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This weekend is arguably the biggest in Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, when he leads his side out against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Dane has yet to get his first taste of the North London Derby, but he will be looking to get one over Mikel Arteta and secure bragging rights for the Lilywhites faithful.

Such a fixture is huge for supporters, with the meeting between the two clubs one of the first dates they look for upon fixture release day, before a ball is kicked.

However, it’s been a game that the white side of North London have often come out on the losing side away from home – subsequently winning just one of their last 32 encounters.

If Frank’s side are to write themselves into the history books, they will desperately need to keep one player quiet throughout the clash at the Emirates.

The threat Bukayo Saka poses to Spurs this weekend

Bukayo Saka may ply his trade for Arsenal, but he’s cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening attackers over the last couple of years.

The Englishman has managed to register over 20 combined goals and assists in all competitions in each of the last three years – often providing the difference in such a fixture.

He’s often popped up with the goods in attacking areas, as seen by his record against the Lilywhites since his senior debut back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Saka has featured on ten occasions against Spurs throughout his professional career, racking up a total of five goals – subsequently finding the net in 50% of his outings in such a clash.

He’s also popped up with various assists in the North London Derby, with his corner to Gabriel securing the Gunners all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last campaign.

It’s evident that the winger possesses serious quality, often coming alive on Derby Day, with Frank and his squad desperately needing to silence him on Sunday afternoon.

However, he too could unleash his own version of the Englishman at the Emirates, with the Lilywhites star potentially able to inflict serious trouble on Arteta’s men.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their answer to Saka

Players such as Saka don’t come around very often, and when they do, they cost a pretty penny – many of which undoubtedly cost a small fortune in the modern-day.

Whilst Spurs are unlikely to pay over the odds for top-level talents, they have invested heavily into the frontline over recent years – as seen by their deal to land Brennan Johnson.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £47.5m for the Welshman’s signature back in the summer of 2023, with the attacker showcasing his talents in North London last campaign.

He registered a total of 18 goals across all competitions last season, the highest of any player in the squad, often starring off the right-hand side of the club’s attack.

However, he’s fallen down the pecking order in recent months, which has resulted in various options being considered within the forward line in the capital.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a permanent basis during the summer window, with the Frenchman costing a total of £27m from German side Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is capable of operating off the left-hand side or even as a centre-forward, with Frank able to rely upon the youngster in a variety of different positions.

When operating on the left, he’s able to cut inside and onto his favoured foot – something which Saka has made a name for himself for in England’s top-flight.

His similarities to the Englishman are also reflected in his shot on target accuracy, with Tel matching the winger with his tally of placing 33% of his efforts between the posts.

The Frenchman has previously impressed in his professional career, but has transferred his skills over to the Premier League, as seen by his tally of two goals in the league this season.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Shot on target accuracy

33%

Pass accuracy

73%

Dribble success

50%

Long ball success

83%

Aerials won

1.2

Mins per goal

124.5

Tel’s efforts in attacking areas have led to huge praise from numerous outlets, with Bayern Chairman Herbert Hainer labelling him “one of the biggest talents in Europe”.

However, he will need consistent first-team minutes to reach the heights many have touted him to, with Frank needing to trust him in the near future to reap the rewards.

He’s shown that he’s capable of producing the goods in attacking areas, potentially able to provide the difference in the clash against the Gunners on Sunday.

Tel has proven he’s able to be the club’s answer to Saka, but it remains to be seen if the manager will show faith in him to allow the youngster to continue on his upward trajectory.

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Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.

Madrid held to a draw by Elche after controversial Bellingham goal

Real Madrid endured yet another frustrating evening at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the newly-promoted but daring Elche. The result stretched their winless run across competitions to three games. 

After a goalless first half, former Real Madrid youth player and Elche captain Aleix Febas fired the hosts into the lead just eight minutes after the restart, capping off a brilliant team move that cut Madrid open. Dean Huijsen then pulled things back, scoring his first goal for Los Blancos in the 78th minute. However, Sarabia's troops didn't budge. Substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, a La Fabrica product who has featured in several games for Madrid, scored a great individual goal just six minutes later to restore Elche's lead.

That wasn't the end of the drama. In the 87th minute, Madrid came back from behind for the second time in the game, courtesy of a Bellingham equaliser. Controversy, however, ensued, as the Elche players religiously protested Vinicius Junior's challenge on goalkeeper Inaki Pena, which left the latter bleeding from his nose. 

The pleas from Elche players could only go in vain. The goal stood, and the match finished all-square, leaving the home team's head coach furious after the game.

"It's a clear foul. Not a normal part of the game. That's what VAR is for. It's a very clear foul; it hits the goalkeeper and even draws blood. It's crystal clear," ranted Sarabia. "It's to Inaki's credit that he said it was a normal part of the game, but it really wasn't. It's a clear foul.

"I'm not at all happy with the result, especially considering the decisive moments of the match. Vinicius's foul for the 2-2 equalizer was crystal clear. Inaki didn't see the play, but it wasn't just a normal part of the game, it was a clear foul. It makes me angry to waste time on these things, but you take the lead twice and you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result. It makes you angry."

AdvertisementAFPSarabia takes his anger to social media

Sarabia took to his official account to express his contempt over the controversial refereeing over the weekend. He wrote: "My apologies to those who make decisions, but for more than 25 years now, "voluntariness/intentionality" has been removed from the regulations (except for hands). Therefore, the fact that an action is "fortuitous" is not a correct argument for deciding whether it is an infraction or not." 

Alonso reflects on Madrid's poor form

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after the game and assured that the team is not in a crisis. "We haven't fallen apart," he told reporters. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.

“We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.  

“The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.

“The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”

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AFPOlympiacos and Girona up next for Madrid

Despite their recent woes, Madrid hold a one-point lead over rivals Barcelona in La Liga and are in a strong position to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League. They will visit Greece on Wednesday to lock horns with Greek champions Olympiacos in Europe's premier club competition, followed by another away game against Girona in the league this weekend.   

The early MLB season is often ripe for obscure storylines brought on by tiny nuances to the game. In a season with 162 games, hundreds of pitches, and plenty of tedium, the smallest things wind up really mattering. Some years, it's foreign substances applied to baseballs for extra grip. This year has already brought on the bat shape discussion.

Now? A change of 1.25 inches is completely unsettling pitchers and catchers.

's Jayson Stark, Ken Rosenthal and Eno Sarris released a reported piece on Thursday night detailing MLB's strike zone and how it appears to be being called differently this year than in prior seasons. Notably, the league has given a directive to umpires to call smaller strike zones, but it did agree on a new collective bargaining agreement with umpires that changed how home plate umpires' balls and strikes are graded. Previously, the CBA gave umpires a two-inch grace zone on all four sides of the zone. This season, that grace zone was reduced to 0.75 inches, a 62.5% reduction.

Pitchers and catchers, as well as managers, expressed frustration over the perceived strike zone shrinkage in the aftermath of the adjustment in's article. Travis d'Arnaud, catcher for the Los Angeles Angels, said that, "Every [umpire] across the league [has shrunk their zone].”

To reiterate: the strike zone remains unchanged, but the league's grading system appears to have had behavioral impacts with how picky umpires are with balls and strikes. It's a classic case of, "measure what matters."

The MLB says it discussed the changes with managers at the December winter meetings, but several of the managers spoke to said they had no recollection of such a change, despite at least one, Padres manager Mike Shildt, labeling it something that would have been on his radar to make sure players and coaches knew of the change.

The report shared that a competition committee meeting on Friday is expected to touch on the impacts of the change.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has just over a month to go until he will have the opportunity to make his first signing since arriving at Ibrox to replace Russell Martin.

The German tactician came through the door well after the summer transfer window had been and gone, after sporting director Kevin Thelwell provided Martin with a host of signings.

Rangers, as shown in the graphic above, had a high turnover of players in and out of Ibrox after they failed to win any trophies in the 2024/25 campaign, under Philippe Clement or Barry Ferguson.

Unfortunately, though, Martin was unable to get a tune out of the squad after those changes in the summer and was eventually sacked last month after a run of five wins in 17 games.

With Rohl now in the building, the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will have time to assess those summer signings and decide where he wants the club to strengthen the squad when the January transfer window opens.

One of those Martin and Thelwell signings whom the manager may deem needs to be replaced in the winter is experienced central midfielder Joe Rothwell.

Why Rangers need to replace Joe Rothwell already

Rangers swooped to sign the 30-year-old midfielder from Premier League side Bournemouth on a permanent deal during the summer window for Martin, who had worked with him on loan at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

Unfortunately, the English lightweight has flopped at Ibrox, on current evidence, and is yet to play a single minute of action in the Scottish Premiership since Rohl came through the door.

He was ill and unavailable for selection against Dundee last time out, but the midfield flop was an unused substitute in the wins over Kilmarnock and Hibernian in the manager’s first two matches in the dugout.

This means that Rangers have now won one of the eight league matches he has played in and won all three of the games that he has not featured in so far this season.

Tackles

7

Bottom 29%

Interceptions

8

Top 29%

Duels won

16

Bottom 27%

Duel success rate

47%

Bottom 37%

Aerial duels won

4

Bottom 29%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 18%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 40%

As you can see in the table above, Rothwell has struggled off the ball throughout the Premiership campaign, ranking poorly among his positional peers in the majority of the key defensive metrics, aside from interceptions.

On top of his defensive woes, the Englishman has no goals and one assist in eight appearances in the league, per Sofascore, which shows that he has not offered outstanding quality on the ball to make up for his defensive deficiencies.

This is why Rohl may already be considering replacing Rothwell in the January transfer window, and why the midfielder has been an unused substitute in the last two league games that he has been available for.

Rangers eyeing move for Premiership midfielder

The Scottish Premiership giants may be able to replace the former Bournemouth and Southampton flop amid reported interest in a star who plays in his position.

Transfer Focus

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

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are one of the clubs exploring the possibility of a deal to snap up Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues are in talks over a possible move for the Scotland U21 international, whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

It reveals that Rohl is a big fan of the midfield starlet and wants to add him to his squad in the winter market, with the Gers looking to seal a cut-price deal due to his contract situation.

However, TEAMtalk adds that Hearts, Aberdeen, and unnamed clubs in the English Championship are also keen on signing the £1.5m-rated Kilmarnock star, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

Why Watson would be an upgrade on Rothwell for Rangers

Thelwell could land a huge upgrade on Rothwell for Rohl if he is able to beat the likes of Aberdeen and Hearts to the signing of Watson ahead of the second half of the season.

For a start, the Scotland U21 international is ten years younger than the English flop. He has far more years left ahead of him to develop as a player and offer quality on the pitch for Rangers than Rothwell does.

This also means that there is the potential for his value to grow so that he could be sold on for a profit in the future, like a Hamza Igamane or Calvin Bassey, and that may not be the case with the Bournemouth man, as he is in the latter stages of his career.

In terms of the here and now, Watson could come in as an upgrade on Rothwell from an offensive perspective. The Scottish star has scored three goals in 12 Premiership matches this season, after netting four last term, with the Rangers dud yet to get off the mark at Ibrox.

The Scotland U21 international, who Kilmarnock commentator Andrew Milligan claimed has “no ceiling”, would also come in and offer a huge upgrade on the English flop defensively.

Appearances

12

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

1.9

Clearances per game

0.9

0.1

Duels won per game

6.0

2.0

Ground duel success rate

51%

46%

Fouls won per game

2.3

0.1

Blocks per game

0.5

0.1

As you can see in the table above, Watson has excelled out of possession in comparison to Rothwell in the 2025/26 campaign, making far more defensive contributions at a more efficient rate.

It is, therefore, easy to understand why Rohl is such a big fan of the Kilmarnock star and why he wants Thelwell to get a deal over the line for him when the January transfer window opens.

Watson’s offensive and defensive statistics suggest that he would arrive at Ibrox as a huge upgrade on Rothwell, who has struggled since his move to the club, and provide the likes of Connor Barron, Nico Raskin, and Mo Diomande with genuine competition for the midfield spots.

Thelwell let Rangers star go for £0, now he'd walk into the XI over Aasgaard

This former Rangers star who was released by Kevin Thelwell would walk into the current team over Thelo Aasgaard.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

Seamer asked to remain on standby for World Cup despite omission from initial squad

Valkerie Baynes24-Sep-2025Kate Cross has lost her England contract, capping a difficult month in which she also learned she had been overlooked for the World Cup.Cross revealed that England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and director of cricket Jonathan Finch had told her during a post-season appraisal in August that her central contract wouldn’t be renewed, after playing 102 matches for her country across formats in an international career spanning nearly 12 years.”I had my appraisal with Lot and Finchy, our director of cricket, and they just told me that I’m not going to get my England contract renewed next year,” Cross said in a pre-recorded segment for the latest episode of , the podcast that she co-hosts with best friend and former team-mate Alex Hartley. “So as of October this year, 2025, I will not be a professional cricketer for England anymore.””I was dreading saying that, I feel sick,” Cross added in the episode released on Tuesday.Cross had her appraisal in early August, on the eve of the Hundred, in which she was ultimately part of the Northern Superchargers side that won the title, and learned of her World Cup omission partway through the tournament. She also revealed that Edwards had approached her after the Hundred to be a reserve for the World Cup.”I had a phonecall with Lottie at the end of the Hundred where she was like: ‘Look if you’re willing, can you keep training through October? Because if an injury goes down to one of the seamers, we are going to need you.’ That’s the bit I’m finding tough, because the end point isn’t now for me,” Cross said. “I’m back at Old Trafford next week bowling. It’s not been great. But I also have to think if an injury does go down, I have to go and be ready to play for England in a World Cup.”Cross claimed two wickets in the Hundred final to help power Northern Superchargers to the title•Julian Finney/Getty ImagesWith England Women’s central contracts due to be announced in December, Cross said she had a bad feeling about her future at the end of England’s home ODI series with India, which the hosts lost 2-1 in late July.”I started the India series opening the bowling for England as vice-captain, and I finished that series not even making the 13 that was named the night before, for the squad to play in that last ODI,” Cross said. “Lottie said to me, in a chat the day before the game, that it was a must-win game and I’m not part of the 13. As a cricketer who’s always prided myself on being a reliable bowler for your captain, who would hopefully stand up in big moments and do what I’ve done for a while for England, that was pretty tough to hear. I felt like a lot of trust had been lost quite quickly.”I’m not daft, I’m old enough and wise enough, and been around the block plenty of times to know that something’s happened there that might mean my future is maybe in a little bit of jeopardy.”When I came out of that India series, I felt a little bit lost and I didn’t feel like Lottie trusted me that much, having started the series where I did. I even said to Lottie, ‘I’m not daft, I know I didn’t bowl great (in the first ODI) at Southampton’. I didn’t feel like it was a droppable offence, but I know that wasn’t me at my best.”Cross wondered whether the back injury that she sustained in South Africa last year meant she had “lost a little bit of something”. Though she remained with the squad for England’s subsequent Ashes campaign in Australia, she didn’t play a match as England were whitewashed by seven matches to none.”That’s the stuff that you come to terms with, I guess, but I don’t quite feel like that’s the case,” she said. “I feel like I still have a lot to give the team and I know everyone that gets pushed out will say that, they’ll say that they always still felt like they’ve got stuff to give.Related

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“I’m so aware that my international career had to come to an end at some point, and it was going to be unlikely that I’d get to do it on my terms, because not many people get the privilege of finishing it on their terms. So I always knew that this would be probably how it was done, that I wouldn’t be ready for it.”But I think it’s just the speed of it. I honestly think in a couple of months’ time, a couple of years’ time, I might look back and be really pleased at how quickly it all happened, so I’ve not had to do that year of getting phased out and doing drinks and stuff like that. But I’m also sat here questioning whether I want to play cricket again.”With all this going on, Cross was also part of the Lancashire side which won the inaugural Metro Bank One Day Cup Women’s title on Sunday. She was unsure whether she would seek out a domestic contract for next year and said she would spend the winter away from the game deciding what she wanted to do.”Lottie has, to be fair to her, kept reaching out saying, ‘can we have a chat?’ and I’m like, there’s no point for me yet because I don’t know what to say,” Cross said. “I don’t have anything to say to you that’s going to make me feel better.”The chat might make her feel better, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. That almost feels like something that might happen next year or in two years’ time, or maybe never.”

Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed how Erling Haaland convinced him to move from Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City in the summer transfer window. The Italian goalkeeper left the European champions on deadline day to sign for the Premier League giants after falling out of favour under Luis Enrique, who had already signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille.

Donnarumma shares special bond with Haaland

Since his move to City from Paris on deadline day, Donnarumma has built a close friendship with the club's star forward Haaland. In an interaction with the , the Italy international opened up on his close bond with the Norwegian goal machine as he said: "I’d say we just got on well immediately. We have always respected each other, even before we met. We make a lot of banter about playing against each other in the national teams. I’d say they are in a better situation than us now, they have much more peace of mind. But there are still two games left to play. It will be difficult to face each other, as it will be difficult to play against him. I know how strong he is and what chances he can create. It will be hard to face him both as a player and as a friend."

He also rated Haaland as a better player than former PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe as he added: "I think Erling does [have the hardest shot]. He is left-footed, so he is different from Kylian (Mbappe). They are both hard to play against. So it’s complicated. But I would rather have Erling playing for my side."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHow Haaland pushed Donnarumma to join City

Speaking about Haaland and his move to City, Donnarumma told : "He's a fantastic guy, so calm and he loves his family and being with them. We hit it off. There's that synergy there where there's just a natural feeling. Even when we played against each other, we were in touch and after the games we even spoke often.

"Then I had the opportunity to come here, he wrote to me. He pushed hard for me to come and I think him so much for that. He's truly a great friend – and it's a good thing I play with him because it's so difficult to be against him! He's an alien!"

Donnarumma thanked City team-mates

The Italian custodian also thanked every member of the City squad for making him feel at home and helping him to adjust to the new conditions in the Premier League. Donnarumma has featured for Pep Guardiola's side in 12 matches across all competitions this season and has kept six clean sheets.

When asked about his performances, Donnarumma said: "I'm a bit angry because I could have kept more. I didn't expect to have such a positive impact on the Premier League. But the team helped me a lot because the moment I arrived, they welcome me very well. They helped me a lot in the first games, especially the first one which was just three days in. In the first training session, it felt like I had been there for two years. The league is very different, there's a lot of running, a lot of intensity so I had to adapt immediately. But the team has been fundamental for me in these first few months."

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Getty ImagesMan City hoping to reduce gap with Arsenal

After a forgettable outing in the 2024-25 campaign, Guardiola's men are back in form in the current season. They had a minor setback at the start of the season, where they lost back-to-back league games against Tottenham and Brighton but have now bounced back in style and are just four points behind league leaders Arsenal. 

City will be back in action in the league on Saturday as they take on Newcastle United away from home. They would aim to win the clash and reduce their gap with the Gunners at the top of the table.

White Ferns allrounder too good for Northern Superchargers as Brave move top

ECB Media13-Aug-2025Southern Brave 103 for 2 (Wyatt-Hodge 43, Wolvaardt 33*) beat Northern Superchargers 102 (Armitage 36, Devine 3-15)A tight bowling performance led by Sophie Devine followed by a comfortable run chase with Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Laura Wolvaardt at the helm saw Southern Brave easily defeat North Superchargers by eight wickets at Southampton and make it three wins from three in The Hundred women’s competition.Electing to bat first, Superchargers started in a subdued fashion, scoring just four from the first 10 balls and losing Alice Davidson-Richards (2) and Phoebe Litchfield (5) on the way to posting 19-2 in the 25-ball powerplay.Davina Perrin (13) was run out by Tilly Corteen-Coleman going for an incredibly risky second as the visitors continued to labour against tight Brave bowling, reaching 43-3 at halfway.Mady Villiers took the big wicket of Annabel Sutherland (20), the Aussie well caught by Maia Bouchier at long-on, before Georgia Adams removed Superchargers wicketkeeper Bess Heath (3), brilliantly caught running backwards by her opposite number Rhianna Southby.Skipper Hollie Armitage (36 not out) stuck in and was joined by Lucy Higham (13) at 74 for 7, the pair rallying late in the innings, sharing a partnership of 27 before Higham was dismissed by Devine (3-15) as the Kiwi took two-in-two in the final set to see Supercharges 102 all out.In the chase, Grace Ballinger conceded just a wide from the opening set as Maia Bouchier started cautiously.A single by Wyatt-Hodge off Kate Cross to take the score to 5-0 saw the experienced right-hander become the second player to pass 1,000 runs in The Hundred after Nat Sciver-Brunt reached the milestone last week.Bouchier (5) was caught at mid-off off Cross, but Wyatt-Hodge put her foot on the gas, hitting Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin for three consecutive boundaries, combining with Wolvaardt to bring up the Brave’s 50.Wyatt-Hodge was stumped off Katherine Fraser for 43 with 20 runs still required, but Wolvaardt (33 not out) and Devine (15 not out) saw the Brave home with 17 balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Devine said: “The support we’ve had down here these last two games has been exceptional, so nice to have a couple of wins here and we’ve got a bit of travel to do now.”We were a little bit in two minds as well with the overhead conditions and a used wicket, the great thing about this competition is the wins at home and being able to play to your home conditions and I think we did that exceptionally well today.”Credit to everyone, I think we adapted really well with the ball and the way Danni and Wolvy went out there with the bat, they made it look like a different wicket.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently looking for their next head coach after Vitor Pereira was removed from his post after no wins from the first ten matches of the Premier League season.

John Percy reports that Gary O’Neil, sacked by the club in the 2024/25 campaign, is now in advanced talks to take the job for a second time.

Matches

38

16

Wins

13

2

Draws

7

3

Losses

18

11

Points

46

9

Points per game

1.21

0.56

The English tactician was sacked by Wolves after losing 11 of the opening 16 games of last season, but may now be brought in to save the Old Gold from their current position.

Instead of going back to O’Neil, who had the team in relegation form before he left last term, the club should look to another manager on their shortlist.

Wolves identify former Championship manager as target

The former Bournemouth boss is not the only head coach who has been linked with a move to Molineux since Pereira was moved on from his position.

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According to The Athletic, O’Neil is one of three managers in the frame to land the permanent job, alongside Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards and Michael Carrick.

The report claims that all three of them are under consideration, as part of the club’s shortlist, but it did add that they would have to pay compensation to land Edwards.

Carrick is, therefore, the most interesting option on the list as an alternative to O’Neil, because he could be a dream option for Wolves for several reasons.

Why Wolves should appoint Carrick

The English boss, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has stepped in to turn a poor start to a season around before.

He arrived at Boro in October 2022 after they won two of their first 11 Championship matches and led them to a fourth-place finish with 18 wins in 30 games, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can inspire a group to turn their form around.

That suggests that he has a chance of being the source of inspiration that Wolves need to have any chance of avoiding relegation, with the team currently rock bottom of the division.

On top of that, Carrick, who was coy when asked about the Wolves vacancy on Match of the Day, is a proven Championship manager who can coach his side to play exciting football.

As much as supporters will not want to hear it at this stage of the season, it is worth thinking about how the next managerial appointment will fare if they take the team down, given the situation that they are going to inherit.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Carrick’s coaching essentially delivered successive play-off level performances in the Championship, on top of actually finishing in the play-offs in his first season, but it was not rewarded by the output from his players.

The xGD numbers show that his Boro team consistently created more high-quality chances than the opposition, which tends to be a sign of a well-coached side.

Whereas, as shown in the post above from when he was linked to Norwich, O’Neil’s Bournemouth and Wolves teams, albeit at Premier League level, consistently conceded more chances than they created.

Therefore, Carrick, who is currently a free agent, would be a dream alternative to O’Neil because of the short and long-term impact that he could have.

A prominent German journalist has launched an impassioned defence of struggling Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz, and taken aim at jealous ex-Manchester United stars for their perceived unjust criticism. The Reds' blockbuster summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has also been tipped to become the biggest star in the Premier League despite his slow start at Anfield.

Wirtz fails to hit ground running in England

Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the Premier League since joining from the Bundesliga, with his £116 million ($152m) price tag drawing significant scrutiny as he has failed to record a single goal or assist in his first 11 league appearances. And following last weekend’s damaging 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Gary Neville stated that Wirtz "looked like a little boy" and was being "chucked around the pitch". Neville emphasised that the club must persist with the Germany international, but need him to "stand up soon". On his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand suggested that being dropped for significant matches has likely created "huge doubts" in Wirtz’s mind about joining Liverpool. In contrast, Wayne Rooney has argued that Wirtz actually damages Liverpool's balance and questioned where he fits in the system, even while noting players take time to settle in. 

But a journalist from German paper has come out swinging in the player's defence, and made a bold prediction about how Wirtz will influence the game in England. 

AdvertisementAFP'He's not bothered by these comments'

Journalist, Axel Hesse, said: "There's no need to feel sorry for Wirtz. For three reasons: His quality and mentality are outstanding. He's not particularly bothered by these comments. And they usually come from a certain quarter. Rooney, Ferdinand, Neville – they're all former players of arch-rivals Manchester United. Therefore, either their motivation is their dislike for Liverpool and Wirtz, because of the mega transfer fee of 140 million euros, is their new favorite victim – or they have no idea!

"To put things in perspective: Wirtz is the player who, alongside Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, has created the most chances in the Champions League this season (16)," continued Hesse. "He was the best player on the pitch in the recent 1-0 win against Los Blancos. He also creates a string of chances in the Premier League. He covers the most ground, wins tackles, and works hard for the team. The Liverpool fans appreciate that."

'The biggest attraction in your league'

Hesse added: "The fact that the technician isn't performing as brilliantly as he did in previous years at Leverkusen is primarily due to one factor: his teammates at Liverpool aren't currently converting their chances. Especially striker Mo Salah, for whom the German superstar was signed as the perfect partner, is struggling. Manager Arne Slot has already stated: 'We're not used to him missing chances'.

"The core problem: The English champions aren't yet functioning as a unit. An eight-point deficit to Premier League leaders Arsenal is clear proof. Wirtz is part of that. An important part, no doubt. He was brought in to lead the club to further titles – just as he is now supposed to lead Germany to the World Cup qualifiers in Luxembourg and against Slovakia. At Liverpool, he's considered a leader and the face of the future. There's no doubt about that. Critics point to the huge transfer fee, which is understandable. And yes, he and his team were completely outclassed in their recent 3-0 defeat at Manchester City."

Hesse concluded: "Dear England experts, Florian Wirtz is not only our best player – but soon also the biggest attraction in your league!"

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Getty Images SportSupport pours in for Wirtz

Liverpool boss Slot has been quick to defend Wirtz and responded to recent claims from former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that the German had "destroyed" the Reds’ midfield. 

Slot said: "If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what to do. Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have. That is the nice thing about football, that everyone has his opinion about it. If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do. But that is also the nice thing about football because everyone knows it so we can talk about it."

The biggest bullet point on the New York Yankees' offseason checklist is retaining Juan Soto by giving him a new deal.

The Yankees took the first step by meeting with Soto on Monday in California, which included him speaking with chairman and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and senior adviser Omar Minaya. Steinbrenner said it was a "good meeting" that had "very honest back-and-forth dialogue." He didn't offer many other details. Soto told the Yankees how he thinks the team could improve in the future.

But it sounds like Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees front office hope to have Soto return to the Yankees lineup in 2025.

"Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York," Steinbrenner said, via ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't."

Steinbrenner said he had "no idea" if the Yankees were confident in retaining Soto, but that "we'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that."

The Yankees aren't the only team vying for a chance to sign Soto this offseason. Soto has met with the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is expected to meet with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this week, and the Philadelphia Phillies are also interested in meeting with him.