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Glasgow Rangers will not win a trophy in the year of 2025. That was confirmed when they were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday.

Danny Rohl had won his first two matches in the Scottish Premiership ahead of this last four clash with their Glasgow rivals, but he was unable to mastermind a third successive victory in all competitions.

The Light Blues did manage to get to extra time, despite being down to ten men, but two goals in extra time meant that they were knocked out of the competition.

Why Jack Butland did not cost Rangers the result

Some supporters or neutrals may want to point the finger at Jack Butland for the defeat, because he should have done better with the Callum McGregor shot that put Celtic 2-1 up.

The shot seemed to go through the former England international and down the middle of the goal, but he was unable to adjust and prevent it from finding the back of the net.

Despite that error, Butland did not cost the Light Blues the game because they were only in the match because of his impressive saves. Premier Sports TV pundit and former Hoops manager Neil Lennon even described his performance as “tremendous”.

The pick of his saves, arguably, was his fingertip stop to deny Callum Osmand’s brilliant header that looked destined for the bottom corner, whilst he also made several close-range stops in the initial 90 minutes.

A Rangers player who was worse than Butland in the game was young left-back Jayden Meghoma, and he may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up.

Why Jayden Meghoma may be on borrowed time

The Brentford loanee was caught out for the opening goal of the game when he allowed his man, Johnny Kenny, to get the jump on him from a corner.

Premier Sports TV pundit Michael Stewart noted on commentary that Meghoma “never recognises the danger”, which seems to be a fair comment when you consider that the full-back had a similar issue against Brann in Rohl’s first match.

The English defender allowed Jacob Lungi Sorensen to get the run and jump on him for a goal in that loss, which led Ally McCoist to describe his defending as “remarkable” and “diabolical”.

Meghoma was even worse than Butland against Celtic because there were several occasions where he did not recognise the danger, as Stewart put it, and put his side, and Butland, under pressure.

The teenage full-back’s performances for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership so far this season also do not suggest that he has what it takes to be the first-choice left-back moving beyond the January transfer window.

25/26 Premiership

Jayden Meghoma

Appearances

7

Sofascore rating

6.56

Duel success rate

50%

Aerial duel success rate

25%

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Error leading to shot

2

Possession lost per game

12.7x

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Meghoma only has one assist to his name to make up for the two errors leading to shots, and 12.7 times possession lost per game on average.

He has been questionable defensively, particularly from set-pieces, and has been wasteful in possession without creating much to make up for it, which is why Rohl should be looking to add an experienced left-back in January.

Meghoma is currently the only natural left-back in the first-team squad, as a result of the squad building by Kevin Thelwell and Russell Martin in the summer, and his underwhelming performances may convince Rohl to push for the club to bring another one in.

Therefore, the Rangers loanee’s place in the XI may be on borrowed time unless he can significantly improve his performance level over the next two months or so.

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Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will not have been pleased with the way that his team failed to secure all three points against Falkirk at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The German tactician revealed after the match that the players who have not done enough on the pitch in recent games will not get as many minutes in the future.

This should ease any concerns from supporters that underperforming players will not be replaced in the starting line-up in the coming matches in the Premiership and the Europa League.

The biggest Rangers underperformers against Falkirk

As you would expect in a 0-0 draw at home to Falkirk, there were several Rangers players who underperformed and should be at risk of being dropped from the starting line-up.

Bojan Miovski, for example, played the full 90 minutes and lost 73% (8/11) of his duels without scoring a goal or even creating a chance for his teammates, per Sofascore, in the number nine position.

Thelo Aasgaard also struggled in the number ten role for the Light Blues, with no shots on target or ‘big chances’ created, before he was subbed off for Danilo with 22 minutes left to play.

Ranking the worst Rangers players vs Falkirk

Rank

Player

1

Bojan Miovski

2

Thelo Aasgaard

3

Oliver Antman

4

Nicolas Raskin

5

James Tavernier

Oliver Antman, similarly to the Norway international, failed to make much of an impact on the right wing, with no shots on target or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore, which is why he also features on this list.

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Unfortunately, Nicolas Raskin also features among the worst performers against Falkirk, less than a month on from pundit Chris Sutton declaring him the team’s “best player”, as he struggled in midfield.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Nicolas Raskin

Rohl should ruthlessly ditch the Belgium international from the starting line-up for the clash with Dundee United on Wednesday night after a couple of underwhelming showings in the middle of the park.

Raskin, who has been valued at up to £20m by the Scottish giants, has not been near his best in the last couple of games against Braga and Falkirk, which should see him dropped for his sloppy play in midfield.

In the game on Sunday, per Sofascore, the former Standard Liege star lost four of his seven physical duels and only created one chance for his teammates in 90 minutes on the pitch, in what was a rather ineffective display.

Raskin

Vs Braga

Vs Falkirk

Minutes

90

90

Key passes

0

1

Possession lost

10x

9x

Ground duels won

4/14

3/7

Aerial duels won

2/3

0/0

Fouls

6

2

Dribbled past

2x

1x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Raskin has lost a whopping 14 of his 21 ground duels in the last two outings, committing eight fouls and being dribbled past three times as part of that.

These statistics show that the central midfielder has been too easy to play against for opposition midfielders, which led journalist Jonny McFarlane to state that “a spell on the sidelines beckons” because he is “much better than he’s showing”.

It is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that Raskin won 57% of his ground duels in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, and he has only won 33% of his battles on the deck in the last two matches.

The 24-year-old star, who scored five goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions last term, is better than he is currently showing, which is why a spell on the bench may be beneficial for him to clear his head and recharge to get back to his best.

Therefore, Rohl should drop his “best player” from the starting line-up for the clash with Dundee United on Wednesday to see if it will spark a reaction out of him for the following game against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

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Defending champions Liverpool moved up to eighth in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Goals from Alexander Isak, who netted his first league goal for the club, and Cody Gakpo secured all three points for the Reds for the first time since the 1st November against Aston Villa.

Arne Slot will surely be pleased with the win and the clean sheet to end a run of three successive losses in all competitions, whilst the Dutch boss will also be buzzing with the performances of several of his players.

Ranking Liverpool's top performers against West Ham

When ranking the team’s top performers against the Hammers, it is hard to look past Gakpo as the standout star because he was directly involved in both of the goals, with a goal and an assist.

Ibrahima Konate also deserves credit for his colossal display at the heart of the defence, winning 100% (5/5) of his aerial duels and making a team-high ten clearances, per Sofascore.

Both the France international and captain Virgil van Dijk kept Alisson quiet with their dominant performances, but Konate was the standout centre-back with four more clearances and three more aerial duels won than his skipper.

1

Cody Gakpo

2

Florian Wirtz

3

Ibrahima Konate

4

Virgil van Dijk

5

Alexander Isak

As you can see in the table above, Isak also has to be in the top five performers on the pitch for the Premier League champions, as he netted his first league goal for the club with a brilliant first-time finish into the bottom corner.

You will also notice that £115m signing Florian Wirtz ranks in second place, just behind Gakpo, after he caught the eye whilst playing in a central position for the Reds.

The Liverpool star who could be their new Thiago Alcantara

Recruitment analyst Jan Riha stated that the “incredible” Wirtz made him “feel about football the same way Thiago Alcantara” did at Liverpool, after his performance against the Hammers.

It is hard to argue with that assessment because his metronomic display at the London Stadium was incredibly impressive, even if it lacked the punch of a goal or an assist to add some extra flavour to his season.

Thiago ended his playing days with a 90% pass accuracy, per WhoScored, and Reds supporters got to enjoy his midfield majesty for three seasons, with plenty of exceptional raking passes and cultured through balls, as shown in the clips below against Man United in 2022.

Wirtz may not play in a deep-lying midfield role like Thiago did, but his technical ability is comparable to the Spaniard’s, and he showed it off plenty of times in the win over West Ham.

The Germany international has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season since his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen, but his display on Sunday was a step in the right direction because it was his best of the campaign.

Sofascore rating

6.51

6.9

Passes completed

25

42

Pass accuracy

82%

93%

Passes completed in oppo half

18

32

Passes accuracy in oppo half

76%

91%

Passes accuracy in own half

86%

100%

As you can see in the statistics above, Wirtz’s use of the ball on Sunday was on another level to what he has previously shown in the top-flight for Liverpool.

Playing centrally, rather than being out wide on the left or the right, allowed him to float around and knit play together with his technical brilliance, much like Thiago used to do further back on the pitch during his time at Anfield.

Slot must continue to play the German star in the middle of the park, rather than out wide, because he could flourish as a metronomic number ten who is able to buzz around the pitch and control the tempo of the match.

The hope, then, would be that the goals and assists naturally follow as he becomes more comfortable and confident on the pitch in the Premier League.

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Whilst there will be understandable disappointment that a £115m attacking midfielder is yet to provide a direct goal contribution in the top-flight, Wirtz’s performance against the Hammers was his best of the season and he appears to be on the right track to become a success at Anfield.

They might have blown a two-goal lead on Saturday, but things are looking up for West Ham United.

Following a dire start to the season and a poor start to his tenure, Nuno Espírito Santo has now picked up seven points from the last three Premier League games.

This has seen the East Londoners pull themselves out of the relegation zone, and one of the club’s best performers during this uptick in form has been Callum Wilson.

However, even though the Englishman is in fine form, reports have started to link West Ham with someone who could be a dream replacement.

West Ham target Wilson upgrade

The transfer window is still over a month away, but that hasn’t stopped West Ham from being linked with a number of interesting players from across the country and beyond.

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Fulham’s Adama Traoré, for example, has been heavily touted for a move to the London Stadium in January, as has Norwich City’s Josh Sargent.

However, the Hammers are now interested in another, arguably more exciting goalscorer.

At least that is according to a recent report from Claret & Hugh, which claims that West Ham are keen on signing Promise David.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Hammers have already made enquiries about the Union SG gem, who is valued at up to £17m.

The Canadian international might not be a known name in England, but his form in recent seasons and potential make this a deal West Ham can’t ignore, especially as he could be a perfect Wilson upgrade.

How David compares to Wilson

While it sounds simplistic, probably because it really is, the first place to start when comparing two centre-forwards is their raw output.

After all, the most important thing a striker is generally going to do is score or assist a goal, especially when it comes to a side like West Ham, who need to do all they can to build a buffer between them and the relegation zone.

Unfortunately for Wilson, even with his recent flurry of goals, this is an area in which he comes out second best.

For example, in ten appearances this season, he has scored four goals and failed to provide any assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games.

In contrast, the “outstanding” Canadian, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and provided no assists in 19 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games.

David vs Wilson
25/26	David	Wilson
Games	19	10
Goals	8	4
Assists	0	0
24/25	David	Wilson
Games	41	22
Goals	24	1
Assists	5	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The comparison is even more one-sided when last season is taken into account, as the former Newcastle United forward scored just a single goal in 22 appearances for the Toon.

The Union SG ace, on the other hand, racked up a stellar haul of 24 goals and five assists in 41 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Canadian reporter Ben Steiner claimed the 24-year-old “just can’t stop scoring.”

However, it’s not just output that would make the eight-capped international a wise signing, but the fact that he’s still just 24 years old.

In other words, he’s someone who could come in as an upgrade and then become the long-term striker option the Hammers have needed for some time.

Ultimately, given his consistently impressive output, age and relatively low price, West Ham should do what they can to sign David in January.

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1

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Brandon King’s unbeaten 98 went in vain as Chris Green put down four catches in the chase

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 188 for 6 (Gous 85* Wickham 26, Sams 3-29) beat Barbados Royals 187 for 4 (King 98*, Rutherford 29, Irshad 2-13) by four wicketsAntigua and Barbuda Falcons nearly lost grip of the last-ball thriller in Bridgetown with their over-reliance on singles and doubles in a tense chase of 188, but Shamar Springer hit the winning runs for them to strengthen their third spot on the points table. It meant Barbados Royals continued to scrape the bottom without a single victory to their name so far this season, as they failed to defend 187 after Brandon King’s 98 not out.Royals captain Rovman Powell thought they had enough runs at the halfway mark but two Royals fielders went on to drop six catches – Chris Green four and Daniel Sams two – which hampered their chances of getting their first victory. Royals have just one point from six games season, their qualification chances narrowing with every loss.Andries Gous was the leading man for Falcons, starring with an unbeaten 85 off 53 with five fours and four sixes, but he barely got strike in the last over, off which they needed 12. Powell rolled the dice by giving the ball to Sherfane Rutherford, who had last bowled 26 T20s ago, against England in June. Rutherford started with three wides in his first four balls before bowling hard lengths on a straight line. Three off two became two off one when Imad Wasim attempted a second after hacking the ball to long-on but a quick collection of the throw, turning around and hitting the stumps from Quinton de Kock found Imad short. Local boy Springer calmly collected two next ball and sealed Falcons’ first win away from home this season.Chris Green put down four chances•Getty Images

Openers Gous and Amir Jangoo had given Falcons a quick-fire start in the chase by pummeling 38 in the first four before Jangoo was cleaned up by a slower delivery from Sams, and Ramon Simmonds sent back Karima Gore. Green put down two chances off Kevin Wickham in consecutive overs after the powerplay and once again in the 11th one before Wickham was eventually taken by substitute fielder Kofi James at mid-off for 26. Needing 78 from 47 from there at over 9.75 an over, Gous, who had brought up his fifty off 32 balls, anchored the chase while Shakib Al Hasan and Fabian Allen holed out after hitting a few boundaries. Gous belted his fourth six in the 18th over before being dropped next ball by Green to bring it down to 19 from 12 before they sealed victory on the last ball.When Royals were put in to bat, they crawled their way to 31 for 0 in the powerplay before King took off with boundaries in every over till the halfway mark. De Kock tried to replicate it – and succeeded to an extent – but was run-out for a scratchy 27 off 28. King then took on Shakib and Imad before smashing Jayden Seales for three sixes in an over to reach 94 off 58 after 16. He faced only seven off the last 24 balls and scored only four of those as Salman Irshad sent down skiddy deliveries to rattle the stumps of Powell and Rassie van der Dussen and Falcons managed just 38 off the last four.

Sharma makes 82 for Northamptonshire but second-wicket stand breaks back of chase

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Aug-2025Ben Dawkins struck a sparkling maiden List A century to steer Kent Spitfires to their second Metro Bank One Day Cup victory of the season, beating a youthful Northamptonshire side by seven wickets at Wantage Road as they chased down 244 with 32 deliveries to spare.The in-form England Under-19 opener struck an unbeaten 111 (105 balls, 12 fours, two sixes), sharing a second-wicket stand of 157 off 181 balls with Joey Evison who made a fine 82 (106 balls, 10 fours, 1 six).Young guns Aadi Sharma and Stuart van der Merwe (37) starred with the bat for the Steelbacks in a stand of 75 off 87 balls characterised by rapid running between the wickets. Sharma made an excellent 82 (90 balls, 8 fours, 1 six), his maiden List A half-century.Their stand came after Evison, who bowled his 10 overs straight through, removed Northamptonshire’s top order to finish with career best List A figures off three for 36.Matt Parkinson took two for 50 as Northamptonshire suffered a middle order collapse, before some lower order hitting from Dom Leech (36 off 35 balls), but the hosts’ eventual total of 243 all out proved insufficient.Earlier Luke Procter (15) was caught behind playing at a wide one from Evison. But Sharma was soon into his work, hooking and driving sweetly, although he rode his luck at times.James Sales fresh from scores of 117 and 98, fell cheaply, adjudged lbw to one that kept low from Evison, while Northamptonshire lost a third when George Bartlett was caught behind off Evison, cutting close to his body.That brought Sharma together with van der Merwe who tucked into Parkinson’s legspin, cutting through cover and swotting him over long-off for six.van der Merwe reverse swept Jack Leaning, taking Northamptonshire past 100, while Sharma uppercut Corey Flintoff over the vacant slip region to reach 50 off 58 balls.The drinks break brought a wicket when van der Merwe chipped Leaning straight to long-on, but Sharma continued to attack. He skipped down the pitch to deposit Leaning over extra cover and clipped Flintoff off his legs for six into the old signal box at deep square leg.The tide turned as Parkinson made a double breakthrough, three wickets falling for five runs in 17 balls. First Parkinson bowled Lewis McManus round his legs before spinning one past off-stump to take the edge of Sharma’s bat through to the keeper. Next delivery Mohammad Rizvi trapped Rob Keogh plumb lbw.With Northamptonshire 171 for seven, Leech found a good ally in debutant Aryaman Varma (30) in an enterprising stand of 59. Leech attacked the spinners, smiting Parkinson over midwicket before sweeping for six, while Varma deployed the cut shot to good effect.Leech smashed Rizvi straight to bring up the 50 partnership before Jaydn Denly struck twice in two balls, bowling Leech as he attempted to reverse sweep before bowling Yuzvendra Chahal. Fred Klaassen picked up the final wicket, Varma well caught by a tumbling Flintoff at mid-off.Dawkins started aggressively, punching several boundaries through the off-side and pulling Procter for a straight six. Denly (20) meanwhile sent a huge six flying over deep midwicket off Leech as Kent raced past 50 inside seven overs.Scoring briefly slowed against spinners Nirvan Ramesh and Chahal with the opening stand of 58 ended by a sensational one-handed diving catch by van der Merwe at cover off Ramesh.Dawkins reached 50 with a streaky boundary off Varma, while Evison collected boundaries against the spinners as he hit over extra cover, reaching his own half-century with a sumptuous cover drive off Leech.Runs kept coming for Evison as he smashed over midwicket, while Dawkins reached his ton with elan, pulling van der Merwe over midwicket for six.Evison crunched van der Merwe for a straight six before he holed out at long-on, Chris Benjamin following soon after in similar fashion off Keogh, but with the target in sight, Dawkins was there to see his side home.

Southampton return to action in the Championship this weekend as they prepare to travel to Charlton on Saturday, and they appear no closer to appointing a permanent successor to Will Still.

TalkSPORT recently claimed that Sport Republic are ‘seriously considering’ appointing current interim manager Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, after his first two matches in the dugout.

The 32-year-old head coach is set to lead the team out for a third game against Charlton this weekend, and another win would do his chances of landing the role no harm.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

Eckert deserves credit for providing the team with an instant boost after Still’s departure, as he masterminded a 2-1 win over QPR and a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, it may not be the right time to appoint him as the permanent head coach because of his lack of experience in first-team management in his career so far.

Eckert had only ever been an assistant manager before his move to join the U21s as their head coach this summer, and he managed nine Premier League 2 matches before his two senior games as the current interim, per Transfermarkt.

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This means that Southampton have no evidence available to judge what an Eckert team will look like in 15, 20, or 30 games, or if he has the first-team coaching ability to lead a promotion push.

Earlier this month, Michael Carrick was named as a reported contender for the job, and hiring the former Middlesbrough boss could end the Eckert experiment at St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should hire Michael Carrick

Unlike the German interim, Carrick would arrive on the south coast with bundles of Championship experience as a manager, which may be what the Saints need right now.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been out of work since moving on from Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

Carrick also has the specific experience of taking over a team in a similar position to the one that Southampton are in now and leading them to a play-off finish, as that is what he did with Boro in the 2022/23 campaign.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

As you can see in the table above, the 4-2-3-1 tactician took over with Middlesbrough after they had a dismal start to the season, in 18th place, and led them to fourth and the play-offs.

Southampton are currently 17th after 15 matches, with 18 points on the board, which means that Carrick would arrive in an incredibly similar situation at St. Mary’s. This could make him the ideal candidate for the job, as he has very specific experience for the job that is required.

Some supporters may see that he finished 10th and eighth in his last two seasons with Boro, but the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns suggest that he was let down by his squad.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Boro ranked inside the top six for xPTS in both of those seasons, suggesting that their performances were of a play-off calibre, but the players did not make the most of those performances to pick up the results needed.

This is why Southampton should not be put off by Carrick’s ‘failure’ to get Boro in the play-offs in the last two seasons, and is further evidence that he could be a major upgrade on the inexperienced Eckert.

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Therefore, the out-of-work English manager could be the perfect hire for Southampton for the position that they currently find themselves in, as he has the coaching ability and experience to drive the team back up the table to fight for the play-offs.

Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy played a major role in stopping one ex-Spurs star from sealing what was a dream switch to Chelsea, with the player making a candid admission.

Tottenham post-Daniel Levy as problems remain at N17

It’s been three months since the Lewis family decided to force Levy into resigning as Lilywhites chairman, following a topsy-turvy 25-year stint in the role.

Levy was barely ever away from the headlines and attracted plenty of criticism, particularly towards the end of his tenure, when fans turned out in droves to protest both his and ENIC’s stewardship of the club.

His exit marked the end of the longest chairmanship in Premier League history, a tenure defined by extraordinary infrastructure development yet marred by agonising near-misses.

His business acumen transformed Tottenham into a financial powerhouse, culminating in the £1.2 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which opened in 2019 and revolutionised the club’s commercial capabilities.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

via Deloitte Money League

Under his stewardship, Spurs competed in Europe over in 18 of the past 20 seasons, establishing themselves among England’s elite despite chronic underinvestment in recruitment compared to their rivals.

The club’s net spend during Mauricio Pochettino’s first four years totalled just £29 million, while Tottenham infamously became the first Premier League side to complete an entire summer window without a single signing in 2018.

That cautious transfer approach became Levy’s defining characteristic, and it drew fierce criticism, alongside their barren trophy haul.

Tottenham reached the Champions League final under Pochettino in 2019, only to dismiss the Argentine four months later despite Spurs’ constant transfer budget restrictions.

Levy’s final season proved very turbulent, with Ange Postecoglou sacked shortly after delivering Europa League glory. Fans had grown tired of the constant managerial churn without meaningful silverware, despite Levy’s long list of appointments including serial winners José Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

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Levy’s departure triggered a major restructuring, with former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham arriving and Thomas Frank replacing Postecoglou.

Peter Charrington assumed the newly-created non-executive chairman role to jump into Levy’s stead, though in a far less involved capacity, with co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange making up the new leadership team.

Levy, despite his unpopularity among much of the fanbase, undoubtedly left a mark on Spurs which will be remembered for decades to come.

Now, ex-Tottenham favourite Luka Modrić has revealed how the former chairman stopped him from joining London rivals Chelsea.

Luka Modrić reveals Daniel Levy blocked Tottenham transfer to Chelsea

Speaking on the Neuspjeh prvaka show, via ESPN, the now-AC Milan midfielder says that he was eager to join the west Londoners, but Levy told him there was ‘no chance’ that Modric would be allowed to go.

The Croatia legend, who went to enjoy a fantastic season at Tottenham right afterwards, then admitted that it eventually worked out for the best.

Modric is now the most decorated player in his country’s history after a glittering career at Real, with Levy eventually green-lighting his exit to the Bernabeu for £30 million in 2012.

The 40-year-old, who is incredibly still playing at an elite level, made over 150 appearances for Spurs, scoring 17 goals, and comes as one of the best signings of Levy’s tenure for just £16.5 million from Dinamo Zagreb.

And what’s the ODI record for most caught-and-bowleds by one bowler?

Steven Lynch11-Nov-2025In one of South Africa’s recent ODIs, four Pakistan batters were caught and bowled, three of them by Nqaba Peter. Were either of these records? asked Mendel Bacher from South Africa
You’re talking about the second ODI in Faisalabad last week, when four men were caught and bowled during Pakistan’s innings. That equalled the ODI record: there were also four in England’s innings against Australia in Adelaide in January 1999, two each by Brendon Julian and Shane Warne.Three of last week’s quartet were held by the South African legspinner Nqaba Peter, which is a first for one-day internationals. There are 11 other instances of three caught-and-bowleds in an ODI innings, but none of them was taken by the same bowler.Jasprit Bumrah has taken 99 wickets in T20Is. How many bowlers have 100 or more in each of the three formats? asked Paritosh Gupta from Canada
You’re right that Jasprit Bumrah currently has 99 wickets in T20ls, to go with 226 in Tests and 149 in ODIs. He needs one more T20I scalp to become only the fifth man to reach three figures in all three formats, following Tim Southee (391 in Tests, 221 in ODIs and 164 in T20Is), Shakib Al Hasan (246, 317, 149), Shaheen Shah Afridi (121, 132, 122) and Lasith Malinga (101, 338, 107).Another current player, Jason Holder, is close to completing the set: going in to the final match of West Indies’ T20 series in New Zealand later this week, he has 97 wickets to go with 162 in Tests and 159 in OIDIs. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe also has 99 wickets in T20 internationals, but he’s taken only 40 in Tests and 94 in ODIs.Who are the batters and bowlers with the best averages in their last 25 Tests? asked Rammohan Roy from India
The leading batter in his last 25 Tests will come as little surprise: Don Bradman averaged 105.09 in his last 25 matches, with 3468 runs, including 15 centuries. Next as I write is New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who averages 66.67 in his last 25 Tests: if that should fall, second place would revert to Kumar Sangakkara (64.05). Among those who played 50 or more Tests, Andy Flower averaged 63.83 over his last 25, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 60.91, and Clive Lloyd 60.14.The leading bowler is another current player: Jasprit Bumrah has taken 120 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of just 17.63. Among regular bowlers, Alec Bedser (18.68) and Curtly Ambrose (18.78) also averaged under 20, while Josh Hazlewood – who is about to play in the Ashes – has taken exactly 100 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of 20.35.Bermuda appeared only in the 2007 ODI World Cup, and is best remembered for Dwayne Leverock’s blinder to dismiss Robin Uthappa•Getty ImagesIn the climax of the 1968 Oval Test, John Inverarity was the last Australian to get out, having opened the innings. How often has an opener been the tenth wicket to fall? asked Robert Watts from England
When John Inverarity was the last man out in that famous match at The Oval in August 1968, it was only the fifth time an opener had been the last wicket to fall in any Test innings. The first was a more famous Aussie, Victor Trumper, against England in Melbourne in January 1904, and then it didn’t happen for more than 44 years, until Len Hutton was the last to go against Australia at The Oval in August 1948 as England were all out for 52.It’s become slightly more common in recent years, but there have still been only 29 instances all told. Three of them involved West Indies’ Desmond Haynes, who uniquely was last out in both innings against New Zealand in Dunedin in February 1980. Haynes also managed it against India in Delhi in November 1987; no one else has done it more than once.In the Lord’s Test in June 2021, the debutant Devon Conway did this for New Zealand, and Rory Burns followed suit for England.Are there any teams who have appeared at just one World Cup? asked Harrison Miller from England
Three teams have appeared at a single men’s 50-over World Cup. A side representing East Africa appeared in the first one, in 1975 (when the matches were of 60 overs each); Namibia made their sole appearance in 2003, and Bermuda in 2007.Three different countries have played at just one T20 World Cup: Kenya played for the only time in the inaugural edition, in 2007, while the most recent tournament in 2024 featured Canada and Uganda for the first time. Bermuda and Uganda (and East Africa) have featured in just the one World Cup over the two formats.In the women’s game, Scotland and Thailand have appeared in one T20 World Cup (and never in the 50-over version), while Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Young England all participated for the only time in the inaugural ODI World Cup in 1973.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

McKenna’s numbers as Ipswich manager

Stat

McKenna

Games managed

188

Wins

88

Draws

50

Losses

50

Goals scored

340

Goals conceded

239

Points accumulated

314

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

Related Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle among favourites to sign £100m star

Newcastle need to add some more quality to Eddie Howe’s side in 2026.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025