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The technical flaws of their top order were in evidence in Perth. It’s not too late for them to do something about them

Greg Chappell24-Nov-2025The England dressing room on the final day of last week’s Perth Test must have resembled a building struck by a sudden, shattering explosion. One moment there was light, order, and a firm structure; the next, a deafening, visceral shock wave.It was more than a defeat; it was a systemic failure that felt like the lights had been plucked out. The silence that follows such a blast is rarely peaceful. It is instantly replaced by the sounds of the resulting chaos: the alarms begin to blare, smoke and dust swirl in a disorienting, suffocating cloud, and the structure groans under considerable damage.As the initial shock recedes, the occupants – Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum, and the rest of the squad – begin to grasp the new reality. They are hurt, disoriented, and the damage is real. But before they can even assess the situation fully, the cacophony begins. From the outside, the public, the pundits, and the media – the bystanders – start shouting. A wall of competing, frantic advice on which direction to run: Tear it all up! Sack the lot! Go back to old methods!Related

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But the leaders inside know that external noise is based on limited information and frustration. They look out of the windows and see the true dimensions of the crisis: on one side, a metaphorical wall of water threatens to drown the established culture; on the other, a fire of fundamental change risks burning down the positive gains of the last three years. And the structure, while damaged, is not a complete write-off.Panic is not the answer. Cold, calm discussion must take place, grounded in the unvarnished truth of the situation. McCullum and Stokes hold the leadership keys because they alone know the full extent of the structural damage, the vulnerabilities, and crucially, which areas of the edifice remain sound. They know that listening to the shouting outside will only lead them down a blind alley, or worse, cause them to add insult to injury by making the wrong decision.Their knowledge, the one unshakeable fact, is that, provided they do not succumb to panic, a perfectly safe escape from the situation still exists. It requires a balanced response, built not on fear but on a clear-eyed assessment of the facts.The biggest mistake England could make now is to discard the foundational game plan that has been built over the past three years. The key is to assess where the approach, sound in principle, went awry in execution against a ruthless Australian unit.For all the talk of a humbling loss, the truth is that England had many positives from the match and were, arguably, in a winning position more than once. Australia won because they were superior in three critical areas and had a more robust plan for the specific conditions in Perth: they had the best bowler in Mitchell Starc, the best batter in Travis Head, and the more tactically acute captain in Steven Smith.The most critical tactical error was the length they bowled in both innings. It is a mistake many touring teams have fallen for at the WACA and now at the new Optus Stadium. England’s bowlers, perhaps seduced by the bounce, bowled too short too often.

England’s top-order batters effectively move from one static stance to a new static position, with the front foot often finishing in front of middle stump. From this position, foot movement is severely restricted

Starc’s success was a masterclass in challenging the English batters’ tendency to drive on the up – a high-risk option in these conditions. By pitching the ball up, he forced them to commit to the drive or play a half-shot of the sort Zak Crawley played in the second innings, making them vulnerable to both the edge and any attempted drive.It is worth noting that Jofra Archer bowled the most consistent and challenging fuller length of the English attack in the first innings, troubling every Australian batter. Stokes’ own excellent figures, which came off a mixture of short and full deliveries, may have inadvertently clouded the collective judgement.This confusion proved fatal when Head strode out in the second innings. His intent to attack was obvious, yet England fell for the oldest trap in the book, dropping short and wide. By taking the full ball and the accompanying threats of bowled and lbw out of the equation, England effectively aided and abetted his brutal cause. What they desperately needed to do was pitch it up and force him to play the more difficult straighter shots down the ground.The task does not get easier. Brisbane, the venue for the next Test, will be different from Perth but equally difficult. The pink ball will swing and seam, and once again, the full ball will be the challenge.England must prepare for the home attack – Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett – to pitch it up relentlessly. The English bowlers must reciprocate. This is no time for tentative half-measures; the mantra for the bowling unit must be: if in doubt, pitch it up.A more worrying structural weakness lies in England’s top-order batting unit, which seems to have adopted a singular, uniform initial movement that will not serve them well against the swinging pink ball.Too many of the top-order batters make a definite, two-part movement: a substantial step back and across with the back foot, followed by the planting of the front foot. They move effectively from one static stance to a new static position, with the front foot often finishing in front of middle stump. From this position, foot movement is severely restricted. They become rooted, relying solely on their hands and arms to search for the ball. This is fraught with danger, particularly against a full, straight delivery, where they are forced to play around the front leg to access the ball.The response must start with technical adjustments from the key batters.Harry Brook seems to have introduced unnecessary complexity to his methods•Getty ImagesHarry Brook is a case study in unneeded complexity. His earlier, highly successful, method was simple, involving minimal movement, allowing him to use the bowlers’ angle against them. His current movement pattern has stripped him of scoring options, forcing him into riskier shots. He needs to go back to the tape, re-evaluate, and simplify.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope both showed periods of resilience in Perth, offering a foundation upon which to build. They proved that the aggressive method can work, provided the footwork is precise and the shot selection is judicious.Pope has a similar problem to Root and Brook in that his initial movements leave his front leg exposed to full, straight deliveries. The commentators talked about his head falling over to the off regularly but they couldn’t explain why. These early movements cause him to take the leg to the line of the straighter deliveries, meaning that his head has to be to the off side of the ball. He needs to fix the leg issue before the head position will be addressed.Crawley is the batter who will have the most soul-searching to do. His “stand and deliver” driving method, while apparently aesthetically pleasing, will be no more successful in Brisbane than it was in Perth. He will not be able to change a lifetime’s habit in 12 days, so he has to be very disciplined with his selections, only driving at half-volleys and full tosses at the Gabba. Unless he can introduce genuine defence and leave the ball with confidence, his pain will only increase.The itinerary in the lead-up to the Brisbane Test must be strictly managed. The batters intended for the Brisbane XI must play the pink-ball game in Canberra to gain much-needed centre-wicket practice against the moving ball. At the same time, England’s entire bowling unit must dedicate practice time to relentlessly hitting a fuller length and forcing the Australian batters to drive.The analogy remains the ultimate instruction. The alarm bells are deafening. The outside noise is a constant, tempting distraction. But panic will lead to catastrophic decisions. Stokes and McCullum must maintain their equilibrium, trust the intelligence gathered in Perth – the positives, the evidence of clear errors – and formulate a balanced response. Going into their collective shell is not the answer; neither is continuing the helter-skelter approach mindlessly. Discipline and judicious decision-making are required to get back into this contest.The structure is sound enough to escape. But England must not listen to the shouts; they must learn the lessons. Only then can they hope to get back on the course, lest the race be over before the end of the first straight.

In the past, Babar has appeared to get the better of Cummins more often than not. Against that ball, he didn’t have a chance

Alex Malcolm27-Dec-20233:55

Malcolm: ‘Cummins made something happen out of nothing’

Babar Azam stepped forward to play a front-foot defensive stroke. Then he heard the death rattle. Then he heard the collective roar of 44,837 Australian fans.His head snapped back in disbelief to see the bails dislodged. He turned his head forward again to look at where the ball had pitched, several inches outside the line of off stump. His front knee remained bent in the position it was when he played the stroke. His lips were unmoved, but his mind was whirling.” ball bowled ? [How did I get bowled to that?]”His eyes tracked down along the line of the ball’s path from where it pitched to where it hit his stumps, checking again to confirm that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him.” ball bowled [That bowl me].”Related

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Pakistan, and the familiar sigh of resignation

He started walking to the dressing room. He took one look at his batting partner Shan Masood, who shook his head in disbelief. Babar said nothing. He turned to the scoreboard for a glimpse at the replay.There it was in full view. The ball whizzed out of Pat Cummins’ fingertips. The seam wobbled violently through the air. It pitched where Babar thought it would. His bat had gone to the line it started on. The wobbling seam hit the pitch and jagged sharply past Babar’s inside edge and clipped the top of off stump. Babar bowed his head and walked off.

****

Before the start of this series, Babar had seen Cummins run in at him 208 times in Test cricket and not once did he need to leave the arena immediately after. From those 208 balls, he had scored 122 runs, hitting 15 boundaries. In those seven innings, Babar made scores 104, 97, 36, 36, 196, 67 and 55 on very good batting surfaces at the Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore.For those who have had the misfortune of facing Cummins at any level of cricket, it was mind-blowing to watch the amount of time Babar had against one of the best fast bowlers ever. He propped forward time and again, particularly on the low, slow, lifeless pitches in Pakistan, and played Cummins with ease. Meeting good-length balls with the full face of the bat and placing them wherever he liked. The ball melted off the middle of the blade after it had come off the surface like it had bounced off a pillow. Even though the pitches were slow, Babar’s skill was still exceptional. Few players in the world have made Cummins look so pedestrian, even in subcontinental conditions.But facing Cummins on spicy pitches in Australia, particularly at Perth Stadium, and the new look MCG since curator Matt Page has breathed new life into its previously dull drop-ins, is a completely different beast.Anyone who has faced Cummins on these types of pitches in Australia will attest to the fact that it is unlike anything else. You can face bowlers of similar size and stature and of similar or even quicker speed, but from Cummins, the ball comes down differently.Elite batters programme their minds to pick length from the hand in an instant. What they see dictates whether they go forward or back, whether they leave or play, whether they attack or defend. The sheer volume of balls they face and their experience means the signal from the eyes to the brain can predict the length in an instant.Pat Cummins wheels away in celebration after cleaning up Babar Azam•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaYou know what a five-metre length looks like from the hand, and trust that you get forward and find the middle of the bat with a forward defence.But that length from Cummins doesn’t hit the middle of the bat. Because of his release point, the counter-rotation in his torso, the whip of his arm, and his partially amputated middle finger, the ball hits that length and climbs like it’s bounced from a trampoline. Instead of hitting the middle of the bat, it hits the splice. The cane in the handle vibrates like a tuning fork. Defending the ball feels like you’re jackhammering concrete.That’s what Babar experienced in the second innings in Perth. Cummins was relentless for 16 deliveries at him. Angling in from wide of the crease towards off stump and climbing from a length. Every ball Babar defended hit the sticker of the bat hard. Babar tried to prop forward to defend but ended up standing up from the crease. Cummins zipped in two bouncers to keep him guessing, one which took off past Babar’s head and over Alex Carey’s leaping glove to run away to the fence.The 16th ball was angled into off with a wobbling seam, Babar had to defend on the front foot from the crease, it spat from a length and nipped away to clip the padding on the thumb of the bottom glove that was holding the handle and floated through to Carey. Babar had tried to hit the ball with the middle of his bat but the bounce was so severe that it made contact with his right thumb.Babar Azam was cleaned up by a Pat Cummins indipper•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

****

Babar walked out at 124 for 2 in Melbourne to face Cummins for the first time since that Perth dismissal. Masood and Abdullah Shafique had batted beautifully as the pitch looked to settle. But out of nowhere Cummins had forced Shafique into an error, claiming a stunning return catch.Babar took guard out of his crease to try and negate Cummins’ length and extra bounce. First ball, Cummins went back of a length at 137kph, fourth-stump line, Babar had to stand up on his toes and defend. Second ball, Cummins delivered the same length but on a fifth-stump line and Babar got squared up defending from the crease away from his body, wary of nicking off again.Third ball, slightly fuller, fourth-stump line, finally Babar can properly press forward and cover the line to avoid getting an edge. It snaked through the gate. Death rattle.”It’s a dream ball. It’s what you try most balls, but it’s rare that it comes off,” Cummins said after play. “That wasn’t a deliberate ball to seam in. That’s 50-50 that it’s going to seam in or out. Try and create a bit of an angle and if I don’t know what it’s doing, hopefully the batter doesn’t know either.”Babar didn’t know. He’s faced 40 balls from Cummins in this series so far and has been dismissed twice for 15 runs.Pakistan slumped from 124 for 1 to 194 for 6 at stumps, trailing by 124. Cummins had taken 3 for 37 from 14 overs.

During the course of the series, Da Silva has been part of many crucial partnerships to help West Indies out of the woods

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2021When he was asked about the key factors behind their stunning win in the first Test in Chattogram, West Indies coach Phil Simmons highlighted the importance of partnerships, among the first things he mentioned. Certainly, the batting partnerships have been West Indies’ biggest weapon in this series, and the common name in many crucial stands has been Joshua Da Silva.Da Silva added 99 for the sixth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood in the first innings in Chattogram, which helped West Indies get past the follow-on score.After Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner stitched together 216 in the second innings, Da Silva and Mayers added 100 for the sixth wicket to take the side to the cusp of victory. One might say that Da Silva’s contribution was only 20, but with Blackwood having got out shortly before, a wicket at that stage would have brought Bangladesh back into the game.On Friday, in the first innings of the second Test in Dhaka, Da Silva top-scored with 92, and as much as he felt miserable to miss out on a maiden Test century, he once again showed the way of combining with other batsmen to put the pressure back on the opposition. He was involved in an 88-run sixth-wicket stand with Bonner, which again got West Indies out of the woods when they had been reduced to 178 for 5 on the first day.But what has perhaps changed the complexion of the game was his 118-run seventh-wicket stand with No. 9 Alzarri Joseph. A developing allrounder, Joseph contributed 71 runs in the partnership and as much as that hurt Bangladesh’s footing in the game, Da Silva’s presence at the other end ensured the bowlers had nowhere to go for a considerably long time on the second day.Joseph offered an interesting insight into how Da Silva guided the partnership, by breaking down their task into the blocks of ten runs. According to Joseph, Da Silva has been a seasoned presence at crease despite playing only his third Test.Joshua Da Silva and Alzarri Joseph mixed caution with aggression in perfect measure during their stand•AFP / Getty Images”[Da Silva’s] encouragement to build partnerships, to look at small totals, every ten runs, start over from zero again to score another ten runs, and again another ten runs, and in a matter of no time, we had an 80-run partnership.”When I came to the crease, it was just to bat some time and support Josh at the crease. Josh has been batting really well. It is only his third Test and he is showing real maturity with the bat and also behind the stumps. His game is coming along really well.”At least during the course of this tour, Da Silva has improved from a rookie who was dropped from the ODI side after two single-digit scores to a reliable batsman in the Test side.Things that have stood out in his batting are his soft hands while defending the ball, as well as the use of the depth of the crease while cutting or pulling the spinners. Da Silva said that he has been working on this aspect with the batting coach Monty Desai.”I have always been a good player of spin, so I adapted my game to lower wickets. It is a little similar to home but in a different situation, so I am playing my part. I try to pick the line and length as early as possible. I worked with Monty, our batting coach, on moving forward and back positively and making that decision early.”Resuming the day on 22, Da Silva hit several punches off the back foot through the off side, as well as collected plenty of runs by gliding the ball behind point. It forced the Bangladesh spinners to bowl more at the stumps, and that gave Da Silva the opportunity to play the pulls and sweeps. He even brought out the reverse sweep a couple of times.Da Silva is among a group of young cricketers that the West Indies team management has been carrying around during the pandemic. He went to England to play the two practice matches, and even kept wickets during the Manchester Test after Shane Dowrich got injured. He made his Test debut in the subsequent New Zealand tour, where he showed his temperament with a second-innings fifty.Da Silva gives West Indies an interesting little conundrum when Dowrich becomes available in the near future. Certainly, a competition for the wicketkeeping spot will strengthen the Test side.Da Silva’s batting improvement also means he has a chance of playing only as a batsman, too. His ability to put together partnerships, particularly in a tour where he had to learn on the fly, is going to work in his favour in the coming months.

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O Palmeiras perdeu a primeira final do Paulistão 2024 por 1 a 0 para o Santos, neste último domingo (31), na Vila Belmiro e deu adeus a uma invencibilidade que duravam 20 jogos e mais de quatro meses.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

O cenário vivido na Baixada Santista neste final de semana não é algo muito desconhecido dos palmeirenses, que já se acostumaram a reverter dois placares adversos nos últimos dois campeonatos paulistas.

Em 2022, o Verdão de Abel Ferreira chegou invicto na final, mas acabou perdendo a primeira final por 3 a 1 para o São Paulo, no Morumbi. Na volta, goleada histórica por 4 a 0 no Allianz Parque e título garantido.

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Já no ano passado, o Verdão também chegou invicto na decisão, mas acabou sendo surpreendido pelo Água Santa e também perdeu por 2 a 1 a primeira final. Na volta, outra goleada por 4 a 0 e o 25º título Paulista garantido.

Agora o Palmeiras contará com a força de sua torcida para reverter o resultado e não perder o título dentro de casa para um rival histórico.

A derrota no primeiro jogo da final vai atrapalhar o planejamento da comissão técnica para a estreia da Libertadores, na quarta-feira (3), diante do San Lorenzo, na Argentina, uma vez que Abel Ferreira deve poupar alguns titulares para a decisão do Paulista.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a happy man after his side swept past Club Brugge in the Champions League, extending their 100 per cent record in Europe.

Arsenal cruise to 3-0 win over Club Brugge

The Gunners have now secured maximum points from their opening six fixtures, establishing a three-point cushion at the summit of the league phase standings.

Goals from Noni Madueke (2) and Gabriel Martinelli ensured Arsenal maintained their remarkable momentum in Europe’s elite competition, having already beaten the likes of Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid this season.

Madueke opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt midway through the first half, with the England international then doubling his tally just two minutes after the restart.

Martinelli added further gloss to the scoreline eleven minutes later, curling a delightful effort from the edge of the penalty area into the corner.

Standout attacker 'will soon sign' for Arsenal with talks in 'full swing'

He’s been in fine form this season.

ByEmilio Galantini 5 days ago

The Brazilian winger has been in sensational form throughout the European campaign, becoming the first Arsenal player to find the net in five consecutive Champions League matches.

Mikel Arteta fielded a makeshift defensive partnership of Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie, with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera all unavailable through injury.

Despite the enforced reshuffle at the back, Arsenal barely looked troubled defensively.

David Raya registered his fifth clean sheet of the competition, with the Spanish goalkeeper proving instrumental throughout Arsenal’s unbeaten European run.

The victory represented a perfect response to Saturday’s disappointing defeat against Aston Villa, which ended an 18-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Arsenal looked sharp from the opening whistle and never allowed their Belgian opponents any genuine attacking rhythm.

To make the evening that much better, Wednesday night marked an emotional return to the field for £265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus.

Jesus made his first Arsenal appearance in 332 days after being sidelined for 11 months with an ACL injury, entering as a substitute and nearly capping his comeback with a goal.

The Brazilian struck the crossbar late on after receiving a clever pass from Ethan Nwaneri, but Jesus was ultimately denied what would have been a fairytale moment for him.

Mikel Arteta praises 'special' Gabriel Jesus and makes Arsenal prediction

Speaking in a post-match press conference after Arsenal’s routine win, Arteta reserved special praise for Jesus.

The Spaniard predicts that he will have a crucial role to play in their quest to win a first league title in 22 years, claiming that Jesus brings ‘something else’ to his Arsenal team and has a ‘really special’ quality.

Arteta also suggests that Jesus has been seriously impressing in training.

The 28-year-old was heavily linked with a return to Brazil, potentially in January, but Jesus himself has denied reports of a potential winter exit.

The former Man City striker has confirmed that he wants to return to Palmeiras one day, though it makes ‘no sense’ to leave N5 right now.

It will be interesting to see how Arteta fits Jesus into a side absolutely stocked full of attacking talent, but Arteta is thrilled to have him back in contention.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler and manager Alex Cora were both ejected from Tuesday's game against the New York Mets in the top of the second inning after losing their cool following a heinous call from home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.

When pitching to Juan Soto, Buehler threw a pitch that was practically right down the middle of the zone. Soto took the pitch as Francisco Lindor was attempting to steal second base, however, Estabrook ruled it a ball because catcher Carlos Narvaez jumped to his feet in an effort to mow down Lindor.

Buehler was irate that Estabrook ruled the pitch a ball, and rightfully so, but he took things a bit too far when angrily protesting the decision from the home plate umpire.

Have a look at Buehler's meltdown on the mound:

Lip readers won't have to work too hard to decipher what Buehler shouted at Estabrook, as it was immediately clear that their verbal exchange was anything but friendly.

After Buehler was tossed, Cora came out from the dugout to give the umpiring crew a piece of his mind. It didn't take too long for him to follow in Buehler's footsteps on a one-way trip to the locker room, though he didn't leave the field before airing out his grievances.

Buehler pitched 2 1/3 innings in Tuesday's game before his ejection, after which he was replaced by Brennan Bernardinho.

After a generally productive international break for many of Rangers’ stars, can they bring this form back to Glasgow?

John Souttar, Liam Kelly and Connor Barron were all part of the Scotland squad that remarkably qualified for a first World Cup in 28 years, while Nicolas Raskin started both of Belgium’s matches as they booked their spot in North America, thrashing Liechtenstein in the midfielder’s hometown of Liège.

On Tuesday, striker Bojan Miovski scored his ninth goal for North Macedonia, albeit there was little cause for celebration given that his team were demolished 7-1 by Wales in Cardiff, their heaviest defeat for two and a half years.

While Miovski being back among the goals is undoubtedly good news for Danny Röhl, he does need to improve his performances on the domestic stage.

Rangers' lack of attacking firepower

While many supporters would blame now-dismissed manager Russell Martin’s ineptitude, the club’s poor recruitment over the summer is surely the key factor behind their underwhelming form this season.

This is most abundantly clear in attacking areas where, despite being a goal machine during his two seasons at Aberdeen, Miovski has netted only twice since joining Rangers from Girona for £2.6m in August.

Meantime, Youssef Chermiti has scored only once for the club so far, despite arriving from Everton for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, thereby making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, surpassed only by Tore André Flo’s move in 2000.

This is in complete contrast to last season when Rangers’ top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, bagged 63 goals between them across all competitions, which represented 55% of all goals the club netted.

With the trio having all departed, new manager Röhl requires the attacking players he has inherited to step up and start contributing, something one “huge talent” in particular is yet to do thus far.

Thelwell signing has been a bigger waste than Chermiti & Miovski

In the summer, Rangers spent around £30m on 13 new recruits, including splashing a reported £5m to sign Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town.

Upon his arrival, Scottish football analyst Kai Watson labelled him a “technical dribbler” who “loves to take on opponents and get shots away”, while journalist Jamie Allen asserted that he was a “huge talent”.

However, supporters have not seen very much of that thus far, with Aasgaard’s most noteworthy contribution being that red card he received during the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden.

The table below underlines the fact that Aasgaard has not performed as expected to date. Aasgaard’s statistics are not terrible when compared to his Rangers teammates, ranked second for shots, first in terms of shots on target as well as in the top four when it comes to successful dribbles per 90.

Aasgaard Rangers statistics

Stats

Aasgaard

Rangers rank

Minutes

1,041

9th

Goals

1

7th

Assists

1

8th

Shots per 90

1.7

2nd

Shots on target per 90

1

1st

Big chances missed

2

2nd

Accurate passes per 90

19.2

12th

Key passes per 90

0.8

8th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.4

4th

Average rating

6.76

8th

Stats via Transfermarkt and SofaScore

Ultimately, however, he has scored only one for the club to date, on target against Dundee United last month, registering his first assist at Dens last time out, albeit scorer Djeidi Gassama did do most of the work.

This lack of end-product has seen his estimated market value, as recorded by Football Transfers, drop to around £3.4m, well below the fee Rangers paid to sign him.

Meantime, the Merseyside-born winger has been on fire for Norway, scoring four times in 24 minutes as his national team demolished Moldova 11-1 at the Ullevål in September, having marked his international debut with a goal in the reverse fixture in Chișinău back in March.

Thus, with Norway back at the World Cup for the first time since France ’98, Aasgaard will certainly be included in Ståle Solbakken’s squad that travels to North America next summer, but he’ll be desperate to improve his club form before then.

In Glasgow, Aasgaard has started three of Danny Röhl’s six matches in charge, but was introduced off the bench during the last two against Roma and Dundee.

With Röhl having switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, and Aasgaard so far is not doing enough to suggest he should be ahead of Gassama, Miovski, Chermiti, Danilo or Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

Considering he cost £5m, surely Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell envisaged that the Norwegian would be a guaranteed starter, but this is certainly not the case. Considering he was a player that Martin pushed to sign, it isn’t ideal when the manager is sacked after just 15 matches in charge.

Thus, while Chermiti and Miovski have established themselves as key figures in Röhl’s team, one could certainly argue that Aasgaard has been the biggest waste of money from last summer.

Related Rangers star looks set to become Ibrox's new Hamza Igamane under Rohl

As Rangers seek to replace Hamza Igamane, who has been on fire for Lille, which “exciting” forward, not Youssef Chermiti, could replicate his success?

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 16, 2025

Warwickshire win with three balls to spare after Jake Lintott’s quickfire 50 and contributions from Kai Smith, Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025Warwickshire 310 for 7 (Lintott 50, Yates 47) beat Somerset 309 for 8 (Lammonby 100, Rew 81) by three wicketsTom Lammonby’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Somerset from a three-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup defeat by Warwickshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 309 for 8 after losing the toss, opener Lammonby scoring 100 from 111 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. James Rew contributed 81, while younger brother Thomas made a rapid 41.In reply, Warwickshire reached 310 for 7 with three balls to spare, Taunton-born Jake Lintott ensuring victory with a quickfire 50 after important contributions from Kai Smith (45 not out), Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh.Somerset, who created a party atmosphere by arranging several events to mark their 150th anniversary season, made a solid start to their innings, Lammonby and Archie Vaughan taking the score to 42 in the 11th over before the latter was bowled for 20 attempting to drive a ball from Michael Booth.It was 69 for 2 when Lewis Goldsworthy was also bowled trying to slog-sweep Taz Ali in the young leg-spinner’s first over. But Lammonby was already looking in dangerous form as he moved confidently to a half-century off 65 balls.At the halfway stage of their innings, Somerset were 102 for 2. It was then that Lammonby and James Rew began to cut loose, the two left-handers delighting home supporters with some glorious stroke-play on both sides of the wicket in a partnership of 143 in 21.2 overs. Both cleared the ropes in the same over from off-spinner Yates.Skipper Rew cruised to a 46-ball fifty, with five fours and two sixes before Lammonby reached three figures with a single to the leg side off Oliver Hannon-Dalby. It was an innings of numerous sweetly-timed cover drives and very few errors.The scoreboard read 212 for 3 in the 38th over. Without a run added Lammonby top-edged a pull shot off a slower-ball bouncer from Ed Barnard to be caught at short fine leg. Rew quickly followed, bowled aiming across the line to a ball from Booth having faced 69 deliveries, and Somerset’s hopes of reaching 300 looked in jeopardy.They got there thanks to some quality hitting from Thomas Rew, including two reverse-swept sixes in the same Ali over, and a career-best 30 not out from Alfie Ogborne off just 16 balls. Josh Thomas, Ben Green and Jack Leach fell cheaply, but JT Langridge cracked 11 off four balls to end the innings with a flourish.Warwickshire’s reply had reached 36 when Ogborne struck with the last ball of the sixth over, Barnard pinned lbw on the back foot for 14.Batting was looking straightforward in the bright sunshine as Yates and Malik brought the hundred up in the 17th over. Yates had moved comfortably to 47 off 52 balls when caught behind looking to drive Green, who struck again soon afterwards when Malik offered a low return catch, having hit six fours and a six in moving smoothly to 44.It continued to be Lammonby’s day when his left-arm seam accounted for Alex Davies, who edged a pull shot through to wicketkeeper James Rew having made 17. At halfway in their innings, Warwickshire were 144 for four.Shaikh and Smith looked to be tilting things the way of the visitors with a solid half-century stand, but Shaikh became their third player to fall in the forties when caught behind off Langridge to make it 205 for 5 with the required run-rate around eight an over.Vaansh Jani pulled a flat six off Ogborne, who responded by having him caught by the diving James Rew in the same over. That brought in Lintott, who wasted no time clearing the ropes off Green.Smith was content to play a supporting role in a match-clinching stand of 65 in 8.1 overs, which saw Lintot race to a maiden List A fifty off 34 balls, with seven fours and a six, before falling with just two runs needed.

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Parte da torcida do Palmeiras apontou as escolhas de Abel Ferreira na escalação como o principal motivo pela eliminação diante do Boca Juniors, na semifinal da Copa Libertadores. Sem Dudu, lesionado, o treinador repetiu a escalação utilizada na Bombonera e o Verdão apresentou os mesmo problemas ofensivos.

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+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

Na entrevista após o jogo, o treinador deixou claro que não abre mão de suas convicções e diz preferir perder com suas próprias ideias. O Lance! listou outros momentos em que Abel Ferreira tomou decisões equivocadas que acabaram tendo efeito negativo no Palmeiras. Veja abaixo!

LIBERAR MERENTIEL AO BOCA

Emprestado pelo Palmeiras ao Boca Juniors, o atacante Merentiel teve papel importante na classificação dos argentinos, tendo em vista a assistência para o gol de Cavani no Allianz Parque. O atacante foi liberado ao Boca no começo do ano com o aval de Abel Ferreira, que justificou o empréstimo pela antiga regra da CBF, que limitava os clubes a utilizarem apenas cinco estrangeiros em uma partida. Em contrapartida, Abel optou pela permanência de Flaco López, que não conseguiu se firmar no ataque alviverde.

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TRÊS ZAGUEIROS NA COPA DO BRASIL DE 2023

Na partida de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, contra o São Paulo, Abel Ferreira mudou completamente o esquema do Palmeiras, colocando Gustavo Gómez, Murillo e Luan para atuarem em um sistema de três zagueiros. O rival foi superior no Morumbi e largou em vantagem no confronto graças ao gol de Rafinha.

CAUTELA COM ENDRICK

Desde a lesão de Dudu, Abel Ferreira mudou o sistema tático do Palmeiras, colocando Artur na ponta esquerda e Mayke na ponta direita, sendo que Endrick vinha pedindo passagem para ocupar a vaga do camisa 7. A cautela do treinador com a maior revelação da base palmeirense vem desde o ano passado, e Endrick poderia ser mais utilizado por Abel.

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+ Saiba quanto o Palmeiras vai deixar de faturar pela eliminação na Libertadores

GUSTAVO GÓMEZ COMO LATERAL-DIREITO

Na partida contra o Atlético-GO, pelo Brasileirão de 2022, Abel Ferreira escalou Gustavo Gómez como lateral-direito, já que Marcos Rocha estava suspenso. O zagueiro paraguaio já exerceu tal função no Milan e marcou dois gols na partida contra o Dragão, mas o rendimento dele na posição não agradou a torcida.

Liverpool are looking to retain their Premier League title and are now set to try and enact an intriguing deal at Anfield that could see a versatile star arrive.

Liverpool prepare for return to action against Man Utd

The international break may still be ongoing, but the Reds are verging towards a return to action against Manchester United in a fixture that will evoke plenty of emotions as they aim to get back on track.

Arne Slot has had to suffer an unusual sequence of three consecutive losses, though club football’s recent pause has enabled some much-needed time to reset at Anfield.

Despite a poor run of form, Michael Owen has backed Mohamed Salah to rediscover his mojo after the international break, claiming his recent displays are merely a bump in the road.

He said cited via The Mirror: “In terms of their forwards, going through them individually. Mo Salah’s obviously not going through his best of patches now, but you can never write him off. He’s still fit and healthy and injury-free and been top of his game for years. There’s no doubt, surely in anybody’s mind, that he’ll be banging him in again soon.”

However, defence could continue to be an issue for Liverpool after Ibrahima Konate pulled out of France’s squad due to a muscle problem, joining Giovanni Leoni on the sidelines.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the Reds can recover after a bruising period. They started the campaign well, but a series of late winners masked the inconsistency in their early performances.

Either way, Liverpool are a side with character in abundance and would appeal to anyone, so it is no surprise to hear that they are now in the market to secure the signature of a premium French talent.

Liverpool vying to sign Tylel Tati

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are among a clutch of clubs eyeing FC Nantes defender Tylel Tati, who is capable of operating at the heart of the backline, left-back or as a defensive midfielder.

Known for sliding into a full-back position when the natural wide players in Nantes’ backline invert, he is a versatile presence who could resemble the style of full-backs deployed by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, given he is more of a dominant ball-winner than a wide player by trade.

£870m release clause: Chelsea join race to sign "top class" Liverpool target

The Blues are looking to sign a new defender, following an injury crisis at centre-back.

ByDominic Lund Oct 12, 2025

Reflected in the fact he has won 12 duels and made six interceptions this season, per Fotmob, the 17-year-old is also being eyed by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa in England.

Making his breakthrough this term, Tati has managed to add six senior appearances to his tally and is growing in stature on the field, showcasing his qualities as a rare commodity amid his existence as a left-footed central defender.

Scouts have been sent to watch the youngster by Liverpool, who have clearly been doing their work on him in the background, and he could well be the next cog in Slot’s machine if all goes to plan.