All posts by h716a5.icu

The West Indies batter has had an extraordinary year in the format, and looks set to go further, faster

Philip Spooner14-Nov-2024Nicholas Pooran arrived at Kensington Oval on Sunday afternoon fully prepped for the second T20I against England, his 100th international in the format. He gave thanks for another day to showcase his flamboyant batting, knowing there was a time when it seemed like he might never play again.”It’s what I love to do. I just love playing cricket, it’s what I wanted to do from a child and I get to live my dream,” he said.”Everyone knows my story: when I had the accident [in 2015], when many people felt I would never play cricket again. At the time I felt playing cricket again was impossible. When I recovered in the hospital the first thing I asked was if I would be able to play cricket again.”Now I’m on both feet and I enjoy everything I do for West Indies cricket and for the fans who come to see me play. I play for them. When the fans are around that is when the magic happens. There was a time during the pandemic when we had no fans [in the stands]… that felt strange. I always give thanks for my blessings. Having represented West Indies in my 100th T20I is a special feeling… I feel like I can play a hundred more.”Hearing the West Indies anthem and seeing the fans celebrating West Indies cricket is what makes me happy. As a little boy growing up, I used to love to see Brian Lara and hearing Ian Bishop’s voice on TV, that’s what I enjoyed as a young fan… so that inspired me.”Related

Pooran: 'One bad season is not going to change the player I am' (2022)

Pooran: 'The complete T20 batsman can bat at 135, 140 and 200 SR'

How Nicholas Pooran came back from the brink (2017)

Off the cricket field, Pooran is soft-spoken, mild-mannered and engaging. On it, he is vocal and demonstrative behind the stumps with the gloves on and sensational in front of the stumps with bat in hand.Ahead of the England series, he had scored 2251 T20 runs at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 161 in 67 innings in 2024 – a record for most T20 runs in a calendar year. His 165 sixes is also 65 more than the next highest batter on the 2024 list.”In the last 14 months I have been playing really well and winning games. Everything is happening nicely. I’m still pretty young and I believe I still have a lot of cricket left in me.”There is a still a lot I want to accomplish, there is still a lot to win. I believe this is the start for me… I will remain humble, and I will remain grounded and be the best version of myself. I want to continue to put smiles on the faces of my fans.”Sunday was a bit of a blip on this otherwise stellar year of performances. As far as landmarks go, this one was not marked by anything memorable or marvellous. There was no signature special edition “Pooran” jersey with “100” emblazoned on his back, and he did not send the colourful crowd into a frenzy with his 14 off 23 balls in an seven-wicket defeat to England, which put West Indies on the back foot, trailing 0-2 in the five-match series.Eight years ago in the UAE, Pooran made a slow start to his career and recorded scores of 5, 4 and 16 against a potent Pakistan attack. He was the rookie in the camp, but he was surrounded by a wealth of experience, including Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine — and he learned the ropes quickly.”It was my first match, and I was delighted to get my first cap from the team manager, Joel Garner. Everyone made me feel at home in the West Indies dressing room, and I felt that my journey started.”I wanted to be a household name. I wanted people to want to watch me bat. Whether it’s 7 o’clock in the night or 4 o’clock in the morning. I wanted to put smiles on people’s faces. I want to continue to share the talent I have been blessed with from my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The Chicago White Sox hosted the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, giving rookie shortstop Chase Meidroth a chance to add a highlight to his very young career.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Meidroth took off from first base in an attempt to steal second. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey fired a dart across the infield, and second baseman Brett Wisely appeared to apply the tag in time.

The umpire called Meidroth out on the play, but Meidroth immediately called for a review, insisting that he had made it to the bag untouched.

Upon review, Meidroth was proven correct. The shortstop had stopped short of second base while sliding, then popped halfway into a standing position while tapping his foot on the bag. Shout out to the cameraperson that caught the play in high definition.

Meidroth is only three months into his career in the big leagues, but with moves like that, he looks ready to stick around for a while.

The J&K fast bowler has been on an upward trend since the last season’s Ranji Trophy

Ashish Pant29-Aug-2025All the attention on the second day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy game between North Zone and East Zone was on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who are playing their last competitive match before heading off to the Asia Cup. But it was Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi, who made everyone sit up and take note by bagging a five-wicket haul, which included four wickets in four balls.”I had not seen Nabi bowl earlier,” Arshdeep said after the second day’s play in Bengaluru. “The first time I saw him was at the [North Zone] nets, and I think in his first ten balls, he must have taken some seven wickets. That’s when I realised, this lad is special. The ball comes out of his hand really nicely. The work he has put in in domestic cricket, everyone has seen it today. I think he will take a lot of wickets in the future as well.”The third session of the quarter-final between East Zone and North Zone was moving at a sedate pace. East Zone wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra had just been dismissed, but Virat Singh was looking fairly unhurried on 69, and having seen off long spells from Arshdeep and Harshit, would have harboured hopes of going to stumps unscathed.Related

Auqib Nabi, Prithvi Shaw and others who have lit up the Ranji Trophy

Padikkal, Jagadeesan key as depleted South Zone face formidable North

Abdul Samad expects new approach to take him where he hasn't gone before

Ankit, Rasheed added to South Zone squad for Duleep semi-final

Arshdeep fine-tunes red-ball skills by learning to enjoy the 'boring times'

All that changed around 4.15pm when, in the 53rd over of the innings, Nabi decided to show why he finished the 2024-25 Ranji trophy season as the highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers.He first flattened Virat’s middle stump with a pacy length ball. The next delivery, he got one to skid through low and trapped Manishi, who shouldered arms, lbw. Mukhtar Hussain faced the hat-trick ball and got nowhere close to the sharp inducker that rattled his off and middle stumps. Hat-trick.That signalled the end of Nabi’s eighth over, but he was not yet done. On the first ball of his next over, he had Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal caught behind to become just the fifth Indian bowler to claim four wickets in four balls in first-class cricket. Not long after, Nabi trapped Mohammed Shami in front to claim his ninth five-wicket haul in just his 30th match.Nabi had figures of 0 for 23 in seven overs in his first spell; in his second, he returned 5 for 5 in 3.1 overs. East Zone, who were on 222 for 5 midway through the 53rd over, lost 5 for 8 in 22 balls to be bowled out for 230. Nabi’s spell helped North Zone take a 175-run first-innings lead and a firm grip on proceedings.”When we went into the tea break, the coaches told us that it’s all gone a bit flat, so they asked us to show some enthusiasm, and that’s what we did”, Nabi told ESPNcricinfo. “I am feeling very good. This is a rare record, four in four, but more importantly, I got my team a first-innings lead.”When I started my spell, I was bowling well. I beat the bat a number of times, and I felt I was a bit unlucky. I try and pick up wickets; if that doesn’t work, I try and contain the batters. Today, I just tried to put the ball in one place, and it worked. There was a nice breeze blowing across the ground in the evening and I got help from that.”The second day was not just about Nabi the fast bowler. In the morning session, he also smashed 44 in 33 balls, including four fours and two sixes, taking North Zone to safer shores after they had slipped to 308 for 7. He added 66 runs for the eighth wicket with Kanhaiya Wadhawan, with North Zone finishing on 405.Auqib Nabi picked up four wickets in four balls•PTI “When you bat well, it helps build your confidence and carries it forward,” Nabi said. “It shows in your bowling and fielding. It [my innings] was crucial for the team. I work a lot on my batting. I practice a lot.”It’s been a sensational year-and-a-half for Nabi. Before the start of the 2024-25 Ranji season, he had 46 wickets in 20 matches. By the end of the season, he had almost doubled his tally. He picked up 44 wickets in eight matches – the second-most in the season – striking at 30.47, which included six five-fors. Nabi’s sensational form coincided with J&K qualifying for the Ranji knockouts for the first time in five years. While they narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth, the 28-year-old earned his maiden Duleep Trophy call-up.J&K recorded eight wins in last year’s Ranji season. One of those wins came against Mumbai, which had several international players in the XI, including former Test captain Rohit Sharma. Nabi took six wickets in that game, dismissing the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur. It was a performance that gave Nabi plenty of confidence.”As a bowler, as a cricketer, that was a very important match for us,” he said. “Almost half of the Indian side was playing. The motivation is different when you bowl to good players. And we also had great preparation. Our board got us to Mumbai a week before the match to acclimatise to the conditions and that helped.”Nabi hails from Baramulla in Kashmir. His father is a teacher in a government school and one of his biggest supporters. But the cricket facilities in Baramulla are almost non-existent. The closest ground from his home is in Srinagar, over 50 kilometres away. Did that deter him at any point growing up? ” goal India matter nahi karta. [If your goal is to play for India, these things don’t matter],” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you have limited resources. You have to use them. You can’t make excuses. You have to keep improving if you want to play for your country. And that’s my goal… to wear the India whites.”

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has convinced "very dangerous" Vinicius Junior to take up a surprise new role in the national team. With only a few months left until the 2026 World Cup kicks off in North America, the veteran Italian coach is trying to find the best possible attacking combination in the Selecao squad as he aims to deliver the country's record-extending sixth global crown.

Vinicius Jr key figure in Brazil squad

With Neymar currently out of the team due to injuries, Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has emerged as the talismanic figure in Brazil's attack. He has, of course, benefited from the arrival of Ancelotti as head coach, as he has years of experience playing under the Italian manager at Real Madrid. Since Ancelotti took charge of the Selecao, Vinicius Jr has scored two goals in six matches for the world champions.

While Ancelotti is satisfied with the left winger's performance, he has envisioned a new role for the 25-year-old after explaining the potential benefits to the Real Madrid star, who is struggling for form at club level.

AdvertisementAFP'Vinicius has the quality to score many goals'

Speaking to , the Brazil boss said: "[I see him] as a winger or as a central striker. Vinícius has the quality to score many goals. I've spoken to him: 'Look, when you're playing as a winger, to score goals you have to do three or four dribbles. Touch the ball seven or eight times. And in the centre, just one well-timed movement is enough to score a goal.' He understood it, he likes playing in that position.

"We can take advantage of a player who can help a lot as a winger, not as a forward in the area as I'm not stupid because he is not a reference point inside the box. But to attack the area with space, he is very, very, dangerous."

Ancelotti made similar suggestion to Neymar

As Ancelotti continues to experiment with new tactics and positions of the national team players, he has advised Neymar to play in a new role, which would suit his physique and help the 33-year-old winger avoid the injuries that have plagued the Brazil icon throughout his career. 

Speaking about a possible comeback for Neymar ahead of the World Cup, Ancelotti said: "Yes, yes (laughs), [the question I've heard most so far is] about Neymar, but it's normal because he's a legend of Brazilian football. So, it's normal. I know everyone wants Neymar to get back to his best physical condition. And also the CBF, the coach, the technical staff of the national team hope that Neymar can return to his best level. The truth is that today's football demands many things. Not only talent, but also physical condition, intensity… hopefully Neymar will be at his best level. 

"I think he needs to play more centrally, not as a winger, because wingers in today's football are players you need to help defensively as well. When you play a little more centrally, the defensive work is much less than when you play as a winger. And I also think that a very talented player, closer to the goal, has more opportunities to score goals. [False 9] could be his ideal position."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesBrazil aim to get back to winning ways

After ending their Asia tour with a disappointing defeat at the hands of Japan, Brazil now travel to England and France for a couple of international friendlies as they lock horns against African giants Senegal and Tunisia on November 15 and 18, respectively. Following the November international break, the Selecao will get only two more preparatory matches in March next year before they head to North America for the World Cup. 

After South Africa took a lead, Babar and Rizwan helped Pakistan recover from an early flurry of wickets

Firdose Moonda22-Oct-2025Pakistan are effectively 23 for 4 after South Africa’s lower-order flipped the script and gave them a 71-run first innings lead in Rawalpindi. Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada both walked away with batting career-bests – and Rabada with the first fifty of his Test career, off just 38 balls, – as Pakistan ran out of answers against the tail. For the first time in the series, the hosts find themselves chasing the game.Muthusamy will get fewer plaudits than Rabada, whose innings was studded with sexy hits straight down the ground but deserves all the praise. He held South Africa together after they lost 4 for 50 in the morning session and looked certain to take a deficit into the second innings.Muthusamy shared a 71-run stand with fellow left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and a 98-run partnership with Rabada and on a deteriorating pitch, has given South Africa a big advantage. It is only the second time both the ninth and tenth wicket put up stands of more than fifty and first since the Adelaide Test in 1998.Pakistan were clearly stunned by the late assault as their spinners were blunted, Shaheen Shah Afridi was targeted and Shan Masood could not plug gaps in the field. They slumped to 16 for 3 in response but have since recovered to 94 for 4 thanks largely to Babar Azam’s best in the series so far. He stayed calm against a fiery South African side and delighted an appreciative crowd with well timed drives and one powerful pull. He is one run away from a 30th Test fifty and first at home since his century against New Zealand in December 2022. Alongside him is Mohammad Rizwan, unbeaten on 16, with Salman Agha the last recognised batter to come.All that may overshadow the 38 reasons Pakistan had to celebrate when Asif Afridi, on debut, became the oldest man to take a Test five-for in his first match. Asif’s fifth wicket was that of Simon Harmer, when South Africa were 210 for 7. That South Africa added another 194 runs will be difficult for him to believe, especially after the way the day started.Asif Afridi performs the sajda after claiming his maiden five-wicket haul•Associated PressAsif struck in the first over of the day when Kyle Verreynne pushed at his fourth ball and got a thin edge, which Mohammad Rizwan gleefully pouched. Stubbs, who was on 68 overnight, was back in his defensive shell and added just eight runs to his score before being trapped in the crease by a quicker Asif ball that hit him on the pad. Asif struck again in his next over, when Harmer missed a reverse sweep and was pinned in front of middle stump.Muthusamy, who had been at the crease from the first over of the morning, looked fairly comfortable and with all the main batters out, gave himself permission to play his shots. He swept particularly well and was perplexed when he was given out lbw to Sajid Khan and reviewed immediately. Ultra Edge confirmed an inside-edge.Pakistan took the second new ball as soon as it became available and Asif shared it with Shaheen. It was only once Shaheen was replaced by Noman Ali that it brought rewards when Noman had Marco Jansen out lbw.Maharaj joined Muthusamy and batted proactively but offered plenty of chances. He was dropped by Imam-ul-Haq at silly mid-off in what was a tough chance akin to Tony de Zorzi which dismissed Babar on day two, then could have been stumped off Asif as he charged down but Rizwan was unsighted and could not react in time and then offered Asif a return chance that he could not hold on to. Muthusamy decided to live dangerously too and swung across the line to hit Sajid high over the keeper. Salman ran back but could not get to the ball in time.South Africa went to lunch 48 runs behind and most likely with a view to cutting the deficit to as little as possible but ended up doing much more. Three overs into the second session, Muthusamy got to his second Test fifty, off 88 balls, and three overs after that lost Maharaj. Encouraged by his ability to charge down, Maharaj did it one too many times as Noman flighted the ball and was stumped. At that stage, South Africa were still 27 runs behind.Kagiso Rabada played aggressively as he notched his highest Test score of 71•AFP/Getty ImagesMuthusamy reverse-swept Sajid in a shot that suggested he was going to accelerate in anticipation of the end. But Rabada had no intention of going anywhere quickly. He swung hard and sent Noman over his head for his first four and the fun began. He slog-swept Sajid for six and then hit Shaheen over long-on and just short of long-off for back-to-back boundaries before taking six more off Sajid.His fifty came with a touch of class as he guided Sajid through point and then he tonked Agha over his head for another six. While Rabada went crazy, Muthusamy quietly collected runs to move into the 80s and soon the race was on to see whether they could both get to three figures. Neither did, as Rabada played one big shot too many and was caught at long-on to give Asif a six-for and South Africa a precious foot in front.On a high from their batting effort, South Africa were quickly brought down to earth when Rabada started with a no-ball in an over that cost nine but they pulled things back quickly. Harmer shared the new ball and spun it past Imam’s inside edge onto his front pad. He was given out and reviewed but remained out on umpire’s call. In his next over, Harmer had Shan Masood stuck on the back foot as he tried to drive through mid-on and was also given out lbw. Masood reviewed too, and lost the review as he was confirmed out. It was two wickets in two balls for South Africa as Rabada got Abdullah Shafique for the second time in the series after he was dropped off several edges. This time, loose defence took the edge and Jansen at third slip took the catch.Pakistan were effectively -55 for 3, with two batters yet to score at the crease and South Africa tried to close in. They burned two reviews hoping to get Babar lbw, and both times he had inside-edged onto his pad, which only underlines the danger South Africa knew he poses. Babar showed glimpses of his classy best, timing Rabada through point, cutting Harmer over cover point and then advancing on Maharaj. He dominated a 44-run stand with Saud Shakeel, who laboured his way to 11 off 43 before edging Harmer to Markram at slip. Still, Pakistan were behind.They took the lead when Rizwan swept Muthusamy through backward square leg for his boundary and the game really began. Babar and Rizwan saw out the day without further drama until Rizwan knocked the bails off on the last balls and South Africa appealed for hit wicket. The umpires called it dead ball to end an action-packed day.

Ruben Amorim has stuck by his infamous 3-4-2-1 system at Manchester United and it appears as though it is finally yielding results.

The Portuguese manager has been in charge at Old Trafford for a year now, and although things have not gone exactly to plan, his side have now gone unbeaten in their last four Premier League games.

Amorim has finally begun to settle on his best lineup. That has seen summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha lock down the two number 10 positions in his system, with Mason Mount providing excellent competition.

However, those two signings have ensured Bruno Fernandes will remain in his deeper pivot role, rather than closer to goal.

Where Fernandes is best suited under Amorim

It has certainly been a topic of hot debate in Amoirm’s year-long tenure in the hot seat at Old Trafford. Fernandes is a number 10 by trade, and played his best football as close to goal as possible, in and around the penalty box.

That season came in 2020/21, when he scored and assisted 29 Premier League goals in 37 games. He was one of the deadliest attackers in world football at that stage. So, you might think it is logical for Amorim to play him as a number 10.

Well, that is not how the United manager sees it. In fact, he explained that his skipper operates in the pivot because he “is the right man to start with the tempo of the play.”

United legend Paul Scholes sees it differently, and says “there is no doubt” Fernandes should be playing as a 10 because he “is the most creative player on the team.”

In 51 games under the tutelage of Amorim, the Red Devils’ number 8 has played 30 games in the pivot, and 21 as a number 10. That certainly shows just how much their manager favours him in a deeper role.

Interestingly, United have another player coming through in a similar mould to Fernandes, and it will be interesting to see where Amorim chooses to play him.

Man United's in-house Fernandes successor

It is clear that Fernandes is viewed as a pivot player by Amorim, despite Scholes’ view and the success he has achieved in previous seasons. With the two number 10 positions nailed down by Cunha and Mbeumo, players may have to adapt.

That could certainly be the case for United academy star Jack Moorhouse. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Leyton Orient, but has previously impressed for the Red Devils’ youth sides.

It has been an impressive start to life in professional football for Moorhouse. Described as a “deadly” player by United academy page on X, Academy Scoop, the Republic of Ireland U21 international has played 14 games for Orient, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.

As it happens, Moorhouse has already been described as someone who is “ideal for Amorim’s left 10 role” at United by football analyst Ben Mattinson. He has operated behind the striker more often than not for the U23s at the club, too, making five appearances in that role, scoring twice and assisting one.

Interestingly, he’s played a bit deeper for Orient this season, showing excellent versatility. He shone in a box-to-box role against Peterborough United, creating two chances and completing three out of three dribbles.

Touches

33

Pass accuracy

86%

Ball recoveries

6

Duels won

4/6

Dribbles completed

3/3

Key passes

2

Goals

1

There are certainly similarities between Moorhouse and Fernandes. Both creative midfielders, they can operate in advanced roles and a bit deeper. It would be intriguing to see where Amorim would utilise him in the first team.

One thing is for sure, the 19-year-old possesses great talent. If the Red Devils are looking for an in-house successor to their “Portuguese Magnifico,” they might be able to find him in their famous Carrington academy.

Carrington's "best talent" is a big Sesko upgrade in the making at Man Utd

Manchester United could yet improve further in attack under Amorim’s wing.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 3, 2025

All the stats highlights from Australia’s innings in Perth where they were bowled out for 104

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Nov-20240:47

What made Bumrah stand out?

104 Australia’s first-innings total in Perth is their second lowest in home Tests against India, after the 83 all-out in Melbourne in 1981.It is also Australia’s third-lowest total in home Tests since 1985 and their fourth-lowest total in the format against India.46 Lead in the first innings for India in Perth, the fifth highest by any team making 150 or less while batting first. The highest is a lead of 71 runs for England, who were bowled out for 113 while batting first against Australia in 1888 in Sydney.Related

Rahul and Jaiswal show defence is (sometimes) the best form of defiance

Captain Bumrah makes his own rules to spark India to life

Smith and Labuschagne's struggles part of an alarming trend for Australia

How Bumrah left Australia reeling with his five-for

2 Previous instances of India claiming a first-innings lead in men’s Tests, despite scoring 150 or less while batting first. They took a five-run lead in the 2002 Hamilton Test against New Zealand, despite getting bowled out for only 99 while batting first and claimed a first-innings lead of 13 runs against England in the 1936 Lord’s Test, despite making only 147.37 Total runs by Australia’s top six batters in the first innings, the lowest for them in a men’s Test innings at home since the 22 runs they scored against West Indies in the 1978 Brisbane Test.97 Runs aggregated by India (59) and Australia (38) before the fall of the fifth wicket in their first innings in Perth. This is the lowest in a men’s Test match since the 67 runs by India and West Indies in the 1987 Delhi Test.Australia’s top-order batters made a total of 37 runs•AFP/Getty Images2 Number of partnerships across the first two innings in the Perth Test to survive ten or more overs. Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 48 runs in 14.1 overs for the seventh wicket for India, while Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood put on 26 in 18 overs for the tenth wicket for Australia.Each of the other 18 partnerships added less than 20 runs, the joint most in the first two innings of a men’s Test match.254 Total runs scored by India (150) and Australia (104) in their first innings at Perth. It is the lowest first-innings aggregate in a Test match in Australia since the 242 runs in the 1981 Test between the hosts and Pakistan at the WACA Stadium.9 Five-wicket hauls for Jasprit Bumrah in Tests outside Asia, the joint most by an Indian, alongside Kapil Dev. It was Bumrah’s second five-for in Australia. He has two each in England and West Indies, and three five-wicket hauls in South Africa.5 for 30 Bumrah’s bowling figures in Perth are the best by an Indian captain in men’s Tests since Kapil Dev’s 8 for 106 against Australia in the 1985 Adelaide Test. Bumrah is also the first Indian captain with a five-wicket haul in Test cricket since Anil Kumble in the 2007 Melbourne Test.

Dominik Szoboszlai was at a loss to explain Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds United, saying he cannot “understand” how his side managed to twice throw away the lead to drop more points in the Premier League. Arguably the Reds’ best player in what has been a torrid season so far, the midfielder thought he netted the winner at Elland Road before the hosts equalised once again in stoppage time.

Liverpool were in cruise control before Konate conceded penalty

Looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with high-flying Sunderland, striker Hugo Ekitike scored twice as Liverpool took a two-goal lead early in the second half against Leeds. Handed a start ahead of fellow forward Alexander Isak, the France international netted his first league goals since bagging in September’s 2-1 victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby.

However, with Liverpool cruising in Yorkshire, defender Ibrahima Konate gave Leeds a route back into the game from the penalty spot when he brought down winger Wilfried Gnonto inside the area. Dominic Calvert-Lewin successfully converted the spot-kick before Daniel Farke’s Leeds found an equaliser just two minutes later when midfielder Anton Stach sent the home supporters into raptures.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSzoboszlai has been rare shining light in difficult season for Reds

In a season which has seen several Liverpool players struggle to replicate their form from the 2024-25 title-winning campaign, one man who has led from the front has been midfielder Szoboszlai. Whether operating as a makeshift right-back or as a midfielder, the Hungary international has performed regardless of his position on the pitch in 2025-26.

And the former RB Leipzig ace thought he had scored the all-important winner for Liverpool when he raced into the box before coolly slotting the ball past Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri after 80 minutes.

But in a final twist in what was a breathless affair, Leeds scored a last-gasp equaliser through man-of-the-moment Ao Tanaka, who also found the back of the net in his side’s impressive 3-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek.

Hungary ace unable to explain how Liverpool conceded momentum

Understandably devastated after watching his side drop more precious points, Szoboszlai was unable to put his finger on why Liverpool conceded momentum in a game they were in complete control of.

Speaking to after the final whistle, he said: “I don't know what happened after 2-0. I think we thought the game was over and we just made sure at the beginning of the game that this is the kind of game where you can never underestimate the team. Maybe after the penalty they [Leeds] just had the momentum. We came back which showed a good reaction but we conceded again from a set-piece which is not the nicest way.

“I don't know [if there is a confidence issue], maybe you're right but after 2-2 we showed a great reaction and showed our mentality. We knew we made a mistake by letting them come back to 2-2 but I have nothing to say about the result."

When asked what was said in the Liverpool dressing room after the game, Szoboszlai added: “What is in the dressing room stays in the dressing room, it is not for the public. We have to manage it, we have to find solutions.

“I can always come up with the opportunity on Tuesday or on the weekend again but there are also times where you have to look at yourself. You have to go home and think if you did everything what was possible and if the answer is yes then we just keep going and the momentum will come.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

AFPSlot's Liverpool aiming to bounce back against in-form Inter Milan

Liverpool will look to bounce back when they lock horns with Italian giants Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. While Arne Slot’s side sit eighth in the Premier League table, they are currently 13th in the Champions League standings.

Inter, meanwhile, should provide a difficult test for the Merseysiders. Cristian Chivu’s side are fourth in the Champions League table, having won four of their five fixtures. They are also top of Serie A after winning 10 of their 14 league games this term.

Afghanistan were dismissed for 127 within one and a half sessions on a tricky pitch

Abhimanyu Bose20-Oct-2025Choosing to bowl first in a Test match is always a tricky call, but it’s justified if you end the first day in the lead, with eight wickets in hand. That’s what Zimbabwe achieved, as Test cricket returned to the Harare Sports Club for the first time after 2021.Brad Evans’ five-wicket haul and Ben Curran’s half-century put Zimbabwe on top on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan.With plenty of movement on offer for the fast bowlers, Zimbabwe knocked Afghanistan over for 127 inside a session and a half, before taking the lead at the stroke of stumps. On the way there, they survived some testing bowling from the Afghanistan quicks.Earlier in the day, the returning Richard Ngarava struggled to find his rhythm and Ibrahim Zadran took him for three fours in an over. But the Afghanistan openers found it tougher to tackle Blessing Muzarabani, who extracted extra bounce from a good length. This led to Ibrahim edging one to third slip in the sixth over.But after that, the first hour belonged to Afghanistan, as they ticked along at close to six runs an over thanks largely to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who came in at one-down. Tanaka Chivanga troubled him with extra bounce. One ball flew over the cordon off the shoulder of Gurbaz’s bat, and he later top-edged a pull, but it landed in a vacant deep square leg region.Ben Curran played an attritional knock•AFP/Getty ImagesGurbaz picked up a couple more boundaries, with an off-drive off a full-toss and a ramp off Chivanga. However, Zimbabwe regrouped in the drinks break, started bowling tighter lines and lengths, and reaped the rewards. First, Gurbaz sliced a full ball from Chivanga to point. Then a mix-up with Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi led to opener Abdul Malik being run-out for his Test best score of 30.Malik had started watchfully before dispatching a couple of short balls for boundaries, but after he squeezed out a yorker from Chivanga in front of cover and took off for a single, Shahidi responded to the call before turning back and leaving Malik stranded.Evans, playing his first Test since February 2023, gave Zimbabwe a boost in the penultimate over before the lunch break. First, a full delivery from around the wicket drew Shahidi into a drive. The length wasn’t quite right for the drive, and the ball nibbled away and found the edge, which Nick Welch pouched at gully, diving to his left. Three balls later, Evans had Afsar Zazai nicking off with a length ball that straightened off the pitch. From 77 for 1, Afghanistan had slipped to 102 for 5.The capitulation continued after the interval, with Muzarabani striking in each of his first two overs after lunch. Bahir Shah got a thick edge to gully’s left and Brian Bennett held on to a diving effort before Muzarabani had Ismat Alam strangled down leg. Sharafuddin Ashraf tried to take on Evans and skied one to mid-off’s left and Zimbabwe’s good fielding display continued as Chivanga completed another diving catch.Muzarabani drew Yamin Ahmadzai’s edge twice in an over, but one went over the cordon and the other fine of backward point for fortunate boundaries. Soon, Evans had Khalil Gurbaz edging behind off a short ball, and cleaned up Ziaur Rahman first ball with a yorker to complete a maiden Test five-for.In all, Afghanistan lost 9 for 50 to vindicate Zimbabwe’s decision to bowl.When Zimbabwe began their innings, Bennett looked tentative early on, beaten on the outside edge twice as he tried to drive outswingers from Ahmadzai. But it was Ziaur who bowled him with a lovely full delivery on off, which angled in and straightened to beat the bat and uproot off stump.Ben Curran and Nick Welch then played watchfully till tea, even as Ziaur thought he had Welch caught behind off the inside edge, only to be denied by the umpire.Ziaur Rahman castled Brian Bennett for his maiden Test wicket•Zimbabwe CricketCurran waited until his 21st delivery for his first boundary, slashing Ahmadzai behind point. At the other end, Welch crunched a boundary through the covers off Ahmadzai with tea looming. When Afghanistan brought on spin for the first time in the 13th over, Curran drove Ashraf through the covers off his second delivery.The batters faced a testing period as the seamers returned after tea. Welch, especially, struggled to settle, with the quicks finding movement through the day. In the second over after the interval, Welch got a leading edge that went back over the bowler’s head. One ball later, Alam thought he had his man as Welch edged while looking to drive and Zazai caught him behind the stumps, but his celebrations were short-lived as replays confirmed he had overstepped.Even after that, Welch had several play-and-misses and lucky edges that didn’t cost him. Curran struggled for fluency too. He was not helped when he was struck on the helmet but denied a concussion test by the umpire Nitin Menon, who was looking to speed up a sedate over rate. Menon adjudged that the ball had hit him on the glove when he tried to pull a short ball.Legspinner Khalil’s introduction eased some of the pressure on the batters, as Welch swept his second ball for four and then launched him for a six over midwicket in his second over. In Khalil’s third over, Welch launched him inside-out over cover for another boundary.The Afghan bowlers’ toil finally paid off when Ziaur went through Welch’s defence with an inswinger to send his off stump cartwheeling.Brendan Taylor was rapped on the pads first ball he faced, but the umpire adjudged him not out. Taylor got off the mark off his third ball, tucking one fine off his pads.When Ashraf returned, Taylor lofted him down the ground for his second boundary. He continued to pick up runs quickly, ramping a short ball from Ziaur over the keeper.Curran got to his half-century off 108 balls, with a single in the 38th over. Zimbabwe also took the lead in that over, which proved to be the final one of the day, with umpires calling stumps early due to bad light.

Who is going to be the new Celtic manager? Well, who knows!

Martin O’Neill remains in caretaker charge for now, having been parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning three of four matches in charge to date, that Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland the only blot on his copybook.

With no obvious front-runner for the job, and given that we’re in the middle of the season, could a left-field appointment be required?

Well, this was the case back in the summer of 2021 when, after seeing their Premiership streak of nine in a row come to an end, Ange Postecoglou was appointed completely out of nowhere, having only ever worked in his native Australia and Japan beforehand.

Despite this, and the widespread ridicule when he arrived in Glasgow, Postecoglou would go on to win five trophies across his two seasons in charge, thereby remaining, possibly, the most popular Celtic manager of modern times.

So, could another lesser-known name become the next Postecoglou, emphasising that he is the outstanding candidate for the vacancy, as opposed to the other front-runners?

Kieran McKenna to Celtic latest

Ever since Rodgers resigned, Kieran McKenna has been one of the names most frequently mentioned in terms of becoming the new Celtic manager.

As reported by Ewan Murray of the Guardian, he is a ‘leading candidate’ with the Ipswich Town boss boasting ‘longtime admirers’ on the Celtic board, while Sky Sports add that he is one of the names near the top of the club’s shortlist.

However, any approach would not be straightforward.

The 39-year-old is under contract in Suffolk until 2028 and Ipswich would surely demand a sizable compensation fee if they’re going to allow their most prized asset to depart.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

McKenna, in his first-ever head coach role, worked miracles at Portman Road, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, going from EFL League One to the Premier League in double quick time, the first time Ipswich had competed in England’s top-tier since 2002.

However, his team did really struggle to compete at the top level, winning just four Premier League matches all season, relegated with a whimper.

Right now, Ipswich are seventh in the EFL Championship, hammering Swansea 4-1 on Saturday, thereby sat just outside the play-off positions,

Before moving to Suffolk, McKenna worked as an assistant manager to José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United, so has some experience at an elite level, but many supporters remain unconvinced, so should the Celtic hierarchy target a more left-field coach who could be their new Postecoglou?

Celtic should appoint the new Postecoglou

According to a report by TEAMtalk on Wednesday evening, Wilfried Nancy, a man supporters may be very unfamiliar with, has been ‘officially invited’ for talks with the Hoops over the Parkhead vacancy.

It’s further reported that the Celtic board are ‘very keen’ to interview Nancy and could complete a deal by January should compensation be agreed, with the season in America, where he manages Columbus Crew, set to end this month.

So, who is he? Well, the Frenchman was named 2024 MLS coach of the year, but that does not begin to tell his story.

His first head coach role was with CF Montréal, staying in Québec for two seasons, before spending the last three years at Columbus Crew, enjoyed huge success in charge of both, as the table below documents.

2021

18th

Canadian Champ

2022

3rd

2023

3rd

MLS Cup

2024

2nd

Leagues Cup

2025

7th

First and foremost, if you’re not dialled into MLS, we’re guessing you’re probably not, it’s really difficult to properly put into words how impressive an achievement it is to finish 3rd in the overall standings, and second in the Eastern Conference, with Club de Foot Montréal.

Owner Joey Saputo essentially does not care about the team, meaning Montréal have one of the lowest budgets in Major League Soccer, finishing 28th, out of 30, this year, showing that Nancy can seriously elevate an underperforming side.

In Canada, Nancy succeeded Thierry Henry, after he resigned, and the Arsenal legend spoke glowingly about his former assistant during CBS’ Champions League coverage.

Nevertheless, Nancy’s true success has come since moving to Columbus Crew, winning MLS Cup at the end of his first year and then Leagues Cup last season, also leading the Black and Gold to the club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican heavyweights along the way, before defeat to Pachuca.

The Crew’s 2025 season is now over, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by local rivals FC Cincinnati at the weekend, which may make him available, so could he soon swap Ohio for Glasgow?

Well, he has certainly earned rave reviews, with Joe Lowery praising his “patient possession” style of play which he believes is “so much fun to watch”, while Tom Bogert describes the Crew as “attractive” to watch and “courageous” on the ball.

Meantime, former USA striker Herculez Gomez notes that Nancy is “immensely respected”, adding that his style of play is “so pleasing to the eye”, boasting a clear philosophy featuring both possession and high pressing, comparing him to Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

Well, another high-profile manager that sounds reminiscent of is, well, Postecoglou and his now infamous, certainly in Premier League circles, Ange-ball.

As already mentioned, Postecoglou was a lesser-known name in British and European football prior to his arrival in Glasgow but, as he likes to remind everyone, he wins everywhere he goes, joining with a J League, multiple A-League titles and an AFC Asia Cup to his name, among other honours.

Well, the same can be said of Nancy, who created something of a dynasty in MLS, something that is so tough to do in a league that is so parity-focused.

Thus, just like Postecoglou, Nancy has the personality, the playing style and the will to win to succeed at Celtic, seemingly making him the ideal candidate to come in and lead the Hoops to a fifth successive Premiership title.

Upgrade on Nancy: Celtic considering move for "unbeatable" 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic are considering a move for this 4-2-3-1 manager who would be an upgrade on Wilfried Nancy.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 12, 2025