Not that it wasn’t before the short-lived return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, but the centre-forward berth has been an even bigger problem in the years since.

Indeed, the 2022/23 season saw Anthony Martial score just nine times in all competitions, including just six in the Premier League, while January arrival Wout Weghorst netted just twice following his surprise switch from Burnley.

The following campaign saw an injury-hit Martial score just twice himself in all competitions, while new man Rasmus Hojlund did fire 16 times, albeit with just ten of those coming in the league.

Hojlund then followed that up with ten goals across all fronts last term, with just four of those coming in the top-flight. £36.5m arrival Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, netted seven times, of which only three were in the league.

The fact of the matter is, United simply don’t have a proven goalscorer to rely upon, with the recent defeat to Everton highlighting why that man Zirkzee – who hasn’t scored a league goal for almost a year – just isn’t the solution.

The latest on Joshua Zirkzee's future

In the absence of Benjamin Sesko – who himself has scored only twice following his £74m switch from RB Leipzig – it was Zirkzee who got the nod against the Toffees, having featured for just 90 minutes in total all season prior to that.

Rusty or not on his first start of 2025/26, the Dutchman looked painfully out of his depth at times, so at odds with the rampant speed and physicality of Premier League football.

There were moments of quality, including two well-guided headers and an inviting cross across the box, but the 24-year-old was largely ineffective up against the wily James Tarkowski, notably losing the ball 12 times from just 35 touches.

Provided a rare opportunity to flourish, the former Bologna man showcased just why he has been a bystander to proceedings for much of the campaign so far, further throwing into doubt his long-term future at Old Trafford.

Indeed, the latest reports have suggested that the 6 foot 4 enigma might have already said yes to joining AS Roma on an initial loan deal in January, having previously been named Serie A’s Young Player of the Year back in 2023/24.

While United’s options in attack will be limited even further by Amad and Bryan Mbeumo’s upcoming AFCON commitments, it would not be a surprise for Zirkzee to depart upon their return in the New Year, with seven goals in 55 total games for the club making for grim reading for any centre-forward.

There is a talent in there, with his fleet of foot and silky touch sparking comparisons to a figure like Dimitar Berbatov, although in United’s current period of flux under Ruben Amorim, they desperately need an out-and-out goalscorer.

Thankfully, INEOS have already signed one.

Man Utd's "homegrown Osimhen" can replace Zirkzee

With Sesko and Matheus Cunha both sidelined, it was stark how little attacking depth United had in reserve, with Mason Mount the only real senior forward for Amorim to turn to on the bench.

Bryan Mbeumo

6

Casemiro

3

Bruno Fernandes

2

Benjamin Sesko

2

Harry Maguire

1

Matthijs de Ligt

1

Mason Mount

1

Amad

1

Matheus Cunha

1

While 18-year-old starlet Shea Lacey was featured in the matchday squad, there were eyebrows raised at the decision to overlook his academy colleague, Chido Obi, with Zirkzee ultimately playing the full 90 minutes.

Obi was parachuted into the first-team set-up as a drastic measure last season, amid United’s injury crisis, having made eight senior appearances in total 2024/25, albeit without scoring.

Frustratingly for the 17-year-old – who did score on the post-season tour against Hong Kong – he hasn’t been seen since in the senior set-up, with Amorim suggesting that he had been promoted “too soon” last term.

There’s no denying that Obi did look raw, not least on his solitary start against Brentford, but he also showed flashes of his undeniable talent, having come close to converting from the angle in the FA Cup clash with Fulham at Old Trafford.

Signed from Arsenal in the summer for 2024, the free-scoring forward has ripped it up at youth level in recent times, scoring 32 times in just 21 U18 games for the Gunners, as per Transfermarkt, while following that up with 12 goals in ten U18 games for United.

With five goals in 13 this term in the age group above, Obi is again showing just why he deserves a second chance under Amorim, with the teenager representing the orthodox centre-forward option that Zirkzee simply isn’t.

Described as a “homegrown Osimhen” by Arsenal content creator Will Balsam, the Danish youth international might be the perfect understudy to Sesko, rather than Zirkzee, with Amorim’s set-up demanding a more mobile, dynamic option to run the channels.

Of course, Amorim is wise to be careful with the development of such a talent, but at a time when a string of centre-forward signings haven’t worked out, why not dip into Carrington again?

Not Lammens: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

Manchester United have a player who has massively failed to deliver at Old Trafford since his transfer.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians foi derrotado pelo Botafogo na noite deste sábado (1º), por 1 a 0, na Neo Química Arena, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão, e foi parar na zona de rebaixamento. Júnior Santos marcou o único gol da partida, que garantiu a liderança provisória ao time carioca, que foi a 13 pontos, enquanto o Timão tem apenas cinco.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS 0 X 1 BOTAFOGO
7ª RODADA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: sábado, 1ºde junho de 2024, às 21h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP);
🟨 Árbitro: Anderson Daronco;
🚩 Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia e Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel;
🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira)
Carlos Miguel; Matheuzinho, Félix Torres, Cacá e Hugo; Raniele, Breno Bidon, Rodrigo Garro, Igor Coronado; Wesley, Yuri Alberto.

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BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
John; Damián Suárez, Lucas Halter, Bastos, Cuiabano; Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas, Tchê Tchê e Luiz Henrique; Júnior Santos e Savarino.

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FanSided, in partnership with Louisville Slugger, has released the National League finalists for the Silver Slugger Award. The honor, which as been given out since 1980, recognizes the best best offensive player at each position in each league. This year's list includes MVP candidates and those who have gone on to be postseason heroes.

Here are the 2025 finalists:

First base

Pete Alonso, New York Mets; Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers; Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

Second base

Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs; Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks; Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor, New York Mets; Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks; Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies

Third base

Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants; Manny Machado, San Diego Padres; Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers; Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

Outfield

Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks; Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs; Juan Soto, New York Mets; Kyle Stowers, Miami Marlins;Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs;James Wood, Washington Nationals

Catcher

William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers; Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies; Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

Designated hitter

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers; Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies; Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

Utility

Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals; Jake Cronenworth, San Diego Padres; Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals

Team

Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers

Winners for the National League will be announced on FanSided's The Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube on Nov. 6 at 6:00 p.m. ET, followed by the reveal of the American League honorees—which will be released on Thursday.

دافع الكرواتي ديان لوفرين، مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باوك اليوناني وليفربول السابق عن صديقه المقرب محمد صلاح، عقب تصريحاته الأخيرة بعد مباراة ليدز يونايتد بالبريميرليج.

وخرج صلاح بعد انتهاء مباراة ليدز يونايتد وتحدث لوسائل الإعلام وفتح النار على الجميع، وعلى رأسهم مدربه آرني سلوت، بسبب جلوسه على دكة البدلاء لثلاث مباريات متتالية.

بعد تلك التصريحات، انهالت على صلاح تعليقات اللاعبين القدامى والمحللين الإنجليز وانتقدوا حديثه بشدة وعلى رأسهم جيمي كاراجر.

كما قرر الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لليفربول استبعاد محمد صلاح من مباراة إنتر ميلان بعد تصريحاته الأخيرة عقب تعادل الفريق مع ليدز يونايتد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا | “أنت عار”.. أحمد المحمدي يوجه رسالة نارية إلى كاراجر بسبب محمد صلاح

ويخوض ليفربول مباراته أمام إنتر ميلان مساء اليوم، الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب “جيوسيبي مياتزا”.

ونشر قائد منتخب مصر صورة له عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إكس” وهو يتدرب في صالة الألعاب الرياضية كأول رد فعل له عقب قرار استبعاده من مباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وعلق لوفرين، على صورة صلاح عبر انستجرام، وقال: “الطريقة الوحيدة للتعامل مع الظلم هي أن نقاتل بكل قوتنا”.

وحينما رد عليه أحد المتابعين يدافع عن سلوت، أجابه قائلًا: “أنت لا تملك أي فكرة عما يحدث خلف الكواليس، ابق في مكانك مع الكيبورد وادعم الجانب الخطأ”.

Manchester United have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign an England midfielder for just £26m when the January transfer window arrives.

Man Utd seeking midfield reinforcements

In the summer, it was Ruben Amorim’s frontline that took the focus as INEOS welcomed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko in an impressive window. Now, when 2026 arrives, it looks as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to turn his attention towards Man United’s midfield.

Those at Old Trafford were eyeing a move for Carlos Baleba at the end of the summer window, before Brighton & Hove Albion priced them out of a move. Months on, it seems as though the midfielder has fallen down Man United’s shortlist of targets, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson now taking centre-stage.

The 23-year-old is quickly becoming the most sought-after player in the Premier League, but he’s not the only option on United’s list of targets in the middle of the park.

They’ve also reportedly been told that they can now sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid at a bargain price in January. The former Chelsea man could be on his way back to the Premier League as he looks to earn his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Man Utd now offered bargain Conor Gallagher deal

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Man United have now been told that they can sign Gallagher for just €30m (£26m) when 2026 arrives. The England international has become surplus to requirements at Atletico Madrid and he’s now ready to leave the club in pursuit of consistent game time.

Dubbed “intense” by Simeone, Gallagher could provide the legs in United’s midfield that Casemiro is otherwise unable to provide these days. The 25-year-old is a true midfield workhorse, who also has a knack for popping up with goals when needed.

Although United’s big target is Anderson, they’d be doing their top four prospects no harm by welcoming Gallagher in the January transfer window, especially at just £26m.

Man Utd eye move for £80m star who Man City would "love" to buy in January

The Red Devils could be in a direct fight with their Premier League rivals to land his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 29, 2025

Whether INEOS will be willing to act as early as the winter window remains to be seen, however. They may yet put all of their funds towards winning what is looking likely to be a hectic race for Anderson next summer.

INEOS can fund Elliot Anderson move by offloading Man Utd's "best player"

Even when Mitchell Starc blew England away with seven wickets during the first innings in Perth it did not go unnoticed that, in an attack missing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, the visitors had taken Scott Boland for more than six an over.It came following pre-series debate about how they would look to take on Boland after largely dominating him in the two matches he played in the 2023 Ashes. However, the second day was a different story. Boland’s three-wicket burst after lunch – removing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in the space of 11 balls – turned the match on its head when England had been 105 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand.”It probably just proves to me that my good stuff, it doesn’t matter who it’s to, I think it feels like when I’m getting in the right areas it’s good enough to anyone,” Boland said ahead of the second Test at the Gabba. “I think that gives me a little bit of confidence that if I’m nailing my game… I’m good enough to compete with anyone.”Related

• England confront the Gabba's realities with Ashes hopes in the balance

• Selection uncertainty or smokescreen? Focus on Cummins day before Gabba Test

• Stokes: Bashir remains 'England's No.1 spinner' despite Brisbane omission

• Cummins a chance for Gabba as Australia delay naming XI

• Khawaja out of Brisbane Test after failing to recover from back spasms

Having overpitched too often in the first innings, Boland adjusted both his line and length in the second, hanging the ball wider, drawing Pope and Brook into drives away from their body. After the match, Andrew McDonald said the initial plans were partly to blame for the tactics Boland used with the new ball on the opening day.”I think Ronnie’s pretty nice to me there,” Boland said. “I just had one of those days where I just felt like I was over-pitching too much. Obviously, I wanted to start a little bit fuller than normal with the new ball, but I probably bowled seven or eight half-volleys and they all went for four. Some days half of them don’t and you think it’s [going] a little bit better.”I was pretty happy with how I bounced back in the second innings. I sort of went back to my natural length. Stuff that I know I’m really good at. I was obviously really disappointed with how I bowled in the first innings because generally I don’t bowl too many half-volleys.”On a pitch at the Gabba likely to have good pace and carry, if not perhaps to quite the level of Perth Stadium, Boland expects similar tactics to come into play. “I think we’ll get some good bounce here at the Gabba, which we usually do,” he said. “We went through what worked in Perth and what’s going to work here. It feels like a lot of the stuff is very similar.”Pope, who was tied down before losing patience and edging to Alex Carey, accepted there were things to learn but continued to see opportunity if Australia’s bowlers kept targeting a wider line.Scott Boland’s burst on day two in Perth helped swing the first Test•Getty Images

“It’s trying to learn the lessons, and take some positives,” he said. “I think it is just about being really precise with how you go about it. They can hang it out wide but as soon as they do miss their lengths it is about trying to put them under pressure there as well.”I look back on that [second] innings and the dismissal, [and] it’s just being that bit more precise, going about it in the same way but having that little bit more [precision] in my game.”Boland, who averages 13.16 from four day-night Tests, also sees the short ball being a threat again with England unlikely to back down from a challenge despite the bigger boundaries on most Australian grounds. However, he did note that their lower order had briefly rallied in the second innings, with Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse added 50 in 36 balls, when the quicks banged in the ball in.”Definitely the ground size plays a big part in that,” Boland said. “Perth Stadium is really wide, really big pockets. And the ground is quite similar here. Same as the MCG and SCG. Adelaide’s probably the only one that’s a little bit different. I think that worked in our favour.”They [England] tried some bouncer plans which worked well at different times. I think sometimes when you do go to that bouncer plan, you can leak runs pretty quickly. I think we had them 6 for 80 [88] and then we sort of went into some full-on bouncer plans and leaked [runs] a little bit [but] we got some wickets. First innings, it worked really quick and then second things, they played a little bit better. So I think we’ll just be adjusting on the fly.”There has been intrigue this week around whether Cummins could make a late entrance for the Brisbane Test, as he ramps up his return to bowling, despite not being named in the squad although a return in Adelaide remains the likely outcome. “He looked in red-hot form the other night, as good as you’ll see [from] a fast bowler charging in in the nets,” Boland said.Meanwhile, Hazlewood is due to join the squad on Thursday to continue his return to bowling after being ruled out of the first two Tests with a hamstring injury. He is considered unlikely to be in contention until either Melbourne or Sydney.

As the Ranji Trophy hits pause after five rounds, ESPNcricinfo looks at five players who have impressed so far

Shashank Kishore20-Nov-2025Auqib Nabi (J&K) – Wickets 29 | Average 13.27A swing bowler with immaculate control, Nabi, 29, has been delivering standout performances in the Ranji Trophy for two seasons now. He’s not a 140kph express quick – around 125-130 kph at best – but he’s someone who can make the new ball talk, like Bhuvneshwar Kumar did.In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, Nabi averaged 13.93 for his 44 wickets – more than any seamer in the country, and overall second only to Vidarbha spinner Harsh Dubey. At the Duleep Trophy in August, he produced a moment that grabbed national attention: four wickets in four balls for North Zone against East Zone.He began the Ranji Trophy with a five-for against Mumbai, but it’s over the last few weeks that he’s truly surged. In the fourth round, Nabi’s five-wicket haul powered J&K’s first-ever win over Delhi. A week later, he took 4 for 39 against Hyderabad, helping J&K secure a first-innings lead that turned into a match-winning one. Then came the spell of the season so far: 7 for 24 against Rajasthan that earned J&K a bonus-point win.With this level of consistency and impact, how much longer before Nabi gets a call-up to the India A squad?Ravichandran Smaran has had a tremendous start to his 2025-26 Ranji season•PTI R Smaran (Karnataka) – Runs 595 | Average 119.00Thirteen first-class games into his career, 22-year old Smaran already has three double-centuries – two of them in this Ranji season. A left-hand, top-order batter who first made his name in T20 cricket, he got his opportunity in red-ball cricket only last year when Karnataka moved on from Manish Pandey. Smaran has ensured the transition has been seamless, slotting in with a maturity well beyond his age and experience.Both his double-tons this season have come in matches that Karnataka won comfortably. His unbeaten 220 against Kerala was on a turning surface in Mangalapuram, where he anchored a commanding first-innings total that led to an innings victory.His most recent effort – an unbeaten 227 in Hubli – was in completely different conditions: a green-tinged pitch, Karnataka wobbling at 64 for 3, with Smaran rebuilding the innings alongside Karun Nair before batting through.Smaran combines elegance with power and is confident against spin. His strength off the back foot adds another layer to a well-rounded game. Having made his mark in white-ball cricket last season, he has continued to evolve in red-ball cricket too, ensuring he is nowhere close to falling prey to the second-season syndrome.Prithvi Shaw recorded the third-fastest double century in Ranji Trophy history•PTI Prithvi Shaw (Maharashtra) – Runs 470 runs | Average 67.14Prithvi Shaw is outside the top ten run-scorers this season, but the impact he’s made and the circumstances of his return is noteworthy. He’s been a typically robust presence at the top, taking pressure off Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has moved to a stable role in the middle order. Shaw, 26, has scored his runs at a strike rate of 92.33 – an indication of his dominance.Having left Mumbai, his start for Maharashtra was inauspicious, with familiar failings resurfacing when he was caught in the slips for a four-ball duck on debut against Kerala. He bounced back to make a barnstorming 75 in the second innings.Shaw’s impact was felt against Chandigarh, when he made 222 off just 156 balls to help Maharashtra race to 359 for 3 in just 52 overs, setting up a target they successfully defended after it looked like the game would end in a draw. Shaw’s innings gave Maharashtra a little over four sessions to bowl Chandigarh out and secure their first outright win.Since then, Shaw has made scores of 71 and 74 against Karnataka and Punjab; the 74 coming in a bonus-point win that put them second in Group B.Abhinav Tejrana (Goa) – Runs 651 runs |Average 93.00A stylish left-hand batter, Tejrana, 24, found opportunities hard to come by in Delhi and made the move to Goa ahead of the 2023-24 season. After two strong years in the Under-23 circuit, he finally earned his Ranji debut this season – and announced himself in stunning fashion. On debut, he struck a match-winning double-century against Chandigarh, a knock that justified Goa’s faith in him.He backed it up with a composed half-century against Karnataka, and followed up with his second hundred of the season, this time against Punjab. And in the fifth round that ended on Wednesday, Tejrana compiled a fighting 118 against a high-quality Saurashtra attack – he was one of the few Goa batters to show resistance in an innings defeat.As the season pauses for the white-ball leg, Tejrana is in line to make his List A and T20 debuts for his adopted state.Shams Mulani has been an all-round star for Mumbai•PTI Shams Mulani (Mumbai) – Wickets 28 wickets l Average 21.10Mulani, 28, topped the Ranji wicket charts in 2021-22, finished second in 2022-23, and was third last season. This year, he’s once again on course to secure a top-three finish – underlining a level of consistency few spinners in the country have matched.Yet, despite this sustained excellence, he has struggled to become a regular in India A squads, largely because there is an abundance of left-arm spin allrounders. Even so, Mulani belongs in the top bracket of left-arm spinners in the country, alongside Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar and R Sai Kishore.This season, he has been central to Mumbai’s surge to the top of Group D, influencing games with both bat and ball. In the season-opener in Srinagar, he hit a vital 41 in the second innings to stretch Mumbai’s lead to 243, before running through J&K with a match-defining 7 for 46 in a tense 35-run win.In the match against Himachal, he scored a composed half-century to help build a commanding first-innings total and set up the follow-on, after which he delivered 5 for 37 to seal Mumbai’s second successive victory.

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and promoting young talent into the first team.

Mikel Arteta has carried that tradition on during his time, with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and now Max Dowman all getting chances under him.

However, when it comes to the most successful Hale End product under the Spaniard’s stewardship, it’s hard to ignore Bukayo Saka, who has become a world-class superstar in recent years.

So, fans should be very excited about another young prospect making his way through the academy, who has been likened to a young version of the England international.

Saka's academy journey

Saka joined Hale End as a seven-year-old, with him later revealing that it was his father who pushed for him to join the club over others.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The Ealing-born gem made his debut for the club’s U18 against Fulham in August 2017, a game the Gunners would lose 4-1.

The youngster would end that season with a respectable haul of eight goals and four assists in 22 games.

The following year, he made just six appearances for the U18S and 24 for the U23S, scoring six goals and providing nine assists for the latter.

However, that was also the season in which he made his first-team debut, away to Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League group stage, under Unai Emery.

At this point, the exciting prospect was still very much seen as a left-sided attacker and had made just a single appearance on the right across both campaigns.

The 19/20 season brought the end of Saka’s time in the academy setup, as he made just one appearance for the U23s in a Premier League 2 game against Everton, which they drew.

Appearances

28

25

Goals

16

6

Assists

6

9

In all, the now 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Arsenal’s U18s, in which he produced 22 goal involvements and 25 appearances for the U23s, in which he produced 15.

Everyone now knows how the rest of the story goes, and so fans should be excited that there is another Hale End talent currently being compared to Saka.

Arsenal's next Saka

With the likes of Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and now Dowman, it feels like Hale End can’t stop producing incredible talents, and the next one off the line might just be Brando Bailey-Joseph.

The 17-year-old has been so impressive in recent months that, despite only signing scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, he has already put pen to paper on a professional deal.

Moreover, according to one analyst, he is currently looking “very reminiscent of a young Saka.”

The argument he puts forward is that, like the Gunners’ talisman, there has been a lot more talk around other youngsters in the academy over him, and he is just quietly plugging away in the background.

Appearances

16

Minutes

1098′

Goals

4

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

137.25′

For example, in 16 appearances this term, totalling 1098 minutes, he has scored four goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 137.25 minutes, which would be pretty good for a striker, let alone a winger who has been moved between both sides over and over again.

In addition to the output, the analyst also points out that, like Arteta’s mercurial number seven, he has shown an “incredible technical” ability in the academy.

This is an opinion shared by Hale End expert Will Balsam, who claims that the youngster’s “fire feet, chopping into the grass constantly, make it impossible for defenders to know what’s coming.”

Ultimately, while it’s so early in his journey, Bailey-Joseph looks like he could be the next Hale End star to make it in the first team and follow in Saka’s footsteps on the wing.

Rice was fuming with him: Arsenal's "future captain" has regressed big time

It has been a season to forget for the Arsenal star so far this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 1, 2025

Rangers boss Danny Rohl was left to settle for what he described as a “fully deserved point” at Tannadice on Wednesday night, although for a club of such stature, these are the type of games that the Ibrox side simply have to win.

Just a few days on from the drab stalemate against Falkirk, the Light Blues were left relying on a last-gasp Nedim Bajrami penalty to bail them out of trouble this time around, having been abject at both ends of the pitch on the night.

Indeed, Bojan Miovski’s dry spell continued, having scored just one Premiership goal since his return to Scotland, while the centre-back pairing of Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez were all at sea up against a lively Dundee United forward line.

Rohl, undoubtedly, is paying the price for the chaos that came before him under both Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, with the summer recruitment yet again under the microscope.

With question marks over how much will be available to spend in January, the German coach will largely have to make do with what he’s got for now, albeit with key decisions needing to be made.

Record of every Rangers summer signing

Perhaps it is still too early to judge the business that was carried out this summer, although the transfer failures have already helped claim one manager and could well prove fatal for another, unless Rohl can turn things around.

Of course, the biggest backfire appears to be the £8m investment in Everton’s Youssef Chermiti, with a player who failed to score in two years at Goodison Park having since scored just once in his new surroundings.

Former Aberdeen talisman Bojan Miovski hasn’t exactly fared much better, it must be said, with just two goals himself in all competitions for the Glasgow side, ensuring that – perhaps unsurprisingly – captain James Tavernier still leads the way with seven goals from right-back this season.

Despite looking brighter since the change in the dugout, more was certainly expected of Tottenham Hotspur’s teenage sensation, Mikey Moore, with the Englishman joining Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron in having scored just once in 2025/26 thus far.

Oliver Antman, another marquee summer addition, hasn’t even got off the mark at all, while perhaps the biggest concern lies defensively, with regard to Djiga, in particular.

Djeidi Gassama

27

6 (2)

Thelo Aasgaard

22

1 (1)

Nasser Djiga

21

0 (0)

Oliver Antman

20

0 (3)

Jayden Meghoma

20

1 (2)

Max Aarons

19

1 (0)

Joe Rothwell

19

0 (2)

Bojan Miovski

18

2 (1)

Mikey Moore

17

1 (2)

Youssef Chermiti

15

1 (1)

Derek Cornelius

12

1 (1)

Lyall Cameron

9

1 (0)

Emmanuel Fernandez

7

2 (0)

Already seemingly looking finished at Ibrox, following a string of errors in recent months, the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers man has been this season’s key disaster, epitomising a transfer window that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

The Burkina Faso international has at least been consistent in struggling right from the off, with there perhaps more confusion over the shifting form of fellow new addition, Djeidi Gassama.

Martin's "shining light" now needs to be benched by Rohl

If there was just one positive from the brief Martin era, it was the early performances of young Gassama, with the ex-Sheffield Wednesday starlet looking particularly impressive in Champions League qualifying.

Four goals in just six games in that early round of European games suggested that Rangers had hit the jackpot with their £2.2m addition, with former England international Chris Waddle among those lauding him as a potential “bargain”:

From looking like the “shining light” under Martin’s watch, in the view of former Gers defender Alan Hutton, the France-born winger has frustratingly failed to kick on since then, with that Champions League form looking like a red herring on current evidence.

Indeed, since then, the underwhelming wideman has scored just once and provided only two assists in the Premiership, alongside chipping in with a further goal in the Europa League against Sturm Graz.

An asset in continental action, Gassama has been unable to replicate that form domestically, even despite reuniting with Rohl in recent weeks, following their prior link at Hillsborough.

The youngster was particularly poor during the draw with the Tangerines, having lost the ball 20 times from just 56 touches, while boasting a dismal pass accuracy rate of just 67%, as per Sofascore.

Part of a forward line that just isn’t clicking into gear, Gassama also squandered two big chances and completed just a solitary successful cross, having perhaps been fortunate to last the full 90 minutes in truth.

With young Findlay Curtis among those waiting in the wings, Rohl must forego any potential favouritism and shake things up next time around.

Gassama just isn’t looking like the player he did back in July and August…

Rangers "passenger" has been so bad that he makes Dowell look good

This Glasgow Rangers flop is currently making Kieran Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

ByDan Emery Dec 3, 2025

Since the start of his career, he has had to put his game together brick by brick, improving at every step

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Sep-2025Pathum Nissanka remembers being around cricket from his earliest years. “I’ve been playing since I was in year one or year two,” he says, the game as present and natural a feature of his life as the brooding Kalu Ganga (black river), which meets the Indian Ocean in his home town of Kalutara.He had had this cricket-soaked childhood because his father, Sunil Silva, was then a groundsman at the biggest club in town. “It was my who inspired that love in me,” Nissanka says. “He taught me how to hold a bat. He was my first coach.” His mother, Geethika, used to sell flowers outside Kalutara’s famous Buddhist temple; theirs was not a family of great means. But what they did have was this burning desire to make their talented son a cricketer.In addition to the early trainings and sweltering afternoons that form the bedrock of a burgeoning cricketing life, Nissanka was forever facing throwdowns from his father at home or at the club ground. It was there, or so the story goes, that a serious work ethic developed. It is this tirelessness that has set him apart.Related

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Although he was precocious, Nissanka’s rise through Sri Lanka’s system was gradual. He started at as good a cricketing school as the city could offer, Kalutara Vidyalaya, which produced TM Dilshan. But its First XI still played in a Division II competition that was holding back Nissanka’s development. Eventually he was scouted by Isipathana College and moved there – a fancy-ish Colombo institution but one better known for its rugby. When he graduated to senior domestic cricket, he spent a couple of seasons at Badureliya Sports Club before moving to the better-resourced Nondescripts Cricket Club.At no rung on this ladder did Nissanka attract big hype. Few whispers were heard about his being Sri Lanka’s next great batter. No social-media campaigns of note aimed to propel him into the national side. No selectors backed his promise and carried him into a national squad on a palanquin, as they had done others. Nissanka was required to put his game together stage by stage, often adding attacking elements to what he says was always a robust defensive technique.Before he made his debut for Sri Lanka in 2021, Nissanka strung together two first-class seasons in which he averaged around 90, raising his overall first-class average to an outstanding 67.54. On that maiden 2021 tour of West Indies, he became the first Sri Lankan batter in 20 years to make a hundred on Test debut. In that innings he was scoreless in his first 20 balls, and on 18 off his first 70.

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Nearly three quarters of the way through 2025, it is possible we are seeing the rise of Sri Lanka’s first space-age, three-format batter. No other specialist batter who came up in the T20 age has quite made it across formats. Nissanka opens the batting in all three. Since 2024, he has put up serious numbers.In Tests he averages 51.20 in that period. No opener in the world with 400 runs in that stretch averages as much. In ODIs he averages 48.47 with a strike rate of 98. In T20Is, he’s hit 970 runs at a strike rate of 142.Among other things, Nissanka has refurbished his game square of the wicket on both sides•Zimbabwe CricketIt has become clear through this period that Nissanka has spent his four years in international cricket developing and honing fresh skills. It is his attacking game he has expanded the most. It took being dropped from ODIs for six months, at the back end of 2021, for him to realise what the next stage of his development needed to be.”After my first nine one-dayers, my average was down at nine-something [9.55],” Nissanka says. “I knew then that I needed to do more than that for the team, and had to find ways to improve. So I started training more than usual. I trained pretty much every day, and batted three or four times a day.”Having done the hard work of breaking through to the next level so many times, Nissanka knew the drill. The first step was to identify what his game lacked. For the first time, he had access to Sri Lanka Cricket’s coaching and analysis resources.”I looked at what my weak points were, and which areas I wasn’t getting many runs in. I analysed all that, and had some idea of how to change my game so I could put the ball in those areas.”My back-foot punch wasn’t in a good place previously. I would play it, but I didn’t get many runs from it. My slash also needed to improve. When you’re up against the new ball and it’s swinging, you need to have these shots to score off. I worked really hard on those shots, and practised them constantly.”The data shows significant improvement. Where until the end of 2022, Nissanka struck at only 105 in the sectors immediately adjacent to point on either side in T20Is, since the start of 2024 (we’re excluding 2023, as the main transition year), he has struck at 132 through that region.There was also general power-hitting work, and strength-building in the gym. Where until the end of 2022 he used to hit a six once every 37 balls, he has cleared the rope once every 25.29 balls, since 2024. The fours have also come at a substantially faster clip – he hits one once every 6.1 balls since 2024, when until the end of 2022, he’d hit one every 9.97 deliveries.