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On Monday, Test cricket threw Indian fans into a situation they had no idea how to live through. Who knows when, or if, we will ever experience something like this again

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Aug-20255:30

Gill on Oval Test win: ‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’

Sometimes, Test cricket throws even its most seasoned watchers into situations they have no idea how to live through. On Monday afternoon IST, when a desperately backtracking, desperately diving Akash Deep tips Gus Atkinson’s slog off Mohammed Siraj over the boundary cushions at wide long-on, he also tips all of India’s millions of fans into unknown territory.None of us, not even the oldest among us, has lived through anything like this.England, with their last pair at the crease, need 11 to win. Two hits will do it.India have never won a Test match by a margin smaller than 13 runs. They have won once by one wicket, but they have never lost by that margin. They have been involved in a tied Test and a draw with one wicket remaining and scores level, but they batted last both times. Three last-wicket pairs have saved Tests against them, but on none of those occasions had an India defeat been possible.Related

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Holy mackerel Batman, what did we just watch?

The agony, the ecstasy: 56 minutes of Test cricket at its most glorious

Never before, in short, have India’s players been on the field, together, in this situation: one wicket away from victory, and a hit or two away from defeat. Never have we, their fans, watched them deal with this and attempted to deal with it ourselves.What previous experience would we even compare with this? Brisbane 2021 felt like a fairytale all the way through that final day, but through its last ten minutes or so, we were almost certain we were winning. We had begun to pinch ourselves long before the winning hit trickled over the rope. It was magic, but not of this kind.The closest we have come to this could-go-either-way feeling was, perhaps, Mohali 2010. India were chasing then, and were a wicket away from defeat. Our hopes rested on a man with a crocked back, magic wrists, and a team-mate doing his running. It was glorious, but did it feel like this? Was this much at stake? As the first of two Tests rather than the fifth of five, did it feel this… gladiatorial?We have tasted agony and ecstasy many times before, then, but neither of the kind that is imminent. Which one will it be, and what will it feel like? And until it happens, what are we to do with ourselves?We have experienced, in the last half-century, the thrill of nine previous Tests ending with margins of ten runs or fewer, and ten with one-wicket margins. On 18 of those 19 occasions, that thrill was undiluted, or unenriched, by partisanship. Cricket won no matter who won, and we won too. India weren’t in the picture. We may have celebrated with Geraint Jones or fumed at Billy Bowden when Edgbaston 2005 reached its climax, but that is preference, a pseudo-partisanship sullied by rationality, and not the raw, pulsing ache of the real thing.3:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

This, now, is the real thing. It matters like hell who wins. It matters so much that we even feel, to some degree, how much it must matter to those out in the middle.How much it must matter to them.To Akash Deep, whose futile attempt to catch Atkinson is the latest in a series of fielding mishaps that add a tinge of both tragedy and farce to his fate of being the non-bowling member of India’s three-man strike force on this final day, spent after sending down 20 overs, fuelled by painkilling injections.To Prasidh Krishna, taker of eight wickets in the match, four in each innings, in danger of being judged not by that fact but by his last ball: a pretty good ball in most contexts, but here, too close to the batter, with too spread-out a field, allowing Atkinson to clip away the single that keeps him on strike.To Atkinson, on strike again, aware that he will have to do it off his bat and his alone, with even the act of running reducing his partner to debilitating pain.To Chris Woakes, the non-striker, for whom a dislocated shoulder is merely a problem to be solved. This right-handed man who bowls, throws and bats right-handed has decided, having explored every option in the nets, to face up left-handed should he need to – a gloriously absurd misnomer with his left hand and arm out of commission and hidden away in his jumper.To Siraj, who put the word ‘Believe’ on his phone wallpaper this morning, upon whose intensity and venom the exertions of bowling 30 overs in an innings about to enter its 86th have had no effect.This isn’t just one contest of ball and bat in lives defined by ball and bat. This is, while they live it, life itself.It does odd things to the watcher. Involuntary drummings and entwinings of fingers unused to separation from mobile devices. Restless bladders. Constricted throats. A pressure in the cheeks. A prickling in the tear ducts.1:15

Monga: India’s series was all about Mohammed Siraj

For the India fan, all this comes with context. A series of Homeric drama that is about to be lost or drawn, a scoreline that is about to become 1-3 or 2-2, to follow a shattering, unprecedented 0-3 at home against New Zealand and a what-might-have-been 1-3 in Australia. A coach, a captain, former coaches, former captains, retirements. A great fast bowler who is playing this series but not this match, a fine fast bowler who is turning into a folk hero, accustomed to heartbreak but never losing belief, always certain of his power to bend the script to his will.He hurries through the crease now, for the 181st time in this innings, the 279th time in this Test match, and the 1122nd time in this series, wides and no-balls included.Cross-seam, 143kph, into the base of off stump. A bowler, a batter, a set of stumps. A swipe, a shattering. Cricket stripped to its element. Breathtaking, literally. Exhalations all around the ground, all over the world, all in sync. Realisation before thought.The Oval 2025. We have never experienced anything like it before, and who knows when, or if, we ever will again.

Left-arm spinner shines at a time when the tour had threatened to come off the rails for his team

Andrew McGlashan01-Mar-20232:11

Chappell: Kuhnemann learnt from the second Test and bowled better

Whatever way Matt Kuhnemann’s Test career goes from here, he’s going to have some good stories to tell.While the first Test of this series was taking place he was playing for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield. Then he jumps on a plane and a few days later is making his debut in Delhi and taking the new ball. Virat Kohli becomes his first Test wicket.On the first day in Indore he held the ball aloft as he walked from the field, barely two-and-a-half hours after India’s innings had started, with the extraordinary figures of 5 for 16 from nine overs – a first-class career-best. His dad had reached the ground just in time to see the fifth wicket after lunch having missed the first session.Related

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At times Australia have tied themselves in knots over their desire to have a left-arm spinner in the side and their handling of Ashton Agar was a curious sequence of his events. When Mitchell Swepson is available for Queensland, Kuhnemann can’t make their Sheffield Shield side, but he was ideal for this devilish surface, which has even left India unimpressed with how much it offered on day one, and he troubled the right-handers in what was an uplifting performance for Australia on a tour that had threatened to come off the rails.”It’s been a whirlwind,” Kuhnemann said of the rapid elevation, whose ODI debut came in similar fashion in Sri Lanka last year. “Like every night I’m sort of just pinching myself. Even today just sitting in the change room, just looking around speaking to [Mitchell] Starcy and Nathan Lyon and thinking this is unreal, just be able to do this. To even go out there and play with Steve Smith and all these other players and contribute to the team, it’s really awesome.”Kuhnemann played a key role in getting Australia into this game after heads could have gone down. They lost the toss on a bone-dry pitch then saw Rohit Sharma nick the cover off the first ball of the game, only they didn’t review. When replays showed, somewhat surprisingly, that India’s captain had also survived an lbw in the same over, Smith could have been forgiven for worrying how events would transpire.Matt Kuhnemann picked up his first five-wicket haul in Tests•BCCIIt was vital for Australia’s peace of mind that they removed Rohit without too much damage after the missed reviews. Smith turned to spin in the sixth over after the brief, rare sight of two quicks in operation as the recalled duo of Starc and Cameron Green took the new ball. There is little chance of either of them being over-bowled on their comebacks.Kuhnemann’s third ball spun sharply past Rohit’s edge and the next turned and bounced to defeat a slog sweep. The straight boundaries at the Holkar Stadium are enticingly short and Rohit could not resist, skipping down and being defeated by more huge spin to present Alex Carey a stumping.In his next over, Kuhnemann produced a perfect left-arm spinner’s dismissal when he drew a skittish Shubman Gill forward and found the outside edge. It felt like every ball could be a wicket-taking opportunity. Two deliveries after dismissing Gill, Kuhnemann produced one that was full at leg stump and spun square past Kohli.On a pitch turning more than anything he had seen before, he kept it simple and let the surface play the tricks. “Nathan Lyon was excellent out there,” Kuhnemann said. “Even after a couple of wickets he said don’t get ahead of yourself, just think about bowling that ball…he was great for me. Not every day you get these wickets like so enjoy them, it’s very different to what we get back home in Australia.”Meanwhile, there was little Cheteshwar Pujara could do about his delivery from Lyon which spun sharply and kept low. Given the conditions, Kohli was constructing a superb innings before he was dismissed by Todd Murphy for the third time in the series, an offbreak straightening perfectly from round the wicket to win the lbw.It was a little surprising when Kuhnemann was taken out of the attack with figures of 5-0-13-3 – Shreyas Iyer having dragged on – although Smith was proactive in switching the spinners around depending on the right and left-hand batters. But after lunch his fourth wicket came when R Ashwin edged a full delivery, and the fifth arrived when one skidded into Umesh Yadav’s pads.Although it’s all relative in an innings that lasted 33.2 overs of which he bowled nine, Kuhnemann said he had implemented some subtle changes as the ball got older having watched how Ravindra Jadeja operated in Delhi.”I’m a massive fan of Jadeja and Ashwin so watched how they have bowled in the last few years,” he said. “The way [Jadeja] uses his crease and probably the biggest thing I picked up in Delhi is that he brings his length back a little bit when the ball gets a little bit older. That’s probably the main thing I brought into this Test. Don’t want to get full especially on a wicket that stays low, being consistent on that five-six metre length.”By stumps, Jadeja himself had four to his name – all Australia’s wickets to fall – to take his series haul to 21, and with India bowling last he could yet be the left-arm spinner to have the decisive say on this game. However, Australia are well placed to prevent that happening. It would be a remarkable turnaround, and Kuhnemann would be a big part of the story.

Also: was Harshal Patel the first to take a five-for against the Mumbai Indians?

Steven Lynch13-Apr-2021Was Fakhar Zaman’s 193 the highest score by a batsman in a losing cause in a one-day international? asked Navjot Bhatia from India
Fakhar Zaman’s remarkable solo innings of 193 against South Africa in Johannesburg last week (the nexthighest was Babar Azam’s 31) just missed out on this distinction. The bespectacled Zimbabwe batsman Charles Coventry clattered 194 not out against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in August 2009, but his side ended up losing by four wickets. In all, there have been 18 innings of 150 or more in a losing cause in ODIs.Zaman’s onslaught did set a different record, though: it was the highest score for the side batting second in an ODI, beating Shane Watson’s 185 not out for Australia against Bangladesh in Mirpur in April 2011.Was Harshal Patel the first player to take a five-for against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL? And who had the previous best figures against them? asked Lakshmi Narayanan from India
The Haryana seamer Harshal Patel’s 5 for 27 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of the 2021 IPL, in Chennai last week, did indeed make him the first to take five in an innings against five-time champions the Mumbai Indians. The previous best against them was 4 for 6 by Rohit Sharma – now Mumbai’s captain, but then with the Deccan Chargers – in Centurion in 2009. Eight seasons later, Samuel Badree took 4 for 9 against them for RCB in Bengaluru.Patel’s haul was the 22nd five-for in the IPL: the best figures in the competition remain 6 for 12, by Alzarri Joseph – in his first match – for the Mumbai Indians against the Sunrisers in Hyderabad in April 2019.Darren Stevens scored a century in Kent’s first match of the season, aged 44 – who’s the oldest to score a hundred in the Championship? asked Michael Caldwell from England
In making 116 not out for Kent at Northampton last week, Darren Stevens – who turns 45 on April 30 – became the oldest man to make a hundred in the County Championship since 45-year-old Chris Balderstone, for Leicestershire against Sussex at Grace Road in July 1986. The previous day, Geoff Boycott, who was about a month older than Balderstone, had made his final Championship hundred for Yorkshire.But they are all a fair way behind the oldest County Championship centurion. It’s WG – but probably not the one you immediately think of. WG Grace hit his final first-class hundred (in a non-Championship game for London County vs MCC at Crystal Palace) the day after his 56th birthday in 1904 – but WG “Willie” Quaife was 139 days older when he made 115 for Warwickshire against Derbyshire at Edgbaston in 1928.Forty-four-year-old Darren Stevens made an unbeaten century for Kent, but he’s a long way from being the oldest player to score a hundred in the County Championship•Getty ImagesAccording to his player page, Hansie Cronje also played for Ireland – when was this? asked Zaheer Gill from the United States
The former South African captain Hansie Cronje played three matches for Ireland in 1997, as their permitted overseas player during the Benson and Hedges Cup, an English domestic competition. Cronje scored 94 not out in a victory over Middlesex in Dublin, and added 1 against Somerset in Taunton and 85 against Glamorgan in Cardiff. Cronje was not the only notable overseas player to feature for Ireland: the Waugh twins, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, Jesse Ryder and Jonty Rhodes are among those who also made a few appearances for them.Who was the first Test player born in Afghanistan? asked Jamal Khan from Kabul
It’s usually said (and shown online) that the mercurial Indian allrounder Salim Durani, who collected 75 wickets and more than 1200 runs in his 29 Tests, was born in Kabul in 1934. But it might not be as simple as that, as Gulu Ezekiel explains in his entertaining new book Myth-Busting: “Salim has stated that he was born ‘under the open skies’ when his mother went into labour and gave birth while they were travelling in a camel caravan from Karachi to Kabul in the region of the Khyber Pass.” So we will probably never know – he might have been born in Afghanistan, if the camels had made it across the border from what was then undivided India. But if they were still the other side of the line, then the first Afghan-born Test cricketers were the XI who took the field for their inaugural match, against India in Bengaluru in June 2018. Ironically, Durani was invited to that match as a guest of honour thanks to the legend of his Kabul birthplace!Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

MatériaMais Notícias

O Campeonato Paulista de 2024 chegou ao fim com a vitória do Palmeiras sobre o Santos neste domingo (7). O Alviverde foi campeão pela 26ª vez. Nesta segunda-feira (8), a redação do Lance! se reuniu e votou a seleção da competição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalPower Ranking #3: os melhores times do momento no futebol brasileiroFutebol Nacional08/04/2024FluminenseFluminense anuncia novo patrocinador máster; veja valores e duração do contratoFluminense08/04/2024CruzeiroLarcamón fora do Cruzeiro: veja técnicos brasileiros livres no mercadoCruzeiro08/04/2024

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Os 11 ideais foram escalados no 4-3-3, com domínio do Palmeiras, que conta com cinco jogadores no time, além do técnico Abel Ferreira. Já o vice-campeão, o Santos, tem quatro representantes. Os outros atletas são do São Paulo e do Red Bull Bragantino.

A seleção do Campeonato Carioca feita pelo Lance! tem: Rafael (São Paulo); Marcos Rocha (Palmeiras); Gil (Santos); Murilo (Palmeiras); Juninho Capixaba (Red Bull Bragantino); João Schmidt (Santos), Aníbal Moreno (Palmeiras) e Otero (Santos); Endrick (Palmeiras), Flaco López (Palmeiras) e Guilherme (Santos). Técnico: Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras).

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CRAQUE E REVELAÇÃO
Além da redação do Lance!, os torcedores também participaram da eleição dos melhores do Campeonato Paulista. Em votação realizada no canal do WhatsApp do Lance!, o público elegeu Flaco López, do Palmeiras, como craque do estadual, com 52% dos votos. Já a revelação é o meia Rômulo, do Novorizontino, com 72% dos votos.

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Futebol NacionalPalmeirasPaulistãoSantosSão Paulo

Chelsea have become known for splashing the cash in the transfer market over recent years, even breaking the British transfer record on numerous occasions.

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández both joined in deals worth over £100m, showcasing the hierarchy’s ambitions of taking the club back to Premier League glory in the years ahead.

Over the summer of 2025, the Blues spent up to £420m on new additions, including add-ons, with Enzo Maresca once again being backed to lead the club up the table.

Numerous of the recent arrivals have hit the ground running in West London, as seen with striker Joao Pedro, who has already netted four goals and laid on three assists this season.

However, the same can’t be said for another player in the first-team squad, with his start to life in the capital being nothing short of a disaster, given his constant setbacks.

Liam Delap’s disastrous start to life at Chelsea

During the summer window, Chelsea secured the £30m signing of striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town after triggering his relegation release clause in his contract.

The 22-year-old was seen as an exciting addition for the Blues, but his move has failed to take off in recent months, with injuries often plaguing his progress under Maresca.

He suffered a hamstring injury against Fulham back in August that would rule him out of action for two months, before suffering yet another issue just seven games into his return.

Delap was forced off with a shoulder injury against Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago, which is set to rule the Englishman out until the new year at the earliest.

However, despite his fitness issues, the £30m man has often struggled to deliver the goods when fit, as seen by his measly tally of just one goal in his first 11 appearances for the Blues.

His only goal came in the Champions League, but his struggles in the Premier League are there for all to see, with the talisman only posting five shots on target to date.

The Chelsea star who’s already a huge upgrade on Delap

As previously mentioned, fellow striker Pedro has already managed to outperform Delap in the Premier League, with the Brazilian a more effective option to date.

The £55m paid for the 24-year-old already appears to be excellent business, with the former Brighton & Hove Albion star having the platform to reach world-class status under Marcesa’s guidance.

However, the Blues’ recent recruitment has seen them target young talents that can gain experience elsewhere before making the jump into being a first-team regular in West London.

Estevao is a prime example of such a situation, with the teenager staying at homeland club Palmeiras for a period of time before his move to Chelsea to allow him to gain needed senior first-team minutes.

Such a situation has once unfolded in front of the supporters’ very eyes, with striker Emanuel Emgeha one of the latest players to agree to join Maresca’s men.

Back in September, it was confirmed that the Dutch striker would be joining the Blues in the summer of 2026 from sister club Strasbourg on a seven-year contract.

Whilst he may be an unknown name to many, the 22-year-old is an unbelievably talented star who could inject serious quality into the centre-forward department.

When comparing his stats to those of Delap from the ongoing campaign, the soon-to-be Chelsea star has massively dominated the Englishman in numerous key areas.

Emegha, who’s been dubbed one of the “best strikers in Europe” by his assistant boss, has also struggled with injuries this season, but it hasn’t restricted him from thriving in the final third, as seen by his incredible tally of six combined goals and assists in just seven appearances.

Games played

7

8

Goals & assists

6

0

Shots on target

1.4

1.2

Pass accuracy

81%

64%

Passes into final third

0.4

0.2

Take-on success

1.4

0.7

Aerials won

80%

40%

Such a tally is way in excess of what Delap has been able to offer, with the Blues’ number nine unable to post a single goal or assist in more outings than the Dutchman.

Away from his goalscoring record, the Strasbourg talent has also achieved more shots on target per 90 – further showcasing his talents within the final third.

He’s also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, with more of his efforts being made into the final third – arguably making him a more creative outlet.

Emgeha’s dominance is also reflected in his higher tally of take-ons completed and better aerial success rate – numbers which make him the perfect all-round option for Maresca.

Many fans will have hoped that Delap would have more of an impact in 2025/26, but it’s safe to say the move has failed to live up to the expectations it generated.

However, the arrival of Emegha next summer could finally end the hunt for a new talisman, with the youngster having all the tools to star at Stamford Bridge for many years.

Chelsea's next star: BlueCo have signed a talent who's like Estevao & Caicedo

The hugely exciting wonderkid has been compared to two of Chelsea’s best players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Rafael Devers rocked the boat with the Boston Red Sox when he publicly criticized the club's front office for asking him to play first base in the aftermath of teammate Triston Casas's season-ending injury. In Boston's eyes, Devers, a third baseman by trade who was already forced out of his natural position after the signing of Alex Bregman, wouldn't have to strain hard to learn the tricks of the trade to shift to the other corner of the diamond. In Devers's eyes, it's just another unreasonable ask by a front office that already pushed one undesirable change on him this spring.

Red Sox owner John Henry, joined by chief baseball officer Crag Breslow and president Sam Kennedy, met with the disgruntled slugger on Friday afternoon, resulting in an "honest conversation about what we value as an organization and what we believe is important to the Boston Red Sox," per Breslow.

That doesn't exactly sound like the trio sang "Kumbaya" together, but it does at least sound like the sort of productive conversation that could get things moving in the right direction. Nevertheless, the mere fact that there was even a meeting tells us the Red Sox are taking Devers's comments, a rare public rebuke of an organization's chief decision-maker, seriously enough to get the team owner involved.

Add in a report that some players on the Red Sox are reportedly displeased with Devers's behavior and it paints the picture of a pretty precarious situation. Before we move into speculative waters, let's be clear about one thing: the Red Sox very likely won't trade Devers, who in January of 2023 signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, cementing his status as the face of the franchise.

But given how much things have unraveled in just a few short months, it's not entirely inconceivable to imagine a scenario where the Red Sox seek to trade Devers to clear a potential lingering clubhouse issue, augment an already robust farm system and decrease salary commitments. And that's the fine line where we'll operate in this fun exercise.

There seem to be three potential primary landing spots that make the most sense, as well as a few notable long shots. Any team targeting Devers must be close enough to contention to warrant making such a trade and have the resources to take on the 28-year-old’s gargantuan contract, which costs roughly $28 million annually through 2033. A good farm system is a plus—while it’s unclear how much prospect capital it’d take to obtain Devers considering the mega deal he’d come with, one imagines Boston would have to acquire some solid talent to part ways with their offensive cornerstone. Oh, and the trade partner would have to have a place for Devers to play, be it at third base or as designated hitter. (Don't you dare say first base!)

So, with that criteria in mind, let's dive into some potential destinations.

Chicago Cubs

Farm system rank: 8th
Position available for Devers: 3B, DH
2025 payroll: $193,203,383

The Cubs' farm system is armed with the type of young, MLB-ready talent that would make the Red Sox salivate. And would you look at that, the Cubs just so happen to have an opening at third base, where the incumbent Jon Berti and his .644 OPS currently reside after prospect Matt Shaw badly struggled there early on.

While the Cubs' willingness to take on a contract as large as Devers's is up for debate, it would be the mother-of-all insurance policies should National League MVP candidate and free-agent-to-be Kyle Tucker depart this winter. Adding Devers, a three-time All-Star who owns a career .854 OPS, to a powerful Cubs lineup would be a fascinating gambit by Chicago's front office. The Cubs are leading the NL Central and could very well contend for the club's first pennant since 2016.

Philadelphia Phillies

Farm system rank: 17th
Positions available for Devers: 3B?
2025 payroll: $282,625,817

The Phillies' farm system doesn't boast the same volume of talent as the Cubs’, but Philadelphia does possess the kind of young pitchers (No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter, No. 5 prospect Moisés Chace, No. 8 prospect Mick Abel) that would entice the Red Sox. And there's no doubting the Phillies' status as contenders—they're just three years removed from reaching the World Series and two years removed from reaching the NLCS. They could, however, use a spark to reverse their trend of exiting the postseason earlier with each passing year, and Phillies owner John Middleton isn’t afraid to spend his fortune.

The only roadblock? Alec Bohm, a 2024 All-Star, currently mans third base for the Phillies. But would that stop Philadelphia from swinging for the fences with a Devers trade, especially considering Bohm’s slow start and below-average power stroke? And how fun would it be seeing Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski coordinating a blockbuster trade with one of the teams he used to run?

Washington Nationals

Farm system rank: 13th
Positions available for Devers: 3B
2025 payroll: $112,892,271

The Juan Soto trade is bearing fruit in the form of James Wood (.926 OPS), CJ Abrams (.304 BA, eight stolen bases) and MacKenzie Gore (3.33 ERA, MLB-high 68 strikeouts). How about adding the 28-year-old Devers as a proven frontline piece to Washington’s tantalizing young core? It’s the sort of move that could push up the Nationals’ contention window and show they’re serious about ending a postseason drought that dates back to 2020. With Washington’s third basemen combining for just 0.1 fWAR (22nd in MLB) this season, the hot corner is there for the taking in D.C.

Honorable Mentions

Los Angeles Dodgers

The defending champs boast a seemingly limitless payroll, a loaded farm system and a third base situation that could use an upgrade given the struggles of 37-year-old Max Muncy. You can never count out the Dodgers to make a splash, but could the Red Sox really stomach sending another homegrown superstar to Los Angeles to join Mookie Betts?

Milwaukee Brewers

A perennial playoff contender with plenty of trade ammo and an opening at the hot corner. Would they want to take on his contract, though?

New York Mets

This doesn't really seem like David Stearns's style, but Steve Cohen's wallet, the Mets’ farm system and available at bats at DH make this conceivable. Plus, Lindor-Soto-Devers-Alonso would be MLB's version of lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

Ruben Amorim has offered a blunt assessment of Manchester United’s academy pathway, admitting Chido Obi was promoted “too soon” last season while warning young stars that first-team opportunities must be earned. With the Red Devils yet to start a homegrown player in the league this term, the remarks place fresh focus on Carrington’s emerging talents as the club navigates a growing attacking shortage.

• Amorim questioned about Obi and Lacey's first-team opportunities

  Ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Everton, Amorim was asked about the current state of the academy pipeline, particularly in light of injuries and upcoming Africa Cup of Nations absences. The head coach has yet to start a homegrown player in the Premier League this season, increasing scrutiny on whether young talent will feature during a congested winter schedule. His comments centred on two of United’s most promising teenagers, Chido Obi and Shea Lacey, and whether either is ready to contribute meaningfully at the senior level.

  With Benjamin Sesko out and both Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo set for Africa Cup of Nations duty, supporters have been looking toward Carrington prospects to fill upcoming gaps. Obi made eight senior appearances last season at just 16, while Lacey has excelled at the youth level since returning from injury. Amorim, however, stressed that first-team readiness demands more than raw talent, and that neither player will be rushed for the sake of short-term needs.  

  The manager also highlighted broader structural improvements within the club, emphasising the importance of bridging the gap between Carrington prospects and the demands of United’s high-intensity training environment. These measures, he explained, are designed to ensure that young players are physically and psychologically capable before stepping onto a Premier League pitch.

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• AFP
  

  Amorim opens up on necessity of steady progress for Carrington prospects

  “He [Chido] played last year, but I think it was too soon,” Amorim said when asked about Obi’s chances of stepping in. “We didn't have a team we could put a young kid of 16 into and him not struggle. He's one of the guys but he started too soon. Sometimes it's hard to deal with that, with the kids, because they think that 'I'm already here'. We need to be careful with that.” 

  On Lacey, he added: “I'm really happy with him. He struggled a little bit with injuries but they did a very good job balancing his body and you can sense he can manage more load during training. He has a lot of talent but when they come here they can sense the speed is completely different, so they need to spend more time with us to be prepared because our training is hard.”

  Amorim also addressed the broader academy link: “When you call a kid up to the first team, they need to behave really well. This connection is really important. We are putting everything in place – a nutritionist for the academy starts now – in our club. That is something that should be basic. All these things we are doing, so I have more time with them and I'm more confident with them. When we put these kids in to play in the Premier League, they will struggle, but will struggle less I think.”

• Getty
  

  Obi and Lacey: Two of Man Utd's best youth talents

  Obi’s rise has been one of the most highly publicised academy stories of recent years. After breaking goal-scoring records at Arsenal, most notably scoring 10 in a single U16 game and netting 32 goals in just 18 U18 Premier League matches, he made the bold move to Manchester United in 2024. His early months at Old Trafford saw him fast-tracked through the youth ranks, ultimately making eight senior appearances and becoming the youngest Premier League starter in Red Devils' history at 17 years and 156 days.   

  Obi’s development since then has been steady, but Amorim now believes the rapid exposure came “too soon”, reflecting the physical and psychological demands placed on a 16-year-old competing at senior level. His time with the U18s and U21s has shown glimpses of his prolific instincts, but the club’s plan under Amorim is more focused on long-term growth. As United restructure their academy-to-first-team pathway, Obi is expected to spend more time under controlled development rather than immediate senior pressure.  

  Lacey, meanwhile, has enjoyed a resurgent 2025 after overcoming an injury that halted his momentum the previous year. The 18-year-old winger, often compared to Phil Foden for his tight control, balance and creative flair, signed a long-term deal until 2029 and has impressed for United’s U21s and England youth teams. Amorim has integrated him into first-team training consistently, even naming him in the senior squad earlier this month, and views him as a realistic option during the AFCON period. 

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• Will Obi and Lacey be a part of Man Utd first team in December?

  With United facing a packed winter schedule and losing two wingers to international duty, both Obi and Lacey may find themselves in contention for minutes, but only under Amorim’s strict conditions. The Portuguese manager’s comments make clear that opportunities will be earned through training standards and tactical readiness, not handed out due to injury crises. 

  Manchester United will have a lot less tightly-packed fixture schedule in December compared to their European football-playing rivals. However, they will still play seven games in 30 days, starting with their clash against Crystal Palace on November 30.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has experienced almost every emotion in his first four matches in charge of the Ibrox giants since his move to the club.

The German tactician has lost 3-0 to Brann in Europe, won back-to-back games in the Scottish Premiership, and lost a League Cup semi-final in extra time.

Rohl has been thrown in at the deep end at Ibrox after replacing Russell Martin in the dugout, as the Light Blues had only won five games in 18 matches in all competitions at the start of the season after, what now looks like, a dismal summer window.

Russell Martin's worst Rangers signing

Working with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the worst signing of the summer transfer window, with Martin in charge, currently looks like Youssef Chermiti.

Rangers reportedly paid £8m to sign the Portugal U21 international from Everton, which made him the club’s most-expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo arrived for £12m in 2000. The second-most expensive signing of the summer was Oscar Cortes for £4.5m.

Unfortunately, the Light Blues have not been rewarded with much output for that outlay, with one goal and one assist in 11 appearances for the club, per Sofascore.

Chermiti missed two huge chances to find the back of the net against Celtic on Sunday, which caused commentator and pundit Michael Stewart to describe him as being “so poor” in front of goal.

Given the money spent and the return on their investment so far, it is hard to argue against the young striker being the worst summer signing from Thelwell and Martin.

Another summer signing who should be in contention for that award, though, is central midfielder Joe Rothwell, who currently looks like he should be sold in January.

Why Rangers should move on from Joe Rothwell

The Gers signed the Englishman from Premier League side Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

At the time of his arrival, Martin described Rothwell as a “huge asset” who would “bring a real winning mentality to the group”, which was an exciting statement from the head coach.

Unfortunately, though, that has not played out on the pitch. Instead, the experienced midfielder looks like he should be sold in January because his performances have not been good enough.

Appearances

8

Starts

5

Goals

0

Assists

1

Tackles per game

0.9

Dribbled past per game

0.4x

Ground duel success rate

46%

As you can see in the table above, Rothwell has struggled to deal with the intensity and physicality of Scottish football, losing more than half of his ground duels and failing to make at least one tackle per game on average.

The Englishman has been an unused substitute in the last two Premiership matches, which resulted in two of the club’s three league wins this season, but did come on in extra time against Celtic.

That cameo did little to help his case to return to the team in the Premiership, though, as Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described him as “rotten”.

Rothwell, at this moment in time, does not look suited to playing Scottish football, because of his lack of physicality and intensity, which seems unlikely to change, given that he turns 31 in January.

It has also been an issue for him on the European stage. Rothwell lost 100% of his duels and failed to win a single tackle in 64 minutes against Brann in the Europa League recently, per Sofascore.

Rohl has already opted against using him in the Premiership and waited until extra time to bring him on against Celtic, which suggests that he has not been overly impressed by his levels in training.

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Therefore, Rangers should look to immediately move on from Rothwell when the January transfer window opens for business, unless he can finally start to show why Martin was so excited to sign him in the summer.

The noise and, from many, joy from Liverpool’s wretched run of form of late is perhaps a marker of just how mighty Anfield has become over the past decade.

It is ten years since Jurgen Klopp took the reins from Brendan Rodgers, the last Reds boss before Arne Slot to succumb to a four-game losing run.

But Liverpool are vastly different to that long-forgotten iteration, and Slot has within his grasp some of the best players in world football. The 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League served as a reminder that this is a team capable of winning all the biggest prizes – again.

However, some individuals are struggling, and the team as a unit has struggled to find fluent form. One of the biggest culprits would be Alexis Mac Allister, whose grace ability and determination in the engine room is crucial for the performance of the Slot machine.

Mac Allister's form for Liverpool

Mac Allister is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Certainly, he is among the most complete, the most spirited, the most inventive.

But he hasn’t been quite right this year, with Sofascore recording he has lost 57% of his ground duels in the league thus far, only making one tackle per match.

Whereas the Argentine has been virtually undroppable across his first two years in a Liverpool shirt, he now looks more vulnerable in the starting line-up, and the midweek win over Frankfurt emphasised this, for he was left on the bench after lasting only an hour against Manchester United.

Mac Allister’s form has been a concern this season, but he is an elite player and crucial to Liverpool’s success. The 26-year-old has, in some ways, given Slot his own version of Thiago Alcantara, whose career was cut short right before the Dutchman’s arrival. But, as with Thiago, Liverpool seem to be finding a way to perform without the star in the mix.

The tempo-setting, line-breaking maestro offered something unique in the Liverpool engine room, and in this, Liverpool evolved in that later Klopp team.

The problem, of course, is that the retired 34-year-old was rarely fit. Across four campaigns on Merseyside, the Spain star managed only 98 appearances across all competitions.

But his technical quality, vision and awareness were faculties unlike anything else Liverpool had. In Mac Allister, the Reds have a midfielder with stylistic similarities, but there’s actually another man in Slot’s first team who could be Liverpool’s new version of their former superstar.

Liverpool's new version of Thiago

Sometimes in football, the timings just don’t work out. Steven Gerrard missed the Klopp era by a whisker, leaving for LA Galaxy only months before the German’s historic appointment.

Likewise, Thiago would retire from football prematurely at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, having made only one appearance that year due to non-stop injury setbacks. He was 33 years old.

Thus, he missed the incipient Slot era and the Premier League title that would arrive at Anfield’s doorstep just one year after he hung up the boots.

The greatest travesty of it all is that the stylish Spaniard boasted a playing style which is tailor-made for the calculated, composed build-up Liverpool have developed since Klopp’s departure. Gone (last season, at least) is the frenetic, out-of-control football that Slot’s predecessor employed – emphatically and to silver-laden success.

Thiago is one of the greatest technicians of his generation. He would have been the linchpin for this version of Liverpool. But Slot may have an heir in Curtis Jones.

Yes, you read that right. No, this argument does not centre around the basis that Jones is on the same level as the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich sensation in his prime.

But the Liverpool-born star shares certain qualities with his one-time teammate, with both among the squad’s most reliable players on the ball and bearing combative sides, emphasised through robustness in the challenge and tough-tackling defensive contributions.

Jones graduated from Liverpool’s academy and has been with his boyhood outfit ever since, and though he played a role under Klopp’s wing, Slot’s tactics have given rise to his skillset and seen him become “one of the most underrated players in England”, as said by one Premier League analyst.

Jones is an effortless passer. He’s intelligent with his decision-making, and he is tactically disciplined. As per FBref, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 8% for goal-creating actions, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90.

He’s also well-seasoned within this Liverpool team, and when the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk depart, both into their penultimate years on Merseyside, he will be among the leading figures at the club.

Most Apps for Liverpool (active players)

Player

Age

Apps

Mohamed Salah

33

413

Andy Robertson

31

349

Virgil van Dijk

34

331

Alisson

33

307

Joe Gomez

28

245

Curtis Jones

24

190

Data via Transfermarkt

Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich for £20m in 2020 and would ebb and flow. Never in doubt was his technical quality, nor the fact that he could have been a divisional great with better luck on the injury front.

There’s no question that he would have been a sublime component in Slot’s system, but in Jones, the Netherlands native has found a like-styled player who could now take the next step in his development and play a crucial deep-lying role to promote Liverpool’s ball-playing abilities.

At Frankfurt, Jones took a staggering 139 touches of the ball, linking play together and completing 122 of 127 attempted passes. This is his strength, and Slot must give him free rein from the outset to rise to the next level and take Liverpool with him.

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Sunderland haven’t always made Premier League survival look like a painless feat to achieve.

Indeed, the Black Cats have actually fallen victim to the terrible fate of relegation down to the Championship four times since the top division’s rebrand in 1992.

Thankfully, plenty of fight and quality to beat the drop this time around has already been on display, with two wins and two draws picked up from their opening five clashes in the unforgiving league, meaning Regis Le Bris’ men are sitting in a pretty seventh spot currently.

That isn’t to say there weren’t several fan favourites from Sunderland’s previous relegation dogfights, though, with Jermain Defoe a recent hero that sticks out, even as the Wearside outfit tumbled out of the big time.

Defoe's hero status at Sunderland

Defoe would arrive at the Black Cats in 2014 with the reputation for being a clinical goal machine in the Premier League, with a mammoth 126 top-flight goals already notched up, before finding himself in the midst of a relegation tussle at the Stadium of Light.

Joining mid-way through the season could well have unnerved others. Defoe, on the other hand, managed to instantly hit the ground running to guide Sunderland to safety, with his unbelievable first-time effort against fierce rivals Newcastle United still remembered to this day as an iconic goal.

In total, 34 top-flight strikes would be put away by Sunderland’s dependable number 18 across 87 games, with a return to the England set-up even coming the veteran’s way, off the back of such a blistering purple patch of form.

Unfortunately, though, even as he routinely put on the captain’s armband, relegation would still swallow the Black Cats whole at the end of his final goal-laden season in the top-flight.

Regardless, the experienced talisman had still left a lasting impact on supporters in Wearside, with his teammate at the time, Adnan Januzaj, hailing him as “unbelievable” to work alongside.

Defoe would even come back to the Black Cats towards the tail-end of his playing days, but away from the glittering marksman’s extensive career, Le Bris will hope he now has his own much-loved leader figure in a similar vein to the Englishman in this passionate Sunderland presence.

Sunderland's new Defoe

Immediately, the first name that might well spring to mind here in being a Defoe-like hero is Wilson Isidor.

After all, much like the much-loved number 18, Isidor has already proven himself to be a hard-to-contain attacker in the Premier League, with an impressive three goals being fired home this season, steering the Black Cats to some invaluable early victories.

However, even though he isn’t leading the line, the actual figure being touted as the next Defoe here is Granit Xhaka, as the Black Cats thank their lucky stars once more that they managed to pick up a Premier League-experienced pro on the cheap.

As part of an ingenious swap deal that saw Jozy Altidore move to Toronto FC while the attacking veteran relocated back to English shores, Defoe would undoubtedly further affirm his status as a Premier League great.

In the here and now, Xhaka swapping Bayer Leverkusen for the Black Cats for just £17.3m is going down much the same way.

Xhaka – 25/26 PL stats
Stat – per 90 mins*	Xhaka
Games played	5
Goals scored	0
Assists	2
Touches*	73.2
Accurate passes*	48.8 (83%)
Key passes*	1.4
Ball recoveries*	4.2
Total duels won*	6.8
Stats by Sofascore

Before embarking on a shock return to England, Xhaka did already have 225 Premier League appearances under his belt, with 17 goals and 24 assists next to his name for Arsenal in the daunting league, even seeing him be referred to as a “monster” by Gunners-based writer Connor Humm.

The concern would have been whether the Swiss international could roll back the years on his return to the English top-flight.

However, based on the table above, there didn’t need to be any major worries, as Sunderland has seemingly hit the jackpot on a new talisman – much like they jumped for joy with Defoe – in their tenacious number 34.

Already blending his obvious class with bags of determination to ensure Sunderland punch above their weight, it’s even clearer now why picking up Xhaka had been described as “masterstroke” of a purchase, as it had been labelled by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman when he first arrived on the scene.

Many would have viewed Defoe’s entry into the building way back in 2014 in the same glowing manner, with Le Bris and Co. now well positioned to go against their bleak relegation history and beat the drop with Xhaka placed at the centre of their plans.

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