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Southampton decided to part ways with head coach Will Still after the former Lens boss only won two of his 13 matches in charge of the club in the Championship.

Interim manager Tonda Eckert has won both of his league games in the dugout so far, including a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Irrespective of what happens now, Eckert has delivered back-to-back wins that were much-needed after a dismal start to the campaign, which led to Still’s dismissal.

Why Will Still was unfortunate to be sacked by Southampton

The Belgian-born tactician won two of his 13 league matches and averaged 0.92 points per game, per Transfermarkt, which is why it was not a surprise to see him lose his job.

However, per FotMob, Southampton rank sixth in the table for xPTS and are currently 11 places lower in the division than they would be if every game was decided by who created the higher-quality chances.

Of course, football is not played on paper and it is, ultimately, a results-based business, but these statistics suggest that performances from individuals let him down, as the Saints have underperformed their xG and conceded more than their xGA suggests that they should have.

Manager Focus

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

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Whilst it is hard to know what goes on behind the scenes, perhaps Still was unable to motivate a team to win consistently, as he finished between 11th and 8th in his three seasons as a manager in France, which means that he is not used to competing at the very top of a league.

This is why Southampton could find a major upgrade on the former Lens boss by hiring reported target Brendan Rodgers as their new manager during the break.

Why Southampton should hire Brendan Rodgers

The Northern Irish manager resigned from the Celtic job last month and he could be the dream appointment for the Saints if they can convince him to drop down to the Championship.

Rodgers, who was once dubbed “world-class” by Gabriel Agbonlahor, may have the perfect track record for the situation that Southampton find themselves in, because he has experience in the Championship, the Premier League, and the Premiership.

The 52-year-old coach won promotion via the play-offs with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign, which is relevant for where the club is now, and helped them to stay up with an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League the following season, which should be Southampton’s long-term goal.

Brendan Rodgers’ league career as a manager

League

Games managed

Points per game

Premier League

312

1.56

Premiership

173

2.43

Premiership top six split

15

2.20

Championship

94

1.49

Championship play-offs

3

2.33

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers is a proven Premier League manager who has excelled at Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester City in the top-flight, which is why he would be the perfect appointment for now and in the future.

On top of that, the Northern Irishman is also a proven winner. Per Transfermarkt, he won four Scottish Premiership titles, four Scottish League Cups, and four SFA Cups with Celtic, along with an FA Cup and a Community Shield with Leicester.

This means that Rodgers has won a whopping 13 trophies in his career as a manager, whilst Southampton have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup success in 1976.

Overall, the former Celtic manager would be a major upgrade on Still, who has only managed midtable success and has no trophies under his belt, because of his career record, his history in the Championship and the Premier League, and his proven track record of winning trophies.

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If they can convince him to take the job, Rodgers could be the ideal candidate to get the Saints out of the Championship, as well as to establish them in the Premier League.

Former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz believes a move to Lyon could be the best step for Endrick if the Brazilian leaves the club in January, saying regular minutes matter more than staying on the bench at the Bernabeu. Mariano, who made the same move in 2017 after struggling for game time, says there is "life beyond" Madrid.

• Endrick’s season stalled at Real Madrid

  Los Blancos signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 in a deal worth up to €60 million. His first year under Carlo Ancelotti showed promise, with seven goals in 37 appearances, but injuries halted his progress heading into this season. A hamstring injury kept him out of the Club World Cup and the start of the new campaign. By the time he returned, new manager Xabi Alonso had settled on other attacking options, leaving Endrick with just one brief appearance against Valencia earlier this month, where he played just 11 minutes. The lack of consistent minutes has raised concerns about his development, especially with the World Cup coming next year.

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• AFP
  

  Mariano advises Endrick to embrace a move abroad

  Speaking to , Mariano sees parallels between their situations and says leaving Madrid does not mean giving up on a future at the club.

  “If Endrick ends up leaving, or a player who isn’t getting much playing time has to go abroad to play, I would tell him to enjoy it a lot, to appreciate that if he’s going to be a starter on the team, that’s the best thing that can happen to him,” Diaz said.

  He stressed that regular starts give players a real chance to prove their ability. 

  "You have to try to prove yourself when they give you that confidence, because it’s not the same when you play a few minutes every three games. You can’t prove your worth in a few minutes. But if they trust you and you’re a starter, that’s when you can prove a lot of things. In this case, if he [Endrick] leaves, he could also return to Madrid," the 32-year-old added.

• Endrick stands at same career crossroads Mariano faced

  The Dominican Republic international knows what it feels like to wait for chances at Madrid. The forward broke into the senior team during the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, but spent most of his time behind the famous 'BBC' trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Los Blancos went on to win the Champions League and enjoy their most successful campaign in decades, but Mariano’s role was limited.

  "It was one of the best teams I’ve ever played for because it wasn’t just the starters, but also what the press called ‘Plan B’. It was a bit curious, but the truth is that Plan B was like Plan A."

  At the end of that season, Diaz moved to Lyon to play regularly, a decision he now sees as crucial in his development. However, he returned a year later after Cristiano Ronaldo's shocking move to Juventus. 

  "As it was Madrid, I wasn’t going to say no,” Mariano recalled. "But they told me that this time it would be different, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to return."

  Injuries derailed his progress, and he was again playing a bench role until his exit in 2023.

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  Brazilian forward sees Lyon as the right move for development

  Several clubs have shown interest in Endrick, including Manchester United, who saw him as a replacement option after Benjamin Sesko’s injury. But the 19-year-old prefers Lyon, viewing the French club as a place where he can earn minutes, regain confidence and stay in contention for the 2026 World Cup with Brazil. Madrid had initially wanted to loan him within La Liga to help him adapt more smoothly and keep him close to home as he approaches Spanish citizenship in six months. However, Endrick pushed for a move abroad, prioritising consistent game time over location.

  Ancelotti, now the Brazil national team coach, is yet to call up the young forward in any of the international breaks. However, the former Madrid coach has also urged him to play regularly if he wants to remain in the national-team picture.

  "He has to think with his entourage about what’s best. Talk to the club, to see what’s best for him. Endrick is very young, this won’t be his last World Cup," he said. "He could play in the 2026 World Cup, because he has the quality for it, but he could also be in the 2030 World Cup, or the 2034 World Cup, and maybe even the 2038 World Cup (laughs). I believe it’s important for him to get back to playing and show his qualities.”

Leeds United have made an approach to sign Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata, alongside two other Premier League clubs, and a January move could now be possible.

A lack of goals has been an issue for Leeds so far this season, having scored just ten Premier League goals, the joint-second lowest figure in the top flight, with Danny Murphy bemoaning their lack of quality attacking options back in September.

Murphy said: “I think the biggest problem for Burnley and Leeds is firepower. I agree with what we talked about earlier. I think all the newly promoted sides doing well is great for the Premier League.

“I’d like to see them all stay up, actually. But I don’t think it’ll be the case.

Since then, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has continued to struggle in front of goal, having found the back just once in nine league outings, although Daniel Farke will be glad Lukas Nmecha scored his first goal from open play at the weekend, albeit in a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

As a result of that loss, the Whites are just one point above the relegation zone, sitting in 16th place, and it has been revealed they have now made an approach to sign a new forward ahead of the January transfer window.

Leeds make contact to sign Gonzalo Plata

According to journalist Fabricio Lopes (via Sport Witness), Leeds have now made contact to sign Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata, and the Brazilian club could be willing to sanction a move in the January transfer window.

Indeed, Flamengo have become increasingly frustrated with Plata, given that he went to a nightclub before an important match, which means they will now be open to offers this winter, although there could be competition for his signature.

AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United have also made enquiries over a deal for the Flamengo star, who remains under contract until June 2029, putting his current employers in a strong negotiating position.

There may be some concerns over the 25-year-old’s off-field issues, but he certainly has plenty of ability, having been lauded as “exceptional” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this year.

The Ecuadorian is established at international level, having scored eight goals in 45 appearances for his national side, while the versatile attacker, who is also capable of playing at centre-forward, has also chipped in with 17 goal contributions in 63 appearances for Flamengo.

Leeds may need a fresh injection of quality in attack if they are to avoid the drop, given that not a single one of their players has scored over two goals this season.

Leeds’ top scorers

Number of goals

Joe Rodon

2

Lukas Nmecha

2

Noah Okofor

2

Sean Longstaff

1

Brenden Aaronson

1

Anton Stach

1

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

1

That said, it would be a risk to sign Plata, given that the Ecuador international is unproven in the Premier League, and wasn’t exactly prolific in the 2025 Brazilian Serie A, netting four goals in 24 outings.

Leeds identify Brendan Rodgers as Daniel Farke replacement Leeds could replace Farke with FA Cup winner who once went 62 games unbeaten

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1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025

After yet another international break, the Premier League returns this weekend, and Arsenal can continue their title charge.

Mikel Arteta’s side sit four points clear atop the table and will be desperate to make up for dropping points away to Sunderland last time out.

The Gunners weren’t necessarily poor at the Stadium of Light, but aside from a few players, they certainly weren’t at their best.

With that said, one of the starters who played well was Leandro Trossard, although if reports are to be believed, Arsenal might be set to sign someone who could be an upgrade on him.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

If you were to ask Arsenal fans who their best players have been this season, you would likely get a lot of the usual suspects, like Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber.

Transfer Focus

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

However, one player who has at least entered that conversation as of late is Trossard, who, unlike last year, is starting to influence games on a more regular basis.

For example, if he didn’t score that thunderbolt against the Black Cats, there is every chance the Gunners might’ve gone into the international break on the back of a defeat.

However, even though the Belgian has been a key contributor in the last month or so, the club appear keen on signing someone to compete with, or possibly replace him.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Arsenal have maintained their interest in Antoine Semenyo.

The report has revealed that, alongside the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, the Gunners are vying for the Bournemouth star.

While the competition is far from ideal, the good news is that, according to another story from The Athletic, the Cherries star has a £65m release clause in his new contract, which will be active for part of January.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Semenyo’s immense talent, one worth fighting for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Trossard.

How Semenyo compares to Trossard

As they still produced the best defence in the league last season, Arsenal’s biggest problem, at least domestically, was their diminished goal threat.

Therefore, the first thing to compare between Trossard and Semenyo should be their output, as that is ultimately what a winger is judged on these days.

For his efforts so far this year, the Bournemouth star has scored six goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.33 games, and helps to justify Chris Waddle’s claim that he’s currently “the best winger in the country.”

The Belgian, on the other hand, has racked up four goals and four assists in 14 appearances, which works out to a less impressive tally of a goal involvement every 1.75 games.

Unfortunately for the former Brighton & Hove Albion star, he still comes out as a distant second best when looking at their output last season.

For example, he produced 20 goal involvements in 56 games for a far better team, while the Cherries star produced as many goal involvements in just 42 games.

Okay, what about when you take a look under the hood, which winger has the better underlying numbers?

Semenyo vs Trossard
Statistics	Semenyo	Trossard
Expected G+As	0.46	0.36
Non-Penalty G+As	0.73	0.56
Progressive Passes	3.55	3.38
Progressive Carries	3.18	2.82
Shots on Target	1.09	0.56
Shot-Creating Actions	3.28	2.94
Goal-Creating Actions	0.64	0.28
Tackles Won	1.00	0.42
Successful Take-Ons	1.91	0.99
All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 PL

Unsurprisingly, it’s the Ghanaian international who once again emerges victorious, coming out on top in key metrics like expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, successful take-ons, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Finally, there is also the simple fact that, at 25, the Bournemouth star has a lot more to offer compared to the 30-year-old, and would therefore be the smarter long-term option.

Ultimately, Trossard has been far better this season than last, but even so, it’s clear that Semenyo would be an upgrade on him, and therefore, Arsenal should go all out to sign the Cherries star in January.

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Garrett Crochet took a stand last July, and that decision has now paid off.

Crochet, then with the Chicago White Sox, was one of the hottest names on the trade block last summer, but ultimately did not get traded before the deadline. Though MLB players often have little leverage in trade situations, Crochet used what he had by making it clear he would not pitch for a team that didn't plan on signing him to a long-term contract extension.

In the offseason, the White Sox would trade Crochet to the Red Sox, who signed him to a six-year, $170 million contract extension this week, a historic deal for a pitcher with four-plus years of service.

At his press conference after signing the extension, Crochet reflected on how his stand last July lead him to joining the Red Sox and now earning this massive deal.

“Who knows what really were to happen if we weren’t to, somewhat take a stand for ourselves," Crochet said Friday, via Tom Carroll. "You know as a player, there’s not a lot of opportunity for you to have control of a situation. But it all led to being acquired by a team like the Boston Red Sox who wanted to make that mutual commitment. So I hope it could serve as a reminder for players that you have control of situations more than you think."

The extension is especially important for a player like Crochet, who only completed his first season as a starting pitcher in 2024. Prior, Crochet was a reliever and had missed time in recent seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Crochet became a starter, All-Star, and the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2024, easily the best season of his career. His performance also meant that Crochet time could maximize his earnings as he exponentially increased his value as a player.

The Red Sox rewarded Crochet, and so far the 25-year-old pitcher has provided a strong return for Boston. In his first game after signing the extension, Crochet pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out eight. Over his first two starts with the Red Sox, Crochet is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks. It's finally baseball season, folks.

Every baseball fan knows the big teams to pay attention to this season—the Los Angeles Dodgers look to defend their 2024 World Series title, and the New York Yankees are hoping to get back to baseball's biggest stage. But what about the surprises? What about those teams that nobody is talking about but will be a fun watch throughout the summer?

We're here to help. is bringing back our watchability rankings for 2025, ranking teams in tiers based on how fun the product will be to watch—which doesn't always correlate with wins and losses.

TIER 1: Must-See TV

Los Angeles Dodgers: What more needs to be said? The defending champions won the 2024 World Series in five games and then went out and spent more in free agency than every team in baseball not named the New York Mets. The top of the lineup—Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández—might be the top four hitters in the NL All-Star lineup this summer in Atlanta.

Atlanta Braves: No team sustained more injuries to key players in 2024 than the Braves, and they still went out and won 89 games and made the postseason. Once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns to the lineup this spring, you’re not going to want to turn off your television.

Philadelphia Phillies: Come for Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, stay for the Phillie Phanatic’s shenanigans. 

New York Mets: In case you haven’t heard, Juan Soto switched teams in the Big Apple. That man would make the 2024 White Sox must-see TV. O.K., maybe not, but still.

TIER 2: Big expectations

New York Yankees: Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt at the heart of a lineup would’ve been frightening five or six years ago. In 2025? Maybe not so much. New York is still expected to be one of the best teams in the AL—even with Gerrit Cole’s season-ending Tommy John surgery. That’s a very negative blurb for a team expected to contend for a World Series title in 2025, but that’s what happens when you lose Soto to a crosstown rival.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Corbin Carroll is a 30–30 threat in his third full season in the big leagues, and Corbin Burnes bolsters an already exciting rotation. Hopefully the D-Backs get off to a better start than they did last season, when they Corbin Bleu it.

Seattle Mariners: Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller rolling into your town to start a three-game series will terrify any opposing lineup. And when George Kirby returns, put the kids to bed. 

Baltimore Orioles: Like the Mariners, the Orioles could’ve shot up to Tier 1 with a signature offseason signing. But they chose to stay rather quiet, leaving it up to an exciting young core to challenge the Yanks in the AL East. Hopefully Jackson Holliday figures it out this year.

TIER 3: Fun and frisky

Boston Red Sox: The boys of Fenway Park should be, at the very least, a bit frisky this year in the AL East, which hasn’t been the case since they traded away Mookie Betts. Bringing in Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler was enough to earn a spot on our list of the best MLB offseasons this winter. Plus, highly anticipated prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer should all arrive in the bigs at some point in 2025. 

Chicago Cubs: If you haven’t heard yet, the mom from (Ashley Crow) has a son. His name? Pete Crow-Armstrong. He is not a kid manager like Billy Heywood, but he is a 23-year-old who runs the bases like a maniac. If Crow-Armstrong can get on base enough and rookie Matt Shaw holds down the hot corner, the Cubbies should be a fun offense to watch.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers missed the playoffs last year after winning the 2023 World Series. This year’s roster should be competing for a postseason spot, at the very least, with veterans Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia back in Texas and Wyatt Langford expected to take another leap. Plus, Jacob deGrom’s return to the rotation will be fun to watch as he tries to pitch his first full season since 2019.

TIER 4: Low floor, high ceiling

Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis have the potential to be one of the most electric trios in all of baseball. Unfortunately, none of them can stay healthy at the same time—and Lewis already tweaked his hamstring in spring training. Sigh. We can only hope.

San Francisco Giants: Even if the Giants struggle in 2025, they will always be watchable thanks to beautiful Oracle Park and their elite All-Star roster of broadcasters led by Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. 

Detroit Tigers: The biggest surprise in baseball last season returns for an encore, with AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty leading the way. Detroit should compete in the AL Central—and perhaps the Tigers will find that late summer magic again in ‘25.

San Diego Padres: When your franchise player is vocally expressing his disappointment in his team’s offseason, it’s usually not a sign for baseball fans to be locked in on that team. But watching Luis Arraez do his thing at the top of the lineup is always a treat, and Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado are all-around studs. Yeah, this team is still fun.

TIER 5: Star-driven teams

Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. is going to torture AL Central teams for the next decade. If you’re not a fan of one of those teams, the Royals are a must-watch.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Try not to miss a Paul Skenes start. If you check in on the Bucs once every five days or so, you shouldn’t miss too much, although 6’7” center fielder Oneil Cruz is a fun watch, too.

Cincinnati Reds: Elly De La Cruz is a walking human highlight reel. Watch him steal second base … and then third … and then home. That is, if he doesn’t send the ball 400 feet out of the park with one flick of the wrists. With most of Cincinnati’s lineup and rotation under 30 years old, the Reds have a chance to be a young breakout team this year.

Washington Nationals: Remember the first Juan Soto trade? Three of the six players the Nats received have made the 2025 Opening Day roster in C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood. Plus, outfielder Dylan Crews, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 MLB draft, is starting the year in the big leagues after making his debut last season.

TIER 6: The Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers: The system works at American Family Field. Once again, the Brewers are projected to finish around .500, which means they will win at least 90 games and secure another NL Central title while starting Dudes You’ve Never Heard Of at the bottom of their lineup and some random journeyman will emerge as the best reliever in baseball by August. The Brewers’ brand of baseball isn’t always fun to watch (though Jackson Chourio is starting to change that), but they just win ballgames.

Cleveland Guardians: See Brewers, Milwaukee.

TIER 7: You know what to expect

Houston Astros: Houston lost three key pieces of its dynastic core as Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly all found new homes for 2025, but look. It’s still Jose Altuve. It’s still Josh Hader out of the bullpen. It’s still Yordan Álvarez batting in the heart of the lineup. 

St. Louis Cardinals: So, it turns out Nolan Arenado is returning for another year in St. Louis after all? Their will-they-won’t-they dance this offseason sounds like a soap opera, but don’t expect much playoff-chasing drama from the Cards later in the summer.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays enter the 2025 campaign yet again as runner-ups in the chases for baseball’s biggest free agents. Last year was Shohei Ohtani; this year was Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a stud, though, and backup free agent plan Anthony Santander should provide more pop to the lineup. The rotation is in good shape and it’ll be interesting to see if Max Scherzer still has something to offer.

Tampa Bay Rays: While The Trop undergoes reconstruction, the Rays will have to install their renowned pitching lab at George M. Steinbrenner Field—the spring training home of the division rival New York Yankees that will serve as their home park. To be more watchable this year, the Rays need to improve their offense, which ranked 29th in OPS (.668) last season. 

TIER 8: Surprisingly fun

Athletics: In yet another middle finger to the city of Oakland, A’s owner John Fisher actually remembered he can spend money in the offseason by signing Luis Severino and inking Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler to contract extensions. The A’s could be scrappy and fun this year. It’s just a shame they won’t be playing to the sound of pounding drums at the Coliseum. And more docked watchability points for having “ATH” as the A’s abbreviation on the scorebug. (That’s right, they are not the Oakland Athletics, Sacramento Athletics or even Las Vegas Athletics. Booooo.)

TIER 9: Bottom dwellers

Los Angeles Angels: 2019 was a great year. The “Old Town Road” remix with Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus was a national phenomenon. was in theaters. There was no global pandemic. The Angels loved that year so much they are fielding a roster of guys who peaked in 2019 … which does not make for great baseball in 2025.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies’ front-office philosophy on signing guys just for the good vibes might result in a great clubhouse, but it hasn’t exactly translated to wins. Ezequiel Tovar should be a fun watch this year, at least. Kris Bryant, on the other hand…

Chicago White Sox: They lost a record-setting 121 games last season, and their return in the Garrett Crochet trade isn’t quite ready to make an impact yet. Take your servings of White Sox baseball with a side of a Campfire Milkshake, please. 

Miami Marlins: It appears the Marlins plan to just tread water this season until they can acquire a haul at the trade deadline for right-handed ace Sandy Alcantara.

“Sometimes you need to do those sorts of things to get the balance right,” Smriti Mandhana says about Jemimah Rodrigues being dropped in favour of Renuka Singh

S Sudarshanan20-Oct-20253:45

Mandhana: ‘Emotions took over, I needed to be more patient’

Smriti Mandhana has taken the blame for India’s batting collapse against England on Sunday night at their women’s World Cup match in Indore, where they went from needing a-run-a-ball 57 with seven wickets in hand to a four-run defeat.Chasing 289 for a win, Mandhana was dismissed for 88 off 94 balls in the 42nd over, and from there they slipped to 262 for 6 by the 47th and just couldn’t get the final impetus with left-arm spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith bowling six of the last nine overs.”We could have done better with our shot selection,” a subdued-looking Mandhana said at the press conference. “It started from me, so I will take it on myself that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed six runs per over. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper. I’ll take it [upon] myself because the collapse started from me.”Related

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Smith bowled to Mandhana from around the wicket with deep square-leg, deep midwicket, long-on and long-off in place. Mandhana looked to go inside out over the covers but the ball drifted away a little, making Mandhana mistime it straight down long-off’s throat.”I thought I could take her on, I was trying to aim more over covers,” Mandhana said. “I mistimed that shot. Maybe the shot wasn’t needed at that time. I just needed to be more patient because throughout the innings I was trying to tell myself to be patient and not to play aerial shots.”The emotions took over for that one, which never helps in cricket. But walking back, I was pretty confident that we’ll be able to get the win. But it’s cricket, you can’t ever think too far ahead. If you lose, I don’t think [a good innings] means anything. I had to be a little more patient than I’ve been in the last two-three months.”Four overs after Mandhana fell, Richa Ghosh tried to hit Nat Sciver-Brunt over the off-side infield but chipped a catch to Heather Knight at cover. In the next over, Deepti Sharma slog-swept Ecclestone straight to deep midwicket.3:15

Review: How did India lose this game?

“Richa has been good for us, but I wouldn’t say that it’s only dependent on her,” Mandhana said. “We just needed 6.5 runs per over; it’s not like we needed nine per over that the finishing part was a lot to ask. We have seen Aman [Amanjot Kaur] do that in WPL and Sneh [Rana] has been brilliant in the last four-five overs with the bat for us in the first three-four matches. So, I wouldn’t say that, especially this one, that it was only dependent on one player. We’ll take it upon ourselves that we could have actually done better in the last six-odd overs.”Was leaving Jemimah Rodrigues out the right call?India had played each of the previous four matches with five bowlers, and they ended up having to defend targets on each occasion, failing twice, against South Africa and Australia. Against England, they benched Jemimah Rodrigues for an extra bowler in Renuka Singh. As it happened, India were asked to chase and the move to change the team balance came under the spotlight.Renuka, though, was India’s least expensive bowler, conceding runs at 4.62 in her eight overs. In fact, the bowling unit pulled their weight, conceding just 36 runs in the last five overs to stop England at 288 when 300 looked on the cards. But the batting later came unstuck despite half-centuries from Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti.Deepti Sharma’s dismissal was the last nail in India’s coffin•Getty Images”In the last two matches, we thought that five bowling options were not good enough, especially on a flat track like Indore or [the way] the second game in Visakhapatnam played out,” Mandhana said. “We are not privileged enough to have batters who could bowl a few overs, which a lot of other teams can do. So on a flatter track, we thought that five bowling options could cost us, especially if one bowler has a bad day.”It was definitely a very tough call to drop a player like Jemi. But sometimes you need to do those sorts of things to get the balance right. It is not like this [combination] is going to be there [for the rest of the tournament]. We’ll have to see how the situation is, how the wicket will play and then we’ll take a call.”Mandhana heaped praise on Deepti, who returned 4 for 51, her best at World Cups, and triggered a collapse of 6 for 77. In the process, Deepti also became only the second India woman to take 150 ODI wickets after Jhulan Goswami.”Deepti has been brilliant for us in the last ten-odd years she has played. Today was her 150th ODI wicket. It’s becoming a habit for her to play every match and break some records,” Mandhana said. “Her all-round capacity, especially in one-day cricket, the way she can bat and also bowl, and read the situation has been amazing. I feel she’s done a good job for us in the World Cup and I hope it keeps continuing.”

Is Wilfried Nancy going to become the new Celtic manager?

Well, it was reported last week that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will remain in interim charge for Saturday night’s short trip to St Mirren, but for how much longer will that remain the case?

Other reports suggest that the Hoops are close to agreeing a £2m compensation package with Nancy’s current club Columbus Crew, with the aim for the Frenchman to take charge for the first time when the Celts visit Easter Road to take on Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday 30 November.

Should Nancy swap Ohio for Glasgow, he would have plenty of work to do and numerous issues to solve, but ensuring Daizen Maeda stays in Scotland will no doubt be of great importance.

The latest on Daizen Maeda's future

Back in September, after the transfer window had closed, Maeda revealed that he had requested to leave Celtic this summer.

However, with the club struggling to replace Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah, who were both sold, the Japan international was informed that he would not be allowed to depart.

Well, potentially as a result of this uncertainty, Maeda has not been at his blistering best so far this season, bagging just four goals to date, having netted 33 times across all competitions last season, four of which came in the Champions League.

After adding to his goal tally against Kilmarnock last time out, the 28-year-old started at left-wing-back as Japan beat Bolivia 3-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday, so could he push for a January move to help increase his chances of being included in Hajime Moriyasu’s World Cup squad?

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, it is a “possibility” that the forward will be on the move in January, with Brentford, Everton, Leeds and two other Premier League clubs purportedly interested.

Considering that, since netting four minutes into his debut against Hibs in January 2022, Maeda has scored 66 goals in 175 appearances in hoops, he would be a massive loss, but could the incoming boss, Nancy, fill this void by bringing with him a star he knows rather well?

Celtic's potential Maeda replacement

When Ange Postecoglou arrived from Yokohama F. Marinos, he utilised his knowledge of the J League, an undervalued market, to sign gems for a cut-price, bringing in Kyōgo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Maeda himself.

Well, with Major League Soccer in a similar position, could Nancy follow this blueprint?

According to a report by the Daily Record, should Nancy arrive, his number one transfer target would be Columbus Crew star Diego Rossi, who has previously hinted that he would like to return to European football.

After beginning his career at Peñarol, Rossi really burst onto the scene at LAFC, scoring 59 goals in 121 appearances for the Black and Gold, picking up the 2020 MLS Golden Boot, form that earned him a £4.5m move to Fenerbahçe.

However, after a pretty underwhelming stint in İstanbul, he returned to Major League Soccer in the summer of 2023, and has taken his game to a whole new level under Nancy in Columbus.

To date, the Uruguayan international has scored 45 goals in 101 appearances for the Crew, bagging 16 MLS goals in 2025, comparing favourably to other players across the league.

Goals

16

13th

Shots

91

13th

Shots on target

40

10th

Goals – xG

+2.6

8th*

Big chances missed

13

23rd

Shot creating actions

94

37th

Progressive carries

106

11th

Touches in box

165

5th

Average rating

7.38

7th**

*minimum 15 goals. **forwards only.

Worth reiterating that MLS is a gigantic league with 30 teams, while 882 players made an appearance in the competition this year, so to be in the top ten or even top 20 for the attacking metrics included is impressive.

His tally of 16 goals is noteworthy, albeit it could’ve been even better had he not missed 13 Opta-defined big chances, something that has also been a tendency of Maeda’s game, so perhaps he would be a ready-made replacement.

According to Football Transfers, Rossi’s estimated market value is around £7m, having increased again in recent months after it plateaued in 2024, following his exploits in, according to Global Football Rankings, the tenth-strongest league in the world, a humongous 23 places above the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking ahead of MLS Cup Final in 2023, Carlos Vela, who was Rossi’s teammate in California, labelled the Uruguayan a “really good finisher”, adding that he’s “fast” and “technically good”, while Bob Bradley, his coach at LAFC, adds that the forward is “deceptive” and “such a good player to have” as part of your attack.

Now 27, in a similar way to Maeda, now may well be the time for Rossi to take the next step in his career, aiming to get into Uruguay’s World Cup squad, having not featured for los Charrúas since June 2023.

Unlike in European leagues, MLS’ primary transfer window is in the winter, something that will change in 2027, meaning January moves are a lot more common.

Thus, with Rossi into the final year of his contract in Columbus, he appears to be the perfect fit for a Celtic side lacking attacking firepower, irrespective of whether Maeda departs or not.

Palma 2.0: Celtic's £5m star is going to be on borrowed time under Nancy

With Wilfried Nancy poised to become the new Celtic manager, which “terrific talent” could be on borrowed time and may well become the new Luis Palma?

Nov 17, 2025

Under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is personally very keen on signing one marquee forward amid a major setback surrounding their chase for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Thomas Frank under pressure amid woeful Spurs run

Frank finds himself navigating treacherous waters at Tottenham right now, with mounting pressure threatening his managerial position following a dismal run.

The Dane has overseen just one victory from Tottenham’s last seven fixtures across all competitions, culminating in Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham.

Spurs’ abject home form compounds their misery right now with just three wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025, and only bottom-side Wolves have a worse record on their own patch this season.

16. Burnley

2

1

3

7

-1

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

5

1

10

Particularly alarming are whispers from within the Tottenham dressing room, where players have reportedly grown bewildered by Frank’s constant tactical tinkering.

Some media sources believe that strategies are frequently modified immediately before kickoff or abandoned entirely during matches, leaving squad members confused about their responsibilities (Jack Rosser).

Tottenham have also conceded eleven goals in their last three games, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s unbelievable error gifting Harry Wilson Fulham’s winning goal last weekend.

Frank’s relationship with supporters has also reached boiling point following his criticism of fans who booed Vicario’s mistake, and carried on jeering the Italian almost every time he touched the ball afterwards.

It wasn’t really the best move by Spurs’ boss to add fuel to the fire, considering his popularity was already waning among a lot of supporters, who are also extremely keen for co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange to hire a new manager.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

Even more worryingly for the north Londoners, credible reports suggest that players feel a ‘growing disconnect’ with the fanbase (The Telegraph), and this quite simply must cease if Tottenham stand any chance of building upon their Europa League triumph in May.

Spurs’ lack of attacking creativity has been subject to plenty of debate too, but the Lewis family are apparently looking to back Frank in January and provide him with major forward upgrades.

It is believed that both FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, who’s been on fire for the last two seasons, and Premier League superstar Semenyo are both on Spurs’ radar heading into next month.

Frank 'intent' on signing Aghehowa as Spurs dealt Semenyo blow

The latter’s contract includes a tantalising £65 million release clause, including add-ons, which will be active in the early stages of January.

Of course, this has piqued real interest from Spurs, with the prospect of Mohammed Kudus on the right and Semenyo on the left coming as a very enticing thought.

However, as per TEAMtalk, Paratici and Lange have now been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of the 25-year-old.

The Lilywhites, Man City, Liverpool and Man United are all competing to sign Semenyo in January, but Pep Guardiola’s City side are now casting doubt over a potential move to N17.

This is because they are now the prime contenders with Semenyo ‘keen to engage’ in City talks, dealing Spurs a roadblock and making them outside contenders for his signature.

That being said, Frank personally remains ‘intent’ on signing Aghehowa for Spurs, and there is every reason to believe the Spaniard would be a serious improvement on their centre-forward options.

The 21-year-old has bagged 37 goals in all competitions since the start of 24/25, making him one of Europe’s most lethal strikers right now, but Tottenham will need to fork out around £70 million to make the deal happen.

This would be a club-record deal for Spurs, eclipsing the £65 million they paid for the injury-prone Dominic Solanke last year.

Solanke’s unavailability, concerns surrounding Richarlison and Mathys Tel’s rawness emphasise the need for a new number nine, especially considering Randal Kolo Muani is only at Tottenham on a straight loan.

In terms of pedigree and potential, you could hardly do better than Aghehowa, who’s already been compared to a prime Diego Costa.