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Manchester United and INEOS are now reportedly stalling on a new contract for Kobbie Mainoo, as doubts over his Old Trafford future continue.

Mainoo’s fall from grace has been sad to see of late, considering the midfielder emerged has one of the most emerging youth products in years with the Red Devils, even starting for England at Euro 2024 last year.

The 20-year-old has been limited to just 138 minutes of Premier League action across seven cameo appearances this season, with Ruben Amorim not considering him a key man.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Mainoo, but journalist Simon Stone gave his thoughts earlier this week, suggesting his time at Old Trafford may still have legs.

Mainoo contract talks stall with transfer ruled out

Now, speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke provided an update on Mainoo’s Manchester United future, claiming talks over a new deal have stalled with INEOS, but that they won’t let him leave.

“I’m sure it’s (handing Mainoo a new contract) something that Man United would definitely be interested in doing. They’ve been in talks with Mainoo for a while now over a new contract. Suggestions are now that contract talks have been put on hold because of his uncertain future at Old Trafford.

“We know Mainoo was interested in a move away in the summer window as he knew he wasn’t going to be playing in Ruben Amorim’s side. I don’t think he’s started a Premier League game so far this season.

“For United, on their part, they don’t really want to lose Kobbie Mainoo, and that’s why they blocked the move in the summer window and obviously I think they’d be reluctant to let him go in January as well because United want to be competing in that top four, if they can.”

To lose Mainoo so early in his career would be a negative for United, given his vast potential, so the hope is that Amorim and INEOS’ stance on him changes.

Granted, he has endured a year of struggles, not helped by injury problems, but he is a special young footballer with the natural ability to be a star, as he has already shown in his career.

Antoine Semenyo chooses between Man Utd and Liverpool

What a signing this could be…

1 ByHenry Jackson Nov 22, 2025

Hopefully, a contract extension is agreed, but ultimately, if the manager and the club don’t value Mainoo enough, a move away could be best for everyone, sad as it would be.

49ers keen on signing Man Utd star Kobbie Mainoo for Leeds

The current international break came at the worst time for West Ham United.

After weeks of poor performances, Nuno Espírito Santo had finally got a tune out of the East Londoners.

First, they blew away a talented Newcastle United side 3-1, and then a week later picked up another three points by beating Burnley 3-2.

These back-to-back Premier League wins have given the fanbase genuine reasons to be optimistic, as they were not lucky victories, but hard-fought and thoroughly deserved.

It finally feels like Nuno has his feet under the table at the London Stadium, and as a result, fears of a possible relegation are starting to dissipate.

However, the Premier League can be unforgiving, so West Ham must maintain their upward trajectory and the board need to back the manager in the winter window. If they do, this could be Nuno’s dream lineup at the end of January.

1

GK – Alphonse Areola

While it would have been a surprise at the start of the season, it should come as no surprise now that, keeping his place between the sticks is Alphonse Areola.

Unlike the Dane signed to replace him in the summer, the Frenchman has been pretty reliable since coming back into the team, and while he might not be the long-term answer, he’s more than good enough to spend another season in goal for the Hammers.

After all, he’s already made 108 appearances for the club, what’s another 27?

2

RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Keeping his place at right-back, so long as he’s fit, is Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Now, Kyle Walker-Peters has done reasonably well since joining the club in the summer, but at his best, the former Manchester United ace is a more competent defender and has become more adept at getting forward over the last few years.

He was also the club’s Hammer of the Year just last season.

3

CB – Axel Disasi

Now, moving on to the first new face in the team, and before the pitchforks and torches come out, Axel Disasi, who has previously been touted for a £25m move to the London Stadium, could be an excellent signing for the Hammers.

Yes, he has failed to establish himself at Chelsea, but before that, he was one of Ligue 1’s best centre-backs and was even compared to Virgil van Dijk by respected talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Moreover, under a manager like Nuno, who doesn’t like to leave his defenders isolated, the Frenchman might be able to rediscover some of the form that first earned him his move to the Premier League.

4

CB – Charlie Cresswell

Alongside Disasi is the second signing: Charlie Cresswell.

He might not be a familiar name to English fans at the moment, but he certainly will be in a few years from now, as not only is he doing incredibly well for Toulouse in Ligue 1, but he was also a key part of the England u21 side that won the Euros this summer.

Described as a “proper leader at the back” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the former Leeds United gem has also been described as being a bit “like a Thiago Silva” by European football expert Andy Brassell, who highlighted the fact that he “got real smarts about him.”

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old is gaining plenty of attention at the moment, and while it won’t be easy to sign him, reports suggest the Hammers could get the job done for around £15m.

5

LB – El Hadji Malick Diouf

Back to a familiar face and keeping his place at left-back is, of course, El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The all-action full-back joined the Hammers from Slavia Prague in the summer, and while he can be a little frustrating defensively, he is unreal when it comes to the offensive side of the game.

For example, he has already racked up three assists in just 12 appearances, and really could have more if his teammates were able to finish better earlier in the campaign.

6

CM – Freddie Potts

Moving into the middle of the park and onto someone who has to now be one of the first names on the team sheet: Freddie Potts.

The academy graduate was finally handed his first competitive start for West Ham against Newcastle United, and to say he delivered would be a massive understatement.

He put in a man-of-the-match performance that saw him cover practically every blade of grass, snuff out Toon attacks and kickstart ones for his own side.

It was more of the same a week later against Burnley, and while it is still early on, it feels like the Hammers have themselves a future superstar in Potts.

7

CM – Mateus Fernandes

There are a few options Nuno could go with for the position alongside Potts, but based on the last two games, it really has to be Mateus Fernandes.The Portuguese midfielder had a bit of a slow start to life in East London following his £40m move from Southampton in the summer, but over the last few weeks, he has started showing the fans just what he can do.Capable of helping out with the defensive side of the game, but just as able to play defence-splitting”KDB-type passes,”in the words of Mattinson, the 21-year-old could be a real game-changer for the Hammers as the season goes on.

8

CAM – Lucas Paqueta

To nobody’s surprise, Lucas Paqueta keeps his place as the most advanced of the midfielders.

Despite talk around his future, the former Lyon ace has looked back to his best in recent games and scored his fourth goal of the campaign against Newcastle.

He might be frustrating at times, but West Ham are undeniably a weaker team without him in it.

9

RW – Jarrod Bowen

The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Jarrod Bowen starts for West Ham United.

The former Hull City star is the club’s talisman, the most beloved player to wear the shirt in a very long time, and, most importantly, a sensational goalscoring, game-changing winger.

Despite the team’s poor form last season, the Englishman was still able to rack up an incredible tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3148 minutes.

That came out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

Bowen’s West Ham Record
Appearances	250
Minutes	19971′
Goals	77
Assists	53
Goal Involvements per Match	0.52
Minutes per Goal Involvement	153.62′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

So far this year, the 28-year-old has already scored three goals and provided two assists in just 12 games, and now that the team seem to have turned a corner, he’ll probably become even more productive.

10

ST – Lucas Stassin

The final signing in the team is Saint-Étienne’s Belgian goal machine, Lucas Stassin.

According to one report, the Hammers might be able to sign the 20-year-old for a fee of €30m, which is about £27m, and while that is a lot, it would almost certainly be worth it.

For example, despite being so young, he racked up an impressive tally of 14 goals and eight assists in just 34 appearances last year, and has already produced seven goal involvements in 13 games this year.

That sort of return would make him an instant upgrade on the still useful but injury-prone Callum Wilson and the ideal replacement for Niclas Füllkrug, who has made it clear he wants out in January.

Surrey 147 and 226 for 6 (Albert 61*, Abbott 4-51) lead Hampshire 248 (Washington 56) by 124 runsSurrey lost their grasp on the Rothesay County Championship trophy for the first time in 1100 days, but saw a glimpse into their future as Ralphie Albert took centre stage against Hampshire.Nottinghamshire confirmed themselves as champions midway through the evening to end Surrey’s three-season dynasty as red-ball kings. But Albert, the 17-year-old grandson of snooker icon Jimmy White, celebrated his first two first-class wickets before picking up a maiden fifty to give Surrey a chance of sending Hampshire to Division Two.The England Under 19 allrounder bowled Scott Currie and caught and bowled Kyle Abbott in the morning as Hampshire claimed a 101 first-innings lead. He then struck 61 not out during a 97-run stand with Dan Lawrence in the evening – Surrey ended the day with a 124 lead, with Hampshire needing to at least match Durham’s result to avoid relegation.After 13 wickets had fallen on the first day, on a pitch sympathetic but not overwhelmingly so for the bowlers, the second day began with a similar tone. Toby Albert couldn’t be blamed for edging a Matt Fisher in-ducker to first slip, before fellow overnight batter Ben Brown was plumb lbw three balls later.Fisher had immediately swung the momentum of the match, and gave Hampshire the relegation jitters again. Those weren’t helped when Liam Dawson swished outside his off stump three overs later but Washington Sundar and James Fuller corrected things with patience and runs.The pair put on 62 to flesh out Hampshire’s lead, but it proved the last resistance as spin went through the tail. Indian legspinner Rahul Chahar picked up his first Championship wicket when Fuller slog-swept to deep square, before Albert thudded one into Currie’s off stump.Washington waved his bat on an 89-ball fifty, but Abbott was caught and bowled before the India allrounder picked out deep midwicket off his compatriot, with Hampshire two runs shy of a batting bonus point.That near miss shouldn’t impact Hampshire’s chances of staying in Division One, with Durham also narrowly failing to get to 350, meaning that as long as Hampshire match Durham’s result they will stay up.A victory would be the most straightforward method of securing their status, and Brad Wheal appeared to be fast-forwarding his side there with two quick wickets. Rory Burns’ batting for the season was ended when he edged a good ball to first slip, before Ryan Patel hooked straight to the deep square fielder.Abbott then took over with one of his incredible spells, taking three wickets in four overs. The South African had Dom Sibley and Ben Foakes caught behind before keeping one low to castle Ollie Sykes.But Ralphie Albert and Lawrence ground out runs on the slow pitch and made the most of a ragged Hampshire session, to head towards a position from which they could win the game. Albert largely made use of space behind the wicket, but also drove through the covers beautifully, to take himself to a second professional half-century in 68 balls.Lawrence became Abbott’s fourth notch of the innings when he was bowled, but Surrey remained six down at close, while Hampshire suffered a blow as Washington damaged his hand while fielding a ball off his own bowling.

And was India’s successful chase of 341 against Australia the highest in a Women’s World Cup?

Steven Lynch04-Nov-2025Simon Harmer recently played his 11th Test – in Pakistan, the sixth country in which he has appeared. Has anyone played in more countries over the course of their first 11 Tests? asked George Garrett from England

That’s an interesting area to explore. There are five men whose first five Tests all came in different countries: Eric Russell (England), Hasibul Hossain (Bangladesh), Avishka Gunawardene (Sri Lanka), Robin Peterson (South Africa) and Andy Balbirnie (Ireland). Of these, Eric Russell is perhaps the most notable as there were only seven teams playing Test cricket during his career in the 1960s. Hasibul only played five Tests.Nobody has played all their first six Tests in different countries, but six men have appeared in six by their seventh Test, undercutting Simon Harmer by four: Peterson and Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka), plus four Ireland players in Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector. Another Irishman, Andy McBrine, played his first nine Tests in seven different countries. Kasun Rajitha of Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf had played in eight countries by their 12th Tests. (Note that we have treated West Indies as a single country for these answers.)Was India’s total in the semi-final the highest ever made to win a World Cup match batting second? asked MS Chandrakant from India

India’s 341 for 5 to overhaul Australia’s 338 in the semi-final in Navi Mumbai last week was not only the highest score to win a women’s World Cup match batting second, but the highest in all women’s one-day internationals. The previous records were both set by Australia earlier in the tournament, when they made 331 for 7 to surpass India’s 330 in Visakhapatnam.The only higher score by a team batting second in a women’s one-day international is India’s 369 in a floodlit game in Delhi shortly before this World Cup started. It wasn’t enough, as Australia had earlier run up 412. The match aggregate of 781 runs was easily the most in a women’s ODI: the record at the time was 678 runs, by England (373 for 5) and South Africa (305) in Bristol during the 2017 World Cup; the recent semi-final beat that by one to go second.We quite often hear about batsmen having centuries in all three international formats, but what about bowlers with five-wicket hauls in all three? asked Haseeb Ahmad from Pakistan

You’re right that there seems to be less publicity for bowlers who have taken five-fors in all three international formats than for those who have scored centuries in each (31 men and five women as I write). Just 13 men have achieved this feat: the first to complete the set was Pakistan’s Umar Gul in 2009.He’s since been joined by Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka, the South Africans Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav of India, the West Indians Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph, New Zealand’s Tim Southee, Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and, most recently, Hasan Ali of Pakistan in May 2025. Three women have also done it: Jhulan Goswami of India, England’s Jenny Gunn and Australia’s Ash Gardner.Umar Gul is the first bowler to take a five-for in all three formats, in 2009•Tom Shaw/Getty ImagesWhat’s the highest partnership in which one of the batters failed to reach 100? asked Dennis Armstrong from England

The highest first-class stand in which one of the partners failed to reach 100 was one of 373, between Bert Sutcliffe (275) and Les Watt (96) for Otago’s first wicket in Auckland in Auckland in December 1950. Next comes the 358 of Darren Lehmann (339) and Michael Lumb (98) for Yorkshire’s fourth wicket against Durham at Headingley in September 2006. At Brisbane in November 1968 Western Australia’s Derek Chadwick, who died recently, ended up with 91 after an opening stand of 328 with Colin Milburn, whose 243 included an astonishing 181 runs between lunch and tea.The Test record is a fifth-wicket stand of 322 between Brian Lara (213) and Jimmy Adams (94) for West Indies against Australia at Kingston in March 1999.The highest team total in a Test is 952 runs, the lowest is zero. What is the lowest score not yet scored? asked Barrie Henton from England

Surprisingly perhaps, no Test innings so far has ended at a total of 18. Apart from that, the lowest score at which an innings has never ended in a Test is 597 (there’s a 596 and two 598s). No side has ever been bowled out for 525, but South Africa made 525 for 8 declared against New Zealand at Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in January 2013. The highest team total not yet made in men’s ODIs is 379, while in T20 internationals it’s 249 (250 and 251 are also blank). No T20I innings, whether complete or not, has yet ended at 22 (or 1, 3, 5, 8, 9 or 20).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

The India batter said she did not know until very late that she was going in at No. 3 in a high-pressure chase

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2025

Jemimah Rodrigues was emotional after taking India to victory•ICC/Getty Images

On a historic night in Navi Mumbai, Jemimah Rodrigues said her match-winning hundred in a world-record chase to dethrone reigning champions Australia and secure India’s place in the World Cup final felt “like a dream” after enduring a difficult month filled with “a lot of anxiety”.”Today was not about my 50 or my 100, today was just about making India win,” an emotional Rodrigues said after accepting her Player of the Match award, having been dropped for India’s league game against England. “I knew I got a few chances, but I just felt God scripted everything. I believe if you do the right things, with right intentions, he always blesses. I feel everything that happened was just a set-up for this. It was really hard, this last whole month. It just feels like a dream and it hasn’t sunk in yet.”India chased down a target of 339, the highest successful chase in the women’s game, and Rodrigues was on the field for nearly all of it, having entered at No. 3 in the second over. She finished unbeaten on 127 off 134 balls as India won with five wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. Rodrigues revealed she didn’t know until very late that she was going to bat at No. 3.”I thought I was going to bat at No. 5,” she said. “I was taking a shower and when the discussion was happening, I told them ‘let me know.’ Just five minutes before entering I learnt I would be at No. 3.”But I didn’t think about me. It was not for me to prove a point, it was just to win the match for India because we have always lost in crunch situations. So I wanted to stay till the end to take us through.

“Last time [in 2022], I was dropped from this World Cup. This year I came in, I thought ‘OK, I’ll try.’ But things back-to-back just happened and I couldn’t control anything. I had amazing people around me who believed in me. I almost cried every day through this tour. I was not doing well mentally, going through a lot of anxiety. Getting dropped [against England] was another challenge to me. All I wanted to do was show up and God took care of everything.”Rodrigues was seen talking to herself all through her hundred in a high-pressure chase in exhausting conditions: “Initially I was just playing, talking to myself. But towards the end, I was quoting a scripture from the Bible because I had lost energy and I was very tired. I was drained. But the scripture says ‘just stand still, and God will fight for you.’ And that’s what I did. He fought for me.”India lost both their openers in the powerplay but Rodrigues was joined by her captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the pair put on 167 off 156 balls for the third wicket. She credited Harmanpreet and her subsequent partners for keeping her going. “When Harry di [Harmanpreet] came, all we spoke about was one good partnership. We knew runs were coming. But towards the end, I told Deepti ‘keep talking to me’, she kept encouraging me. When Richa came, she lifted me up. I am so blessed that when I cannot carry on, my team-mates encourage me to carry on. I cannot take credit for this. I know I have not done anything.About the winning moment, Rodrigues said: “It was hard but I tried to stay calm till the ball finished. At the end, when I saw ‘India win by five wickets’ I couldn’t stop myself. Navi Mumbai has always been special for me. And I couldn’t ask for anything better. I want to thank every member who chanted and cheered even when we were down.”Harmanpreet said later that Rodrigues’ “calculations” helped India stay on course in the chase, with a required run-rate of nearly 6.80 at the start.”Jemimah is someone who always wants to do really well for the team because she is someone who is always very calculative and wants to take the responsibility,” Harmanpreet said. “We always have that trust on her and today was a very special knock from her. Both of us had a very good time on the pitch. Whenever we were batting, we were just complementing each other and calculating. She was doing all the calculations there for me.”She is someone, you know, before I go [up to her when batting together], she kept telling me ‘we got five runs [in this over] we got seven runs [in this over] or [we have] two more balls left [in the over]. Before I tell her anything, she is already saying it to me.”So I think that shows how involved she is. I was just so amazed to see what she was thinking and how she was even pushing myself. So I think we should give lots of credit to her – the way she kept her nerves and held her nerves to keep batting for the team.”India play South Africa in the World Cup final on Sunday, when a first-time champion will be crowned in Navi Mumbai.

His speed makes him an outlier even among the game’s great outliers, and mystery spin at that speed is devastating

Alagappan Muthu24-Mar-20251:36

Chawla: Noor was ‘spot on’ with his lengths

T20 is always played at breakneck speeds but even so Noor Ahmad operates on a level that feels misplaced at a cricket match. He runs in to bowl like he’s about to tackle someone that’s just stolen a little old lady’s handbag.It singles him out. Aged a mere 13, he attended an open selection trial in Kabul and made the cut. Out of a total of 125 participants or so, he made the final 15. His speed renders him an outlier even among the game’s great outliers. Batters often deal with mystery spinners by picking them off the pitch. Noor denies them even that little bit of refuge.Suryakumar Yadav held this game in his hand when he came on strike for the third ball of the 11th over. Mumbai Indians had recovered well, memories of a poor powerplay receding from view and a 200-plus total coming into focus. Noor looked up from the top of his mark, which is a considerable distance away from the bowling crease. This is very deliberate. He isn’t like Ravindra Jadeja who takes two steps and slings 100kph darts.Related

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'Quick timing, great hands, good vision' – Hayden on Dhoni's stumping of Suryakumar Yadav

No T20 experience? No problem for MI's Vignesh Puthur, who stood out on his IPL debut

Noor Ahmad is living his cricket dream

Will 300 be scored for the first time in IPL 2025?

Noor burst into the popping crease. There should really be a meme of his run-up with fire coming off of his shoes. All that momentum he gathered, plus a quick arm action ensured the ball came out at 95.6 kph. Mystery spin at that speed is devastating.Suryakumar had probably picked the googly. He was setting up for the inside out drive. But that ball was in such a hurry to turn the wrong way that it began doing so in the air. The revs Noor had put on it produced so much drift that it surpassed the abilities of one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket. He was stumped.A flash of genius from a 20-year-old in front of the wicket and a 43-year-old behind it.Noor had taken out Suryakumar before, in IPL 2023 and back then too he was overjoyed in being able to match up against players of that calibre. On Sunday, he was the trigger for the age-old spin squeeze. Mumbai were only able to hit one boundary between the 11th and the 17th overs but Noor was able to pick up two more wickets, including the other set batter, Tilak Varma, who was unable to pick the googly out of the hand and had no time to read it off the pitch, not when it was onto him at 92kph. That was his average speed in this game. His slowest delivery was still 87 kph. Mystery spin at that pace is devastating. Mumbai were only in control of 58.3% of the shots they played against him. They were much better against R Ashwin and Jadeja (84.8%).Noor Ahmad gave CSK’s attack a point of difference•BCCIDuring the mega auction in November, Mumbai were the first team that raised the paddle when Noor’s name came up. Their scouting network is legendary but it is unlikely that they had to work very hard this time. CSK chased them down. The price went up to INR 5 crore. Mumbai backed out. Gujarat Titans, Noor’s previous team, exercised their right-to-match option. But Stephen Fleming wasn’t willing to let go. He doubled the bid. Pushed it up to INR 10 crore. At a time where most people are expecting the 300-barrier to be broken in T20 cricket, CSK are arming themselves with party poopers.”We’ve just identified that the way the game is going, your bowling has to be really specific,” Fleming had said, “And you have to take wickets to slow teams down. And if you’re just trying to contain, then some of the hitting power of players these days will just take the game away from you. So we’ve tried to be smart with our options given our retained players and add some variation, which maybe we lacked a little bit last year.”The Noor Ahmad pick was looking more at the middle [overs] to attack. So if we do get turning conditions, then we’ve got an opportunity to keep taking wickets. We’ve got [Matheesha] Pathirana at the end, which is the death aspect.”This pitch did turn and CSK used Noor not just in the middle overs, but the death as well. He picked up four wickets. That’s one less than the combined tally of all of CSK’s spinners last season at Chepauk. Wristspin is art. Noor’s is art in fast forward.

Liverpool have lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions after they were hammered 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Premier League champions have now lost five of their 11 matches in the division so far this season, per Sofascore, after losing four of their 38 games in the 2024/25 campaign.

After the match, as shown in the clip above, former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane suggested that the Reds should not be considered in the race for the title, and it is hard to argue with.

The current run of form, their position in the league, and their performance against Manchester City do not suggest that they are likely to retain their crown in the 2025/26 campaign.

Liverpool’s current situation is particularly frustrating for the club when you consider the significant money that they splashed on new signings during the summer transfer window in a bid to strengthen their squad.

Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record, at the time, fee of £116m, yet he failed to make an impact once again.

Why Liverpool should be worried about Florian Wirtz

It is fair to expect that a £116m signing would be able to make a fairly immediate impact for the club, but he has been anonymous far too often in his Liverpool career so far.

The Germany international produced 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which led to the Reds splashing a gigantic fee on his services.

This shows that he has the technical ability to make an impact in the final third. That was further evidenced by his two assists against a Bundesliga team in Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last month.

However, the physicality and intensity of the Premier League has proven a bit too much for Wirtz when it comes to making an impact with goals and assists at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder has no goals and no assists in 11 appearances in the division for Liverpool since his £116m transfer to Anfield in the summer.

Minutes

83

Pass accuracy

88%

Crosses completed

0/2

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Shots

2

Shots on target

0

Duels won

4/8

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday lacked substance, with no shots on target, key passes, or ‘big chances’ created.

He was efficient in his passing and won half of his duels, to his credit, but his lack of physicality meant that he was unable to really threaten the Cityzens backline, marshalled brilliantly by Ruben Dias.

Liverpool should, therefore, be worried because his performances are not improving and his only goal contributions, outside of the Community Shield, came against a Bundesliga team.

Wirtz needs to adjust to the intensity of the English game, and quickly, to start proving why the Reds were right to spend so much money on his signature this year.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Germany international is not the only player whose performances are concerning, though, as central defender Ibrahima Konate put in another disappointing display.

Why Ibrahima Konate should be dropped by Liverpool

The French centre-back must be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up by Arne Slot when the team returns to action after the international break, because he put in a dismal showing against City.

For the opening goal from Erling Haaland, Konate was unable to time his jump correctly and allowed the Norwegian giant to beat him to the header, which landed in the back of the net.

That was followed up by some passive defending in the second half for the third goal. Jeremy Doku seemed destined to cut onto his right foot to shoot from distance, but Konate did not shape his body to react to the situation and allowed the shot to come in almost uncontested.

The France international, who was called “horrific” by Liverpool supporter Lawrie on X, was even worse than Wirtz against Pep Guardiola’s side, as he made costly errors for two of the three goals, whilst the German midfielder simply did not do much of note.

Whilst Wirtz, at least, won half of his duels in the game, Konate struggled with the physical challenge posed by Haaland, which is not a surprise given the Norway international’s presence and style of play.

Minutes

90

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

1/3

Dribbles

0

Shots

0

As you can see in the table above, the former RB Leipzig man lost the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, which shows that he was far too easy to beat in duels throughout the match.

On top of that, the central defender did not step in to make a single tackle or interception, and did not attempt any dribbles to get his team up the pitch to bypass the first line of City’s press.

Passive was the word of the day for Liverpool and Konate, as evidenced by both the result and his individual statistics, which is why Slot may want to shake things up with some changes to his starting line-up after the break.

The France international could find himself out of the team when the Reds next play, with Joe Gomez waiting in the wings for his chance to start at the heart of the defence next to Virgil van Dijk.

Man City fans' brutal chant sums up Florian Wirtz's time at Liverpool

The German struggled, yet again, for the Reds against Manchester City.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 9, 2025

Whilst it is now down to Slot to decide whether or not that is the right call to make, Konate’s performance on Sunday has given the manager a decision to make.

Australia are on the brink after taking six wickets in the final session, with England still trailing by 43

Tristan Lavalette06-Dec-20255:03

‘Neser has justified his selection ahead of Lyon’

Mitchell Starc continued his remarkable Ashes 2025-26 after stonewalling a weary England attack amid Brisbane’s stifling humidity before dismissing Joe Root under the lights as Australia finished day three on the brink of a comprehensive second Test victory.Just five days into this much-hyped series, England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes look forlorn although skipper Ben Stokes survived a tough period before stumps.The situation is grim for England after spending more than half a day wilting in the heat before losing six wickets under the lights in the final session. Quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser, perhaps justifying his controversial selection over offspinner Nathan Lyon, had the pink ball zipping around on the Gabba surface.Related

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But the standout of the day was again Starc, who is submitting an Ashes series for the ages after he top-scored with 77 off 141 balls to help Australia secure a sizable 177-run first innings lead. It meant England’s second innings started late in the second session amid the dipping sun as the floodlights took over.Starc did look gassed after his batting effort as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett finally managed to survive the opening over for the first time in the series.Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 45 runs in the first six overs of the second innings•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Duckett was lucky on 6 after rifling back to Neser who couldn’t take a sharp return catch although he would soon get more opportunities. In what was England’s best passage of a tortuous day, Duckett and Crawley batted well and eased to 45 for 0 after just six overs.There was some concern over Starc who grabbed at his lower left side and he needed some painkillers. However, Australia’s dominance resumed in the final session with Boland rattling the stumps of Duckett with a delivery that was short of a length but didn’t get above shin height.Ollie Pope briefly defied Boland, who had his tail up, but did not look convincing as he edged nervously on several occasions. He did manage to get to 26 only to fall in tame fashion when he was caught and bowled by Neser after miscuing a drive. It was the third time in the series that Pope failed to kick on from a start with the pressure on his spot set to intensify once more. England’s increasingly slim hopes rested on Root, fresh off his first ton on Australian soil in the first innings.But he watched in horror as Crawley on 44 attempted to drive on the up only to miscue and chip back to a giddy Neser, who couldn’t believe his good fortune. All the pressure fell on Root but he could not back up his first day heroics after he fell caught behind on review having chopped down on a full and wide Starc delivery.Boland was almost unplayable and thought he had Harry Brook caught behind on 15, only for replays to show that he missed the ball by a mile. But on the next ball he had Brook nicking off in a decision that was overturned on review.Pushing through the pain barrier, the indefatigable Starc summoned a remarkable late spell that accounted for Jamie Smith as the match appears headed for an early finish on day four.Mitchell Starc left Ben Stokes exasperated•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Starc had earlier played a major role in Australia’s supreme and complete effort with the bat, marked by six half-century partnerships and five individual fifties. It didn’t even matter that no one kicked on for a big score. For just the 12th time in Test cricket, every batter made it into double figures but no centuries were struck.Australia batted with controlled aggression – apart from a bizarre passage of play late on day two – much to the envy of England as they finished with a run rate of 4.34.Starc had the right template, leaving the ball well but swinging freely when the bowling missed its length which was quite often in a ragged England effort.Seamer Brydon Carse encapsulated their wildly inconsistent performance by taking four wickets, including Steven Smith and Cameron Green in the space of three extraordinary deliveries on day two, but he leaked 152 runs from 29 overs.England had started the day desperately needing a strong start after a slew of dropped chances proved costly under lights on day two. Australia resumed on 378 for 6 with the aim of not only scoring runs but stretching their innings through the daytime when batting has been at its best.Alex Carey quickly became the latest Australian to notch a half-century, crisply off 55 balls, before Stokes nicked off Neser with a perfect length delivery.Mitchell Starc acknowledges his half-century•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Starc came out aggressively to dish up more pain to Carse, whose tame attempts at a short-ball barrage proved once again ineffective. The second new ball did seem to produce more inconsistent bounce off the surface, offering hope for England to wrap up the innings. They appeared to be closing in when the luckless Gus Atkinson finally took his first Ashes wicket after nicking off Carey for 63, ending 41 overs of toil without reward in the series.But England were made to endure the heat for a few more hours as Starc and Boland combined for the longest partnership of the series in terms of balls faced. Starc cleverly farmed the strike as their plan to keep batting until the sun set worked to perfection.England appeared on the brink of imploding with a flustered Stokes furious with Jofra Archer after some lackadaisical fielding allowed Boland to get off strike. A lionhearted Stokes tried to will his team by pushing his body through a long spell but to no avail as he finally turned to spinning allrounder Will Jacks who only bowled one over on day two in his return to the side.Jacks opened the second session with a delivery that fizzed and bounced past Starc’s bat, no doubt catching the eye of Lyon in the terraces. But a few deliveries later Starc smoked a boundary to notch his 12th Test half-century. In the process he became the first Australian to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in an Ashes match since Mitchell Johnson during his wondrous 2013-14 series.Starc moved past Stuart Broad for most career Test runs batting at No.9 as he inched closer to a maiden century having once made 99 in India. But after more than two hours in the middle, Starc started to feel the pinch as he called for medical assistance with his right elbow feeling sore. He didn’t last much longer after holing out to mid-off but England’s agony was prolonged by No.11 Brendan Doggett and Boland, who finished 21 not out in a career high Test score.Jacks finally ended Doggett’s resistance to claim the first wicket through spin in the series.

Mitchell, Bracewell half-centuries seal four-wicket win in series opener in Mount Maunganui

Andrew Miller26-Oct-2025

Joe Root became the second wicket of Zak Foulkes’ opening over•Getty Images

New Zealand 224 for 6 (Mitchell 78*, Bracewell 51, Carse 3-45) beat England 223 (Brook 135, Overton 46, Foulkes 4-41, Duffy 3-66) by four wickets There was a strong westerly wind blowing across the Bay Oval on Sunday afternoon. If you happened to cock your ear to the breeze during the first hour of play, you would have heard – clear as day – the sound of mocking laughter, floating across the Tasman Sea and down through the shires of Hobbiton.In a contest billed as the official start of the Ashes phoney war, England’s Australia-bound top-order produced a stunning false start. Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell – Ashes bankers, bolters and, as the Aussies might now contend, bottlers – all found themselves caught up in a catastrophic collapse of 10 for 4 in 5.1 overs that was precisely as serious as the discourse that it will generate.Related

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Jos Buttler soon joined the procession at 33 for 5, and it was a measure of the nonsensical scenario that – when Sam Curran nicked off at 56 for 6, to become the fourth wicket of Zak Foulkes’ remarkable maiden spell in ODI cricket – the time back home in the UK, thanks to the peculiarities of daylight-saving, was 1.59am: in other words, one minute prior to the contest’s original start-time.New Zealand duly wrapped up victory with time to spare as well, by four wickets and with 80 balls left unused, thanks to Michael Bracewell’s run-a-ball 51 and a 91-ball 78 from Daryl Mitchell that had to surmount its own dicey circumstances at 24 for 3, courtesy of Luke Wood and Brydon Carse’s new-ball breakthroughs – including a first-baller on his return to action for the great Kane Williamson, his first in 15 years of ODIs.Harry Brook carried England’s innings on his shoulders•Getty Images

And yet, the game would scarcely have outlasted one of last week’s rained-off T20Is had it not been for Harry Brook – England’s white-ball captain, Test vice-captain-elect, and a man in no mood to let circumstance dictate his game-plan. His response to his team’s extreme adversity was a startling lone-wolf innings of 135 from 101 balls that turned an impending humiliation into an almost serviceable total of 223 in 35.2 overs.It was Brook’s fourth century in the country, following his three hundreds across two previous Test tours, and – given the circumstances – it was more extraordinary even than his 186 at Wellington in 2023 which, for those who witnessed that onslaught, is saying something.Brook scored each of his first 36 runs in boundaries, en route to a total of nine fours and 11 sixes. The latter included three in a row off Jacob Duffy to reach his hundred from 82 balls, and four more thereafter, as he juiced 80 runs from England’s final two wickets in an innings in which just one other batter scored more than 6.That man was Jamie Overton, who contributed 46 from 54 balls in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 that wrested the momentum back from New Zealand, after Foulkes and Matt Henry had rumbled their way through 15 new-ball overs in a row. His performance had distinct echoes of a previous tussle with New Zealand – on Test debut in 2022, when he had arrived at a near-identical 55 for 6 and partnered Jonny Bairstow with a career-best 97.Once again, Overton fell short of a milestone in this innings, as he chipped a Duffy slower ball to cover, whereupon Carse joined the procession of Ashes-bound players by cutting his first ball straight to the returning Williamson at point. Brook, by then, had had one key let-off on 63, when Rachin Ravindra dropped a fast-travelling slog-sweep at square leg, but the power and clarity of his subsequent onslaught took the breath away.And to think Mitchell Santner hadn’t even been sure whether bowling first was the sensible option. Henry’s first ball of the match immediately laid any doubts to rest as he wrecked Smith’s first outing of the winter with a perfect stump-rattling inducker, one that deserved to rouse a few memories of Rory Burns’ catastrophic start to the 2021-22 Ashes proper.Brydon Carse removed Kane Williamson for his first golden duck in ODIs•Getty Images

Foulkes then ripped into the contest with the first-over wickets of Duckett, caught flinching outside off for 2, and Root, who stepped into a wild drive and was also bowled by lavish seam movement. Two Foulkes overs later, Bethell too had his off stump plucked out by a jaffa, and there seemed no earthly way for England’s innings to pull out of its death spiral.Brook, though, had other ideas. His 135 out of 223 comprised 60.53% of England’s innings, a new record that outdid Robin Smith’s legendary 167 not out against Australia in 1993 – which, coincidentally was another mighty knock that was unable to stave off ultimate defeat.England gave it a good crack, mind you. Carse, a star of last year’s Test-series win in New Zealand, matched Foulkes with two wickets in his opening over as Will Young was bowled by an inswinging yorker for 5 before Williamson snicked a first-ball snorter through to Buttler behind the stumps.Luke Wood then did for a free-flowing Ravindra, well caught by Overton at second slip as the bowler – remarkably – claimed his first List A wicket since 2019. And when Carse fired a wobble-seam delivery into Tom Latham’s shin for 24, New Zealand were 66 for 4 and in clear danger of frittering away their unbelievable start.Bracewell and Mitchell turned the tide in a fifth-wicket stand of 92, though they needed some luck along the way. Bracewell was dropped at slip on 2 by Root, in Overton’s opening over, while Mitchell had an even more glaring let-off on 33, when Wood at backward point dropped a sitter of a reverse-sweep off the legspin of Adil Rashid.With the requirement under control, however, New Zealand were able to play well within themselves – at least until Bracewell needlessly ran himself out with 66 still needed, whereupon Mitchell ramped New Zealand’s first six over fine leg to signal the final charge. Santner added two more in quick succession off Rashid before holing out to long-on for 27, but Mitchell launched the winning hit over backward square.The fireworks, and the talking points, however, had long since been and gone.

Neymar has been branded “washed”, with fans reacting to the “sad watch” of seeing the Brazilian icon botch two attempted rainbow flicks during Santos’ surprising win over Palmeiras. Neymar is considered to have performed admirably in that fixture, but questions are being asked of whether the 33-year-old still possesses the kind of magic in his boots that once allowed him to illuminate the world stage.

Neymar trying to drag Santos out of a relegation battle

Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer has been back in his homeland since January, having returned to his roots on the back of seeing a lucrative contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal terminated. That deal was torn up after recovering from a knee ligament injury.

More fitness setbacks have been endured in South America, with the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker struggling to provide inspiration in Santos’ ongoing battle to avoid relegation in 2025.

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He did help them to a shock victory over title-chasing Palmeiras, but was unable to produce a moment of match-altering brilliance in that contest. Neymar tried his best to deliver in that department, but two flicks close to the corner flag caught the eye of onlookers for all of the wrong reasons.

@PolymarketFC said when sharing a video of Neymar’s failed rainbow flicks: “SAD WATCH! Neymar just doesn’t have it anymore.” @Harisson_utd added “Brother is so washed”, with @TheLondonLad_ going on to say: “‘Leave the football before the football leave you.’ He Should just retire. No shame in that.”

On a similar theme, @DRealist009 said: “Just retire already bro.” @LincolnLumbe continued that theme when posting: “He needs to quit before he tarnishes his legacy.”

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Getty ImagesDoes Neymar still have it? Ex-Brazil internationals offer their take

While some fans were less than impressed with what they saw from Neymar, former Brazil international defender Luisao told Resenha da Rodada from : “Neymar played with his team-mates, unlike in the interview he gave last time, he was part of the team and that made it difficult for Palmeiras.”

Luis Fabiano added: “Neymar understood that he needs to be more supportive of his team-mates. Everything he did against Flamengo, he did the opposite of, and he held back. When he holds back, his football shines through a bit more. It's not the Neymar we usually see, but he stands out from the Santos team; when the ball is at his feet, something good comes out of it.”