Tag Futebol

Ange Postecoglou enjoyed the most glorious vindication as he lifted the Europa League after leading his Tottenham Hotspur side to victory against Manchester United, making good on a promise that was scoffed at by detractors when made.

However, there’s no detracting from the fact that Spurs have flattered to deceive this season, 17th in the Premier League with one match left to play, having been battered by injuries and consequent struggles for any measure of fluency.

Things need to change next season, and Daniel Levy will certainly be wrestling over the manager’s seat, with Postecoglou’s future uncertain in spite of his success in ending the club’s interminable trophy drought.

However, by doing so, the Aussie tactician has salvaged something special from this difficult year, placing Tottenham in next year’s Champions League group stage. By doing so, it’s opened the door for exciting signings to strengthen the squad.

Spurs favourites to seal statement signing

As per Spanish sources, Tottenham are the favourites to sign RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons this summer after unlocking the door to Europe’s elite stage.

Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe this term and have thus informed Simons he will be allowed to leave, though they will demand €80m (£68m) for his release.

Liverpool had been in the running for the Dutchman but have moved to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz instead, with the German side looking for a €150m (£126m) payment. However, the Lilywhites will feel that they can secure a signing every bit as impactful and for almost half the cost.

Why Spurs must sign Xavi Simons

Described as a “superstar” in the making by analyst Ben Mattinson, Simons left Paris Saint-Germain to make his name at Leipzig back in the summer of 2023, playing the coming campaign as a loanee before signing permanently in a €50m (£42m) deal.

Alternating between central attacking midfield and wider berths, he’s been an invariably prolific presence, posting 44 goal contributions from 76 matches in all competitions.

Described as a “game-changer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Simons has the potency to make a stunning impression in Postecoglou’s Spurs squad, but he also has the strength and solidity to thrive in the wider lens of English football.

When looking at how he compares with Liverpool’s soon-to-be-signed superstar in the Bundesliga this year, you begin to see that Tottenham could bag themselves a winner here.

Matches (starts)

25 (25)

31 (25)

Goals

10

10

Assists

7

12

Shots (on target)*

2.0 (0.9)

2.3 (1.3)

Touches*

68.0

73.4

Pass completion

83%

82%

Big chances created

12

17

Key passes

2.0

1.8

Dribbles*

1.3

2.6

Ball recoveries*

5.1

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.6

1.3

Duels won*

5.4

5.2

Honestly, there’s a case to be made that Simons has enjoyed the better Bundesliga campaign, marginally outperforming last year’s Player of the Season across many of the underlying metrics and proving he has what it takes to thrive in the Premier League, confident in the duel and precise with his passing.

This robust Netherlands star is exactly what Tottenham need, and though at £68m he’d prove their record signing, it would be money well spent for a team now with a unique opportunity to put the year’s issues in the past and turn toward a sustained period of success.

It would make quite the statement, retorting to Liverpool’s capture with their own version, one who could go punch-for-punch with the German in the Premier League.

Without question, Wirtz is one of the most exciting midfielders of his generation. Former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes has even said he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world.” However, his loyalties obviously lie with the Werkself.

If anything, Simons’ metrics simply highlight the calibre of player Postecoglou would be bringing into his ranks, ready to steer this Tottenham team toward an illustrious new era.

Spurs hit gold on "sensational" monster who's becoming their new Dembele

The impressive international could be a star for Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 24, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur and a player have now agreed to part ways this summer after behind-scenes talks, with the man himself making an admission about his future in N17.

Ange Postecoglou likely to leave Tottenham as Spurs plan for summer

Ange Postecoglou suffered his nineteenth top-flight defeat of the season against Liverpool on Sunday, which equalled the Lilywhites’ record for most league losses in a single Premier League campaign.

Tottenham talking about appointing "special" manager wanted by Real Madrid

Spurs decision-makers now want to show ambition.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 26, 2025

Dominic Solanke surprisingly opened the scoring for Spurs at Anfield, but their joy was short-lived, as goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Mohammed Salah and Destiny Udogie (OG) cemented Liverpool’s status as champions of England on another afternoon to forget for the north Londoners.

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Reports in the build up to that match indicated that Postecoglou could leave Tottenham regardless of their Europa League campaign, with Spurs facing Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their semi-final on Thursday.

A plethora of top coaches have been tipped as candidates to succeed Postecoglou, including Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley).

GiveMeSport have also reported that Tottenham have discussed hiring Jürgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso, with some key decision-makers determined to showcase ambition in their pursuit of a new manager.

Alongside Postecoglou, a few players may be joining the former Celtic boss in departing the club this summer. Cristian Romero is a top target for Atlético Madrid, and a report from The Telegraph’s Matt Law this week claims Tottenham are in for a ‘sell to buy’ window, so the Argentine’s exit is entirely possible.

Richarlison has also been linked with a summer exit from Spurs recently, amid rumoured interest from David Moyes’ Everton, while those within Tottenham are growing more open to selling Pedro Porro to fund their transfer plans (Graeme Bailey). There is also the matter of players currently out on loan elsewhere, like Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil.

Bryan Gil confirms decision to leave Tottenham this summer

The latter was on a temporary deal at Girona, where he managed four goals and three assists in 32 total appearances for the club.

However, the 24-year-old’s season is now over due to a ligament tear which required surgery, and that has also given him time to discuss his long-term future with the press.

Speaking to Estadio Deportivo, Gil confirmed his decision to leave Tottenham, and it is a totally mutual call, as both parties seek to part ways with no hard feelings.

“That’s something my agent will tell me where things are going, but they [Spurs] told me, and I told them, that the best thing is for us not to continue being linked to Tottenham,” said Gil.

“They bet on me when I was young, and they’ve treated me fairly well, but if I have to go back there, I’ll focus on giving my best as always. I’m calm because no one can have a bad word to say about me not being professional. Without playing, I’ve always trained well, I’ve done what I had to do, so whatever has to happen, will happen. We’ll see where we are next year.”

The Spaniard was signed by Fabio Paratici in a £21.6 million swap deal involving Erik Lamela, but after four years at Spurs dominated by loan moves elsewhere, it appears the “very exciting” Gil is destined to leave for good – if Daniel Levy can find a buyer.

Glasgow Rangers will be on the lookout for a new manager this summer after Barry Ferguson’s time as the interim head coach comes to an end.

The Scottish boss came in to replace Philippe Clement on a short-term basis and has the job until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, when a decision will be made on the holder of the position on a long-term basis.

Ferguson has not done too much to further his claim to take the job on permanently after a fairly unimpressive collection of results in the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership so far.

His side failed to score in three of their four Europa League outings, eventually getting knocked out by Athletic Bilbao, and the Scottish manager has only won three of his seven top-flight games in charge, most recently drawing 2-2 with St Mirren.

The Light Blues may, therefore, have to look further afield to find their manager for next season and beyond, because Ferguson does not look up to the task of returning Rangers to their former glory on the evidence of his interim period in charge.

In fact, a fresh report on the club’s search for a new head coach suggests that the club are looking at other options to come in and replace the former Scotland international in the Ibrox dugout.

Rangers considering moves for two managerial candidates

According to TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants have whittled their shortlist of managerial candidates down to two in their search for a new tactician.

The report claims that former RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose has emerged as a contender for the job, as the Gers hierarchy are said to be thinking about him for the job.

It states that the pending takeover will put the club in a better financial situation, and that they are looking for an exciting managerial appointment to take the team in the right direction.

Rose is said to have been sounded out about the job and that he is open to taking on a new role next season, having left his position at RB Leipzig in March.

Manager Focus

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The German head coach, however, is not the only manager on the shortlist. TEAMtalk adds that the Light Blues are seriously considering a swoop for former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard.

It states that the English manager, who left Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in January, would be interested in a return to Glasgow to manage the team for a second time.

In fact, TEAMtalk reports that many managers see the job as an attractive prospect because of the potential to win domestic trophies, as well as the prospect of Champions League or Europa League football, which Gerrard has not had since his first spell in Scotland.

With all of this in mind, the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell, who is set to take up the position of sporting director this summer, must move to bring the Liverpool legend back to Ibrox ahead of a swoop for Rose.

Why Steven Gerrard would be better for Rangers than Marco Rose

The German boss is, certainly, a strong candidate for the job because he has achieved relative success in both Austria with RB Salzburg and Germany with RB Leipzig.

Rose won two titles in two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga before making his way to his home country with Borussia Monchengladbach, with whom he finished fourth and eighth before joining Borussia Dortmund and finishing second in the 2021/22 campaign.

The 48-year-old boss then joined Leipzig and finished third and fourth in his first two seasons, before leaving the club in sixth place in the division this season.

This suggests that Rose, despite winning the German Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, regressed during his time at Monchengladbach and Leipzig, as their respective league positions dropped the longer he stayed.

Rangers must, now, swoop for Gerrard instead because he would be an even better appointment than the German head coach, as he is a proven quantity at Ibrox and in Scottish football.

The 4-3-3 boss joined the Light Blues in the summer of 2018 and led the club to second-placed finishes in the Premiership in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, before winning the league title in his third year in Glasgow.

Gerrard’s team, incredibly, went unbeaten in the 2020/21 campaign in the top-flight, winning 32 matches and drawing six, to beat Celtic to the title.

It was a remarkable accomplishment by the manager, whose reputation was described as “amazing” by former England defender Glen Johnson, who won the league title for Rangers for the first time in ten years.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and Philippe Clement have all attempted to replicate the success that Gerrard had at Ibrox, but failed and were all relieved of their duties without winning the league title.

The former Liverpool midfielder’s experience and success at Ibrox are exactly why he would be an even better appointment than Rose, because he knows what it takes to win the Premiership and has proven that he can put together a team to do exactly that.

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st

1st

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard only lost one of his last 50 Premiership matches in charge of Rangers, leaving the club at the top of the table after 12 matches in the 2021/22 campaign when he left to join Aston Villa.

The Gers have lost seven of their 34 games in the league in the current season, which illustrates just how impressive that record across 50 outings was, and they clearly need a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Glasgow.

Therefore, bringing Gerrard back to Ibrox in the hope that he can recapture the spark that he had in his first spell at the club could be a brilliant move for the 49ers and Thelwell to make.

The out-of-work tactician could bring the feel-good factor back to Ibrox, more so than Rose, who has no experience in Scotland or prior connection with the fanbase, and it is a move that seems to make a lot of sense on paper.

Rangers must axe £3m flop who has missed more games than Lawrence

Kevin Thelwell has a big job on his hands at Rangers

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 27, 2025

Debutant hailed for seam skills at vital juncture of South Africa’s first innings

Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2024Another day, another impressive performance from an England Test debutant in Bloemfontein. This time it was Ryana MacDonald-Gay, the 20-year old seamer, who struck twice even as lightning could not, either side of a 45-minute weather-related interruption, as South Africa’s batting unravelled.Their collapse of 7 for 44 started when MacDonald-Gay, in her second spell and with the old ball, produced a delivery that held its stump-to-stump line, beat Marizanne Kapp’s drive and hit the top of off. It was a dream dismissal for any bowler, nevermind a complete newcomer taking her first wicket and that too, of one of the opposition’s most valuable players and a franchise team-mate. Kapp, who plays alongside MacDonald-Gay at Oval Invincibles, could only accept being undone.”She actually bowled the best out of all their seam bowlers,” Kapp said in the end-of-day press conference. “If you just look at her seam that they keep on showing on TV, that’s a massive standout. And if you are bowling with a seam like that, you’ll always get movement or a bit of nip or something.”Five balls after Kapp was bowled, the players were taken off the field with lightning visible in the distance. They spent 45 minutes waiting for the storm to pass and when they returned, MacDonald-Gay picked up exactly where she left off. New batter Nadine de Klerk had no answers for a back-of-a-length ball that was zoning in on off stump and nicked off.That opened the door to the South African tail with the second new ball still to come. The remaining five wickets fell when England took it, and Lauren Bell was the biggest beneficiary. She picked up three in seven balls and ended with a career-best 4 for 49 but agreed with Kapp that it would not have been possible without “Ree-Mac,” as she called McDonald-Gay.Related

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“I completely agree (that she was the best),” Bell said. “I think (Lauren) Filer and Ree-Mac both bowled unbelievably today. Filer’s pace and Ree-Mac, she presented the seam amazingly and just nipped it around, so she held length. On debut, yeah, she was outstanding today.”Filer’s 2 for 53 included the big wickets of Annerie Dercksen, whom she peppered with short balls, and Sune Luus and proved the value of England including a fourth seamer. With more resources available to her, Heather Knight could use Filer, especially, in short spells. She had only one five-over spell, split by lunch, but was mostly used in three-over bursts, when she could crank the pace up. “That’s the best way to get the best out of our seamers is short spells, go really attacking, and just keep it ticking,” Bell said.She marvelled at Filer’s barrage to Dercksen which ended when the South African No.3 top-edged an attempted cut and sent a chance to Knight at second slip who parried it to Sophie Ecclestone at first. “Filer’s pace is obviously really attacking and she (Dercksen) didn’t look comfortable,” Bell said. “She holds that pace really well throughout her spell and she got her in the end with that team catch.”After lavishing praise on her team-mates, Bell also had the chance to reflect on her own performance and she was happy to call herself a work in progress, both in this innings and overall.Maia Bouchier and MacDonald-Gay pose with their debut Test caps•ECB/Getty Images”The job I had today was to bowl into the wind and I think I wanted to just hold length and hold line as much as possible,” she said. “With the second new ball, I was happier. It took me a while to work out what my best option was in that pitch but by the end I felt really good. At this current moment in time, it’s a process that I am very much going through.”It’s not that I won’t bowl inswing, or that that inswing that I used to bowl is gone. I just have been practising away-swing so much and it’s what I’m most comfortable bowling at this current moment in time. But my game will hopefully get to a point where I’m really comfortable bowling inswing, I’m really comfortable bowling away-swing, I’ve got my wobble ball will obviously make me, I hope, a pretty challenging bowler to face.”Someone Bell may look to emulate is Kapp, who has been South Africa’s best seamer and bowled four especially tough overs to start England’s second innings. The outswinger is Kapp’s poison and she beat Beaumont’s bat several times on the second evening.That may not concern her as much as what happened in the first innings, when Kapp thought she had Beaumont out lbw second ball after pinning her on the pad but umpire Kerrin Klaaste was not interested.In the absence of DRS (due to CSA prioritising it for white-ball women’s matches because of the cost), Kapp could not review. When asked about it, she did not complain.”It’s a new thing that we have DRS available,” she said. “I don’t believe we’ve had it available for T20s and ODI cricket before so it’s really helped in those series. And if I have to be completely honest, I’d probably prefer having it in those two formats.”Laura Wolvaardt also appeared to want to review when she was given out lbw to Sophie Ecclestone when she was on 65 and indicated she had hit it but had to go. South Africa will hope that, if there is another decision they want to go their way, it’s third time lucky.

Lanning, Pandey, Rodrigues, Kapp and Shafali have all come through adversity in recent months, and become pillars of a formidable team

Shashank Kishore25-Mar-2023For Delhi Capitals, the summer of 2023 will be special. Not least because they upstaged Mumbai Indians to qualify directly for the inaugural WPL final, where they will face… Mumbai again. After the auction, their co-owner Parth Jindal said “we believe we’ve got a winning squad”, and their journey has proved him right.In winning six out of eight games with several match-winners rising to the fore, Capitals have also exhibited the human side of fiercely competitive professionals who do whatever it takes in a cut-throat world. Irrespective of whether they lift the crown on Sunday, they’re all winners.

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When Meg Lanning took an indefinite break from cricket last August, it sparked fears that she might not return. The competitive juices that had fuelled her rise from Australia’s youngest captain to one of the country’s GOATs had gone missing. She’d won possibly everything there was to be won – T20 World Cups, 50-over World Cups, Ashes series, but something was amiss.Away from the limelight, Lanning gave her “ever-ticking cricket brain” some rest to follow set processes at a Melbourne cafe. She made cappuccinos and flat whites, served orders, washed dishes, billed, and managed inventory. She woke up every day with the excitement of meeting new customers, many of whom were “clueless about who I am or what I do”. It allowed her to see life in a different light.Related

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Since her comeback in January, Lanning has led Australia to T20 World Cup glory in South Africa last month and is the leading run-getter at the WPL, with 310 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 141.55. She’d happily trade those runs now for another trophy, her first major one in T20 leagues.Away from Melbourne, but not too far away, in Brisbane, Shikha Pandey scripted an unusual, but memorable chapter that helped rediscover her passion last August-September. Being left out of last year’s 50-over World Cup in New Zealand left her shattered and in a “dark place.” She considered quitting, only to be coaxed into deferring her decision.An avid reader, Pandey came across an article in which Tahlia McGrath spoke about how she had benefited from her interactions with Belinda Clark, the former Australia captain. These chats had helped McGrath overcome personal setbacks in her journey to win the Baggy Green.A casual introductory chat with Clark would lay the foundation for proper one-on-one mentorship that Pandey is thankful for. Clark also helped facilitate a club-cricket stint for Pandey, during which she lived with a local Indian family and enjoyed playing without the performance pressures that burden overseas professionals in competitive leagues like the WBBL or The Hundred.A rejuvenated Shikha Pandey has been one of the chief architects of Capitals’ success•BCCI”Shikha didn’t need someone feeling sorry for her,” Clark tells ESPNcricinfo. “It was easy [having conversations] because Shikha was so open and honest. She was keen to explore and try things. She was more likely to benefit from understanding what she was experiencing and then helping her find a plan to move forward.”She is an enthusiastic learner, a deep thinker and a problem-solver so once she focused on her strengths, she found a way to help others. [Today] I see a more confident Shikha. Someone who has committed to always getting better and helping others do the same. She found a way to rediscover the joy of the game.”At the WPL, Pandey has been Lanning’s go-to bowler in different phases. Her 10 wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 6.71 are the third-most among fast bowlers in the competition, behind Issy Wong (12) and Kim Garth (11).Like Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues wasn’t picked for the 50-overs World Cup after she had failed to reach double figures in five successive ODI innings in 2021. She described missing out as “one of my lowest phases”, and wanted to take control of her career again. She went back to her roots, into Mumbai’s cricket cradle.”I went to Azad Maidan during that time, and I was playing matches against the boys,” she said. “In the morning, there’s so much dew, this huge ground, many pitches, nobody covers the ground – you can put your finger inside the pitch. In those conditions I had to play Under-19 boys. Putting myself in such situations actually helped me, getting out of my comfort zone.”I changed the way I practice. I changed the way I plan my innings. I understood my game better. I understood the value of good relationships at that time and at the same time it felt like that was that was one of the lowest phases of my life, but it turned out to be the reason why I could come here today.”Rodrigues opened this year’s T20 World Cup with an unbeaten 38-ball 53 in a thrilling win over Pakistan, and she’s carried the renewed confidence into the WPL, where she is Lanning’s deputy.She hasn’t had too many opportunities with Capitals boasting a robust top three in Lanning, Shafali Verma and Alice Capsey, but Rodrigues has been a lively presence on the field, often beside Lanning while taking big calls, often lending an arm around the young Indian players.Shafali Verma has fed off the team’s faith in her ability and performed thrillingly at the top of the order•BCCILanning, Pandey and Rodrigues are just three examples. There are others who’ve endured challenging times too but have focused on their task to deliver in telling ways.Marizanne Kapp has had to grapple with the emotions of seeing her wife, Dane van Niekerk, fight through the career low of being dropped from South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad due to fitness issues. At the WPL, she’s been a key player for Capitals with both bat (159 runs at a strike rate of 127.20) and ball (nine wickets at an economy rate of 5.75).She’s been part of the Oval Invincibles team that won back-to-back Women’s Hundred titles, and won the 2021 WBBL with Perth Scorchers. A WPL title now could complete an enviable collection.Jess Jonassen went from benchwarmer to world champion on the back of two impact performances in the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup. She’s carried that form into the WPL to turn in two match-winning performances with the bat down the order, apart from delivering her ever-reliable, thrifty left-arm spin.Taniya Bhatia, who has lost her place in the Indian team, has been backed to do a specialist job as a wicketkeeper even as other teams have punted on makeshift options, like Mumbai did with Yastika Bhatia and Royal Challengers Bangalore with Richa Ghosh.Bhatia fell out of favor seemingly because she’s seen as “one dimensional”, but the virtues of having a solid wicketkeeping option on tired decks were realised as she effected four stumps in Delhi’s most-recent outing against UP Warriorz.

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Personal triumphs aside, there has been a proper method to Capitals’ approach. They’ve been fairly consistent with their XIs, only making the odd change based on conditions. Lanning hasn’t always used every bowling option at her disposal because she’s had plenty.It perhaps explains why Arundhati Reddy has bowled all of nine overs in six games, for two wickets. Or why Laura Harris has featured only once..Jemimah Rodrigues hasn’t had too many chances to show off her batting ability, but she’s been a livewire on the field•BCCIThey’ve also made smart tactical moves, like promoting Capsey from the lower middle order to No. 3 to offset spin on slightly tired surfaces in the second half of the season, seemingly because they rate her batting against this variety highly. She’s returned scores of 38, 22, 38* and 34 in her last four innings.Capitals have also used the ‘Associates’ card tactfully to play USA’s Tara Norris, who has learned much of her cricket in the UK where she’s a regular feature in the Hundred. Norris set the stage alight in the opening game, picking up the WPL’s first five-for.Shafali Verma couldn’t buy a run during her run to India’s Under-19 World Cup title. The struggle continued at the T20 World Cup that followed. But she has been backed to deliver, like teams often do by giving their X-factor players a long rope in the hope of getting that one blockbuster performance.Shafali delivered two in the first week of the competition alone: a 45-ball 84 in Capitals’ opener against RCB and a 28-ball 76 not out to blindside Gujarat Giants. Last week, Lanning spoke of how she’s learning to reset her batting template after watching Shafali play shots off deliveries you couldn’t possibly think of hitting to the boundary.Capitals’ on-field performances have fed off, and fed into, the camaraderie their players have shared off the field.Every team barring Capitals has arranged for a dedicated team room at their hotels, where the players get together to play table tennis, pool, videogames, or just hang out. Capitals don’t have one. But it hasn’t prevented the players from bonding over milestones, birthdays or festivals. The entire group came together on Holi, which was an icebreaker.After an introductory dinner where youngsters were quiet and reserved, the team’s winning vibe has rubbed off on the players’ personalities. It’s not uncommon to see Minnu Mani at the breakfast table with Pandey, or Jasia Akter playing pool with Kapp. Or Radha Yadav getting Lanning to pose like Shah Rukh Khan in front of the Gateway of India. Each bus ride between hotel and stadium sees a different DJ choosing the playlist.Capitals have focused on these little things to ensure a level of sanity amid an unrelenting schedule: they played their first five games in the space of 10 days.The toil, the hard work, the character-building, and the winning mindset have brought Capitals to the cusp of glory. All that remains is one more blockbuster performance on the grandest stage.

When is the best time to take a Power Surge? And will the X-factor become a factor?

Matt Roller17-Dec-2020New-ball impactPerhaps the most significant feature of the BBL season to date has been the success that new-ball bowlers have had, which has in turn impacted the changes in the powerplay’s structure. With the initial powerplay reduced to only four overs rather than the usual six, teams have scored at a sedate 6.61 runs per over in that phase of the game, despite only two fielders being permitted outside the 30-yard circle.James Faulkner, the medium-fast left-armer, has been the most destructive quick with the new ball, taking four wickets in the first powerplay in six overs and demonstrating that pitches have offered something for the seamers early on, with good carry and bounce as well as some seam movement. As a result, teams have generally found themselves struggling for early runs, and many have tried to minimise damage rather than maximise scoring in the first four overs.Over-by-over scoring rates across the last two BBL seasons•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe fourth over in particular has seen scoring rates plummet to 6.23 runs per over, often due to No. 3 or No. 4 batsmen looking to get into the middle overs unscathed following early wickets. Other over-by-over trends have included a significant spike in 15th-over run rates – largely due to the Power Surge being taken – plus a rise in the 11th and a fall in the 20th. The sample size is very small, so it is not worth reading much into them at this stage, and the data also includes rain-reduced games.To surge or not to surge?The majority of teams batting first have looked to use the Power Surge when they have two set batsmen at the crease to maximise their scoring, and have looked to use it to give their innings some impetus before the traditional ‘death’ overs. In the first innings, the most popular time to take the Surge has been the 15th over (four times), with teams also taking it in the 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 19th on one occasion each.In run chases, there has been less of a pattern. Two teams have not taken the Surge at all in the chase: Melbourne Stars, when cruising to victory against Brisbane Heat, and Melbourne Renegades, who were bowled out after 10.4 overs against Sydney Sixers, while Adelaide Strikers held theirs back as long as possible in their comfortable win against Hobart Hurricanes.Generally, teams have been more cautious in using the Surge in the run chase, perhaps fearing that it will upset the flow of the game by forcing both teams to attack. In the season opener, the Sixers made 18 without losing a wicket in their two Surge overs, but having scored 69 for 0 in the seven preceding overs, that actually represented a slight slowdown, not least after James Vince had hit the first ball of the Power Surge for six.”The Surge and when we took it, from a batting point of view, maybe changed the momentum a little bit,” Vince said after the Sixers’ eventual defeat. “I thought their guys bowled two good overs, and it gave them a bit of a lift… it kind of got them back into the game.”ESPNcricinfo LtdConversely, Sydney Thunder timed their Surge brilliantly against the Heat, with Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams exploiting the field restrictions to take 27 off two overs. That turned the required equation from 77 off 42 balls into a significantly easier 50 off 30, and they went on to win with seven balls to spare.Overall, teams have scored an average of 10.24 runs per over in the Surge, losing a wicket every 10.5 balls, with spin (12.4 economy rate) significantly more expensive than seam (9.73). The Sixers have made the highest total in the Surge to date, with 32 for the loss of one wicket against the Renegades.Bonus point bonanzaChris Lynn admitted on air that he hadn’t thought about the bonus point during the Heat’s comprehensive loss against the Stars – when the point was all they could really have hoped for – but the Bash Boost has played at least some role in how chasing teams have gone about things.The Renegades’ blow-out defeat against the Sixers saw them actively and openly targeting the bonus point, with a target of 76 after ten overs looking significantly more achievable than 206 in 20 once they had slipped to 16 for 3 after 2.4 overs. They were ultimately unsuccessful, but their players and coaching staff maintained that their plan was a good one.The Renegades were bowled out for 60 looking to secure a bonus point against the Sixers•Getty Images”How often do you see teams chasing a really high score when they’re 20 for 3 after three overs?” said Benny Howell. “You might look bad if it goes wrong and you’re bowled out early, but you still lose the game, and at least you’re trying to get something from it. I think it was the right decision, we just didn’t execute at all well.”Meanwhile, the prospect of a bonus point seemed to influence the Thunder’s thinking in their chase against the Heat, even though they ultimately fell short. From 23 for 3 after three overs, their first target was 80 after ten overs for the bonus point, and 99 more in the final ten overs.Rather than consolidating and hoping to take the game deep, the injured Alex Ross decided to swing for the hills once the ten-over mark was in sight, leaving nine required off the tenth to seal the point. Mujeeb Ur Rahman then bowled a tight over for the Heat, taking a wicket and conceding only two runs, but the attacking mentality instilled by the halfway target meant the required rate was never unassailable.In the first nine games, the point has gone to the winning team six times, the losing team twice, and been shared once – in the no-result between the Stars and the Scorchers.Will X-factor become a factor?The first seven games of the season saw no X-factor players used, perhaps due to conservatism among captains and coaches, or maybe on account of the collective unavailability of several overseas signings and Australia A players, meaning the nominated 12th and 13th players were often grade cricketers.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the eighth game, both the Strikers and the Hurricanes used a substitute to bring in a batsman for a spinner on a pitch that was not conducive to spin: Matthew Short for Danny Briggs, and Mac Wright for Johan Botha. In the ninth, the Stars did the same after their rookie legspinner Tom O’Connell’s first over was smashed, deciding to back the part-time left-arm spin of Nic Maddinson and strengthening their batting through Ben Dunk.It remains to be seen whether replacements now become commonplace. Their timing in the match means that teams have to admit making a mistake in selection very early in a game: while substitutions are regular in other sports, the timing is equivalent to a football manager taking a player off inside 25 minutes.And while squad depth may be less of an issue as the season goes on, it may be that this rule is better suited to a competition with significantly bigger squads. It is easy to imagine Sunrisers Hyderabad bringing Mohammad Nabi in for Jason Holder after realising a pitch was slower than anticipated, for example, but the impact that a fringe local player will have on a game is likely to be negligible.The early verdict9:36

What is the thinking behind the BBL’s new rules? Trent Woodhill tells us

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo’s Newsroom, Trent Woodhill – the BBL’s player acquisition and cricket consultant, and the man behind the tweaks – clarified that the intention was to avoid “lull” periods in the middle overs, maintain fans’ interest even in one-sided games, and provide extra scrutiny on coaches and captains in their decision-making.Clearly, it will be easier to form a judgement after a full season rather than the first week of games, but the rule changes have been a qualified success in creating talking points and making the pattern of T20 games less predictable than spikes in run rates at the start and end of an innings. On one hand, the middle overs have generally provided more excitement, with middle-order batsmen given additional responsibility and the chance to attack in the Power Surge; on the other, the initial four-over powerplays have generally been quieter and more predictable than the old six-over version.There is some reason to believe that the rules will come into their own as the BBL goes on. Bonus points should reduce the likelihood that net run rate will decide qualification and potentially throw up some intriguing scenarios, while improvements in player availability could bring the X-factor replacements into the picture. The rule changes alone were never likely to arrest the slump in interest in the BBL, but they have certainly added intrigue and altered the rhythm of the game as intended.

Veteran reliever David Robertson is signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of

Robertson, who turned 40 earlier this year, conducted a workout for multiple teams on Saturday in Providence, R.I. The workout yielded a deal for the rest of the season with Philadelphia that will pay him $6.22 million (prorated from $16 million) according to Mark Feisand of MLB.com.

Robertson has not pitched this season, but spent 2024 with the Texas Rangers, where he posted a 3.00 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 27 walks. This will be Robertson's 17th MLB season and his third stint in Philadelphia.

Robertson is hoping to help stabilize a contending Phillies club that ranks 23rd in the major leagues in bullpen ERA.

The 2025/26 campaign promised a new dawn for Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters.

Before too long, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy had both been replaced. Thomas Frank was the new manager and Fabio Paratici had even returned for a second bite of the cherry.

Yet, rather like it did with Ange, things have unravelled all too quickly for Frank. There’s one word for it: Spursy.

The North Londoners began the season brilliantly. Their new Danish manager had engineered more security and better organisation at the back.

From the remarkably high line of Ange-ball to the more sedate Frank ball, excusing the Super Cup defeat to PSG, Spurs kept five clean sheets in their opening seven games of the Frank regime. How times change, eh?

Tottenham have now won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions and have shipped 18 goals in that time.

While Spurs may not be in 17th place, the position Postecoglou steered them to, a number of players have regressed.

The biggest issues of Thomas Frank's reign

The Dane moved from west to north London over the summer and while his appointment did not garner the level of fanfare a certain Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho attracted, it was viewed as a smart appointment.

From Championship to the top half of the Premier League, what Frank achieved with Brentford was first-class.

Yet, he is no longer with the Bees and Spurs fans demand more. They demand good football, they demand that they challenge for honours.

Well, despite Postecoglou’s tenure now a thing of the past, Spurs look no closer to achieving their goals under Frank.

The defence improved for a limited amount of time but the biggest issues have emerged in attack.

Chalkboard

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

Brennan Johnson ended last season as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 strikes to his name but he has put in a number of abject performances of late. The Welshman has found the net just once across his last 12 matches, a dire run that’s caused frustration.

Up top, Dominic Solanke has rarely been seen due to injury and the same can be said of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Without them, Spurs have a creativity problem. According to FBref, their expected goals tally sits at just 11.9, the fourth-worst record in the division. That’s hardly a surprise considering that they rank 18th in the Premier League for key passes (88), and 16th for expected assists (8.1) across the campaign so far.

That’s even with marquee signing Xavi Simons in the team. Their failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze is well documented and how Frank must wish they’d secured a Premier League-proven creative midfielder instead.

That said, their full-backs are not offering enough either. Pedro Porro, usually so creative and dangerous, particularly over a dead ball, has only carved out 1.39 key passes per 90 minutes, down on last season’s tally of 1.97 per 90.

His partner in crime on the left isn’t faring much better either. In fact, his drop off has been somewhat reminiscent of Dele Alli.

Spurs star is heading down the Dele Alli path

When analysing the right back position at Spurs, it’s clear that improvement is needed. Perhaps Archie Gray or Djed Spence could profit from Porro’s lack of form.

Likewise at left-back, Destiny Udogie is enduring a tough season. He spent early parts of the term out injured but is now back in action. However, he’s largely disappointing.

It was only a few years ago that the young Italian was described as “one of the best left-backs” in the league by pundit Clinton Morrison but that now couldn’t be further from the truth.

In many senses, Udogie’s rise and fall mirror that of someone like Dele, like a Tanguy Ndombele. He’s got all the talent in the world, all the raw attributes to thrive at this level.

We’ve already seen that. In 2023/24, the wing-back collected two goals and three assists. Not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but this was a player well on his way to cementing himself as a future hero in these parts. He’d get into “nearly every team in the world” remarked journalist Hunter Godson.

Sadly for the 23-year-old, he’s regressed big time under Frank, much like the aforementioned Dele did under Mourinho. While Frank hasn’t called Udogie “lazy”, which was the criticism the ‘Special One’ handed to the England international, his performances have begun to decline.

Like Dele, this was a player with the world at his feet. He looked like a world beater, one of the best young talents in England. Now, however, it’s all gone pear-shaped.

Udogie’s last two performances, in particular, have proven to be a problem. In the defeat to Fulham last weekend, Football.London’s Alasdair Gold noted how the defender ‘didn’t offer too much going forward’ and made an untimely slip when Harry Wilson found the net.

His display against Newcastle United on Tuesday, a 2-2 draw, left plenty to be desired too.

Minutes played

90

Touches

52

Accurate passes

30/36 (83%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Successful dribbles

0/1

Shots

0

Tackles won

1

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/7

Aerial duels won

0/2

The aforementioned Gold slated the Italian for having a few ‘sloppy moments’ while flagging that Newcastle got a lot of joy down the Tottenham flanks.

Safe to say his numbers don’t particularly paint a very vivid picture either. Udogie won just two of his nine duels and failed to register a single shot, supply a key pass or successfully complete a dribble.

All in all, it was a poor day at the office for the Italy international and he must improve moving forward.

He’s a talented player, one of the best young talents we’ve seen in the division across the last few years. Under Frank, however, it’s heading in the same way as Dele under Mourinho. Both had immense potential, but their talents could go to waste.

Thomas Frank may have just found Spurs' new Mousa Dembele vs Newcastle

Tottenham battled back to claim a draw against Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

3 ByAngus Sinclair Dec 3, 2025

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was irate after umpires determined that Jordan Lawlar interfered with San Francisco Giants base runner Christian Koss when he attempted to round second base.

Lawlar was standing in the base path in between second and third base when Koss ran straight into him while rounding second. Koss went to the ground in pain. After reviewing the play, umpires called Lawlar for interference, which set Lovullo off, and he stormed onto the field in order to give the officiating crew a piece of his mind.

It didn't take long for Lovullo to get ejected from the game, but before he left the field, he pulled out the UNO reverse card and gestured as if he was ejecting all four of the umpires from the game.

Have a look at an all-time meltdown from the Diamondbacks' skipper:

Lovullo pointed at each umpire individually and hilariously attempted to eject them from the game, but to no avail. After getting his money's worth, Lovullo eventually walked off the field and into the clubhouse, though he was clearly still fuming.

The ejection was the second time this season and the 22nd time in his managerial career that Lovullo was tossed from a game.

There’s nothing like a classic baseball ejection.

Opener Reece bats all day for unbeaten on 123 while Madsen ends 147 not out, having passed 1,000 runs for summer

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025

Luis Reece swats the ball leg side•Getty Images

Derbyshire 389 for 2 (Madsen 147*, Reece 123*, Donald 55) vs Kent Wayne Madsen and Luis Reece both made centuries as Derbyshire piled on the runs in their Rothesay County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, reaching 389 for 2 at the end of day one.Opener Reece batted all day and was unbeaten on 123 while Madsen was 147 not out, having passed 1,000 runs for the summer. By stumps their partnership was 231, a Derbyshire record for the third wicket against Kent.Reece’s fellow opener Aneurin Donald chipped in with 55 as the home bowlers struggled to make any impact.It says something about the way Kent’s season has gone that the loudest applause of the day came midway through the afternoon session, when it was announced the coffee machine in the Lime Tree cafe had been fixed.Third-placed Derbyshire chose to bat against a side guaranteed to finish bottom of Division Two and the morning session went to form, with the visitors reaching 108 for 1 at lunch.The sole victim was Donald, who was bowled leg-stump by Michael Cohen, shortly after he’d driven him through the covers to bring up his 50.When play resumed Reece tickled a Grant Stewart delivery down the leg side for four to reach his half-century and although Matt Parkinson had Harry Came stumped by Harry Finch for 35 at the start of the next over, Madsen joined Reece and reached four figures for the first-class season, the eighth time he’s reached that milestone.Kent were docked six points for a slow over rate in their last game with Leicestershire but despite, or perhaps because of this, there was widespread incredulity when the tea interval was taken on time, for the first time it what seemed like an eon, with the visitors on 238 for 2.Madsen took a single off Cohen to reach 50 and then dumped Jaydn Denly over cow corner for six.Reece scampered a single off Parkinson to reach his century, before he played a dreadful shot to the very next delivery, skying Parkinson straight to Ben Dawkins, who somehow dropped him.Madsen took two from a Stewart no ball to get to three figures, then overtook his partner before hitting a six off Corey Flintoff that broke Derbyshire’s record stand for the third wicket, the 202 put on by Chris Adams and Dean Jones at this venue in 1997.Madsen nearly perished in the final over when he hit Parkinson to long on, but Stewart couldn’t pick the flight of the ball and the chance went begging.