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Root admits his attack bowled too short and that mistakes were repeated

Andrew Miller20-Dec-2021In the end, England found the will to fight, and dragged the Adelaide Test kicking and screaming into the floodlit session of the fifth and final day. But for all that their 113.1 overs of resistance encouraged a few fleeting thoughts of survival, their all-out total of 192 told a more realistic tale.Not only was it the lowest total of the match, and fewer runs even than England’s eventual margin of defeat, it was also the 11th time in 27 innings this calendar year that England had been bowled out for less than 200.It’s an extraordinary collective failing, especially when you consider that Joe Root, England’s captain, has twice made more runs than that in a single innings this year, en route to his stellar haul of 1630 at 62.69.But with the Boxing Day Test looming in six days’ time, and England already 2-0 down in the Ashes having lost in Australia for the 11th time in 12 matches, Root knows that the lessons of these opening two Tests must be absorbed urgently if they are to avoid this tour heading in the same bleak direction as each of its two predecessors.Related

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• Australia reassert age-old dominance of England at home

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• Joe Root's prove the toughest nuts to crack as Australia close in

“I’m actually very proud of the way that the guys fought today,” Root insisted. “The attitude, the desire – that’s how we need to go about whole Test matches. You can’t just leave it to the last day and expect to pull off an enormous feat, which is what it would have been today.”After the agonies, literal and otherwise, of his final-over dismissal on the fourth evening, Root was particularly pleased for Jos Buttler, England’s embattled wicketkeeper, whose glaring errors behind the stumps had been compounded by his duck in the first innings.Buttler avoided a pair on the final day when his counterpart, Alex Carey, blemished an otherwise superb display by failing to react to an early edge off Mitchell Starc, but seized on that let-off with a doughty 26 from 207 balls – the second-longest innings of his career, behind his century against Pakistan in 2020.”Jos’s innings was outstanding,” Root said, “ably supported by others, Woakesy [Chris Woakes] in particular. But ultimately that is the attitude and the mentality that we have to harness for five days if we’re going to win here.”The disappointing thing about this week is that we made the same mistakes as last week,” Root added. “We just can’t afford to do that. That’s going to be the most frustrating thing about this game, looking back.”Buttler’s innings ended in bizarre fashion, as he stepped back to steer Jhye Richardson into the covers and trod on his own wicket, 12 balls into the final session of the game. And while Root admitted that the team had been “devastated for him” after such a committed effort, he said that the strength of character Buttler had shown was reminiscent of his crucial half-century in the 2019 World Cup final – the sort of big-game mentality for which he had been recalled to the Test team in the first place.”Anyone that can handle a World Cup final – read the situation of the game, and be as composed as he was throughout that – can manage situations like this one within a Test match,” Root said. “He should gain a huge amount of confidence from the way he played today, not just in performing out here in these conditions but in his defence. Hopefully he can take a lot from this into the rest of this series.”Joe Root reflects on another heavy defeat•PA Images via Getty ImagesWhile England’s batting was a recognised concern coming into this Test, Root acknowledged that the bowling had been every bit as culpable in Australia’s first innings. Despite reuniting England’s senior seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad with a view to exploiting the purported movement of the pink ball, the lengths from all of England’s five quicks were consistently too short to target Australia’s outside edges, as they racked up a formidable 473 for 9 declared.”We need to be braver, and we need to get the ball up there,” Root said. “We were a little bit short with the ball. We didn’t challenge them enough, and they left very well again, which was something that they did in Brisbane as well.”Having witnessed Australia’s success with a fuller length in their own first innings of 236, England’s quicks fared better second time around, particularly on the fourth morning when three wickets tumbled in the first hour. “That’s almost the benchmark for us,” Root said. “We need to look at those passages of play, and do them for longer, and exploit the conditions as well as we did in that period of the game.”Overall, however, England were outbatted, outbowled, and outfielded on a consistent basis from the first ball to last.”That’s the game,” Root said. “You have to be able to put the ball in the right areas for long enough, you have to be able to score big runs, and when you create those chances you have to take them.”I think the frustration within our dressing room is that we did not quite execute very basic things well enough for the second game in a row. First of all, we need to learn, and we need to learn fast. We can’t make the same mistakes that we have done so far.”Despite the 2-0 scoreline, and the knowledge that no England team has ever fought back from such a deficit to win the Ashes, Root remained adamant that all is not lost, and that the gulf between the teams need not be as big as it has seemed in the first two Tests.”With the bat, we have got the ability,” he said. “I don’t think that Australia are that much better than us in these conditions. We are better than how we’ve played and we’ll front up in Melbourne, and put in a performance which is a fairer reflection of the ability in our dressing-room.”We’ve got three massive games with the Ashes on the line now. And if that’s not motivation enough to go there and put performances in, I don’t know what is.”

The Tigers have some decisions to make, none bigger than the organization’s plans for back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

Does Detroit go all in on making a World Series push in Skubal’s last year before he hits free agency? Make a trade now to garner assets should the big righthander decide to walk, perhaps? Or, can the Tigers try to extend him although he’s likely to see the richest contract ever for a pitcher next offseason?

Quite the conundrum, which Tigers brass have been close to silent on when asked. President of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings and although he would not discuss the Skubal rumors directly, he provided an interesting response when asked about the organization’s strategy regarding outside offers with a decision ahead.

“The clearest way I can answer that is I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level,” Harris said via MLB Network. “It’s not a commentary on Tarik, it’s more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better, which means that I need to listen to every opportunity no matter how likely or unlikely it is to actually happen. I got to listen because we got to get better as an organization. That’s our approach, we don’t have everything figured out, but it’s led to a ton of success in a very short period of time.”

Harris was asked about Skubal’s future directly, where he wouldn’t discuss or speculate on trades for his ace or any other players. You can listen to his comments in full below:

He left plenty open for interpretation, but the fact that the Tigers will listen to trade offers surrounding Skubal (or any player for that matter) will make some ears perk up. That doesn’t mean Detroit will deal debatably the best pitcher in baseball, but the front office won’t hang up as Skubal consistently hears his name in rumors.

The Tigers have made the playoffs two years in a row and dealing the dominant ace would certainly change things heading into next season. A move that sends Skubal elsewhere would be shocking and a tough pill for Tigers fans to swallow. But, as he enters his last season under team control, letting Skubal walk for nothing but draft compensation would be tough to swallow, too.

With only one year left on his deal, it’s tough to see Skubal netting a massive haul on the trade market. However, maybe another team is willing to give up a considerable amount to bring in one of baseball’s premier starters if there’s a strong chance of retaining him once his contract expires.

Whether Skubal is truly available remains to be seen. What’s certain, though, is Harris will listen once the phone rings.

Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action once again this evening as they prepare to welcome Dundee to Parkhead for Martin O’Neill’s last game in charge.

The 73-year-old manager has confirmed that the match will be his last as the interim boss before Wilfried Nancy is in post ahead of the clash with Hearts at the weekend.

Celtic won 2-1 away at Hibernian in his final away game in the dugout for the Hoops, but the experienced Northern Irishman may want to make some changes to the starting line-up from that win.

Celtic's best performers against Hibernian

Among the players who should keep their place in the XI after that game against Hibs is goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who only gave possession away 11 times from 54 touches and saved all three of the shots against him from open play, per Sofascore.

Celtic’s number one made a couple of impressive close-range saves towards the end of the game and completed all three of his run-outs to clear the ball to preserve all three points, whilst it would be incredibly harsh to criticise him for not saving Martin Boyle’s penalty.

The two goalscorers, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels, should also retain their positions in the line-up, along with Reo Hatate and Hyun-jun Yang, who set up the goals.

Whilst Yang was not officially credited with an assist for Engels’ goal, the clip above clearly shows that it was his cross that was slightly deflected into the Belgian’s path.

Liam Scales, despite being harshly penalised for a handball, should also keep his place after winning eight of his 12 duels, per Sofascore, and completing 95% of his attempted passes.

Meanwhile, there were a couple of players whose performances may lead to them dropping out of the line-up, including right-sided attacker Luke McCowan, who should be dropped this evening.

Why O'Neill should drop McCowan today

The Scottish central midfielder has been utilised on the right wing in recent weeks, in the absence of any natural options in that position, and he started there against Hibernian on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the left-footed star was unable to deliver a high-quality performance to suggest that he deserves to keep his place in the team heading into O’Neill’s final game against Dundee.

McCowan, who was signed from Dundee in the summer of 2024, played the opening 63 minutes of the clash with Hibernian, before the manager opted to bring Benjamin Nygren on out wide.

Minutes

63

Touches

34

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Goals + assists

0

Duels won

1/4

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop had fewer touches in the game than Schmeichel, a goalkeeper, and failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.

The experienced midfielder also lost 75% of his physical duels in the win, per Sofascore, which shows that he found the physicality of the game a bit too much to deal with whilst playing on the right wing.

McCowan provided quality on a regular basis in the final third in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals and eight assists in 36 league outings for Dundee and Celtic combined, but he has been unable to carry that into the current season.

The Hoops midfielder has not provided an assist in the Premiership since O’Neill’s first game in charge against Falkirk, and his only goal of the league season came against St Mirren on the opening day at the start of August.

This shows that McCowan has not provided much of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants in recent months, which may be why the experiment of playing him on the wing has not been too successful.

It is also why O’Neill should ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for tonight’s clash with his former club, opening the door for Nygren to start on the wing instead of in central midfield.

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This Celtic flop is the first player who should be sold by incoming manager Wilfried Nancy in January.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

The Sweden international has scored seven goals in all competitions for Celtic this season, including five in the Premiership, per Sofascore, and he may carry more of a threat than McCowan did from the start against Hibernian on Sunday.

The Sheffield Shield leaders were blown away in the night session after Bartlett had also made vital runs

AAP25-Nov-2025

Xavier Bartlett had an excellent day with bat and ball•Getty Images

Queensland quicks Xavier Bartlett and Gurinder Sandhu starred with bat and ball to secure a seven-wicket win over previously undefeated Victoria.Bartlett struck a bold and brisk 72 off 91 deliveries, his highest first-class score, before bowling with venom and control to claim 4 for 35 on day three of the day-night pink-ball clash at the Gabba.Related

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Player of the match Sandhu, who had made 33 in a 69-run eighth wicket stand with Bartlett, bowled a magnificent spell highlighted by three wickets in one over where he removed the dangerous Matt Short and then Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland for ducks.The tall right-arm seamer got the ball to talk under lights and his 5 for 23 was just reward for what was a lethal exhibition of pace in the top of the table Sheffield Shield showdown.Queensland resumed day three on 352 for 7 before a fierce storm took the players off. They were all out for 430, a first innings lead of 112, before ripping through Victoria for just 143.Victoria were 114 for 4 before Bartlett and Sandhu ignited a collapse with the last six wickets falling for just 29 runs.The drama wasn’t over as Queensland lost three quick wickets before reaching their target after the umpires extended play beyond 10.30pm (AEST). That was after an hour had already been added for the rain delay.  The match finished at 10.46pm, the latest Queensland officials could remember in the past 20 years.Bartlett was full of appreciation for Sandhu after the win.”He’s obviously a seasoned campaigner and knows how to keep his cool. That was probably one thing that sticks out when we were batting and bowling together,” Bartlett told AAP. “It was an amazing spell from him, the triple-wicket maiden was unbelievable.”I love bowling with him. He always keeps the scoreboard down and creates pressure and that makes my job at the other end easier. I love my batting too and try and add wherever I can in all facets of the game, so I want to keep improving that.”Burgeoning allrounder Bartlett, fresh from scoring 50 against Western Australia, struck seven boundaries and one towering six over midwicket in an innings that justified his No. 7 position in the batting order.He made 57 in the corresponding day-night match against Victoria last season, displaying the batting acumen that he has fine-tuned in club cricket for Gold Coast Dolphins, where he has scored centuries.It was with the ball that Bartlett fired up after he was the last man out. He dismissed Campbell Kellaway with a leg-side strangle before a cracking late swinging delivery trapped Peter Handscomb in front.His opening spell of 2 for 10 off seven overs, with four maidens, showcased the high quality seam that has made him one of Australia’s standout performers in ODI and T20Is.Victoria slumped to 11 for 3 in the twilight zone when batting was at its most difficult. Marcus Harris summed up how tough batting was when he went to the short break on 2 from 47 deliveries. He was given a working over by Sandhu, who eventually dismissed him for a torturous 14.

After returning to club action following the final international break of 2025, Liverpool needed to find a remedy for their issues.

A defeat to Manchester City two weeks ago is hardly something to be ashamed about, but after consecutive wins across league and European action, it was a return to the doldrums of the previous month.

In truth, Arne Slot’s men have been way off it in 2025/26. The Anfield outfit are severely lagging behind in the race for the Premier League title and they can probably already forget about any hopes of retaining England’s biggest prize, but for a major miracle.

The nadir of the campaign so far came on Saturday. Nottingham Forest, sat inside the relegation places, visited Mersyeside and swatted aside Slot’s troops with ease, winning 3-0.

It was a ghastly defeat and one that was epitomised by the performance of club-record signing Alexander Isak.

The issues behind Alexander Isak

2025 has been a peculiar old year for Mr Isak. He began the year in career-best form and took Newcastle United to a Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley against his new employers.

Yet, he ruined his legacy. He chewed it up and spat it back in the faces of Newcastle supporters.

He didn’t go on the club’s pre-season tour in Asia and from that moment he was never seen in first-team training again.

Isak trained on his own at Newcastle’s complex and then after missing the opening weeks of the season, finally got his British record move to Liverpool. FSG shelled out a jaw-dropping £125m to sign him but he has not been worth that fee in the slightest.

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The Swede has struggled with fitness and injury since moving, hardly surprising given he didn’t have a proper pre-season. That, however, is the player’s fault and he’s now paying the price.

The striker has now played nine games for his new side but has only scored once, a solitary goal in the EFL Cup.

He’s gone five Premier League matches without scoring and all four of his Liverpool starts in top-flight action have ended in defeat.

His performance against Forest on Saturday was the epitome of what he’s gone through on Merseyside to date.

As Slot’s side lost 3-0, Isak was nowhere to be seen. BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty described his afternoon as a “symbol of one of the most limp Anfield displays in recent years.”

As a consequence, the attacker only lasted 68 minutes on the pitch, amassing just 14 touches of the football and winning zero of his duels.

Isak vs Forest
Minutes played	68
Touches	14
Accurate passes	5/7 (71%)
Key passes	1
Successful dribbles	0
Shots	1
Shots on target	0
Ground duels won	0
Aerial duels won	0
Stats via Sofascore.

Before this game had even taken place Liverpool correspondent David Lynch had suggested the Swede was “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did”. Still, while Nunez never really got up to speed, there is a belief that Isak will eventually come good.

The same cannot be said for someone who plays further back than Isak.

Liverpool star is becoming this season's Darwin Nunez

What a puzzling character Mr Nunez was. The Uruguayan arrived in a £85m move from Benfica back in June 2022 but failed to ever really set the world alight.

He missed a catalogue of big chances. In January 2024, he set a Premier League record when he hit the woodwork four times in one game against Chelsea. No one has ever hit the bar or post on as many occasions in one match as that.

Furthermore, back in 2023/24, only Erling Haaland (34) missed more big chances than Nunez (27) in the top-flight. The trouble is, while the Norwegian powerhouse scored 27 that term, Liverpool’s leading number nine only found the net on 11 occasions in league action.

Then, last season, the South American netted just seven goals in 47 fixtures, prompting his exit from English football. He has since moved to Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal, where he has netted five times in nine appearances.

Isak will likely have a better Anfield career than that, but he is arguably not the main scapegoat right now. That honour is in the hands of Ibrahima Konate.

The Frenchman, as Nunez did, has become the but of the jokes at Anfield this term and is the most under-fire player in Slot’s squad.

Yes, Florian Wirtz and Isak continue to disappoint, a huge problem given their price tags, but Konate has had one too many chances now and his Liverpool career is heading in a similar way to a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season and with Real Madrid allegedly chasing his services, it looks like the best option for all parties that he leaves on a free transfer.

Liverpool would love a fee, of course they would, but they just need to get him off their books now. He’s simply too error-prone. It’s not just one error either, something football analyst Raj Chohan outlined on social media during Saturday’s game.

Having made a dreadful mistake, beaten all ends up by Forest striker Igor Jesus, the Frenchman was extremely thankful that the goal that followed that sequence of events was ruled out for handball.

Writing afterwards, Chohan simply said, “every time he makes one error, he makes multiple.”

Tactical writer Dharnish Iqbal, further noted that Konate’s form at the moment is “shocking”, outlining him as one of the biggest problems at Slot’s disposal right now.

According to the official data, supplied by Sofascore, he has made three mistakes leading to a shot in league action alone this term. In the Champions League, he has made a further one. This is particularly bad as in the whole of the 2024/25 Premier League season, he made two. He’s already up to that number now from 12 starts.

He might not be like Nunez in the sense that he’s a striker, but he’s the new club scapegoat, and like Nunez, he needs to leave as soon as possible.

Worse than Konate: Slot must drop 2/10 Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels

Ibrahima Konate was not the only culprit during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

2

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Matt Dawson

Nov 23, 2025

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil has been shut down from throwing for at least six weeks with a high-grade lat strain, manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Monday.

The Yankees are still gathering information on the injury for Gil before announcing a definitive timeline of return for their 26-year-old right-hander.

Gil made 29 starts last season for the Yankees, and went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 136.0 innings pitched.

Gil is expected to be a significant part of the New York rotation when he returns in his second full season at the big league level. Gil had previously started six games in the 2021 season, and made one start in '22.

In '23, he was a key starter in New York's run to represent the American League in the World Series.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed the departure of head coach Russell Martin on Sunday night after the Ibrox side failed to win for a sixth time in seven Scottish Premiership matches.

The former Scotland international only won five of his 17 matches in charge of Rangers, losing six times, and departs with the the Light Blues sat eighth in the league table.

Martin simply did not get enough wins on the board to win the Ibrox crowd over during his short tenure in Glasgow, which left the club to make a decision this early into the season.

Title-winning manager keen on Rangers job

The attention now turns to his successor. Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart must find a manager who is a better fit at Ibrox to get the season back on track.

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According to Football Insider, Steven Gerrard would jump at the chance to make a ‘sensational’ return to Glasgow to manage Rangers for a second time.

The report claims that the Light Blues will discuss a potential move for the out-of-work English manager when they sit down to identify a long-term replacement for Martin.

It adds that Gerrard is one of the ‘leading’ candidates for the job at this moment in time, although the outlet does not name any of the other contenders for the role.

Stewart and Thelwell could win the fans back over and get Ibrox rocking again by swooping to bring the Liverpool legend back to the club for a second stint in the dugout.

Why Steven Gerrard would get Ibrox rocking again

Rangers welcome Dundee United to Ibrox in the Premiership in the first match after the international break and the home crowd could be rocking for that clash if they see Gerrard back on the sidelines.

It could be a hero’s welcome for the English tactician around four years on from his move to Aston Villa from the Gers, which came after an incredibly successful time on the pitch.

He is, after all, a title-winner for the Light Blues. No manager has won the Premiership title for the club since he lifted the trophy at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson, and Russell Martin all failed where he succeeded.

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st (Champions)

1st

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s last 50 matches in charge of the Gers in the league were almost faultless, losing one game, as he turned the Gers into a winning machine.

The former Villa boss, once dubbed “amazing” by Glen Johnson, knows what Rangers are all about, he knows what the supporters want to see, and he knows how to win the Premiership.

Gerrard is the closest thing that the Light Blues can get to a proven manager, given his success at the club before, and that is why he could be the safest option for Stewart and Thelwell to bring in.

It is also why the club could get Ibrox rocking again for that clash with Dundee United after the international break because the fans know that he is a proven tactician who can get the team back on track, and may support and cheer for him accordingly.

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Matheus Cunha recalled his tunnel conversation with Ruben Amorim last season after starring in Wolves' 1-0 win at Old Trafford in April. Cunha eventually went on to sign for Manchester United in the summer transfer window after the English giants triggered his £62.5million ($85m) release clause. Cunha, along with Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, was brought in at Old Trafford as part of Amorim's squad overhaul.

• Cunha's impressive start

  Cunha has quickly established himself as one of United’s standout performers this season so far following his big-money summer move from Wolves. The 26-year-old Brazilian has become a fan favourite at Old Trafford, with his blend of flair, aggression, and creativity earning him comparisons to former club legend Eric Cantona. While his goalscoring numbers remain modest, with one goal in 10 games so far across all competitions, his influence on matches has been undeniable, sparking the Red Devils’ offensive setup. 

  Amorim has built his front line around Cunha and fellow new arrival Bryan Mbeumo. The Red Devils boss' tactical setup has given Cunha the freedom to roam between the lines, link play with midfielders, and exploit gaps between the defensive line. 

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  Cunha recalls conversation with Amorim

  In April this year, Cunha visited Old Trafford with the Wolves side for a Premier League clash and starred in his club's 1-0 win over the hosts as Pablo Sarabia scored the only goal of the match. After the full-time whistle, as the Brazilian was about to enter the tunnel, Amorim grabbed him and had a conversation. 

  Recalling the discussion with the Portuguese manager, Cunha told : "He said, ‘Hey, take care today. What do you feel about the stadium? After the first game, Wolves against United [on Boxing Day], it was a good moment to feel like we have this connection. Wolves is very passionate. We discussed a little bit in the game and he [said] something to me. 

  "And then I said: 'Hey, take care of that thing!' or something like that. He’s someone that pushes us forward. This is the most important thing to be a coach in this big environment. The results start to come much more now. But personally, he’s someone that can show you the energy and then the passion to be part of his team and do the things for him, for the club and to show what you can do to be better. He’s someone who’s very passionate about his job. Someone who I feel is privileged to be the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world and he shows us this. He shows us our responsibility to use this shirt and then show everyone what is to be part of Manchester United. Every single day he’s with me is a little bit more intense! But I know 100 per cent it’s because he wants to get out my best and then show everyone what I think he knows I can do."

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• Cunha responds to comparison with Cantona

  Last month, former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock said Cunha has "got the aura of Cantona". Responding to the comparison with a club great, the Brazil international said: "Wow, what a player. I need to do much more things to be compared to him. When someone says something like this to me, I try to see the good part of this. To be someone who has a lot of passion to play for this club, to play football – and then try to represent everyone inside of the pitch. I feel privileged to be associated with these kind of things and with Cantona also. He made history. And if I can do a little percentage of what he did already, I’ll be very happy and then try to build my way to the guys to remember me also. I’m new at the club. I’m new in terms of the look, all the other performances from the past. Everything for me is new. So I have only my mind in bringing back the United glory days."

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  United's Tottenham test

  United saw a sudden surge in form since October as they have remained unbeaten in their last four league matches, including three back-to-back wins against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. They faltered against Nottingham Forest last weekend after being held to a 2-2 draw. Amorim's side will aim to get back to winning ways this Saturday as they take on Tottenham in a key away fixture. 

U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss three to five months after sustaining an Achilles injury, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday. The injury is believed to have occurred Thursday in a Europa League match against Sturm Graz. The injury could jeopardize Carter-Vickers' changes of making the USMNT World Cup roster.

• AFP
  

  'We wanted to take off Cameron'

  Carter-Vickers complained about having pain in the match, Rodgers said, but the manager ran out of substitutions and elected to keep the defender on the pitch while Celtic was clinging to a one-goal lead. 

  "We wanted to take off Cameron, but we could only make one substitution in the second half. Ideally, we would have taken him off," Rodgers said after the match.

  On Friday, he told Sky Sports he expects Carter-Vickers to miss significant time. 

  "He looks like he's done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months," he said. "We just await confirmation of that, but it's not great news."

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  World Cup chances take a hit

  Carter-Vickers was competing with FC Cincinnati's Miles Robinson and Toulouse's Mark McKenzie for the U.S. third centerback spot. With the 27-year-old now expected to miss significant time, it could impact his chances of making Pochettino's squad for next year's World Cup. 

  Carter-Vicker has 18 USMNT caps and was included on the 2022 World Cup roster in Qatar. While he was on the October roster, he hasn't played under Pochettino with the USMNT.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Next up, Trusty?

  Another U.S. international defender, Auston Trusty, also plays for Celtic and is expected to return to the Scottish giants in the near future. Carter-Vickers' injury will likely mean more defensive responsibility for the former MLS star. Trusty has recently discussed wanting to get another shot with the USMNT after not being called up in months. 

  "I will do anything possible to be on that team and be a player of that magnitude and be the guy for the U.S.," Trusty told GOAL. "I know I can do it. I've shown it. And it's just about getting opportunities. When I get the opportunity, I thrive in it. When I get the opportunity, it's game over." 

  Trusty has four appearances with the national team.

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• Looking ahead

  Carter-Vickers' injury comes at a difficult time for Celtic, who have a potentially season-defining match ahead against surprise league leaders Hearts on Sunday. The Edinborough side leads the Bhoys by five points, and Rodgers needs three points to keep the team in the title race – which also has Champions League implications as well. 

You could forgive Liverpool supporters for having been concerned that Jurgen Klopp’s departure in the summer of 2024 would lead to a period of decline at Anfield.

The German led the club back to glory during his spell that lasted more than nine years, winning the Premier League and the Champions League during his tenure.

You only have to look at Arsenal and Manchester United since the departures of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson to see how an exit like that can be tough to recover from, as neither of those clubs have won a Premier League title without Wenger or Ferguson.

However, Arne Slot arrived from Feyenoord to replace Klopp in the dugout and hit the ground running by winning the league title in his first year at Anfield.

The Dutch head coach was a breath of fresh air in the Premier League last season with his side’s gung-ho approach to matches. They were incredibly fun to watch.

One of the players who has benefitted the most from the managerial change from Klopp to Slot is defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has been transformed over the past 18 months or so.

How Arne Slot saved Ryan Gravenberch's Liverpool career

Liverpool signed the Netherlands international from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 to bolster their options in the middle of the park, but he endured a frustrating first season at Anfield.

Gravenberch only started 12 of his 26 appearances in the Premier League under Klopp and mainly played as the left-sided central midfielder, tasked with getting forward to support the attack.

It was a role that did not suit the Dutch midfielder and his performances in that position led to his future at Anfield being thrown into doubt. Turkish giants Galatasaray were even linked with a move for his services in April 2024.

However, Slot’s arrival at the club later that summer saved Gravenberch’s career at the club, because the head coach correctly profiled where he would be best, at the base of the midfield as a number six.

Appearances (starts)

26 (12)

37 (37)

Pass accuracy

83%

89%

Assists

0

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.5

3.4

Clearances per game

0.4

1.5

Ground duel success rate

47%

56%

Aerial duel success rate

42%

65%

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman started all 37 of his appearances in the Premier League after being moved to a defensive midfield role, and his statistics show that it was a tactical move that paid off in a big way.

Gravenberch started all 49 of his appearances in the 2024/25 campaign for the Reds and earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year for his performances as a number six.

The 23-year-old star looks set to be a key player for Slot and Liverpool for many more years to come, after a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign with two goals and two assists so far, per Sofascore.

As well as having the man himself, Liverpool also have an impressive teenage central midfielder who has the potential to be a homegrown version of Gravenberch in the future.

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Trey Nyoni started in the middle of the park for the Reds against Championship side Southampton on Tuesday night and the contrast in his performance in the first half to the second half was akin to Gravenberch’s development throughout his career at Anfield.

Why Trey Nyoni may be Liverpool's next number eight

As an academy graduate who plays in central midfield, the 18-year-old star may have his eyes set on grabbing the number eight shirt from Dominik Szoboszlai in the future.

The Hungary international is the star who currently wears it, but it was academy graduate Steven Gerrard who really gave it meaning with his 186 goals in 710 matches for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Nyoni has mainly donned the number eight shirt at youth level for Liverpool, which suggests that he is a fan of the number, and as a homegrown talent from the academy, he may want to emulate even a small percentage of what Gerrard achieved with the number eight shirt at Anfield.

Despite this, it is the number six position where Nyoni’s future may lie after what he showed on the pitch against Southampton in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

The England U19 international started the game as a number ten behind Alexander Isak, but did not look suited to playing that position. However, when Curtis Jones came off for Conor Bradley after 57 minutes, Nyoni dropped deeper and took control of the game.

Minutes

90

Pass accuracy

96%

Passes completed

43/45

Key passes

0

Duels won

2/4

Clearances

3

Blocks

1

Tackles + interceptions

3

Dribbled past per game

0x

As you can see in the table above, his statistics looked much more like what you would expect from a defensive midfielder than a number ten, playmaker, type.

Nyoni did not register any shots on target or create any chances for his team whilst playing as a number ten, but his defensive contributions and reliability as a passer when dropped into a deep-lying role proved that he has a future as a number six.

As Liverpool-focused writer Lewis Bower noted after the match, the 18-year-old talent looked far more “influential” when he dropped into a deeper midfield position, rather than as an attacking midfielder.

His metronomic passing in the middle of the park coupled with his defensive strength suggests that he may have the potential to develop into the next Gravenberch in the future, as he is five years younger than the Dutchman.

Gravenberch’s Liverpool career took lift-off after being moved from an attacking or central midfield position to being a number six. Nyoni’s attributes suggest that a similar positional change could forge a future for him in the first-team at Anfield.

That could, therefore, set him on his path to earn the number eight shirt at Liverpool, as he looks to follow in Gerrard’s footsteps from the academy to first-team fame.

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