanning, who has retired from international cricket, said. “But I found my rhythm and was nice to be able to go on with it. I’ve got an idea of how much I need to train to be ready and … I’m certainly enjoying myself.”

Three inexperienced seamers tried their best to hold the line but England’s predicament felt like a failure of management

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Aug-2025Who else but Ben Stokes?No seriously, who else? Any ideas? Anyone? Hello, is this thing on?That’s what it felt like on Saturday. England scrabbling around, looking for something, anything to save them. It was not just day three that was getting away from them, but this fifth Test and a series win.Their regular saviour, their usual captain, their standout bowler, was on the balcony, taking as well-earned a rest as you can have when your right shoulder is hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, Ollie Pope was out there on his home ground stuck in a bad dream.Related

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There he was, sifting through bowling combinations without Chris Woakes, and fields with a cordon seemingly without the ability to catch. At times, it was like watching a man trying to eat soup with his hands, occasionally heading back up to the home dressing room to wash them and ask if anyone had found a spoon, or even a fork, only to be met with big sunnies, white trainers and blank stares.The best you could say of England’s bowlers is that they kept at it in a meaningful way. Not just toiling, but doing so with a degree of hate in their hearts. No one likes being dog-walked in Test cricket as they were for 70 overs. There was plenty of bark and bite to show as much. Reward, too. Or at least souvenirs from the grind. Cool stories for the scars.Josh Tongue bagged his second five-wicket haul in Tests – expensively (5 for 125 from 30 overs) but got them nonetheless. He finishes the series as England’s leading wicket-taker with 19 despite only playing three matches.Gus Atkinson’s 3 for 127 saw him reach into what, for now, are relatively shallow reserves after two months out with a hamstring injury. He came up with 27 overs more work and a few pearlers to add to the first innings five-for. He restated just how good he is by dismissing India skipper Shubman Gill with the first ball after lunch.Jamie Overton doubled his Test tally with two dismissals – as many County Championship wickets as he has for Surrey this season – while bowling at an average speed of 85mph on day two and three. The sprinkling of 89.5mph bolts offered vindication if it were needed (it was) that his inclusion had some merit.

“In seaming conditions, England committed the cardinal sin of being cut more than they were driven. Such a pitch looked prime for Sam Cook, even Matthew Potts. Both of whom have the hardwired game for these surfaces. And yet neither was even considered worthy of the squad”

It was tough not to feel sorry for them. The dichotomy between batting and bowling was felt keenly on a day like this: the former set 374, the latter dragged for 396. It felt like that most when Washington Sundar conducted the in the stands with his sixes in the final partnership. And across the six drops – two from Harry Brook, two from Zak Crawley, one from Ben Duckett and one from sub-fielder Liam Dawson – which cost 152 all in.”Going through from yesterday knowing we were going to bowl a few overs out there, it was obviously going to be a tough ask for us bowlers, but I thought we stuck at it really well,” Tongue said at stumps.Truthfully, though, the task of marshalling a series decider was always going to be tough on the three replacements. Particularly given the series had acquired so much feeling and narrative over the last two Tests, at Lord’s and Old Trafford, which featured none of them. You think jumping out of moving car is hard, try jumping a moving one.Atkinson and Overton were coming in cold. Tongue returning a month after being parked for Jofra Archer after two Tests. Each would have dealt with their own pressures, and here they were exacerbated as they were thrown in together.Even with Woakes available, there would have been struggle. The 36-year-old had bowled just 68 of his 161 overs across the first four Tests in the second innings. Slack would have had to been picked up.But his experience might have jolted them out of bad habits. The lack of game-time showed with their collective inconsistency, which was leapt upon by Yashasvi Jaiswal to the tune of 118.In seaming conditions, they committed the cardinal sin of being cut more than they were driven: Jaiswal sliced and diced 72 of his first 100 runs behind square on the off side. Such a pitch looked prime for Sam Cook. Even Matthew Potts. Both of whom have the hardwired game for these surfaces. And yet neither were even considered worthy of the squad.England’s careful planning fell apart ahead of the fifth Test•PA Photos/Getty ImagesBut more broadly, the gamest pitch of the series, certainly the one with the pace and bounce England have craved throughout the summer, has been used by the second string. And that, ultimately, feels like a failure of management.The plan at the very start of this five-match series was for enough changes of personnel to keep the prime quicks refreshed throughout. And even with injury to Mark Wood, Olly Stone and, initially, Atkinson, there was enough to shuffle through.Certainly, for instance, enough to not get to a stage where Brydon Carse, a superior hit-the-deck bowler to Tongue, was running on fumes in Manchester after four appearances on the bounce. Though Archer’s return was well-managed, it was hard not to wonder how much joy he would have got on this surface.Perhaps England could have kept a couple in the chamber? It is only this week that Manchester hosted its first positive result across six first-class matches this summer. Of the venues to protect your quicks, particularly having already established a 2-1 lead, maybe that was it? Understandably, the prospect of clutching an outright series win with a game to spare was too enticing.The pitches should get some of the ire. England have bowled on 19 of the 23 days of play so far, sending down at least 50 overs on 12 of them. But the batters haven’t helped. On day two, for instance, having made light work of India’s last four first innings wickets in the morning, the bowlers were back at it just 51.2 overs later.Rotating bowlers is never an exact science, though science does come into it. The ECB tracks overs bowled and bodies to manage their quicks, keeping tabs on things like “red zones” – when workloads reach a point that the likelihood of injury increases.The current era take on that information and are particularly meticulous when it comes to the real five-star pace merchants, like Archer and Wood. By and large, they have moved away from leaning heavily on those metrics in favour of a more personable approach.It gives players more agency over their fitness, which they prefer. What they can play through, what they know they should not.Though you wonder, in a series as big as this, ahead of an Ashes, if a player would wilfully pull themselves out of the firing line? Especially in a team moulded in the image of a captain who needed head coach Brendon McCullum and medical advice to sit out this one. Stepping aside would also risk losing that spot altogether. Ollie Pope almost found out when he handed the No. 3 position to Jacob Bethell for last year’s tour of New Zealand.There are different strands of the multiverse where Woakes does not damage his left shoulder. Or Brook holds onto Jaiswal for 20. Or even Dawson on 40. Or Crawley and Deep on 21 to nip a nightwatcher innings of 66 before it really ate away at the team’s souls.But the one strand of note, the one that got away well before this match begun, was a more considered plan with this attack. It is something they must get right come the Ashes this winter. Lessons should be learned from the last two months.Then again, they will also hope for some blind luck. Just look at India: they possess the one generational quick in the series, and have not won any of the three matches he has played. And they could not be happier with how things have panned out.

The Reds entered the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday night locked in a tight battle with the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Fortunately, Cincinnati had the powers of Elly De La Cruz to lean on.

With the Reds up 2-1, the Pirates got a man on first, and Nick Gonzales came up to bat with one out. On a 2-2 count, he absolutely mashed a liner— right at De La Cruz, playing deep at the shortstop position. Without wasting even a second, EDLC then rifled a one-hop throw to first for the force-out that ended the game.

It was a very cool play that required remarkable reaction time and De La Cruz was all too happy to show off his.

That is a hard throw to make it to first on a bounce before the runner does. De La Cruz has done it again.

The win marks the Reds' 61st of the season, and it was arguably the most exciting ending yet.

The 20-year-old KKR batter had an impactful first season last year, but he’s got his eye on even more silverware

Abhimanyu Bose26-Mar-2025In 2022, he was India’s highest run-scorer when they won the Under-19 World Cup. In 2024, he showcased an array of ramps, scoops and reverse-sweeps to help Kolkata Knight Riders lift the IPL trophy in his first season. Then, he was part of the Mumbai squad that won the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. For a young player with a single-minded focus on piling up silverware for his teams, Angkrish Raghuvanshi could barely have asked for a better start to his career.”I’m in love with the game. So I will do whatever it takes to improve, to work hard and try to win games for my team,” Raghuvanshi told ESPNcricinfo before the start of the 2025 IPL. “Because that’s what I love doing. That’s what I go to sleep wanting to do. That’s what I wake up wanting to do.”I’ve learned that what works for me is not setting personal goals in terms of runs and stuff,” he said. “It’s about how many games I want to win for my team during the season in every tournament that I play, and hopefully I can win the tournament for my team.”Those are my goals at the start of the season. And I feel that when I think [that way], it brings out the best in my performance as well.”Related

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Angkrish Raghuvanshi has limitations, but he won't let them come in his way

After being picked up by KKR at the auction for the 2024 IPL, Raghuvanshi played his maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, but had a middling outing. His highest score was 32, and he struck at 116.But in the IPL he made an immediate impact. In the first match he batted in, at the age of 19, he hammered 54 off 27 balls from No. 3 against Delhi Capitals to help KKR get to a mammoth score of 272, in the process becoming the second-youngest player to score a half-century in his maiden IPL innings.He started the knock with back-to-back boundaries off Anrich Nortje, and then reverse-swept medium-pacer Rasikh Salam for a six – the kind of innovation that became his mainstay as the season wore on. He made the No. 3 position his own, despite the presence of bigger stars like Venkatesh Iyer and KKR’s then-captain Shreyas Iyer in the side, and finished the season with 163 runs at a strike rate of 155.23.Unfazed by the prospect of facing the high pace of bowlers like Nortje, or taking on world-class spinners like Axar Patel, Raghuvanshi says he came prepared, not just in terms of technique, but also mentality.”I have asked this question a lot to my coach and with all the big players I have played with: that when a fast bowler or a very good spinner is running in, and he has done a lot in cricket, what goes through your mind? And they all just say the same thing. At the end of the day, he is just going to bowl and you have to watch the ball and play according to where it is.1:35

Raghuvanshi: ‘I watch athletes from other sports to learn what I can do to be better’

“So, [when] there was pressure and thoughts that Nortje is bowling to me, I just calmed myself down by saying that everyone just says: watch the ball and play according to the ball. When I told my mind that, it helped a lot and I could just focus on the ball.”And how does he get the confidence to walk out at the highest level and start ramping and reverse-sweeping fast bowlers?”We practised in a way that those shots were just normal run-scoring shots instead of audacious ones,” he said. “And leading up to the tournament, I practised it a lot, so it became natural. So, when I was there in the middle and there was pressure on me, I felt that I could rely on it to score runs.”The man chiefly responsible for Raghuvanshi’s preparation was his childhood coach Abhishek Nayar, who was also KKR’s assistant coach when they signed the young batter on.Raghuvanshi first met Nayar at the age of 11. Soon after, the youngster made the move from Delhi to Mumbai, even staying with Nayar – a mentor on and off the field – for a week.”He saw me play and worked with me and I felt a connection there. I got to learn so much from him in that one-week period when I was in Mumbai for the first time,” Raghuvanshi recalled. “It opened my mind to new things in the game. And ever since, I’ve just tried to learn as much as I can from him and he’s really been helpful in my entire journey.”He’s a great coach on the field and in life too. I think he’s helped me grow as a person as well,” Raghuvanshi said. “He taught me to be a really good person, to be a mature and respectful person off the field, and a smart and hardworking cricketer on the field.”Even before his batting exploits, Raghuvanshi caught the eye of KKR co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

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