Samson, Abhishek lift India to 188

With this being a dead rubber, Suryakumar did not bat at all despite India losing eight wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025Innings Abhishek Sharma’s speedy 38 in the powerplay, in which India scored 60, and Sanju Samson’s stop-start fifty took India to 188 for 8 against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup after they had decided to bat in Abu Dhabi.With this being a dead rubber, India experimented with their combination ahead of the Super Four, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and newly minted No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy. India also fiddled with their batting line-up, with their captain Suryakumar Yadav not batting at all despite India losing eight wickets. The returning Harshit Rana managed an unbeaten 13 off eight balls from No. 8. He closed out the innings with a scythed six over point.It was Abhishek who made the early running for India, clattering five fours and two sixes during his 38 off 15 balls. He got a reprieve on 21 when he tickled Mohammad Nadeem down the leg side, but Vinayak Shukla, the Oman keeper, shelled the catch and umpire Raveendra Wilalasiri eventually deemed it as a wide ball.Abhishek added 17 to his tally before nicking another one behind, Shukla making no mistake this time. Samson had a slow start – he was on 13 off 14 balls at one point – but a six and a four off Madhya-Pradesh-born wristspinner Samay Shrivatsava got him out of first gear. Samson proceeded to crash Zikria Islam for a straight six in the tenth over, but slowed down once again thereafter.Then, after bringing up his half-century off 41 balls, Samson holed out in the 18th over. India cobbled together 21 off the last three overs and managed to find the boundary just once during this period.Faisal Shah, Jiten Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem shared six wickets among them for Oman.

As bad as Konate: Liverpool flop who had a “1/10 performance” must be dropped

Liverpool were unable to return to winning ways once again in the Premier League last night, that’s despite a late equaliser at Anfield against high-flying Sunderland.

Arne Slot’s men looked to be staring down the barrel of yet another home defeat, but Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort late on secured a needed point to help stop the rot.

It could have been a lot worse for the Reds last night had they not found a leveller, with Chemsdine Talbi putting Regis Le Bris’ side ahead with just under 20 minutes remaining.

However, the picture still looks incredibly bleak for the Dutchman and his side, as the Dutchman’s side currently occupy eighth place and sit 11 points off leaders Arsenal.

During the draw, it was yet another evening to forget for one player, with his selection by the manager once again coming under huge criticism after failing to deliver.

The stats behind Ibrahima Konate’s display against Sunderland

After a mistake against PSV in the Champions League last week, Slot has continued to operate with Ibrahima Konate at the heart of the backline for Liverpool.

The Frenchman has previously been one of the club’s leading talents in their recent success, but the 2025/26 campaign has been one to forget to date.

His showing against the Black Cats was yet another to forget for the 26-year-old, with his underlying figures showcasing his struggles on Merseyside once again.

Konate nearly misjudged a header, which led to the visitors going ahead before their eventual game, no doubt contributing to his measly tally of 57% aerials won.

He also won just 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst making just one interception – resulting in the club once again being unable to keep a clean sheet in England’s top-flight.

The defender desperately needs replacing over the coming months, with the same potentially being said about another player who failed to deliver on Wednesday night.

The Liverpool star who needs to be dropped after Sunderland

The draw against Sunderland last night now extends Liverpool’s run to just one win in their last five outings, highlighting the issues Slot currently has to deal with.

He definitely needs to find a solution to the recent issues, with the club facing a real possibility of missing out on all forms of European football if such a trend continues.

Whether that be a formation change or a personnel change in certain areas of the pitch, the Dutchman has a real task on his hands – potentially finding himself out of a job should he fail to do so.

Alongside Konate, numerous players have failed to deliver in the Premier League, with Cody Gakpo also massively underperforming against the newly-promoted outfit.

The winger has been a consistent starter for the Reds so far this season, as seen by his tally of 12 starts in the first 14 league outings of the ongoing campaign.

However, last night was one of his worst to date, so much so Slot decided to substitute the 26-year-old at the break and replace him with fan-favourite Mohamed Salah.

He was very predictable in the first half of the clash at Anfield, often cutting inside onto his favoured right foot, something which full-back Trai Hume read on the vast majority of occasions.

Gakpo’s underlying stats against the Black Cats further demonstrate his lack of quality, which led to hefty criticism being directed his way at the final whistle.

During his 45-minute showing, the attacker only managed to complete a total of seven passes, with none of which being into the final third – showcasing his lack of creativity at Anfield.

Minutes played

45

Touches

26

Passes completed

7

Passes into final third

0

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

1

Shots taken

1

Duels won

1/5

He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, whilst managing to register just one successful cross – reaffirming his struggles on Merseyside.

Gakpo’s lack of impact was topped off by his tally of just one shot, which was blocked, resulting in John O’Sullivan saying he was sick of the winger’s “1/10 performances”.

With players on the bench such as Federico Chiesa and Hugo Ekitiké, it’s vital that Slot drops the winger ahead of their next outing at the weekend in an attempt to end the recent barren run.

There’s no understating the struggles at Anfield at present, but the manager desperately needs to get a grip of the situation if any credibility is to come out of the ongoing campaign.

Fabinho 2.0: Liverpool in pole position to sign £35m midfield "machine"

Liverpool look set to be making a move for one star during the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Bamford 2.0: Leeds chase ST with 15 goals in 25/26, he'd save Farke's job

With less than two months to go before the January transfer window opens for business, there is already speculation about what Leeds United are going to do to their squad.

The Whites have picked up 11 points in 11 Premier League matches and sit one point above the relegation zone as a newly-promoted team, which is a respectable, but not ideal, position to be in.

Daniel Farke may want to bolster his squad with more quality in the offensive areas, because the team has only scored 11 goals in their 11 top-flight matches so far this season.

The lack of goals for the Championship champions has not been because of a lack of creativity, though, as they have missed too many high-quality opportunities in the final third.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

2.89

1

-1.89

Jayden Bogle

0.88

0

-0.88

Brenden Aaronson

1.79

1

-0.79

Joel Piroe

0.73

0

-0.73

Pascal Struijk

0.65

0

-0.65

Dan James

0.47

0

-0.47

Jack Harrison

0.41

0

-0.41

As you can see in the table above, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been particularly wasteful with the chances that have been created for him in the Premier League.

Former Leeds striker Patrick Bamford signed for Sheffield United earlier this week, and the Whites need to be looking for their next version of the English forward.

Why Leeds need to find their next Patrick Bamford

The experienced marksman left Elland Road on a free transfer in the summer after he failed to score a single goal in 18 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

It is not last season’s Bamford that Leeds need to find a new version of, though. Instead, the 49ers need to find Farke’s own version of Bamford from the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

After Leeds were last promoted to the Premier League, in the summer of 2020, the former Chelsea and Middlesbrough attacker played a pivotal role in the club’s survival and eventual top-half finish in their first season back in the big time.

The left-footed centre-forward scored 17 goals, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the highlights above, and provided seven assists in 38 appearances in the division in that term.

Since that impressive season from the former England international, no Leeds player has scored more than 13 goals in a single Premier League campaign.

25/26

Noah Okafor

Joe Rodon

Lukas Nmecha

2

22/23

Rodrigo

13

21/22

Raphinha

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

17

As you can see in the table above, the club’s top three scorers in the current term have all managed just two goals, which speaks to the lack of outstanding goalscorers within the squad.

This illustrates how badly the Whites need to find their next version of 2020/21 Bamford, due to their lack of goalscorers, and they are reportedly interested in a star who could be exactly that.

Leeds chasing move for Eredivisie star

According to LeedsUnitedNews, the Premier League new boys are eyeing up a swoop for AZ Alkmaar centre-forward Troy Parrott in the upcoming January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Whites are now looking at signing the Ireland international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, as they chase a winter deal for the marksman.

It adds that Leeds had scouts in attendance to watch his performance for the Republic of Ireland against Portugal earlier this week, when he netted twice against Roberto Martinez’s side.

The same outlet has posted an update on Farke’s future at Elland Road, explaining that the 49ers are not ready to pull the plug on him yet, but that they could be forced to make a decision if results do not improve.

With this in mind, Leeds could save themselves from having to remove the German head coach from his role by signing Parrott to save his job in January.

Why Leeds should sign Troy Parrott

The Whites should swoop for the Irish centre-forward because his performances in the Netherlands this season suggest that he has the quality to be Bamford 2.0, which would help to push the club up the table.

Per FotMob, Leeds are 10th in the Premier League for xPTS (15) and have underperformed their xG of 13.2 by 2.2, as they have only scored 11 goals. This suggests that Farke and his coaching staff have not been rewarded for the performances that they have coached, due to poor finishing.

These statistics indicate that it is not the German boss who should be under fire for where the team are in the division, and that signing a clinical striker could change the perception of the job that he is doing in the dugout.

Parrott, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed an incredibly prolific first season with AZ Alkmaar in the 2024/25 campaign, netting 20 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster, once dubbed “phenomenal” by former boss Ryan Lowe, has proven that his form last term was not a flash in the pan, as he has carried his exceptional goalscoring exploits into the current season.

Appearances

7

7

xG

5.56

N/A

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

87

59

Conversion rate

25%

N/A

Big chances created

2

3

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Parrott has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances in all competitions for AZ Alkmaar, on top of the two goals that he scored for Ireland against Portugal.

This means that the striker has already scored an eye-catching 15 goals for club and country in the 2025/26 campaign, whilst no Leeds player has scored more than twice in all competitions.

Parrott, per Sofascore, has scored 37 goals from 30.67 xG in the Eredivisie since the start of the 2023/24 season, which suggests that he is the clinical striker that Leeds are crying out for at the moment.

Therefore, the Ireland international could be the next Bamford to fire the Whites to safety with his prolific goalscoring, whilst saving Farke’s job in the process by making the most of his coaching to improve the results picked up by the team.

Leeds have "standout" teen who could end Aaronson's career & it's not Gray

Leeds United have a promising young attacking midfielder who could end Brenden Aaronson’s career at the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 15, 2025

John Simpson battles to take Sussex into the lead

Sussex skipper registers the only half-century of the match as draw looms at Hove

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Sep-2025Sussex 232 for 8 (Simpson 66, Milnes 3-80) lead Yorkshire 194 (Lyth 47, Hudson-Prentice 3-33, Unadkat 3-36) by 38 runsCaptain John Simpson made the only half-century so far in a bowler-dominated contest as Sussex and Yorkshire battled for supremacy at Hove.Simpson’s 66 on a day when only 51 overs were possible because of rain and bad light helped Sussex to 232 for 8, a lead of 38.With a day to go a draw still seems the likely outcome – a result which would suit both teams bearing in mind the struggles two teams below them in the table, Hampshire and Durham, are having in the penultimate round of matches.Having started the day on 84 for 4 and still 110 behind, Sussex will be pleased with their efforts in conditions which were never great for batting with a grey canopy of low cloud all day and the ball doing enough off the pitch to keep the seamers interested before Dom Bess, belatedly introduced to the attack, spun two balls sharply to take two wickets in eight balls.Simpson, in two hours and 40 minutes of patient accumulation, offered just once chance after reaching the 60th fifty of his first-class career when he was on 53 and Adam Lyth put him down at slip off George Hill.When play started at 11.45am after overnight rain Simpson and Tom Alsop extended their fifth-wicket stand to 42. That it took 19 overs reflected the quality of the seam bowling, notably from Matt Milnes and Hill.Milnes made the breakthrough when he switched ends although Alsop could consider himself very unfortunate when he defended deep in his crease and the ball rolled onto the stumps, gently dislodging the leg bail. Nonetheless his 36 in two hours was an important contribution.After lunch Simpson and Carson went on the attack, adding 52 in 12 overs before Carson played at an outswinger he could have left from Hill and Lyth held on at second slip.There was another good partnership for the seventh wicket for nearly an hour between Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice and it was the introduction of off-spinner Dom Bess that brought Yorkshire some relief.In his second over Bess turned one sharply to hit Hudson-Prentice’s off stump and he claimed the key wicket of Simpson in the next over as he was pushed forward and was beaten by one which turned to hit off stump, from a round the wicket line. It was a fine ball to end a quality innings, which included eight fours and took Simpson to 952 runs for the season. He will be confident of reaching 1,000 for the third time in his career with potentially three innings to play.Drizzle forced the players off shortly after tea and frustratingly, when they resumed at 5.05pm, only three balls were possible before bad light forced another delay. Umpires Tom Lungley and Jack Shantry finally called it a day at 5.50pm.

Mithun Manhas elected 37th BCCI president

Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas has been elected unopposed as the new BCCI president at the 94th annual general meeting of the board. He is the 37th elected BCCI president (interim appointees have overseen matters on five occasions).Manhas was the only contender for the president’s post, which was vacant since former India allrounder Roger Binny stepped down in August this year. Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, had filled in in an interim capacity.Shukla continues as vice-president with Devajit Saikia continuing as the board secretary. There is a second cricketer among the BCCI office bearers, with former Karnataka and India spinner Raghuram Bhat taking over as treasurer. Bhat was the Karnataka State Cricket Association president from 2022 to 2025; his term officially ends on September 30. Prabhtej Singh Bhatia – the former treasurer – is the new joint secretary.”It’s an absolute honour to be the president of the world’s finest cricketing board,” Manhas said after the AGM in Mumbai. “At the same time it’s a huge responsibility and I give my assurance that I’ll be committed to do it to the best of my abilities and dedication and passion.”When asked what worked in his favour to become the new BCCI president, he said: “Maybe my work, my credentials as a cricketer, as an administrator. For the past four years I’ve been at the J&K Cricket Association.”Manhas, who will turn 46 in October, played domestic cricket for 20 years from 1997-98 to 2016-17. He played 157 first-class games, in which he scored 9714 runs; 130 List A matches, with 4126 runs; and 91 T20s (1170 runs). He was part of the sub-committee appointed by the BCCI to run the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association. Born in Jammu, Manhas switched from Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 before retiring the following year. He has worked as a coach with various teams, including as batting consultant for the Bangladesh men’s Under-19 team as well as IPL sides Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.Former India bowlers Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh replaced S Sharath and Subroto Banerjee in the senior national men’s selection panel. The committee is led by Ajit Agarkar, whose term runs till October 2026, and also has Ajay Ratra and SS Das. Banerjee’s term was over, and Sharath was moved to the junior selection panel as chairperson, replacing Thilak Naidu. The others in the committee are Harvinder Sodhi, Ranadeb Bose, Pathik Patel and Krishna Mohan.Former Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah has also been added to the BCCI’s Apex Council, replacing Mizoram’s Khairul Jamal Majumdar, who has become a part of the IPL Governing Council, led by the chairperson Arun Dhumal.Pragyan Ojha is one of two new members of the senior men’s selection committee•PTI

In the senior women’s national selection committee, former India batter Amita Sharma replaced Neetu David as the chairperson. Her team comprises Shyama Dey, Sulakshana Naik, Jaya Sharma and Sravanthi Naidu. Apart from Dey, the rest are new inductees. Amita played 162 matches for India – five Tests, 116 ODIs and 41 T20Is – from 2002 to 2014.Jayesh George takes over as the chairperson of the Women’s Premier League committee, which has senior BCCI functionaries Manhas, Shukla, Saikia, Bhatia and Bhat, as well as Dhumal. The others are Madhumati Lele, Sanjay Tandon and RI Palani.BCCI office bearers: Mithun Manhas (president), Rajeev Shukla (vice-president), Devajit Saikia (secretary), Prabhtej Bhatia (joint-secretary), A Raghuram Bhat (treasurer)IPL governing council representatives: Arun Singh Dhumal, M Khairul Jamal MajumdarMen’s selection committee: Ajit Agarkar (chairperson), Shiv Sundar Das, Ajay Ratra, RP Singh, Pragyan OjhaWomen’s selection committee: Amita Sharma (chairperson), Shyama Dey, Sulakshana Naik, Jaya Sharma, Sravanthi NaiduJunior cricket committee: S Sharath (chairperson), Harvinder Sodhi, Pathik Patel, Krishna Mohan and Ranadeb BoseWPL committee: Jayesh George (chairperson), Mithun Manhas, Rajeev Shukla, Devajit Saikia, Prabhtej Bhatia, A Raghuram Bhat, Madhumati Lele, Sanjay Tandon, R I Palani, Arun Singh DhumalInfrastructure committee: Rohan Jaitley (chairperson), Mithun Manhas, Rajeev Shukla, Devajit Saikia, Prabhtej Bhatia, A Raghuram Bhat, Anirudh Chaudhury, Sana Sathish Babu

Sam Curran added to England T20I squads as Ben Duckett takes break

England respond to shortcomings by adding seam-bowling allrounder and resting all-formats batter

Matt Roller05-Sep-2025England have recalled Sam Curran for their T20Is against South Africa and Ireland, while prescribing an extra week’s rest to Ben Duckett after his dramatic loss of form.Curran has not played for England in any format this year – or under Brendon McCullum’s coaching – but has been in excellent domestic form. Across 24 appearances in the T20 Blast and the Hundred this summer, he has scored 603 runs with a strike rate of 154.21 and taken 33 cheap wickets, and has been added to squads for all six of England’s upcoming fixtures.His call-up comes barely 24 hours after South Africa exposed England’s overreliance on the part-time spin of Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks in Thursday’s second ODI at Lord’s. Bethell and Jacks returned combined figures of 1 for 112 in 10 overs, and Curran’s addition to the squad gives England more flexibility around the balance of their team.Duckett, meanwhile, has been handed an additional week off before England’s tours to New Zealand and Australia this winter. He has become an all-format regular in the past 12 months and looked utterly out of sorts during an uncharacteristically scratchy innings of 14 off 33 balls on Thursday.He scored 462 runs in nine innings during England’s drawn Test series against India this summer but has only once passed 20 in his 10 innings since – eight in the Hundred (where his top score for Birmingham Phoenix was 49 not out) and two in this week’s ODIs. Duckett’s absence will likely see Jamie Smith and Phil Salt opening the batting together against South Africa next week, with Jacks or Tom Banton primed to replace Smith in Ireland.Related

  • England blown to bits-and-pieces as part-timers' bowling strategy backfires

  • Jordan Cox earns belated call-up for Ireland T20Is

  • Brook backs butchered Baker after chastising ODI debut

  • Overton's shock decision sounds alarm bells for England schedule

  • Sam Curran on England omission: 'I've got to keep banging the door down'

In one final change to their squads, England have also pulled Matthew Potts out of the Ireland T20Is in a move which will allow him to press his case for Ashes selection in the County Championship for Durham. There is a spot available in their squad for Australia after Jamie Overton’s decision to quit red-ball cricket, and Potts is a strong contender.He has slipped down the pecking order across formats and was not even involved in their squads to face India. But Overton’s effective withdrawal from the Ashes – and bolter Sonny Baker’s struggles on ODI debut – could provide a route back, and England believe he will be better served by playing for Durham in the County Championship than running drinks in Dublin.Jordan Cox, Curran’s Oval Invincibles team-mate, was added to the squad to face Ireland earlier this week but is not due to be involved in the South Africa series. Duckett will stay with the ODI squad for Sunday’s dead-rubber in Southampton.Updated England T20I squads:vs South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood.vs Ireland: Jordan Cox, Sonny Baker and Tom Hartley replace Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith; Bethell replaces Brook as captain.

Major injury update now emerges on Arsenal star Gabriel before Tottenham

A major injury update has now emerged on Gabriel ahead of the North London Derby, with Arsenal set to host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, four points clear of nearest-rival Manchester City, but injuries once again risk derailing their title charge, with Mikel Arteta being forced to contend with a number of setbacks already this season.

Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have all spent time on the sidelines in recent weeks, and there has been more bad news during the international break, with defender Riccardo Calafiori being forced to drop out of the Italy squad.

Fortunately, Calafiori is expected to be available for the big game against Tottenham at the weekend, but a more concerning injury update has now emerged on one of Arteta’s other key players.

Gabriel now a major doubt for North London Derby

As reported by The Guardian, Gabriel is now a major doubt for the North London Derby, with recent scans revealing the defender suffered a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil, and there are concerns he may be facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has returned to London for treatment, having not travelled with Brazil for their upcoming friendly against Tunisia, with the Gunners planning to take their time to assess the extent of the injury.

There are concerns the Brazil international could be sidelined during a busy period, with a number of tough fixtures on the horizon for Arteta’s side over the next few weeks.

Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Tottenham Hotspur (h)

November 23rd

Bayern Munich (h)

November 26th

Chelsea (a)

November 30th

Brentford (h)

December 3rd

Aston Villa (a)

December 6th

Should the centre-back be unavailable for quite some time, it would be a major blow for Arteta, given that he has been one of the manager’s key players so far this season, with the Spaniard saying: “I adore Gabriel: his attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team.”

The £150k-a-week defender has formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba at the heart of defence, with the Gunners shipping just five goals in the Premier League this term, the fewest of any side.

That said, Piero Hincapie has proven he could be a solid replacement for Gabriel, having impressed in the 2-0 EFL Cup triumph against Brighton & Hove Albion, receiving an 8.2 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player, after winning six duels and recording a 94% pass-completion rate.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Weather dampens prospects of a thriller

Lancashire needed 303 to win and were 138 for 3 when rain forced the players off, just after Marcus Harris reached 50

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025

Marcus Harris steers reached fifty•Getty Images

Despite some spasmodic pyrotechnics on the final day, the Rothesay County Championship match between Kent and Lancashire ended in a draw, with the weather ruining what might have been a thrilling run chase.Ekansh Singh hit 60, his highest first-class score, as Kent posted 293 aided by a hugely entertaining cameo from Matt Quinn, whose 42 was his best score for Kent.Mitchell Stanley also had a career day, taking 6 for 100 to finish with match figures of 11 for 180.Lancashire needed 303 to win and were 138 for 3 when rain forced the players off, just after Marcus Harris had reached 50. Quinn took 2 for 21, but then limped off with an injury.Some 28 overs were lost due to rain but when play finally began both sides immediately went on the attack.Ekansh hit the second ball of the day from Tom Hartley for six, but Mo Rizvi was lbw to Stanley’s first delivery from the Nackington Road End, getting a pair on his first-class debut.When Stanley then bowled Matt Parkinson for a second-ball duck, in the same over, the lead was only 221, but Quinn joined Ekansh for a partnership worth 71 that steered Kent out of danger.He blazed 22 off Stanley’s next over (including four byes) and left Stanley kicking his crease in frustration. He even improvised a ramp shot off a full toss that somehow ended up at point and by lunch Kent were on for 276 for 7.The final three dismissals were all caught behind. Stanley finally got Quinn and George Balderson got Ekansh after a bouncer caught his raised bat. Ben Compton, playing despite a wrist injury, came in at 11 but only faced one ball before Michael Cohen was out to Stanley for four.This pattern continued in the Lancs’ reply when Keaton Jennings edged Quinn to Harry Finch for 4 and Wells then went to the same combination for 19, but Josh Bohannon and Harris took the heat out of the situation for the visitors with a partnership of 91.Harris reached 1000 runs for the season when he reached 23 and it was 73 for 2 at tea, but Quinn then pulled up injured during a run-up, stumbling at the crease and walking straight off, to be replaced by Rizvi.His first over went for 15 and he was immediately replaced by Evison, whose third ball bowled Bohannon’s off stump for 46. At 16.34 however, the rain returned and this time there was no chance of a resumption.

As well as Chermiti: Rohl must drop 4/10 Rangers flop who lost 100% duels

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl lost for the second time in as many matches in charge of the club in the Europa League against Roma on Thursday night.

The Italian giants came to Ibrox and won 2-0 under the lights, thanks to two first-half strikes, to make it three defeats in five matches for the new Light Blues boss.

It is hard to blame the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician for that dismal start to his career at the club, though, as he has had a tough run of fixtures, including this clash with Roma and a League Cup semi-final against Celtic.

Rohl has inherited a team that struggled badly under former manager Russell Martin, who only won five matches in all competitions during his time in Glasgow.

However, the German boss does have a chance to make it three wins out of three in the Scottish Premiership when his side travel to play Dundee away from home on Sunday.

With that match in mind, the Ibrox head coach must ruthlessly ditch centre-forward Youssef Chermiti from the starting line-up after an underwhelming performance on Thursday night.

Why Youssef Chermiti should be dropped by Rangers

The £8m summer signing from Everton has now produced one goal and one assist in 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues in the 2025/26 campaign.

His goal, as shown in the clip above, was aided by some fairly questionable goalkeeping, and his assist was a simple pass to Danilo, who took a brilliant touch and scored from the edge of the box.

The Portugal U21 international has not provided enough quality in the final third to justify his price tag, yet, and his performance against Roma did little to convince supporters that he has been a good addition to the squad.

Roma had Artem Dovbyk leading the line for them at Ibrox and the gulf in class between the Ukraine international and Chermiti in their respective displays was staggering.

Whilst the Serie A marksman, who scored 17 goals for Roma last season (Sofascore), provided the perfect foil for his team to build attacks from, Rangers could not rely on Chermiti to bring others into play.

Minutes

73

86

Big chances missed

1

0

Passes completed

8

19

Pass accuracy

67%

100%

Key passes

0

4

Assists

0

1

Possession lost

8x

5x

As you can see in the table above, Dovbyk was almost perfect in possession and created four chances for his team on the night, including one for the second goal, whilst the Gers striker did not create any chances for his side and was a bit loose with his passes.

The former Everton forward also struggled in the 3-1 loss to Celtic at Hampden Park on Sunday. Pundit Michael Stewart bemoaned his “poor” finishing after the attacker spurned two huge opportunities to find the back of the net in the first half.

Therefore, Rohl should drop him from the starting line-up to take on Dundee in the Premiership on Sunday and unleash Danilo, who has scored in each of his last two appearances in the Premiership under the German head coach.

Chermiti is not the only underperforming Rangers player who should lose his place in the starting XI for that trip to Dundee before the international break, though.

Chalkboard

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

The former Bayern Munich and Southampton assistant manager should also ruthlessly ditch left-sided defender Jayden Meghoma from the side, after another disappointing showing.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Jayden Meghoma for Rangers

Rohl should drop the defender from the team after he decided to withdraw him from the game at half-time in order to change formation and move Max Aarons to left-back.

The Rangers head coach opted to move away from a 3-4-2-1 formation to chase the game with a 4-3-3, which meant that Aarons moved from right wing-back to left-back and James Tavernier moved from right centre-back to right-back.

Rohl deciding to move Aarons, who is a right-footed right-back, over to left-back instead of moving Meghoma back into a left-back position in a back four suggests that he was less-than-pleased with the Brentford loanee’s contributions in the first half.

Minutes

45

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

0/2

Aerial duels won

0/0

As you can see in the table above, it is easy to understand why the manager may not have been too impressed by the wing-back’s first-half showing, as the 19-year-old flop failed to win a single duel.

Meghoma offered very little to the team in or out of possession in the opening 45 minutes, with no key passes, dribbles, tackles, interceptions, or duels won for the Scottish giants.

The Scotsman handed the youngster a player rating of 4/10 for his performance against Roma and wrote that he looked ‘out of his depth’ as an ‘untested’ youngster, which is hard to disagree with, given Rohl’s decision to withdraw him at half-time and his dismal statistics.

After the 3-1 loss to Celtic in the League Cup last weekend, Football FanCast suggested that the left-back may be on borrowed time in the starting XI because he was caught out defensively for the opening goal from Johnny Kenny, as shown in the clip below.

Meghoma was also caught out aerially from a set-piece in the 3-0 defeat to Brann in Rohl’s first match in charge, when he allowed Jacob Lungi Sorensen to get the run on him to score from a free-kick.

The teenage defender, who has won 25% of his aerial duels in the Premiership (Sofascore), has not proven that he can be a reliable option for the Light Blues at this moment in time, and the change at half-time on Thursday suggests that the manager trusts Aarons ahead of him in a back four.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

The new manager is looking to strengthen his squad considerably this winter.

ByDominic Lund Nov 5, 2025

Therefore, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Meghoma and Chermiti in order to unleash Aarons at left-back in a back four and Danilo up front against Dundee on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe is heading for court! Real Madrid star set for Paris return as striker continues to demand €55m in unpaid wages from PSG

Kylian Mbappe is heading to court as his protracted legal dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain continues. Despite severing ties with the Ligue 1 giants in the summer of 2024, the World Cup winner claims to be owed €55 million (£48m/$64m) in unpaid wages. That case is now heading to labour courts in the French capital, with a final ruling being sought.

  • Day in court: Mbappe to face PSG in legal dispute

    Said hearing is set to take place on November 17, 2025, with France international Mbappe heading back to his homeland. The two parties at the centre of a long-running saga are due to meet at 1pm local time.

    The dispute has been taken to the Parisian labour court despite that council being unaccustomed to dealing with such high-profile cases. Arguments will be heard “directly in the judgment chamber” as the preliminary “conciliation” stage has been bypassed due to Mbappe “requesting the reclassification of his fixed-term contract as a permanent one”.

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    What happens next? Parisian lawyer explains

    Elie Dottelonde, a lawyer at the Paris bar, has told of what happens next: “(Mbappe) is the plaintiff. He will present his arguments, namely the non-execution of his employment contract, more specifically the non-payment of the last three months' salary and unpaid bonuses. The defendant (PSG) will have to explain why, according to them, they do not have to pay these months' salary and unpaid bonuses. This would be a first in the history of the case law of the Industrial Tribunal.”

    While Mbappe has got his day in court, it is reported that a decision in the case will not be made for “several months”. Mbappe’s lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, stated in April 2025 that her client is “determined to assert his rights, for himself but also for all the other players” that have been wronged by their respective clubs.

  • How Mbappe's dispute with PSG started

    Mbappe’s battle with PSG has tarnished his reputation somewhat at Parc des Princes, despite being the club’s all-time leading scorer with 235 goals to his name. A falling out in the French capital began during the summer of 2023 when Mbappe made it clear that he would not be signing a contract extension and intended to leave as a free agent when his deal expired.

    He was dropped for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, only to be almost immediately reinstated after one round of fixtures. PSG maintain that Mbappe was drafted back into their plans after agreeing to forgo a portion of the funds owed to him. The Mbappe camp has billed such claims as “fantasy”.

    His entourage claim that no agreement was made to waive certain payments. PSG have branded that stance a “fanciful tale”, with meetings said to have taken place during the summer of 2023. Mbappe continues to demand payment of the €55m that he believes is rightfully his.

    A court order to freeze that amount in PSG’s accounts was overturned on May 26, 2025. Mbappe has withdrawn his criminal complaints of psychological harassment. An investigation there had, however, been opened and was still running in the summer of 2025. Mbappe and PSG engaged in a legal battle before the LFP and FFF sporting authorities, who ultimately declared that they were unable to enforce decisions in favour of the player due to an ongoing preliminary hearing requested by the club before the Paris Judicial Court. That hearing was due to take place last May, but has been postponed indefinitely.

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    Mbappe in 2025-26: How many goals has be scored & is the Real star injured?

    On the field, Mbappe has been starring for France and Real Madrid again in 2025-26. He has registered 23 goals through 20 appearances for club and country. After netting a brace for France against Ukraine, as they booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, he has moved to within two efforts of Olivier Giroud at the top of Les Bleus’ all-time list.

    Mbappe played no part in a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan after being released from Didier Deschamps’ squad. He was said to be nursing ankle inflammation, but RMC report that was a “diplomatic injury” that allowed the 26-year-old to head back to Spain without running the risk of suffering a more serious fitness setback in a game that had nothing riding on it.

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