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Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has been backed to manage Liverpool one day but the pundit making the suggestion does not believe Arne Slot's job at Anfield is under threat. The Reds tried to bring the Spaniard to Merseyside after news of Jurgen Klopp's impending exit was announced in 2024. While he stayed at Bayer Leverkusen before joining Madrid this year, an old team-mate of his thinks a Reds return is possible.

Liverpool reunion for Alonso?

Al-Ahli head coach and former Liverpool player Igor Biscan can see Alonso heading to the Premier League side one day. He added that he wouldn't blame the Reds for chasing the ex-midfielder, such is his pedigree.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League betting, Biscan, who played with the Spaniard at Anfield in 2004-05, said:  "Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager? I think that's always a possibility. If he keeps on doing what he's doing, and to be successful and make a difference. Whenever you watch his teams, they are doing so well, they have a clear structure, and the quality is always there. Who wouldn't want to have a manager like him?"

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot's job 'not in danger'

Following Liverpool's humbling 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, question marks have been raised about Slot's future at the club amid a run of six defeats in their last seven games.  However, the fact that he led the Reds to the Premier League title means he has enough credit in the bank and the former Feyenoord boss insists the results will turn soon. Moreover, Biscan thinks the Dutchman needs more time to right this ship.

He added: "There is pressure, but for every manager at that level, there is always pressure. I don't think his job is in question. Even if he doesn’t win the league, just by doing what he did last year, after what happened before he arrived and how difficult his job was, it was exceptional. Everybody was saying it would be extremely difficult for him to really continue what Jurgen Klopp had done before him. He is a quality manager, and he deserves a lot of credit and he needs time. There are so many new players, and you need time to make them work together. I'm really sure that they will start winning again very soon."

Liverpool 'not out of title race'

Despite their wretched run, which has left them 11th in the table, Biscan thinks Liverpool can still mount a title challenge. While they are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, which could stretch to 11 if the Gunners beat Tottenham on Sunday, bigger deficits have been clawed back in the past.

Biscan said: "I won't be too negative because of the many defeats in the last six, seven, or eight games, especially in the league. I think there is still a good chance for Liverpool to compete for the title. Now they will have a run of games which, at least on paper, should be easier. Hopefully, if they can win a few in a row, I think they will be back in the title race."

The former defender also thinks Alexander Isak, who has struggled since his big-money move from Newcastle United, can come good, too.

"Which team would not have wanted to sign Alexander Isak at the beginning of the season? I don't think there is any team, any manager, any set of fans who would say: ‘No, no, we don't like him. We don't believe that he will be good enough for our team'," he said. "He's a special player. He's a top-class centre-forward, like everybody knows. And yeah, he missed pre-season and then the lack of match fitness, sharpness, for sure, takes away a bit of your ability. But it's the same situation like what we said about Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, you know, the quality is there. And there is for sure quality. It's always been there. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring. It's just a matter of getting into the right rhythm, scoring some goals, and then again, a little bit of this momentum back. And the whole team needs that, and when this happens, then we will see a different story."

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Getty Images SportCrunch period for Liverpool

While things are looking bleak for Liverpool right now, fortunes can change very quickly in football, just as Slot's side have shown for the worse in recent weeks. The Reds, who were top of the table earlier on this season, return to Champions League action on Wednesday at home to PSV Eindhoven. A victory there could give them confidence heading into winnable games against West Ham, Sunderland, and Leeds United.

It would be fair to say that the atmosphere around Tottenham Hotspur is not a positive one at the moment.

Thomas Frank’s side might be sixth in the Premier League, but the performances so far this season have been hard to stomach, none more so than the one against Chelsea on Saturday.

Despite being at home, the North Londoners were utterly toothless, bereft of ideas, and the player who best encapsulated their dire display was summer signing Xavi Simons.

It’s still early in his Spurs career, but so far, the Dutch international has been a massive disappointment and should therefore be dropped for another young talent who could perhaps offer a little more urgency.

Simons' start to life at Spurs

Perhaps in part due to missing out on Eberechi Eze, there was a tremendous amount of excitement in the Spurs fan base when Simons was announced.

After all, he’s long been considered one of the most exciting young attackers in European football and, at one point, looked destined to join Chelsea.

Unfortunately, it would be fair to say that the 22-year-old has come nowhere close to justifying the hype so far this season.

In 12 appearances for the club, he has failed to score a single goal and has provided just one assist, which came in his first appearance, away to West Ham in gameweek four.

With that said, while that is a poor return, could it be that the former PSV Eindhoven gem is simply someone who starts seasons a little slower than most?

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

For example, in his first 11 games for RB Leipzig last year, before he got injured, the Amsterdam-born gem managed to score three goals and provide two assists.

Likewise, the campaign preceding that saw the youngster rack up an even better tally of four goals and five assists in his first 12 matches, excluding the curtain-raising DFL-Super Cup.

Therefore, while it would be nice to say that Simons is doing what he does every season and will therefore eventually come good, that is not the case.

Therefore, Frank should keep him on the bench for now and look towards the academy for a temporary solution.

Spurs' Simons solution

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison still out, Frank could and probably should look to the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar-Sarr to start ahead of Simons.

Chalkboard

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However, there is another, far bolder option, one he could go with for the ‘easier’ games, or as a first option from the bench ahead of the Dutchman.

That option is Hotspur Way’s most exciting prospect since Mikey Moore: Luca Williams-Barnett.

Now, the first argument one might put forward here is that the Englishman is too young.

However, that would carry a lot more weight if the suggestion was to start the youngster in game after game, but that is not the case.

Instead, it might be worthwhile for Frank and the club to use the youngster as a substitute more often, and then potentially against the weaker teams, hand him a start.

After all, at 17 years old, he is two years older than Arsenal’s Max Dowman, and according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is “one of England’s best talents”.

Moreover, when you take a look at his form for the youth sides, it’s clear that he’s way beyond that level now and more than deserving of more senior football.

Williams-Barnett’s youth record

Team

U18

U21

Appearances

30

8

Goals

22

7

Assists

13

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.5

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 11 games for the junior side this season, he has scored eight goals and provided seven assists, which is an average of 1.36 goal involvements every game.

Last season, he was even more effective, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in just 23 appearances, which works out to an average of 1.39 goal involvements per game.

Ultimately, even if it is not from the start, Williams-Barnett has earned the right to play some meaningful minutes for Spurs this season.

Moreover, picking him over Simons could be the wake-up call the Dutchman needs to start playing to people’s expectations.

Related Spurs have signed a frightening young talent who can end Kolo Muani's stay

Tottenham have some painful attacking teething problems under Thomas Frank.

Posts 3 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 3, 2025

Former England women’s head coach returns to home county in newly created role

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2025

Jon Lewis has joined his old county Gloucestershire in a newly-created director of cricket role which will cover both men’s and women’s cricket, after losing his job as England women’s head coach earlier this year.Lewis, who won 16 England caps across formats as a swing bowler, spent the vast majority of his playing career at Gloucestershire and has worked at the ECB in various coaching roles since, including as Under-19s head coach and fast-bowling coach in the men’s game. “It feels like I’m coming home,” he told the club’s YouTube channel.He took over as England women’s coach in late 2022 but paid the price for their disastrous 16-0 Ashes defeat in Australia last winter, which saw him replaced in the role by Charlotte Edwards. Lewis also spent three years at UP Warriorz in the WPL, and will oversee Gloucestershire’s push towards a fully professional women’s set-up in the years to come.Lewis will work closely with Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire men’s head coach, who won the T20 Blast in his first season in charge but oversaw a disappointing 2024 campaign. His arrival will belatedly fill the vacancy left by Steve Snell’s removal as performance director midway through the 2023 summer.”It’s a big job. There’s a lot to do,” Lewis said. “I’m excited to be back at a place that has a really special meaning for me. It created a lot of opportunities for me to be better as a player, and hopefully I can give people opportunities to do the same things that I did here.”Ajeet Singh Dale is among several seamers leaving Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Lewis said that a long-term priority will be to bring through more players from the local area. “We haven’t had a really strong production line of cricketers coming from Gloucestershire and Bristol. That’s a high priority for us here at the club, to make sure that we put the processes in place that are able to produce Gloucestershire cricketers from Gloucestershire.”Gloucestershire’s men have already lost a swathe of seamers ahead of next season, with Archie Bailey (Durham), Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Josh Shaw (Somerset), Dom Goodman and Tom Price (both Sussex) all leaving the club. Craig Miles (Warwickshire) and Will Williams (Lancashire) will both join, but Lewis wants further reinforcements.”It’s important that we try to work out how to replace those players, whether it’s from within the squad or also from outside, or from overseas,” he said. “We’ve got some real thinking to do in that space to make sure that the club becomes really competitive across all formats next year.”Gloucestershire’s women play in Tier Two of the ECB’s new domestic set-up, but Lewis hopes that will change in the long term: “That’d be a big goal for us here at the club… I’m hoping that this becomes a place where players become really fond of playing, and they feel like they’re able to grow, to learn, and to get a lot better at playing cricket.”Stevens returns to Kent for 2026Darren Stevens was a fan favourite in his playing career for Kent•Nathan Stirk/ECB/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kent have announced that club legend Darren Stevens will work in Adam Hollioake’s coaching staff as a bowling consultant in 2026. Stevens left the county three years ago when, at 46, he was not offered a new contract and has since worked in coaching roles for South East Stars and Essex women.He will work alongside Kent’s newly-appointed bowling coach Sam Faulkner, who has progressed through the club’s backroom staff and will replace Robbie Joseph in the role. Jaahid Ali, a former Pakistan A player, has replaced Toby Radford as batting coach.”Stevo coming back to Kent to join our bowling coaching provision will undoubtedly by popular with our members and supporters,” Simon Cook, the club’s director of cricket, said. “His experience and coaching skills will be invaluable to our first-team bowlers as we head into a new season under Adam Hollioake.”With Sam and Jaahid, there will be clear guidance and mentoring for our young talent at first-team, Academy and Pathway level to make any transition to a higher level more seamless from a playing perspective. Both Sam and Jaahid have worked closely with our Talent Pathway for a number of years now and are both held in high regard by our Pathway players and staff.”

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

Kartikeya, Jain created a late collapse that skittled South Zone after a 192-run stand

Ashish Pant14-Sep-2025

For close to two sessions, Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth kept Central Zone waiting on the fourth day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final. But a frenetic last half an hour, where South Zone lost their last four wickets for 12 runs, which included Ankit falling on 99, saw them get bowled out for 426, leaving Central Zone 65 to chase on the final day.Having reduced South Zone to 222 for 6 before lunch, leading by 140 runs, Central Zone were in pole position to inflict an innings defeat. But a stunning rearguard action from Ankit and Siddarth, where they added 192 runs for the seventh wicket, ensured the final went into day five.Resuming on 129 for 2, Ricky Bhui showed intent straightaway, jumping down the track and lofting Saransh Jain over long-off on the fourth ball of the day. While Ravichandran Smaran was prepared to graft it out, Bhui continued to attack. Smaran, though, did cut Deepak Chahar through point when he was offered width.C Andre Siddarth scored a patient fifty•PTI

Bhui’s sprightly knock ended on 45 when he chased a harmless fuller-length delivery from Chahar and edged a comfortable catch to Shubham Sharma at first slip. Smaran, meanwhile, reached his half-century off 70 balls with a clip to deep midwicket.Mohammed Azharuddeen had an enterprising 40-ball stay in the middle. He was dropped twice – once by Patidar at short cover and then by Danish Malewar at first slip, who failed to latch on diving to his right. He also got Central Zone to burn a review when Chahar thought he had the South Zone captain strangled down leg.In between, Azharuddeen clubbed Aditya Thakare through midwicket and smashed Jain over mid-on, but failed to carry on. Kumar Kartikeya dropped one short with the ball holding up a touch and Azharuddeen, early into his shot, top-edged a pull to Kuldeep Sen at midwicket.Salman Nizar took the aggressive option immediately, sweeping Jain through square leg and then pulling him through midwicket. But he soon fell, when his across-the-line miscue off Kartikeya was held brilliantly by Patidar running to his left from mid-on. Ten balls later, Kartikeya struck again, sending back Smaran, who swept a fuller-length ball straight to deep square leg, for 67.With South Zone still well behind in the game, Ankit took his chances early. He launched Kartikeya straight over long-on second ball before working Jain through midwicket for four. Siddarth was more circumspect. He twice went after Kartikeya before lunch, punching him past mid-on and then through point off the back foot.South Zone folded quickly after Kumar Kartikeya got Ankit Sharma•PTI

While Siddarth was largely unhurried, Ankit looked a bit fidgety after lunch. As Sen went short to him, he would often clear his front leg, looking to hack across the line. He got a few top-edges which fell safely, but once he got a hang of the surface, his defence got tighter.With the pitch having flattened out, the fast bowlers did not get any movement even with the new ball as Ankit reached his 13th first-class fifty by thumping Sen over mid-off. It was an attritional afternoon session, where South Zone added 86 runs in 23 overs.Siddarth and Ankit upped the scoring rate after tea, with Siddarth also finding the boundaries regularly. He jumped down the track, lifting Jain over mid-on to reach his fifty before Ankit took South Zone into the lead in the 99th over, paddling Shubham to the fine-leg fence.Ankit swiftly moved through his 80s and 90s but lost focus, one short of his century. With the field up, he tried to mow Kartikeya across the line, got a top edge, and Patidar at short midwicket did the rest.It was a quick end thereafter. Jain sent back Gurjapneet Singh, while MD Nidheesh was run out. V Koushik was the last wicket to fall, with Jain getting him stumped, leaving Siddarth unbeaten on 84.If Central Zone manage to chase down the 65-run target on the fifth morning – which they should – it will be their first Duleep Trophy win since the 2014-15 season.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, with the Portuguese club willing to cash-in for a huge fee this winter.

Tottenham have struggled in front of goal at times this season, failing to score in three of their last four matches in all competitions, and the most recent result against Chelsea is likely to be particularly concerning for Thomas Frank.

Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to create a single big chance across the 90 minutes, which meant Randal Kolo Muani was limited to just 16 touches of the ball before being substituted in the second half.

Kolo Muani is yet to get off the mark in front of goal, while Mathys Tel has also struggled, scoring just one Premier League goal this season, and the Frenchman clearly hasn’t impressed Frank, having lost his place in the starting XI in recent weeks.

With that in mind, it would make sense to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and the door could be open to sign a Liga Portugal star…

Tottenham leading race for Aghehowa

According to a report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are now in the lead in the race for Porto striker Aghehowa, alongside Chelsea, with the London rivals potentially set to do battle for his signature.

The Portuguese club are now willing to sanction the 21-year-old’s departure for a fee of €80m (£70m) in January, despite the youngster having a €100m (£88m) release clause included in his contract.

A £70m offer is deemed ‘irresistible’, so a deal could be on the cards if Spurs are willing to eclipse the £65m fee they shelled out on Dominic Solanke and break their transfer record.

Journalist Zach Lowy believes the Spaniard, who has the same agent as Mohammed Kudus, could be destined for the very top, singling him out for very high praise on X back in June.

The Melilla-born marksman had a fantastic debut campaign in Portugal, scoring 19 goals in 30 league games, and he has since gone on to make an impressive start to the new season, finding the back of the net nine times in 11 matches in all competitions.

Aghehowa’s goal record at such a young age indicates he could have what it takes to become one of the best strikers in the world, and with Tel and Kolo Muani struggling, it would make sense for Tottenham to pursue a move this winter.

Tottenham now main contenders to sign Jonathan David Tottenham 'main contenders' to sign £188k-p/w Juventus star and it's not Vlahovic

Thomas Frank’s side have been tipped to replace Richarlison.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 31, 2025

The technical flaws of their top order were in evidence in Perth. It’s not too late for them to do something about them

Greg Chappell24-Nov-2025The England dressing room on the final day of last week’s Perth Test must have resembled a building struck by a sudden, shattering explosion. One moment there was light, order, and a firm structure; the next, a deafening, visceral shock wave.It was more than a defeat; it was a systemic failure that felt like the lights had been plucked out. The silence that follows such a blast is rarely peaceful. It is instantly replaced by the sounds of the resulting chaos: the alarms begin to blare, smoke and dust swirl in a disorienting, suffocating cloud, and the structure groans under considerable damage.As the initial shock recedes, the occupants – Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum, and the rest of the squad – begin to grasp the new reality. They are hurt, disoriented, and the damage is real. But before they can even assess the situation fully, the cacophony begins. From the outside, the public, the pundits, and the media – the bystanders – start shouting. A wall of competing, frantic advice on which direction to run: Tear it all up! Sack the lot! Go back to old methods!Related

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But the leaders inside know that external noise is based on limited information and frustration. They look out of the windows and see the true dimensions of the crisis: on one side, a metaphorical wall of water threatens to drown the established culture; on the other, a fire of fundamental change risks burning down the positive gains of the last three years. And the structure, while damaged, is not a complete write-off.Panic is not the answer. Cold, calm discussion must take place, grounded in the unvarnished truth of the situation. McCullum and Stokes hold the leadership keys because they alone know the full extent of the structural damage, the vulnerabilities, and crucially, which areas of the edifice remain sound. They know that listening to the shouting outside will only lead them down a blind alley, or worse, cause them to add insult to injury by making the wrong decision.Their knowledge, the one unshakeable fact, is that, provided they do not succumb to panic, a perfectly safe escape from the situation still exists. It requires a balanced response, built not on fear but on a clear-eyed assessment of the facts.The biggest mistake England could make now is to discard the foundational game plan that has been built over the past three years. The key is to assess where the approach, sound in principle, went awry in execution against a ruthless Australian unit.For all the talk of a humbling loss, the truth is that England had many positives from the match and were, arguably, in a winning position more than once. Australia won because they were superior in three critical areas and had a more robust plan for the specific conditions in Perth: they had the best bowler in Mitchell Starc, the best batter in Travis Head, and the more tactically acute captain in Steven Smith.The most critical tactical error was the length they bowled in both innings. It is a mistake many touring teams have fallen for at the WACA and now at the new Optus Stadium. England’s bowlers, perhaps seduced by the bounce, bowled too short too often.

England’s top-order batters effectively move from one static stance to a new static position, with the front foot often finishing in front of middle stump. From this position, foot movement is severely restricted

Starc’s success was a masterclass in challenging the English batters’ tendency to drive on the up – a high-risk option in these conditions. By pitching the ball up, he forced them to commit to the drive or play a half-shot of the sort Zak Crawley played in the second innings, making them vulnerable to both the edge and any attempted drive.It is worth noting that Jofra Archer bowled the most consistent and challenging fuller length of the English attack in the first innings, troubling every Australian batter. Stokes’ own excellent figures, which came off a mixture of short and full deliveries, may have inadvertently clouded the collective judgement.This confusion proved fatal when Head strode out in the second innings. His intent to attack was obvious, yet England fell for the oldest trap in the book, dropping short and wide. By taking the full ball and the accompanying threats of bowled and lbw out of the equation, England effectively aided and abetted his brutal cause. What they desperately needed to do was pitch it up and force him to play the more difficult straighter shots down the ground.The task does not get easier. Brisbane, the venue for the next Test, will be different from Perth but equally difficult. The pink ball will swing and seam, and once again, the full ball will be the challenge.England must prepare for the home attack – Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett – to pitch it up relentlessly. The English bowlers must reciprocate. This is no time for tentative half-measures; the mantra for the bowling unit must be: if in doubt, pitch it up.A more worrying structural weakness lies in England’s top-order batting unit, which seems to have adopted a singular, uniform initial movement that will not serve them well against the swinging pink ball.Too many of the top-order batters make a definite, two-part movement: a substantial step back and across with the back foot, followed by the planting of the front foot. They move effectively from one static stance to a new static position, with the front foot often finishing in front of middle stump. From this position, foot movement is severely restricted. They become rooted, relying solely on their hands and arms to search for the ball. This is fraught with danger, particularly against a full, straight delivery, where they are forced to play around the front leg to access the ball.The response must start with technical adjustments from the key batters.Harry Brook seems to have introduced unnecessary complexity to his methods•Getty ImagesHarry Brook is a case study in unneeded complexity. His earlier, highly successful, method was simple, involving minimal movement, allowing him to use the bowlers’ angle against them. His current movement pattern has stripped him of scoring options, forcing him into riskier shots. He needs to go back to the tape, re-evaluate, and simplify.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope both showed periods of resilience in Perth, offering a foundation upon which to build. They proved that the aggressive method can work, provided the footwork is precise and the shot selection is judicious.Pope has a similar problem to Root and Brook in that his initial movements leave his front leg exposed to full, straight deliveries. The commentators talked about his head falling over to the off regularly but they couldn’t explain why. These early movements cause him to take the leg to the line of the straighter deliveries, meaning that his head has to be to the off side of the ball. He needs to fix the leg issue before the head position will be addressed.Crawley is the batter who will have the most soul-searching to do. His “stand and deliver” driving method, while apparently aesthetically pleasing, will be no more successful in Brisbane than it was in Perth. He will not be able to change a lifetime’s habit in 12 days, so he has to be very disciplined with his selections, only driving at half-volleys and full tosses at the Gabba. Unless he can introduce genuine defence and leave the ball with confidence, his pain will only increase.The itinerary in the lead-up to the Brisbane Test must be strictly managed. The batters intended for the Brisbane XI must play the pink-ball game in Canberra to gain much-needed centre-wicket practice against the moving ball. At the same time, England’s entire bowling unit must dedicate practice time to relentlessly hitting a fuller length and forcing the Australian batters to drive.The analogy remains the ultimate instruction. The alarm bells are deafening. The outside noise is a constant, tempting distraction. But panic will lead to catastrophic decisions. Stokes and McCullum must maintain their equilibrium, trust the intelligence gathered in Perth – the positives, the evidence of clear errors – and formulate a balanced response. Going into their collective shell is not the answer; neither is continuing the helter-skelter approach mindlessly. Discipline and judicious decision-making are required to get back into this contest.The structure is sound enough to escape. But England must not listen to the shouts; they must learn the lessons. Only then can they hope to get back on the course, lest the race be over before the end of the first straight.

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur may not be going exactly to plan at this moment in time, as his side have been in concerning form of late.

The Lilywhites have conceded 11 goals in their last three games in all competitions, losing 5-3 to PSG and 4-1 to Arsenal in their last two outings since returning from the international break.

Tottenham have won one of their last six games in all competitions, keeping one clean sheet in that time, and this shows that Frank and his staff have plenty of work to do to improve the team’s defensive record.

Spurs let in 65 goals in 38 Premier League games in the 2024/25 season under Ange Postecoglou, which shows that this is not a new issue, and it may take time for the problem to be solved.

Whilst there is plenty of attention on the defensive side of their game, and rightly so given recent results, there should also be attention given to where they need to improve at the other end of the pitch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with one assist, was one of the standout performers for PSG, as he moved to eight goal contributions for the season, but Spurs do not have similar quality in their wide areas.

Ranking Tottenham's wingers this season

The Lilywhites spent £55m to sign Mohammed Kudus from Premier League rivals West Ham to bolster their ranks out wide in the summer transfer window, and he has been arguably the best winger at the club this season.

In the 2025/26 campaign, the Ghana international has more assists (five) than any other player in the squad for Spurs, with one assist on top of all of that creativity, per Transfermarkt.

However, even then, there is plenty of room for him to improve because of a return of one goal in 17 appearances in all competitions is far from an exceptional return for a £55m signing.

On the flip side, Brennan Johnson has scored four goals in 18 matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, yet he has failed to provide a single assist for his teammates, which shows that he needs to improve on the creative side of the game.

As you can see in the table above, Wilson Odobert ranks just below the two of them, because he has one goal and two assists in just 751 minutes of football as a young player who is still learning and improving.

Xavi Simons, signed for £52m from Leipzig, and Mathys Tel, who have both played centrally and wide, have each registered just two goal contributions in all competitions, which is why they must rank fourth and fifth.

All of this shows that Frank does not have many amazing options in the wide areas, but that could change for the second half of the season if things go to plan.

Spurs told that £50m bid will be accepted for Premier League forward

According to former Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, Tottenham Hotspur could sign Savinho from Manchester City in the January transfer window.

The ex-Premier League chief has told Spurs that a bid of £50m could be enough for them to tempt the Cityzens into cashing on the Brazil international, after the Lilywhites failed with a £60m approach for the forward in the summer.

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Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness said: “There are a lot of City fans complaining about him, et cetera, et cetera. But I do think he’s a quality player.

“I think a change of scenery would obviously do him the world of good. And I think it’ll give Spurs a chance to get a better deal with City. And I do expect something like this to happen in January. So I do expect probably a bit of not so much cut-price, but certainly lower than expected, maybe around a 50 million mark even with bonuses for a player of that quality.”

Savinho has only started four matches in the Premier League for Manchester City so far this season, with the likes of Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku ahead of him, and Wyness seemingly believes that his lack of game time could open the door for Spurs.

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank, though, to do a deal with City and to convince the Brazilian star to make the move to North London, because he could be their own Kvaratskhelia.

Why Spurs should sign Savinho

Like Kudus, Savinho is not a winger who is likely to come in and score 20 or more goals a season like Mo Salah or Vinicius Jr, because he has only scored four goals in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

However, the 21-year-old talent is an exceptional dribbler and creator who could provide an exciting presence for supporters to watch out wide in the second half of the season and beyond.

Kvaratskhelia, who is valued at £79m, is one of the best wingers in the world, having won Ligue 1 and the Champions League, scoring in the final, last season, so it would be unrealistic to expect Tottenham to sign a winger who is exactly like him in every area of the game.

However, as you can see in the chart above, Savinho is very much like the Georgian star when it comes to creating chances and dribbling past opposition players on the wing, based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.

In fact, the Brazilian Spurs target was one of the most creative players in his position in all of the top five major European leagues in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the table below.

Whilst he may not be in the best moment at Manchester City, with one goal and two assists in 15 appearances, his form last term shows that he is capable of being an elite creator and dribbler in the Premier League.

Savinho, who Paul Merson claimed could be a “superstar”, ranked in the top 6% of his positional peers for xAG (0.27) in the Champions League and the top 4% in the Premier League with 0.35 xAG, per FBref.

These statistics and his statistics in comparison to Kvaratskhelia suggest that Spurs would be signing an exceptional young creator on the wing if they snap him up in January.

That is why Paratici should hope that Wyness is right and that a deal could be done for £50m, because the Brazilian could arrive in North London as their own version of the PSG superstar because of his creative and dribbling skills.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 28, 2025

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty Images

Nitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

Dhruv Jurel scored his second first-class century on a day when all India A batters except captain Shreyas Iyer were among the runs against Australia A. The hosts ended day three on 403 for 4, still 129 runs behind the visitors’ first-innings total of 532. Apart from Jurel, who was batting on 113 at stumps, Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan and N Jagadeesan also went past fifty at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.India A started day three trailing Australia A by 416 runs, with nine wickets in hand, and Xavier Bartlett had Jagadeesan caught behind by Josh Phillipe for 64 in the sixth over of the day to end a second-wicket stand of 49. Padikkal then joined Sudharsan in a productive stand, but with their partnership nearing a hundred, Sudharsan missed an attempted reverse-sweep off Cooper Connolly and was trapped lbw for 73.Australia A struck again 3.2 overs later, with Iyer was trapped in front by Corey Rocchiccioli for 8. It was Iyer’s third successive low score in a first-class game, after he was dismissed for 25 and 12 against Central Zone in the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy earlier this month.But Iyer’s wicket turned out to be the last for Australia A on Thursday, as Jurel and Padikkal rebuilt. India A were 310 behind when the two came together, and by the end of the day they had put on an unbroken 181 for the fifth wicket.Padikkal was more the patient of the two batters, taking his time in getting to his fifty off 117 balls. The aggressive Jurel reached the landmark in just 54 deliveries, getting there by smashing Rocchiccioli for two consecutive sixes and a four.Rocchiccioli was the most expensive of the Australia A bowlers, going for 128 runs in 24 overs at an economy rate of 5.33. Jurel especially took a liking to the offspinner, scoring 47 runs off him at just better than a run a ball, with three fours and three sixes.By the end of the day, Jurel had rattled along at a strike rate of 85.61 over 132 balls, and Padikkal at 48.31. The left-hand batter went to stumps batting on 86, in sight of a seventh first-class century. Their 181-run stand had come at nearly five runs an over.With only the final day’s play left, and with neither team having begun their second innings, the match seems headed towards a draw.