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ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2015Stuart Broad finally found some form with the bat during a lusty 46, which helped England add 83 runs for the last two wickets and finish on 350, level on first innings•Getty ImagesBroad picked up where he left off with the ball and took two wickets in his opening spell•Getty ImagesRoss Taylor decided attack was the best form of defence, hitting 48 from 48 balls during a 99-run stand for the third wicket•Getty ImagesMartin Guptill was also in attacking mood and went past 50…•Getty Images…but became Mark Wood’s second wicket shortly before tea. At that stage, New Zealand’s lead was 141 with six wickets standing•Getty ImagesBrendon McCullum was a little more watchful than usual, ensuring England would not find a way back into the match•Getty ImagesBJ Watling and McCullum both recorded fifties during a stand worth 121•Getty ImagesWood picked up his third wicket when he trapped McCullum lbw, despite a review•PA PhotosEngland also removed Luke Ronchi but Watling reached his hundred in the penultimate over and remained unbeaten at the close, with New Zealand’s lead 338 – a higher target than England have ever successfully chased•Getty Images

Team closes in on making a second final in three years after bowling Madhya Pradesh out for 170

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2023
They were thwarted by Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals last year, but Bengal are on course for payback this time around, with a final appearance in the 2022-23 Ranji season almost theirs. Having opened up a 268-run lead courtesy a five-wicket haul by fast bowler Akash Deep, Bengal ended day three on 59 for 2 at the Holkar Stadium.MP’s hopes of clawing back hinged on getting as close to Bengal’s first-innings score of 438, but a regular stream of wickets thwarted their progress. Three of their batting pillars – Rajat Patidar, Aditya Shrivastava and the returning Venkatesh Iyer – managed scores of 0, 7 and 7 respectively as MP slumped to 101 for 6.Allrounder Saransh Jain, who was promoted up to No. 3 held fort to carve a fighting half-century, his third in first-class cricket, but lack of support from the rest of the batting group meant MP had conceded too much ground by the time their first innings ended. Shubham Sharma’s unbeaten 44 at No. 8 was merely academic.Akash, who has shouldered the responsibility of leading Bengal’s attack in Mukesh Kumar’s absence, ended up with his third five-for of the season to take his wickets tally to 36 in 15 innings at an average of 20.08. He was complemented by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who finished with 2 for 30.In their second dig, Bengal lost openers Karan Lal ans Abhimanyu Easwaran early, but will have Anustup Majumdar and Sudip Gharami, centurions from the first innings, resume in their quest to bat MP out of the match and seal their second Ranji final appearance in three seasons.

Pant vs Karthik is India’s major selection debate in a contest full of star-studded match-ups

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Nov-20226:53

Key match-ups: Kumble feels Suryakumar will put Curran under pressure

Big picture

The self-anointed big boys of world cricket are going at it at the Adelaide Oval. The neutrals may struggle to pick a side, but one thing is certain – it will be a blockbuster occasion.Familiarity will breed competition in this instance, given what’s at stake. Just a few months ago these two sides spent a concentrated fortnight at one another’s throats, with India taking the T20I leg with a pretty convincing 2-1 series win. But things are different now, very much in a good way. Jos Buttler is a more accomplished captain, settled in the rigmarole of the job and his tactics. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has rediscovered his mojo.England will feel they have an edge of sorts, what with two must-win games ticked off against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to get them out of Group 1. There is a renewed confidence about them as setters having long been chasers, to the extent that the toss may be academic provided evening dew is minimal.Related

• How Sam Curran evolved to become England's go-to death bowler

• India vs England at World Cups: From Amarnath's heroics to an Adelaide cakewalk

• AB de Villiers approves of 360-degree comparisons with Suryakumar

• Tactics Board: Bhuvneshwar vs Buttler, Wood vs Suryakumar

• Hardik Pandya: the gold standard for a T20 allrounder

As for India, the only team to have won four matches in the Super 12 stage, the pressure to go on to a reunion with Pakistan at the MCG in Sunday’s final will be great, though no greater than what their players usually contend with. Quite apart from their obvious strength is a cerebral approach to their T20 work that gives them a unique edge over opponents before they have set foot on the park. Much of England’s public preparation has been on bigging that up while privately racking their brains to take them down a few pegs.The shorter square boundaries in Adelaide, as detailed in our Tactics Board, will play to the strengths of both batting line-ups. That no Englishman other than openers Buttler and Alex Hales have hit more than one six in the tournament speaks of a middle order that hasn’t quite come to the party. And while it’s tempting to say they are “due”, India will no doubt be focussing on keeping them quiet. One expects Sam Curran’s emergence as Buttler’s go-to death bowler will also face its sternest test against a side who are striking at 11.90 at the death.Wherever you look, there are match-ups that could be regarded as game-changing bouts. Don’t miss any of them.1:14

Watch: India tune up for the semi-final

Form guide

India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLWW

In the spotlight

In a team of superstars, Suryakumar Yadav strides above them all as the man of this World Cup. No one has had a more profound effect on his team – and opponents – quite like this 32-year-old phenom equipped with more scoring options than Erling Haaland. The numbers he’s posted so far – 225 at a strike rate of 193.96 – are remarkable, the strokeplay drawing admiration from all quarters, even AB de Villiers who is the only one that springs to mind when it comes to the consistent destruction this man is serving up. Can he be stopped?Reliable with the ball, the usual excellence in the field and, against Sri Lanka, finally a score of note with the bat. Picking Ben Stokes in this section is as clear as the blue’s SKY. But in Dawid Malan’s likely absence, the allrounder is the only batter likely to hold the innings together and take things deep in the event of early losses. They say the big moments find him, and few come bigger than this.

Team news

The only debate for India is whether to play Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik. Pant can upset Adil Rashid being a left-hand batter but Karthik is the finisher who can hit from ball one. Also Pant will have Moeen Ali’s offspin to deal with. Going by India’s training session, it looks like Karthik will play, having engaged in keeping drills while Pant did not. It is touch and go.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh.Neither Mark Wood nor Dawid Malan were fully fit at the time of the captain’s press conferences but England are willing to give them as much time as possible. Malan batted for a bit with one pad on, while Wood bowled about two overs max – with England understood to be ready to play Chris Jordan in his stead. It was notable that Phil Salt batted for a long period in the nets. Those changes in themselves will bring a degree of uncertainty given England have named unchanged XIs for their World Cup games so far.England (possible): 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan/Phil Salt, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil Rashid.In the possible absence of Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes could play a key role in holding England’s batting together•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Yes, this will be a used pitch, but it was last used on November 4 for the match between Australia and Afghanistan. The groundsman has assured Jos Buttler that he has had enough time to prepare what should not behave like a tired pitch. Buttler said: “I think having talked to the groundsman, his team is really confident that he’s had a lot of time to get some really good work into the wicket. He seems very comfortable that it’s going to be a really good surface and a consistent surface. At the moment I have no worries about the pitch.”For what it’s worth, the pitch for Australia vs Afghanistan started off slow and inconsistent in bounce, but it skidded on nicely at night. Afghanistan came close to chasing down 168. Chasing upon winning the toss might be a good idea, though much of the week leading up to this match has been quite hot so there might be more pace in this pitch. The forecast is fine, albeit with a morning shower predicted. Nevertheless, this should be an uninterrupted match.

Stats and trivia

• India have won their last four bilateral T20I series against England – two in England, two in India, all four by one-match margins.
• The two teams have not met at a T20 World Cup in this period, though. The last of their three meetings came in 2012, when a Rohit Sharma half-century and a four-wicket haul from Harbhajan Singh led India to a 90-run win in Colombo. In all, India have a 2-1 lead in T20 World Cup meetings.
• Virat Kohli needs 42 runs to become the first batter to 4000 in T20Is. Alex Hales, meanwhile, is 13 short of the 2000 mark.

Quotes

“These guys are quite dangerous. They’ve played some really good cricket in the tournament as well, which is why they’re here. So we’ve got to be at our best to win the game.”
“Well, we certainly don’t want to see an India-Pakistan final, so we’ll be trying all we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

RB Leipzig have held initial talks with Jobe Bellingham as they are determined to sign the Sunderland star in the summer.

Article continues below

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• Bellingham could head to Germany in the summer
• RB Leipzig held talks with the youngster
• Bellingham's Sunderland contract expires in 2028

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham could follow in brother Jude's footsteps and move to Germany in the summer as he has reportedly held talks with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, according to Sky Sports Germany's . Leipzig have accumulated all the information regarding the midfielder, who has a deal with Sunderland until 2028. The German side currently consider Bellingham's overall package to be too expensive, but they have also made it a priority to bring him to the Bundesliga ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, the report adds.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Other than RB Leipzig, another German giant, Borussia Dortmund, is also keen on signing the player. BVB believe they will be able to convince the youngster to join the club, where his elder brother Jude spent many memorable years before switching to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 19-year-old has impressed in the North East and looks set to move to a new club in the summer should the Black Cats miss out on promotion to the Premier League. English giants like Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the queue to secure the midfielder's signature.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JOBE BELLINGHAM?

  For now, Bellingham remains focused on the current campaign and will be next seen in action for Regis Le Bris' side on Saturday as they face Millwall in a crucial Championship fixture.

Leicestershire bowled out for 99, Steven Croft anchors simple chase for hosts

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2023Lancashire’s star-studded line-up gave Liam Livingstone the perfect start to his spell as Lightning’s Vitality Blast captain with a landslide eight-wicket win over Leicestershire at Emirates Old Trafford.A team with seven internationals blitzed the Foxes early on thanks to Luke Wood’s pace in the powerplay after the visitors had elected to bat, limiting them to a measly 99 all out inside 19 overs.Livingstone didn’t bat or bowl in this lunchtime fixture, with his England white-ball team-mate Wood setting the tone with two wickets in the third over. He got openers Sol Budinger and Nick Welch caught pulling as the score fell to 17 for 2.Left-armer Wood finished with 3 for 11 from four overs, while another England quick Saqib Mahmood finished with 3 for 17 from 3.5 before the chase was completed inside 12 overs thanks to Steven Croft’s unbeaten 46 off 34 balls.Lancashire have started their bid for what could be a record-breaking 10th Finals Day appearance – Hampshire have also previously qualified for nine – by winning two from two at the start of the North Group.Wood’s fiery new-ball spell seemed to scramble the minds of Leicestershire’s batters, with nine of the 10 wickets falling to catches in their first game of the competition. Wiaan Mulder’s 25 was the only score above 20.When the easier-paced seam of Colin de Grandhomme was introduced in the fourth over, Arron Lilley chipped to midwicket and later Colin Ackermann was bowled aiming a big heave at a slower ball from the former New Zealand allrounder – leaving Leicestershire 35 for 4 after seven.Wickets continued to fall, three in four overs, as Leicestershire slipped deeper into trouble at 74 for 7 in the 14th. Matthew Parkinson struck with his third ball in the 11th when Rishi Patel tried to break the shackles and miscued to Wood at long-on before Mahmood had Mulder caught at deep midwicket pulling in the next.Wood then returned to get Rehan Ahmed caught behind trying to uppercut a short ball in the 14th over, the England allrounder falling for 6.That brought about a battle of the Parkinson twins, Matthew and Callum, the latter attempting to retrieve what already looked a lost cause. Callum survived against his brother, picking up a couple of singles off him on the way to 9. But he then fell caught behind off a top edge against Lancashire’s other New Zealand allrounder Daryl Mitchell.As the Foxes fell to 94 for 8 in the 18th over, Parkinson became the fourth batter out attempting to pull.Mahmood then wrapped up the innings – Leicestershire’s fifth-lowest in Blast history – with two more wickets caught off miscues in the 19th over, Pakistan debutant fast bowler Naseem Shah and Will Davis falling.South African Mulder took the new ball for the Foxes and struck in the second over when Luke Wells followed a number of visiting batters by falling caught on the pull, leaving Lancashire at 8 for 1.Croft and Phil Salt then shared 60 inside six overs for the second wicket, both hitting sixes. Salt was then superbly caught at backward point by a diving Patel off Ahmed’s legspin for 28, but it was nothing more than a consolatory wicket at 68 for 2 in the seventh.Mitchell later hit a six off Davis over backward square-leg to seal victory and finish 25 not out.Such is the strength of the Red Rose county’s team, captain Livingstone’s contribution was limited to captaincy alone upon his return from IPL duty. And England limited-overs skipper Jos Buttler will be added to the mix in time for next Thursday’s Roses clash at Headingley.

Manchester United chiefs are now reportedly racing to sign a German Bundesliga champion who has started the season in fine form.

Man Utd transfer news

Despite several summer upgrades, Manchester United have once again got off to an inconsistent start in the Premier League, with just two wins in their last six games leaving Erik ten Hag’s side in a frustrating run of form. What hardly helps that statistic is the fact that the two wins that have arrived during that time have come against newly promoted Southampton and League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.

Man Utd squandered chance to sign unreal Fernandes upgrade now worth £108m

The sensational talent would have been a game-changer for United.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 27, 2024

Even as their Europa League campaign got underway against Ten Hag’s former side, FC Twente, the Red Devils failed to secure all three points, conceding their lead courtesy of Sam Lammers’ equaliser to draw 1-1 at Old Trafford.

It’s the type of run that has seemingly left INEOS with no choice but to turn back towards the transfer market and yet another reported upgrade.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Manchester United chiefs are now battling to sign Jeremie Frimpong ahead of rivals Manchester City in a fierce battle for the Bayer Leverkusen defender’s signature.

A versatile player who can play at right-back, left-back and right-midfield, Frimpong proved invaluable for Xabi Alonso’s side last season as they won the Bundesliga in dominant, invincible fashion in a season which featured just one defeat – a 3-0 loss in the Europa League final against Atalanta.

Now, after picking up where he left off, Manchester United reportedly want to bring Frimpong to Old Trafford in 2025.

"Great" Frimpong could ease Shaw woes

If you were to pick out one area that Manchester United should have strengthened in the summer, it’s their left-back spot. As things stand, Diogo Dalot has been left with no choice but to swap flanks and provide the Red Devils with an option down that side amid the injury struggles of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

It is a problem that Dalot can’t solve forever and one that is unlikely to go away due to Shaw’s extensive injury history. And that’s why Frimpong’s arrival would carry such importance, given that he can play both at right and left-back.

More of an attacking outlet than Dalot, Frimpong has endured an excellent start to the new season to pick up where he left off, with one goal and four assists in seven games in all competitions.

Described as a “great ball-carrier” by analyst Ben Mattinson at the start of September, the £64,000-a-week Frimpong remains one to watch and a player who could provide Manchester United with the ultimate solution down either side of their back four.

West Indies name squad for first Test against Bangladesh; injured Kemar Roach’s participation dependent on fitness assessment

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2022Jason Holder will miss Bangladesh’s tour of West Indies, having been granted his request for a period of rest and recovery. He was not part of the 12-man squad named by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for the first Test of that tour, which starts on June 16.Kemar Roach is also not part of this squad, as he recovers from a hamstring injury picked up during his stint with Surrey in England’s County Championship. CWI said Roach will undergo a fitness assessment closer to the game, and be added to the squad if passed fit.The squad, named on Tuesday night, includes three players uncapped in Test cricket in wicketkeeper batter Devon Thomas, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and fast bowler Anderson Phillip.Former West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s son Tagenarine, a batter, was named a reserve player, alongside fast bowler Shermon Lewis.Allrounder Raymon Reifer, who played his solitary Test till date in December 2017, gets a recall.Thomas, Motie and Phillip have all already debuted for West Indies, but in the white-ball formats. Motie was a reserve player at the T20 World Cup last year, while Phillip was also called up for West Indies’ previous Test assignment: a three-Test home series against England in March, which West Indies won 1-0.Holder and Roach aside, the others to miss out from the squad named for the England series are batter Shamarh Brooks and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul. Brooks had scored 79 runs from five innings in that series at 15.80, while Permaul took five wickets from four innings at 50.80.Holder has been playing cricket relatively non-stop since January, with limited-overs series against Ireland, England and India followed by the England Tests and the IPL, where he turned out for Lucknow Super Giants.Roach was due to spend two months with Surrey, but did damage to his left hamstring in their game against Hampshire in mid-April and has been in recovery since.West Indies’ chief selector Desmond Haynes, explaining the new faces in the squad, said: “Devon Thomas has been knocking on the door for quite some time. He has done extremely well in our franchise cricket system and we view this as a good opportunity to give him a go.”You would notice that Raymon Reifer is also in the squad. He is another person that has done impressively well in the four-day competition and against England [in a tour game]. So again, we are giving opportunities to guys who are performing.”We think Gudakesh Motie is one of those guys who is also bowling well, and we think it will be a good opportunity for him to be involved.”In all Bangladesh play West Indies in two Tests (which count for World Test Championship points), three T20Is and three ODIs between June 16 and July 16.West Indies’ squad for the 1st Test vs Bangladesh: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-capt), Nkrumah Bonner, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas
Reserves: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shermon Lewis
Out: Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder (rested), Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach (pending fitness assessment)
In: Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Devon Thomas

Rangers have begun talks to sign a defender that Mike Ashley once tried to sign for Newcastle United, according to a new report.

Pressure is very much on Philippe Clement and Rangers this season, as there is an expectation that the club puts up a stronger fight this time around when it comes to competing with arch rivals Celtic. The Gers fell away late last season, and to avoid a repeat of that, Clement and the Rangers board have been busy in the transfer market, making sure they have a squad good enough to compete on all fronts.

Club make contact to sign Rangers 21 y/o who Philippe Clement doesn't want

He is a player who can “unlock defences”.

By
Henry Jackson

Aug 28, 2024

Rangers transfer news

As the 11 p.m. deadline on Friday approaches, Rangers can safely say they have been busy, as they have so far added eight players to their squad. But given how well Celtic have started the new season, Rangers may still be in the market for one or two additions to give them the best chance of success.

It has been reported in recent days that Rangers could be looking into a deal to sign Pyramids FC winger Ibrahim Adel, who has just impressed with his national team Egypt in the Olympic Games. The Scottish side are said to be very keen on the player, and they would be willing to spend as much as £5 million to sign the winger, but they do face competition from the likes of Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

As well as looking at Adel, Rangers were also said to be interested in a possible deal for Troyes defender Jackson Porozo, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa. The report states that the Gers made contact with the French side over a possible deal, but it wasn’t a situation that was ongoing, with the demands “not suitable” for Rangers, and the defender instead joined Leganes.

Therefore, Rangers are still in the market for a new defender, and it appears as though their search has taken them to a player who was once wanted by former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who of course held a rather unpopular 8.92% stake at Ibrox too between the years of 2014 and 2017.

Rangers in talks to sign Philippe Clement target

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Rangers are in talks to sign Hoffenheim defender Stanley N'Soki. The report states that the defender could well leave the German side in this transfer window, with a loan move being looked at.

N’Soki is contracted to the Bundesliga side until the summer of 2027, and Clement, who managed the defender at Brugge, would personally like to bring the central defender to Ibrox in what remains of this transfer window.

The report states that talks have begun and have been ongoing in recent hours, as Rangers look to strengthen their defensive line. Rangers fans might not be aware of N’Soki, but he has appeared on the radar of Newcastle United before, as in 2018 Ashley made a bid worth £10 million to sign N’Soki for the Magpies, but in the end the deal failed to materialise. However, a few years on, and he could now be heading for that move to the UK.

Tottenham Hotspur got their Premier League campaign underway in underwhelming fashion last night with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City.

Ange Postecoglou's side were far and away the better team in the first half but struggled to put away their chances before Jamie Vardy punished them in the second 45.

There were a couple of good performers for the North Londoners, such as goalscorer Pedro Porro, but there were more disappointing displays, especially in attack.

One of those who failed to provide much was Brennan Johnson, and if the Lilywhites want to get the most out of Dominic Solanke this season, they may want to consider signing a new rightwinger. Interestingly, they have already been linked with someone who'd be the perfect solution this summer.

Johnson and Solanke vs Leicester

So, the first thing to point out is that while Johnson is a talented winger, and certainly of the level required to play in the Premier League, there are still question marks over whether he's good enough to play for a top side like Spurs, and unfortunately for him, his performance last night did little to sway those concerns.

In his 79 minutes on the pitch, he struggled to have any impact at all, and aside from a shot in the first half that was straight at the Foxes' keeper, he looked largely clueless on the ball and seemingly unable to time a run off of it.

Unsurprisingly, he failed to impress football.london's Spurs correspondent, Alasdair Gold, who gave him a 4/10 at full-time and wrote that he was 'not decisive enough in his play.'

In contrast, Solanke looked lively on his debut for the club, and while he'll be disappointed that he couldn't put away the chances he had, the signs were positive, and given that it was his first game in about three weeks, the rustiness is entirely understandable.

The £65m marksman looks like he could be the goalscorer that Postecoglou and the fans have been after ever since Harry Kane left last summer, but to get the most out of him, a new rightwinger might be needed, and the ideal candidate was already linked with the club earlier this summer.

How Coman could unlock Solanke

Yes, the player in question is Bayern Munich ace Kingsley Coman, who was touted for a move to Spurs earlier this month.

The report revealed that the North Londoners are keen to sign a new wide player this summer, and the Frenchman was one of the players they were interested in.

The good news for Daniel Levy and Co is that other reports from this month claimed that Bayern would be willing to sell the talented winger for just £34m, or better yet, loan him out for the season.

However, would the former Paris Saint-Germain gem really help unlock Solanke more than Johnson? Yes, yes, he would.

The primary reason the "1v1 specialist", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, would be a better teammate for the striker than the former Forest man is that over the last two seasons, he has maintained a more impressive goal involvement-to-game ratio.

For example, in his 62 appearances across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns, he produced 24 goals and assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 2.58 games.

In contrast, the Welshman produced 28 goals and assists in 82 games across the same period, which breaks down to a goal involvement on average every 2.92 games.

Just imagine how much more effective the former Bournemouth ace would be playing alongside the rapid Frenchman, who'd either be able to provide him with a brilliant pass to bury in the back of the net or terrify defenders with his brilliant skills and, therefore, open up more space for the Englishman to exploit himself.

Lastly, the Bayern ace has been playing at the highest level for most of his career, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to Postecoglou's squad, which could help them avoid collapses like the one they suffered against Leicester.

9 duels lost: Spurs' 4/10 ace was as bad as Solanke vs Leicester City

It wasn’t the opening game fans were hoping for.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 20, 2024

Ultimately, while Johnson isn't a bad player, he doesn't look like the type of winger who will supercharge Solanke or help Spurs climb up the league. Therefore, Levy and Co should return for Coman before the window slams shut.

The future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is very much up for discussion, but he remains in charge of the club for the time being. However, United are already putting plans in place should the Dutchman depart as they now hold an interest in a serial winner, according to a new report.

Berrada and Ashworth to advise Ratcliffe as Man Utd eye "fantastic" manager

Ten Hag’s long-term future at Man Utd is in doubt and the club are now considering potential replacements.

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By
Brett Worthington

Oct 2, 2024

Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd future under threat

Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur has put Ten Hag under serious pressure at Old Trafford, with many believing he has games against Porto and Aston Villa this week to turn his fortunes around. The Dutchman remains in the hotseat, but it hasn’t stopped the speculation from gathering pace on who could be his potential replacement.

Current assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has been backed by former chief scout Mick Brown to become the next boss. Brown played a big role in bringing van Nistelrooy to Old Trafford back in 2001, and he believes the former Dutch striker should be considered to replace Ten Hag.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils also have Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi on their radar should a change in the dugout occur. Inzaghi won Serie A with Inter last season and has built a side that looks capable of competing in Europe now. Sir Jim Ratcliffe will seek the opinions of the Glazers, sporting director Dan Ashworth, and chief executive Omar Berrada before deciding on his next move, but Inzaghi looks to be another option the club may consider.

Man Utd plotting talks with 3-5-2 specialist manager

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are interested in speaking to ex-Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri if they decide to sack Erik ten Hag. The report states that should a change in the dugout happen, United are likely to go after the cheaper option of an out-of-work manager.

Allegri’s second spell at Juventus came to an end in May, but his time in Italy was very successful as he won the Scudetto six times. As well as Allegri being on United’s radar, Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel are also managers that may be considered, according to this report.

Allegri has never managed outside of Italy, as he’s taken charge of teams such as SPAL, Lecco, Sassuolo, Cagliari Calcio, AC Milan, and Juve. As well as being a winner of Serie A, Allegri has also won five Italian Cups and three Super Cups.

The 57-year-old has taken charge of over 500 games in Serie A, 302 of which he has won, losing just 98, meaning on average he is picking up two points per game with his favoured 3-5-2 formation. Whether Ratcliffe and Co would be willing to take a risk on such a style – one that is usually boom or bust in England – remains to be seen.