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شارك النجم المصري عمر مرموش في فوز مانشستر سيتي على ريال مدريد بهدفين لهدف، في إطار منافسات مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وعلى الرغم من تقدم ريال مدريد بهدف عن طريق رودريجو بتسديدة رائعة من داخل منطقة الجزاء في شباك دوناروما، إلا أن مانشستر سيتي تعادل عن طريق نيكو أوريلي في الدقيقة 35.

وفي الدقيقة 43 أحرز إيرلينج هالاند الهدف الثاني من ركلة جزاء حصل عليها نتيجة خطأ من أنطونيو روديجر.

اقرأ أيضاً.. مباريات مانشستر سيتي المتبقية في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الفوز على ريال مدريد

وكان الشوط الثاني قد شهد مشاركة النجم المصري عمر مرموش بديلاً للنرويجي إيرلينج هالاند صاحب هدف الفوز لفريقه من علامة الجزاء في الدقيقة 70. تقييم عمر مرموش في مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي

وفقاً لـ”سوفا سوكر” فقد حصل عمر مرموش على تقيم 6.5 من 10 على الرغم من أنه لم يسجل أو يصنع ولم يسدد أي كرة على المرمى.

وقام مرموش بتمريرة مفتاحية واحدة وتمريرتين ناجحتين آخرتين، ولمس الكرة 6 مرات وفاز بصراع هوائي واحد وخسر صراعين ثنائيين أرضيين.

Unlike last month, the current international break is an unwelcome escape from Premier League football for West Ham United fans.

Nuno Espírito Santo has seemingly worked his magic, and a team that looked incapable of a win just a few weeks ago have just beaten Newcastle United and Burnley.

One of the reasons the Hammers look so much better is that Freddie Potts has finally been given his chance to start in the first team.

The Barking-born star has been immense in the middle of the park, and the good news is that the academy is producing a few players who could be the next Potts, although they also lost a youngster who’s an even bigger talent than the 22-year-old.

West Ham's next Freddie Potts

The good news for West Ham fans is that their academy system continues to produce exciting prospects, some of whom could go on to become the next Potts in a few years.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

One of those youngsters is Preston Fearon, who joined the Hammers in 2022, signed his first professional contract last year, and then signed another just last month.

Jarrod Bowen has described the 18-year-old as a “special player”, and it’s not hard to see why, as, in addition to making 43 appearances across the club’s youth sides, he was also taken on the pre-season tour of America.

Like the Hammers’ new star, the youngster can play in several positions, but thrives as a tough-tackling, yet technically accomplished, central midfielder.

Another youngster who could be fighting for first-team minutes a few years from now is Isaac Thomas.

The 16-year-old Welshman just scored four goals during his second appearance for the U18S, and what’s even more incredible is that he did so from centre-back.

However, just like Fearon and Potts, his primary position is in the middle of the park, but he’s capable of filling in where he is needed.

Finally, while a little older, Mohamadou Kanté looks every bit as exciting.

Described as having “good anticipation” and being “very calm and composed on the ball” by one analyst, the 20-year-old Frenchman is also no stranger to scoring goals and could provide a similar presence to the middle of the park as Potts.

In all, West Ham have plenty of exciting youngsters coming through the ranks, but even so, they surely rue losing someone who is an even bigger talent than Potts.

The academy gem who is a bigger talent than Potts

West Ham have done relatively well at retaining their most promising academy talents over the years, but they were unable to do so with Divine Mukasa.

The incredible prospect joined the Hammers as a five-year-old, but in September 2023, he moved to Manchester City for free.

The 18-year-old phenom made his senior debut for City in September, in a League Cup game against Huddersfield Town, and as if that wasn’t impressive enough, he also provided an assist.

He also started the following game in the competition against Swansea City and has been on the bench for three Premier League games so far this season.

However, while a player his age starting two games for a club like City is certainly impressive enough, it’s his record for their youth sides which suggests he could be a future superstar.

Appearances

41

Minutes

2807′

Goals

17

Assists

25

Goal Involvements per Match

1.02

Minutes per Goal Involvement

66.83′

For example, in 41 appearances across various youth sides last season, totalling 2807 minutes, the former Hammer chalked up an outrageous tally of 17 goals and 25 assists.

That means the incredible superstar in the making averaged 1.02 goal involvements per game, or one every 66.83 minutes all season, which goes some way in justifying journalist Nassali Sandrah’s claim that he is “the best academy player in Europe.”

To top it off, the Newham-born gem has also won five caps for England’s u19s, and scored his first goal for them against Wales last time out.

Ultimately, there are some seriously exciting prospects emerging from West Ham’s academy at the moment, but it certainly appears that they have lost the biggest talent of all in Mukasa.

Alongside Fullkrug: West Ham must sell £30m flop who was a "big voice"

The former international should have been a big success at West Ham United.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 12, 2025

In years past, Arsenal fans would have to watch an England team full of players from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

It was a damming indictment of where the club was at that time, but over the last four or five years, things have changed.

It’s not unusual to see three or four of Mikel Arteta’s players in the Three Lions squad these days, and few from the white side of North London, which might explain the team’s uptick in quality and performances.

Thursday was another example of how important Arsenal have become for the national team, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scoring the goals and Declan Rice marshalling the midfield.

There is no sign of this relationship between club and country slowing down either, especially as Hale End could be brewing England’s next superstar, who could follow in the footsteps of Rice and Saka.

Rice and Saka's England careers

So, while Arsenal fans would love to take the credit for moulding Rice into one of England’s most important players, West Ham United should get more of the credit.

Chalkboard

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

After all, he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2019, while playing for the East Londoners, and was still a Hammer for the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.

However, he has arguably become more instrumental to the national side since his move to the Emirates, and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in March 2024.

So far, the all-action midfielder has won 71 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored six goals and provided six assists and nine of those goal involvements have come since his £105m in the summer of 2023.

Now, an England star Arsenal can take full credit for is, of course, Saka, who is Hale End’s greatest product in a generation.

The 24-year-old made his debut for the national team against Wales in October 2020 and has since gone on to amass an impressive tally of 47 caps, in which he has scored 14 goals, provided nine assists and been named England’s Player of the Year twice in succession.

Moreover, he has played a significant role for the country in every major tournament since, despite receiving horrific abuse after the 2021 Euros final.

In all, so long as they remain fit, Rice and Saka should, and will, be two of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet at the World Cup, and in a few years, they could be joined by another Arsenal star, someone who could even surpass them in importance.

Arsenal's next England star

While the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are surely going to become regular starters for England, the Hale End gem who could well become a superstar for Tuchel and Co is Max Dowman.

Despite still being just 15 years old, the teenager has been one of the most talked-about players at Arsenal this season, although for those in the know, he has been a subject of interest for longer than that.

For example, in September of last year, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

As if that wasn’t praise enough, just a couple of months later, Hale End expert Will Balsam called him “the biggest talent in England” and described him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Now, while that all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, and perhaps to an extent it is, it’s not hard to see where they were coming from, considering he was just 14 at the time and destroying defenders in the U18S and even the U21S that season.

For example, he ended last season with a tally of 19 goals and five assists in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this saw him included in the club’s pre-season tour, where he made his first appearance in front of the fans against a physical Newcastle United side, but instead of shying away, he, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”

Since then, he has made his Premier League debut, become the youngest ever starter for Arsenal, and broke the record as the youngest player in Champions League history.

In other words, the Hale Ender is looking like a generational talent, and he’s already making his impact felt on the international scene as well.

Even though he’s not turning 16 until New Year’s Eve, the Chelmsford-born gem is already a regular feature for England’s U19S, making six appearances for them, in which he’s scored one goal and provided two assists.

With his incredible performances, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is handed his first senior England cap.

Ultimately, Saka and Rice are currently two of England’s most important players, but in a few years from now, Dowman could be up there with them, if not more important.

Carragher gave Arsenal star a grilling last season, now he's undroppable

The international star has rediscovered his form for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

Middlesbrough are already working on Kim Hellberg’s first signing and are now reportedly in pole position to sign a Ligue 1 winger for their new manager.

Hellberg: Championship promotion is the "clear aim"

After hijacking Swansea City’s move, Middlesbrough unveiled Hellberg earlier this week and watched on as their new manager instantly set his sights on promotion to the Premier League. The 37-year-old will be desperate to simply pick up where Rob Edwards left off and secure a win on his debut against Derby County this weekend.

Speaking to reporters for the first time, Hellberg outlined his Premier League ambition, saying: “To get to the Premier League, that’s the clear aim,” said Hellberg in his first press conference. “If it’s this year or next year, it is of course difficult to say.

“It’s an opportunity when you’re in this position, to aim for it and to work as hard as possible to get into that spot that gets you to the Premier League. That’s nothing to hide from.”

It is, of course, easier said than done to achieve promotion from the Championship, but Boro have certainly put themselves in a strong position to do exactly that.

Despite defeat against Coventry City late on in midweek, those in Riverside only sit third on goal difference and could move into the automatic promotion place if results go their way this weekend.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the playoffs, Boro have given themselves a four-point gap inside the top six. Everything is set up for Hellberg to make a promotion charge, before potentially welcoming his first arrival at the club in 2026.

Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly

According to Africa Foot and relayed by Sport Witness, Middlesbrough are now in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in 2026. The winger is set to become a free agent next summer and has also attracted the interest of Southampton, but it is Boro who are currently most likely to seal a bargain deal.

The Senegal international is certainly talented and England fans saw that talent for themselves back in June, when he scored in a stunning 3-1 victory for his country against Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Now, Sabaly could get the chance to become the star of the show every week in England, courtesy of Boro. Whether the promotion contenders wait until the winger is a free agent to make their move is the big question.

In Ligue 2 last season, Sabaly scored 15 goals and provided four assists. Whilst he has struggled to make the same mark in Ligue 1, there’s every chance he would rediscover his best form in the Championship.

Hellberg starts instant Middlesbrough overhaul as Viveash handed new role

Bangladesh’s heartbreak or West Indies defeating Australia in a Test for the first time in 21 years? Which Test was better? Vote now!

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The AUS-WI 2024 Brisbane Test moves into the round of 16.Defiance and heartbreak – Multan, 2003This was supposed to be Bangladesh’s moment. Their first Test win after 22 defeats (and one draw). A chance to show the world they belonged.Only they couldn’t get past one man.Bangladesh batted first and scored 281, riding on Habibul Bashar’s 72. They then skittled Pakistan for 175 with Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Rafique sharing nine wickets between them to secure a 106-run lead. Despite being bowled out for 154 in their second dig, the odds were stacked in Bangladesh’s favour with Pakistan chasing 261.On a fourth day Multan surface, Bangladesh had Pakistan in trouble at 81 for 4, which became 164 for 7 in no time. They breached the defences of every player, barring one: Inzamam-ul-Haq. But by the time he completed his fifty, Pakistan had already lost six wickets.When Inzamam brought up his century, Pakistan were still 44 runs adrift of the target with two wickets in hand. He found an able ally in Umar Gul, with the duo adding 52 runs for the ninth wicket, in which Gul’s contribution was just five off 50 balls. But when Gul was run out with the target only four runs away, Bangladesh saw some hope, again.Inzamam, however, kept his cool and flicked Mahmud away to the long-leg fence as Pakistan clinched a thriller. A teary-eyed Inzamam was showered with rose petals as he made his way to the change room, unbeaten on 138 and giving Pakistan a win to savour.Shamar announces his arrival – Brisbane, 2024Carl Hooper and Brian Lara broke down. The most patriotic Australian supporter cheered for the opposition. The Test world champions were knocked over. All because one bowler, with a broken toe, decided it was time for a siege on fortress Gabba.Australia had not lost a Test to West Indies since 2003, and not lost to them at home since 1997. They had also never lost a pink-ball Test. It was all going to change.They were coming into the second Test having decimated West Indies in Adelaide inside three days. At the Gabba, West Indies batted first and scored 311 with useful middle- and lower-order contributions. Australia declared behind on 289 for 9 to make use of the twilight session.West Indies showed fight but were bowled out for 193, giving Australia a 216-run target. But more importantly, Shamar Joseph had to retire hurt after a searing Mitchell Starc yorker struck him flush on the toe. This was late on the third evening. Australia lost Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne early in the chase, but Steven Smith and Cameron Green took them to stumps, requiring 156 runs to win. Shamar hadn’t bowled at all on the third evening.On the fourth afternoon, Smith and Green went merrily about their run-scoring ways. Then Shamar arrived. He conceded 19 runs off his first ten balls. Off his 11th and 12th, he knocked over Green and Travis Head.The odds were still stacked in Australia’s favour at this stage. There were just 103 runs away and Shamar had a broken toe. How long could he continue? He continued… straight for 11.5 overs. And Australia were blown away. Shamar removed Mitchell Marsh, then knocked over Alex Carey with 145kph thunderbolt. He then snapped up Starc before sending back Pat Cummins.All this while, Smith kept at it. But when Alzarri Joseph had Nathan Lyon with Australia still 25 adrift, the end was in sight. Fittingly, it was Shamar who claimed the final wicket, flattening Josh Hazlewood’s off pole and then wheeling away in celebration, finishing with stunning figures of 7 for 68. It was a performance that single-handedly elevated Shamar to stardom.

The Boston Red Sox are surging in the month of July.

Boston has won 10 straight games, sweeping the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays prior to the start of the All-Star break. The recent surge has the Red Sox sitting just three games out of first place in the American League East. Officially, the Sox are 53-45 and in third place in the East behind the New York Yankees and the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Former New York Yankees star and current Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez sits on a panel with the network alongside his former teammate Derek Jeter and Red Sox great David Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, when it came time to talk about the Red Sox, Rodriguez was clear about what the franchise's surge means in the broader context of the sport. And it made him absolutely sick to say out loud.

"Bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it's great for baseball when the Boston…I can't believe I'm saying this…when the Boston Red Sox are good," Rodriguez said on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez added that the trade of Rafael Devers could end up being a good thing for the Red Sox in the long run, as he referenced two specific examples from his own playing days.

"Sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy…I remember when [Ken] Griffey Jr. left us in Seattle, we got better. And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes you need the big brother to get out so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive and they're doing that in a beautiful way."

The Red Sox open the second half of the season with a series in Chicago against NL Central's first place Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox will then take on the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month.

Three brutally tough series out of the break will tell the tale of whether or not the Red Sox are for real.

Ruben Amorim was frustrated and angry with his Manchester United players after failing to beat West Ham at home and blowing the chance to move into the Premier League's top five. Diogo Dalot gave United the lead in the second half, only for Soungoutou Magassa to grab a late leveller following a corner and snatch a point for the relegation-fighting Hammers.

United unable to beat 18th-placed West Ham

United slumped to a second successive disappointing result at home following their shock 1-0 defeat against 10-man Everton in their last outing, failing to see off a West Ham side who have only won once away from home this season. Favourable results in the other mid-week games gave United the opportunity to move into fifth but they struggled to create many chances against Nuno Espirito Santo's side, with Bruno Fernandes failing to inspire the hosts and Ayden Heaven looking shaky in his first Premier League start of the season. 

Amorim was in a spiky mood after the game, looking unimpressed with the questioning but also appearing to be running out of patience with his players.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim: We should have closed the game out

Amorim told a press conference: "Frustrated, angry, that is it. After the first goal, we lost some second balls. We tried to defend all the time far from the goal. It happened long ball, they win the second ball against three guys of us so we need to be better in the second half. We are losing because of the second balls, sometimes it is not more men in front. We are really inconsistent but if you look at the goal, we have a long ball, we have everything under control, we need to do better. I always have the feeling that we have to score more goals and I'm sure about that."

The coach was particularly annoyed with his team for losing control of the game after Dalot had broken the deadlock. "We should have closed the game with the ball because the game was there to win," he told . "I think the overall performance was not perfect. We had our moments but we lost control in the game in some minutes in the first half and in the second half, especially after the goal. The game was clearly ours to win and we had an opportunity with Cunha to finish the game off. It is really frustrating because you look at the game, you have the game under control and we didn't win."

Heaven taken off as on a yellow card

Amorim made a surprising decision before kick off by handing 19-year-old Ayden Heaven his first league start of the season, dropping Leny Yoro following his shaky display in the recent win at Crystal Palace. But the coach then chose to haul Heaven off at half-time and replace him with Yoro. Heaven had been given an early yellow card for a rash tackle on Jarrod Bowen and had struggled against West Ham's centre-forward Callum Wilson.

"Of course it was the yellow card," Amorim explained. "And we tried to press high and leave one centre back with a striker all the time so any foul there could be a yellow. And we missed Ayden in the set pieces, so we need to be smarter when we play the game."

Goalscorer Dalot added: "Obviously we are disappointed. We have to control much more of the game, especially at Old Trafford. We cannot get as anxious as we got after the goal, we were more sloppy with possession. We had the game there, it shouldn’t be like this. We knew they would be looking for counters and set plays and it’s more our fault than credit to West Ham. We cannot drop too many points – we want to be in the top four or five, we have to be there. That’s why the disappointment is even bigger."

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Getty Images SportUnited must respond to setback against winless Wolves

United four days to lift themselves after the disappointment of the West Ham draw and try to make amends when they visit Wolves, who have taken just two points all season and are on course to accumulate the lowest points total of any team in Premier League history. United have a patchy record against Wolves, however, with Amorim losing both games against the west Midlands side last season.

India want to give the seam-bowling allrounder game time in home Tests so that he can improve for challenges overseas

Karthik Krishnaswamy08-Oct-20252:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

Ten years from now, it might be the image you recall most vividly from last week’s Ahmedabad Test: Nitish Kumar Reddy airborne at full stretch, having flung himself to his left at square leg to turn a well-hit pull from Tagenarine Chanderpaul into India’s first wicket in the second innings.You might, however, struggle to recall anything else Reddy did in the Test, because he didn’t get to contribute much to India’s innings victory. He bowled four overs in West Indies’ first innings, didn’t bowl in their second, and didn’t get to bat as India declared first thing in the morning on day three, on their overnight total of 448 for 5, despite there being so much time left in the game.It’s the kind of thing that can happen to a player in such a dominant victory, particularly a player whose skillset can seem surplus to requirements in certain conditions. India want to maximise Reddy’s potential as a seam-bowling allrounder and are hoping to turn him into a player whose presence gives them depth and balance with both bat and ball in overseas conditions. But to help him grow into that player, they recognise he needs game time in red-ball cricket between those tours, which means playing him whenever possible even in home Tests.Related

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“I’d say we’re unlikely to change the combination,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said two days out from the second Test in Delhi. “One of the sort of medium-term objectives is to develop a seam-bowling allrounder for India, because it’s very important when we go away on tours that we have that position covered.”We didn’t get a very good look at Nitish last week, so I think it’s a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team.”In his eight Tests so far, Reddy has shown evidence of his high ceiling in Test cricket, particularly with the bat. He top-scored in low India totals with 41, 42 and 42 in three of his first four Test innings, during the 2024-25 tour of Australia, and followed up with a maiden Test hundred at the MCG. His bowling isn’t yet at that level, but he took key top-order wickets both in Australia and during the 2025 tour of England.”We think he’s a fantastic seam-bowling allrounder, a batter who bowls seam,” ten Doeschate said. “I think the biggest limitation to what his ceiling could be is going to be his body. He is not the first allrounder we’ve seen in this country whom that applies to; to be perfectly honest, Hardik [Pandya]’s in the same sort of character of player where we don’t doubt their skills at all but for their bodies to hold up to Test cricket is a different matter.”Nitish, I think he showed everyone in Australia how good he is as a batter; I think the challenge for him is going to be to make sure that he gets game time in between away series. In a series like this, when you look at the combination, it’s more important to look ahead and see how we can fit him in to make sure that he does get game time and time to develop his bowling. We really like him, we think he’s a quality allrounder.”4:20

Ten Doeschate: India unlikely to change combination due to a medium-term objective

As true as that might be, India have three spin-bowling allrounders in their squad against West Indies, and two of them – Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – played in Ahmedabad and batted ahead of Reddy, with Jadeja scoring an unbeaten century to extend his 2025 purple patch.”The sort of lucky thing for us is Washy and Jaddu and even Axar [Patel] are pretty much the same sort of players,” ten Doeschate said when asked whether batting behind Jadeja and Washington could potentially hold back Reddy’s development. “We feel they can bat anywhere from five all the way through to eight, and on the most recent evidence of Washy getting important runs in the UK, [and] obviously Jaddu’s form in the last six months has been immense, and unfortunately that means when Nitish does come back into the team right after his injury, he fits in right at the back of that list, and hence the reason why he batted at eight.”The only drawback, or the only sort of downer from last week in that first Test was the fact that Nitish didn’t get to compete in any of the departments, but I think it’s also a strong message to the guys who are fighting for that spot that you need to be versatile, you need to be able to bat anywhere from five all the way through to eight, and we feel that’s a good way to develop players, that they can perform in different scenarios and different positions.”If we’re all disappointed that they’re not batting six or seven that means Indian cricket’s in a good space, and long may that continue.On Sai Sudharsan: ‘We know he’s good enough’Another player who had a quiet game in Ahmedabad was B Sai Sudharsan. Unlike Reddy, he got the chance to show what he could do, batting at No. 3, but he was the only member of the top six to be dismissed for a single-digit score. On 7, he was lbw attempting an ambitious pull off the offspinner Roston Chase when the ball may not have been short enough for the shot.It continued a frustrating start to Sai Sudharsan’s Test career. In England, he showed why India rate him highly enough to have given him a debut as a No. 3 despite coming to Test cricket with a sub-40 first-class average: he played the ball late, showed excellent judgment outside off stump, and looked unhurried and in control at most times. But he also fell in unusual ways multiple times after getting a start, including more than once to balls angling down the leg side. Now, after that low score at Ahmedabad, Sai Sudharsan averages 21.00 with just one half-century in seven innings.0:49

Chopra: ‘Sai Sudharsan needs runs or the pressure will mount’

“I think he is under no illusion and he can’t hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment, where you saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England [before getting dropped for the West Indies series]. There are a lot of good players fighting up the hill to whoever has possession of that spot,” ten Doeschate said. “So Sai just needs to focus on believing in himself. We’ve obviously got a lot of belief in him to give him that No. 3 spot. He is playing pretty nicely, probably a tactical mistake the other day, which he’ll be aware of – playing back to a ball so early in an innings.”We know he’s good enough; and now he has to find a way of scoring runs and showing the rest of the country and the rest of the team that he’s good enough to hold that spot. But certainly no panic or no worry – particularly in a winning team you can absorb that in a series like this, where he knows he’s going to get four knocks.”The rhythms of the Test calendar, ten Doeschate felt, is another challenge for players like Sai Sudharsan who are still finding their feet in the format. “It’s probably a little bit early to be worried or panic-stricken. Doesn’t help that you have five Test matches in the UK and then you wait six weeks to play the next Test match, and the same thing will happen now after this Test next week – we don’t have another Test match for the next three and a half weeks. There’s no string of fixtures to get your rhythm and to get yourself going, but again that’s the nature of Test cricket in this era, and he has to find a way to do it.”On Jurel: ‘We were trying to squeeze him into our plans even in Australia and England’In Ahmedabad, Dhruv Jurel – playing as wicketkeeper in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant – batted at No. 5, scored his maiden Test hundred, and left a lot of viewers theorising that he could potentially remain in the XI as a specialist batter even after Pant returns.”I’d imagine it does [put pressure on Sai Sudharsan],” ten Doeschate said. “I think Dhruv showed last week just what a good player he is. We’ve known that all along, how well [he could] fit into the middle order, and in addition to that, there are other good players who are fighting for a top-three or top-four spot – obviously Shubman [Gill]’s got four nailed down.2:02

Chopra: Jurel making a strong case for No. 6 spot

“Sai’s aware of that, and look, I don’t think you pursue a career of playing cricket in India if you don’t expect that sort of competition and people clawing at you, the media clawing at you, that’s part and parcel of it, and we know Sai is tough enough to deal with that.”Jurel had already enjoyed an impressive debut series in Test cricket, against England last year, when ten Doeschate joined the coaching staff under new head coach Gautam Gambhir. He has since played one Test in Australia, one in England after Pant suffered his injury, and then in Ahmedabad. He has also been part of the T20I squad as back-up wicketkeeper, and has now been picked in the ODI squad that will tour Australia later this month.”We’re really happy with the way he is tracking,” ten Doeschate said of Jurel. “He’s someone, even in England, even a little bit in Australia, we were trying to squeeze him into the plans because we know how good he is, and obviously, with Rishabh now being injured, it’s worked out quite nicely to get Dhruv some game time.”[In terms of] his development, what we saw at the back end of last year, leading into this year, we were really hoping he would kick on in the IPL, and he maybe didn’t have quite the IPL he would have hoped for and we would have hoped for, but to come into the team now like he has and to score a proper hundred like that, hopefully it gives him a bit of runway, and if you look at it in a positive way, it’s good that he is putting pressure on other players in the top order as well.”

Martin O’Neill has steadied the ship as interim Celtic manager, but for how much longer will he be at the helm?

The 73-year-old has led the Hoops into the League Cup Final, ousting Rangers 3-1 at Hampden, while also enjoying back-to-back 4-0 victories in the Premiership, most recently hammering Kilmarnock 4-0 on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman returned to Glasgow 20 years after departing, having won three Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and the League Cup during his first stint in charge, also leading the Hoops to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, beaten by José Mourinho’s Porto in Seville.

When he was appointed in 2000, this was seen as a bit of a risk, considering O’Neill had little top-level experience at the time, achieving promotions with Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, before winning two EFL Cups in charge of the Foxes.

So, could the Celtic board return to the English Football League for their next appointment, a quarter of a century on from O’Neill’s arrival at Parkhead?

Latest on Celtic's manager search

From the moment the dust settled following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation as Celtic manager on 27 October, Kieran McKenna has been among the front-runners for the job.

A report last week suggested he had emerged as the No.1 target to fill the vacancy, with speculation suggesting that he does have an affiliation to Celtic.

However, it was also noted that getting McKenna out of Ipswich will be no easy take, considering he is under contract at Portman Road until 2028, and the Tractor Boys, currently seventh in the EFL Championship, will not allow their most prized asset to leave without a fight.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Thus, as they search for alternatives, a report by the Daily Record claims that Celtic have held internal discussions at boardroom level about the possibility of appointing Brian Barry-Murphy – with interest in McKenna said to have ‘waned’.

The report indicates that Celtic chiefs are currently conducting interviews, with a new figure potentially in line to be in place for the Premiership clash away to St Mirren on Saturday, November 22.

As for Barry-Murphy, his father Jimmy was a Gaelic footballer and hurler, winning multiple major titles, thereby considered to be among the most legendary figures in the history of all Gaelic games.

Now, Brian is making a name for himself as a football coach across the Irish Sea, so could he soon swap South Wales for Glasgow?

What the next O'Neill would bring to Celtic

Following the Bluebirds’ relegation last season, thereby finding themselves outside England’s top two tiers for the first time since 2003, Barry-Murphy was appointed Cardiff City manager in the summer.

Well, up until very recently, Cardiff had been top of EFL League One, before back-to-back away defeats at Blackpool and Bolton have seen them sink down to fourth.

Nevertheless, they have reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, set to face Chelsea next month, and their league statistics this season are impressive.

Points

26

4th

Goals scored

22

3rd

Goals against

14

2nd

Big chances

41

1st

Big chances missed

30

1st

Possession

62.1%

1st

Accurate passes

407.5

1st

Shots per 90

14.4

2nd

Shots on target pet 90

4.9

2nd

Clean sheets

6

2nd

As the table documents, Cardiff lead the division when it comes to big chances missed, suggesting they’re playing well but have not earned as many points as they may deserve.

Meantime, the Bluebirds are in the top two for goals against and shots, while ranked first in the division for possession and accurate passes, evidence of Barry-Murphy’s style of play.

Before taking the Cardiff job, the Irishman had been in charge of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad, overseeing plenty of success with the Sky Blues, which is very much where he honed his craft and playing philosophy.

Now, his work in South Wales is earning rave reviews, labelled a “very talented coach”, while Benedict Ferraby of EFL World has praised his ‘impressive start’ to life in the Bluebirds’ dugout as well as his ‘exciting’ style of play.

Of course, considering he has only ever managed Rochdale, Man City’s youth teams and now Cardiff for just 22 matches, appointing Barry-Murphy would be a risk, but one reminiscent of the hiring of O’Neill, a similar age at the time, back in 2000.

With no obvious candidate for the job, and Rodgers’ resignation coming out of nowhere, the Celtic board are targeting a younger ‘project’ manager.

Well, while McKenna appears perfectly suited to this role, securing his signature may not prove ascertainable, but Barry-Murphy could well be the ideal alternative.

Ange 2.0: Celtic board 'very keen' to interview 48 y/o McKenna alternative

Celtic should appoint an “immensely respected” manager not Kieran McKenna because he would be able to replicate Ange Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow

ByBen Gray Nov 13, 2025

Somerset opener peels off boundaries during century stand with James Rew

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit a typically aggressive half-century against his old club as only 42 overs were possible on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at Taunton.The home side had reached 155 for 3 after losing the toss when a thunder and lightning storm engulfed the Cooper Associates County Ground at shortly after 2pm, Kohler-Cadmore having made 76 and James Rew 54 not out. George Hill claimed two of the wickets.Heavy rain left the outfield saturated. Umpires Rob Bailey and Mark Newell inspected at 4.30pm, but decided conditions were not fit for play to resume.Yorkshire’s decision to field first looked set to reap dividends when Hill struck twice in the opening ten overs of the match. Archie Vaughan edged through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and departed for 10 with the total on 20. Then Tom Lammonby played down the wrong line to a ball angled into him and saw his off stump sent cartwheeling.That was as good as it got for the visitors in the morning session. Rew overcame a scratchy start, while Kohler-Cadmore was not afraid to advance down the pitch to seam and spin alike in moving to a 55-ball half-century.Twice the former Yorkshire player lofted ex-Somerset offspinner Dom Bess back over his head for six as he and Rew took the total to 114 for 2 off 30 overs at lunch. The shortened afternoon session saw Rew bring up his fifty, off 91 balls, with eight fours.Kohler-Cadmore took one chance too many when advancing to a delivery from Jordan Thompson and edged a sharp shoulder-high catch to Hill at first slip to make 147 for 3. He had faced 110 balls and extended his boundary count to 11 fours and two sixes.Tom Abell made a watchful start and only eight more runs were added before the first crash of thunder sent the players to the pavilion with black clouds closing in.