Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on welcoming an impressive Bundesliga talent back to the Premier League in 2026.

Newcastle receive shock Wissa hope before Burnley

In their 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, Newcastle certainly could’ve done with the added firepower of Yoane Wissa. They welcomed the news that he’d been left out of the DR Congo squad for the African Cup of Nations, but were yet to welcome their summer signing back from the sidelines.

That, however, could be about to change. The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope dropped an unexpected update on Wissa’s fitness on Wednesday afternoon, claiming that the forward is now “pushing” to make a shock return to the bench against Burnley.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, to say Wissa’s return against Burnley would be a major boost for Eddie Howe would be an understatement. The Newcastle boss is yet to see his summer signing in action.

The returning forward may not be the only player to hand Howe a much-needed boost in the coming months, either. The January transfer window is now less than a month away and reports are claiming that Newcastle are preparing their move to sign Igor Thiago in a Wissa repeat.

The Brentford forward, who replaced Wissa in West London, has only been outscored by Erling Haaland in the Premier League so far this season and may have done enough to earn a big move.

It looks like those at St James’ Park are ready to add that quality in depth all across the pitch too, with Bilal El Khannouss also emerging as a 2026 target.

Newcastle determined to sign El Khannouss

As reported by TeamTalk, Newcastle are now determined to sign El Khannouss in 2026 and could attempt to secure his signature once his loan spell at VfB Stuttgart comes to an end next summer.

£65m Newcastle duo should be fuming with Howe's team selection vs Spurs

Two Newcastle players, in particular, are unlikely to be too happy right now.

By
Matt Dawson

Dec 3, 2025

During his time away from Leicester City, the midfielder has thrived – scoring five goals and creating another six in all competitions. But his heart remains set on a return to the Premier League that Newcastle could offer him next year.

Dubbed one of the “most intelligent creators” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in April, it’s clear that El Khannouss wants to end some unfinished business in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old went out with a whimper at Leicester City last season, but could come roaring back to England’s top tier courtesy of Newcastle next year.

Newcastle serious January bid for £13.5m "playmaker" likened to Tonali

A taste of the touring lifestyle helps remind England’s in-demand players of where their priorities should lie

Cameron Ponsonby21-Oct-2025Morale is high in the England camp currently. They’re touring New Zealand, a favourite of the players, where the low-key cities allow them to stroll to the ground under their own steam and the nearby golf courses allow them to let it off as well.Brendon McCullum’s mantra has always been to remind the players how important it is to enjoy the good old days while you’re living them. The Test squad has made a concerted effort to make playing for England special. To create an environment where, no matter what the pull of franchise cash may say to your pocket, playing for England gives you money-can’t-buy experiences.The same effort is now being made with the white-ball squad. Arguably a more difficult, but necessary task. These are the players who are most likely to be enticed away when the choice is between loads of money to bowl four overs for Abu Dhabi Anonymous or four overs in a bilateral series that both you and I will forget in a week’s time.That was the reasoning behind England’s trip to Queenstown before this series. A treat normally reserved for the red-ball boys has been extended to the white-ball group. It is a factor that every player has mentioned when speaking to the press. The rarity of such an opportunity to bond as a group, as opposed to run on the treadmill of travel, train, play.”You don’t always get that when you’re on tour,” Adil Rashid said, following his four for 32 in the second T20I. “To enjoy each other’s company, relax and not think about cricket much.”That’s the environment that Baz is trying to create and has created…that we stick together because we have that unity, that brotherhood.”It is a necessary step to make. It’s only two-and-a-half years since Alex Hales, Sam Billings, James Vince and Liam Dawson turned down a tour to Bangladesh in order to take up more lucrative PSL deals. And it isn’t just the money. This year, Dawson and Tom Banton missed T20 Finals Day after it clashed with the South Africa series. Two players, who have been at their respective counties since childhood, missed out on an emotional, and potentially historic moment in their careers, all for the prestige of watching it rain in Nottingham. The reward for shining for your county can’t be that you miss their biggest days.So far, England have reaped the benefits of their togetherness on their tour of New Zealand•AFP/Getty ImagesNext year, Finals Day is on Saturday, July 18. England play ODIs against India on Thursday, July 16 and Sunday, July 19. This was not a unique clash.Rashid is keen to stress that he believes the environment has been a welcoming one since he became a permanent fixture in 2015. However, the period since 2022 has been a black hole for England’s white-ball teams, as the core that took England to World Cup glory either faded or were rested until they dropped away entirely. Less than a year ago, England gave out four ODI debuts in Antigua, as all of Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and John Turner made their bows in a match captained by Liam Livingstone. Of those five, only Overton remains in the 50-over squad.Context can take many forms, and if it isn’t provided by the fixtures you are playing, it can be provided by the people you are playing with.Harry Brook’s position as Test vice-captain and McCullum’s role as head coach will naturally bring the two groups closer together. So both teams will get preferential treatment rather than one being the favourite son. Spare a thought for Matthew Mott, the previous white-ball head coach, who didn’t so much pick his squads as get what he was given.Related

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Curran comes in from the cold with several points to prove

Brook parks Ashes chat to train focus on New Zealand

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Finisher Banton is back where he started as career comes full-circle

This is the complication of McCullum’s reign. The criticism from domestic players is that he runs an exclusive club to which they are not invited. England, of course, are obliged to rebuff this publicly. But privately? Well, that’s kind of the point. Playing for England is meant to be an exclusive club. Access to which should grant you the perks, money and prestige that aren’t afforded to you in domestic cricket. You don’t get here easy. You earn it. And once you do, the idea is to never let it go.This will, naturally, grate for fans and former players for whom the prestige of playing for their country should be enough without the bells and whistles.But in reality, this is, and always has been, nonsense. International cricket used to be the undisputed pinnacle of the sport because it was the undisputed pinnacle of cash. But when it wasn’t – see Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket or the rebel tours – players went. This is not a new push-and-pull. But please, feel free to debate amongst yourselves the ethics of taking a deal with the Rangpur Riders versus playing in apartheid South Africa.Without doubt, England are in the privileged position of being able to afford these extracurriculars that make playing for the name on the front of the shirt that bit more special. Poorer boards would not be able to afford a Queenstown getaway and that is an imbalance that will only get worse in the future. But it is a privilege they have, and are using. And, to use the example of Rashid – 38 in February and the elder statesman of the squad – the mood within the current set-up gives him no reason to consider his wider options.”One hundred percent I’ve still got the hunger, the hunger to play for England and represent my country,” Rashid said. “As an individual, I think that’s the biggest achievement in any sport. I still have that passion there for England. I think that when the passion does die down, or whatever it is, that’s when you think, ‘Okay, right, let’s have a real think about it.’ At the moment I haven’t really thought of anything else. I’ve got that passion, there’s a lot of cricket to be played.”For years, the white-ball side was an Invitational XI of the best players available on the day. McCullum and Brook are doing their best to turn it into a team once more.

With India’s next WTC fixture slated for August 2026, here are five ways they can bounce back after the bruising at the hands of SA, and earlier, NZ

Karthik Krishnaswamy28-Nov-20251:38

What are the remedial steps for team India?

Bin the rank turner

What is the ideal home pitch for India? What is the best type of surface to heighten their relative strengths over their opposition? This debate has made India go back and forth between square turners and true batting surfaces multiple times over the last decade, and the two pitches against South Africa, in Kolkata and Guwahati, only showed that neither kind can neutralise the threat of a strong opposition.Two things must be noted, though. South Africa’s victory came on the back of all-timer performances by a visiting fast bowler (Marco Jansen) and a visiting spinner (Simon Harmer) in India. Not too many touring teams can call on attacks that good; most times, India are likely to have the better attack for Indian conditions. It remains in their interests, notwithstanding what happened in Guwahati, to broaden rather than narrow that gap in skill and depth between their attack and the visiting attack. This, as this in-depth study from the analyst Himanish Ganjoo shows, is best achieved on pitches with balance between bat and ball.Related

• India's Test team – a whole too full of holes

• India suffer 68 balls from hell in a hellish year at home

• Gambhir's India – close fights, costly calls, and a growing Test crisis

• Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

• The pitch boomerang: how India's rank turners are biting them, not the opposition

There will be losses to good teams, and times when losing the toss hurt India. But those things can happen on sharp turners too.More importantly, good batting pitches with true bounce are better for India’s long-term development. They incentivise the team to pick batters who have the all-round game to score hundreds against good bowling, and fast bowlers and spinners who aren’t just putting the ball on a spot and expecting the pitch to do the rest.On these pitches, players can believe that good processes will beget good outcomes in the long run. This is particularly important for batters; it becomes extremely difficult to trust your processes if you are doing everything right and averaging 20 over a season because the pitches are treacherous. Selection also tends to become more reactionary in these situations.6:22

‘Gambhir took the blame because he felt curators should not be blamed’

For a team in transition, selection will need to be anything but reactionary. India need to pick their best players and give them time to prove themselves. This is definitely a more straightforward process when pitches allow you to judge players properly.

Ensure allrounders tick the primary-skill box

Axar Patel’s selection in Kolkata made a lot of sense in theory. A fast, accurate left-arm spinner on a turning pitch against a team full of right-hand batters. An excellent lower-order batter with multiple gears, particularly against spin.India starting day three of the match with Axar and Ravindra Jadeja in tandem also made sense in theory.But watching Corbin Bosch play out Axar comfortably, and watching Axar struggle to test the right-handers’ outside edge right through that spell, showed that theory can only go so far. This was clearly a bowler who had played his last Test match in February 2024, and his only first-class match since then in September 2024. This was clearly a bowler who hadn’t taken more than two wickets in a first-class innings since December 2022.

If Axar is too valuable a white-ball asset to give him time to develop his red-ball game, India should perhaps not pick him for Tests

Axar is a fine cricketer, but he hasn’t been a genuine Test bowler for a while. He gets into India’s home squads because he’s never expected to be the lead spinner, because he usually only plays as a third spinner — in Kolkata he was one of four — and is picked as much, or more, for his batting than his bowling.Being able to call on three spin-bowling allrounders in Jadeja, Axar and Washington Sundar at home can be a luxury. The batting depth provided by R Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar proved to be a cheat code for India during their 2023 home series against Australia, rescuing them from a number of hairy situations.Axar barely bowled during that series, though, even though the pitches were extremely spin-friendly. Even on those pitches, the gaps in his bowling were clear when you watched what Ashwin and Jadeja did from their ends.Axar only played four first-class matches between that series and this one against South Africa. It’s not his fault, because he’s a white-ball regular, but India will have to figure out what to do about this situation. If he’s too valuable a white-ball asset to give him time to develop his red-ball game, India should perhaps not pick him for Tests.1:07

What’s the verdict on Washington Sundar at No. 3?

Washington presents a different case. He has had an extremely unusual early-career trajectory — batter at junior level, new-ball spinner when he broke through in the IPL, white-ball specialist who hadn’t played a first-class match in three-and-a-half years when he made his accidental Test debut at the Gabba in January 2021 — which is now mirrored by his shifting role from Test match to Test match. He batted only once in the two Tests against West Indies, and batted at No. 3 in his very next Test match, in Kolkata. He bowled just the one over in that game, followed by 48 in Guwahati.The thing about Washington is that he is capable of doing everything he’s asked to do, and do it competently. He is a cricketer of frightening ability. Whether it’s the match-saving century at Old Trafford, the crucial wickets in England or the long hours of high-control batting in Kolkata, the things he’s done are impressive but never surprising.But sometimes he can look like an offspinner who’s only taken 99 wickets in 46 first-class matches. He goes through a fair share of tidy but unthreatening spells, and spends long hours out of the attack when two right-handers are at the crease — imagine that ever happening to Ashwin. He often looks like the third spinner in a three-spinner attack, and in Kolkata like the fourth spinner in a four-spinner attack.3:45

Did India pick one spinner too many at Eden Gardens?

What do India do about a player like him? Perhaps the obvious answer is what they did in Kolkata. Washington has the game to bat in the top order, so India may be best served picking him as a batter, and using his bowling regularly but not counting him among their bowlers when they pick their XIs. This would ensure they don’t look short of wicket-taking options in conditions that don’t suit him, but always have his offspin around should they need it.The third young — or youngish; Axar is in his early 30s now — allrounder in India’s squad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, presents the most straightforward case. After two series of batting behind the other allrounders and barely bowling at all, it must be clear to India that he does not merit selection in home Tests — not yet anyway. And while he certainly has the potential to be a Test allrounder in the future, are India really developing that potential by playing him in home Tests, and not using him, when he could be getting innings and overs under the belt in domestic cricket?

Develop genuine spinners

Anyone bowling in the same match as Harmer in Kolkata and Guwahati was at a disadvantage. Even spinners as good as Jadeja and Keshav Maharaj looked inadequate in comparison.For India, though, Harmer was a reminder of a bowler who had been an ever-present in home Tests until this season, Ashwin, a fingerspinner who could take wickets in a variety of ways across a variety of conditions, with old ball and new, by bowling quick and attacking the stumps on turning pitches, by beating batters with drift and dip on flatter tracks.The predominant trend of square turners in Ashwin’s final years possibly led to India losing sight of the difference between him and Jadeja on the one hand and Washington and Axar on the other. Ashwin and Jadeja, as good as they were with the bat, were automatic picks in India’s home XIs even purely as bowlers.2:55

‘Harmer in India better than Lyon, Swann’

This is not the case with Axar and Washington, and it becomes clearer when they bowl on flatter tracks.Who are India’s best genuine red-ball spinners after Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav?Running through the list of spinners who have played for India A in recent years presents a slightly concerning picture, with all three non-Test spinners selected this year — Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian and Manav Suthar — falling under the allrounder category.These may well be the best domestic spinners India have, but if not, Harmer’s displays should make the selectors ask themselves whether they are prioritising utility or all-conditions wicket-taking skills.

Identify the best middle-order candidates, and stick with them

It was no accident that Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma took over India’s middle order from Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. Even two or three years before the old guard began to exit the Test stage, these were the younger names tipped to take over by most seasoned watchers of Indian cricket.Now, with all of Pujara, Kohli, Rahane and Rohit (who finished as an opener) done with Test cricket, there is no obvious next generation of specialist middle-order batters, barring Shubman Gill at No. 4. Shreyas Iyer, whose back issues have put his red-ball career at an impasse for the moment, was perhaps the last batter other than Gill who was widely tipped to have a long stint in India’s middle order.Since Iyer’s debut in 2021-22, India’s middle-order debutants have been Suryakumar Yadav, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan. Sarfaraz is the only one of the five to average above 50 in first-class cricket.4:14

Are India selecting Test players based on their white-ball performances?

This is a complete breakaway from the history of selection in Indian cricket. While there has always been the odd exception, an eye-catching first-class record over a decent sample size has generally been a prerequisite for Test selection.There are reasons for the departure from this long-established norm. With the increase of teams in the Ranji Trophy and a possible dilution of talent in consequence, and with pitches often tailored to home teams’ needs at a given point in a season, the selectors have come to view runs and wickets in this tournament as a less reliable barometer for selection than performances for India A.And with the IPL and even state-run T20 leagues pulling the best raw talent in the country towards honing their white-ball rather than red-ball skills, the selectors perhaps also feel the batters best equipped to handle pace and spin bowling at Test level — the ones with the best judgment of length, above all, who give the illusion of having more time — may not have particularly good first-class records or even play that much first-class cricket.Because of this, though, and because India have multi-skilled players such as Jadeja, Washington and Dhruv Jurel who are good enough to bat in the top six, the selectors have ended up having to answer some uncomfortable questions.4:37

Karim: ‘You need specialists to do well in Test cricket’

As good as Washington is, would he be batting at No. 3 ahead of a specialist in a previous era? As good as Jurel is, and as irresistible as his form may be, would he be playing ahead of the specialist middle-order reserve in an India squad from a previous era? And how good is that specialist middle-order reserve if he is getting left out for a lower-order batter simply because he bats left-handed?Having gone through these questions, if the selectors still feel Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal are the best middle-order batters in India other than Gill, this is the time to stick with them. That might, in itself, be the hardest call to make.But beyond the next Test selection, there are broader questions to address. If the selectors and team management feel the Ranji Trophy isn’t a good-enough indicator of player quality, it might be time for the BCCI to turn it into the best tournament it could be. This could mean changing the tournament format, or setting stringent standards for pitches, or – here’s a radical thought – increasing match fees to a point where the best talent in the country is clamouring to be part of it.

Don’t take the eye off the red ball

Between now and their next WTC Test in August, India have a T20 World Cup to prepare for and defend. They have ODIs to play, involving Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There is an IPL season too.White-ball cricket will dominate the domestic scene for a while too, with the Ranji Trophy taking a mid-season break until mid-January.India next play a Test in Sri Lanka and that’s a while away•BCCIIndia have the same coaching staff and the same selectors for white-ball and red-ball cricket, and all of them will have a lot of white-ball cricket to keep their minds on in this period. But they will have reviewed the defeats to South Africa, and identified areas of concern they will want to address by the time India play their next Test. The addressing will have to begin as soon as possible.It could mean finding ways for the best red-ball players in the country to keep playing matches even outside the Ranji Trophy windows. It could mean arranging A tours after the Ranji final in late February, and between the IPL and the Sri Lanka tour.Whatever India do, they will not want to be caught off-guard by a better-prepared and better-equipped Sri Lanka – who might well have brighter prospects of making the WTC final at that stage – when they begin that tour.

They might not have got the win, but Sunday evening’s game against Arsenal was a success for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side utterly outplayed the Premier League leaders in the first half, and despite losing Moises Caicedo for over half the match, came away with a point.

There were sensational performances across the pitch from the hosts, with the most impressive undoubtedly being Reece James’.

The club captain has been unreal all season for Chelsea, and now it looks like Cobham could already be brewing his heir.

James' performance against Arsenal

Now, James putting in a strong performance for Chelsea is really nothing new; he is the captain after all.

However, against Arsenal, the Englishman truly stepped it up to a whole other level and did so from the middle of the park, not right-back.

In a game that was billed as a midfield showdown between Caicedo and Declan Rice, it was the full-back who came out as comfortably the best player on the whole pitch, let alone the middle of it.

That might sound hyperbolic, but his man-of-the-match award would suggest otherwise.

On top of doing all the defensive work you would expect of him, the “gargantuan” presence, as dubbed by presenter Olivia Buzaglo, was a serious attacking threat and provided the assist for his side’s opener.

Moreover, he completed three of his four crosses, played two key passes, was successful in 100% of his dribbles and generally didn’t let up for the entire encounter.

In all, it was perhaps one of James’ best performances in a Chelsea shirt and a shining example of why so many people rate him so highly.

Therefore, fans should be ecstatic about the fact that Cobham may already be producing another version of the international monster.

Chelsea's next James

When it comes to producing top-quality Premier League talent, few academies can match Chelsea’s Cobham.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

As always seems to be the case, there is another cohort of incredible youngsters coming up at the moment, like Reggie Watson and Shim Mhueka.

However, there is another, perhaps slightly lesser-known prospect fans should start taking more notice of, someone who could be the next James: Lewi Richards.

The 17-year-old has been with the Blues since the under-8s level and became a scholar at the start of the season.

However, the youngster has made such an impression this year that he put pen to paper on his first professional paper just a couple of months later, at the end of October.

With that said, what makes him like James?

Well, the first thing is that, like the club captain, he has shown an impressive level of positional versatility, playing at right-back, left-back and centre-back for the u18 and u21 sides.

Right-Back

9

3

0

Centre-Back

5

0

1

Left-Back

2

0

0

Moreover, he even spent time playing in the middle of the park when he was playing for the lower levels of the academy.

On top of this ability to be deployed all over the pitch, the teen phenom has already shown an ability to marry technical quality with physicality.

For example, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Felix Johnston has described him as a “technically strong” prospect who is “monstrous in the tackle” as well as “fearless in the air” and blessed with “bags of pace.”

Ultimately, Richards still has plenty of development to do, but he looks to be an extraordinary academy prospect and one whose versatility, technical ability, and power mean he could be another James in a few years.

Man Utd lining up January move for "powerful" £53m Liverpool & Chelsea target

The Red Devils are looking to sign a 22-year-old, who is being targeted by some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

Television presenter Laura Woods is due to return to screens following her dramatic collapse live on air ahead of the Lionesses' friendly win over Ghana at the start of December. Woods subsequently issued a positive update, allaying fears over her health and thanking all those who had helped her at St Mary's Stadium. The popular star is now heading back to work and is set to be part of this week's Champions League coverage.

• Woods to return after scare

  Good wishes were quick to flood in after Woods collapsed on live television and was caught by co-presenters Ian Wright and Anita Asante. ITV promptly cut to an advertising break, with Katie Shanahan taking over hosting duties and telling viewers: "As you may all be aware, Laura Woods fell ill at the start of the programme. We want to reassure you that she's doing OK. We all send her our love."

  Woods subsequently offered an update of her own on social media, allaying fears over her health. She posted on Instagram: "Gosh that was a bit weird. Sorry to worry everyone, I'm OK, the wonderful paramedics at Saints have said its probably a virus, just need a bit of rest and hydration. I'm really embarrassed that happened on TV, but a big thank you to my colleagues at ITV who have really looked after me tonight. And to Wright and Neets for catching me and sorry again x."

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• Getty Images
  

  Blockbuster clash up next for Woods

  Woods is now set to return to screens on Wednesday in time for Manchester City's huge Champions League tie with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, according to . The popular presenter will front the live coverage for TNT Sports and is set to be joined by pundits Steven Gerrard, Joleon Lescott and Steve McManaman for the crunch fixture in Madrid. Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist are set to provide the commentary as the two European heavyweights clash once again. 

• Wright and Keane make light of collapse

  Wright and fellow pundits Roy Kane, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott have been talking about Woods' collapse on podcast. The panel said that Woods "would want" them to make light of the incident and proceeded to do exactly that.

  The former Arsenal star said: "She’s fine. I got a message from her this morning. It was worrying at the time but she’s fine. People have been really nice about it. I’m glad she’s okay." Scott added: "She said that she thinks she’s got a virus but it must have been horrible for that to happen, on live TV as well.”

  Meanwhile, Keane couldn't resist poking fun at the ex-Arsenal man. He joked: "I’m guessing she’s not the first woman to fall into your arms Ian. That’s just your knack. She’s okay and that’s all that matters, that’s the most important thing, obviously. You’ll get a knighthood or an award for that, Wrighty."

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  Dramatic night expected in Madrid

  A dramatic night of action is expected in Madrid as the two teams meet for the fifth straight season in the Champions League. The hosts come into the game fresh from a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in La Liga that also saw two red cards for the Spanish giants. The loss leaves Los Blancos now four points behind Barcelona in the title race and with serious questions being asked of manager Xabi Alonso. Another defeat would pile more pressure on Alonso, and the Real Madrid coach heads into the game after seeing Eder Militao ruled out for several months with a torn hamstring and star striker Kylian Mbappe a doubt for the game due to a leg injury.

Tottenham Hotspur have not been good enough this season, and it’s clear that Thomas Frank needs to find a solution both in regard to results and the excitement factor that has been lacking.

Having lost each of their past three matches in all competitions, including the miserable home loss against Fulham on Saturday evening in the Premier League, a response is sorely needed, but Newcastle United at St. James’ Park has hardly been a happy hunting ground for the Lilywhites in recent years.

Frank’s tactics have yet to click together, but the players also need to take responsibility for their shoddy showings, with Pedro Porro among the guilty members to have flattered to deceive all term.

Pedro Porro's Spurs form this season

Porro, 26, is one of the most talented right-backs in Europe. He has played 126 matches for Tottenham, scoring 11 goals and supplying 23 assists.

The Spaniard’s gloomy, incensed demeanour at full-time on Saturday was indicative of the wider malaise at the club, but he surely must hold his hands up and acknowledge that he wasn’t good enough, with Sofascore recording that he found the mark with only three of 16 attempted crosses, losing eight of 11 duels and being caught out numerous times.

It was, frankly, a pitiful first-half performance, with Porro utterly toothless in his creative role and more than susceptible against the rampant Samuel Chukwueze and beaten far too easily in the build-up to Kenny Tete’s opening goal after just a few minutes.

He was hardly the only one to hang his head in shame, though, with his counterpart on the left serving up an equally frustrating performance.

Spurs defender is now becoming a liability

At his best, Destiny Udogie is a machine. Ferociously athletic, fleet-footed on the ball and attuned in crucial defence phases, he took the Lilywhites faithful’s breath away when he charged the left side of Postecoglou’s system during the halycon days of 2023/24, before things went wrong.

Indeed, when he burst onto the scene as a teenager under Postecoglou’s wing, journalist Hunter Godson remarked that he was “sickeningly good” and would get into “nearly every team in the world already”.

Such was his power and pace and balance down the left lane that he was considered by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport to be “the best left-back” in the country during that first foray into English football.

But it might be fair to say that Udogie has yet to raise his game in the Premier League. Sure, he’s been unfortunate with injuries, but this is now his third season in English football and he is no longer an up-and-coming prospect but a talented member of the first team who is expected to provide an outlet while protecting his box.

Goals scored

0.08

0.00

Assists

0.11

0.17

Shot-creating actions

2.15

2.25

Touches

66.81

69.71

Pass completion (%)

85.8

85.0

Progressive passes

5.83

5.72

Progressive carries

3.12

3.47

Successful take-ons

0.90

0.52

Ball recoveries

6.36

5.72

Tackles + interceptions

3.95

2.43

Clearances

3.01

Aerials won

0.83

0.69

It may take a moment to look at the various elements of Udogie’s game, but it’s worth a closer inspection, with Udogie yet to raise his creative levels and indeed provide greater security at the back.

In fact, as per Sofascore, he has only completed 30% of his dribbles and won half of his duels in the Premier League this year.

This remains a talented full-back with the capacity to perform as one of the best in the division, but Udogie is not pulling his weight right now, and it’s clear to see that Frank’s system is being hindered by the lackadaisical performances of Udogie and Porro, two wide players who are considered among the most talented in the country, if not the continent.

Spurs flop has become their biggest "embarrassment" since Aurier

It’s gone from bad to worse for Spurs, and this Conte signing’s time at the club could be coming to an end.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 1, 2025

Any Glasgow Rangers fan who uses social media every day will likely have seen the clip going around of Hamza Igamane’s goal for Lille at the weekend.

The Morocco international, not for the first time this season, provided the Gers with a reminder of what they are missing with a brilliantly worked goal for the French side.

Igamane was sold to Lille for a fee of £10.4m in the summer transfer window, due to a release clause in his contract that existed before Kevin Thelwell’s arrival at Ibrox.

Ranking Rangers’ attempts to replace Hamza Igamane

It is fair to say that, on current evidence, have failed to replace the Moroccan star with the work that they did for Russell Martin heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Igamane, as shown in the graphic above, provided a big goalscoring presence as a maverick playmaker, who could play out wide on the left or through the middle as a centre-forward, in his one season with the club.

Rangers signed six wingers and strikers in an attempt to replace the mercurial talent in the summer, and Djeidi Gassama, with six goals, is the only one of them to have scored more than two goals so far this season, per Transfermarkt.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Mikey Moore

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Oliver Antman

6

Bojan Miovski

Thelo Aasgaard, in theory, should have been the Igamane replacement as he is a number ten with good technical ability and flair, as evidenced by his wonder goal against Dundee United at Ibrox, but he has only scored one goal all season.

In terms of the strikers, Bojan Miovski has scored two, and Youssef Chermiti has scored one, per Sofascore, but the latter is five years younger and could develop into a star in the future.

Meanwhile, we have ranked Mikey Moore in second place for now, but he could rise up to first if Danny Rohl unleashes him in a central position when he is back fit.

The new position Mikey Moore should be unleashed in

The 18-year-old starlet is currently out with a muscle injury, which he is set to return from later this month, so he will not be available for selection against Dundee United on Wednesday night.

Chalkboard

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

However, when he is back and available for selection, Rohl should unleash Moore as a number ten in the 4-2-3-1 system, which is the role that Thelo Aasgaard has played, as he has not had an opportunity in that position yet.

Per Transfermarkt, the only two matches that the Englishman has played as an attacking midfielder came against Hibernian and Roma as one of two 10s in a 3-4-2-1 system, which meant that he drifted wide more than being the central pivot of the attack.

Moore, as shown in the clip above, produced his best moment in a Rangers shirt against Dundee when he drifted into a central area from the right wing to spark an attack and score a brilliant goal, in Igamane-esque fashion.

Like the former Rangers playmaker, the teenage whiz has the technical quality, explosive burst of pace, and finishing potential to emerge as a real star for Rohl as a number ten or second striker.

The Spurs loanee, who was described as an “outrageous” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches for Tottenham’s U19s, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the potential is there for him to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

However, the vast majority of his appearances for Rangers have come out wide, on the left or the right, and he has only scored one goal and registered two assists in 17 games, which is why Rohl should look to unleash him in a new position.

If Moore thrives in a central role and starts to display the kind of form that he did at U19 level for Spurs, Rangers will have a super talent on their hands and could finally say that they have replaced Igamane’s mercurical quality at the top end of the pitch.

A "spell on the sidelines" is needed for the "best player" at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers star who was called the team’s best player should be dropped from the starting line-up.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

Cricket Australia officials will meet with Usman Khawaja this week and ask the opener to explain himself over criticism of the Perth pitch, as they weigh up whether to sanction him for labelling it a “piece of s***”.Khawaja raised eyebrows on Friday when he hit out at the surface for the first Test, just a day after the ICC handed it the highest possible rating of “very good”.Speaking at a fundraising lunch for the Usman Khawaja Foundation, he criticised the wicket’s variable bounce during Australia’s eight-wicket win.Related

• Khawaja confident of Gabba fitness but slams Perth pitch

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He also pointed to the fact 19 wickets were lost on day one this year against England, and 17 last year in the series opener between Australia and India.CA officials are believed to be disappointed by the remarks, and will speak with Khawaja in camp ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.The Perth Test was the shortest in Australia in 93 years, and the second shortest of all time in the country, with just 847 balls bowled in the entire match.”Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That’s a great wicket, that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at the luncheon. “The same thing happened last year in the India Test. It’s just that day-one wicket, the ball just does not react.”Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way. He does not miss the middle of his bat, (yet) he’s getting hit in the elbow.”So day-one wicket at Perth is a piece of shit, I’m happy to say that. Has been last year, it was this year.”CA this week praised the wicket, with chief of cricket James Allsopp saying the ICC’s rating had justified head office’s view the pitch provided “a fair balance between bat and ball”.The rating also shone a light on England’s poor batting, which was labelled “brainless” by the likes of former England opener Geoffrey Boycott after they faced just 68.3 overs across two innings.But Khawaja was adamant the Perth pitch was still not good enough, with his main issue being variable bounce.”You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest. Sideways is little bit easier,” he said. But up and down, your hands can’t catch up. They do get better. Day two, day three and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again.”Whenever we play at Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss, bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe at the end of day two and into day three.”Khawaja’s talk with officials comes with pressure on his spot at the top of the order, with concerns over both his fitness and form in Perth.Back spasms meant he was unable to open for Australia in either innings in Perth, allowing for Travis Head to score a match-winning century in the fourth-innings chase.Khawaja is confident he will be fit to play in Brisbane, with his back having improved, while also insisting he had paid no attention to calls for him to be dropped from the side and Head moved up to open the batting.

Kookaburra had been used instead of the Dukes in selected rounds of the County Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

The controversial trial which saw the Kookaburra ball used for some rounds of the County Championship season has been scrapped after three seasons.The ECB first proposed the trial as part of Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review three years ago in the hope that using the Kookaburra ball – rather than the Dukes – would encourage the development of spinners and bowlers with “extreme skills”. The pilot initially lasted two rounds of games in the 2023 season, and was criticised by county coaches.Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, was a strong advocate for the Kookaburra ball and convinced the counties to expand the trial to four rounds for the 2024 season. Surrey’s Alec Stewart described that as “the worst decision ever” but Key doubled down, saying it had produced “some bloody good cricket” after 17 of the first 18 fixtures ended in draws.Related

English cricket's Kookaburra experiment: 'Fantastic' or 'worst decision ever'?

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The Kookaburra was used for four further rounds in 2025 but again produced a high proportion of draws, epitomised by Surrey piling on a club-record 820 for 9 declared against Durham at The Oval.It led directors of cricket from the 18 counties to make clear their wish to scrap the trial at a meeting last month, and the decision to revert to using the Dukes ball throughout the 2026 season was confirmed at a meeting of the Cricket Advisory Group – a sub-committee of the ECB Professional Game Committee – earlier this week.Key and the ECB have taken a more hands-off approach to county cricket in recent years, and made a point of leaving discussion over proposed fixture restructures to the clubs earlier this summer. The counties failed to come to an agreement over the future of the Championship, but did agree to a small cut in the number of T20 Blast fixtures for 2026.

Fast bowler hails decisions on and off the field as England emerge on top on rollercoaster first day

Andrew Miller21-Nov-2025

AFP/Getty Images

Brydon Carse heaped praise on England’s captain, Ben Stokes, for his leadership on and off the field, after a barnstorming fightback with the ball on the opening day of the 2025-26 Ashes.Carse claimed the key wickets of Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja, before Stokes ripped through the lower-middle order with figures of 5 for 45 in ten overs, as England fought back from being bowled out for 172 by reducing Australia to 123 for 9 at the close, a deficit of 49.It meant that 19 wickets had fallen, the most ever on the opening day of an Ashes series, as the action lived up to every ounce of the pre-series hype.Carse, however, praised his captain for confronting the emotions of the series head-on, both in encouraging the team to walk to the venue at the start of the day’s play, and in inspiring their fightback with his calm response to their batting display.”Stokesy came up with that idea last night,” Carse said of the team’s arrival, through a sea of fans with 51,531 spectators attending the opening day. “It was obviously what we decided to do. And luckily, we came in at about 8.30am, because I think if we were about a half an hour later, we might have got a bit more stick from some of the Aussie fans. It was electric … the energy throughout the day was awesome.”Once inside the Optus Stadium, England won the toss and choose to bat first, only to lose Zak Crawley for a duck to set the tone for Mitchell Starc’s magnificent seven-wicket display. But despite being rolled aside in just 32.5 overs – the second-shortest Ashes innings, behind Australia’s 60 all out at Trent Bridge in 2015 – Stokes gathered his team at the innings change-over and set in motion their change of fortune.”Stokesy kept it really simple,” Carse said. “We had 45-50 minutes before tea, and he said to the lads with the ball, just give everything. The way Gus Atkinson and Jofra [Archer] started was phenomenal. And then after tea, that messaging was pretty similar, just do it over a longer period of time.Related

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“While the ball was still new, there was a lot of pace and bounce in it. And, we said as a group of bowlers, it was just about hitting the wicket as hard as we could.”The close-of-play scoreline vindicated England’s decision to field a five-man pace attack, which allowed Archer and Mark Wood – their fastest bowlers – to be used in short, sharp bursts that denied Australia a chance to settle at any stage of their reply. With Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts still waiting in the wings, Carse was confident that England could keep their pace levels high throughout the campaign.”I haven’t played in a lot of attacks where we’ve had five seamers, but everyone does complement each other,” Carse said. “I’ve said before that the group is six, seven seamers, and we’ve all got different attributes. Hopefully that stands us in good stead throughout the series.”Stokes, however, remains utterly fundamental to England’s hopes of winning an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 2010-11. Having hinted at his readiness with six wickets in a low-key warm-up against England Lions last week, he showcased his golden arm with the vital wickets of Travis Head and Cameron Green, then picked off Alex Carey, too, on the way to his sixth five-wicket haul and second in Australia.”His character and enthusiasm around the group, and the way it goes about his business is phenomenal,” Carse said. “Everyone looks up to him. He’s a great leader to have in our team.”He’s been out here for the last two-and-a-half weeks, and as Ducky [Ben Duckett] said a couple of weeks ago, he’s in beast mode at the moment. Hopefully that pays off throughout the series for him.”Stokes is back in Australia for his third Ashes tour, having debuted on the 2013-14 tour, 12 years ago. Carse, however, was sampling the occasion for the very first time, and admitted the atmosphere had been a step up from his previous experience in England colours.”I felt nervous, excited … obviously almost going into a bit of the unknown, but just trying to soak it all up throughout the day. It’s been a phenomenal day. We’ll go back to the hotel and we’ll have a quiet night.”The stage is set for another high-octane day on Saturday, and Carse admitted that – despite the shortcomings of their batting first-time around – their run-rate of 5.23 had demonstrated that batting could get easier once the first-day nerves and some of the pitch’s early life have gone.”The first thing tomorrow is obviously to knock over this last wicket,” he said. “Then, we’ve seen some of the guys that have got starts and some runs today, the way that they went about it was obviously taking the positive option.”I even thought Alex Carey, towards the end, was quite proactive and positive, and it put us under a bit of pressure. So going into the second innings, I think our batters will know what sort of gameplan they are going to use.”