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Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel marked his Old Trafford debut by setting a new club record after scoring the winner in an FA Youth Cup tie against Peterborough on Tuesday night. The 15-year-old has been linked with Barcelona and Arsenal and nicknamed 'Kid Messi', with many believing he has incredible potential. Meanwhile, Kai Rooney, son of legendary England striker Wayne, was left out of the squad for the third-round clash.

• Gabriel stars in FA Youth Cup win and sets new record

  Much is expected of Gabriel, even after only just turning 15 years of age, and the teenager wasted little time making his presence known on his first competitive appearance at United's Old Trafford home. Gabriel netted the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute with a lovely sweeping finish into the far corner, earning Darren Fletcher's side a fourth-round tie against Cambridge United or Derby County, with those two teams set to meet on Wednesday. That goal saw the hyped youngster become United's youngest-ever scorer in FA Youth Cup history and also took him to 11 strikes in 12 games this season, having recently scored a hat-trick against Liverpool's Under-18s.

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  Who is JJ Gabriel?

  United have produced plenty of stars through their academy during the club's glittering history and Gabriel is thought to be one who could go on to become a genuinely world-class player in the future. He has received rather flattering comparisons to Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo and attracted more praise back in August when he scored an outrageously impressive goal for United's Under-18s.

  His performances have caught the eye of many teams around Europe. Barcelona are thought to be keeping track of his situation as they look to find the next Lamine Yamal, while Arsenal have also been credited with an interest. However, the Gunners' admiration of Gabriel has been labelled 'premature' in recent weeks, with the current Premier League leaders not thought to have made a formal offer as of yet.

  That is good news for United, who seem to be doing everything they can to keep hold of the prodigious youngster. The Red Devils are said to have even gone as far as offering Gabriel a box at the new Old Trafford stadium, which is due to be completed by 2030. He may well hope to be making his mark in the first-team squad by that point, but United's current senior stars are already familiar with the teenager's talents as he's previously been invited to train with Ruben Amorim's cohorts during the early stages of the season.

• Rooney's son Kai left out of squad

  While it was all smiles for Gabriel, Kai Rooney, the son of United legend Wayne, was not included in the squad for the win over Peterborough. The teenager has been recovering from injury in recent weeks and made his return for the club's Under-16s over the weekend. Jacey Carrick, son of ex-United and England midfielder Michael, was also absent from the matchday squad.

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  What next for Gabriel?

  Gabriel will continue playing youth football for United for now, with the hope of breaking into the first-team squad and making his senior debut in the future. He will, however, have to be wary of the treatment some of United's recent academy graduates have received of late.

  Marcus Rashford doesn't seem to have much of a future at Old Trafford after being sent on loan to both Aston Villa and Barcelona in the last year, while the curious case of Kobbie Mainoo remains puzzling to many football fans across Europe. The 20-year-old broke into the squad under former boss Erik ten Hag and scored a memorable goal against local rivals Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, but he has not made a single start in the Premier League this season.

  One youngster who has been getting first-team minutes under Amorim is Ayden Heaven, who has started the Red Devils' last two Premier League matches. He was unconvincing against West Ham United, being hauled off after 45 minutes, but produced a more accomplished performance in the 4-1 thumping of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.

Derbyshire lose three wickets after rain delay to face uphill task over weekend

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2021Ed Barnard demonstrated more excellent form with the bat before the Worcestershire bowlers made inroads on day two of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire at New Road.The all-rounder is keen to bat higher than No.8 and further strengthened his claims with a fine knock of 90 to take his run tally for the County this summer past the 400 mark.It is a figure only surpassed for Worcestershire by Jake Libby with Barnard having now put together a maiden century and three fifty-plus innings in scoring 414 runs at an average of 51.75.His efforts helped Worcestershire total 421 all out and then Dillon Pennington, Joe Leach and Barnard picked up a wicket apiece as Derbyshire ended on 91 for 3.Barnard successfully shepherded the lower order this morning as Worcestershire, who resumed on 336 for 7, added another 85 runs from the final three wickets to secure a fourth batting bonus point.Barnard looked set for a deserved hundred until he cut a delivery from spinner Matt Critchley into the hands of Ben McDermott at backward point.The England Lions player resumed on 48 and turned Ben Aitchison on the legside to complete a 64 ball half-century with seven boundaries.He then pulled Sam Conners for four to bring up the 350 – and the fourth batting point – in 102.5 overs.Alzarri Joseph (12) helped Barnard add 28 before he was caught at mid-off by Billy Godleman off Dustin Melton who then bowled Leach (5) via an inside edge.Related

• Chris Wright's six-for keeps Middlesex waiting as Leicestershire find their fight

• Jack Haynes 97 puts Worcestershire on front foot against Derbyshire

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But Pennington proved a valuable ally in helping Barnard to add 45 for the last wicket and the paceman struck Critchley for a big six over wide long on.He remained unbeaten on 24 until Barnard’s eventually dismissal after hitting 12 fours in his 120-ball knock. Melton ended with 3 for 76 and there were two wickets apiece for Conners and Aitchinson.Derbyshire openers Godleman and Brooke Guest were due to face one over before lunch but rain intervened and only eight balls were possible in a brief interlude during a four-hour break from action.Play eventually restarted at 4.55pm with 29.4 overs remaining and Pennington made a quick breakthrough when Godleman on 10 edged to Tom Fell at first slip.Leach then struck as Guest turned a delivery off his legs and Ross Whiteley pulled off a superb catch at square leg to end his knock on 20.It became 58 for 3 when Barnard trapped Leus du Plooy (7) lbw but Australian debutant, Ben McDermott, and Wayne Madsen steadied the innings by adding an unbroken 33.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been blessed over recent years to witness some incredible talents wearing their shirt – none more so than attacking midfielder Dele.

The Englishman joined in a deal worth a reported £5m from MK Dons back in 2015, arriving in North London as a baby-faced 19-year-old, with many supporters expecting him to link up with the youth setup.

However, he was catapulted into the senior ranks, becoming a key member of their Premier League squad, racking up a total of 146 appearances in his first three years at White Hart Lane.

Dele ended up spending seven years with the Lilywhites, scoring 67 times and registering 55 assists – even winning the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award back to back.

Whilst he’s faced struggles off the field since his departure three years ago, the Spurs hierarchy have also struggled to replace him – leading to Thomas Frank completing a big-money deal for one star this summer.

How Xavi Simons compares to other PL CAMs in 2025/26

During the summer transfer window, Spurs were desperate for a new attacking midfielder, especially after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury against Newcastle United in pre-season.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were just two of the options identified by Frank, but the former signed a new deal at Nottingham Forest, whilst the latter joined North London rivals, Arsenal.

As a result, the hierarchy completed a £52m transfer for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, but such a deal has been a disaster for everyone involved just a couple of months on.

The Dutch international has featured 14 times across all competitions to date, but has failed to score a single goal, whilst also only laying on two assists for his teammates.

His underlying stats also highlight his lack of positive impact in England’s top-flight, with Simons only creating an average of 1.01 chances per 90 – a dismal tally for an attacking midfielder.

As a result, such a tally ranks him in the bottom 25% of all other midfielders in the league, with right-back Pedro Porro creating more chances in the same time period.

At just 22, he has plenty of time to transform his career under Frank, but he will certainly need to do so quickly – especially considering the form of one other player in recent months.

The Spurs star who could become the next Dele

The number ten position at Spurs has been one that no player has truly nailed down since Dele’s departure, with Simons having a long way to go until he gets anywhere near the levels produced by the Englishman.

However, some slack will certainly need to be cut for the Dutchman, with the youngster needing time to adapt to a whole new country, culture and style of football in North London.

His tally of 19 combined goals and assists in the Bundesliga showcases that there’s a talented player in there, but ultimately, it’s going to take time before he reaches his full potential.

The Lilywhites hierarchy may have been better off waiting for another youth talent to emerge from their ranks and staking a claim for a regular starting role in the first-team setup.

Luca Williams-Barnett is no doubt a player who is on the lips of all the supporters, with the 17-year-old already registering 12 combined goals and assists in just eight games for the U21 side.

However, the club might already have their next Dele in the form of attacking midfielder Tyrese Hall, with the 20-year-old star already making huge waves in the professional game.

Like Williams-Barnett, he hugely impressed at U21 level last campaign, subsequently securing a season-long loan to join League Two side Notts County for the 2025/26 campaign.

Such a spell is his first taste of senior football, but Hall is taking to it like a duck to water, as seen by his phenomenal tally of six goals in his first 16 appearances for the Magpies.

His latest effort against Cheltenham Town proved to be the winner for Martin Paterson’s men, leading to coach Harry Brooks claiming he has the “exact profile Spurs lack” under Frank.

Hall has already caught the eye at Meadow Lane for his superb dribbling ability, which has seen him complete 53% of his take-on attempts, subsequently leading to 1.9 chances created per 90.

The comparison to Dele may be a huge one, but it’s certainly one that could come to fruition if Hall does manage to stay on his current trajectory on loan with the Magpies.

Dele made his name for his time at MK Dons in the EFL, with the Spurs youngster also doing the exact same thing a decade later – so don’t be surprised if Hall is a player taking North London by storm in the near future.

Frank can end Bentancur's Spurs career by unleashing "future £100m" talent

Tottenham Hotspur have a huge talent on their hands, but his progress is being halted by Rodrigo Bentancur.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 12, 2025

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has been warned that he will soon be "finished like Jose Mourinho" by Antonio Cassano, who has brutally claimed that the Serie A leaders play "dreadful" football. Although the Rossoneri have lost only once this season, on the opening weekend against Cremonese, and have since collected eight victories and four draws to rise to the top of the table, Cassano remains entirely unconvinced with their style.

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  Cassano in fierce critique of Serie A leaders

  Cassano drew a stark comparison between Allegri and Mourinho, arguing that both coaches have become relics of another era. He lamented what he views as a betrayal of Milan’s traditional values, which are attacking flair, elegance, and expressive football. In his eyes, the current iteration of Allegri’s Milan stands in direct conflict with those ideals.

  Speaking on the podcast, Cassano issued a blistering assessment of Milan’s approach, suggesting the club’s identity is being eroded under Allegri’s watch.

  "Remember what I said about Mourinho being finished and that sooner or later he would end up being forgotten. The same will happen to Allegri," he said. 

  "I can’t imagine Milan in 2025 playing dreadful football because of their coach: Milan are history, beauty, aesthetics and quality. And what do they do? Everyone sits in front of the goalkeeper; there’s no depth, then you win the ball back, counter-attack and score."

  For all the criticism, Milan’s numbers are strong. They have scored 19 goals and conceded just nine in their 13 Serie A fixtures. The team boasts of a defensive solidity characteristic of Allegri’s coaching style. But Cassano contends that results alone should not shield the manager from scrutiny, especially at a club built on decades of artistic football.

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  Mourinho's fall from grace

  Cassano’s comparison to Mourinho arrives at a time when the Portuguese manager’s recent struggles remain fresh. Mourinho left Fenerbahce earlier this year following a difficult stint lasting just 62 games, as he was dismissed after a Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica. The former Chelsea and Inter boss, who has two Champions League titles to his name, endured a testing time in Turkey was fraught with frustration, particularly with officiating, and he openly admitted upon returning to Portugal that he had chosen the wrong project.

  "My career so far has been rich; I've coached the biggest clubs in the world, in different countries," he said after taking the reins at Benfica for a second time. "I made the wrong choice; sometimes I don't have the right word in Portuguese… no regrets, because regrets don't help us at all in life, but the awareness of what we did well and what we did wrong exists. I made a mistake going to Fenerbahce; it wasn't my cultural level, it wasn't my football level, it wasn't my level. Obviously, I gave everything until the last day."

  Former Fenerbahce president Ali Koc later shed more light on the separation, describing it as "painful" while insisting the club needed a more expansive style to suit the Turkish side’s expectations. 

  He said: "Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting. Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement. Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code.

  "Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue. We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."

• A bitter irony in Cassano’s accusations

  Cassano himself won the only Serie A title of his career under the same man he now savages. His 2010-11 Scudetto triumph came with Allegri at the Milan helm, yet that shared success did little to soften his message. Mourinho, meanwhile, appears to be steadying himself at Benfica. After a shaky start back in Lisbon, his side have climbed to third place in the Liga Portugal, six points adrift of Porto, and now look far more competitive heading into their clash with Sporting on Friday evening.

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  Allegri unlikely to change his methods

  For all the condemnation, Allegri's Milan team remain firmly in the Serie A title race and are defensively robust. Hence, the Italian manager might just stick to his guns, ignoring Cassano's criticism as noise. The Rossoneri resume their campaign on Thursday with a Coppa Italia Round of 16 trip to Lazio. 

Temba Bavuma calls Pakistan opener’s innings “incredible… the best I’ve come across”

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-20212:23

Fakhar Zaman on his run-out: ‘Fault was mine as I was busy looking out for Haris Rauf’

For a little while, the memory may have drifted back to Abu Dhabi, over a decade ago, when Abdul Razzaq pulled off one of Pakistan’s most improbable heists against South Africa. In the end Pakistan – basically Fakhar Zaman – fell desperately close, closer than the 17-run margin suggests. But had they pulled it off, it would’ve been of a different order of magnitude of improbable from that memorable Abu Dhabi night, even accounting for the runs inflation in the years since.Pakistan were 70 for 2, 71 for 3, 85 for 4, 120 for 5, 186 for 6 and 205 for 7, all the while with Zaman at the other end, playing an unusually restrained innings. It was only after he got to his 100, at a shade under a run-a-ball in the 39th over that he really blew the game open. Pakistan were already seven down and 130 short at that stage, but a flurry of seven sixes across the next five overs, five of them off Tabraiz Shamsi, pulled Pakistan right back into it.In the process Zaman broke a few records, and though the manner of his dismissal ultimately grabbed the attention, once the dust of settles there a proper appraisal of this innings might begin. And it may well see his 193 rank among the greatest one-day innings played by a Pakistani. Temba Bavuma, the South Africa captain, thought it a bit more. “He played an incredible innings,” he said. “It’s the best I have come across. To chase down 340 single-handedly is always tough. But the innings he played was an incredible one. He remained quite clear.”Related

• Fakhar Zaman, and the art of turning fortunes around

• Quinton de Kock unlikely to face any sanction for Fakhar Zaman dismissal

• The de Kock-Fakhar affair: MCC says 'up to the umpires to decide' if act was wilful

• Fakhar Zaman's 193 not enough for Pakistan as series level

• 'Quite clever' – de Kock gets pat on the back from Bavuma for Fakhar run-out

It won’t be lessened any by the fact that he got so close to a second ODI double (that too in southern Africa).”I don’t regret not getting the double, I regret losing the match,” he said afterwards. “If we had won this it would’ve been amazing so my regret is about that. The situation was such that I was only focusing on getting the win, not the double. I couldn’t finish it but I’d take scoring less runs than this and winning the game.”Personally it was a timely innings. Zaman had been in lean ODI form for a while – this was his first hundred since May 2019 and he was averaging a touch over 25 in the period in between.Initially that seemed to be playing on his mind though it turned out that Pakistan’s stumbling start and the nature of South African wickets for openers played a bigger part in his early sedateness. He was going at over a run-a-ball before Babar Azam and then Mohammad Rizwan fell in quick succession, but he went from 25 off 21 to a fifty off 70 thereafter. It was around that period, with Pakistan five down and with Shamsi entrenched at one end, that he thought he would start going after it and felt that the chase was still on.Interestingly enough, it was a chat with Sarfaraz Ahmed – former captain and now part of the squad but no longer in the side – during a drinks break that convinced him to go for it.”Yes, to be honest [I thought we could win it even then], I think around the 25th over I just called Saifi [Sarfraz Ahmed], he knows my game, I talked to him and said ask Babar can I start playing my natural game because Shamsi was bowling with small boundaries,” he said. “At that time I was feeling that if I start hitting then I could win the game for Pakistan.”When wickets were falling and we were 200 for 7, I was just telling the others coming in to stick around. Don’t get out. Don’t worry about the runs, don’t get out. The wickets here, you can’t stop runs on so I was just telling them to stick around with me, don’t get out.”What became evident the longer the chase went was the absence of one durable partner. It was the lack of stickability at the top, in fact, that Pakistan were likely to rue the most.”If you’re the first batsman, or the number 11, the first 10-15 runs are very difficult on these pitches,” Zaman said. “On Asian wickets it isn’t like that but here it is. Unluckily not many of our top order got through 20-25 balls. Until you get through that start here, you don’t get runs. Babar got a little set but others didn’t so people got out quickly. Had anyone gotten set, it would’ve become easier but unfortunately it just didn’t happen.”

All things considered, it’s been a good start to the season for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side look as defensively resolute as ever, are that bit more potent going forward, and most importantly of all, sit one point clear of Liverpool atop the Premier League table.

However, it has not been the perfect start, and one of the main reasons why is yet more injuries to important first-teamers, such as Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian had to come off before half-time against West Ham United for the third league game on the bounce before the international break, and will be out of action with an MCL injury until midway through next month at the earliest.

Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom, as, thanks to his squad, Arteta now has a few options to replace the talented number eight, including one slightly unorthodox one involving an international in red-hot form.

Why Odegaard will be such a miss

With recent updates making it clear that Odegaard will be out of action for at least another month, it’s easy to understand why some fans would be worried.

After all, while he had a poor season last year, he was named the club’s Player of the Year for the two campaigns prior, and is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the squad.

For example, when he is at his best, the Drammen-born maestro is someone who can collect the ball from deeper areas of the pitch, glide past a player or two and deliver a brilliant pass for someone to finish.

Moreover, while it wasn’t on show last year, the former Real Madrid gem has a lethal shot, making him a dual threat, as evidenced by his 41 goals and 40 assists in just 205 appearances for the club.

Finally, even though it wasn’t a particularly large sample size, the 26-year-old international was starting to get back to his best in the last few games.

He helped to change the game against Newcastle United, and then against Olympiacos, he could have had a handful of assists, given the number of chances he created.

The left-footed dynamo was also looking good against the Hammers before he was forced off.

In short, it’s hard not to see Odegaard’s absence as a significant setback for Arsenal, but Arteta does have a few options to choose from when it comes to replacing him, including one international.

The Arsenal player who could replace Odegaard

When thinking of possible solutions to Odegaard’s injury, the name that’ll likely come to most fans first is Eberechi Eze.

Chalkboard

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

After all, the Englishman played in midfield for Crystal Palace last season and has been in good form domestically and internationally over recent weeks.

However, while playing the 27-year-old in place of the Norwegian could well work, it would leave Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as the only options on the left, and neither one has impressed when starting this season.

So, another option Arteta could take is starting Mikel Merino in place of the club captain.

Now, this might not be the most popular idea, as some could view it as more of a defensive solution, but that does not have to be the case, as if the last year has shown anything, it’s that the former Real Sociedad star is a real goal threat.

For example, his headed goal against Newcastle United was his seventh Premier League strike in 2025, and impressively, that is two clear of Martinelli, who is the club’s second top scorer in the competition in the calendar year.

As if that isn’t enough, the Spaniard has also scored two goals and provided three assists in the Champions League last season, and has been on fire for La Roja this year.

In eight games for the European Champions, the 6 foot 2 titan has scored eight goals and provided one assist, which is a run of form that has seen his manager, Luis de la Fuente, claim he is “on the same level as Pedri and Rodri.”

So, with all that said, it might well be worth Arteta playing him in a more attacking midfield role over the coming weeks, giving him license to arrive late in the box or even act at times as a second striker to Viktor Gyokeres.

If the Pamplona-born star can replicate some of his international form for the club, fans might quickly view his inclusion in the midfield as an attacking decision, not a defensive one.

Ultimately, the manager has the squad to try a few different things over the next month or so, but based on his output and clear threat, Merino deserves a chance to cover for Odegaard.

Arsenal star is "biggest talent in England" & he could take Saka's #7 shirt

The incredible Arsenal gem could become Mikel Arteta’s future Bukayo Saka replacement.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 16, 2025

The first of its kind in India, the league will give the platform to 128 women players from Bengal

Himanshu Agrawal04-Apr-2024The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) announced on Tuesday that it would host India’s first state-association-run women’s T20 league. Named the Bengal Pro T20, it will run alongsde a men’s tournament and be held in Kolkata in June.A few other state cricket boards in India have already conducted their own men’s T20 tournaments, the most prominent being the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the Maharaja Trophy (by the Karnataka State Cricket Association). Last year, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association also conducted a men’s T20 league, in which a then-unknown Sameer Rizvi hogged the limelight and was later signed by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping INR 8.4 crore at the IPL auction.With the Bengal Pro T20, the CAB aims to provide similar opportunities to its players, not just men but also women.”At most, other states conduct exhibition matches for women,” former India and Bengal quick Jhulan Goswami told ESPNcricinfo. “So other than the WPL, this is the first professional or franchise-based domestic tournament for them.”Related

• Bengal to host India's first state association-run women's franchise T20 league

Goswami, the bowling coach and mentor at the WPL team Mumbai Indians, is also the mentor of the Bengal women’s team. Looking at it through that lens, she said: “Franchises in the WPL keep their eyes fixed [on domestic cricket] to spot some raw talent. There is a lot of scouting going on. So the Pro T20 league is going to benefit Bengal’s players massively.”Another former India cricketer, Gargi Banerjee, who now heads the CAB’s women’s selection committee, said this league could act as a stepping stone for players who aren’t able to make it to the WPL.”This tournament will help unearth a lot of talent,” Banerjee said. “And if those who don’t get a chance higher up – like in the WPL – can prove themselves here, then it can help them greatly, because to play a match is completely different from practising in the nets.”There are girls who represent teams like Bengal, East Zone and NCA [National Cricket Academy], but are not getting a chance in the WPL. This league will help highlight their performances. Take the example of Dhara Gujjar [who played three games for Mumbai Indians in WPL 2023] or Kashish Agarwal: if any of them gets a few fifties, or even a century, in this league, then it will help them enter or get more chances in the WPL.”Jhulan Goswami: “The Pro T20 league is going to benefit Bengal’s players massively”•Annesha GhoshGiven that the Bengal Pro T20 will be a franchise tournament, Goswami expects it to help the players financially too. CAB president Snehasish Ganguly had said that “all players will be paid as per the salary cap”, a move Goswami feels would help those from smaller towns avail better facilities for practice and training.Only players from Bengal are eligible to play in the league as the idea is to improve Bengal cricket. “We want to develop women’s cricket, and see it progress in Bengal,” Banerjee said. “Having barely a few women’s tournaments in the entire year hardly helps. So this league will help the women players get plenty of matches.”There are players across districts who get dropped after just one or two failures. So the whole exercise is to give them more chances. We really needed a tournament like this.”With eight teams of 16 members each set to participate in the league, a total of 128 players will be required. When asked how Bengal would find that many quality players within the state, Goswami and Banerjee pointed to age-group district and club teams.”Bengal has been having so many Under-15, district- and senior-level tournaments,” Goswami said. “We don’t have to run around to find or discover players. The CAB has been putting in great effort to form these different teams. So arranging for so many players will not be an issue at all.”In fact, our coaches and selectors also spot talented players who can’t afford to travel to Kolkata [in order to play]. It is with this confidence and self-belief the CAB is looking forward to this league.”Banerjee pointed out that the club league beginning next month would feature eight teams of 16 players each. “We have as many as 150-180 women cricketers across different levels,” she said. “Plus, the four age-group sides have about 30-35 probables each. So that gives us another 120 players at our disposal. So the selection committee has their eyes on them, too. Overall, this forms a big pool.”Banerjee felt the league would have an “ideal mix of senior and mid-level players, and a few youngsters”.Apart from Banerjee and Goswami, Bengal has over the last few years produced several India players including Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Titas Sadhu and Saika Ishaque. Goswami hoped a few of them would participate, when available, to make the league more competitive.”If you prepare yourself in such a competitive environment, both Bengal and India will benefit,” she said. “This league has opened up opportunities, as women don’t have a lot of exposure other than when it comes to the BCCI tournaments.”

SEATTLE – These are the moments we hold dearest. When everything seems to come together perfectly, as opportunity meets joy. For someone like Eugenio Suárez, a 34-year-old veteran of 12 major league seasons and four teams and a .186 hitter in his second go-round with the Mariners, everything he loves most was within his grasp.

It did not matter that it happened as he was squeezed between a box truck and a concrete wall in a hallway outside the Mariners’ clubhouse Friday night. On the greatest night of his peripatetic baseball life, he held tight to his wife, Genesis, and his daughters, Nicolle and Melanie.

“This part is the best part of everything,” Suárez said. “This is something that you dream of. To be honest, to see the happiness of my daughters and my wife—they’ve been incredible supporting me—is the best.”

Oh, and that home run? The one that will take its place next to The Double by Edgar Martínez 30 years ago among the biggest moments in 50 seasons of Seattle baseball? The one that came with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a tie game and put the Mariners one win from the World Series for the first time? The home run that made yet another manager pay for getting too cute running these postseason games? The home run off a Seranthony Domínguez 3–2 fastball that gave Seattle a roof-shaking 6–2 victory?

Yeah, that was not bad, either.

Genesis and the girls had flown in from Miami only the previous night, getting here around midnight. They arrived just in time, just as their daddy did.

“It makes it even more special,” Suárez said. “They were coming from Miami, a long way. Just for them to come such a long way and for me to do it in front of them is … I don’t know, it’s something. It’s something else.”

Suárez is known to be one of the good guys of the game with such a professional reputation that when the Mariners acquired him for a second time, this time from the Diamondbacks in a trade deadline deal, there was more talk about how he fit into the clubhouse than his 36 home runs. He finished with 49 homers, tying a career high, but his bat otherwise was a bust in the final two months of the regular season. Those 53 games are moot now, subsumed by a gigantic home run that should never have happened this way but for the cooperation of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The signs that Vinicius Jr's relationship with Xabi Alonso's wasn't going to run smoothly were there almost immediately. Had Trent Alexander-Arnold not suffered an injury the day before Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, the new Blancos boss was planning to bench his Brazilian winger, preferring instead to hand homegrown forward Gonzalo Garcia a start up front alongside Kylian Mbappe.

Alexander-Arnold's injury forced Fede Valverde to cover at right-back, Arda Guler back into midfield and opened up a spot on the right-hand side of the attack for Vinicius to fill. However, the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up was anonymous as PSG opened up a three-goal lead inside 24 minutes on their way to a 4-0 win in New Jersey. Alonso insisted post-match that the team that had just been thrashed by the newly-crowned European champions was not his and rather Carlo Ancelotti's, and that a new dawn would arrive in the Spanish capital once the newly-appointed coach could properly knuckle down and get to grips with his squad.

Part of that revolution has led to Vinicius' role at the Bernabeu being diminished. The Brazilian who thrived under the freedom offered by Ancelotti has struggled to adapt to Alonso's much more structured approach. Vinicius has completed 90 minutes on just five occasions since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, and contributed just five goals and four assists in 17 appearances thus far.

Vinicius' frustrations have been clear, and it was reported on Monday that he has no intention of signing a new contract in Madrid unless his relationship with Alonso improves, meaning he would theoretically become a free agent in the summer of 2027. If things don't change, it's clear Vinicius sees no future for himself in Madrid white. 

That is a real shame. Vinicius is a wonderful footballer who should grow to be synonymous with Madrid for years to come. However, the tactical issues caused by having him and Mbappe in the same side have been clear for over a year now, and this very well could be the necessary separation both he and the club need.

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  Undervalued

  The first thing that needs to be established is that Vinicius has every right to feel undervalued by Madrid. He was offered a contract two years ago, according to , and turned it down, feeling that he was worth more than the deal on the table. He had every right to do so, too. With Karim Benzema gone and Jude Bellingham having only just arrived, Vinicius was the future of the club, the sole star and a Ballon d'Or winner in the making. 

  Madrid reportedly offered Vinicius around €20 million per season at the time, but he argued that he was worth closer to €30m. That's astronomical money, but it's also how negotiation works. Here was a player vouching for what he believed was his market value; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

  Vinicius and his team went back to the negotiating table at the start of this season, but weren't able to come to an agreement. Finances remained an issue, but the strained relationship with Alonso undercut those talks.

  Vinicius does not want to play in a team where he is not considered the star man. He will, undoubtedly, be vilified for this in some corners for holding such a lofty opinion of himself, especially given the repeated attacks on his character that are often unfair and, in too many cases, racially motivated.

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  The Mbappe problem

  Vinicius' refusal to pen a new deal isn't exactly an immense surprise – strained relationship with the manager or not. From day one, it seemed a foolish decision to bring in Mbappe when Vinicius was already established in the Madrid team. They were – and remain – the two best left wingers in world football, effectively playing slightly different versions of the same position. Vinicius starts a little wider, dribbles more, and cuts in, while Mbappe likes to stride in the left channel, though he can also certainly take on his man. So often during Mbappe's debut season in Madrid, the two ran into the same spaces. 

  By the end of it all, Ancelotti almost gave up and played them as a front two, trusting that the world-class duo would work it out. However, neither player seemed particularly keen to pass to one another, nor did they work anywhere near hard enough off the ball to make Madrid a solid defensive unit. Mbappe did break the record for the most goals in a Madrid debut season (43), yet his arrival certainly made the defending Spanish and European champions worse.

  Mbappe has carried that form into the new campaign having taken up a permanent central role under Alonso, but Vinicius form has continued to nosedive. Since the turn of the year, he has scored just 11 goals in 40 La Liga and Champions League appearances, while his most notable contribution of the current campaign came when he reacted furiously to being substituted in El Clasico on October 26. Vinicius later apologised but, as many noted, Alonso was not mentioned in his statement.

  "You have to get the best out of the players and make them feel as good as possible," Alonso said ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Olympiacos on Wednesday as he refused to be drawn into specifics related to Vinicius. "It has different facets, but you have to know how to navigate them well. That happens at Real Madrid and at any team."

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  Saudis his only suitors?

  Despite all his talent, the options open to Vinicius in terms of a next club look to be limited. Talk of interest from the Saudi Pro League has rumbled on for over a year now, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly entered preliminary talks with Madrid back in the summer of 2024. Vinicius, though, wasn't interested.

  That may have been true back then, but things have changed now – if only because Vinicius has so few other options. His release clause is €1 billion (£888m/$1.16bn) – a mark that not even the richest clubs in the world can afford. A bid from Al-Ittihad in the realm of €350m was floated back in July, but nothing ever came of it. 

  Vinicius is now, however, entering the final 18 months of his deal, and so while Madrid would still be able to command something pretty astronomical for their No.7, his value diminishes with every week that passes. Perhaps if he remained unhappy through to the summer then the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea or PSG could get involved in a bidding war, but thus far none of Europe's elite have been reported as being interested.

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  Tactical benefits

  The immediate obvious beneficiary of Vinicius leaving would be Mbappe. The France captain has, in fairness, adopted his central role willingly and thrived while doing so, with Mbappe currently on pace to score 50-plus goals in all competitions this season.

  Yet even then he is being misused. Mbappe, try as Madrid might, is simply not a striker. He received plenty of criticism for his not-so-subtle plea to France manager Didier Deschamps to let him play alongside a striker at international level, but Mbappe was right: he is best either in a front two or out wide, running off a big No.9. And it just so happens that Alonso tends to prefer such a system. His Bayer Leverkusen sides utilised big centre-forwards – Victor Boniface was the standout – with creative playmakers running off them.

  Vinicius departing would also offer new opportunities for Rodrygo. The Brazilian has slipped down the Madrid pecking order despite his immense talent, but there would likely be more minutes for him – perhaps even in his preferred position on the left-hand side – were his compatriot to leave.

  Furthermore, Jude Bellingham could play as a proper No.10, Arda Guler might be able to push further up the pitch at times and there would be more space for Nico Paz, who is expected to re-join Madrid from Como next summer, to play his way into contention. Alonso, above all, craves tactical flexibility and being able to switch between multiple formations within one game. Having one less superstar to deal with could make his dreams come true. 

Bowling coach Eric Simons on Jansen’s struggles against India: “None of them are technical. It’s really about being under pressure”

Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2023Angelo Mathews being timed out. Shakib Al Hasan defending his decision to appeal and then leaving the World Cup with a fractured finger. Glenn Maxwell batting on one leg to score a double-hundred in Australia’s highest successful World Cup chase. England and Netherlands fighting for a Champions Trophy place. A lot has happened in the last 48 hours at this World Cup, so it’s no wonder South Africa have been “talking about the noise.” Of a different kind.Bowling coach Eric Simons has channeled his inner psychologist in an attempt to understand why his bowlers, the second-best in the tournament in terms of wickets taken and average, came apart against India at Eden Gardens at the weekend. The question Simons is asking stems from psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s work on bias, which considers why human judgement in instances such as court cases or doctors’ diagnoses, which should be the same, can vary according to time of day or point in the week. Essentially, the “noise,” as Kahneman identifies it, is the variation in what should be an objective analysis. Now Simons is asking the same thing of some members of the attack.”What noise in the system has created the gap between how he actually bowled and the way we know he can bowl?” Simons has asked himself and Marco Jansen, who went from being the leading bowler in the powerplay across seven matches to running into Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill and completely losing his lines and lengths.Related

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The answer is contained in the question itself. Before the match, Jansen told the media he was “very nervous,” about the prospect of facing India at Eden Gardens doubtless because of the reputations of their players and enormity of occasion. He did not know how to quieten the internal noise and Simons noticed that he “went from concentrating on himself to concentrating on the opposition, which sometimes happens in those pressure moments.”And that means that Jansen’s issue is a fairly easy fix because there’s nothing about approach to the crease or his action that needs reworking. “It’s not a technical conversation. There’s potential and there’s performance and he has bowled at a certain level, and then you see performance that is a little bit off,” Simons said. “We’ve got four points that have come out of our conversation that we will focus on. If he gets under pressure again, we will address them. None of them are technical. It’s really about being under pressure.”1:56

McClenaghan: Jansen is a strong prospect for SA

The four points were not divulged to the media but they all seem to be all which has also required the input of high performance coach Tom Dawson-Squibb, who has traveled with the squad to India. Dawson-Squibb has helped Jansen address issues like this in the past and encouraged him to channel any anxiety into positive energy. Having struggled to do that against India, Simons believes he will be better equipped for future assignments. “It’s a great learning for him. I had said to the bowling group – to their frustration – that I was hoping we would have some tough situations and we did. It’s not that he isn’t capable of bowling the way he has done, it’s a case of getting him back there,” Simons said. “He is a young cricketer, he is new in the game and these things will happen.”In the two days since, Simons has not been able to put an arm around Jansen’s shoulder, “because it’s too high and I can’t reach,” but he has created several metaphors for South Africa to mull over. Handling the noise is one of them; dealing with “red mist” is another. An oft-used expression for the feeling of extreme frustration that can cloud judgement, similar to white-line fever, it can often manifest in misdirected aggression. Jansen didn’t have any against India but he has previously got into it with Jasprit Bumrah (see the Johannesburg Test of January 2022) and has had some words with batters through this tournament.While not discouraging his competitiveness, Simons wants to see it lead to something productive as the tournament comes to its most crucial stages. “When the red mist starts creeping in, you want people to identify it and for conversations that have taken place off the field to take place on the field and calm decisions are made in those moments,” he said. “Otherwise, when you have those moments when red mist can slip in, you look back you will realise you weren’t calm and you weren’t in the moment.”And if you haven’t quite had enough of buzzwords, here’s one more. “Disruptor,” is what Simons has labelled batters like Rashid Khan, Roelof van der Merwe and Maxwell. With South Africa set to come up against two of those in the next week, he wants the bowlers to have a plan for how to limit their capabilities.”The important thing for us is that we do not allow the batters to dictate our tactics. Someone like Rashid Khan is what I call a disruptor. The way that he bats is very disrupting. He hits the ball in strange areas and can take you off your game plans” he said. “That’s something that’s very important for a bowling line-up to not allow.”South Africa have one more opportunity to practice Simons’ methods in their last group game against Afghanistan on Friday before their semi-final against Australia next week which looks increasingly likely to be played in Kolkata (unless Pakistan sneak into the last four) and the familiarity of place, space and conditions is what Simons hopes will help them reduce the noise and stay consistent. “We are very fortunate that we played that match (against India) at what looks like the semi-final venue and we are playing the match against Afghanistan at what is going to be the final venue. We are trying to gather as much information as possible.”