Brook’s high-tempo fifty and early breakthroughs keep all results possible for day five

Valkerie Baynes04-Dec-2022

Harry Brook’s high-tempo innings drove England to a bold tea-time declaration•AFP/Getty Images

Another fearless performance by newcomer Harry Brook, a calculated declaration and a short-ball barrage that had Pakistan reeling initially in pursuit of a lofty 343 runs for victory: Bazball was on a Rawalpindi rampage on the penultimate day of this first Test.When England’s fresh, aggressive approach to Tests was still in its infancy during their home summer and they came a cropper against South Africa at Lord’s, new head coach Brendon McCullum’s message was simple and effective, along the lines of: if you think you’ve pushed hard enough, push some more.His charges have wholeheartedly embraced the message, positioning themselves to claim the remaining eight wickets they need – possibly seven depending on how Azhar Ali pulls up overnight from a finger injury – on a pitch that has proven to be a batting paradise.Pakistan are not out of the contest with Imam-ul-Haq, who made 121 in the first innings, steadying the hosts from 25 for 2 and unbeaten on 43 at stumps, and Saud Shakeel not out 24, needing another 263 runs.An enthralling day’s play began with Test debutant Will Jacks completing a six-wicket haul on debut after the hosts had put up an hour-and-a-half’s worth of resistance, thanks to Agha Salman’s fifty which contained England’s first-innings lead to 78 runs.Ben Stokes dismissed Babar Azam as England made early inroads•Getty Images

But the tourists then stretched that to 342 in 35.5 overs of high-tempo batting in their second innings, Brook stealing the show among England’s three half-centurions with a sublime display of strokeplay and timing.Then Pakistan succumbed to England’s short-ball tactics which, in the space of nine eventful deliveries, accounted for opener Abdullah Shafique and captain Babar Azam , either side of Azhar retiring hurt.Pakistan were 20 without loss after four overs in their second innings, sedate in the bizarre context of the feverish run-rates so far but a positive opening gambit in its own right, as both men traded the threat of England’s bouncers with the scoring opportunities they offeredBut then Ollie Robinson removed Shafique, pulling to Brook at deep square leg before striking Azhar a heavy blow on the tip of his right index finger, which sent him back to the dressing-room for treatment while on nought, and brought Babar to the crease, to the home crowd’s delight.Babar was the leading scorer among three Pakistan centurions – and seven in total – for the match with his first-innings 136. but he managed just four before feathering a Ben Stokes bouncer to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope as a hush fell over the stands.England could have had another wicket late in the evening when substitute fielder Keaton Jennings put down a chance at short leg off Shakeel, then on 22, from the bowling of Jack Leach.Stokes had declared during the tea break after Brook, Joe Root and Zak Crawley all reached fifties in the middle session.England were 46 for 2 at lunch after Ben Duckett followed his first-innings ton with a first-ball duck and Pope fell for 15.But Brook upstaged all others for a second time in just his second Test. Having top-scored in England’s first innings with a rapid 153 off just 116 balls, he threatened to post another quickfire century with a boundary-laden 87 off 65 balls. Three times Brook powered Zahid Mahmood over the rope for six, his big shots looking effortless much of the time, before he was bowled by Naseem Shah on the stroke of tea going for one swing too many.Will Jacks walks off after taking 6 for 161 on debut•Getty Images

Crawley added another fifty to his first-innings 122, but no sooner had he brought up his latest milestone in 47 balls, he was caught behind off a Mohammad Ali short ball with Pakistan overturning umpire Ahsan Raza’s not-out decision when replays showed that the ball had kissed the glove on the way through to Mohammad Rizwan.Root reached the same milestone off 48 deliveries, crashing Naseem’s fuller ball through mid-off to the boundary as England kept the tempo high. Then, in an audacious move, Root switched to batting left-handed for the first ball of legspinner Mahmood’s first over after drinks.He produced two sweeps, the second of which was put down by Naseem at midwicket then, switching back to right-handed, Root reverse-swept the next ball he faced through backward point for four. Root eventually fell sweeping too, top-edging a Zahid delivery which was going wide down the leg side to Imam at short backward square. Stokes followed for a duck off the third ball he faced, chasing a Zahid ball outside off and bobbing a catch to Shakeel at cover.Jacks staged a doughty cameo of 24 off 13 balls, including three sixes, before he holed out to long-off, bringing like-minded heavy-hitter Liam Livingstone to the crease after spending much of the Pakistan innings off the field with a knee injury. Livingstone remained unbeaten on 7 at the declaration.Jacks, called up as a late replacement for Ben Foakes who was struck down by illness on the eve of the match, ended up bowling more than he ever would have imagined with fellow debutant and part-time spinner Livingstone out of action. Jacks sent down down 40.3 overs – second behind only frontline spinner Leach’s 49 – and walked away with 6 for 161.Jacks, who came into this match with just 21 first-class wickets, began the day with three more already to his name – including that of Babar – and, after the hosts resumed on 499 for 7, he took care of the rest.Salman brought up his second Test fifty with a well-placed chip off Leach over the covers which raced to the boundary, but fell a short time later, edging Jacks to Crawley at slip.The dismissal brought in Test debutant Haris Rauf, who was cleared to bat but not bowl in England’s second innings after suffering a thigh strain from rolling over the ball while fielding on the first day. He was Pakistan’s last man out, chasing a wider Jacks delivery and edging to Root, who took a strong catch reaching overhead at slip.

Leeds United return from the international break as they prepare to travel to Wales to take on Swansea City in the Championship this afternoon.

The Whites have had to wait until the majority of the other teams in the league played on Friday and Saturday, and now know that they can move into the automatic promotion places with a win over the Swans.

Daniel Farke’s side secured a 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road in their last match before the break, and will be looking to build on that with another three points.

However, there were still some underwhelming performances from Leeds players in that victory over Marti Cifuentes’ team, with Manor Solomon potentially in danger of losing his place in the XI.

Manor Solomon's performance against QPR

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee was selected to start on the left flank against QPR and failed to make the most of his opportunity to impress.

In his 72 minutes on the pitch for Leeds, the Israel international missed a ‘big chance’ and failed to create any chances for his teammates, with that miss coming in the second half after his shot from close range was smothered by Paul Nardi.

Solomon failed with both of his attempted dribbles and lost five of his eight duels throughout the game, which shows that QPR’s players found it far too easy to get the better of him.

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

The 25-year-old flop has now gone seven Championship games without a goal or an assist, since recording an assist against Hull on his debut, and Farke must ruthlessly drop him to the bench after another match without an attacking contribution.

The player who should replace Manor Solomon for Leeds

Dan James was on the bench against QPR and bringing him back in from the start would allow the German head coach to drop Solomon out of the starting line-up.

The Wales international had started the three league games prior to the last match and should be brought straight back into the XI for this afternoon’s clash with Swansea.

James, who was once hailed as “different class” by Ally McCoist, has begun this season with a return of two goals and three ‘big chances’ created in six Championship starts, which shows that he has been far more involved at the top end of the pitch than Solomon has been.

Appearances

40

Starts

28

Goals

13

Big chances created

13

Assists

7

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh speedster also proved his worth in the second tier during the 2023/24 campaign, with regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The former Manchester United winger has the ability to provide a regular threat as a scorer and can break down opposition defences to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, which is why he is such a key player for the Whites.

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With this in mind, Solomon must be ruthlessly dropped to the bench after his poor showing last time out in order for James to be unleashed from the start, with Wilfried Gnonto moving over to the left wing with the Welshman on the right.

da poker： Chelsea are flying right now, claiming a fourth successive Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon, fighting back from 2-0 down to defeat fierce rivals Spurs 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

da apostaganha： Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernández both pulled off long-range strikes, while Cole Palmer converted a pair of second-half penalties, the second of which was an audacious, impudent Panenka.

This means Palmer has now converted 12 out of 12 spot-kicks in the Premier League, the most any player has taken without ever missing one, surpassing the previous record held by Yaya Touré, and that wasn’t a bad way to do it, was it?

This victory lifts Enzo Maresca’s team clear of both Arsenal and Manchester City, now very much Liverpool’s nearest-challengers, just four points adrift the league-leaders, albeit the Reds have a game in hand.

Given that the Blues’ next seven opponents are Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Wolves, they’re likely to hang around the title conversation a little while longer yet.

Chelsea star wanted by Europe's elite

Following Sunday’s game, Jamie Carragher stated on Sky Sports that he believes Palmer has been the best-performing player in the Premier League since the start of last season.

Well, based on these statistics, it’s hard to dispute that claim.

PL players with 30+ goals and assists in 2023/24 & 24/25

Player

Goals

Assists

Combined G+A

Palmer

33

17

50

Mohamed Salah

31

18

49

Erling Haaland

40

5

45

Ollie Watkins

26

16

42

Bukayo Saka

21

19

40

Son Heung-min

21

14

35

Alexander Isak

27

5

31

All statistics courtesy of Premierleague.com

As shown by this table, just seven players have accumulated 30+ goals and assists in the Premier League since the start of last season, with Palmer’s brace at Tottenham meaning he has had more direct goal involvement than any other player during this time-frame, one more than Mohamed Salah, albeit having made three more appearances.

The English star’s phenomenal form is not going unnoticed because, as claims from Spain suggest in recent days, Real Madrid are interested in signing the Englishman, with president Florentino Pérez allegedly admiring his ‘qualities and potential to become a global icon’.

The Blues signed Palmer for £42.5m, which now appears to be an absolute bargain, with CIES Football Observatory believing his value has more than doubled in 18 months, stating he is worth around £96m, which is probably a conservative estimate.

Having signed a further two-year extension in August, Palmer is now contracted to Chelsea until 2033, meaning he would not come cheap, with the aforementioned report acknowledging that ‘the player’s price tag would be a major obstacle’.

An Eden Hazard repeat for Chelsea

Historically, Real Madrid do seem to have a habit when it comes to poaching the Premier League’s premier talent; David Beckham (2003), Cristiano Ronaldo (2009), Xabi Alonso (2009), Luka Modrić (2012) and Gareth Bale (2013) all spring to mind.

We’ve intentionally left Real Madrid’s all-time record signing off this list, because that may be a rather sensitive issue for Chelsea supporters given that, despite the countless number of Galácticos that have donned the famous all-white kit at the Bernabéu over the decades, Eden Hazard’s £88.5m move from Chelsea remains the most Los Blancos have ever paid for any player.

Fair to say, this transfer was not a success, given that the Belgian made only 76 appearances for Los Merengues, scoring a miserly seven goals, before unceremoniously retiring without a club at the age of 32 in October 2023.

Of course, should Real Madrid make a move for Palmer, they’d certainly be seeking to avoid a sense of déjà vu, but considering Palmer is just 22 years old, there’s minimal chance of this happening.

In more modern times, the Champions League specialists have shown a willingness to spend big on young talents: Aurélien Tchouaméni (£66m), Vinícius Júnior (£40m), and of course Jude Bellingham’s £88m move the clearest recent examples.

Nevertheless, the Spanish giants may be forced to break their all-time record fee should they wish to sign Chelsea’s star attacker, as they did five years ago.

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Manchester City could be dealt a major blow in January as they plot urgent talks to try and avoid losing one of their stars, it has emerged.

Manchester City facing injury crisis

Already without Ballon d’Or winner and leading midfielder Rodri for the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola is facing a major injury crisis as he looks to defend his Premier League title and claim a fifth successive win.

Young talent Oscar Bobb is also not expected back until 2025 after suffering a fractured leg on the eve of the new season. Meanwhile, Guardiola has several more short term injuries to deal with ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Bournemouth.

England duo Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish are sidelined until after the international break, with Guardiola explaining that they have “no chance to play the next games” which sees Man City take on Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP in what could be his final Champions League game in charge of the Portuguese outfit amid strong links to Manchester United.

Also absent will be Jeremy Doku, who the Man City boss explained will be absent “a little longer than Jack”, and Kevin de Bruyne is also expected to be sidelined until after the international break.

Meanwhile, there are also question marks after midweek after Manuel Akanji pulled out of Man City’s Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham,while Savio was stretchered off during the game and Josko Gvardiol also went down with an injury.

Manchester City’s potential absentees vs Bournemouth

Rodri

Oscar Bobb

Kevin de Bruyne

Jack Grealish

Jeremy Doku

Kyle Walker

Manuel Akanji

Savio

Josko Gvardiol

Now, City have a longer term concern away from the injury table, and one that needs sorting fast.

Urgent talks needed over £400,000 per week Man City superstar

That comes in the shape of talismanic figure Kevin de Bruyne, who has been long-linked with a departure from the Etihad. He was mooted with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer, though no move materialised.

Now a 33-year-old, he’s in the final months of his £400,000 a week deal in Manchester and is yet to be offered a new contract, meaning that by January he will be free to negotiate with other clubs about a potential move as a free agent at the end of the season.

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Among the highest paid players at the club, a hamstring injury has restricted the Belgian to just four appearances in the Premier League so far, while he has been tipped to make a move to the MLS to end his career, with San Diego FC among the early frontrunners for his signature.

As per Football Insider, Man City are now preparing to hold imminent talks with De Bruyne in the coming weeks, with the club “keen to assess the situation and gauge where all parties stand”.

However, his recent injuries have “raised questions behind the scenes” about a potential contract extension given his massive salary. It is added that the outcome of those talks will be crucial, with a decision to be made “as soon as January” should he want to leave the northwest. Could City be on the verge of waving goodbye to a club legend?

Xabi Alonso has urged Bayer Leverkusen to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' after racking up a three-goal deficit against Bayern Munich.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Leverkusen lose 3-0 in first leg against Bayern
• Alonso urges side to channel 'Miracle of Istanbul'
• Liverpool came back from 3-0 half-time deficit in 2005

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayer Leverkusen have had Bayern Munich's number over the last season and a half, with the Bavarians not beating Die Werkself since September 2022; however, as the two sides faced off in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday, Vincent Kompany's side blew the visitors away with a 3-0 win thanks to a Harry Kane brace on either side of Jamal Musiala's strike.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the Champions League, a team has only come back from a three or more goal deficit from the first-leg on four occasions. As such, Alonso has urged his players to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' when the Reds, who featured Alonso as a player, had come back from a three-goal deficit against AC Milan during the 2005 Champions League final.

• Getty
  

  WHAT ALONSO SAID

  Speaking to the media, Alonso said when asked about using the 'Miracle of Istanbul' as inspiration: "Absolutely. It will take time to analyse and go through this result because we have been beaten well. Everything went against us because of us.

  "But it is not over until it is over and, as you said, anything can happen. The mindset has to be that and if there is a chance, we will fight for it. We have to fight back. We will learn from this and believe in our return leg. We don't give up so easily. Three goals? You never know. One goal can change anything."

• WHAT NEXT FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN?

  Die Werkself will now prepare for their Bundesliga clash against Werder Bremen before they get set to host Bayern Munich at BayArena on Tuesday, March 11, as they look to come back in supreme fashion to keep their Champions League dream alive.

They combined for an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 199 to power Australia to a commanding position

Tristan Lavalette08-Dec-2022Marnus Labuschagne and hometown hero Travis Head struck near-flawless centuries to dominate the pink ball, as Australia put a struggling West Indies attack to the sword on day one of the second Test in Adelaide.After stand-in captain Steven Smith elected to bat, Labuschagne and Head combined for an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 199 to power Australia to a commanding position at stumps. Labuschagne hit his 10th Test century on the back of his double-century and hundred in Australia’s 164-run series opening win in Perth.While his good fortune has been widely noted, rearing again after riding his luck in the first Test, Labuschagne produced a chanceless innings as he became the first Australian batter to notch three straight Test tons since Adam Voges in 2015-16.He completed the feat with a boundary through point under lights in the final session and raised his arms aloft to strong applause from the 24,449 crowd at the Adelaide Oval. Labuschagne’s 235-ball knock was marked by unwavering concentration and patience in tricky early conditions before he toyed with West Indies’ flagging bowlers.He was well supported by Head, who scored his fifth Test ton and first on his home ground with a brilliant drive to the boundary much to the delight of the Adelaide Oval faithful. Head’s aggressive mood continued after making 99 in his sole innings in Perth, targeting the short square boundaries and continually plundering West Indies’ increasingly ragged bowling through point.The pair flattened West Indies’ attempts at a comeback after the quick wickets in the middle session of opener Usman Khawaja and Smith, who fell for just his fifth duck in Tests in Australia. But sloppy bowling and fielding left West Indies frustrated as their hopes of ending a 25-year Test drought in Australia with a series-levelling victory already appearing forlorn.Much like in Perth, where they claimed only six wickets in 190 overs across two innings, West indies’ bowlers were inconsistent and failed to penetrate on a surface with occasional bounce and movement. Without injured frontline quicks Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales, West Indies speedster Alzarri Joseph unsuccessfully targeted a short-ball strategy and resisted trying to conjure swing with the new ball.Steven Smith bagged his eighth duck in Tests•Associated Press

But he did dismiss opener David Warner, who was caught behind for 21 in a rash dismissal in another missed opportunity to end a near three-year Test century drought.Briefly attempting a rally, West Indies bowled with more discipline in the second session through seamers Jason Holder and Anderson Phillip, who impressed with accuracy in just his second Test match.But it was debutant Devon Thomas who broke through by trapping Khawaja lbw for 62 with his handy seamers providing a surprise option.It was a much-needed tonic for an injury-hit West Indies, whose woes deepened when debutant quick Marquino Mindley left the field in the first session with a suspected hamstring injury after bowling just two overs. Mindley had arrived in Adelaide on Monday from the Caribbean as injury cover.Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scrambled for inspiration throughout the day’s play and used seven bowlers. He unsuccessfully reverted to spinner Roston Chase as the first change bowler in a baffling move. He again unwisely used Chase and his own part-time spin before the tea break to release the pressure on new batter Head, who counterattacked with ease.It paved the way for a sub-par final session for West Indies under lights with the second new ball failing to do the trick as the beleaguered tourists stare down the barrel of conceding another massive first-innings total to Australia.Both teams made a host of changes, with Australia’s regular captain Pat Cummins failing to overcome a quad strain he picked up during the first Test, while quick Josh Hazlewood was ruled out with a side strain.Seamers Scott Boland and Michael Neser added to Test matches they played last summer against England, while former captain Smith took the reins from Cummins like he did in last year’s Ashes Test in Adelaide.Even though he endured an uncharacteristic failure with the bat, falling to Holder in a return catch, Smith should be well pleased with Australia making a strong start in their bid for an 11th straight day-night Test victory.

فتح نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي والمحترف ضمن صفوفه اللاعب المصري محمد صلاح، قائد منتخب مصر، باب المفاوضات مع برشلونة للتعاقد مع أحد لاعبي الريدز.

ويرغب النادي الإسباني في تعزيز صفوفه استعدادًا للموسم المقبل ولكسب المزيد من الألقاب بعد النجاح في موسم فليك الأول والتتويج بالثلاثية المحلية (الدوري وكأس الملك والسوبر).

ويعتبر لويس دياز، أحد أولويات برشلونة، إذ أبدى ديكو، المدير الرياضي إعجابه الشديد بالجناح الكولومبي، إلا أن ليفربول كان أعلن رفضه وعدم نيته التفاوض بشأن اللاعب البالغ من العمر 28 عامًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | حلم الطفولة ورفض الدوري السعودي بسببه.. لويس دياز يحدد ناديه الجديد بعد الرحيل عن ليفربول

وفقًا لصحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية، فإن ليفربول منفتح الآن على مناقشة صفقة دياز لأنه يرغب في اللعب مع برشلونة الصيف المقبل، وقد استبعد الانتقال إلى السعودية، رغم العروض المغرية التي تقدمت له.

وبحسب ما أفادت الصحيفة فإن ليفربول سمح لدياز بالرحيل في حال وصول عرض يساوي 85 مليون يورو في حين أن عرض برشلونة يُقدر بحوالي 60 مليون يورو، إلا أن ليفربول فتح باب المفاوضات بشكل تدريجي بسبب الصفقات الأخرى.

West Ham United chiefs have approached a trophy-winning manager over potentially replacing Julen Lopetegui in the London Stadium hot seat, with the man in question learning from one of the very best in ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp.

Lopetegui under pressure at West Ham as club look at successors

Three wins from just 11 Premier League games is objectively a poor return, especially after their summer expenditure of over £120 million on nine major signings.

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Lopetegui’s West Ham have appeared lacklustre and uninspired on the field – branded a “complete mess” by some members of the media – which is far from what David Sullivan was hoping for after ex-head coach David Moyes drew the curtain on his memorable five-year stay at the helm.

This situation is said to be quite “volatile” behind the scenes in east London, with well-connected former West Ham scout Mick Brown recently suggesting that Lopetegui is walking a tightrope.

“The situation at West Ham is very volatile,” he told Football Insider.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

#9

05/10/2024

Ipswich (H)

Premier League

4-1 win

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

“He could lose his job and be sacked immediately, at any time, things can change with the click of a finger. I’m not sure how good the relationship between the manager, the sporting director, and the owner is, but at the start of the season, I know it wasn’t good.

“They bought a lot of players for him and not many of them have turned up yet. That’s only put more pressure on him because if they spend big money, they want to see returns.

“From what I’ve heard, they were keen to give him time at first, but that faith is fading quickly.”

According to recent reports, the likes of Sergio Conceicao, Sebastien Hoeness, Maurizio Sarri, Roger Schmidt and Kasper Hjulmand stand out as managers linked with the West Ham job, if they do decide to part company with Lopetegui.

West Ham sound out Edin Terzić to replace Lopetegui

According to talkSPORT, former West Ham backroom coach and ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić remains in the frame as well.

The 42-year-old, who worked under Jürgen Klopp at Dortmund once upon a time, is out of work after leaving Dortmund – most recently guiding them to a surprise Champions League final against Real Madrid earlier this year.

He also won two domestic German trophies during his time at Signal Iduna Park, and his accomplishments in the Bundesliga haven’t gone unnoticed.

It is believed West Ham have sounded out Terzic over potentially replacing Lopetegui, with Sullivan and Steidten preparing for the “eventuality” that they could have to sack their current boss.

It was yet another dismal display from the floundering Tottenham Hotspur last night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side took on an inform Bournemouth team at the Vitality Stadium, and despite dismantling Manchester City less than two weeks ago, were played off the park.

It was the North Londoners’ sixth Premier League defeat of the season and the third game in a row in which they’ve dropped points, following shambolic showings against AS Roma and Fulham last week.

Premier League

Bournemouth (A)

1-0 (L)

Premier League

Fulham (H)

1-1 (D)

Europa League

AS Roma (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Man City (A)

4-0 (W)

Premier League

Ipswich (H)

2-1 (L)

It’s impossible to pinpoint the worst performer of the lot for Spurs, but last night showed that Postecoglou must drop one of the club’s biggest stars.

Spurs poor performers

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s examine a few of the other players who stood out for all the wrong reasons, starting with someone who’s becoming a bit of a scapegoat this season, Radu Draguisn.

Now, it should be said that the Romanian wasn’t solely responsible for the defeat, but he did lose Dean Huijsen on the corner he scored from, which was more than enough to justify the paltry 5/10 match rating he received from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.

Out on the wings, it was a night to forget for both Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson, as the former’s only notable contribution to the game was a tame shot straight at the keeper in the first half, while the latter made no meaningful contribution at all.

Unsurprisingly, neither one impressed Gold very much, who gave the Swedish international a 4/10 and the Welshman an even more damning 3/10 on the night.

Lastly, it was not the return Dominic Solanke would have been dreaming of, as the former Cherries ace was practically anonymous for the vast majority of the game, and on the rare occasion he did find himself in a dangerous area with the ball at his feet, he made the wrong decision or simply blasted the ball miles over, as he did in the first half.

However, there was another of the team’s stars who put in a dreadful display last night, a star who must be dropped for some time.

The Spurs star who must be dropped

So, with most of his teammates already covered, we come to James Maddison, who looked a million miles away from the superstar player who tore City asunder last month.

Instead of spearheading attacks, putting the ball in the back of the net and striking fear into the opposition defenders, the £40m man looked lost at sea, desperately trying to make something happen in one moment and then fading out of the game in another, and his statistics from the game do not help his cause at all.

For example, in his 80 minutes of action, if you can even call them that, the former Leicester City ace amassed an expected assists figure of just 0.22, failed to take a single shot on target, misplaced four of five crosses, made just 39 accurate passes, failed in 100% of his dribbles, missed one big chance, lost the ball a staggering 17 times and committed one foul.

Minutes

80′

Expected Assists

0.22

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Passing Accuracy

39/47 (83%)

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (0)

Big Chances Missed

1

Lost Possession

17

Fouls

1

Unsurprisingly, Gold was suitably unimpressed with what he saw and gave Englishman a 4/10 at full-time, writing that it was ‘another game lacking in impact’ from the 28-year-old and that he simply ‘didn’t contribute much,’ which is a pretty damming appraisal.

Nobody can doubt the “incredible” midfielder’s ability, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but his consistency remains a problem, as following the masterclass at the Etihad he has failed to score or assist a goal in his last three games and considering the level of opposition, that’s just not good enough.

Therefore, while Maddison will likely have a significant role to play for Spurs this season, he should be dropped from the starting lineup for some time, as he has not been good enough lately.

Worse than Solanke: Tottenham star who lost the ball 13x dropped a 3/10

It was a night to forget for the talented international.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2024

England boss Thomas Tuchel has explained why he did not call up Harry Maguire for this month's World Cup qualifiers.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Maguire left out by TuchelGerman manager concerned with fitnessInsists Man Utd centre-back remains "very important"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel selected Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Levi Colwill, along with uncapped duo Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah for this month's fixtures against Albania and Latvia. Maguire did not make the cut, with the head coach now providing an explanation that his decision was a difficult one and primarily influenced by recent injury struggles.

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"I spoke to all of them who were not on the list to give my direct feedback on my decision," Tuchel told reporters. "It was a close decision. We chose Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa at the moment. I think they are a little bit in a better rhythm and deserve to be with us. Two right-footers in central defence and the rest were left footers in the centre of defence."

Tuchel explained that he was unwilling to take the risk of calling up a player who was not fully fit and added: "He [Maguire] was not fit when we did the nomination. It was presumed that he could play but we didn’t want to nominate a player with whom we had to take a risk, and in the first training or second training and constantly need to assess whether he can do a full training session or half training session. We did the same with Reece James and only because of the feedback that he could do every session full was the reason we brought him into camp."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tuchel also acknowledged that Maguire’s club situation at Manchester United hasn’t been ideal, as he has often been deployed in a back-three system rather than his preferred role in a back-four. However, the England boss remains confident that the defender will continue to be in contention for future squads.

"Harry knows that. It's not so easy for him at the club at the moment," he added. "He plays in a back three on top of it, but he’s a top professional and he’s very important for England. He took it unbelievably well. He wrote me messages to wish us good luck and you see what a person he is. He is a top guy and he will always be in contention."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TUCHEL?

With Maguire still in his plans, Tuchel left the door open for the defender’s return in the coming months, provided he regains full fitness and consistent playing time at United. The German has made a strong start to his tenure as England manager, guiding the team to successive wins against Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifying matches at Wembley. His next challenges will be an away World Cup qualifier against Andorra, followed by a friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 7 and June 10 respectively.