Jim Harbaugh poked some fun at his brother John Harbaugh after his appearance at a Baltimore Orioles game earlier this week.

John was in attendance for an Orioles game, and a popped up foul ball landed right near him and Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. Harbaugh and Ripken Jr. were sitting in the first row from the field when the ball went flying and came down in their direction. Neither caught the ball, which ultimately bounced down in their seating section.

After Jim Harbaugh wrapped up his press conference with the Los Angeles Chargers the following day, he initially walked out of the press room before quickly returning with a message for his brother John about not catching the foul ball. Jim said, "That literally was a can of corn. That would be the lesson: keep your eye on the ball," via Eric Smith of Chargers.com.

Jim added, "But far be it from me to coach Cal Ripken, a great shortstop."

Despite already leaving his presser, Jim went out of his way to return to the room seconds later and offer some funny advice for his older brother. Classic sibling behavior.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted he's been left baffled by his team's disastrous run of results in the Premier League. The defending champions have lost six of their last seven matches in the competition and now sit in the bottom half of the table. However, Slot has defended his players, pointing out they have won three of their last four games in the Champions League.

Liverpool in crisis as form collapses

Liverpool's defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out in the Premier League has brought fresh scrutiny on Slot, with the club's hopes of retaining their Premier League title in absolute tatters after just 12 games of the season. The Dutchman has managed just six wins so far in the 2025-26 campaign despite a big summer that brought huge investment in players including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot baffled by Liverpool's dreadful run

Slot has admitted he's at a loss to explain his side's poor run but has defended his team by highlighting their form in the Champions League, which has brought wins over Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Liverpool boss told TNT Sports: "I'm also, like so many others, almost confused. Like, how is this possible with so much quality available that I cannot find a winning way with my team? Which is also not completely true, because people could also say we've won two out of the last four. We've won three out of four Champions League games. But it's clear that we've lost far too many games."

Slot hails Liverpool's great signings

One of Liverpool's problems this season has been that big-money signings such as Isak, Wirtz and Kerkez are yet to make much of an impact. However, Slot has backed his new men and says they are great signings by the club.

"Everybody is surprised, including me. If you win the league, of course we’ve made a few changes, but we’ve also made a few changes where I thought, we thought, but I was the first one who thought that we would benefit from. [We’ve] made some great signings. Players that stayed behind have been so important for us. Then you don’t expect to go into a run of games that we have been in. Even if we hadn’t made a signing or all the players had left, you don’t expect Liverpool to lose in the Premier League six out of seven times," he added.

"There are never enough excuses for me to explain what has happened. That is also what makes it difficult for me because I’m the type of person who likes to explain things. If you can explain things you can find a solution for things."

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Liverpool leaking goals

Slot also spoke about how his team can get their form back on track, explaining: "I don’t think this is a moment about learning from the past, it’s looking forward. I want to play with a team that is doing all the things we did last season. I’ve seen a lot of similar things but there are one or two details and these details have cost us a lot, that are different to last season. One of those details is that last season, until this moment of time, we didn’t concede one set-piece at all and now we’ve conceded nine [in the Premier League]. Generally speaking, it’s still a team that has the ball a lot, it’s still a team that generates enough chances, but it’s also a team that again – I’m responsible for that – concedes far too many goals. It feels as if we are close to going to different results but doing the simple things right is maybe harder than I thought it was."

The Plays of the day from the third day of the Mirpur Test between Bangladesh and West Indies

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Nov-2012The reprieveWhen Shakib Al Hasan edged Ravi Rampaul to the wicketkeeper, Bangladesh were set back at 179 for 4. But umpire Bruce Oxenford checked for the no-ball, and the replays showed that Rampaul had overstepped by at least six inches. Shakib was on 26 and he quickly corrected himself by leaving the ball as much as possible when the seamer bowled from around the wicket. He went on to score 89.The shot out of characterNaeem Islam was a picture of calm when he took guard on the second evening. He continued to build on his innings quietly until Sunil Narine was introduced into the attack in the second hour. After defending the first ball, he slogged the next ball over mid-on for a boundary. Naeem’s intention to attack was a surprise given he had been mostly quiet for his previous 99 deliveries.The field placementDarren Sammy was running out of options when West Indies returned after lunch. With Shakib using the arc behind point and third man regularly, the West Indies captain decided to put three fieldsman deep in that area, within ten yards of each other. Soon after that, in the 69th over, Shakib threaded the gap between deep point and square third man.The frustrationIt had happened on the second evening when Tamim Iqbal got out to a “strange shot at a strange time”, by his own admission, when he was batting on 72. Shakib, on 89, would feel a little worse than the opener after he tried to chip Rampaul over Assad Fudadin at extra cover, but only hit it straight to the substitute. Shakib turned around and swished in the air, angry at himself, but there was no one else at fault but him.The private momentNaeem had spent 18 deliveries in the nineties but as soon as Tino Best gave him a freebie, he tickled one to the fine leg boundary and began celebrations in earnest. After a hug from captain Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem covered his eyes with his forearm, conceivably rubbing off a tear. He quickly flashed a smile at his team-mates who came out of the dressing-room to congratulate him.The long waitVeerasammy Permaul was given a bowl quite late in the West Indies innings, the 31st over, and had to wait even longer for the first wicket. It came in his 22nd over, the 103rd of the Bangladesh innings. Mushfiqur was his first victim, drilling one straight back for an easy caught-and-bowled chance. It was however not his first wicket at this venue as he toured Bangladesh only a month ago for the Sagicor West Indies High Performance team.

West Ham are in dire need of a new striker to relieve the pressure on Nuno Espírito Santo.

Nuno Espírito Santo requests three signings for West Ham in January

Alongside a centre-forward, it is also believed that West Ham’s new boss has personally urged both chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to bring a new defender and midfielder as soon as the next January window (GiveMeSport).

This is somewhat backed up by Sky Sports too, who reiterate that the Hammers are indeed targeting a defender, midfielder and attacker in January, with Nuno also getting “confirmation” he would have money to spend.

Going by this flurry of reports, West Ham could be set for one of their busiest January windows in recent memory, and it’s definitely needed.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

West Ham limped to an uninspired 2-0 defeat to Brentford in their last game, which was Nuno’s first home match since taking charge as manager, with the east Londoners completely failing to lay a glove on Keith Andrews’ side who strutted to victory with ease.

The scoreline could’ve been even worse for West Ham, on a night marred by large protests from the Hammers faithful against their club’s ownership. Brentford attempted a whopping 17 shots on goal and found it far too easy on enemy turf, with this performance highlighting exactly why reinforcements are badly needed.

Even though West Ham look soft as butter defensively, almost every supporter is desperate to see Sullivan and Brady go into the market and sign an exciting striker who can provide that needed injection of quality going forward.

Callum Wilson, who has a torrid injury record, and the inexperienced Callum Marshall are Nuno’s only natural options right now, forcing the West Ham boss to play Lucas Paqueta as a false nine against Brentford on Monday.

This experiment failed, with Paqueta failing to make an impact and losing possession a whopping 23 times.

Niclas Füllkrug, adding to his extensive list of missed games already for West Ham, is set to be “out for a while” after tearing a muscle bundle in his thigh, so the German cannot be relied upon yet again.

Luckily for Nuno, media sources suggest that West Ham are actively trying to solve their striker conundrum, and a key target emerging for the Irons is £53 million Real Madrid sensation Endrick on loan.

Some reports claim that West Ham are even holding talks with Real over a temporary deal for Endrick already, coming after Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Brazil international is expected to leave on a dry loan.

Given Endrick’s desperation for game time, a temporary stint at West Ham could be perfect for all parties involved, with the 19-year-old still classed as one of Brazil’s most exciting up-and-coming talents.

West Ham in pole position to sign Endrick from Real Madrid

Endrick, thanks in part to fitness issues, hasn’t managed to work his way into the Real starting eleven on a consistent basis, but did score five Copa del Rey goals en route to the final last season, before Los Blancos lost to rivals Barcelona.

The Premier League could be beckoning for a player who’s looking to battle his way into Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the World Cup, and West Ham are looking to take advantage.

According to reports from Spain, West Ham are “leading the race” to secure Endrick on loan, ahead of both Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Nuno’s side have expressed serious interest in bringing the teenage striker to England, and Endrick himself sees a temporary move away as critical for his development.

However, while it is reported by some that discussions have been held, a temporary move to another La Liga side is also factored in as a serious option, so West Ham won’t have a free run at his signature.

أهدر البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، مهاجم برشلونة، ضربة جزاء لفريقه أمام أتلتيكو مدريد خلال المواجهة بينهما ببطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه أتلتيكو مدريد على ملعب “سبوتيفاي كامب نو” في مباراة مقدمة من الجولة التاسعة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وتحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء بعد العودة لتقنية الفار، واتضاح وجود تدخل على لامين يامال لاعب الفريق الكتالوني.

وتوجه روبرت ليفاندوفسكي للتسديد لكنه أهدر ضربة الجزاء التي منحت لبرشلونة وذلك في الدقيقة 36، وقد سدد بطريقة غريبة.

وكان أتلتيكو مدريد قد تقدم بهدف لباينا في الدقيقة 19، ثم تعادل برشلونة عن طريق رافينها في الدقيقة 26. ضربة جزاء ليفاندوفسكي في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد

😱 بطريقة غريبة… ليفاندوفسكي يهدر ركلة الجزاء!#الدوري_الإسباني | #برشلونة | #أتليتيكو_مدريد pic.twitter.com/wpnqVPPbPS — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) December 2, 2025

Ackeem Auguste and Roston Chase hit 50 runs apiece after WI’s brief stutter to guide them home

Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2025Ackeem Auguste and Roston Chase struck fifties to help West Indies to a five-wicket win in the third T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram.Romario Shepherd’s hat-trick had earlier helped their cause for the 3-0 triumph, after Bangladesh were bowled out for 151 runs. The series sweep comes at the right time for West Indies, who had lost seven bilateral T20I series in a row, coming into this series.Auguste and Chase put on 91 runs for the fourth wicket, after they lost three early wickets. Auguste peppered the leg-side with five sixes against the Bangladesh spinners, while the stand-in captain Chase got his boundaries all around the wicket.Bangladesh had earlier collapsed from 107 for 2 in the 15th over, to be bowled out for 151 in 20 overs. They lost eight wickets for 44 runs in the last 5.3 overs, including Shepherd’s hat-trick spread over two overs. He was unaware of his achievement, until Jason Holder happily informed him from mid-off.Jangoo surprises for WIBangladesh restricted West Indies’ openers in the first three overs of the chase. The returning Mahedi Hasan got Alick Athanaze stumped for 1 and Amir Jangoo was also struggling to get going. But he had luck on his side. A mix-up between Litton Das and Saif Hassan gave him a let-off in the second over, before substitute Towhid Hridoy dropped a skier at mid-off.Jangoo then took on Taskin Ahmed in his first over. He started with a crisp flicked six off the first ball, before driving and pulling for three more fours in the 18-run over.Bangladesh hit back with Nasum Ahmed removing Brandon King in the sixth over. Jangoo struck two more fours before Rishad Hossain had him lbw in the eighth over. Jangoo’s 23-ball 34 provided West Indies the boost their 152-run chase needed after a slow start.Auguste packs a punchAuguste built on Jangoo’s innings. Like Jangoo, his first six was also a beautifully flicked six off Taskin. Chase, who was dropped on 10, struck three boundaries to get going, before Auguste took on Rishad. He used the flick off the first ball of the 13th over, before hitting him for two more on the leg-side. Rishad though was unlucky, as substitute Tanzim Hasan dropped Auguste at the covers, on 27.Auguste hammered Nasum’s first ball next over, before Chase took over in the boundary-hitting. He struck three more in the next two overs, on the way to completing his fourth T20I fifty.Bangladesh had some respite when Rishad removed both Chase and Auguste in the 16th over, but West Indies were already comfortably placed to complete the win.Tanzid shines againBangladesh had earlier got off to a decent start after deciding to bat first. Tanzid Hasan hit three fours in the first three overs, before Holder dropped him at mid-off on 12. Tanzid kept Bangladesh forceful in the powerplay, lofting Akeal Hosein for a six over square-leg.Parvez Hossain and Litton though fell cheaply, before Tanzid and Saif added 63 runs for the third wicket. Saif started with a six over square-leg against Chase, followed by Tanzid hitting his second off Khary Pierre. Tanzid cracked two fours off Shepherd in the 11th over, before he lofted Gudakesh Motie for his third six in the next over.Rovman Powell dropped Tanzid on 57, although it was a tough chance at long-on. This one made it West Indies’ sixth dropped catch in the last two matches.Shepherd’s special hat-trickWest Indies’ luck though would change from the 15th over. Holder had Saif caught in the backward square-leg boundary, a ball after he struck a six over the same region.Bangladesh would then lose wickets off the last ball of the over for five successive overs. Pierre removed Rishad in the next over, lbw for three, before Nurul Hasan was caught in the deep off Shepherd.Powell Nasum in the deep at the end of the 18th over before Holder got out-of-form Jaker Ali lbw for five.Shepherd started the 20th over with Tanzid caught at mid-off, before he yorked Shoriful Islam. He wasn’t aware of the hat-trick until Holder – the only other West Indian to get a T20I hat-trick – told him. Shepherd celebrated with a smile. It was the eighth hat-trick Bangladesh’s batters had suffered.

Manchester United are now determined to sign a “tremendous” midfielder, with it being revealed they are willing to make a £61m offer.

Man Utd want to sign new midfielder with Mainoo heading for exit

It has now emerged that Kobbie Mainoo could now be heading for the exit door, having failed to start a single Premier League game this season, with Napoli close to getting a deal over the line after a recent round of talks.

Ruben Amorim clearly isn’t fully convinced by Mainoo, having opted to give Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro the nod in the middle of the park for the most part, and doubts remain over Manuel Ugarte, who received heavy criticism after the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby Town.

With that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new midfielder, and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton recently moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba on the list of targets.

According to a report from Spain, however, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s top target, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €70m (£61m) offer for Athletic Club star Oihan Sancet.

United are determined to get a deal for Sancet done, as they believe he fits their desired profile perfectly, and scouts have been sent to watch the Spaniard in action on a number of occasions.

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The attacking midfielder hasn’t ruled out an exit, but his current employers are working on a new contract, in an effort to stave off interest from elsewhere.

Sancet enjoyed "tremendous" 2024-25 campaign

Many of the Red Devils’ other midfield targets, such as Baleba, Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, play in slightly deeper midfield roles, but the Athletic Club star has an attacking mindset, enjoying a fantastic 2024-25 campaign.

Indeed, the 25-year-old was a constant threat on the front foot in La Liga, amassing 20 goals and assists in all competitions, which impressed Athletic Club sporting director Rafa Alkorta, who described him as “tremendous”.

Sancet clearly has the ability to succeed at Old Trafford, but given his attacking mindset, the Pamplona-born star wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Mainoo, who appears to be heading for the exit door.

Anderson, on the other hand, is accustomed to playing in a deeper midfield role, and the Nottingham Forest star recently displayed his ability to control matches, in what was a remarkable performance for England against Latvia.

Statistic

Number completed

Accurate passes

121/130 (93%)

Key passes

2

Tackles

4

Duels won

7

Newcastle United won two games of football last week, thumping Benfica in the Champions League before rallying late on at home against Fulham at the weekend to claim three points in the Premier League.

Three much-needed points. Newcastle had only won two of their opening eight top-flight fixtures beforehand, and Eddie Howe’s side were clearly suffering as a by-product of the drawn-out summer Alexander Isak saga.

Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa have arrived at St. James’ Park to replace the Sweden star, and the former is firing on all cylinders, with five goals from his first ten Magpies outings in all competitions. His general play has impressed everyone at the club, and the entire fanbase besides.

But the 29-year-old Wissa has yet to make his debut as he recovers from a knee injury. The former Brentford star is slated to return in the coming weeks.

Despite this, there are a curious number of reports suggesting the Toon are considering adding to their forward ranks next year.

Newcastle eyeing another striker

Newcastle are showing signs of progress after a stodgy start to the season from an attacking standpoint. Woltemade hit the ground running after his £69m club-record move from Stuttgart, but the overall fluency had fallen from its former level.

With Bruno Guimaraes leading the creative resurgence and the likes of Anthony Gordon starting to find their form, there’s a sense that Newcastle’s strikers could hit lofty levels in the coming years.

While it may seem like Newcastle are well stocked at number nine, William Osula is expected to depart if he cannot establish regular minutes, and how Wissa will fare is as yet uncertain.

Because of this, Caught Offside believe technical director Ross Wilson is preparing a bumper bid for Brentford centre-forward Igor Thiago, who has been in fine fettle so far this season.

The Magpies are getting ready to lodge a €40m (£35m) offer for the Brazilian, though it’s felt more would be needed to convince the Bees to pay up. Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

Brentford are under no financial pressure to cash in, and thus Thiago may only leave if the Bees lose their sting and sink into the second tier at the end of the season.

What Igor Thiago would bring to Newcastle

Admittedly, Newcastle don’t need three top-class strikers in the long run. Not with Osula still making his presence known and with the likes of youngster Sean Neave just waiting to announce himself.

But if Wissa fails to make the grade after an injury-hit start to life on Tyneside, Thiago would be a compelling replacement, having rebounded from an injury-hit debut year at Brentford to make a prolific start to the new campaign under Keith Andrews’ management.

Six goals from nine Premier League matches is what he has, and despite his prolific returns, his manager has praised him as a “selfless” forward who “always puts the team first”.

The 24-year-old has also completed 60% of his dribbles this season while winning 5.4 duels per game, as per Sofascore, demonstrating his robustness and the desire to get stuck in and contribute.

Key virtues for a striker in a Howe set-up, right?

Hailed by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley for being “relentless in his work rate”, there’s little question that Thiago boasts the energy and tenacity to make waves under Howe’s wing.

FBref highlight this perfectly, showcasing the striker’s defensive qualities across the early Premier League campaign. What’s most curious is his likeness to Woltemade, with both physical and rangy forward blessed with more technical skill than might be apparent at a glance.

Goals scored

0.73

0.75

Assists

0.00

0.00

Touches (att pen)

3.64

4.53

Shots taken

2.43

2.26

Shot-creating actions

1.82

1.51

Pass completion (%)

71.0

76.9

Progressive passes

0.85

1.70

Progressive carries

0.49

0.57

Successful take-ons

0.73

0.57

Ball recoveries

1.58

2.64

Tackles + interceptions

1.58

1.51

Aerial duels won

3.27

1.51

With both stars eager to progress the ball and get stuck in defensively, you can see why Howe has been sold after the early weeks of the campaign.

Woltemade’s link-up play is one of his defining assets on the field. In this, he is similar to the ‘selfless’ Thiago, and it’s curious to note that both stars have enjoyed clinical starts to the season regardless.

Level on six goals with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Thiago has only been outscored in the top flight this term by the unstoppable Erling Haaland, who is on 11 strikes.

They are not carbon copies, though, these two strikers. This could work to the advantage of Howe’s project, to be sure, providing equally dynamic forwards to bounce off the likes of Gordon and Anthony Elanga, who has still not got going this season, willing to serve as physical focal points and use crisp passing to play the fleet-footed wingers through.

One of the staples of Howe’s Newcastle project is the collective ability to weather adversity and bounce back stronger. Thiago looks tailor-made in this regard, having featured so little last year under Thomas Frank as he recovered from that knee injury, and yet having played with such confidence and quality across the opening months of the season.

While it doesn’t seem likely that Newcastle would spend a pretty penny on a striker like Thiago without first cutting some costs, he’s been earmarked and has the talent and playing style to become a major player under Howe’s wing down the line.

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