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Head coach wants his side to challenge the Championship’s frontrunners after 10-year absence

Alan Gardner28-Mar-2025

John Simpson holds the Division Two trophy aloft•Getty Images

Sussex’s base at Hove may be one of the more tranquil destinations on the county circuit. But when the club make their return to Division One of the Championship after a ten-year absence next month, opponents should not arrive expecting a ride on the teacups.That is the message coming from the 2024 Division Two champions, with head coach, Paul Farbrace, saying Sussex will go into the new season “aiming to win” the title. If that proves beyond them, Farbace is targeting a finish of fourth or higher, with the goal of being in the top two the following summer.All this is part of a five-year plan Farbrace drew up when appointed to succeed Ian Salisbury in the winter of 2022-2023. Sussex, who lifted the County Championship as recently as 2007, were at the time languishing in the second tier, having won just three first-class matches in the previous three seasons – but Farbrace immediately set about scotching talk of incremental progress, declaring that the club should be challenging for promotion and a place at T20 Finals Day.Related

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Although Sussex finished that season in third, those lofty twin goals were eventually realised a year later – John Simpson (a Farbrace signing) captaining them to the Division Two title with a 20-point gap on Yorkshire, while Tymal Mills oversaw a run to the last four of the Blast. It proved swift vindication for Farbrace’s belief that the players could walk his talk.”I deliberately tried to change the language [around the club],” Farbrace tells ESPNcricinfo during Sussex’s pre-season media day at Hove. “At the time, people were saying to me, it’s a tough job, because, you know, they’ve only won one game [per season] in three years. But actually, we’ve got a group of players, they were crying out for someone to say, ‘Right, this is where we going. Come on, let’s roll our sleeves up. Let’s have fun doing it.'”I think there’s a real feelgood [factor], and everyone’s realising now that we don’t have to be a team that just talks about, ‘What’s our relevance in county cricket?’ Let’s show people our relevance. Let’s punch above our weight. All right, some of the clubs have got bigger and better budgets than we have, but it’s not about that. It’s about having the right people in the right places, whether that’s on the field or off the field, and have a bit of fun doing what you’re doing. You spend a lot of time at cricket, practicing, playing, working at the game. You want to enjoy it as well. But you enjoy it so much more when you’re winning.”It was not all smooth sailing from the outset, with ill discipline undermining their promotion push in 2023 – Sussex were docked 12 points after a bad-tempered late-season win over Leicestershire – and rumours that not everyone agreed with Farbrace’s approach. Ali Orr, one of the club’s brightest batting talents, was allowed to leave for Hampshire, prompting Chris Adams and Ian Gould, two Sussex stalwarts, to step down from advisory roles. George Garton, another homegrown talent, also found himself surplus to requirements.Upending the deckchairs at a tight-knit club like Sussex could have been risky but Farbrace believes it was important to “give the place a shake” after several seasons in which cost-cutting and a reliance on the academy had limited ambition. He also says he has tempered his approach accordingly as the team has developed.”I had to do that,” he says. “I think that was part of my role when I first came in. I’d like to think I’m doing things differently to what I did in the first year. The first year, I was very bullish, I didn’t really ask too many questions. I told people what we were doing, let’s get on board and make sure you’re with me. That was something that I spent a lot of time doing, making sure people understood what we were trying to do and why we were trying to do it. And, yeah, I did ruffle a few feathers, I think I had to.Sussex won promotion with a game to spare in 2024•Getty Images

“I had quite a few spats with people during that first year. But I definitely think it was the right thing to do. And then subsequently, last year, I’ve been a lot more inclusive, a lot more open, I’ve asked a lot more people’s thoughts and views, and I’m hopefully starting to sit back a little bit more. It’s now a case of saying, we’ve got the right captains, we’ve got the right coaches, we’ve got the right support staff. The pitches are playing brilliantly. Now I can sit back a little bit and just keep nudging people in the right direction and make sure we keep that momentum going, and not feel as I’ve got to be at the front of it. It wasn’t about me, per se – it was just about someone just giving the place a bit of a shake. Saying, ‘Come on. Let’s compete. Let’s have some fun taking people on.’ And if it doesn’t work, I take full responsibility.”He admits, however, that things might have turned out differently had Sussex not sneaked their way to a two-wicket win over eventual Division Two-winners, Durham, in his first game in charge. “I’ll always be indebted to Oli Carter for the innings that he played to get us over the line against Durham. Because beating a strong Durham team here, in that first game, everyone started thinking: actually, maybe that idiot knows what he’s doing.”Faith in the group that Farbrace has assembled means there have been few changes at Sussex over the winter, with rookie contracts for George Thomas, the former England U19 batter released by Somerset, Nantes Oosthuizen and ACE academy graduate Troy Henry the only additions. Simpson will again lead the red-ball side after a stunning first summer down on the south coast in which he averaged 74.81 with the bat – and he has counselled his players that they will “need to be better for longer” in Division One as they seek to avoid a battle for survival.For the first time in four seasons, there is no Cheteshwar Pujara to act as batting bulwark – but Australian Daniel Hughes is back for a full campaign after impressing last year. West Indies quick Jayden Seales also returns to lead the attack alongside Ollie Robinson during the first block of Championship games. Robinson, who is expected to be fit after hernia surgery, opted not to speak to the media, presumably in anticipation of his bowling doing the talking as he aims to nudge the selectors more than a year on from his last England cap.And while incipient plans to nurture Jofra Archer’s Test comeback via a few appearances in the opening rounds of the Championship season were shelved after he was a late entrant in the IPL mega-auction, Sussex could still benefit from his services later in the summer. Could Archer tune up for involvement in the Ashes by firing Sussex’s Division One challenge? Down Hove way recently, stranger things have happened.

عقد هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة مؤتمراً صحفياً للحديث عن جاهزية فريقه لمواجهة جيرونا غداً في الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

وقال فليك في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية عن لقاء جيرونا: “أحب فلسفة المدرب، لقد حصدوا نقاط في المباريات الأخيرة وعلينا أن نبدأ بداية جديدة ومختلفة عما حدث ضد إشبيلية، لم نقدم أفضل ما لدينا، أريد التغيير وعلينا أن نقاتل”.

وتحدث فليك عن الإصابات: “لا أستطيع فعل شيء، لا أستطيع تغيير ذلك، علينا إيجاد حلول، لاعبين قادرين على اللعب أساسيين وإدارة 90 دقيقة، عاد لامين وفيرمين لكنهما لا يستطيعان اللعب 90 دقيقة، هذه مهمتنا ولست قلقاً، المهم بدايتنا وأن نلعب بأفضل ما لدينا، لقد خسرنا العديد من اللاعبين الهجومين، سنستعيد بعضا منهم وسنجد حلولاً، الجميع يعلم ما عليه فعله، هناك لاعبون من لاماسيا قد يلعبون غداً”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. في بيان رسمي.. برشلونة يعلن موقف فيران توريس من مباراة جيرونا

وقال فليك عن إصابة ليفاندوفسكي: “لقد أخبرني بالشيء نفسه، بعد الشوط الأول مع بولندا وضع ضمادة، لم يكن يشعر بأي ألم، لا تكون هناك أمور سهلة في فترة التوقف الدولي وهذا يؤلمنا، فيران وليفاندوفسكي وأولمو، إنه لأمر مؤسف أيضاً بالنسبة لرافينها لأنه يشعرنا بالزخم في الملعب، نفتقده ولكننا سنستعيده قريباً”.

وحول التشكيل الأساسي لبرشلونة ضد جيرونا علق فليك: “فرينكي مختلف تماماً، لعب يوم الأحد وحصل على بضعة أيام راحة، بيدري حصل على أيام راحة أقل لكنه يلعب بمستوى جيد، علينا دائماً أن نضع ذلك في اعتبارنا، يقول الجهاز الفني إن بيدري يجب أن يلعب لكن علينا الاعتناء به”.

وكانت تكهنات قد ترددت بأن لامين يامال تأخر ضد باريس سان جيرمان: “أود أن أعرف من أين تأتي هذه الأخبار، إنه أمر جنوني، في النادي ومع ديكو أنا ممتن جداً للثقة التي يمنحوها لي، لدينا ثقة كاملة ولن يطلبوا مني ذلك أبداً، ليس لدي ما أخفيه، من قال ذلك يكذب”.

وسئل فليك مرة أخرى عن ليفاندوفسكي: “لا أعتقد أن هناك لاعبا آخر يهتم بصحته البدنية أكثر من ليفاندوفسكي، لم أكن أعتقد أنها قد تكون إصابة، إنه يهتم بنفسه دائماً، لا يوجد لاعب في عمره في مثل مستواه، ربما رونالدو، لكن علينا أن نعمل على تحسينه”.

وحول غياب رافينها قال فليك: “نأمل أن يكون جاهزاً للكلاسيكو، هذا ما نخطط له، أحياناً يواجه مشاكل أثناء فترة التعافي لكن عليه أن يواصل”.

وتلقى فليك سؤالاً عن ضغط المهاجمين أثناء المباريات ليقول: “كما أقول دائماً في الحالة الدفاعية، علينا إشراك الجميع، لا يمكن لأحد أن يكون 50 50، حتى مع الكرة بين أقدامه، يريد المهاجم أن يكون هناك من يساعده في صناعة اللعب، ويريد المدافعون من المهاجمين الضغط، تحدثت مع اللاعبين عن الجوانب التي يجب أن نتحسن بها والأمر يتعلق بالسلوك داخل الملعب، نحن برشلونة وتريد جماهيرنا أن ترانا نقاتل في كل موقف”.

ورد فليك على مباراة ميامي وكأس السوبر الإسباني في السعودية: “أتفهم أن اللاعبين غير راضين وأنا أيضاً لكن الرابطة من تقرر وليس نحن من يقرر، سنحصل على إجازة أعياد الميلاد بعد ذلك، حدث الشيء نفسه الموسم الماضي، نعرف الوضع ونحترمه”.

وأتم فليك عن تجديد عقد إريك جارسيا :”لقد تحسن كثيراً في الموسم الماضي وهذا الموسم أيضاً، بإمكانه اللعب على أعلى مستوى في مراكز مختلفة، من الجيد للنادي أن نمتلك لاعبا مثل إريك، أنا سعيد أيضاً بتجديد عقد دي يونج، كل شئ يسير في الاتجاه الصحيح”.

واختتم عن الانتقادات بشأن لامين يامال حول حياته الشخصية: “أهم شيء أنه يبذل مجهودات كبيرة أثناء التدريب، يتمتع بسلوك جيد ويقدم أداء جيدًا، ارتاح لأيام لأنه تدرب بجد واحترافية ولن أتدخل في حياته الخاصة”.

Tottenham could make a signing befitting of new manager Thomas Frank by tempting one Liverpool star to north London, according to a new report.

£44m forward submits transfer request as Tottenham eye him to replace Son

Spurs need an heir to the club legend.

5

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 5, 2025

The Spurs squad have returned from what ended up being a whirlwind final game of their Asian pre-season tour against Newcastle United.

Son Heung-min bid a very emotional goodbye to the club in Seoul before sealing an MLS record-breaking move to Los Angeles FC, bringing the curtain down on 10 stunning years in the Premier League.

Adding to the emotion, but in a far more negative way, star playmaker James Maddison suffered a “bad” injury to the same knee which kept him out near the end of last season, with the England international carried off on a stretcher.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

Frank’s side take on Bayern Munich in their final pre-season friendly of the summer tomorrow at the Allianz Arena, before gearing up for an all-important first competitive game of the new season.

Tottenham’s blockbuster UEFA Super Cup clash against European champions PSG represents a golden opportunity for Frank to deliver silverware just months after his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, ended the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy.

A surprise win against Luis Enrique’s Ligue 1 dominators would be the perfect start to Frank’s reign, but the Dane is poised to go into the clash with a weakened squad as things stand.

Maddison’s latest problem is likely to keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, making the need for a new number 10 all the more glaring.

Tottenham were on the verge of signing Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, booking a medical for the 25-year-old this time last month ahead of a £60 million move (BBC).

However, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis blocked the transfer, threatened legal action against Spurs and surprisingly managed to convince Gibbs-White to pen a new £150,000-per-week contract instead of leaving the City Ground.

After this unprecedented transfer twist, Frank and Daniel Levy must continue navigating the market for an alternative, and Spurs-linked former Stuttgart playmaker Enzo Millot is now off the table too, following his Al-Ahli move.

Tottenham tipped to move for Liverpool star Harvey Elliott

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Liverpool star Harvey Elliott could emerge as an option for Levy before the deadline on September 1.

“The other name I’d keep an eye on when it comes to Spurs actually is Harvey Elliott at Liverpool,” Crook said.

“He’s another player that Liverpool are willing to cash in on, he had a brilliant summer leading the England Under-21s to European Championship glory.

“He won’t be cheap, I think the asking price is about £40million, maybe north of that. But obviously, they were willing to pay £60m for Gibbs-White.

“And he just strikes me, Harvey Elliott, as a very Thomas Frank-type signing.”

The homegrown and locally trained 22-year-old really did have a stunning Euro Under-21 campaign with England, grabbing goals against Spain, The Netherlands and against Germany in the final.

Elliott also featured on both the right and left-hand sides under Arne Slot last season, bagging a winner against PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie last term, but struggled for consistent game time in the Premier League.

His versatility means that Elliott could even come in as a replacement for both Maddison and the departed Son, with the former Fulham youngster having just two years left on his contract – meaning there is also leverage for Levy to whittle down his asking price.

India need 195 more runs to avoid the follow-on with six wickets in hand

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Dec-2024Only 33.1 overs were possible on what may have been the stop-startiest day in the history of Test cricket, featuring as many as eight stoppages for rain, but Australia kept alive their hopes of going 2-1 up with two days remaining at the Gabba. They stretched their first-innings total to 445 on the morning of day three before Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ripped out India’s top order over the remainder of the day’s play, in between the many rain breaks.India went to stumps at 51 for 4, 394 runs adrift of Australia, and their first target when the Test match resumes will be to get to 246 to avoid the follow-on. If they get there, they dramatically improve their chances of getting to Melbourne with the series still level. Rain is expected on days four and five as well, so Australia may be battling time if they’re forced to bat again.Australia’s last three wickets added 40 runs to their overnight 405 for 7. There were brief spells of rain either side of the 17.1 overs they took to do so as well as one in between, after Jasprit Bumrah removed Pat Cummins to pick up his sixth wicket of the innings and his 50th in Tests in Australia. Alex Carey, who had raced to 45 on the evening of day two to keep Australia’s advantage intact after a three-wicket burst from Bumrah, brought up his half-century and played some resplendent strokes – including an effortless six over wide long-off off Akash Deep – before he was last out for 70. He was out to Akash Deep, who finally got a wicket with the 53rd false shot he had induced in the innings.Australia’s fast bowlers then began to show how much more they could get out of this Gabba surface than India’s quicks had managed, thanks to both home and height advantage, with all three of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins measuring upwards of 6’5″. They often found seam movement when they hit the pitch on a length or back of it, and occasionally awkward bounce too, with Hazlewood striking KL Rahul’s wrist with his first ball of the match.By then, India were already one down, with Yashasvi Jaiswal having fallen second ball, flicking Starc uppishly and straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg. Starc struck once more in his second over, slanting a full one away from Shubman Gill and inducing a drive away from the body with his head not on top of the ball. The ball flew quickly to the left of gully, and Marsh was once again in position to intercept it, this time with a spectacular dive to his left.As much as the ball was doing off the deck, both of India’s wickets had fallen to avoidable shots, and the trend continued when Kohli – who, in the previous over, had to react quickly to fend away a Starc lifter that leapt towards his head – drove loosely at a wide one from Hazlewood and edged behind, falling early once again in series marked by uncertainty outside off stump.Rain returned immediately after Kohli’s dismissal, prompting lunch to be taken early, and there was another interruption 11 balls after resumption. None of this was helping Australia’s victory push, but it was also keeping their fast bowlers fresh. It also meant India’s batters had to get their eye in multiple times.All this, and superb bowling, contributed to India’s next wicket, with Cummins slanting one across Rishabh Pant from over the wicket and landing it on the perfect line and length to draw an uncertain forward-defensive push. Australia have noted Pant’s tendency to aim down the ground while defending balls angled across him, rather than going with the angle and playing later and squarer on the off side. This particular ball threatened to swing back into Pant before nipping away off the pitch, and found his edge through to Carey.All through this, Rahul had batted with something approaching certainty, showing excellent judgment in the fourth-stump channel as well as a readiness – both in terms of intent and the timing of his weight transfer – to drive balls pitched up to him. Apart from one sliced effort that flew through the backward point region, he drove with certainty, picking up three fours through the covers on his way to 33 off 64 balls at stumps. With him was his captain Rohit Sharma, who was still to open his account.

Sunderland fans must be overwhelmed by the amount of quickfire business their club is involved in ahead of the Premier League getting underway next month.

Indeed, around £67m has been forked out already to land Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, and Noah Sadiki, with this excessive spending necessary if the Black Cats want to mount a serious challenge at staving off the dreaded top-flight drop zone.

The ecstasy of promotion to the elite league has quickly been followed by excitement over what the next major signing Sunderland could make, with a few more expensive buys reportedly on their radar.

Sunderland's next summer signings

The whirlwind transfer activity coming out of the Stadium of Light shows no signs of slowing down.

Transfer Focus

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

Reports filtering out of Wearside indicate that their next intriguing purchase will come courtesy of Club Brugge winger Chemsdine Talbi, with the 20-year-old once being tipped to join the likes of RB Leipzig in Germany, but could now be Le Bris’ next promising capture at around the £19.5m mark.

Yet, although the youngster coming in from Belgium possesses bags of potential, an even more exciting pick-up looks to be in the works involving the Black Cats landing Real Madrid sensation Gonzalo Garcia this summer.

As per reports from Spain, Sunderland have placed a bid worth £26m for the LaLiga attacker, with a £40m buy-back clause inserted into the deal to allow the Los Blancos to bring Garcia back to his boyhood employers if he explodes into life even more in England.

Off the back of his clinical, poacher-like abilities being on full display at the Club World Cup, Garcia could go down as an even more exciting signing than Talbi as Le Bris attempts to get the very best out of another up-and-coming talent, having already worked his magic on the likes of Jobe Bellingham.

Why Garcia is a more exciting signing than Talbi

The 20-year-old winger will be an enthralling signing in his own right, with Talbi’s strengths centring on the fact he can line up down both the right and left wing for Le Bris’ men this coming campaign. He’a also a goalscorer, boasting seven strikers in all competitions last season, two of which came about on Europe’s grandest stage in the Champions League.

Yet, Garcia out at the Club World Cup – from only five overall clashes – is just three strikes off matching Talbi’s entire season total for Brugge, with those instinctive finishes coming against the likes of Italian superpower Juventus and Bellingham’s new Black and Yellow employers.

Garcia’s G/A record at Real Madrid
Age bracket	Games	Goals	Assists
Castilla	73	30	7
Youth League	16	6	3
Senior team	11	5	2
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Amazingly, despite faces such as World Cup-winning Kylian Mbappe also leading the line for Xabi Alonso’s men, Garcia continues to steal the limelight, with his potency not just reserved for the pitches of the Club World Cup, as seen in his blistering 36 strikes playing in the Blancos youth picture.

On the contrary, his potential new £19.5m teammate can only boast a weaker 15 strikes across his playing days to date, with Talbi perhaps not ready to be an immediate starter down the right or left wing either, when you consider Le Bris has figures such as Patrick Roberts and Enzo Le Fee he can call into action on these flanks.

Whereas, in the case of the breakout Madrid number 30, he looks ready to challenge Wilson Isidor’s starting spot in England’s elite league, having been hailed as “incredible” off the back of his rich vein of goalscoring form in the pre-season tournament by scout Jacek Kulig.

He also has a goal and assist next to his name in both La Liga and Copa Del Rey action – but instead of sticking it out at the Santiago Bernabeu where options might still be limited even as he terrorises the likes of Juventus – Garcia could soon fancy a switch to Le Bris’ men to try and be a main starter week in week out.

After all, football analyst Ben Mattinson has even labelled the £26m man as a striker who “scores goals for fun.”

The proof will soon be in the pudding if he does relocate to Sunderland and his goals keep the Black Cats up in the Premier League.

Dream squad Sunderland could build: £112m spent on 7 signings after Talbi

Sunderland looks ready to take the Premier League by storm, with this being potentially what their dream squad could look like very soon.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 6, 2025

Arsenal’s centre-forward problems can be traced back a number of years. Not since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was in his free-scoring pomp have the Gunners had a top-class central marksman.

Sure, Kai Havertz is a technically sharp and dynamic player, but he’s not an out-and-out striker, and Gabriel Jesus has never quite reached the pinnacle, for one reason or another.

This issue, Mikel Arteta’s most pressing concern, was illustrated across the 2024/25 campaign, with the lack of a prolific focal point proving fatal in the Premier League title race for a third successive season.

24/25

Kai Havertz

9

23/24

Bukayo Saka

16

22/23

Martin Odegaard

15

21/22

Bukayo Saka

11

20/21

Alexandre Lacazette

13

19/20

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

22

Viktor Gyokeres is expected to solve that problem and pose an insoluble question back to the club’s title rivals.

Arsenal's centre-forward plans

An official announcement is not yet upon us, but Arsenal have all but sealed the signing of Sporting Lisbon’s Gyokeres, who is expected to join the Emirates clan in a package worth £64m.

However, fans and indeed the powers that be in north London will no doubt have been rocked by the revelations over on Tyneside, with Alexander Isak informing Newcastle United that he would like to explore his options in the transfer market this summer.

Liverpool are the frontrunners, but BBC Sport have confirmed that Arsenal’s long-standing interest remains intact, and that the Gunners are one of the few outfits who are reported to have the budget to pull off a statement signing such as the Swede.

Newcastle aren’t going to roll over and allow their all-important number nine to leave without earning their due, and have priced him at £130m, which would eclipse the British-record fee Liverpool paid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

Isak vs Gyokeres

Whether Arsenal manage to pull off deals for both Isak and Gyokeres remains to be seen, but there’s little question that it’s the man over at St. James’ Park who 99% of a Gunners persuasion would prefer.

Isak, indeed, joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a £63m deal three years ago (the same ballpark as Arsenal have just paid for Gyokeres), and he has gone on to post 62 goals and 11 assists across just 109 outings for Eddie Howe’s burgeoning team.

Gyokeres, 27, has the statistical analysis on his side, from a goalscoring standpoint, at least. Indeed, the Sweden star scored 97 goals and supplied 28 assists across just 102 Sporting appearances over two years.

It’s certainly nothing to be sniffed at, but Isak is a “world-class” goalscorer himself, as has been said by pundit Alan Shearer, and he’s doing it week in, week out in the Premier League, surely a higher level of competition than the Liga Portugal.

Analyst Raj Chohan has even claimed that the Newcastle talisman is “the best striker in the world”, with his completeness and athleticism capable of rivalling even that of Gyokeres, who is his countryman and a physical machine.

The difference is that Isak is tried and tested, having led Newcastle to an extraordinary Carabao Cup triumph last year, beating off Arsenal in a double-legged semi-final before dispatching Liverpool at Wembley. He took centre stage at both events.

It’s a climactic point of the window for a number of Premier League teams, it feels like. Should Arsenal truly have the financial means to strike a deal for the £120k-per-week Isak, should they not pounce on it?

Bad news for Max Dowman: Arsenal in talks to sign £60m "superstar"

Arsenal are planning to sign one of the Premier League’s biggest talents this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2025

Rockets fire through Sciver-Brunt but Graham’s cameo comes too late in three-run loss

ECB Media31-Jul-2024

Ellyse Perry and Sterre Kalis added a century stand for Birmingham Phoenix•Getty Images

Birmingham Phoenix 139 for 3 beat Trent Rockets 136 for 7 by three runsAustralian superstar Ellyse Perry starred with the bat and in the field as Phoenix ended their 12-match losing streak to beat the Trent Rockets in The Hundred.On a sunny afternoon in Nottingham, Birmingham Phoenix won the toss and chose to bat, making a steady start, with Sophie Devine and Sterre Kalis going at a run a ball for an opening partnership of 32. The introduction of Alana King saw the first breakthrough for the Rockets, trapping Devine LBW for 17.That brought Phoenix Captain Perry to the crease who proceeded to quickly up the run-rate alongside Kalis. Perry raced to 41 from her first 20 balls and was making the most of the batting conditions, whilst also riding some luck in being dropped on the boundary, in what ended up being an impressive 66 from 34 balls.Her partnership with Kalis put on 102 from 60, including 11 fours and four sixes, with every one of those sixes coming from the bat of Perry.Amy Jones arrived at the crease with Phoenix on 134 with four balls to go, and with Kalis, scrambled 5 more runs to leave the Phoenix innings at 139 from their 100 balls, with Jones being run out on the final delivery. That left Kalis on 48 not out, with Phoenix setting a competitive but chaseable total.Perry remained in the action in the field, firstly taking the wicket of Scrivens (6) and then catching Bryony Smith with a fantastic running effort at long-on, with Rockets at 58 for 2.Nat Sciver-Brunt came to the wicket in fine form and looked composed from the outset, reaching her sixth half-century in The Hundred with a powerful lofted drive off Hannah Baker, off just 33 balls.Rockets looked well in contention at that point but the demise of Ash Gardner, then Sciver-Brunt three balls later dragged Phoenix back into the game.Rockets needed 27 from the last 10 balls but the game wasn’t done yet.Heather Graham hit four boundaries, including a huge six off the 98th ball, to leave Rockets needing seven from the last two balls. Wraith was run out on the penultimate delivery going for the second, leaving Graham needing six to win from the final ball.To the delight of the Phoenix team, Graham could only manage two, taking her to a valiant 30 from 12 balls, but confirming Birmingham Phoenix’s first win in 13 attempts.Meerkat Match Hero Perry said: “I’m chuffed for the girls. We played with a lot of spirit today, played really positively, and it is nice to get over the line in a tight one at the end.”It took us a while to get going, but once you were in there was a breeze, so it was easy to find the pockets in the ground and build a bit of momentum with the bat. The total felt defendable, but they chased well, Heather at the end there was really unlucky not to bring it home for them, so to hold our nerve at the end was awesome.””I’m stoked for the girls; it is a great group and they play with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. You can’t worry about last season, this is a different squad, but it is something that has been spoken about around the group by other people. Hopefully people stop talking about that [12 in a row] now.”

Over the years, Manchester United have landed countless young talents who have joined the club and made a huge impact on the first team at Old Trafford.

Amad Diallo is just one player who falls into that category, costing £37m from Atalanta back in 2020, before spending various loan spells at the likes of Rangers and Sunderland.

The Ivorian has now registered over 60 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring on 14 occasions – including the winner in the Manchester Derby back in December.

However, the off-season presents Ruben Amorim with an opportunity to invest in more young talents who can make an immediate impact for the Red Devils, whilst also keeping an eye on the future.

Numerous names have been mentioned as potential targets ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, especially as the club looks to return to their former glory.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

Youngsters have been a key focus over the last couple of weeks, setting them up for potential long-term success, which aligns with the current project in operation.

Benjamin Sesko, Rodrygo and Yann Bisseck are just three names mentioned with a summer switch to join the Red Devils, all of whom are under the age of 24, having the ability to star in Amorim’s revival.

However, another name has been added to the mix over the last couple of days, with Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney the latest on their radar, according to GIVEMESPORT.

They claim that the Championship are willing to part ways with the 22-year-old after United’s interest, led by Jason Wilcox, demanding a fee in the region of £20m to sell the academy graduate.

The report also states that they face tough competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Spurs and West Ham for the midfielder, who made 43 appearances in the league last season.

Why United’s £20m star could be Amorim’s own Carrick

Midfielder Michael Carrick was a superb servant during his spell as a United player, racking up over 450 appearances for the club over a 12-year period at Old Trafford.

The Englishman joined the Red Devils way back in 2006 in a £13m deal from fellow top-flight side Tottenham Hotspur – a fee that would prove to be a bargain given his time at United.

During his time as a player, the now-43-year-old won five league titles, one Europa League and one Champions League, along with 11 other trophies – offering a consistent presence during Sir Alex’s reign.

He became known for his excellent work ethic and superb passing ability, which saw him register a total of 35 assists and 24 goals – an impressive tally from his deep-lying position.

However, in the present day, Amorim could be about to land his own version of the midfielder in Middlesbrough’s Hackney, with the youngster having the tools to follow in his footsteps.

The 22-year-old, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one analyst, has been able to learn from the United legend, after plying his trade under him for multiple years at the Riverside Stadium.

He’s also been dubbed a “young Carrick” by the Second Tier Podcast, further showcasing the potential he has to explode should he move to the North West this summer.

When delving into the youngster’s stats, he’s managed to impress with the ball at his feet, further indicating how he can replicate the 43-year-old’s achievements at the Theatre of Dreams.

Hackney has managed to complete 10.4 progressive passes per 90, with 8.6 of which going into the final third – handing those ahead of him the opportunity to impress at Old Trafford.

Games played

43

Goals & assists

8

Pass accuracy

84%

Progressive passes

10.4

Passes into final third

8.6

Tackles won

1.3

Blocks made

1.5

He’s also won 1.3 tackles per 90, whilst making 1.5 blocks per game – subsequently having the defensive talents to be the perfect deep-lying option in Amorim’s midfield.

£20m could prove to be an absolute steal for the Red Devils, signing a youngster who can easily cement his place at the heart of the side for many years to come.

However, given the interest from elsewhere, they will have to work tirelessly to avoid missing out on his signature and subsequently improving a divisional rival ahead of 2025/26.

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3 ByEthan Lamb Jun 11, 2025

As Manchester United get set to take on Chelsea in the penultimate game of their miserable Premier League season on Friday night, one man who won’t be involved in proceedings is Old Trafford exile, Jadon Sancho.

The 25-year-old loanee – who is ineligible to feature for the Blues against his parent club – is set to head into a summer of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge, with it yet to be seen whether the west London side will secure his services on a permanent basis.

With talk in recent months indicating that Enzo Maresca’s side could actually pay a £5m fee in order to send him back to Manchester, despite agreeing to a £20m-£25m obligation to buy last summer, the Red Devils face the very real prospect of being lumped with the £195k-per-week winger once again.

In truth, even with a change in the dugout following Ruben Amorim’s arrival, the England international should have no future back at the Theatre of Dreams, having proven a simply wasted venture following his £73m arrival in 2021.

Perhaps hampered by a long, drawn-out saga that began in 2020, the former Borussia Dortmund man has been unable to replicate his Bundesliga heroics, having chalked up just 18 goals and assists in 83 games for United to date.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Anthony Elanga

55

4

4

8

Amad

61

13

11

24

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

146

26

22

48

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

Alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony, Sancho is a player who INEOS need to cash in on this summer. What they must not do, however, is sign a talent of a similar ilk…

Man Utd's search for a forward

Whether it pays off or not remains to be seen, although it is encouraging to see that United are looking to target current Premier League stars this summer, ensuring there should be less of a need for adaptation next season.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, both Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap appear to be at the top of the shopping list, while recent reports have also indicated that Amorim and co are interested in Bournemouth’s £60m-rated sensation, Antoine Semenyo.

With the Red Devils intent on strengthening the 40-year-old’s attacking options, Sky Sports have since revealed that United are also keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi.

As per reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the Englishman currently has just a year left on his contract at the City Ground, with talks currently “ongoing” with the Champions League hopefuls regarding an extension.

Reading between the lines, INEOS appear ready to pounce should those negotiations hit a stumbling block, with Forest perhaps willing to cash in, considering that they signed the ex-Chelsea man for a fee of just £3m back in 2023.

Alongside former United academy graduate, Anthony Elanga, Hudson-Odoi has no doubt flourished for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side – but is he what Amorim really needs?

Why Man Utd could be targeting another Sancho

The journey of a young footballer is rarely a smooth one, as Sancho, in particular, has come to learn.

Plucked from Manchester City by Dortmund on a £10m deal in 2017, the wing wizard went on to sparkle in German football over the next four years, with his total record for the Bundesliga side – when factoring last season’s loan spell back at the club – standing at 120 goals and assists in 158 games.

For all that talent and potential, it just hasn’t worked out since then, with Sancho now a forgotten man in Manchester, having also provided only eight goal involvements in the league this season for the Blues. His last Three Lions outing came as far back as October 2021.

It has been a similar story for Hudson-Odoi too, with the one-time wonderkid touted for big things after making his senior international debut at the age of just 18, having also been the subject of a £70m offer from Bayern Munich in 2020.

Injuries and limited game followed back at Chelsea, however, while he was also shipped off to Bayer Leverkusen for an unsuccessful loan in 2022/23, which yielded just one goal and one assist.

After recording 16 goals and 22 assists in 126 games for the west Londoners, the decision was made to cash in on the fleet-footed winger two years ago, while on the international scene, he has been unable to build on his three caps – all of which came in 2019.

To his credit, the man once described as a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella has found his feet at Forest, with 13 goals and six assists in 68 games in all competitions, including the winner against Manchester City earlier this year.

Non-penalty goals

0.21

0.16

Assists

0.08

0.21

Shot-creating actions

3.93

3.59

Pass completion

82.2%

82.5%

Progressive passes

2.76

4.65

Progressive carries

5.31

5.28

Successful take-ons

1.51

2.38

Touches in penalty box

3.01

6.39

Progressive passes received

7.78

11.68

That said, like Sancho, he hasn’t exactly pulled up any trees – if you’ll pardon the pun – in Nottingham, having matched his compatriot’s record of only eight goal contributions in the top-flight this term.

Interestingly too, the two widemen – both of whom can play on either flank – are noted as statistically similar players among those in their position in the division, as per FBref, with United at risk of landing another mercurial and inconsistent talent.

Perhaps, for a bargain fee, Hudson-Odoi could prove worth the gamble, although having witnessed Sancho struggle so greatly in recent years, targeting a player of similar quality and ability may well need to be avoided.

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1 ByRobbie Walls May 14, 2025

Everton need to trim the fat this summer. Oh, while excitement is in the air as David Moyes gears up for what may be the club’s biggest summer of spending, there’s plenty going on out the exit door too.

As many as 15 first-team players are out of contract at the end of the season. Some will stay. Many will go. Two of these quandaries take the shape of the culminating loan spells of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, neither of whom has enjoyed the best of terms. Several more are made from flotsam drifting out on short-term stints elsewhere.

There are too many profiles to dig into, but one curious expected outgoing is the man who earns more than any of his Toffees teammates: Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Everton set to part with Abdoulaye Doucoure

Back in 2020, Everton signed Doucoure from Watford in a deal worth £20m, and he’s since made 162 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 21 goals.

Regarded as a ‘pressing machine’, the Malian ace is now 32 and while he still works industriously in the middle, three goals across 29 matches is hardly a prolific return for an attacking midfielder whose duel success rate stands at just 39% in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, one of those facing the end of their contract this summer, the £130k-per-week Doucoure is Everton’s top earner. Given the amount of shuffling set to take place over at Bramley Moore this summer, it would be a grave error to renew Doucoure’s deal on the same terms.

Everton – Top Earners 2024/25

Rank

Player

Age

Contract =

Salary

1.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

32

2025

£130k-per-week

2.

Jordan Pickford

30

2027

£125k-per-week

3.

Idrissa Gueye

35

2025

£120k-per-week

=4

James Tarkowski

32

2026

£100k-per-week

=4

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

27

2025

£100k-per-week

Data via Capology

He’ll be midway through his 33rd year by the end of next season and, despite scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest a few weeks back, no longer carries the same swagger in the final third.

Everton need a new star in attacking midfield. Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil make three exciting options, three good reasons why Doucoure’s influence is waning.

That said, the fans could be in for an even more thrilling ride if Everton’s new version of Ross Barkley hits his stride after flourishing for the academy.

Everton's new Ross Barkley

Barkley featured 179 times for Everton’s first team after breaking from the Finch Farm youth ranks, notching 52 goal involvements and drawing inevitable comparisons to Wayne Rooney.

However, he left for Chelsea in January 2018 for a £15m fee, now long archived as a bygone part of the Merseysiders’ history.

It’s been a while since such a player rose to the fore (Anthony Gordon notwithstanding), but Moyes might just find he holds the keys to unlocking the next prodigy, with 17-year-old Braiden Graham making waves for the development outfit.

Graham’s still in that unsure maiden stage, struggling to find his best position. However, a four-goal performance from attacking midfield for the U21s last time out in the Premier League 2 suggests that maybe he has a future as a ten.

Braiden Graham – Everton U18 & U21 Stats in 24/25

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Attacking midfield

5

7

1

Centre-forward

5

3

0

Right winger

2

1

0

Left winger

2

1

1

Central midfield

2

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

With such dynamism, ranged in his ability to make a positive impression on the pitch, Graham’s surely going to go a long way, not least because his shooting boots seem to stay intact wherever he features.

The Northern Ireland youth international has been hailed as a “fearless” forward and an “incredible player” by his former Linfield boss David Healy, prior to transferring to the Toffees. In short, there’s an ever-loudening buzz around this young talent, whose eye for goal and crisp, powerful dribbling offer shades of Barkley in his Everton days.

Having scored four goals in a single game against Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s – away from home – makes a firm comment on this young man’s potential, not least because Spurs’ U21s won the Premier League 2 last season.

One to watch, and maybe one whose professional Everton debut lingers not too far away.

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