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England’s head coach has hinted that the batting line-up is unlikely to change much for the series against Pakistan in May, despite few of the issues being resolved over the winter

Andrew McGlashan04-Apr-2018Head coach Trevor Bayliss has hinted that the England batting line-up is unlikely to change much for the series against Pakistan in May, despite few of the issues being resolved over the last five months, but he called on domestic players to show they are better than those currently in the team.Bayliss conceded that England ended their 2017-18 Test campaign with largely the same questions as they began with following five defeats and two draws having been foiled by New Zealand’s lower-order on the final day in Christchurch.Over the seven Tests against Australia and New Zealand, Dawid Malan was the one batsman to enhance his reputation. Mark Stoneman and James Vince showed moments of encouragement but the pair finished averaging 30.23 and 30.54 respectively across all the Tests. Vince missed the Auckland Test when the line-up was reshuffled due to Ben Stokes being unable to bowl and returned with 76 in the second innings in Christchurch while Stoneman scored half-centuries in each Test.Bayliss on…

Jack Leach “He’s the one who holds the position at this stage and I thought he had a good game for someone playing his first Test. He had good composure. Like anyone playing his first game or two, he’s still got a few things to learn at this level but I think he bowled a good line and didn’t give too much away which was a good thing.”
The batting order “We have tried Jonny up the list previously and I think he’s quite comfortable at No. 7 but he’s obviously a very good player. I think that will be revisited especially if some of the other guys don’t cement a spot and start averaging 45-plus for the batters.”
Catching “We’ve got to work harder. If what we’re doing is not working we’ve got to do it even more. We’ve tried to up the catching and fielding and at times we field and catch extremely well, as good as anyone, but it doesn’t mean you’re a good fielder if you’re inconsistent.”

“I think what they’ve all shown over this winter is that they are good players and they’ve scored some runs against quality opposition bowlers,” Bayliss said. “But what we need from them is to be doing it more often. They’re averaging high 20s, we need them to get that up and hopefully put another 20 on that.”Probably the same questions are still there but Malan for example played pretty well against the pace in Australia and the other two guys at different times stood up. Vince made a couple of good scores. Stoneman under a fair bit of pressure and a barrage of short-pitched bowling handled himself reasonably well but again to be an international batter we need to be doing better than that.”And the other side of that is who do we replace them with? We need guys and I guess this is a call-out to the guys in county cricket, the first five or six matches of the county season are very important. We’ve got Liam Livingstone here and the other one I’ll add in who’s impressed in the nets is Ben Foakes. He’s batting very well also. So there’s a couple of guys in this squad who can hopefully score runs and put a bit of pressure on and make the selectors job difficult which is what we all want.”The batting was not helped by Alastair Cook’s lean time, other than his double-century in Melbourne, which was compounded by a miserable series in New Zealand where he made 23 runs in four innings. Cook has reiterated to Bayliss that he has the desire to continue to add to his 154-cap career and after a couple of weeks off he will look to recuperate in the County Championship for Essex.”It’s dangerous to write off someone with 12,000 Test runs. He’s desperately disappointed he hasn’t contributed more but speaking to him in the sheds, he’s still got a hunger for the game and he’s still wants to do well and thinks he’s got a role to play,” Bayliss said. “Going forward I think having someone with that experience we will need, so hopefully it’s not too long before he gets back into the groove.”Then there is the captain. Root is England’s best batsman but can’t break his run of unconverted half-centuries, which now stands at nine, with two more in New Zealand added to the five in Australia (although retiring ill in Sydney can’t be held against him). Having come off a distinct second best to Steven Smith in the Ashes it was a slightly closer tussle with Kane Williamson as the New Zealand captain followed his Auckland century with a lean Test in Christchurch. Coming up for Root later this year is the head-to-head with Virat Kohli.Bayliss remains largely phlegmatic about Root’s conversion rate and would like to see the rest of the batting order take some pressure off the captain. There were just four centuries scored across the seven Tests in Australia and New Zealand, two by Jonny Bairstow and one apiece for Cook and Malan.”I’m sure he would have liked a few more runs himself but there’s a fair bit of pressure on him to be the one who scores the runs and we need a few more runs from some of the other guys,” Bayliss said. “I think that would take a little bit of the pressure off Joe. But he’s a guy who sets himself very high standards so I’m sure he’d be a little bit disappointed he hasn’t turned some of the starts into big hundreds.”

Sidharth Monga on the small-town venues where Maharashtra have been playing their home games

Sidharth Monga in Nagothane10-Dec-2007

The Reliance Cricket Stadium near Nagothane is one of the many small-town venues where Maharashtra have been playing their home games © Cricinfo Ltd
The Reliance Cricket Stadium near Nagothane is situated 130 km from the nearest city: Mumbai. The population of the township that houses the ground is about 2000. There are villages surrounding the township, the nearest one being 10 km away. Yet, on a Sunday, anywhere between 800 and 1000 watched the Maharashtra-Delhi Ranji Trophy match, something big cities like Mumbai, with a population of 10 million, scarcely manage. And Virender Sehwag, the main attraction, did not even bat on the day.With a hill overlooking the ground and the winter sun staying mild for the majority of the day, it is fun to play and watch cricket here. A venue far away from the city and amid the hills is bound to evoke the exotic, which one needs to look beyond. Nagothane, staging it’s maiden first-class game, is one of the many offbeat, small-town venues in Maharashtra, where Ranji Trophy games are being held.Ratnagiri, Nasik, Aurangabad, Nanded and Karad are the other venues where they have been playing. After they played Bengal in the first round of the 2005-06 Ranji Trophy, they haven’t played a first-class game at Pune. “Maharashtra is a huge state,” says Ajay Shirke, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. “And it’s not feasible for the talent in the districts and small towns to come to us; we will have to go to them with the game. We realised that for the last two-three seasons we have been working on that.”The persistence has started showing feasible benefits. “Our Under-15 team has reached the semi-finals and is unbeaten so far. The pace spearhead of that team, Yuvraj Pawar, comes from Usmanabad. His parents know nothing about the game. We wouldn’t have got him had we just concentrated on Pune. A majority of the population doesn’t have the means to come to Pune and play with city players. We have recognsied it as our responsibility to take the game to them. You can see the senior team too: we have players from Aurangabad, Satara, Nasik. Some of them are the first players from their districts for the last 40-45 years.” Our Under-15 team has reached the semi-finals and is unbeaten so far. The pace spearhead of that team, Yuvraj Pawar, comes from Usmanabad. His parents know nothing about the game There is an unmistakable raw enthusiasm to the young Maharashtra side who have won two matches outright and conceded a first-innings for the first time, against Delhi. Players like medium-pacer Wahid Sayyed from Aurangabad might probably not have made it to the side, but for this policy. Jaideep Narse, former Maharashtra opener, who travels with the team now to assist with the sports mechanics, feels there has been a decisive shift with cricket going to the hinterland. “Earlier Maharashtra cricket was only Pune,” Narse, also from Pune says, “but now we play all over, even if that means doing away with the home advantage for the time being.”Bhupinder Singh, the national selector, only vindicated Narse’s point. Supposed to watch this match, he landed up in Pune only to find out they were playing in Nagothane.While staying beyond the exotic, as Sanjay Bangar’s said in his domestic diary, it is also necessary that players get a proper wicket to play, a proper outfield to field in, and a reasonable place to stay. The local journalists say the wickets at Ratnagiri and Nasik have been sporting. The Nagothane track has a good-length spot from where the ball misbehaves, but apart from that the wicket has done itself no disgrace. The batsmen can get runs if they can apply themselves, the bowlers wickets if they keep hitting the length. The outfield is better than some of the international venues in India. And the team have been put up in large resorts where one can lose one’s way while taking a walk.Shirke doesn’t refute there are “teething” problems, which will be resolved with time. On the day before the match, there was no-one at the ground to operate the super-sopper. On the first day of the match, when heavy dew caused an hour’s delay, an experienced groundstaff could have avoided the delay. It might have only required to time the removal of the covers better. The media-persons covering the match have no decent places left to stay, after the teams have populated the two available resorts. But overall, “teething” problems aside, while the BCCI is busy promoting the game in Singapore, Malaysia and such like, it is good to see a state association taking it to villages. And benefiting from that through the talent they generate.

A new dawn has risen in north London with Tottenham Hotspur now under the management of the Australian Ange Postecoglou.

And the early signs of the Big Ange revolution in N17 are extremely positive with the Lilywhites impressing many in the opening stages of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

With the positivity surrounding the club comes excitement from the fans who have had to endure an underwhelming few years under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Given Spurs fans will be keen to ride this wave of positivity, we at Football FanCast have taken a look at the social media accounts and podcasts every Spurs fan should follow to keep up to date with the latest news and views on their club.

Journalists Alasdair Gold Youtube & Twitter

Perhaps the most well-known Tottenham Hotspur journalist, Alasdair Gold has racked up over 230k followers on the social media platform X.

The football.london journalist often provides the inside scoop on all things Tottenham ranging from transfer news to injury updates and provides a range of content across multiple channels.

Indeed, Gold’s work spans from live blogging from Spurs matches home and away to his hour-long videos posted to his YouTube channel.

If you want to keep up with all things Spurs, this man provides content accessible through almost every means – even a WhatsApp update feed.

Charlie Eccleshare, Athletic correspondent

One of The Athletic’s Tottenham correspondent’s, Charlie Eccleshare also provides a range of written content which caters for just about every Tottenham fan’s need.

The journalist provided breaking transfer news over the summer but also offers longer-form articles which take a deeper dive into some of the underlying topics concerning the north London club.

Fans can find Eccleshare on the social media platform X as well as The Athletic’s weekly Spurs podcast.

Dan Kilpatrick Twitter

Similarly to the likes of Gold and Eccleshare, Dan Kilpatrick is one of the most well-known Spurs correspondents with a significant following on the likes of X.

Kilpatrick covers the north London side for the Evening Standard and also writes a variety of articles which span from the latest information coming out of the Premier League club to how Postecoglou has transformed the side he inherited – for example.

As is the case with most of the well-respected journalists, Kilpatrick can also be found speaking all things Tottenham on The Tottenham Way podcast.

Michael Bridge from Sky Sports

Self professed Tottenham fan, Michael Bridge is often seen hitting the screens on Sky Sports News where he is frequently providing his insight into the latest rumblings around N17.

As well as providing the latest news coming out of Spurs, Bridge is no stranger to providing his personal opinion on what is happening around the club.

As well as featuring on the UK’s biggest sports broadcast, Bridge can also be found on X and often featuring on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel.

Social Media

The Spurs Web Twitter

Football news is a constant cycle and keeping on top of the latest breaking news can prove to be a daunting task – especially in the transfer window.

However, X’s biggest unofficial Tottenham news account remains The Spurs Web who provide a range of posts to accommodate for every Spurs fan’s needs.

The account aggregates news from a huge variety of news outlets from across the globe as well as providing fans with topical discussions and even throwback clips to remind fans of some of the club’s best moments.

Even the likes of former Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen are known to like the occasional post from this account.

The Spurs Express Twitter

Similarly to The Spurs Web, The Spurs Express account aims to provide their followers with the latest news surrounding the club from across the world.

Across the international break, the account looked to offer fans an insight into how some of their players were performing for their respective countries with a statistical breakdown of some of their performances.

There is very rarely a quiet day when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur and following accounts such as this feels like a necessity for any Spurs fan.

Lilywhite Rose Twitter

There are a number of big Tottenham news accounts out there who offer a similar service, however, Lilywhite Rose does provide fans with something completely different.

It can be easy to get caught up in the big signings clubs make in the transfer window, but it is important to consider the next big talents coming through the club’s ranks.

The likes of Harry Kane have emerged through Tottenham’s youth system and the Lilywhite Rose account on X aims to keep on top of the latest news coming out of the club’s academy.

Ran by BBC contributor John Wenham, the account provides a keen insight into the latest news to emerge from the youth levels, youth players away from the club on loan and even offering debate on matters concerning Postecoglou’s first team.

Chris Cowlin Youtube & Twitter

Potentially best known for his content produced during the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Chris Cowling is a match-going fan who provides a range of content from that very perspective.

On top of providing videos from the stands, Cowlin also provides a variety of Spurs-related content on his YouTube channel and relays the latest news and quotes involving the club on his X account.

A Spurs content creator who covers just about all bases.

Matt Hayes Youtube & Twitter

If the likes of Charlie Eccleshare’s work does it for you, then dropping Matt Hayes a follow will likely cure your fix for detailed analytical pieces concerning the Lilywhites.

Indeed, this Spurs fan often takes a deeper look into topical discussions surrounding the north London club to provide fans with a more in-depth understanding of the club they love.

As well as sparking debate on X, Hayes is also a frequent panelist on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel.

Ricky Sacks Twitter

Host of the Last Word on Spurs, Ricky Sacks is a regular face on Sky Sports when it comes to providing the voice of the fans on all matters Tottenham.

The podcast host can be found on X where he shares links to the latest shows coming to the LWOS channel as they host some familiar names to discuss the latest happenings in north London.

Chelsea are planning a sensational midfield overhaul that could escalate their spending to unparalleled heights.

The Blues look set to resist Liverpool’s outlandish attempt to hijack their Moises Caicedo deal as they prepare to break the record Premier League transfer fee for the South American.

Furthermore, these clubs are also battling it out for Romeo Lavia’s signature.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea are ‘close’ to an agreement with Southampton over signing Lavia, but Liverpool retains a strong interest in the youngster.

The 2021 Champions League winners remain in direct contact with the Saints, who are holding firm with their £50m valuation.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Chelsea submitted a £48m bid earlier this week, while Liverpool have had three separate offers – the latest of which was £45m – all rejected.

This outlet also revealed that the West Londoners are looking to welcome two midfielders in this window, and they feel that landing Lavia and Caicedo is a real possibility.

Why would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?

Although the Belgian has only played on 29 occasions in the Premier League, he has swiftly established himself as one of Europe’s most attractive and sought-after assets.

Last season, Lavia, who was described as “tremendous” by Rio Ferdinand, averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 84% pass accuracy in the opposition half in domestic football as per Sofascore – scoring higher than Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher for the aforementioned metrics.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a quick rise to prominence with Jean Kindermans, Anderlecht’s head of Academy, eulogizing over Lavia’s composure and bright future, saying: “His best position is as a low playmaker because he can deliver passes.

“He’s always calm on the ball. You can give him it under pressure and he will solve the problem. He is going to have a brilliant career.”

Paul Scholes has followed up this praise, feeling that Lavia is someone with “so much potential.”

A player of this calibre and defensive acumen could be a pivotal figure in aiding Reece James to recapture his best form at Stamford Bridge.

The last two seasons have been difficult for the right-back – he has missed 45 games through various injuries that have massively disrupted his rhythm and consistency.

Last campaign, Chelsea failed to win in any of his final eight outings in the Premier League, and he mustered just four goal contributions in all competitions.

Nevertheless, he is one of the world’s most effective full-backs, and as the club’s new captain, he will be an imperative figure in any Chelsea revival.

James will be looking to emulate and surpass Trent Alexander Arnold’s influence. The £180k-per-week man also endured a tricky campaign, as Liverpool unexpectedly dropped out of the top four, but he still managed to hit double-digits for assists.

Both players have built formidable reputations for their awe-inspiring technical ability. Interestingly, over the past 365 days, James comfortably outranks Alexander-Arnold for progressive carries per 90 (3.51 vs 1.41), and successful take-ons per 90 (1.8 vs 0.91). Then, the latter narrowly outperforms the former Wigan Athletic loanee for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.46 vs 3.88), and progressive passes per 90 (6.29 vs 7.31).

In summary, these figures mean that James sits within the best 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for the aforementioned metrics. To still possess these numbers whilst going through the toughest period in your career is a testament to his quality, which could reach even more frightening heights with Lavia’s addition.

Burnley and manager Vincent Kompany are reportedly looking to sign an in-demand free agent.

Who did Burnley sign this summer?

The Clarets once again had an extremely productive transfer window ahead of their Premier League return, bringing in a whopping 15 players. However, the club have struggled to make an immediate impact back in the top flight, losing all three of their fixtures to date.

All of Burnley’s Premier League encounters have been played at Turf Moor, with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham all scoring three or more goals and taking home the points.

As a result, the Clarets sit bottom of the league, with fellow newly promoted side Luton Town also failing to pick up a point in any of their first three games.

Player

Former club

Fee

Zeki Amdouni

FC Basel

€18.6m

James Trafford

Manchester City

€17.3m

Aaron Ramsey

Aston Villa

€16.45m

Jordan Bayer

Borussia Monchengladbach

€15m

Sander Berge

Sheffield United

€13.9m

Wilson Odobert

Troyes

€12m

Dara O'Shea

West Brom

€7.8m

Michael Obafemi

Swansea City

€4m

Hannes Delcroix

RSC Anderlecht

€3m

Luca Koleosho

Espanyol

€3m

Nathan Redmond

Besiktas

Free transfer

Han-Noah Massengo

Bristol City

Free transfer

Lawrence Vigouroux

Leyton Orient

Free transfer

Mike Tresor

Genk

Loan transfer

Jacob Bruun Larsen

Hoffenheim

Loan transfer

With plenty of new players, time may well be required for Kompany to get the best out of his side, however, it looks as if those high up at Turf Moor are still looking at potential additions in the free-agent market.

Who wants to sign Jesse Lingard?

According to 90min, Jesse Lingard is a player who is in demand and has received offers from clubs in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States of America.

He is currently training with West Ham, who are considering offering a short-term contract, although Burnley and Everton are also thought to be interested in the attacking midfielder. However, the report states that if Lingard is to stay in England, it would be with the Hammers.

Lingard, who has scored two goals against Burnley in the past, would offer plenty of Premier League experience at Turf Moor, making 182 appearances in the competition for the likes of Manchester United, West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

Capable of playing in a range of attacking positions, the Englishman was hailed as "top-class" by former Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is 30 years of age, so you'd expect the player could have a number of years left at the top level.

It does look as if a move to West Ham could be on the cards, though, with David Moyes recently saying:

"He’s in really good condition – much better condition than he was when he first came in. I have to say, when Jesse joined us two years ago I think he scored nine goals in 15 games and was probably the difference between us getting into Europe for the first time. I want to give him every opportunity to get himself back in condition and see how he does."

However, should a move to the London Stadium fall through, Burnley could be in a position to make an offer, so his future could be one to keep an eye on.

Victoria were ahead by 160 runs and had nine second-innings wickets in hand at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2018
Chris Tremain sends down a delivery•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesFast bowler Chris Tremain’s first seven-wicket haul in first-class cricket gave Victoria the ascendency on day two against Western Australia at the WACA.Tremain had five of his seven victims caught behind the wicket in an outstanding display of fast bowling on a surface that offered bounce and seam movement.Josh Philippe made a brisk 62 at the top of the order before he edged Tremain to first slip, while Ashton Turner was the unluckiest victim, strangled down the leg side for 44. Wicketkeeper Sam Harper took four catches while Dan Christian took two of his three catches at first slip, as the Warriors conceded a 90-run first innings lead.The Bushrangers lost Travis Dean late in the day after a 61-run opening stand with Marcus Harris. Peter Siddle kept out eight balls as the nightwatchman to give the visitors a 160-run lead heading into day three.

While United's manager has used his selection headaches as an excuse for failure, the Merseysiders brushed aside their injuries to win another trophy

Liverpool's Carabao Cup win over Chelsea was a tale of both senior leadership and youthful exuberance. One defining image was the sight of Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk lifting the trophy together. Klopp shook the club up and rebuilt it in his image while Van Dijk's defensive steel completed their transformation, delivering the latest in a long line of trophies with a towering header deep in extra-time.

The other takeaway was Liverpool's long cast of academy graduates, all born in 2003 or after, streaming off the bench and being utterly unawed by the occasion. As Gary Neville put it so succinctly: "Klopp's kids against the billion pound bottle jobs." Liverpool resembled the walking wounded last week, losing Diogo Jota, Cutis Jones, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah in the days before the final, in addition to the already-missing Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker.

And their injury crisis was aggravated during the game as Ryan Gravenberch, Andrew Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister were all forced off. But far from being knocked down by the absence of their best players, Liverpool rose to the occasion. "Liverpool have been absolutely sensational," Neville added. "Those young players have been incredible. Klopp must be so proud."

What a contrast to Neville's own club Manchester United, who had fallen apart against Fulham a day earlier after losing two players to injury. Erik ten Hag pointed to the key absences of Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund as he sought to explain their latest dire home display this season, but he is beginning to sound like a broken record.

After all, Liverpool have demonstrated that injuries do not matter if you have a clear playing identity and rally behind your coach.

GettySenior players not helping out

Ten Hag had taken a chance on youth the day before by handing 19-year-old Omari Forson his full debut against Fulham to cover the absence of Hojlund. It meant there were four academy graduates in the line-up (including three from the 2022 FA Youth Cup winning side) and four more on the bench.

No one could accuse the Dutchman, whose young Ajax team took the Champions League by storm, of not believing in young players. The difference was that while the likes of Van Dijk, Wataru Endo and Luis Diaz led the way for Liverpool, United's senior players shrunk.

Marcus Rashford was anonymous at centre-forward and Bruno Fernandes was incapable of sparking any danger, save for long-range shots. Casemiro and Harry Maguire were clumsy in the tackle and Victor Lindelof again looked lost trying to deputise for Shaw, whose absence for several months has left United with no natural left backs.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesYou win nothing with (just) kids

After the Carabao Cup triumph, Klopp said: "I got told outside you don't win trophies with kids. Write it new." The German was referring to former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen's infamous declaration on in August 1995 after watching United sink to a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on the opening day of the season.

Those words came back to haunt Hansen at the end of that season when a United team containing David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt went on to win the Premier League title and FA Cup.

But Hansen's words have been taken out of context. He meant you can't win anything with kids. The catalyst of that great double winning side, after all, was Eric Cantona, who was still suspended at the time for kicking a fan but who galvanised the team when he returned in October.

United have a lot of exciting young players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Hojlund, but they badly lack a talismanic figure like Cantona. Current captain Fernandes has not scored a league goal since November, while Rashford is a shadow of the brilliant player who scored 30 times in all competitions last season.

Getty ImagesPressing problems

Another huge difference between United and Liverpool could be seen in the way the two teams are set up and work as a unit. Reds youngsters are educated in the art of 'Gegenpressing' from an early age, allowing the likes of Bradley and Bobby Clark to fit so seamlessly into Klopp's team. But United's senior players seem incapable of pressing together, allowing Fulham to repeatedly play their way through them at Old Trafford.

Fernandes is a big part of the problem as he is a free spirit, often blindly chasing down opponents and ruining United's shape. Jamie Carragher said recently: "He's emotional. He runs 30 yards to close the goalkeeper down. People sometimes get kidded by it and say, 'look at him working hard'. No, he's killing the team."

Neville has also criticised Fernandes' free role. "He must be told to go and do what you want. Ten Hag is giving him the freedom to go there, there, there. And that means you can never have a combination or a pattern because you've got your main midfield player everywhere on the pitch."

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(C)Getty ImagesLost without Martinez

Ten Hag has acknowledged that not all of his squad fully get his methods or understand what he wants them to do, which becomes a huge problem when just a few key players like Shaw, Hojlund or Lisandro Martinez are unavailable.

"They know what the routines are but definitely things are changed [with injuries]," he said after losing to Fulham. "Not everyone [gets the ideas], other players coming in, different identities, different skills, that is what we have to adapt as a team."

But the fact that a number of players are unable to implement his style and demonstrate the 'automatisms' he talks about ultimately falls on him. More than 18 months into the job, it is still unclear what Ten Hag's playing philosophy is. It seems that with a full squad available, he wants his team to play on the front foot, with Martinez and Andre Onana starting moves from their own area.

But when the Argentine is absent, as has been the case for most of the season, United seem only capable of playing on the counter, leaving Onana with little option but to launch the ball forward with long punts.

And without Hojlund, they have no one capable of holding the ball up and bringing others into play, leading to the hurried attacks they fashioned in the closing stages of each half against Fulham.

Chelsea are set for a short pre-season after winning the Club World Cup final, with just five weeks separating their 3-0 win over PSG in New Jersey and their first Premier League game of 2025/2026 against Crystal Palace.

Chelsea hold talks with £100k-per-week England star this week

Enzo Maresca is prioritising one key area.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 17, 2025

They have scheduled just two pre-season matches as a result of their CWC triumph, needing to fit a holiday in for both players and staff after what was a successful but very long campaign.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea will take on both Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on August 8 and August 10 respectively, but as things stand, these are the only friendlies they’ll play before facing Palace in the top flight a week later.

It remains to be seen how Enzo Maresca’s side will fare given their minimal preparation, but the Italian did get a chance to try out new tactics during their CWC campaign in the US.

He also managed to give some of his major summer signings a run-out. Joao Pedro seriously impressed at the tournament in particular, scoring three goals in three CWC games, including a brace in their semi-final against Fluminense and a goal in the final against PSG.

Despite Chelsea’s need to sell players and balance out the squad due to a pact with UEFA (Kaveh Solhekol), Maresca could still add more fresh faces before their new season kicks off against Palace.

This will be dependent on departures (Simon Phillips), but perhaps Djordje Petrovic’s £25 million move to Bournemouth has freed up space for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to come in.

The France number one was a serious target for Chelsea earlier in the window, and they tried to complete a deal for him before competing in the CWC. However, Milan and Chelsea failed to find an agreement, despite Maignan’s eagerness to join.

Despite reports to the contrary, Chelsea could go back in for Maignan before deadline day on September 1, with Robert Sanchez also told he’s free to find a new club away from Stamford Bridge (Graeme Bailey).

Mike Maignan very keen to join Chelsea, he's a top target

TEAMtalk have another update on the situation this week, claiming Maignan remains a top target for Chelsea.

The 30-year-old is also “enthusiastic” about joining Maresca’s side this summer, even if negotiations previously failed, with the main roadblock being Milan’s £22 million asking price – a figure deemed too high by Chelsea considering both his age and his contract situation.

However, given Maignan’s pedigree as one of world football’s most commanding shot-stoppers, £22 million is surely a price worth paying – especially if they sell Sanchez.

Every title-winning side in history have one thing in common – the presence of a world-class keeper. Maignan, who’s been lavished with praise by his fellow top-level players, arguably stands out as the best option by far this summer.

“He is physical, quick, he has clean technique. He is very strong. He is one of the best in the world,” said Liverpool keeper Alisson about Maignan’s quality.

“The quality of goalkeepers has really increased – Mike Maignan is within this elite.”

Will Luke reviews by Bill Frindall

Will Luke16-Jun-2006

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I must confess to a sense of trepidation in being asked to review thisbook. Bill Frindall’s on-air style as the BBC’s scorer has a required taste; his dry, laconic wit andinsistence on correcting messers Blofeld and Agnew on any anomalies intheir commentary takes his role as the “straight man” to hitherto unseenlevels.Happily, albeit 309 pages later, my opinion had changed. His somewhatboorish banter with his TMS colleagues is nowhere to be seen in thishis first autobiography. In fact, quite the opposite; he is engaging,charming and it is mostly a thoroughly interesting read.Making his debut in the TMS box in 1966, the impression of Frindall isof a man born to work with numbers, statistics and so forth. Yet inthe first 80 pages or so, it is his playing career which receives thebiggest attention. We learn that it was his father, who is spoken ofin endearingly cherished tones, who introduced him to cricket, wheremost days the pair (like many father-son teams) would play on the backlawn and “naughtily, on a remote putting green on Epsom Downs”.If Frindall senior was the central figure in a young Bill’s life, theRAF (and, later, John Arlott) became his substitute father-figureduring the 1950s where, seemingly, very little work was done where atall possible. “…life in the RAF was a delightfully cushy numberindeed. Members of the station cricket teams could even have theirboots and pads whitened by delivering them to the sports section”.For readers not overly enamoured with the “art” of scoring, Bearders(known throughout as Bill, Sir William, Bearders or Frindalius)fortunately only spends a single chapter detailing the history behindsome of the scoring world’s legends. But in fact, it’s an enlighteningread. Did you know, for example, that his scoring method – the linearsystem – is based on John Atkinson Pendlington (1861-1914)? Or that in1972, Frindall devised an adapted version of “the Pendlington” whichis now in use by first-class teams around the world? In an agebesotted with speed; the internet; with words such as “verdana” and”qwerty”, the old-fashioned and painstaking manual process of scoringseems kitsch. But I quite like it, again, in fact; his love of its arttranslates itself strongly in the book, something which at times comesacross as a chore over the airwaves in the TMS box.John Arlott, the “Voice of Cricket from 1946 until 1980” receives anentire chapter which, while not to be missed, is nevertheless a touch too syrupy for an autobiography. Clearly (and understandably), Arlott played a significant rolein Frindall’s life and indeed helped shape him as a man – they met twoyears after Frindall senior died – not to mention his career. However,the common thread of his love for Arlott is a shared thirst of the red liquid. Barely a sentence goes by that Arlott’s love of wine isn’t mockingly mentioned; there’s almost a sense of pride, relish and jealousy that Arlott had such a capacity, and it becomes ratherweary. Nevertheless, as anyone who enjoys a bottle of wine or ten willtestify, drink has a habit of fuelling good humour and the pair evidentlyspent countless days – Frindall under Arlott’s drunken wing – tasting andenjoying the grapes of France and Australia.Of great interest are the chapters devoted to his colleagues. Arlottapart, Brian Johnston, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Jonathan Agnew,Shilpa Patel (production assistant to Peter Baxter with “a varies andfashionable wardrobe) all receive notable mention. Indeed, whileArlott and Johnners had a decidedly acrimonious relationship -recorded at length by the author – Frindall and Johnners had no suchproblems. In one particularly amusing anecdote, he transcribes acommentary stint between himself, Johnners and Fred Trueman whenwearing an Arabian headdress (ghutra an iqal).Humour, then, is the common thread running through the book. Devotedto cricket and to his colleagues, it was a welcome revelation into aman whose often grumpy interjections on the radio portray someone illat ease with his lot. Quite the opposite. Frindall, or Frindalius asAllott nicknamed him, has a hidden and infectiously witty side to himwhich, oddly, is almost like welcoming a new member aboard TMS. Cheers.Buy now from Cricshop

Tottenham Hotspur have not wasted any time before getting going under Ange Postecoglou, who has got off to a near perfect start at the club. Having endured fairly uninspiring football from the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, the Lilywhites are now one of the most interesting sides to watch in the Premier League.

The summer transfer window certainly left them in an interesting position, and without Harry Kane, you worried about them. Yet, after four games, only Manchester City have won more points than their ten, having even defeated Manchester United along the way.

Now, they are set to strengthen further, despite the transfer window slamming shut earlier this month, with a centre-back coming through the doors of Hotspur Way.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Losing Kane for a reported £105m to Bayern Munich in the summer, Spurs have invested their money well, welcoming the likes of Micky van de Ven, Brennan Johnson and standout player James Maddison, who already has four goal involvements in five games for the club in all competitions.

Among all the positives, though, Postecoglou actually suffered a late blow to his squad depth when Davinson Sanchez lef the club to join Galatasaray after the closure of the English transfer window, leaving Spurs short on defensive options. But it appears that's not the only out-of-window business, as Postecoglou now looks to the future.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are "on the verge" of signing the Croatian centre-back Luka Vusković on a five-year deal, fending off interest from five other clubs in the process. The 16-year-old will reportedly make the move from Hajduk Split when he turns 18 in two years, giving him plenty of time to develop even further.

Romano said: "Tottenham are on the verge of signing Croatian CB top talent Luka Vusković! After top project for his development, Vusković only wants Spurs — despite interest from 5 more top clubs. Personal terms agreed, clubs finalising paperwork. Here we go."

Who is Luka Vuskovic?

At 16, Vuskovic stands at 6 foot 4 and could still have room to grow even more, potentially making him a dominant central defender. Despite his age, the Croatian has already made 11 first-team appearances for Hajduk Split, even scoring one goal, and making the bench twice this season.

Given that he is being trusted to feature for the first-team before he's even 18-years-old, it certainly seems as though Spurs have got themselves one to watch for the future.

From the Lilywhites' perspective, they'll be hoping to get a player ready to play a part in their squad once he turns 18, and completes the move once and for all. For now, though, they'll be well aware that he is still very much in the early stages of his career, and gaining first-team experience at Split is more important than ever.

Securing the central defender once again shows how much Spurs have improved off the pitch in such a short space of time. Reportedly beating five other clubs to Vuskovic's signature, the Croatian's arrival represents a major coup for the future.