Konstas later brushed the incident aside, but Ricky Ponting said on commentary that Kohli “instigated that confrontation”
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2024
Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas exchanged words•Getty Images
Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fees and awarded one demerit point for his altercation with Australia’s 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas during the fourth Test at the MCG. The incident occurred after the tenth over of the morning session, when Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch between overs.Both players exchanged words after the contact before Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough interrupted to cut the altercation short.Kohli was sanctioned for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct that relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match”. No formal hearing was required as Kohli accepted the sanctions.Replays that emerged later in the session showed Konstas had turned around from the crease after the last ball of the tenth over, and was walking towards the other end while looking at his gloves, whereas Kohli – while tossing the ball in his hand – was looking ahead and went from outside the pitch towards Konstas and bumped into him.”I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told in the second session. “I didn’t quite realise; I was doing my gloves, then [there was] a little shoulder charge. But it happens in cricket.”
“Have a look at where Virat walks,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting observed on commentary for while watching the replay of the incident. “Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind, whatsoever.”While talking to Star Sports at the end of the day, former India coach Ravi Shastri said what Kohli did was “unnecessary”.”When you see that, it’s not needed at that moment of time,” he said. “I think Virat will realise that later, with the stature he has in the game, he’s captained the side for many, many years. In heat of the moment, things do happen. But on reflection, I would say it was unnecessary. You don’t want to see such things. There’s a line, you don’t want to overstep that line.”Konstas made his Test debut with a stunning half-century off just 52 balls, by taking on Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler of the series, who had dismissed Nathan McSweeney four times in six innings in the first three Tests. Konstas replaced McSweeney for this Test, and struggled to 5 off 21 after being beaten several times before moving to 27 off 38 at the time of the altercation with Kohli.By then, Konstas had reverse-scooped Bumrah for a six over the slips which had followed a more straightforward scoop that had fetched him four runs after moving across and flicking the ball over the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.Konstas finished on 60 off 65 balls with six fours and two sixes, having scored 34 from 33 against Bumrah and 20 from 19 off Mohammed Siraj.Tests between India and Australia have been high-intensity, and known to throw up such altercations and controversies, especially involving Kohli. He had once collided – when he was captain – for an altercation with the opposite captain Tim Paine in 2018-19, and had a duel with Mitchell Johnson while scoring a stunning century in Adelaide in 2014.
Perth Scorchers 126 (Mooney 44, Halliday 41, Gardner 4-21) tied with Sydney Sixers 126 for 7 (Perry 67, King 3-21) Super overSydney Sixers 15 for 0 tied with Perth Scorchers 15 for 1Perth Scorchers edged into the WBBL finals frame with a dramatic Super Over tie against Sydney Sixers with Mikayla Hinkley hitting Ashleigh Gardner’s last ball for four to again tie scoresGardner had taken four wickets as Scorchers stumbled to 126 all out from 19.2 overs. Sixers then fell one run short of a regulation win despite Ellyse Perry’s fine 67 from 53 balls.Related
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In the initial super over, Perry smacked a six and a four as Sixers made 15 for 0 from Amy Edgar’s spin bowling. Gardner removed Beth Mooney with a sharp return catch in the reply, although replays suggested the ball may have been ground, before Hinkley provided the final drama.Both sides received one point, which lifts Scorchers (nine points) from fifth to fourth, while Sixers (eight points) remain in sixth spot.Perry starred with the bat and Gardner did likewise with the ball – she took 4 for 21 as Scorchers dramatically lost their last 9 for 31After Gardner claimed her first wicket in the second over of the innings, Beth Mooney and Brooke Halliday produced a fruitful partnership.The duo took the score to a solid 72 for 1 after 10 overs, but 23 runs later Halliday became Gardner’s second victim, ending an 85-run stand with Mooney. Halliday’s dismissal triggered the slide. Mooney followed in the next over, and from then only Sophie Devine reached double figures.Perry paced the chase, posting her half-century from 42 balls. But the skipper was caught on the long-off boundary from the bowling of Alana King in the 18th over, and the legspinner struck again next ball, trapping Maitlan Brown leg before wicket.That left Sixers needing 20 from 15 balls, and the equation was 12 runs to win from the last over delivered by Edgar, who conceded 11.Edgar was summoned to bowl the super over and Perry smashed a six and four. Gardner then conceded the same amount, with Hinkley unbeaten on 14 from four balls – three of which she hit to the boundary.
Liverpool are moving like the champions that they are in the summer transfer market, with Arne Slot’s side welcoming a wealth of talented players to the team.
Slot has been rewarded for his magnificent maiden campaign, all right, with Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili joining a title-winning side hungry for even more success.
And there’s more still to come. Liverpool’s careful planning across the past few years has allowed them to move into his powerful position.
With Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez both slated for Anfield exits, a few more offensive additions might lie around the corner.
Liverpool's next transfer plans
Should Diaz and Nunez indeed be sold, Liverpool have a variety of options that they might exercise to achieve the next phase of Slot’s sweeping plan.
Ekitike has linked up with the Redmen on their pre-season tour in Asia, but he is a dynamic forward who could play out on the left, should another centre-forward be coveted.
Out-and-out wingers such as Anthony Gordon and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo have also been heavily linked in recent weeks.
But if Liverpool instead choose to sign a new number nine, it’s Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak who has emerged as the leading contender, with Spanish sources claiming that the 25-year-old is right at the top of the club’s summer shortlist.
Given that Fabrizio Romano has since revealed the Sweden international “wants” to sign for the Merseysiders, there’s little question that things are going to start to accelerate – with a move to Anfield said to be his “priority”.
The Magpies, it should be said, will not roll over and allow their talisman to waltz away from St. James’ Park without a fight. Indeed, they would be seeking a British record £130m payment.
What Alexander Isak would bring to Liverpool
Ekitike is a talented and versatile forward, but he’s undoubtedly a work in progress. In Isak, Liverpool would sign themselves a number nine right at the top of his game and with a wealth of Premier League experience.
His clinical shooting his a thing to behold.
The 25-year-old joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad for a club-record £63m fee in 2022 and he has since forged quite the career for himself in England, the frontman of a fast-rising outfit, qualifying for the Champions League in two of his three terms and beating Liverpool to lift the Carabao Cup in March.
Having shaken off the injury issues that plagued him across his debut campaign, the £120k-per-week Isak is “the best striker in the world” to some, with analyst Raj Chohan saying exactly that toward the end of the 2024/25 campaign, with the forward having scored 27 goals and supplied six assists across all competitions.
Alexander Isak’s Newcastle Record
Statistics
#
Games
109
Goals
62
Goal rate
0.57
Assists
11
Assist rate
0.10
G/A rate
0.67
Data via Transfermarkt
The circumstances around the Liverpool bid for this wonderful Premier League player offer certain similarities to when Jurgen Klopp oversaw the £75m acquisition of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, the Dutchman becoming the subject of a world-record fee for a defender at the time.
Isak’s £130m price tag would also make him a record-breaking player, should he leave Newcastle this summer, which illustrates the depths of Liverpool’s desire, for they are willing to spend significant fees when the player is considered to be talented enough.
They got it right the first time. Could they strike again? Van Dijk, now Liverpool’s title-winning captain, has completed 319 fixtures for the Reds, notching 28 goals and 13 assists, winning the full gamut of silverware and cementing himself as one of the greatest players of his generation.
A leader and far more than just a tough-tackling defender (although that is one of the staples of the 33-year-old’s skill set), Van Dijk warranted such a payment because he is so much more than his position defines him as.
Isak is the same. As per FBref, the centre-forward ranked among the top 16% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.
He would be tasked with scoring the goals for Liverpool, but Isak would also be expected to perform as an all-encompassing talisman. His talent demands it.
Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Of course, Isak and Van Dijk are not positionally similar, but they are two of the most talented players in their respective positions, having cut their teeth and developed their skills elsewhere in the English top flight before making the leap to Merseyside.
Moreover, neither would be the youngest on the block when first arriving at Anfield, for Van Dijk was 26 years old when he made the move and Isak is, of course, 25 years old.
In a way though, this bespeaks their maturity and completeness, arriving at the club with ready-made skills at the highest level, eager to lead the team through a period of sustained success.
Described as a “special football player” by pundit Daniel Sturridge, Isak has the chance to emulate Van Dijk in making the move to Liverpool for a record fee after making his name elsewhere.
Newcastle’s remarkable rise differs to that of Southampton, but the similarities are there.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
If Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes do manage to pull this incredible feat off, it might just prove to be every bit as transformative as that time when Klopp rewrote the script with the capture of Van Dijk.
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Liverpool are still ready to be active in the summer transfer market.
To say Thomas Frank has a massive job on his hands at Tottenham Hotspur next season would be a massive understatement.
The former Brentford boss will have to dramatically improve the club’s Premier League performances while also remaining competitive in the domestic cups and the Champions League.
The best and arguably only way Daniel Levy and Co can help him achieve this is by signing a number of genuinely top-drawer players this summer.
One such player that has been linked with the club in recent days is Mohammed Kudus, although recent reports have also touted an even better option for a move to N17.
Spurs target massive Kudus upgrade
Interestingly, Kudus has been linked with a move to Tottenham for some time now, with the first reports citing interest from the North Londoners emerging back in the summer of 2022 and then again in March 2023, only for West Ham United to swoop in and secure his services for around £38m in August.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, even though the 24-year-old is now playing for a London rival, it appears that Spurs are still interested.
In fact, according to stories from earlier today, the Lilywhites have remained just as keen on the former Ajax gem, and with the Hammers needing to address PSR concerns, he could be available for around £60m.
However, there’s another player who has been heavily linked with a move to N17 before, who could finally move this summer and might just be the better option: Eberechi Eze.
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, as relayed by GIVEMESPORT, Spurs have maintained their strong interest in the Crystal Palace star.
While no contact has been made over the talented international, Romano has revealed that he was placed on the North Londoners’ list of targets following discussions between the club’s higher-ups and Frank, suggesting he’s someone the manager would want at the club and has given the green light to being signed.
In terms of the former QPR star’s potential cost, it has been widely reported for some time now that he has a release clause worth around £68m in his current contract.
It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze would be more than worth it and a better signing than Kudus.
Why Eze would be a better signing than Kudus
So, with goals and assists ultimately being what matters most for attacking players, it makes sense to start by looking at the pairs’ raw output from this season, and when doing that, the superiority of Eze starts to become immediately apparent.
For example, in just 43 appearances, totalling 3,303 minutes, the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
In stark contrast, the Hammers ace was only able to score five goals and provide four assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2721 minutes this year, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or every 302.33 minutes.
On top of scoring more goals generally, the Palace star has also shown himself capable of scoring massive goals in massive moments, like the FA Cup semi-final and final this season.
Unfortunately for the Ghanaian star, the incredibly one-sided nature of this comparison only worsens for him when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.
Eze vs Kudus
Statistics
Eze
Kudus
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.53
0.35
Non-Penalty G+As
0.52
0.28
Progressive Passes
3.37
2.74
Progressive Carries
2.40
3.40
Key Passes
2.01
1.08
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.35
1.01
Passes into the Final Third
1.70
1.60
Shot-Creating Actions
4.69
3.72
Goal-Creating Actions
0.35
0.35
Successful Take-On %
48.6%
44.2%
Tackles
1.35
1.32
Ball Recoveries
5.07
4.79
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
For example, in practically every relevant metric, the England international comes out way ahead, including things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shot-creating actions, and key passes, suggesting that his vastly superior output is no fluke at all.
Interestingly, the Greenwhich-born star also makes more tackles and completes more ball recoveries per 90, which shows that he is more than capable of chipping in and helping with the defensive side of the game when needed.
Ultimately, while Kudus is a talented player and would be a good signing for Spurs, Eze is a brilliant player and would be a sensational addition to Frank’s squad this summer.
Therefore, even if he costs more money, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign the Eagles star before someone beats them to him.
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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing a star who would be an upgrade on Dejan Kulusevski.
Matthew Mott has stepped down as England Men’s white-ball head coach with immediate effect.Mott was halfway through a four-year contract, during which time he presided over triumph at the 2022 T20 World Cup as well as the side’s failure to defend that title this year or the 50-over crown they won in 2019 at the 2023 edition, where they won just three of their nine games.He will be replaced by assistant coach Marcus Trescothick on an interim basis for the rest of the home summer, which includes three T20Is and five ODIs against Australia in September.Related
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On Sunday, Mott met with Rob Key, ECB managing director of England men’s cricket, to gauge his view on the last nine months as part of a review into the drop in team’s limited-overs performances.”I am immensely proud to have coached the England Men’s team; it has been an honour,” Mott said. “We have put everything into trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022.”I would like to thank the players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories. Finally, I would like to thank the England fans, who have always backed us and given us fantastic support wherever we have travelled around the world.”Appointed in May 2022, Mott also led England to white-ball series victories against Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. But it appears that England’s most recent campaign, where they were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners India, was pivotal to the decision.Matthew Mott was halfway through his contract•Getty Images
Key said the search for a full-time replacement would begin immediately. He believed the rapport between Trescothick and white-ball captain Jos Buttler “will help us maintain continuity and stability”.”On behalf of everyone connected to England cricket and me personally, I would like to thank Matthew for all he has done for the team since his appointment,” Key said. “He can be proud of his achievements as he leaves his post as one of only three coaches who have won a Men’s World Cup with England.”After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead. This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success. With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”Trescothick, added: “England cricket is in a strong position, and the potential is huge, given the quality we have available. It is about harnessing that potential and developing the work that has already been put in place by Matthew Mott and the rest of the set-up. I’m excited about the challenge and shaping how we want to play.”Eoin Morgan, England’s former World Cup-winning captain who now works as a commentator, recently dismissed reports that he could replace Mott as nothing more than “speculation”.Other names such as Andrew Flintoff, currently in his first coaching role with Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred, Mike Hussey, who was part of the coaching staff for the successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, and Kumar Sangakkara have also been touted for the role. However, it is understood no prospective successors to Mott have been sounded out at this juncture.
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match late in the contest. He first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get, and the game looked set to turn on its head.However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed his side across the line off the last ball of the 19th over to give his side victory in their opening encounter of T20 World Cup 2024.The late Sri Lanka surge aside, this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling in the first innings. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad’s three-for through the middle overs also pegged Sri Lanka back.Mustafizur was especially instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, Sri Lanka’s inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
The tight finish
It should never have got so close. With five overs to go, Bangladesh had only 25 runs left to get, five wickets in hand, and their two most experienced batters – Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah – were at the crease.But then Shakib uppercut a Matheesha Pathirana short ball, and Maheesh Theekshana took an outstanding diving catch at deep third, surging in from the rope to intercept the ball inches from the ground.And then Sri Lanka’s other slinger, Thushara, took two wickets in two balls in the next over – the 18th of the innings, first bowling Rishad who had tried to hit him inside out over cover, and then nailing Taskin with a toe-crusher that would have hit leg stump.Thushara had three more balls left in the over, with Bangladesh still needing 12. Sri Lanka’s best chance of stealing victory was for him to get another wicket before his spell ended. But Tanzim Hasan Sakib survived, and Mahmudullah was on strike next over.Next over, bowled by Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka had used up all their frontliners hunting for wickets), Mahmudullah bludgeoned a thigh-high full toss into the deep square leg stands to ease Bangladesh’s nerves.But there was more drama to come. With two runs needed – but desperate to keep strike off the last ball of the 19th over – Mahmudullah ventured a risky single to mid-off, and would have been out had Wanindu Hasaranga connected with his shy at the stumps. But the Sri Lanka captain didn’t, and the overthrows helped Bangladesh limp over the line.1:32
Tamim: Hridoy’s 20-ball 40 changed the game
Bangladesh boss bowling death overs
The definitive period of play, though, were the last seven overs of Sri Lanka’s innings. They had arrived at the start of the 14th over in okay shape – 100 runs on the board and seven wickets in hand.But then they nosedived. Rishad first dismissed Charith Asalanka, having him caught slog sweeping at deep square leg, after his teammates had kept Asalanka quiet through much of the middle overs. Next ball, he had Hasaranga caught at slip with a ball that dipped and gripped.This double strike pushed Sri Lanka into a tailspin, losing their next six wickets for 25 runs. Only one boundary would be hit in the last six overs, as batters repeatedly tried cross-batted shots against bowlers varying their pace and got themselves out, almost in frustration. Rishad got his three wickets in this period, and Taskin, Mustafizur, and Tanzim Hasan got one each.
Nissanka’s bright start
That Sri Lanka even got to 125, rather than crashing out in double figures as they did against South Africa, was down to their best batter – opener Pathum Nissanka. He struck seven fours and a six, favouring the leg side, and maintained a strike rate of 168 across his 28-ball innings.The turning point for Sri Lanka’s innings, after which they struck only two intentional boundaries (seriously), was when Mustafizur dismissed Nissanka with a cutter towards the end of the ninth over. Until that point, Sri Lanka’s run rate was above 7.50. Afterwards, it was less than five.
Hridoy’s sixes
Given how close the match was in the end, Towhid Hridoy’s four sixes – all of them against Hasaranga – also had an impact. Three of them came back to back to back, at the start of the 12th over. The first two came off slog sweeps, and the third off a beautiful inside-out shot over cover.Hasaranga would trap him lbw next ball, but Hridoy had already landed the important blows. It was these sixes that gave Bangladesh the room to stutter towards the end and still win with two wickets in hand and one over to spare.
Managers coming and going is very much a part of life in football, and with the managerial merry-go-round in full swing, the number of dugout changes in the 2024/25 season grew right up to the end of the campaign.
Premier League bosses like Russell Martin and Sean Dyche could not avoid the dreaded axe, while the Championship saw the likes of Wayne Rooney given their marching orders after dismal campaigns from the dugout.
Firings were rife throughout the rest of the EFL too, as clubs scrambled to avoid failure by making drastic changes.
We have the full list of dismissals here, with nearly 50 managers leaving their posts during the season.
All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)
How much each Premier League gaffer earns.
ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025
#
Manager
Club left
Date
Time in charge
Ryan Lowe
Preston
12th August
2 years, 249 days
Neil Critchley
Blackpool
21st August
1 year, 90 days
Paul Simpson
Carlisle
31st August
2 years, 189 days
Steven Schumacher
Stoke
16th September
272 days
Erol Bulut
Cardiff
22nd September
1 year, 111 days
Mark Robinson
Burton Albion
23rd October
141 days
Mark Kennedy
Swindon
25th October
149 days
Erik ten Hag
Man Utd
28th October
2 years, 158 days
Paul Hurst
Shrewsbury
3rd November
284 days
Mark Robins
Coventry
7th November
7 years, 246 days
Steve Cooper
Leicester
24th November
157 days
Tim Walter
Hull
27th November
180 days
Jon Brady
Northampton
5th December
3 years, 299 days
Neil Harris
Millwall
10th December
293 days
Gary O’Neil
Wolves
15th December
1 year, 128 days
Des Buckingham
Oxford
15th December
1 year, 29 days
Russell Martin
Southampton
15th December
1 year, 177 days
Matt Taylor
Bristol Rovers
16th December
1 year, 15 days
Charlie Adam
Fleetwood
22nd December
357 days
Narcis Pelach
Stoke
27th December
100 days
Wayne Rooney
Plymouth
31st December
220 days
Mark Bonner
Gillingham
5th January
243 days
Julen Lopetegui
West Ham
8th January
230 days
Rob Edwards
Luton
9th January
2 years, 53 days
Sean Dyche
Everton
9th January
1 year, 345 days
Stephen Clemence
Barrow
19th January
233 days
Ian Evatt
Bolton
22nd January
4 years, 205 days
Mike Williamson
Carlisle
3rd February
137 days
Paul Warne
Derby
7th February
2 years, 138 days
Garry Monk
Cambridge
16th February
349 days
Luke Williams
Swansea
17th February
1 year, 43 days
Nigel Adkins
Tranmere
25th February
1 year, 115 days
Shaun Maloney
Wigan
2nd March
2 years, 33 days
Scott Lindsey
MK Dons
2nd March
158 days
Michael Duff
Huddersfield
9th March
299 days
Darrell Clarke
Barnsley
12th March
293 days
Rob Elliot
Crawley
19th March
169 days
Steve Evans
Rotherham
30th March
347 days
Ivan Juric
Southampton
7th April
105 days
Omer Riza
Cardiff
19th April
209 days
Tony Mowbray
West Brom
21st April
93 days
Johannes Hoff Thorup
Norwich
22nd April
327 days
Nelson Jardim
Newport
24th April
282 days
Inigo Calderon
Bristol Rovers
4th May
129 days
Tom Cleverley
Watford
6th May
1 year, 12 days
1 Ryan Lowe (Preston North End) Left: 12th August
Championship side Preston North End parted ways with head coach Ryan Lowe after just one league game this season.
Following the Lilywhites’ 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United, Lowe asked to leave the club, telling Preston’s board he wanted “a change”. The defeat to the Blades was Preston’s sixth on the bounce, with Lowe’s side having lost their final five games of the previous season – a run of form that saw them fade out of the play-off race.
2 Neil Critchley (Blackpool) Sacked: 21st August
Blackpool sacked manager Neil Critchley after they began their 2024/25 League One campaign with back-to-back defeats against Crawley Town and Stockport County.
The 45-year-old had previously guided Blackpool to the Championship by way of the play-offs in 2021, and returned to Bloomfield Road in May 2023 after spells with Aston Villa and QPR. However, he was unable to recapture the magic of two years prior, with the Seasiders finishing the 2023/24 campaign in eighth.
3 Paul Simpson (Carlisle United) Sacked: 31st August
Paul Simpson was let go by Carlisle United following a 2-1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers back in August. The defeat was their third from four league matches this season, having been relegated to League Two under Simpson’s tenure last year.
“Everyone at the club would like to thank Paul and his staff for their efforts,” Carlisle said in a statement.
4 Steven Schumacher (Stoke City) Sacked: 16th September
Stoke City sacked Steven Schumacher after the Potters lost three of their first five games of the campaign. The final straw came by way of a 1-0 loss to Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium.
Schumacher’s tenure as Stoke boss lasted just nine months in total, with the 40-year-old having left Plymouth Argyle to take the job in December 2023.
Two days after sacking Schumacher, Stoke appointed Norwich City coach Narcis Pelach as their new manager on a three-year contract.
5 Erol Bulut (Cardiff City) Sacked: 22nd September
Cardiff City were rock bottom of the Championship when they fired head coach Erol Bulut in mid-September.
The Bluebirds had picked up just one point from six games and scored one goal – their worst start to a season in 94 years. Bulut’s final game was a 2-0 home defeat against Leeds United. He has since been replaced by Omer Riza, who remains in interim charge heading into December.
6 Mark Robinson (Burton Albion) Sacked: 23rd October
Mark Robinson was relieved of his duties at Burton Albion following a run of seven successive defeats in all competitions.
“We feel we have reached a point where a change is necessary to improve the team’s results,” sporting director Bendik Hareide said at the time.
Robinson, 58, is the third Burton manager in three seasons to have been given the axe before Christmas, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dino Maamria.
7 Mark Kennedy (Swindon Town) Sacked: 25th October
Swindon Town sacked head coach Mark Kennedy after less than five months in charge following a 2-1 defeat at Salford. Kennedy won just 3 of his 15 games in charge of the Robins, who were 22nd in League Two at the time of his departure.
Just hours after Kennedy’s sacking, Swindon appointed former Bristol Rovers, QPR and Blackpool manager Ian Holloway as their new head coach.
8 Erik ten Hag (Manchester United) Sacked: 28th October
Erik ten Hag
By far and away the most high-profile sacking of the season, Erik ten Hag was let go by Manchester United following a disastrous start to the season. The Dutchman’s final game was a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United, which left the Red Devils 14th in the Premier League with just three wins from their opening nine games.
Though he guided United to two trophies during his two-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has been dubbed the club’s worst-ever manager. Ruben Amorim has since stepped in as his replacement.
9 Paul Hurst (Shrewsbury Town) Sacked: 3rd November
Shrewsbury Town parted ways with head coach Paul Hurst after a run of just 1 win in 12 games in all competitions, leaving them second from bottom in League One. Assistant boss Chris Doig was also let go.
Hurst and Doig were in their second spell at the club, having previously led the Shrews to the League One play-off final in 2018.
“Everyone at the football club is hugely disappointed their second spell hasn’t worked out and we find ourselves in our current position,” Shrewsbury said in a statement.
10 Mark Robins (Coventry City) Sacked: 7th November
Coventry City fired boss Mark Robins after a run of just 4 wins in 14 Championship games this season. Robins, 54, had been in charge of the Sky Blues for 2,803 days, making him the English Football League’s longest-serving manager at the time.
Former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has been appointed as Robins’ successor on a two-and-a-half-year deal, replacing interim boss Rhys Carr.
The 8 longest-serving managers in the Premier League & EFL
Leeds United’s Saturday lunchtime couldn’t have gone any better, with the Whites recording a priceless victory in the ongoing automatic promotion tussle in the Championship against Preston North End, whilst one of their rivals for the top two spots succumbed to a third straight defeat in the league.
That was Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United who shockingly fell to a late defeat at bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle, with Leeds’ emotions very different at the final whistle away from the dour mood in Devon from the away stands.
The picture above encapsulates the mixture of both relief and jubliance inside Elland Road when the full-time whistle was sounded, with Manor Solomon standing out throughout as a top performer after gifting his promotion-chasing side the lead after just four minutes.
Solomon's performance in numbers vs Preston
With Daniel James confirmed to be out of the lunchtime clash when the lineup filtered through, Solomon must have been even more aware that he could be a hero for his team down the flanks, away from the energetic Welshman.
He instantly threw himself into the contest and was rewarded with a stunning early effort, with the Tottenham Hotspur loanee managing to curl this delightful effort past the opposition goalkeeper after the Whites’ patient passing approach paid off.
Preston would instantly fight back with an equaliser, but thankfully, the Championship’s table-toppers had more than enough in their system to get over the line and win, with Solomon a lively customer across the frantic 90 minutes.
Indeed, the 25-year-old winger would also turn provider when assisting Jayden Bogle’s winning goal, with the Spurs loan ace further completing four accurate crosses to try and make Leeds’ slim victory more comprehensive.
Whilst the attacking players in Daniel Farke’s ranks do often steal the plaudits with breathtaking displays of quality, there was also a resilient side to Leeds on show against Paul Heckingbottom’s visitors, with this defender a colossus throughout.
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It could be argued that the centre-back star in question was even better than Solomon across the full duration of the bumpy 90 minutes, with the 6 foot 4 titan having to remain alert throughout, away from his attacking teammate stealing the show early on.
Joe Rodon would come away from this nervy encounter with his head firmly held high, considering the Welsh enforcer would trudge off the Elland Road turf at the close of the contest with all but one of his seven duels won, among other standout numbers.
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
59
Accurate passes
47/51 (92%)
Key passes
1
Shots
2
Clearances
4
Tackles
1
Total duels won
6/7
Looking at the table above, it’s clear Rodon was a man in control throughout his near-faultless 90 minutes, with the ex-Swansea City man only misplacing four of his 51 passes on the day.
Whilst he followed a worried trend of Leeds being wasteful in front of goal with two chances spurned of his own, Rodon would still rightly be praised post-match, leading to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth dishing out a high 8/10 rating to the dominant number six, labelling his forceful showing as simply ‘no-nonsense’.
Already undroppable before this tense fixture – considering Farke has started him in every Championship game this season to date – his importance to the cause has only been heightened now off the back the unfortunate backdrop of his usual centre-back comrade, Pascal Struijk, being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
Rodon will hope more authoritative performances defensively, such as this one against the Lilywhites, leads to more invaluable victories coming his side’s way, with just one misstep in the automatic promotion race in the Championship proving to be very costly.
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All the key numbers as a masterclass performance from Root enabled the home side to haul in a 300-plus target
Sampath Bandarupalli02-Jun-20257082 Runs scored by Joe Root in his ODI career. He is the first batter to aggregate 7000-plus runs for England in the format. Root became their leading run-scorer on Sunday, surpassing Eoin Morgan’s tally of 6957 runs.166* Root’s score in the chase on Sunday is his highest in the format. It is the second-highest score for England in an ODI chase, behind Jason Roy’s 180 against Australia in 2018.Root’s 166* is overall the fifth-highest individual score for England in men’s ODIs and their highest against West Indies.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Number of hundreds by Root in the 300-plus target chases in ODIs, the second-most by any batter, behind Virat Kohli’s nine. Four of those six tons by Root came in successful chases.9 Total hundreds for Root in ODIs in England, the most by any batter, going past Marcus Trescothick, who had eight.5 Centuries for Root in ODIs against West Indies, the joint second-most by any batter, behind Kohli’s nine hundreds. Root also went past 1000 runs against West Indies in ODIs on Sunday, the first batter with the milestone for England.15 Number of successful 300-plus chases for England in ODIs, the second-most by any team, going ahead of Australia (14) and only behind India (19).143 Partnership between Root and Will Jacks, the second-highest for the sixth wicket for England in ODIs, behind the 150 by Michael Vaughan and Geraint Jones against Zimbabwe in 2004.176 Runs that England needed in the second ODI after the fall of their fifth wicket. These are the most target runs that England have successfully chased in a men’s ODI after losing their fifth wicket. The previous highest was 167 runs against Pakistan in Birmingham in 2021, where they chased down 332 from 165 for 5.3 Hundreds for Keacy Carty in his last four ODI innings. Only Desmond Haynes (in 1984), Phil Simmons (in 1992) and Chris Gayle (in 2002 and 2008) had scored three centuries in the space of four ODI innings for West Indies before him.269 Total runs scored by Carty and Root while batting at No. 3 in Cardiff, the fourth-highest aggregate by the No. 3s in a men’s ODI. The highest is 339 by Ricky Ponting (164) and Herschelle Gibbs (175) at Johannesburg in 2006.
“I mainly practice yorkers”, says Indian quick who’s had to shoulder the responsibility of the end overs in Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer’s absence
Abhimanyu Bose21-May-20231:25
Have Mumbai found a specialist death bowler in Madhwal?
It’s the 19th over of the Sunrisers Hyderabad innings. Fifth ball. They are 186 for 3. The two previous overs have gone for six runs each, and Sunrisers, from looking good for 225-230, are now probably targeting 210 or thereabouts. On strike is Heinrich Klaasen, their best batter this season.Akash Madhwal runs in and bowls a seam-up delivery that moves in ever so slightly after pitching and cleans up Klaasen, who was looking to heave it across the line.Harry Brook is next in and he is welcomed with a searing yorker. He tries to get his bat down but is too late; the ball goes through his legs and crashes into the stumps.Madhwal, striking with his last two balls, finishes with 4 for 37.Related
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Wickets, yes, but a bit more too. Something a little difficult to classify. The delivery before he knocked Klaasen over, Madhwal had bowled a wide yorker that was squeezed out for a single but called a no-ball. For the free-hit delivery, Madhwal nearly nailed the yorker again but not quite; his 135kph low full-toss, on the fifth-stump line, was still good enough for Markram to only dispatch to the off side for a single.It’s this ability, to bowl yorkers with quite some efficiency, that has made Madhwal Mumbai Indians’ go-to bowler at the death this season, a season when they haven’t had Jasprit Bumrah around at all and Jofra Archer available only for a while – and far from at his best – meaning the bowling has been their weaker suit by a distance.”I was just thinking about the execution. What I was doing in the nets, I just tried to execute that,” Madhwal said during the mid-innings break. “My communication with [Rohit Sharma] was also great, he was giving me a lot of confidence.””I mainly practice yorkers. Even in domestic cricket, I practice a lot for yorkers for the death overs.”But that penultimate over, in which he conceded just six runs, was not all Madhwal did to hurt SRH’s chances on the day.Akash Madhwal nailed his yorkers at the death•BCCIEarlier in the script, he saw off openers Vivrant Sharma and Mayank Agarwal with a couple of short balls. While Vivrant miscued a pull to deep midwicket, Agarwal’s attempted pull was edged to Ishan Kishan behind the stumps.Agarwal and Vivrant had put on a 140-run opening stand in 13.5 overs to set Sunrisers up for a really big total, but Madhwal’s wickets meant he and Chris Jordan could put the squeeze on them in the death overs and restrict them to exactly 200.”We were 173 for 3 in 17 [Sunrisers were 174 for 2]. You will think that in the next 18 balls, on that track, you will get 40-50 runs,” Sunrisers head coach Brian Lara said in the press conference after the match. “I think 220, not sure [even] that would have been enough, but it would have looked a lot better for us.”He [Madhwal] bowled well. Knocked over Klaasen and not many people were able to do it without being damaged first. But he was able to knock over our in-form player.”I think we were thinking in excess of 215 at that stage, but they pulled it back.”Cameron Green, whose first T20 century later on meant Mumbai Indians made short work of the target, said Madhwal had “completely changed the line-up” for Mumbai.”As soon as he has come into the team, he has changed our whole line-up basically,” Green said after the game. “I think with the role he is able to play, especially at the back-end, can help guys like myself and Jase [Jason Behrendorff], take overs off us [at the end] and we can bowl a little more through the powerplay. We can kind of mix and match different people to bowl at different times with how good he has been in the back end.””His addition has been incredible. He’s got a really good head on him. He is so calm out there. Looks like he’s made for it. He’s been awesome.”Madhwal has now played six games in the IPL and his four-wicket haul in Sunday’s must-win game for his team helped him double his wickets tally in the competition.Next year, Mumbai will hope that both Bumrah and Archer will be fit, and what their return would mean for Madhwal remains to be seen. But as an Indian quick bowler who can help shut innings out, he can provide Mumbai with a lot of flexibility in picking their team.