All posts by h716a5.icu

For both the USMNT and Canada, the Nations League third-place match has nearly as much at stake as the tournament finale

LOS ANGELES – In an unexpected way, Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. men's national team actually got exactly what they were looking for: a competitive game with real stakes. Canada, CONCACAF Nations League, Sunday – only the kickoff will be in the afternoon local time, not the prime-time slot.

This won't be a tournament final – rather, the third-place game. There will be no trophy to lift. The USMNT's 1-0 loss to Panama in the semifinals Thursday ensured that. It also ensured that, for the first time in this competition's four-year history, someone other than the U.S. will be the champion – either Mexico or Panama.

Tough pill to swallow.

Yet … this isn't a normal third-place game. These are typically after-thought affairs, a chance for rotation after a deflating defeat. Not this time. This game is suddenly pressure-packed, with nearly as much on the line as the tournament finale – or perhaps more. Both the U.S. and Canada have so much to prove, so much to show after their semifinal defeats.

The U.S. will need to show something different. They were flat and uninspired against Panama, despite all that was at stake. They can't afford that again. Pochettino will likely make changes, but there is a question of who and how many. He'll need Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie his stars to help his team play their way out of this self-inflicted mess.

"I think that game didn't describe and doesn't describe how we are as a team, as individuals, as players, as coaches, as a U.S. men's national team," Pochettino said. "For different reasons, that can happen, but we need to improve.

GOAL takes a look at five key storylines as the USMNT take on Canada at 6 pm ET at SoFi Stadium.

Getty ImagesGio Reyna, Diego Luna and creating

In the second half of Thursday's loss, it became glaringly obvious: the USMNT needed a creative spark. Panama were making the game narrow and spaces were getting tighter. The USMNT was going to need to find a way to play through a wall, to thread a needle to get their goal.

To their credit, they did twice. Patrick Agyemang had two opportune looks on goal, but couldn't put either home. The chances were there, but without someone to jump on them – someone such as Gio Reyna or Diego Luna. Both have their drawbacks: Reyna's lack of form and Luna's lack of experience.

At that point in the game, though, the risk would have been worth the reward. The U.S. needed someone on the field who was willing to try things, with Pochettino saying players "need to trust that they can make a mistake and that the mistake is to not try again. For me, that is the most important. People that take risks is what we want, what we love – and we cannot play football without risk."

Winning the possession battle, which the USMNT overwhelmingly did, means little without scoring.

"It's like we played without goals, but the objective is to score," Pochettino said. "We prepare and we attack the opponent and that's about finding the possibility to go after it and scoring. We really enjoyed keeping possession and playing and playing and playing, but we didn't score."

Pochettino admitted that he was prepared to turn to both Reyna and Luna in extra time – but a Panama goal in the 94th minute ensured that the USMNT never got there.

He should have made the switch earlier. With Panama struggling to threaten, the U.S. had four central midfielders on the field in various spots and none were consistently creating. The double pivot of Tanner Tessmann and Tyler Adams wasn't necessary. The introduction of Jack McGlynn made some sense, but he didn't solve the problem.

Pochettino said that you can expect to see Luna and Reyna on Sunday, and rightfully so. Both have a point to prove and both will offer something that the U.S. was sorely lacking. It's too late to change that outcome, but Pochettino will hope that one of those two can make an impact against Canada.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe need for goals

While the ability to create goalscoring chances is crucial, actually finishing those chances is even more important. The USMNT lacked that on Thursday, too.

There were a number of opportunities against Panama, and if any one of them had gone the USMNT's way, it would be a different discussion. It was a perfect combination of wastefulness and bad luck.

"I don't want to say that you don't care, but I think you take it in a more relaxed way," Pochettino said of the approach. "I think that game, we all felt that the opportunity would appear and that we would score and win the game and we celebrate and go to the final on Sunday. I think that was the feeling on the pitch, for you, for players, for us.

"That is the wrong feeling because you need to score, you need to be aggressive. You need to score two, three, four and then, OK, maybe relax in the few minutes. But, until then, that was a problem."

Josh Sargent had two of those chances, one off the post and one ruled out due to an offside call long before he hit the back of the net. Patrick Agyemang had a one-on-one saved before then flipping a Christian Pulisic pass up and over the bar. Four looks at goal, any of which could have booked the USMNT a spot in Sunday's finale against Mexico.

Now they're against Canada, who have a clinical striker of their own in Jonathan David. Sargent has been fantastic for Norwich, but that clinical finishing has been absent from his USMNT game for years. He hasn't scored since 2019 in a U.S. shirt. It would be a damn good time to get one. As for Agyemang, this was his third cap and you give him credit for making an impact off the bench.

One of the strikers needs to step up – and that explicity means scoring. Goals are a striker's currency, and the USMNT can't afford to have their forwards remain broke through Sunday.

They could also use a jolt from Pulisic, who completed just 23 of his 35 passes, had just one shot off blocked away and failed to create a chance against Panama.

"Just lacking a bit of aggressiveness and creativity in the final third," Pulisic said after the match. "We're still building our identity. This is a tough loss. We've won this tournament a couple of times now and it didn't go our way this year, but we just have to keep going from here."

ImagnA decision in net

Let Tony Meola explain it.

"That ball can't end up in the back of the net," the former US goalkeeper said on CBS after Thursday's match. "I look at the angle Matt Turner took and… yes, the pace of the shot, not going to take anything away from the goalscorer, but in this moment, at this time, Turner is a bit tucked in there [at goal] and… his feet are planted and he doesn't have that explosion. I'm not blaming Turner, but those are moments where you have to find a way."

Meola offered a theory as to why Turner couldn't quite find a way – his lack of playing time at the club level. It's no secret that Turner hasn't played much this season. After months of this conversation, it's time to ask: should Turner continue to start?

Pochettino, ultimately, is the one to make that call. He has Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen in the team, and both will feel they've done enough to earn this chance. Turner, though, has history on his side. It would be harsh to rule him out based on one tough goal. Turner will have much to prove if he is given the nod again.

Getty ImagesContaining Canada

This may be a third-place match, but that doesn't mean it will be easy. Canada is a team that is at an entirely different level than Panama, which means Sunday's game will look very different.

While Panama were content to sit back and pick their spot, Canada will certainly believe they can play with the USMNT. They have reason to. They beat the U.S. 2-1 last September after finishing fourth at a Copa America in which the USMNT got grouped. The 2-0 loss to Mexico Thursday was frustrating, yes, but Canada had their chances and left SoFi Stadium feeling hard done by VAR.

Of the two teams, Canada are arguably more dynamic. Alphonso Davies is incredible. Jonathan David is the best striker in CONCACAF. Cyle Larin is a proven weapon, while newer faces like Ismael Kone and Moise Bombito are coming into their own. You can't fall asleep against Canada. They will punish an opponent much more viciously than Panama can.

"The U.S., from what I've heard from the camp, is internally disappointed with the performance," said Canada boss Jesse Marsch. "The media here in the U.S. has been very aggressive about how disappointed they were in this team and now have turned a little bit and put it towards the players.

"We would be foolish if, based on those two factors, we don't expect a hard, real game and a big response from the USMNT. That being said, our guys are excited. we're excited about the challenge."

For the USMNT, that challenge is going to be difficult. Canada will also be feeling pressure to prove themselves on the road to 2026. This is a measuring stick for both, and whoever loses will have a lot of thinking to do.

Just eight days on from Manchester United’s derby victory at the Etihad, a sudden realisation has hit Ruben Amorim.

He was under no impression this would be an easy task but it’s surely now hitting home the enormity of the challenge laid out in front of him.

The Red Devils are struggling for consistency and that problem was laid bare in the run-up to Christmas.

That away win over rivals Manchester City was euphoric but it was followed up by a 4-3 loss to Tottenham and then a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth. Not great.

There are a host of problems to sort out, not least Marcus Rashford’s future, but Amorim also needs to get more of a tune out of the attack and importantly, fix up the defence.

Only one team in this season’s Premier League (Wolves) have shipped more goals from set-pieces with United undone once more by a set-play when Cherries centre-back Dean Huijsen was allowed the freedom of Old Trafford to head home on Sunday.

#1 Wolves

14

#2 Man United

9

#3 Southampton

8

#4 West Ham

7

#5 Leicester

5

So, where does the new manager start? Well, he needs to get rid of some deadwood to allow the freedom to bring in players who will actually fit his tactical style.

The Man United players who could leave in January

The biggest elephant in the room at the moment is Rashford. The Carrington academy graduate got Amorim’s tenure off to a flyer by scoring inside the opening minute during his first game in charge away at Ipswich.

Sadly, since then, the forward hasn’t made a great impression on the former Sporting boss. He’s been left out of the last three match day squads and an exit in January feels inevitable.

According to some reports, Barcelona are one of the leading suitors for his signature at this moment in time.

Marcus Rashford transfer latest: Who could sign the Man Utd star?

The winger recently admitted that he’s ready for a new challenge.

ByTom Cunningham Jan 22, 2025

Who else could depart? Well, Casemiro has often been linked away over the last six months and it might finally be time that he heeds Jamie Carragher’s advice and heads off to Saudi Arabia.

Another high-earner in Antony has found starts hard to come by under the new regime and is another forward who should make way as soon as he can.

A certain Alejandro Garnacho – who was left out of the squad for the derby alongside Rashford – has also been the subject of interest from elsewhere, with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Man City and Chelsea reportedly keeping an eye on the situation.

Compared to Casemiro (£350k-p/w), he is one of the lowest-paid players at the club meaning it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a suitor for him.

A certain Tyrel Malacia remarkably earns more than Garnacho, but he might find it a great deal harder to find an interested party.

Why Man Utd need to sell Tyrel Malacia

In the words of United reporter Alex Turk, the Dutch defender has had a “tough time of things” since signing from Feyenoord during the Erik ten Hag era.

One of the failed Eredivisie moves, it’s safe to say he is one of, if not the worst purchase of the old regime, such has been his performance levels and crucially, his availability.

After arriving in the summer of 2022, the 25-year-old has played just 43 times in United colours.

Remarkably, the Dutch full-back didn’t kick a ball last season with injuries meaning he had to watch on from the sidelines for an entire year.

In fact, when Amorim selected the defender as a wing-back in the club’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal a few weeks ago, it marked his first appearance since May 2023.

Since then, Malacia has played on four more occasions but has hardly set the world alight. Indeed, in three of his five outings this term, he has been withdrawn at half-time.

The Dutchman was turned inside out by Bukayo Saka in that loss at the Emirates and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo gave him the same treatment on Sunday afternoon.

As such, Amorim was particularly harsh and removed him from the action at the break, left to bemoan the clumsy challenge that led to Bournemouth scoring their first goal from a free-kick.

Minutes played

45

Touches

34

Accurate passes

20/24 (83%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0/1

Long balls

2/3

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Duels won

1/5

Possession lost

7x

Fouls

2

During his time on the field, Malacia – who earns £75k-per-week, £25k-per-week more than the aforementioned Garnacho – failed to create a single dribble or provide one accurate cross, not numbers you’d associate with a wing-back in Amorim’s system.

So, the time has come for him to pack up his bags and leave. With a week of 2024 left, it would be a surprise if we saw him in United colours again.

INEOS and the new management team must get rid of him in January and bring in a suitable replacement.

Worse than Malacia: Man Utd must axe 3/10 flop after Bournemouth

Manchester United suffered a consecutive home defeat against Bournemouth.

1 ByMatt Dawson Dec 23, 2024

A number of Australian players have headed overseas for the winter to play in the IPL and county cricket. Here is how they are faring so far

Alex Malcolm11-Apr-2022Australia’s tour of Pakistan and a lengthy domestic summer wrapped up last week with a number of players now headed overseas for the winter to play in the IPL and county cricket ahead of a three-format tour of Sri Lanka in June. Here is how they are faring so far. Who’s in form and who’s not
David Warner has returned to where it all started for him in the IPL with Delhi Capitals, and after a slow start he produced a fine half-century on Sunday night to help Capitals breeze past Kolkata Knight Riders. Warner made a bizarre 4 off 12 in his first game against Lucknow Super Giants but blasted 61 off 45 balls against Knight Riders to help Capitals to the highest total of the IPL so far, and shared in a blistering 93-run opening stand with Prithvi Shaw.It’s been a mixed bag for Pat Cummins in his first two games. He has been hammered with the ball returning figures of 0 for 51 against Capitals and 2 for 49 against Mumbai Indians. But he produced a freakish 14-ball half-century against Mumbai – scoring an unbeaten 56 off 15 balls – to guide Knight Riders home by five wickets with four overs to spare.Lucknow Super Giants’ hopes at the death rested with Marcus Stoinis•BCCIMarcus Stoinis made a statement in his first game for his new franchise Super Giants, smashing 38 not out from 17 balls with four sixes in a losing cause against Rajasthan Royals. But questions were asked as to whether he came in too low. Australia’s finisher, who bats at No. 6 in T20Is, came in at No. 8 for Super Giants when they needed 65 from 27 balls and they fell four runs short of their target.Tim David and Daniel Sams have found the going tough at their new franchise Mumbai Indians. David was Australia’s highest-priced signing at the mega auction and national chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed last week he was being looked at closely ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. But he has missed out in his only two games so far and was strangely dropped from a side that is frazzled and winless after four games. Sams has played three games but has twice conceded 50 or more with the ball, with Cummins assaulting him for 35 off an over.Australia’s first-choice T20I wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has had a lean start to his IPL return for Gujarat Titans. Having not played in the tournament for 11 years, he scored 30 (29 balls), 1 (2) and 6 (7) in his three matches to date. Did you see?
In Jackson Bird’s last Test match for Australia in 2017 he had to bowl 30 overs on a lifeless MCG pitch as Alastair Cook piled up 244 not out across 10 hours of batting. Bird faced Cook for the first time in five years as Kent took on Essex on a highway in Chelmsford in the opening round of the County Championship and Cook piled up his 70th first-class century, batting for two minutes shy of six hours. Bird got his revenge, dismissing Cook for 100. He took 3 for 85 from 28 overs as Essex piled up 514 before Kent replied with 581 in a tame draw. Bird also cashed in with the bat, smacking 53 not out off 46 balls – including eight runs off Cook’s solitary over of medium pace – to register his fourth first-class half-century.Nathan Coulter-Nile pulled up while bowling and had to go off the field•BCCIInjury list
Nathan Coulter-Nile has returned home to Australia after suffering a side strain while playing for Rajasthan Royals.Meanwhile, Capitals coach Ricky Ponting was initially hopeful Mitchell Marsh would be fit for Sunday’s clash against Knight Riders but he did not play as he continues to rehab the hip flexor he injured at training in Pakistan.Performance of the week
It’s not often the world’s No.1-ranked Test bowler produces a 14-ball fifty with the bat. Cummins’ pyrotechnics for Knight Riders showcased his tremendous development as a power-hitter in the IPL. It was his third IPL half-century and he strikes at 154.73 in IPL, and 141.72 overall in T20s, increasing his already enormous value.

The Black and Yellow defeated the French side 3-2 over two legs to book their spot in the next round

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dortmund defeat Lille 2-1, 3-2 on aggregate in UCLGio Reyna makes late cameoClub will take on Barcelona in next roundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund are on their way to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after defeating Ligue 1 side Lille over two legs.

The secured their spot in the next round after a 2-1 victory Wednesday, handing them a 3-2 win on aggregate. Goals from Emre Can and Maxi Beier put them through to the top-16, where they will next face Lamine Yamal and Barcelona.

Reyna was substituted onto the pitch in the 85th minute.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Reyna has struggled for minutes throughout the season with Dortmund in 2024-25, and has become more of a role player in late minutes off the bench across all competitions. He's made two starts in seven appearances in the UCL, playing 224 minutes in European action.

Dortmund, meanwhile, are looking to make their way to the competition's finale for the second-straight season. In the 2023-24 version of the competition, they were runners-up, falling short to Real Madrid in the championship game.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dortmund have won the UCL once in their history, claiming the coveted trophy in 1996-1997.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

The German side are back in action on Saturday against RB Leipzig. Dortmund's next UCL match against Barcelona is in early April.

It has not been an easy ride for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side so far this season.

The Gunners have pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race over the last few years, but have not tasted any success as of yet. Now, in 2024/25, it seems like things could end up being a whole lot worse for the Red side of North London.

Sitting third in the Premier League, the Gunners sit six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. It is certainly a frustrating position for Arsenal to be in at Christmas time.

With the January transfer window right around the corner, the Gunners could be eyeing some key reinforcements.

Arsenal target LaLiga winger

The man who the Gunners are believed to be targeting is one of the most in-form wingers in Europe, Barcelona star Raphinha. It may seem odd for Barca to sell such a key player under Hansi Flick, but with money issues still troubling the LaLiga giants, they could be left with no choice.

According to a report from Graeme Bailey, the Gunners ‘enquired about Raphinha in the summer and they remain in contact with intermediaries’. Should there be the chance to strike a deal in the winter instead, they could pounce.

However, they will not be alone in their quest to sign the Brazilian. The report suggests that title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested in doing a deal, having shown a keenness to sign the winger last summer, too.

The article does not make it explicitly clear how much the winger could cost. However, the Catalan club spent £55m on him from Leeds, and a deal for a sale could be around a similar value. However, Barcelona seem certain they will not sell Raphinha yet.

How Raphinha compares to Bukayo Saka

Whether or not a deal to bring the winger in is achievable for Arsenal, there is no doubt that the 28-year-old would greatly enhance the quality of their side. He has been fantastic in 2024/24 so far for Barca, scoring 17 goals and grabbing ten assists in 23 games across competitions.

The winger is absolutely flying in that famous Barca shirt this season. Incredibly, across Europe’s big five leagues, there are only four players with more goals and assists than him, according to FBref. Namely, they are teammate Robert Lewandowski with 18, Omar Marmoush and Harry Kane who both have 20 and Mohamed Salah who has 22.

One thing is for sure, Raphinha would be an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli, at least based on their stats from this season. It has been a really disappointing season for the Brazilian so far, with just four goals and three assists in 22 games in all competitions.

He is averaging 0.31 goals and assists per game this term, compared to an impressive 1.17 for his international teammate. It could certainly be viewed as a big upgrade.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Although Martinelli is struggling for form, the same cannot be said for Bukayo Saka. Arsenal’s number seven has scored nine goals and has 12 assists in 22 games across competitions, and has received some big praise recently. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, talking to BBC Sport’s Football Focus, said “the evolution of his game is outstanding”.

Interestingly, there can be a statistical comparison made between Raphinha and Saka via FBref. Both left-footed wide players, the pair have impressive creative passing stats this term. Per 90 minutes, the Brazil star averages 3.53 key passes, with the Arsenal winger averaging 3.04 key passes.

Key passes

3.53

3.04

Passes into penalty area

1.86

2.03

Progressive passes

4.68

3.91

Progressive carries

3.33

5.07

Goals and assists

1.09

1.09

Not only would the Gunners be getting another player who can create chances, but someone who can fashion goalscoring opportunities from all sorts of scenarios. The Barca star averages 5.89 shot-creating actions and 0.96 goal-creating actions. That is slightly less than Saka, who averages 6.43 shot-creating actions and 1.52 goal-creating actions.

Signing Raphinha seems like a no-brainer if the deal is possible for Arsenal. He was once described as “one of the best players in the world” by former manager Xavi, and he certainly has the numbers to back that up. The Brazilian could be the man to come in and help drive the Gunners back up the table.

Arsenal's "frustrating" star may have just become their new Mesut Ozil

The special talent has gone off the boil at Arsenal and perhaps resembles Mesut Ozil.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 12, 2024

Barcelona are reportedly aiming to bring club legend Lionel Messi back to the club in a sensational transfer coinciding with the Camp Nou re-opening.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Barcelona hope to bring Messi backWant him back for new Camp Nou openingAim to conclude deal after 2026 World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 37-year-old has continued to dazzle for club and country since his 2021 exit from Barcelona in a free transfer, which came about because the Spanish giants could not afford to sign him to a new contract. Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 before moving to MLS to play a key role in the growth of American soccer at Inter Miami.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, reports the Catalan club remain determined to bring the Argentine icon back, and are ready to 'slowly prepare' for a deal to be concluded after the 2026 World Cup, which would coincide with Barca's return to the Camp Nou.

DID YOU KNOW?

The new and improved Spotify Camp Nou remains under construction, with Hansi Flick's team currently playing home games at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys, and the renovations are expected to finish in the summer of 2026. Barca are reportedly aware that bringing back Messi, who won 10 La Liga and four Champions League titles with the club, will be a tough task but plans for his homecoming are about to be set in motion.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

With a potential move back to Barca a long way off, Messi's mind will be on getting fit for Inter Miami's upcoming MLS clash against the Philadelphia Union after the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner withdrew from the Argentina squad for their World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Brazil.

Second Pakistani overseas player to join Haris Rauf for 2022 season

David Hopps01-Apr-2022Yorkshire’s overseas signings could not be more designed to persuade their Muslim communities that change is here to stay. To the Pakistan quick, Haris Rauf, who will play the first six Championship matches as well as an envisaged stint in the Vitality Blast, they have added his fellow Pakistani, the legspinner Shadab Khan, as they herald the start of a new era.Yorkshire are not openly saying that they are deliberately majoring on Pakistan-based talent to build trust after the racism allegations levelled by Azeem Rafiq plunged the county into one of the deepest crisis in its history, but it is pretty self-evident.It certainly bears comparison with their first attempt to woo minority ethnic fans, in 1992, when they signed an Indian batsman and he posed for photographs with a pint of Tetley bitter – a slight miscalculation perhaps, in the Muslim areas of the inner cities. But then Sachin Tendulkar was not so famous then.Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s coach was delighted at the prospect. “He’s a fantastic T20 player. I was in the PSL and he was player of the tournament, I think, making runs, taking wickets, full of energy. He brings a lot. In T20 cricket, you like all your players to be three-dimensional and he’s definitely a three-dimensional player that will add value with bat, ball and in the field.”Shadab is available for the first five matches, and then from the ninth match onwards, and will be a key figure as Yorkshire seek to arrest a poor record in T20 cricket. The view of their interim director of cricket, Darren Gough, is that often their overseas signings have not been ambitious enough.With Gary Ballance expected to miss the start of the season – perhaps much longer – because of a recurrence of his mental health issues, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore still affected by concussion he suffered on a pre-season tour to Dubai, Yorkshire are also trying to finalise another overseas batter on a short-term contract. Sri Lanka sources confidently predict that Dimuth Karunaratne is the batter in pole position, but Yorkshire insist that no deal has been finalised.Ballance’s mental health issues remain a private affair, although it seems fair to observe in passing, without jumping to conclusions, that he received considerable criticism for his role in Rafiq’s racism allegations.Gough said: “Obviously, that’s a serious situation, so we just want to support him the best we can and give him the space that’s required. I would like to think that people give him that space as well because it’s a serious illness, mental health.”Having lost two of my best friends to suicide, we will give him as much time as he possibly needs to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind to play cricket again. However long that takes.”Short on top-order batters, it is not surprising that Yorkshire hope that Joe Root’s post-England relaxation might involve a spot of Championship cricket, perhaps against Kent at Headingley on April 28.Gibson suggested he had said: “‘Just get yourself down here, back to your happy place in Headingley and come and play some cricket with your mates’. He’s going to take a break now and I believe he’ll be back for the last two or three four-day games, near the back end of April.”

Following the shock news that Neil Harris will be stepping down as Millwall manager after their game against Middlesbrough this weekend, the Lions have reportedly turned their attention towards a potential replacement.

Who Millwall could appoint to replace Harris

Sat 13th and just seven points adrift of the playoffs, it seemed as though Millwall were in no danger of being forced to find a new manager, with Harris taking charge of his second permanent spell as an undisputed club legend. Following the Lions’ run of five Championship games without victory, however, Harris made the shock decision to step down from his role and leave the London side to search for his replacement after Middlesbrough this weekend.

Writing a letter to the fans, Harris opened his statement by saying: “Today I am announcing that I will be leaving Millwall Football Club after Saturday’s game against Middlesbrough.

“This isn’t an easy decision, as everyone knows this club is more than a job to me, it’s my club, and always will be. Being here always felt like home, as a player, as a captain, and as a manager.

“We are a family, and it’s been my life for so many years. But I always said when I returned that I would leave when the time felt right, and now is that time.”

Those at The Den won’t have a whole lot of time for sentiment, however, in the middle of a busy festive period and have, of course, already turned their attention towards a potential replacement.

According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Millwall are now plotting a move to appoint Mat Sadler, who has been added to both theirs and Northampton Town’s shortlist of options. The young Walsall boss has impressed plenty during his time in charge of the club and could be set to take the biggest step of his managerial career so far by replacing Harris.

Pressure would be on young Sadler

Still just 39 years old, Sadler would be entering an incredibly pressurised role given that he’d be succeeding a club legend at Millwall. The rest of the Championship has seen how mid-season managerial changes can go plenty of times in the past too. Both Birmingham City and Sunderland made surprising decisions last season and the latter suffered relegation whilst the Black Cats just about came out unscathed.

So, Sadler would certainly be a risk, but his record so far this season speaks for itself. Operating in a 3-5-2 flat formation, Sadler’s Walsall side have lost just three League Two games all season and sit top of England’s third tier by two points, on course to secure promotion.

The step from League Two to the Championship is not one that can be ignored by Millwall, however, as they look to replace Harris at the busiest time of the campaign.

Lancashire quick will become cap No. 702 after being inked in for maiden appearance

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2022Saqib Mahmood will be handed England cap No. 702 on Wednesday morning, after being locked in for his Test debut at Bridgetown in the second Test against West Indies.Mahmood, 25, was named in England’s XI a day in advance of the match, although his involvement had been on the cards since midway through last week’s drawn Test in Antigua, when England’s fastest bowler, Mark Wood, suffered “acute pain” in a right elbow injury that may yet rule him out for next week’s final Test in Grenada too.In a more surprising development, Ollie Robinson has also been omitted, despite appearing to have recovered well from a back spasm that caused him to miss the opening match of the series.Although he returned to the nets this week, a step that had been described as “pretty positive” by Paul Collingwood, the interim coach, England have chosen to hold Robinson back with the series finale looming large on March 24. Seeing as he was hampered by the same problem in the final Ashes Test in Hobart, the management feel that the flare-up has come too recently to risk a repeat in Barbados.Chris Woakes and Craig Overton, who struggled as a new-ball pairing in Antigua, will once again complete the attack alongside Jack Leach and Ben Stokes.For Mahmood, however, the opportunity is one to relish, having been spoken about as a potential Test cricketer ever since bursting onto the scene with Lancashire in 2019. He made his T20I debut in New Zealand that winter, but made his most telling mark to date in last summer’s belated call-up for the ODI series against Pakistan, when he was named Player of the Series for his haul of nine wickets at 13.66 in a 3-0 series win.”He’s a great option to have up our sleeve,” Root said. “He’s very mature for a guy who hasn’t played a huge amount of international cricket. He has a real understanding of how he wants to operate.”Although he does not bowl 90mph as consistently as Wood, Mahmood is the quickest of the remaining options in England’s squad, while his proven ability to bowl reserve swing is likely to come in handy on a surface that Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies’ captain, said was similar in appearance to the strip used in Antigua last week.”He’s been very impressive, he’s got a slightly different trajectory and will give us a point of difference,” Root added. “He’s done that when he’s played in other formats, he clearly has good control, especially if the ball moves with reverse swing.”Related

Robinson, Overton in line for recalls as Paul Collingwood praises Stokes' return to form

Robinson making progress but Wood 'unlikely' to be risked in Barbados

West Indies docked two World Test Championship points for slow over rate

Fortress Bridgetown beckons after Antiguan appetiser

His selection means that England will be fielding debutants in each of the first two Tests, following Alex Lees’ maiden appearance in Antigua. Lees did not enjoy the same success as many batters in the match, making scores of 6 and 4 in his two innings. But Root – who himself made a second-innings century – backed him to come good.”I think the challenge for any new player coming into the team is to not make any drastic changes,” Root said. “I think being strong on what you know serves you well for such a long period of time.”One of the most challenging things about batting at the top of the order, albeit I only did it for a limited amount of time in Test cricket, is the amount of time you’ve got to think on your dismissals.”It is so easy to overthink and over analyse. So it’s about just making sure you are absolutely clear about how you want to go and play and being as ready for it and as assured as you can be.”

Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted after a hard fought 1-0 win for his Nottingham Forest side over Premier League champions Manchester City

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Forest four points clear of City in the tableHudson-Odoi's late winner the differencePep's men boss possession but can't convertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Callum Hudson-Odoi's 83rd minute strike was enough to take all three points in a game which could have significant ramifications for Champion's League qualification. The game appeared destined to end in a stalemate until the winger neatly controlled a cross-field pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before cutting inside and beating Ederson at his near post.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Third-placed Forest now sit four points ahead of City in fourth after Saturday's result. Chelsea can overtake the champions if they beat strugglers Leicester City on Sunday.

AFPWHAT NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO SAID

The Forest boss said: "It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are, they had us on the ropes but the boys worked very hard. Of course they were going to have chances, but it was then about us taking ours.

"[Beating City] shows the progress but there is so much football still to be played. Let's focus on the journey and move on to the next one."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

City bossed possession but couldn't find the opening they desperately needed at the City Ground. Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball, and strung together 603 passes, more than doubling Forest's output of 262.