Rangers chief Ross Wilson was active throughout the January transfer window as he brought in a host of players to bolster Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad.
The Gers signed James Sands, Amad Diallo and Aaron Ramsey on loan, whilst also sealing a permanent swoop for Mateusz Zukowski and a pre-contract deal with Hearts centre-back John Souttar.
One player who has struggled to perform on a consistent basis since arriving in Glasgow in January has been Ivorian, Diallo.
The 19-year-old winger joined on a temporary basis from Premier League giants Manchester United and made the perfect start to his career in Scotland as he scored on his Premiership debut against Ross County.
He then went on a run of six straight appearances for the club without registering a goal or assist and was an unused substitute on 13 occasions. Van Bronckhorst rarely used him between February and April and his lack of game time illustrates how poorly the majority of his time at the club has been.
Heading into May, Rangers fans – and the Dutch head coach – may have been looking forward to saying goodbye to him at the end of the season. However, a late burst of form from the attacker has shown that he does have the potential to explode in Glasgow.
In his last three appearances for the Gers, Diallo scored two goals, provided five key passes, and completed eight dribbles in the Premiership. He has been exciting to watch with his direct, forward-thinking, play in the front three and the supporters may now be rethinking their opinions on him.
His former Manchester United teammate Dan James previously lauded his “unbelievable feet” and claimed that he is “like Messi” in the way that players have to kick him to stop him, with the winger now showing why he is so highly-rated south of the border.
This burst of quality suggests that he has finally found his feet in Scotland and that is why van Bronckhorst must now swoop to bring him back for another spell at the club. Imagine how good he could be with a full pre-season and half-a-season of Premiership experience under his belt heading into 2022/23.
Therefore, the Gers coach can light up Ibrox next season by signing Diallo on another loan deal as the attacker has the potential to explode and become a huge player for the club if he can find consistency in his performances – as he has of late.
AND in other news, Teaser: Early Rangers UEL team news hint emerges that’ll excite supporters…
For the first time in history, a tied T20 international was decided after not one but two Super Overs
Ashish Pant18-Jan-20243:53
Takeaways: Relief for Rohit, spin-allrounder conundrum for India
10.34pm IST Mukesh Kumar is having a long discussion with his captain Rohit Sharma. With 18 to defend in the final over of the third T20I in Bengaluru, after India had walloped 212 for 4, he’s already conceded 16 off the first five balls.There’s a lot of hand-waving and gesturing going around as the subdued crowd finds its voice once again, filling the Chinnaswamy Stadium with ‘India, India’ chants. At the other end Gulbadin Naib is batting like a man possessed. He’s clattered 53 off 22. Afghanistan need three off one, but finding the boundary is easier than running three at this venue.Mukesh runs in and nails a wide yorker almost on the tramline outside of. Naib is good enough to connect and everything that had slowed down up until that point speeds up 2X. The non-striker Sharafuddin Ashraf sprints and so does Naib. Rinku Singh hares to his right from deep cover but his throw to the wicketkeeper is weak. Naib makes it back for two but the third is out of the question. Cue Ian Smith’s iconic line “We’re going to a Super Over”!Naib looks spent on his haunches, the Afghanistan dugout appear stunned, Rohit and Mukesh allow themselves a smile, and there is absolute bedlam in the stands. After nearly three hours and 36 minutes, 40 overs and 424 runs, while the rest of the city is close to shutting shop for the night, the cricket is still alive.Related
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10.42pm, the first Super Over : Despite the inevitable hassle of a late commute home, barely a soul has left the ground. The air is filled with tension and anticipation. The DJ tries to play to the crowd but the occasion doesn’t need music.India appear relaxed. Avesh Khan cracks a joke, leaving Kuldeep Yadav and Virat Kohli in splits. Mukesh has the unfunny job of bowling the Super Over.Afghanistan appear more serious. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is padded up while Naib never even took his pair off after the 20th over of a stupendous chase. He looks like he’s in a trance. Has he even blinked in the last half hour?Naib takes strike and the roar reaches a crescendo as Mukesh nails his yorker again. The ball is played to long-on but this time the throw is anything but weak. Kohli fires it in on the bounce to Sanju Samson and Naib has no hope of completing the second. Pandemonium in the stands.4:28
Dravid: Really good gut call from Rohit to give Bishnoi second Super Over
Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi manage a four and a six but it is the events off the final ball that takes the intensity into overdrive. After missing a yorker, Nabi attempts to run a bye to the wicketkeeper. Samson throws the ball towards the bowler but it hits Nabi’s leg – he didn’t know the throw was coming at him and did not change direction – and they run two more overthrows to Kohli at long-on.Rohit is fuming, both hands in the air as he protests with a “come on!” Kohli stops the ball with his foot and gestures in annoyance even before throwing towards the pitch. Words are exchanged; Kohli sarcastically claps and flashes a thumbs up; Nabi doesn’t back down. No one’s laughing now. A dead rubber? What’s that?After the game, when the adrenaline had slowed, India’s coach Rahul Dravid played down that flash point. “Sometimes when you play for your country, there is so much passion and emotion. Nothing in the rule stops you from actually running those runs,” he said. “There are some frustrations that at times can happen but it’s okay as long as it does not cross the line.”Back in the middle, India need 17 off their Super Over and are opening with Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal. After scoring only two off the first two balls, Rohit hammers Azmatullah Omarzai for sixes off the next two. He takes a single off the fifth, and with India needing two off the last ball and Jaiswal on strike, Rohit retires seemingly to have the faster runner Rinku at the non-striker’s end. After the game, Dravid told the broadcasters: “[Rohit] Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking. That’s Ash-level thinking.”Rinku eventually scampers a single after Jaiswal can only toe-end his shot along the ground to the keeper. Gurbaz collects and chooses not to risk an overthrow by attempting a run out, sending the game – for the first time in T20 internationals and only the second in all T20 cricket – into a second Super Over.Rohit Sharma wasn’t happy with Afghanistan running overthrows after the ball deflected off Mohammad Nabi’s leg•BCCIThis type of tiebreaker – Super Over after Super Over after Super Over – is relatively recent in cricket. It replaced the infamous boundary-count back rule that decided the 2019 World Cup final in England’s favour against New Zealand.Rohit, though, has been here before. He was the Mumbai Indians captain when their IPL game against Punjab Kings was decided only after two Super Overs in Dubai in October 2020. “We don’t even get a third hit in Test matches,” he said after the game in Bengaluru. “It was in the IPL where we played two Super Overs and I batted three times there as well [Rohit batted twice in that game].”11.06pm, the second Super Over: Scenes of utter confusion in Bengaluru. Among the fans but also the players. There are hands on heads and hugs as heightened excitement melds with mental and physical exhaustion. This time Rohit does come out to bat, along with Rinku, for a third hit. Whether he should have been allowed to is another story.Given this was only the second time a T20 had gone into a second Super Over, everyone was figuring out what’s what. Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said later that he wanted Omarzai to bowl again but found out the rules stated: [a]ny bowler who bowled in the previous Super Over shall be ineligible to bowl in the subsequent Super Over.”We wanted Azmat to bowl the second over again, but those sort of things will be explained … because it has happened, these things will be explained and done in writing in the future,” Trott said.India won the series 3-0 after a historic contest against Afghanistan•BCCISo instead of Omarzai, it’s the left-arm seamer Fareed Ahmed with the ball. Rohit, who has already scored 121 off 69 and 13 off 4 in this match, clobbers the first two balls for a six and four and then takes a single. India go on to lose their two wickets off the next two balls, leaving Afghanistan needing 12 to win in their Super Over.Now Naib can’t bat again because he was dismissed in the first Super Over so its Nabi who walks out with Gurbaz, both of whom can bat again because they ended the first Super Over not out. Avesh Khan is warming up to bowl for India and speaks to the bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. But Rohit has a late change of heart and gives the ball to the legspinner Ravi Bishnoi.”I think Rohit went with his gut,” Dravid said later. “I think he felt that the spinner had a better chance to take two wickets. It was one of those days where 11 wasn’t probably a huge score and with the power they had, they probably would’ve got the 12 runs. So, you needed to take two wickets.”The decision proves a masterstroke. Bishnoi has both Nabi and Gurbaz caught by Rinku on the straight boundary within the first three balls.Nearly four and a half hours after the first ball was bowled, this game is finally over. It had begun as a dead rubber and ended as the most glorious of dead rubbers.
New Zealand have had several injury setbacks during their World Cup campaign, but their stand-in captain has ensured they have four wins in four games
Deivarayan Muthu20-Oct-2023No Kane Williamson? No problem for New Zealand. Tom Latham has made sure of that.When Williamson hadn’t fully recovered from surgery for the anterior cruciate ligament he ruptured in the IPL this year, Latham led New Zealand to victory in their World Cup opener against England in Ahmedabad. Then, when Williamson fractured his thumb against Bangladesh, Latham once again captained New Zealand to a 149-run win against Afghanistan.Latham insists his leadership style is similar to Williamson’s but there’s a bit of Brendon McCullum about him. He doesn’t let the game drift and isn’t afraid of taking risks. Against England, for instance, he gambled on using Matt Henry in the middle overs rather than holding him back for the death. Henry whipped up a wobble-seam delivery to dismiss Jos Buttler and cracked the game open for New Zealand. Against Afghanistan, Latham similarly brought Trent Boult back in the middle overs and dismissed allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the 2015 World Cup, McCullum used to try and kill off games in the powerplay by giving extended new-ball spells to Boult and Tim Southee. Now, Latham is trying to kill off games in the middle overs. Wickets lost between overs 31 and 40 significantly diminish a team’s ability to finish strong. That’s why Latham goes to his best options even if it leaves him short-handed later. It’s also why when he batted during this phase against Afghanistan on Wednesday, he prioritised being out there at the death over breaking the shackles. And it worked. New Zealand may have scored only three boundaries between overs 31 and 40 but they quadrupled that count in overs 41-50. Latham, as captain, appears innately tuned to the rhythm of the game.”I don’t think I’m a captain that’s hugely different to how Kane operates,” Latham tells ESPNcricinfo. “For me, it’s always been about the team in terms of trying to ensure we continue doing what we’ve done as a group as best as possible, rather than me coming in and doing something that’s completely different. I think when you’re forced into a situation when you have a couple of injuries, obviously Lockie [Ferguson] going down [with back stiffness against England]… It was tight in terms of how you want to operate, but from that game for me it was about trying to be proactive as best as you can.”I guess it comes across as me making the right decisions, but at the end of the day it’s the bowlers doing the job. They’re the ones taking the wickets, so that in turn makes the captaincy look like it’s a good thing, but I think from our bowlers’ point of view, they’ve been doing a fantastic job, especially in that first game. For me, it’s always been about trying to be proactive, especially in this tournament where conditions are slightly different than what we are used to back home.”Latham was destined to be a leader. At 14, he took on Shane Bond on his Christchurch senior club debut. At 20, he became Canterbury’s youngest captain, and more recently in 2021, he marshalled Canterbury to the one-day Ford Trophy title. But Latham downplays all of that and says he’s still a work in progress as a captain.Related
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“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in this group since 2012, I think, when I made my debut. So, I’m sort of one of the older ones (laughs) in the group or one of the more experienced guys, so you tend to lean on experiences that you’ve had in the past – whether that would be through playing or being a leader, but I guess we’ve been fortunate enough … certainly in my time as a Black Cap, we’ve had some great leaders – the likes of Brendon McCullum, and obviously Kane, who is the captain of this team.”Latham also draws inspiration from former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. “Being from Canterbury, I’ve been a passionate Crusaders supporter and an All Blacks supporter,” Latham says. “I guess seeing what he did with the All Blacks and also with the Crusaders was pretty inspiring. Probably more so with the player he was but also the leader he was. So, as I said, sometimes it’s not necessarily the on-field stuff, it’s the off-field stuff that’s probably more important in terms of pushing the team in the right direction.”ESPNcricinfo LtdLike his captaincy, Latham’s batting often goes unnoticed. In Tests, he does the difficult job of opening in result-oriented conditions. In ODIs, he has to deal with spinners operating with the softer ball, and his middle-order numbers are among the best in the world. Since the end of the 2019 World Cup, Latham has scored 1345 runs in 36 innings at an average of 43.38 and strike rate of 91.12. Among middle-order batters in this World Cup, only Mushfiqur Rahim, KL Rahul and Charith Asalanka have more runs than Latham during this period.”I guess for me, from a one-day point of view, the challenge batting in the middle order is that the situation is always different,” Latham says. “You could be in at 30 for 3 or you could be in at 200 for 3. So being adaptable is probably the biggest thing that I’ve learnt in this role since batting in the middle order – trying to read every situation as best as possible and understanding who is batting around you.”Again, conditions are going to be different on different surfaces and I guess we’re probably going to see this throughout the World Cup, where pitches might start to deteriorate a bit towards the end of the tournament. Being adaptable for me is the biggest thing and it’s something I pride myself on as best as I can.”Latham admits he isn’t a big power-hitter down the ground. Instead, he tries to attack spinners with a variety of sweeps, including the reverse. Latham minimises the risk of sweeping by getting his front pad out of the way and maintaining a low centre of gravity.”It’s a shot that I don’t necessarily practice a lot,” Latham explains, when asked about how he chooses the sweep. “Some guys can just stand there and whack it back over their [bowlers] heads like that. For me, that’s not necessarily an easy shot. Playing a sweep shot comes a little bit naturally to me. You just see the length or the line and then play accordingly. Again, every bowler is slightly different and there are different challenges with the sweep shot – whether there’s more bounce, quicker or slower.”Latham recalls nailing the sweep against India at the Wankhede in 2017, in what was his first innings from the middle order in India. The shot could serve him well in their World Cup match against India in Dharamsala on Sunday.”I do remember a series over here,” Latham says. “I mean it was the first time that I actually batted in the middle order. When I first started, we played in Mumbai, then to Pune and Kanpur and that time it was a shot that was working really well. I was just able to react to the ball and in these conditions where it’s slightly slower, I tend to use the sweep shot a little bit more. And from a bowler’s point of view, you tend to sweep their best ball and again there have been times where it hasn’t worked so well, but I guess that’s the beauty of batting.”While most of the attention will be on Rohit Sharma when he walks out for the toss with Latham on Sunday, underestimate the New Zealand captain at your own peril.
Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll scored a brilliant hat-trick for Dagenham & Redbridge. The 36-year-old forward, who once broke the British transfer record when moving to Anfield from Newcastle United, has made a fresh start in the sixth tier of English football after leaving French side Bordeaux in the summer. He joined the club both as a player and a shareholder.
Carroll returned to England this summer
Carroll, who previously enjoyed spells at Newcastle, Liverpool, and West Ham United in the Premier League, returned to England this summer after a brief stint with French fourth-division club Bordeaux. Despite interest from clubs across Europe, the veteran forward chose an unexpected path and came back to his homeland. He got off to a nightmare start in the sixth tier of English football. In a pre-season friendly against League Two side Crawley Town, Dagenham and Redbridge went down 5-1 as Carroll came on as a substitute after the hour mark.
AdvertisementAFPCarroll's hat-trick inspires Dagenham and Redbridge to a win
On Saturday, the veteran forward featured in Dagenham and Redbridge's starting and completed a hat-trick within the first 31 minutes of the match as his side thrashed AFC Totton 5-1 in a National League South. He opened the scoring in the sixth minute before doubling the tally 12 minutes later. Carroll then completed his hat-trick just past the half-hour mark as he cushioned a clipped ball down before beating the opposition goalkeeper to complete a third for the evening.
Carroll, who now has six league goals to his name, thanked the supporters after the memorable performance, as he said: "Thanks for the support today, buzzing with my hat-trick and the three points. What a win. Let’s keep it going."
With the win on Saturday, the club have now moved up to 12th in the Northern League South points table.
'My kids thought I was signing for Chelsea'
After moving back to England and joining a lower division club, Carroll had told reporters: "My kids thought I was signing for Chelsea — they’ll be in for a shock. It’s a fantastic location and close to my kids, they will be able to come and see me play. I really enjoyed my time in Bordeaux, but it’s time for me to get settled with my family. I’m hoping my kids will bring their friends to see me play. I didn’t want to finish playing football, and I’m really excited to get involved in the leadership side and be a player. I’ve got experience in seeing how clubs are run, of all levels. I think I can add value."
He added: "My first job is to go in as a player, I want to get them promoted. I was offered clubs with a lot more money, but I realised Dagenham was a project that I really wanted to get into. I want to help as many players and staff from my experience and background as possible. I was getting offers from clubs in France, Italy and Spain, but I wanted to come home. I could sign for a top club, but me and the managers might not see eye to eye, so I just want to be somewhere I’m going to be happy."
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AFPCarroll's struggles in France
In April this year, while Carroll was still in France, French publication claimed that the English forward earned €1,614 (£1,372) gross per month at Bordeaux, which is less than €1,400 (£1,190) after tax. The figure mentioned by was less than the French minimum wage for a 35-hour work week of €1,801.80 (£1,532).
He himself had told L'Equipe in an interview that his apartment rent was more than his wages. "I rent a nice little house and my salary is less than my rent. If I joined Bordeaux, it's obviously not for the money," Carroll said.
Thakare, Dubey then dismissed the Rest of India openers late in the day, leaving them with only eight wickets in hand
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025Vidarbha put themselves in a strong position to win the Irani Cup by setting Rest of India a target of 361 and then taking two wickets in the fourth innings.Starting the day at 96 for 2, Vidarbha were troubled by Anshul Kamboj and Saransh Jain but useful contributions from the lower-middle order lifted them from 105 for 5 to 232. No. 6 and Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar made 36, No. 7 Harsh Dubey contributed 29 and No. 9 Darshan Nalkande scored 39.Kamboj, the pick of the Rest of India bowlers, dismissed Vidarbha’s Nos. 3 to 6. Danesh Malewar’s inside edge onto his pads was taken in the slip cordon. Dhruv Shorey was lbw by a length ball angling in. Yash Rathod was caught behind with a ball moving away. Wadkar was also dismissed to a catch by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan with the new ball. It took Kamboj only 12 overs to return figures of 4 for 34.In their chase of 361, Rest of India lost both openers before stumps. Aditya Thakare bowled Aryan Juyal through his defences to knock his poles back. Dubey then dismissed Abhimanyu Easwaran lbw which the batter reviewed unsuccessfully.Ishan Kishan (5*) and Rajat Patidar (2*) were not out at stumps, leaving Rest of India needing a further 331 runs with eight wickets in hand. Vidarbha are chasing a third Irani Cup title in the last decade, having won in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Manchester United’s defeat against Everton on Monday night once again highlighted the issues of Ruben Amorim’s reluctance to move away from his 3-4-2-1 system.
The Red Devils spent 77 minutes playing against just 10 men, but he refused to budge from his philosophy, which no doubt cost the side a chance of claiming all three points.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the Toffees, with the hosts’ impressive five-game unbeaten run coming to an abrupt end.
Since the final whistle, the manager has come under fire for his stubbornness in implementing a more attacking system, especially after the visitors’ early dismissal.
During the loss to David Moyes’ men, one first-team member massively failed to take advantage of the rare starting opportunity that was handed his way in the Premier League.
Joshua Zirkzee’s stats against Everton for United
After Benjamin Sesko’s knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur, Joshua Zirkzee was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign against Everton yesterday.
The Dutchman had previously had to settle for minutes off the substitutes bench, but the clash at Old Trafford was his maiden start of the 2025/26 league season.
However, he was unable to take advantage of the opportunity that was handed his way, with the 24-year-old struggling to match the demands of the manager’s system.
He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was only able to post a measly tally of 35 touches, with only five of his total touches coming within the opposition’s penalty area.
Zirkzee also completed just 15 passes at a success rate of just 60%, which resulted in the forward gifting the ball back to the opposition on 12 separate occasions.
His lack of quality was further outlined in his tally of one big chance missed and just four duels won, with James Tarkowski often pocketing the stand in centre forward.
Not just Zirkzee: United star must not start again under Amorim
In the 12 months since Amorim’s arrival, many United players have often struggled to match the expectations placed upon them – ultimately leading to their lowly Premier League finish last season.
Their performances, as seen by Zirkzee yesterday, will have led to the £200m spending spree during the summer window, but it should only be the start of the overhaul.
The midfield department should be next on the hierarchy’s agenda, with the manager no doubt wanting added reinforcements in such an area of the pitch.
Casemiro is getting towards the end of his current deal at Old Trafford, with Kobbie Mainoo seemingly not fancied by the manager after failing to start a single league game in 2025/26.
However, the defensive unit should also be one that the board are targeting, especially given the failures in that area over the past couple of seasons at Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw is one player who remains in such an area, but like Zirkzee, he’s often failed to deliver when called upon by Amorim over the last 12 months.
The Englishman has now spent over a decade on the books of the Red Devils, but ultimately, he’s entering the latter stages of his career – something which is starting to show.
He’s started every league game to date in 2025/26, but that’s not without question, with his performance against Everton one that failed to catch the eye for the right reasons.
The 30-year-old featured for the entire contest, but was only able to win 50% of the aerial duels he entered and was even dribbled past on two separate occasions.
Minutes played
90
Touches
110
Passes completed
83
Aerials lost
50%
Dribbled past
2x
Interceptions
1
Clearances
1
Crosses completed
0
He also only made one interception and one clearance, subsequently being unable to keep the side’s second clean sheet of the Premier League campaign.
Shaw’s tally of zero completed crosses out of his attempted four showcases his inability to find a teammate in attacking areas, which led to criticism from Gary Neville.
Manchester United's Luke Shaw.
The former United star, now turned pundit, stated that the player is becoming a “waste of time” at United and that his performances at Old Trafford aren’t fooling anyone.
His latest showing under Amorim is further evidence that he’s unable to match the levels he did during the early years of his career – with Amorim needing to exclude him from his starting eleven.
Shaw and Zirkzee are certainly nowhere near the levels the club need if they are to be successful in the Premier League, with the hierarchy needing to offload them to free up funds in January.
Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd man who was among the 'world's best' must be axed
Manchester United’s flaws were brutally exposed in Monday’s dismal defeat to Everton.
The New York Mets star shortstop walked it off Friday night at Citi Field, mashing a towering 401-foot solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It's still early in the 2025 season, but everything about this walk-off homer will make it one of the coolest plays of the year.
First off, look at Lindor's reaction to the homer. He didn't even watch the ball fly into the bleachers. Instead, he casually dropped the bat to the dirt and stared into his own dugout to encourage teammates to start celebrating before the ball even landed in the upper deck.
The view from the SNY production truck was pretty cool, too.
Add in the context that it marked Lindor's first career walk-off homer in a Mets uniform, and the fact that New York was rocking its classic black jerseys in front of a packed home crowd? Yeah, it doesn't get much better than this.
Lindor is hoping the homer propels him out out of a slower start to the 2025 campaign. Through 19 games, Lindor is batting .263/.322/.395 with two homers and two stolen bases.
The Mets enter Saturday afternoon's game against St. Louis with a 13-7 record—good for first place in the NL East.
Manav Suthar took three wickets and Akash Deep two on the opening day of the Irani Trophy
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025Vidarbha opener Atharva Taide scored an unbeaten 118 on the first day of the Irani Cup in Nagpur, putting his team on course for a strong first-innings total against Rest of India. He wasHe began the day alongside Aman Mokhade, who hit four boundaries during his 27-ball 19, before nicking an Akash Deep delivery in the eighth over of the match. Akash Deep – returning to competitive cricket for the first time since his Test tour of England – found success at either end of the day’s play. He was the most economical bowler for Rest of India, going at just 2.50 across his 14 overs.Akash Deep capped off the day by having Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar caught behind for 5 in the 82nd over. Vidarbha were reduced to 275 for 5, and Taide batted out the remaining overs alongside Yash Thakur to take Vidarbha to stumps on 280 for 5.Earlier in the day, Rajasthan allrounder Manav Suthar had threatened to roll them over for much less. Fresh off an eight-for against Australia A in Lucknow, he took back-to-back wickets in his first over – the 23rd of the innings. First, he cleaned up Dhruv Shorey (18) while the batter was playing down the wrong line, before he had Danish Malewar caught behind just three balls later. The latter was the second of three catches Ishan Kishan completed behind the stumps.Akash Deep impressed on his return to competitive cricket•PTI At 80 for 3, 25-year-old Yash Rathod walked in. He stopped the slide and continued his good form from the Duleep Trophy, where he had scored 374 runs in five innings at 124.67. Rathod and Taide batted through the second session, and looked all set to bat till stumps.However, after having hit Suthar for a six just the previous ball in the 74th over, Rathod skipped down the track for the second time in a row and holed out to mid-off on 91 against the run of play. The dismissal ended a 184-run partnership for the fourth wicket.While Akash Deep snared the fifth wicket before the close of play, Taide’s presence in the middle will be essential to Vidarbha’s hopes on the second day. In case an outright result cannot be achieved over five days, the team with the first-innings lead will be declared the winner.Vidarbha will thus be looking to bat deep in their first Irani Cup outing since the 2018-19 edition, which they won through a first-innings lead as well.
It would have been easy to miss amid all of the excitement generated during arguably the most dramatic international break of all time – but some very big transfer news broke earlier this week. According to the very reliable David Ornstein, Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million ($85m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can be triggered during the first two weeks of the winter window.
Given the Ghana international is arguably one of the most exciting wingers operating in Europe right now, the revelation has unsurprisingly sparked widespread speculation over Semenyo's immediate future, with the presumption being that a January move away from the Vitality Stadium is now inevitable.
The 25-year-old won't be short on offers, that's for sure. Indeed, Semenyo has been linked with every member of the Premier League's 'Big Six'. But which club would actually suit him best: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United or Tottenham? GOAL ranks Semenyo's options:
Getty6Chelsea
Chelsea love nothing better than signing wingers, so one can be sure that the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge have at least discussed signing Semenyo – particularly as he's available at such an attractive price. However, even accounting for the Blues' wild approach to squad-building, it's difficult to envisage them bringing in another wideman in January unless one leaves – and that appears highly unlikely as it stands.
Jamie Gittens may be struggling at Stamford Bridge but he only joined during the summer – just like fellow left winger Alejandro Garnacho, who has been showing signs of life in recent weeks. As for the right-wing options, Pedro Neto remains one of Enzo Maresca's more productive players, while Estevao is unquestionably a superstar-in-the-making – as he illustrated with his performances for Brazil during the international break.
Basically, Chelsea have no need for Semenyo, who would be wise to avoid getting caught up in the revolving-door approach to recruitment in west London.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport5Manchester United
Manchester United reportedly offered Bournemouth £50m for Semenyo last January – and it was easy to understand why. As a strong, pacey, hard-running, two-footed attacker, he looked an ideal fit for one of the inside-forward positions in Ruben Amorim's precious 3-4-2-1 formation.
Semenyo still does, in fairness, but after getting a deal done for Matheus Cunha shortly after the summer transfer window opened, United also eventually managed to persuade Brentford to part company with Bryan Mbeumo, who's been one of their better players so far this season.
Of course, all three are multi-talented footballers capable of playing pretty much anywhere across the frontline, so Amorim could, at least in theory, move Cunha into the central striking role (where he's been used by Brazil) to make room for Semenyo. After all, it's not as if Benjamin Sesko is looking like the answer to United's long-running search for a world-class No.9.
However, times are tight at Old Trafford (though maybe not as tight as Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes to make out), meaning United are unlikely to spend a significant sum of money on a position that doesn't necessarily need strengthening.
Getty Images Sport4Arsenal
Who wouldn't want to play for Arsenal right now? The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League and have won all four of the games in the Champions League. Semenyo would probably jump at the chance to move to north London, too, given he's an Arsenal fan and even had a trial with the club as a teenager.
However, it would arguably be a case of the heart ruling the head, because, at 25 years of age, Semenyo wants to be playing first-team football for a top team – and there's no guarantee of regular game time at the Emirates these days.
Mikel Arteta is in possession of arguably the strongest squad in England and that's partly down to the fact that Arsenal brought in two more attackers during the summer in Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. Arsenal have been reportedly tracking Semenyo for some time – he even scored against the Gunners last season – but they're hardly lacking in options on the left wing, while Bukayo Saka remains a certain starter on the right.
So, while this is definitely the most romantic option for Semenyo, it doesn't actually make much sense from a purely sporting perspective.
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Just like United, Spurs were heavily linked with Semenyo during the summer. And just like United, they ended looking elsewhere after he extended his contract with Bournemouth until 2030.
However, while Mohammed Kudus was a smart signing for the right-hand side, Spurs are still lacking a penetrative force down the left flank because Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons is better suited to a central role and if anyone thinks that Richarlison is the answer, they've not understood the question. It would, thus, be a massive surprise if Spurs are not seriously considering at least speaking with Semenyo and his representatives to establish the full cost of any potential deal.
Of course, Spurs will be acutely aware that a buy-out close doesn't make a transfer a formality. They thought they had a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White wrapped up during the summer, only for Nottingham Forest to dig their heels in and convince the England international to sign a new deal at the City Ground.
However, Bournemouth have been very open about the fact that they will not stand in Semenyo's way if he wants to join a Champions League club, meaning a January exit is now looking very likely indeed. Whether Arsenal fan Semenyo would really want to join Spurs is a different story altogether, though – particularly as there will almost certainly be other, more exciting options available to him…
A taint on Liverpool’s season has become turmoil. One loss became two became three. Now, Arne Slot’s champions are in dire straits, having lost five of their past six games in the Premier League.
This is a crisis, of course, with the Reds such a far cry from last season’s quality that not even an echo of that thrilling form can be found in this current crop. But then the season is still young, and there is a good chance that Slot, hailed as a “genius” and a “football scientist” by journalist Marcel van der Kraan last year, will find a solution.
But that solution needs to come quickly, with the expensive new signings all flattering to deceive, bar Hugo Ekitike and perhaps goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, solid if unspectacular in recent weeks as Alisson recovers from injury.
There was always going to be a period of integration, but this has gone beyond that. And, sadly, it feels like the Anfield side are missing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Why Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold
Not for a long time have Liverpool seen a star depart in such bitter circumstances. Alexander-Arnold was the hometown poster boy, instrumental in so much success under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.
Trent Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool
But the whispers of his departure had started long before he left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, his contract about to expire and Real Madrid paying an £8m premium to free him early and add him to the Club World Cup squad over the pond.
Booed by segments at Anfield after the confirmation of his switch to Spain, Alexander-Arnold is no longer considered Merseyside’s Gerrard-esque superstar, even if he leaves a glittering legacy at his boyhood club.
But away from the emotion, Liverpool have missed their one-of-a-kind defender’s creativity. Jamie Carragher once said Trent’s range of passing was like “having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back”, with vision and accuracy on the ball that most could only dream of.
Indeed, no defender in the Premier League has racked up more assists than the 26-year-old, and with him having played fewer matches than all just below him.
1
Trent Alexander-Arnold
64
2
Andy Robertson
60
3
Leighton Baines
53
4
Graeme Le Saux
44
5
Kieran Trippier
38
As the English top flight undergoes something of a cultural and tactical shift, with long throws and low blocks and direct play all the rage once more, Slot’s Liverpool have toiled away and fallen by the wayside.
Trent’s passing would be quite the tonic right now. As per FBref, the Three Lions man ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists made per 90.
But there’s no use crying over spilt milk – or sold starboys, for that matter. Slot needs to find a solution, and he might just have one in another city-born talent.
Liverpool's new version of Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool have signed a new creative superstar in Florian Wirtz. The German hasn’t clicked yet, but his generational quality suggests there is a propitious future awaiting the attacking midfielder.
However, Wirtz isn’t the player in question here. Instead, Curtis Jones is quietly producing progressive playmaking performances under Slot’s management and must now be utilised in a more important role to help turn the tide that has swept the club’s title ambitions away over the past few months.
Jones is Liverpool’s leading academy graduate now that Alexander-Arnold has up and left. The versatile centre-midfielder has racked up 193 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists.
He never quite nailed down a role of significance in Klopp’s team, and while he played his part for Slot last year, Jones has been somewhat on the backbench since the summer, certainly in the Premier League.
In any case, Jones spoke at the start of the Dutch coach’s tenure of his admiration and excitement, feeling his ball-playing skill lends itself to success in Slot’s system.
With Liverpool struggling for control and focused creativity, might Jones be the answer? From limited match action this term, he has proven himself an interesting solution and must be handed a string of starts, especially with Alexis Mac Allister having drifted so far from his usual level.
There’s no question that Jones has become more progressive with his passing since Slot replaced Klopp. In fact, DataMB revealed earlier this week that the England international’s 17.82 progressive passes per game this season trumps every other Premier League midfielder, and that having recorded the highest pass completion rate (91.01%) besides.
He’s only started two league matches this season, featuring nine times in total, but the 24-year-old has also won 65% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
It’s no wonder that one Premier League analyst hailed him as “one of the most underrated players in England”, not necessarily the flashiest, but an industrious and dynamic player who is now adding layers.
This has always been Jones’ skillset, but now, he is starting to evolve into a forward-thinking player, shaking off that ‘conservative’ tag. Sideways passes and a play-it-safe attitude have been, unfairly, regular criticisms of his game.
Liverpool need to see positive change over the coming weeks. Eighth in the Premier League and struggling for any semblance of fluency and confidence, Jones could provide a shrewd answer, combining with those around him, shoring up the defence and rethreading the attacking patterns that have frayed and split this year.
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