Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says his struggling team need more "crazy guys" to help them get back on track. The Red Devils have suffered an underwhelming start to the new Premier League campaign and currently sit down in 14th place in the table despite a summer that saw Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo arrive at Old Trafford.
At the start of the calendar year, Celtic had Adam Idah, Johnny Kenny, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Daizen Maeda on their books as options in the number nine position.
Kyogo, of course, left to sign for Rennes in the January transfer window, and Kenny is still a young player who needs time to develop and improve before he is a frontline option.
Earlier this month, Brendan Rodgers said: “I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”
The Celtic head coach is now set to lose another option in that centre-forward role, as Anthony Joseph reports that Idah is closing in on a permanent move to Swansea.
He is set to undergo a medical in Wales on Friday before putting the finishing touches on a move to the EFL Championship side before the end of the summer transfer window on Monday.
The Ireland international’s exit will leave Celtic with Kenny and Shin Yamada as their only natural striker options, whilst Maeda can, of course, play there.
Celtic have had a nightmare with Adam Idah
It is hard not to feel that the Scottish giants have had a nightmare with the Irish centre-forward, who they only signed from Norwich City on a permanent deal last summer.
The club reportedly paid an initial fee of £8.5m, which could have gone up to £9.5m, and Swansea have now agreed a deal that is worth up to £7m for the 6 foot 3 attacker.
This means that the Scottish Premiership champions have made a loss of at least £1.5m on Idah just 12 months on from signing him from the Canaries, which is hard to defend from a recruitment perspective.
The number nine had his moments in a Celtic shirt, as shown by the clip above, but he was nowhere near reliable enough as a starting option for Rodgers.
Appearances
19
16
Minutes
1,352
357
Goals
6
7
Minutes per goal
225
51
Assists
0
1
As you can see in the table above, Idah only scored six goals in 19 matches in the Premiership for the Scottish giants in his only full season at the club.
This may be one of the reasons why the club decided to sanction a permanent transfer to Swansea after just one year, because he failed to prove that he could deliver consistently as a starter.
Ultimately, Rodgers could not trust him to start week-in-week-out and they may have expected more from a player they were willing to spend up to £9.5m in 2024.
Celtic prepare offer for new striker
According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Celtic are considering a last-gasp offer to sign Anderlecht centre-forward Kasper Dolberg in an attempt to replace Idah.
The journalist claims that the Denmark international is the club’s number one target to fill the soon-to-be vacant number nine shirt at Parkhead.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Joseph also reveals that the Hoops are in talks with Anderlecht over a move for the experienced marksman, as they look to bring him in before the deadline on Monday.
He adds that the Scottish giants were quoted a fee of around £10m for the forward earlier this summer, but it remains to be seen if that is still the case.
The journalist claims that Anderlecht are open to cashing in on the former Ajax and Nice star after they were knocked out of Europe by losing 3-1 to AEK on aggregate, which has presented Celtic with the opportunity to swoop in now that Idah is on his way out of the club.
Why Celtic should sign Kasper Dolberg
The board should be pushing to get a deal for the Pro League forward over the line before the deadline on Monday because he could arrive as a big upgrade on Idah in the number nine position.
As aforementioned, the £9.5m signing from Norwich simply did not do enough when given chances as a starting striker for Celtic to be relied upon as the main man for goals.
Dolberg, however, is a player who could be that main man as an experienced and top-quality number nine who can find the back of the net on a regular basis.
The Anderlecht marksman has already scored three goals in five games at the start of the current campaign, per Sofascore, but it was his form last season that shows how much of an upgrade he would be on Idah.
Appearances (starts)
31 (30)
35 (19)
xG
16.70
N/A
Goals
18
13
Conversion rate
22%
17%
Goals from outside the box
3
2
Assists
2
0
Duel success rate
50%
41%
As you can see in the table above, Dolberg can score goals at an impressive rate whilst starting week-in-week-out for his side, which is something that Idah failed to do.
The Danish attacker, who was once hailed as an “extraordinary talent” by John Steen Olsen, also enjoyed a greater conversion rate in front of goal and won more of his physical duels with opposition defenders.
These statistics suggest that Dolberg could offer far more to the team as a regular starter than Idah did, certainly in the Premiership, as a lethal centre-forward who can finish chances efficiently, as shown by his goal return versus his xG.
At the age of 27, Celtic would also be signing a player who is in the prime years of his career and can be expected to hit the ground running as an instant and reliable performer, rather than coming in as a young and unproven talent who would need time to adjust and develop.
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Therefore, Dolberg could be a fantastic addition to the squad as a big upgrade on Idah as a starter if they can get the deal over the line in the coming days.
While the latest scan, which Bumrah underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything untoward, it is learned he is not entirely ready to return to bowling yet
Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2025
Jasprit Bumrah has not played since he had back issues during the New Year’s Test in Sydney•AFP/Getty Images
In a significant jolt to India’s plans for the Champions Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bumrah is yet to completely recover from the discomfort in his back, an injury he picked up during the Sydney Test in January that also ruled him out of the England white-ball series.Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been left out of the provisional squad, and Varun Chakravarthy has been named as his replacement.While Bumrah’s latest scans, which he underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything severe, he is not entirely ready to return to bowling. There is no confirmation on the timeline of his return. It is likely he will resume running in a couple of weeks and then gradually get back to bowling. His progress will be monitored by the BCCI’s medical team in Bengaluru.This is the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss because of injury, having sat out the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia owing to a back injury that eventually required surgery.Related
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Bumrah’s replacement is Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut during the ongoing England series. The ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for all participating teams to submit their final squads of 15 for the Champions Trophy. Any subsequent changes to the squad will need approval from the tournament’s technical committee.When the BCCI announced the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series in January, Rana was named as Bumrah’s back-up for the England ODIs. Rana made his ODI debut in the first game of the England series in Nagpur, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Rana started impressively, but Phil Salt then thrashed him for 26 runs in his third over. But the seamer from Delhi bounced back, picking three wickets to transfer the pressure back on England, which played a key role in India’s win.Eyebrows were raised after the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, in coordination with the Indian team think-tank comprising head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, had picked Rana ahead of the other contenders, including Mohammed Siraj, for the England series. Siraj has been India’s third-most senior bowler after Bumrah and Shami and was also part of their dominant run in the 2023 World Cup. However, in January’s media briefing while announcing the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series, Rohit explained that Siraj’s “effectiveness comes down a little” if he was not “going to take the new ball”.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Rohit had also said that with a question mark over Bumrah’s fitness, the decision makers collectively had confidence in Shami controlling the front-end of the innings and left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh capable of handling the death overs.Varun replaces Jaiswal in Champions Trophy squadVarun has been drafted into the squad as Jaiswal, along with Siraj and Shivam Dube, have been moved to the line-up of non-travelling reserves.Last week, Rohit had strongly hinted at Varun’s inclusion in the squad, saying that the spinner “clearly had something different about him”. Varun has taken 31 wickets at 11.25 since his comeback into India’s T20I squad, and on Sunday, he made his ODI debut as well, taking 1 for 54 in Cuttack.India’s squad for the Champions TrophyRohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube
He tightened his game to get the best out of himself after being promoted up the order in Gqeberha
Firdose Moonda05-Dec-2024
Ryan Rickelton soaks in the delight of bringing up his maiden Test century•AFP/Getty Images
Ryan Rickelton doubted himself. He wondered if, after being among the top run-scorers in domestic cricket for several seasons, he could transfer that talent to the international stage. More importantly, he doubted if, on 98 in his first innings in his preferred position at No.3, he had hit the ball and been saved from an lbw decision.But he was two runs away from proving his own potential to himself and scoring a first Test century, and South Africa had all three reviews available so he decided to challenge umpire Joel Wilson’s decision despite being unsure. Someone, or something, was looking down on him and the final call went his way with replays showing his bat had made contact with the ball, despite his own uncertainty.”I didn’t think I hit it at all,” he said at the post-day press conference. “I think I might have got a little bit lucky there with some scratches on the UltraEdge. I was reviewing because I was on 98, and because I was thinking maybe it was outside the line, but I didn’t feel anything.”Related
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Except “relief” two balls later when he drove Vishwa Fernando down the ground to bring up his hundred. He could stop his self-questioning over whether he was good enough. “I’ve been in and around this team for probably about four or five years, having played a handful of games, but I’ve always believed that I can do something useful at international level,” he said. “It was always just a case of can I do it and can I prove it to myself.””So it was a relief to say to myself I’ve waited my time, but I can do it. Because there’s always those doubts. They live in everyone, they definitely live in me. After a couple of failures here and there, ‘am I actually… can I do it? Am I speaking a good game?’ It was just the relief of being able to do it, and do it for the team as well.”The individual achievement aside, Rickelton also put in a performance that rescued South Africa from a top-order wobble and was able to do so because he was batting where he is more comfortable.Ryan Rickelton stuck to his game plan even after being set•AFP/Getty Images
It is in the top three that Rickelton has been at his most productive domestically, where he averages over 60, but in a Test squad where he was the newest batter in 2022, he was slotted in at No. 5. At the time, Keegan Petersen occupied the No. 3 spot; most recently Test coach Shukri Conrad has given it to Tristan Stubbs but after Stubbs’ century at No. 4 in Durban and the decision to pick an extra batter in the line-up for this Test meant that Conrad offered Rickelton the No. 3 slot.Rickelton “jumped at the opportunity”, because he knows he is at his best when conditions are most challenging. “Playing against the new ball in red-ball cricket actually helps me, it tightens me up,” he said. “If I come in at No. 5 or 6, I actually get a bit too loose or maybe a bit expansive. I had my game plan, having had some relative success in the past domestically, and just tried to stick to it for long parts of the day.”That plan also worked because South Africa were on the ropes, and he knew he could not afford to slip up. “Being 44 for 3 solidified my plan. We were in a bit of trouble, so I knew that I had to probably tighten up even more. Cricket’s funny. I think the better things go, the looser individuals become. I’m one of those guys. Under pressure, I kind of made myself tighten up, and luckily for me, Temba [Bavuma] was seeing it really well and playing incredibly well. He actually took a lot of pressure off of me by scoring so freely on what actually was quite a tough morning.”Bavuma dominated their fourth-wicket stand, outscored Rickelton and was the batter who looked odds on for a hundred but played at a ball he could have left and was dismissed before tea. In the end, Rickelton also went for a delivery he didn’t have to play at and was out before the end of the day. But he believes he has left South Africa in a good position. “In PE [formerly Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha], if you’re hovering around 350, it’s a really, really good score,” he said. “We are one decent partnership away from setting a really nice score.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are just three attackers who managed to win the Premier League Golden Boot award during their respective periods at Manchester United.
All three players managed to capture the hearts of the fanbase, helping Sir Alex Ferguson claim 13 top-division titles at Old Trafford, subsequently transforming the club into one of the world’s biggest clubs.
However, since his retirement back at the end of 2012/13, the Red Devils have failed to finish at the top of England’s top-flight, with their lack of attacking threat playing a huge part in their lack of success.
Ruben Amorim’s side only managed to score 44 times in their 38 league outings last campaign, resulting in the big-money additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Despite the work already being conducted by the hierarchy, further signings are being targeted within the final third, in an attempt to return to their former glory.
The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers
Countless strikers have been constantly linked with a move to join United this summer, but as of yet no deals have been completed to land Amorim a new talisman.
The likes of Dušan Vlahović, Nicolas Jackson and Randal Kolo Muani have all been touted with moves to Old Trafford, but they may have been trumped by one other target.
Benjamin Sesko is the latest attacker who has appeared on their radar this summer, with Fabrizio Romano’s latest update handing the supporters a reason to be excited.
He claims that Amorim’s representatives have been in concrete talks with the Red Devils over a move to the club, but they could face competition from Newcastle United for his signature.
Romano also states that the Slovenian is now part of the club’s shortlist to be their new number nine, but any deal could cost as much as £80m million during this window.
Why United’s latest target could be their own version of Isak
Alexander Isak has been one of the Premier League’s leading attackers over the last couple of years, often being a player to be feared when coming up against the Magpies.
The Swede has registered 54 league goals in his three years in England, ending last year on 23 goals, with only Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah notching more in 2024/25.
However, he too could be a player on the move, stating his desire to move away from St James’ Park this summer in order to undertake a new challenge.
The Red Devils were one side in the race, but given their recent poor finishes in England’s top-flight, he wants a move to a bigger club, with Liverpool leading the race for his services.
Despite seemingly missing out on the 25-year-old this window, other options such as Sesko have been considered at United, potentially being Amorim’s own version of the forward.
He possesses a very similar skillset given their huge frame and freakish all-round talent in having bags of pace along with a superb aerial ability that could cause the opposition no end of trouble.
They both also have huge ball-striking abilities, with the pair both registering the most powerful strikes in their respective divisions throughout the most recent campaign.
When delving into their stats from 2024/25, the Slovenian managed to produce some impressive numbers, many of which were better than those registered by Isak in the Premier League.
Sesko, who’s previously been labelled “phenomenal” by analyst Antonio Mango, managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate last season, subsequently handing United a more accurate option in front of goal.
How Sesko & Isak compared throughout 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)
Sesko
Isak
Games played
33
34
Goals & assists
19
28
Shot on target accuracy
44%
43%
Take-ons completed
1.5
1.3
Take-on success
52%
46%
Aerials won
2.7
0.8
Aerial success rate
59%
32%
Fouls drawn
0.8
0.4
Stats via FBref
Given the club’s lack of quality in forward areas, the Leipzig star’s impressive take-on success could also hand Amorim a new dimension in the final third, having the ability to single-handedly torment the opposition if needed.
His key talents are further reflected in his staggering 59% aerial success rate, outperforming Isak in such a department, which could offer the Red Devils a needed dominant focal point in their quest for success.
His current asking price of around £80m may appear to be hugely expensive, but at just 22 years of age, he has bags of time to build on his early success in the professional game.
If he can replicate such form from the Bundesliga, he would be a stellar addition, having the ability to transform the side’s fortunes in attacking areas, whilst also being able to make them a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League once again.
He's shades of Martial: Man Utd making push to sign "complete" £39m striker
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Brook came in for criticism during a relatively lean Test series against Sri Lanka but he has gas left in the tank after a long season
Matt Roller18-Sep-2024It tells you just how serenely Harry Brook’s international career has progressed that he came under scrutiny after averaging 30 in a series win. But by his own admission, Brook finds himself trying to avoid paralysis by overanalysis as he prepares to captain England for the first time at Trent Bridge on Thursday after his approach was questioned during Sri Lanka’s recent victory at The Oval.Brook made 19 and 3 in the final Test of the English season, having made between 32 and 56 in his first four innings of the series against Sri Lanka. If the scores were underwhelming, it was his manner at the crease that drew most attention: he grew visibly frustrated when Sri Lanka bowled wide outside his off stump, to the extent Michael Vaughan accused him of “taking the mick out of the game”.Related
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This has been a long season for Brook, who was England’s only ever-present across both June’s T20 World Cup and their six home Tests. He spent the three weeks between the West Indies and Sri Lanka series captaining Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, and will fly to Pakistan for October’s Test tour only three days after the fifth and final ODI of the Australia series.Brook seemed characteristically relaxed on the eve of his England captaincy debut at Trent Bridge, grinning through his pre-match press conference and laughing off the idea that he had ever craved leadership. He conceded that his Test summer had not quite gone to plan, but played down the suggestion that he was mentally drained after an intense season.”Because I wasn’t scoring the runs I wanted to, I probably was [feeling] a little bit [tired],” Brook said. “But if I’d have gone out and got two hundreds against Sri Lanka then I’d have been like, ‘I’ll just carry on’. But no, not really. I love playing cricket: I want to play as much as I possibly can. I do think breaks are important at certain times, but I was pretty chilled.”Obviously I didn’t do as well as I’d wanted. I want to get a hundred every innings, but it’s not going to happen, is it? Professional sport is not easy… I felt like I batted really well against West Indies and then didn’t play as well as I wanted to against Sri Lanka, but those things happen. You go away and think about it for a little bit, and hopefully come back stronger in Pakistan.”Harry Brook was in good spirits despite a long, busy season•Getty ImagesUntil the Hundred this year – where he oversaw five wins in six completed games – the majority of Brook’s captaincy experience came with England Under-19s, whom he led in 11 Youth ODIs, including five at the 2018 World Cup. Since then, he has played 50-over cricket only sporadically. Half of his 30 List A games have been full ODIs, and his record in them is underwhelming: 407 runs at 29.07, with three half-centuries.He will aim to keep things simple against Australia, batting at No. 4. “I’m just going to go out there and watch the ball as closely as possible,” he said. “If you have a few low scores here and there, you start thinking about different things and your technique and whatever. I’m just going to go out there, watch the ball as closely as I can and play on instinct.”Brook is only standing in as captain for Jos Buttler, who was with the squad on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from a calf injury and will return for November’s Caribbean tour. “I might pick his brains here and there,” Brook said, “but he’s said I’ve got full rein to do whatever I want.”Buttler has challenged Brook to “identify those moments” in the field where he can change the game – something that Buttler himself has struggled with in ODIs. Brook showed signs of that instinct during the Hundred, and said that he would liberate his bowlers to make decisions: “Whatever you feel like doing, just do it. The only bad outcome is you could get hit for a boundary and the next ball could be a dot ball.”This ODI series is one of only three for England before February’s Champions Trophy, and the first since Rob Key announced that Brendon McCullum will take over as limited-overs coach as part of a “strategic restructure” of the senior set-up. The implication is that there will be greater convergence between formats, as evidenced by Ben Duckett’s promotion to open the batting on Thursday.Brook said that he has hardly spoken to McCullum, who has instead delegated responsibility to his Test assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “It’s all going to merge into one at some point,” Brook predicted. “We want to go out there and entertain the crowd, take the game on, try to take wickets and put the pressure on their bowlers.”And after ending the Test summer on autopilot at The Oval, Brook hopes that this new challenge will prove reinvigorating. “I’ve only been here for two days, but the way the lads have gone about their business in training just seems so chilled at the minute. We’re all looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”
It’s been the best part of a month since Tottenham Hotspur made the surprise decision to sack Ange Postecoglou after he delivered them their first piece of silverware in almost two decades.
Thomas Frank was then announced as the new head coach a few days later, and while a flurry of transfer rumours then followed, the club have only made one first-team signing – Mathys Tel.
The young Frenchman is undoubtedly an exciting player to have at the club, but fans are understandably keen to see a new face bought in, especially as Manchester United seem to be dead set on signing Bryan Mbeumo.
One of the names who continues to be linked with a move to the white side of North London is Antoine Semenyo, although another Premier League star has since been linked with Frank’s Lilywhites, a player who would be a more exciting signing than the Bournemouth star.
While there have been occasional reports linking Semenyo with a move to Spurs for months now, they really began to gain momentum early last month, not long after Frank took the hot seat.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
In fact, some stories went so far as to claim that positive talks had been held between Daniel Levy and the player’s representatives.
However, as with most potential deals, the main obstacle appears to be the price, with most stories reaffirming that the Cherries want around £70m to let their star attacker leave.
While such a fee would be a new record for Tottenham, it’s probably not entirely out of reach, although it now looks as if the club have another option: Mohammed Kudus.
Yes, according to a recent report from the Telegraph, Spurs are very interested in the West Ham United star.
The report has revealed that the Ghanaian international is now one of the club’s primary targets and that there is a belief that they will be able to sign him for less than his £85m release clause, which expires on July 10.
Interestingly, according to another update from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the North Londoners have already made contact with the player’s camp, which is certainly encouraging from a Lilywhites perspective.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Kudus’ ability and potential, it’s one Spurs should fight for, especially as he’d be a more exciting signing than Semenyo.
Okay, so the first thing to admit is that, yes, on this season alone, Semenyo looks to be more productive than Kudus, but when we expand the time horizon to include last season as well, it becomes very clear that the West Ham star is the far more dangerous attacker.
For example, since the start of the 23/24 campaign, the Accra-born “generational talent,” as dubbed by journalist Gary Al-Smith, has scored 23 goals and provided 14 assists in 83 appearances, totalling 6,502 minutes, which comes out to a strong average of a goal involvement every 2.24 games, or every 175.72 minutes.
In contrast, the Cherries star has scored 21 goals and provided ten assists in 78 appearances, totalling 5,869 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.51 games, or every 189.32 minutes.
|
Kudus vs Semenyo |
||
|---|---|---|
|
23/24 |
Kudus |
Semenyo |
|
Appearances |
48 |
36 |
|
Minutes |
3781′ |
2307′ |
|
Goals |
18 |
8 |
|
Assists |
10 |
3 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.58 |
0.30 |
|
Minutes per Goal Involvement |
135.03′ |
209.72′ |
|
23/24 |
Kudus |
Semenyo |
|
Appearances |
35 |
42 |
|
Minutes |
2721′ |
3562′ |
|
Goals |
5 |
13 |
|
Assists |
4 |
7 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.25 |
0.47 |
|
Minutes per Goal Involvement |
302.33′ |
178.1′ |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
However, while it’s clear that the former Ajax gem poses a greater goal threat, his output isn’t the only way to see that he’s the more exciting player, as it’s also evident in their respective underlying numbers.
For example, since the start of last season, the 24-year-old game-changer has completed more take-ons per 90 than his competitor, more shot and goal-creating actions, and more carries into the final third.
While these statistics might ultimately be less important than goals scored, they do give an insight into the sort of player the Irons star is, which is someone who is capable of grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck and making something happen – which is also the sort of player who’ll get fans on their feet.
If you still aren’t convinced that there is a superstar ready to explode in the 42-capped international, then listen to respected talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a “future icon of Ghanaian football.”
Ultimately, Spurs need to add some more dynamism to their attack this summer, and while Semenyo would be a great signing, Kudus would bring more excitement and more substance to boot. Therefore, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to pick him up.
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West Indies coach Andre Coley has called on his players to channel the resilience they showed in Australia earlier this year in their ongoing series against England, as they look to respond from an innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s.At Adelaide Oval in January, West Indies were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia in the first of two Tests before responding with a famous win at the Gabba, with Shamar Joseph taking seven second-innings wickets. Ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, Coley implored his players to believe they can set up a decider at Edgbaston.”They would’ve taken a lot of positives from that,” Coley said on Monday, when asked about the Gabba Test. “In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful [than the result].”It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would’ve [faced in the] last six months.”West Indies Test coach Andre Coley at a training session•Getty Images
Coley suggested that his side have learned from the first Test, despite their heavy defeat. “Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would’ve wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there’s a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways.”We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody’s in good spirits. We’ve been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we’ll be settled as a squad.”There’s been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it’s been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it’s a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham.”Related
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Coley said there were positives to take from how his team fared with the ball in the first Test, having bowled England out for 371 in their only innings. But he called on his batters to try and put longer partnerships together, and also told them to raise their intensity in the field.”We know the conditions will be testing: that’s why it’s called a Test match,” he said. “We’re not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.”There were periods in the game where [England] actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg [Brathwaite] to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain [Ben] Stokes.”So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we’re known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren’t at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test.”Shamar Joseph suffered stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, at one stage leaving the field mid-over. A CWI spokesperson said that no decision has been made on his availability for the second Test, with West Indies due to train at Trent Bridge on Tuesday morning.
This summer is shaping up to be one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most important for a long time.
The North Londoners got rid of Ange Postecoglou earlier this month and, in relatively fast fashion, appointed Thomas Frank in his place.
The Danish coach helped turn Brentford into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League but has no real experience of managing a team as big as Spurs.
So, to ensure he can help lead the club back up the league table next season and to a successful campaign in Europe, Daniel Levy and Co need to bring in the right players in the summer transfer window.
That means that on top of bringing in the exciting attacking names, the club need to help address the defence, which seems to be happening, with reports linking the club to someone who could be Frank’s own Jurrien Timber.
Spurs' defensive targets
While Tottenham managed to end up as the eighth-highest-scoring team in the Premier League this season, they also managed to end up with the fourth-worst defensive record, conceding 65 goals – one more than they scored.
Transfer Focus
So, it’s clear what part of the team needs to be addressed in the coming weeks and months, and unsurprisingly, the club have already been linked with a handful of talented defenders, such as Jarrad Branthwaite and Vanderson.
The former has been mightily impressive for Everton and, at a towering 6 foot 5, would help add some serious steel to the North Londoners’ backline, although with reports that he could cost up to £80m, this feels like a deal unlikely to happen.
Likewise, while Vanderson is undoubtedly a talented full-back, he’s been touted for a move to Tottenham before, and nothing has ever come of the links, and he’s not really comparable to Timber, unlike Kyle Walker-Peters.
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Spurs are one of several sides seriously interested in re-signing the Southampton star having initially left the club under Jose Mourinho.
The report has revealed that with the full-back’s £20k-per-week contract coming to an end this month, a number of teams are expected to move for the Englishman’s signature, with the North Londoners expected to be the most serious.
Moreover, the story claims Frank is open to transfer, which helps make this move seem like a total no-brainer, especially as he’s won comparisons to the talented Timber.
How Walker-Peters compares to Timber
The primary comparison to Timber for Walker-Peters stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, and came to the conclusion that the Dutchman was the fifth most similar full-back in the competition.
Walker-Peters & Timber
Statistics per 90
Walker-Peters
Timber
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.11
0.08
Shots on Target
0.19
0.15
Passing Accuracy
88.2%
85.6%
Expected Assists
0.07
0.05
Key Passes
0.74
0.63
Shot-Creating Actions
1.94
1.94
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.03
0.04
Blocks
0.83
0.71
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at some of the metrics in which the pair ranked closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, errors leading to a shot, blocks, and more, all per 90.
What is interesting and perhaps most encouraging about this comparison is that it highlights the similarity the Englishman has with the Arsenal ace in terms of his on-the-ball ability as well as his defensive solidity, which should be music to the ears of Frank.
Moreover, like the former Ajax star, who made 48 appearances across all competitions this season, the ex-Tottenham man was an ever-reliable presence for the Saints, making 35 appearances in the league, all of which were starts.
The last point of comparison is that, like the Gunners ace, the Englishman is fairly versatile, as while his primary position is right-back, he has the ability to play across the backline and even further up the pitch, should he need to.
Ultimately, while he won’t be anywhere near the most exciting transfer Spurs make this summer, picking up Walker-Peters for free seems like a total no-brainer, and who knows, he could prove as useful for Frank as Timber has for Mikel Arteta.
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BySean Markus Clifford Jun 23, 2025
It is fair to say that Manchester City are making a concerted effort to bring down the average age of their squad.
In January, they signed Juma Bah (18), Nico González (23), Vitor Reis (19), and Abdukodir Khusanov (21), while Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, aged 34 and 33 respectively, could both be on their way out of The Etihad.
While hundreds of millions will be spent on new signings, Man City may have unearthed a top-quality youngster from within their own youth system, one that is now being compared to one of the breakout stars of this Premier League season.
Few had heard of Myles Lewis-Skelly just six months ago, considering the teenager only made his full Premier League debut against Everton as recently as 14 December.
Now, though, despite still having made fewer than 30 senior appearances for the Gunners, he is their undisputed first-choice left-back.
Adam Bate of Sky Sports outlines how the 18-year-old has enjoyed an astronomical rise, boasting the ‘swagger’ of someone well beyond his years, while Simon Collings of the Evening Standard believes he ‘announced himself on the big stage’ against Real Madrid this week.
Last month, Lewis-Skelly became the youngest debutant to score for England, coolly slotting through Thomas Strakosha’s legs after just 20 minutes against Albania at Wembley.
So, while the Hale End home-grown hero continues to impress at Arsenal, have Manchester City found their answer to him?
A goal down against Bournemouth, Manchester City’s FA Cup hopes appeared to be slipping away by the South Coast.
In response, Pep Guardiola made a half-time alteration in Dorset, introducing Nico O’Reilly at left-back, pushing Joško Gvardiol into the heart of the Man City defence.
Well, even Guardiola could not have envisaged how well this switch would go because, within seconds, O’Reilly had put the ball on a plate for Erling Braut Håland to equalise, before also setting up Omar Marmoush’s winner.
Afterwards, Guardiola hailed O’Reilly’s impact as “unbelievable”, adding “he’s going to play in semi-final for sure”, while Ben Fisher of the Guardian labeled this tactical tweak as a ‘masterstroke’, with O’Reilly’s ‘seemingly bottomless energy’ changing the game in Man City’s favour.
Similar to Lewis-Skelly, O’Reilly is a midfielder by trade, with Emlyn Begley of BBC Sport documenting that he’s really ‘an attacking midfielder’ but a ‘flexible’ one at that.
Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has found a home at left-back, starting against both Leicester and Manchester United since his second-half cameo at Dean Court.
So, let’s see how he and Arsenal’s teenage star compare.
|
Nico O’Reilly vs Myles Lewis-Skelly (24/25) comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
O’Reilly |
Lewis-Skelly |
|
Appearances |
12 |
29 |
|
Minutes |
717 |
1,621 |
|
Goals |
3 |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
2 |
|
Chances created |
10 |
9 |
|
Attempted passes |
426 |
783 |
|
Passing accuracy |
90.86% |
92.89% |
|
Through-balls |
2 |
10 |
|
Ball recoveries |
37 |
59 |
|
Touches per 90 |
94 |
62 |
|
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and Squawka |
||
As the table above outlines, O’Reilly and Lewis-Skelly are very similar stylistically, which isn’t too surprising, even if the Arsenal man having played almost twice the number of minutes across all competitions to date.
Interestingly, O’Reilly registers significantly more touches per 90, while he’s also more of a goal-threat, emphasising the point that, if given the choice, he’d play as an attacking midfielder.
Thus, likely to be deployed at left-back against Crystal Palace on Saturday, O’Reilly is certainly going to be put to the test, considering how dangerous Daniel Muñoz and Ismaïla Sarr are as a duo down the Eagles’ right-hand-side.
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