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It’s the start of a new era for Rangers.

On Thursday, Russell Martin was unveiled as the Ibrox club’s 20th permanent manager, appointed 102 days after Philippe Clement was sacked in February.

At his introductory press conference, Martin vowed to “prove people wrong”, acknowledging he is under pressure to deliver a winning team instantaneously, so could the signing of a “world-class” new centre-forward aid Rangers’ cause?

Rangers looking to bolster their attacking option

As previously reported by Tom Victor of the Daily Mirror, Rangers are hoping to sign Jamie Vardy on a free transfer this summer, claiming that the England international is ‘weighing up’ an offer from the Glasgow giants.

Vardy has spent the last 13 seasons with Leicester City, with whom he won the Premier League, the FA Cup and a Community Shield, scoring exactly 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, very aesthetically pleasing round numbers.

Now a free agent, countless clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Como, Wrexham and New York Red Bulls have all been touted as potential suitors, but could Martin convince his compatriot to make the move north of the border?

Should he do, it could be a Morelos-like move for Rangers.

How Vardy could replicate Morelos at Rangers

During six seasons at Rangers, Alfredo Morelos scored 124 goals in light blue, with the Colombian, almost unquestionably, the club’s best striker since suffering liquidation in 2012.

Of these goals, 29 came in UEFA competition, meaning Morelos is Rangers’ all-time record scorer in Europe, smashing the record previously held by Ally McCoist, one that had stood since 1997.

But is Morelos really Rangers’ best centre-forward of the modern era? Let’s find out.

Igamane

2024-present

46

16

166

Dessers

2023-preesent

109

51

134

Danilo

2023-present

48

12

165

Morelos

2017-23

269

124

152

Roofe

2020-24

102

38

127

Čolak

2022-23

39

18

123

Sakala

2021-23

92

24

199

Defoe

2018-22

74

32

100

As the table outlines, no Rangers striker in the post-promotion era has come anywhere close to the 124 goals Morelos managed, even if Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe, Antonio Čolak and current forward Cyriel Dessers do actually boast better minutes per goal ratios, helped by their smaller sample sizes.

So, could Vardy be the club’s best centre-forward since el Buffalo? Well, let’s assess his statistics this season to answer that question.

Goals

9

26th

Expected goals

11.2

14th

Shots

56

40th

Shots on target

23

33rd

Shots on target %

41.1%

48th

As the table shows, Vardy’s Premier League statistics this season do not immediately leap off the page, but it is worth considering that he was playing in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who won just six matches all season and were relegated.

Thus, the fact that Vardy still ranked 14th for expected goals and only 25 players managed to score more goals than him is impressive.

Writer Henry Winter believes Vardy is still a “world-class finisher”, while Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, believes “he is still producing”, describing his captain as a “leader”.

Also worth noting that, the previous campaign in the EFL Championship, Vardy netted 20 times across all competitions.

This underlines the fact he would be able to produce for Rangers given that, according to Global Football Rankings, England’s second-tier is the 11th strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership is ranked at 43rd.

Thus, if the Gers can convince Vardy to move to Ibrox, possibly using the allure of potential Champions League football, he would surely be an excellent addition.

After all, this is a goal machine we’re talking about here, someone who bagged 145 Premier League goals.

As bad as selling Raskin: Six English clubs want to sign Rangers star

Rangers selling this star would be as bad as cashing in on Nicolas Raskin this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

If this season has proven anything, it’s that Arsenal desperately need attacking reinforcements.

With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus out injured and Mikel Merino in midfield, Mikel Arteta had just a single senior attacking player on his bench last night: Raheem Sterling.

This lack of options became increasingly apparent as the game went on, as for all his efforts, Leandro Trossard was painfully ineffective down the middle.

It’s not been a great campaign for the Belgian international this season, which makes recent reports linking the club to a potential hardly surprising.

Arsenal transfer news

Plenty of wingers have been touted for moves to Arsenal in recent weeks, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some, like Nico Williams.

Transfer Focus

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

The Athletic Bilbao star has been a long-term target for the Gunners and, thanks to a release clause in his current contract, would be available for around £50m this summer.

A far more expensive option, however, could be AC Milan’s incredibly talented Rafael Leão.

The Portuguese international could be available for about £86m at the end of the season, and while that is an incredible sum of money, he might be worth it, as in just 47 appearances this year, he’s scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists.

However, given the club’s need to sign a game-changing striker this summer, they might want to spend a little less on a new left-winger, which is where Kingsley Coman comes in.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen to sign the Bayern Munich star this summer.

The good news is that, due to his squad role at the Allianz Arena, the Frenchman should be available for the relatively reasonable price of around €40m, which is about £34m.

It might be complicated to get ahead of the other interested parties, but given Coman’s ability and experience, this is a transfer worth fighting for, especially as he could be an ideal Trossard upgrade.

How Coman compares to Trossard

So, with Coman primarily playing off the left, Trossard would be one of his main competitors for game time, but how does he stack up to the Belgian?

Well, from a pure output perspective, he comes out on top, as in just 1684 minutes of action, across 38 appearances, he’s scored seven goals and provided four assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 153.09 minutes.

In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 315 minutes across 51 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 175.05 minutes.

How about when we take a look under the hood, then? Who comes out on top when we compare their underlying numbers?

Once again, the Frenchman, whom former Bayen Sporting Director Matthias Sammer once described as “one of the biggest talents in European football,” emerges victorious.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.55

0.47

Non-Penalty G+As

0.72

0.52

Progressive Passes

3.41

3.61

Progressive Carries

4.44

2.82

Shots

3.11

2.62

Shots on Target

1.27

0.80

Passing Accuracy

85.1%

73.6%

Key Passes

2.38

1.43

Passes into the Final Third

2.06

1.59

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.14

1.63

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.40

0.36

Shot-Creating Actions

6.04

3.10

Goal-Creating Actions

0.87

0.24

Successful Take-Ons

2.94

1.15

Ball Recoveries

4.29

3.57

For example, he comes out miles ahead in almost every single relevant metric, including, but not limited to, actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, crosses and passes into the penalty area, passes into the final third, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Finally, with a Champions League, 12 league titles, a Club World Cup and a mountain of domestic cups to his name, the former Juventus star would bring some much-needed title-winning experience to the Gunners’ squad.

Ultimately, while Trossard is a useful player, Coman is a clear upgrade in almost every respect and if Arsenal can sign him this summer, they should.

Hall of shame display: 4/10 Arsenal dud had his worst game all season v PSG

Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final with PSG.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 30, 2025

Liverpool miss Roberto Firmino. The attacking maestro was one of the most unique Premier League stars in the business, so selfless and dynamic as he pulled Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s strings.

He won it all, the full gamut, but Firmino, now 33, left for the Saudi Pro League when his contract expired in 2023. Anfield’s frontline has never quite been the same.

His replacement, Darwin Nunez, 25, has failed to live up to the lofty price tag and appears set to depart himself this summer, so addressing the issue at number nine is now one of the most pressing concerns for FSG’s sporting director Richard Hughes.

Luckily, Liverpool have registered their interest in the perfect heir to Firmino’s one-time place in the line-up after a huge development.

Latest as Liverpool chase new forward

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are monitoring Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Brazil international is hoping for a change of scenery and is believed to have been identified by FSG as the perfect replacement for the outgoing Nunez.

Cunha has been transparent in his desire to leave Molineux for pastures new this summer, though it’s unlikely the Old Gold will allow him to leave for anything less than the £62.5m release clause inserted into his new contract, signed last month.

Transfer Focus

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

That would place the in-demand star among the most expensive signings of the FSG era, behind only that of Darwin Nunez (£86m) and Virgil van Dijk (£75m), as well as ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai’s £60m capture.

Liverpool's new Firmino

The longing for Firmino in all his pomp has remained strong over the past several years. Nunez has hardly nailed down the number nine spot and indeed faces an exit in the coming months to close a largely disappointing stint on Merseyside.

But in Cunha, Liverpool could find a dynamic and multi-faceted new forward to restore their frontline to the top of its game. Salah can’t do it all alone, you see, and his haul of 32 this year actually accounts for 30% of his side’s goals in all competitions.

Cunha, who can play as a centre-forward or off the left flank, could certainly help such matters, having scored 15 goals and laid on four assists for relegation-threatened Wolves this term.

Below, we’ve put together a table comparing Cunha’s metrics in the Premier League this season against Firmino’s during the 2019/20 campaign, when Liverpool last won the top-flight title.

Goals scored

0.55

0.27

Assists

0.17

0.24

Total shots

3.61

2.98

Shot-creating actions

4.12

3.43

Progressive passes

4.70

3.34

Progressive carries

3.86

2.71

Successful take-ons

2.06

1.57

Ball recoveries

4.62

4.10

Tackles + interceptions

2.02

1.33

BBC Sport pundit Micah Richards said it best: “His football IQ is absolutely sensational. He’s the one who can unlock the doors. He finds the little pockets of space and makes the right decisions at the right times.”

Now you see the similarities, now you see that Cunha could be Cunha reborn on Merseyside. Both players encapsulate a range of areas that leave them a cut above the majority of their positional rivals.

Anfield has already been treated to Cunha’s expertise this term, the Brazilian scoring an absolute pearler in the anxiety-inducing meeting between the sides in February, Liverpool only just hanging on to their win.

It was a lovely goal, but the comparisons between Cunha and his countryman Firmino are found more accurately through shared silkiness on the ball, deft movements and sharp intelligence that merge together to create a truly special skill set.

Having also won 5.7 duels per game this year, as per Sofascore, and created 12 big chances for his teammates, the 25-year-old could be the next big thing at Anfield, playing centrally to feed the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo while wreaking havoc himself.

An “incredible” player, as per former boss Gary O’Neil, Cunha won’t come cheap, but Liverpool could revive the spirit of Firmino with this signing, and FSG need to get it done.

Better than Kerkez: Liverpool will have £40m bid accepted for "insane" star

Liverpool are ready to sign a new left-back this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2025

The 38-year-old India batter showed all the traits he is known for in scoring his 33rd ODI century against Australia in Sydney

Sidharth Monga25-Oct-20252:03

Chopra: Kohli and Rohit keep adding confidence

This was only the second time in the last five years that Rohit Sharma has batted 100 balls or more in an ODI innings. Most of this is his captaincy era, a period in which he took on a different role, that of a hyper-attacking batter around whom Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli could accumulate runs. The number of hundreds came down – this was only Rohit’s fourth in the last five years – but Travis Head is the only opener in this period to have both averaged higher and scored quicker than his 47.65 and 111.09.The two times that Rohit has batted 100 balls in this period are the 2023 World Cup match against England and this one. Lucknow was a difficult pitch, and this has come at the end of a difficult series in early-season conditions in Australia.If Lucknow was an impromptu adjustment to the conditions before he went back to blazing starts, this was an organic progression through the course of the series. In Perth, where the bowlers enjoyed both seam and bounce, Rohit still tried to impose himself on the game and failed. In Adelaide, where the bounce settled down but the ball still seamed appreciably, Rohit tried a bit of everything. He played two successive maidens from Josh Hazlewood, tried unsuccessfully to charge the seamers, and then fought through to top-score with 73 off 97.This 121 not out, in the face of a modest target (237) in the best but still not flat batting conditions of the series, was the return of the vintage Rohit, who mastered the template of big ODI innings from 2013 to 2019. Broadly, it involved a watchful start against two new balls, risk-free accumulation from overs 11 to 30 and then an almighty explosion that few had any counter for. In Sydney, he didn’t need that almighty acceleration phase because the target didn’t call for it, but Rohit had put himself in a position to aim for it.Rohit Sharma made his 33rd ODI century. Only Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have more•AFP/Getty ImagesIn a slightly emotional interview with Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri later, Rohit, almost certain to not play any more international cricket in Australia, spoke of “a lot of good memories, bad memories” in the country. One of the bad ones has to be earlier this year at this same venue, when he, as the captain of the Test side, dropped himself for the series decider never to be selected again.Related

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Having retired from T20Is already, Rohit now had only one format to stay active in, a format that is played the least these days. There were doubts about how he would stay in touch with the game, not just in the present moment but also for two years down the line when the ODI World Cup takes place in South Africa, when he will be 40 years old.On the evidence of this series, the game seems to be in good order, although the one real test for every limited-overs batter is when batting first on a flat track. In tough conditions, Rohit set the base for a competitive total in Adelaide. In a modest chase in Sydney, he showed how regulation he can make scoring an international century look.The ease with which he scored 121 at about a-run-a-ball is a reminder of what has made him the third-highest centurion in ODIs. A reminder that over the last five years he hadn’t lost that ability but just played a role that the team needed him to play at that time.If the selectors and team management were looking for signs to make their decisions on, they will have learnt very little. Rohit has shown what was never under doubt even though he might have carried some ring rust.His next assignment with India will be in a month’s time, a break much more manageable than the seven months he has had off since the Champions Trophy. A less sporadic schedule without being completely packed will be ideal for Rohit at this age. For now, he has shown he can’t be written off so easily. Let’s then strap in and get along on the ride.

Former England spinner Gareth Batty looks at three young contenders: Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir

Matt Roller24-Jan-20243:16

Records to watch out for in the India-England series

“If you see the ball spin in a Test match,” jokes Gareth Batty, “you get everybody in the bloomin’ team, from the physio to the bus driver, in the nets bowling spin, because everyone can do it.”That’s my concern,” he says about England on their tour of India. “They’ll be put under so much pressure, if not internally then externally, because of the expectation of success.”Batty, Surrey’s head coach, is more aware than most of the expectations on English spinners in the subcontinent. Six of the nine Tests he played during his days as an offspinner came in South Asia, the most recent in the third match of the 2016 tour, and he will represent the spinners’ union while commentating for talkSPORT on the 2024 series, which starts in Hyderabad this week.Related

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Batty’s recall in 2016, at the age of 39, aligned with the truism that spinners get better with age. England’s selection for this tour suggests that they believe otherwise: Jack Leach has been their frontline spinner for several years but is supported by three bowlers with a combined age of 63 and a single Test cap between them.”Whoever you speak to, they’ll say spinners need to have some muscle memory so that when they’re under pressure, they can deliver their stock ball and deliver their skill,” Batty says. “History has suggested that you’d be better served with a senior player – but I actually think that’s a little bit old hat, possibly.”I think England have gone, ‘We’re going to test it.’ I know Jeets [Jeetan Patel, England’s spin coach] is big on spinners bowling and getting the opportunity to get that muscle memory, but I do think you can cram as well – like people do for exams. It’s a really interesting litmus test, and it’s a brave one from England’s point of view.”Gareth Batty: “Rehan Ahmed could be that smaller or shorter version of an Anil Kumble, where he can bowl a bit straighter and get loads of bowleds and lbws”•Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty ImagesAmong England’s options is Shoaib Bashir, a 20-year-old offspinner with only ten first-class wickets to his name. Batty knows him better than most: Bashir spent his teenage years playing for Surrey’s academy, but was released at the age of 17. This summer, he played the fifth of his six first-class games, for Somerset against Batty’s side.”Because of how the system works, if they’re no longer at school, they can’t stay on the academy, and at the time, we didn’t have many places on the professional staff,” Batty recalls. “Yousef Majid, the left-arm spinner, was the guy the club went with and around that time, Bashir had a huge growth spurt, which is very difficult for young people.”It can take a while to get that movement pattern comfortable again but he’s obviously gone down to a very, very well-run club in Somerset, and he’s thrived. I’d be surprised if he finds himself playing in India, and everyone has to remember that the amount of cricket he’s played is minimal. But just bowling at England players in the nets and seeing R Ashwin up close, it’ll be a wonderful learning curve.”Bashir was unlikely to feature in the first Test even before a visa hold-up delayed his arrival, but Lancashire’s Tom Hartley is a contender to start alongside Leach. “He is direct, and bowls into the surface,” Batty says. “He’s very different to [Ravindra] Jadeja but very similar to Axar Patel. He’d be a very good opposite number to Axar.”If we’re to have any effect in India, we need Jack Leach to perform as he can do”•Getty Images”He challenges both edges if the pitch is going to spin, and he adds a bit of depth: he balances the team out quite beautifully. He’s a nice bowler and I think he’ll do well. If the pitches spin, he’ll be accurate and bowl into an area which will challenge both edges of the bat. He bowls direct into that middle-stump area.”Batty has been “surprised” to see Hartley left out by Lancashire at times – he has played 16 County Championship matches over the last three seasons – and believes that it is the result of a system that gives teams 16 points for a win and just five for a draw. “People look for a quick fix, and spin is not always that quick fix,” he says. “We’re giving too many points to an out-and-out win when the focus should be to play good cricket and for all disciplines to come into the game.”The favourite to partner Leach is Rehan Ahmed, the teenager who made his Test debut in Karachi 13 months ago. “Traditionally, fingerspin is front and centre in India, because you’re relying on the nature of sticking the ball in the same area over and over again, knowing full well that one ball will have the batter’s name on it,” Batty says.”That is harder [for] wristspinners, but Rehan has obviously got the world at his feet. He’s been given opportunities and he’s taken them, and he bats as well, which lengthens that order. His challenge will be how consistent he can be on turning surfaces in India, where control is probably front and centre, as opposed to the massive sidespin required in other parts of the world.Tom Hartley is a contender for a playing role in India, though he has been sparingly used by Lancashire in the County Championship – an outcome, Batty believes, of the current points system•Surrey CCC/Getty Images”Can he have that consistency? It’s a big ask. But the one thing that’s really positive for him is that he’s got a very good googly, so he’s bringing the tramlines in and he’s bringing the stumps and pads into play. He could be that smaller or shorter version of an Anil Kumble, where he can bowl a bit straighter and get loads of bowleds and lbws.”But it is clear that Leach will be England’s main man, tasked with leading a young spin attack on his return from a back stress fracture. “He’s a purist of the game when it comes to trying to bowl spin,” Batty says. “He’s changed his seam position from three years ago, when we saw him last in India.”He’s able to get that square spin, so he can bring the tramlines into play now as opposed to being on off stump and spinning it to slip. He can get that angle into the surface to spin it away now, which was not an easy thing for him to change: it’s a bit more palm at the batsman, as opposed to the side of the hand with the overspin.”Batty believes that England’s results in the series will correlate with Leach’s efforts. “If we’re to have any effect in India, we need him to perform as he can do,” he says. “He won’t want to be front and centre – he’s not that sort of a guy – but let’s hope his performances are, and let’s champion the fact that he’s becoming a very fine left-arm spinner.”Listen to exclusive & free coverage on talkSPORT2 or via the talkSPORT cricket YouTube channel.

Drift from Test cricket mirrored England’s as a whole, but batter has found his focus again

Andrew Miller08-Mar-2022What might have been, six long years ago, had Jonny Bairstow not taken a long, envious look at England’s white-ball reset (as nobody was calling it back in the day), and decided, “you know what, I want a piece of that”.In January 2016, Bairstow made his maiden Test century at Cape Town, riding a wave of emotion in the anniversary week of his father’s death to add a remarkable 399-run stand with Ben Stokes on the flattest Newlands deck of the decade. For the rest of that calendar year, he was England’s premier Test batter, embracing his wicketkeeping duties like a security blanket as he racked up 1470 runs at 58.80 – a total that no Englishman other than Joe Root could surpass.Related

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But even as he was doing so, the sands were shifting beneath the feet of England’s multi-format players. Amid England’s run to the World T20 final in 2016, and their World Cup dress rehearsal in the Champions Trophy the following summer, the sense of something special taking shape was unmistakable.And Bairstow, for most of that initial period, was England’s white-ball super-sub, a man kept at arm’s length from the first XI, and almost goaded at times by Eoin Morgan to redouble his determination to break into the team – a treat-’em-mean tactic that delivered so many irresistible white-ball displays – including four centuries in six innings in early 2018 – that, come the final approach to the World Cup, he simply could not be kept on the fringes any longer. The trade-off was his place in England’s Test plans.Fast forward to Sydney in January 2022, and Bairstow was back in that same 2016 zone with England’s solitary century of an otherwise dismal Ashes tour. It was a campaign for which he hadn’t even been selected in the opening two games of the series, but once again, he channelled the spirit of his father to grimace his way through the pain of a broken thumb, and lay down the foundations of England’s only non-defeat of the tour.Now, with that same clench-fisted inevitability, he’s made it two centuries in consecutive England matches (three if you include a slightly spurious warm-up in Coolidge) and after years of drift and frustration – including the removal of those beloved gloves, and enough ducks and scapegoatings to set up a petting zoo – it seems he has relocated the defiant mindset that defined his now-distant year of Test mastery.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I’m very passionate about playing for England and very passionate about playing Test cricket,” Bairstow said. “I’m absolutely delighted, it’s been a good start to the year and hopefully that continues. Obviously I didn’t start in the Ashes but I got my opportunity and looked to take it. It’s been a good build-up and to start this way in this series is fantastic.”It wasn’t looking quite so fantastic midway through the opening session of the series, however. Arriving as he did to a grim scoreline of 48 for 4, Bairstow’s knock could not have come at a more priceless time for an England team in which he is once again being treated as a senior player. In the remaining 8.2 overs to the lunchbreak, he and Ben Stokes eked out nine runs before a calculated raising of the tempo against Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph upon the resumption.”It’s something that is part and parcel of the game,” Bairstow said. “You know you may come in in some tricky spots and it’s about staying out there as long as you can and grinding. That’s what we do, we’ll come tomorrow and grind again. I’ve played a fair amount of Test matches now so I’m delighted to start the year this way. Hopefully we can kick on again. Let’s have a good year and see where we are at the end of it.”If England’s much-vaunted “red-ball reset” is to have any merit beyond being a convenient soundbite to buy the ECB time while it works out exactly what it wants from Test cricket, then a resetting of attitude from the players within the existing set-up is as good a place to start as any.That’s not to say, however, that Bairstow has had an especially bad attitude to Test cricket in recent years. He’s simply had a priority – entirely endorsed by the governing body that pays most of his wages – which was to become the best white-ball batter he could possibly turn himself into.Had Bairstow spent the years from 2017-2021 twiddling his thumbs between Test engagements, then driving with flat feet and losing his poles every other innings through a lack of application, then the censure that has come his way would have been justifiable. But he did not. His technique suffered, in simplistic terms, from his commitment to launching inside-out drives in the Powerplay to become, arguably, England’s most important ODI batter of all time.For Jos Buttler is routinely spoken of as England’s white-ball GOAT – and Buttler has also been given far more leeway in Test cricket, when his attempts to bridge these increasingly polarised formats have fallen on hard times. But when England’s World Cup challenge was in danger of flatlining in the group stages, it was Bairstow’s last bout of back-to-back England hundreds, against India and New Zealand in two de facto knock-outs, that turbo-charged a campaign that simply would not have been won without him.Bairstow upped the tempo as his innings wore on•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesGratitude might have been a more fitting response to his efforts – or a degree of understanding at the very least. But that’s not quite how his career has panned out to date. Partly this comes down to his occasionally spiky demeanour. He memorably got himself into his World Cup zone by complaining that the media all wanted England to fail, and seeing as he’s seemingly never better than when he’s fighting to prove a point, perhaps there’s merit in lobbing endless brickbats in his direction.But Bairstow’s struggles to be all things to all formats does reveal how futile this alleged reset will be unless there is a commitment from above to reframe the way that England’s teams are selected, coached, managed, and flung from format to format without a pause for realignment. His return to the Test team in the summer of 2021 epitomised the chaos – a late-night drive to Loughborough after a Hundred match for Welsh Fire, then – one Covid test later – his first red-ball net for months, two days out from the Trent Bridge Test. He made 29 and 30 on that occasion – performing precisely as well as anyone could realistically have expected, no more and no less.Much has been made of the eviction of James Anderson and Stuart Broad for this series, with most of the focus falling on the bowlers who will now lead the line, most notably Chris Woakes, whose new-ball spell on Wednesday will be one of the most scrutinised of his World Cup-winning career.But Bairstow is another whose seniority is no longer hiding in plain sight. Eighty Test caps in ten years – albeit 49 of them as a wicketkeeper, seven as a specialist No. 3, and the rest as something neither quite here nor there – no longer looks quite such small beer when the bloke with 169 caps in 19 is removed from the equation.”I’ve batted everywhere, haven’t I?” Bairstow added. “Hopefully it’s a case of getting a run of games in one position. I think there was a period of batting 14 or 15 different positions in 18 or 20 knocks at one stage. It’s nice to establish yourself in one role.”The chance to do just that is precisely what Bairstow has been denied for the prime years of his career. You sense that the tenacious part of him would not have it any other way. For at the age of 32, there’s another gauntlet laid in front of him. For him, as for England, this might be his cue to resume the standards that he mislaid in the course of that wild white-ball ride.

Managing a football club, particularly one the size of Manchester United, is incredibly difficult because you need to make decisions that line up with the short, medium, and long-term goals that are in place.

For example, it would be hard for the Red Devils to heavily lean on a strategy of signing incredibly young players with potential, with the hope that they turn into a top team in the future, because supporters expect results in the short-term, and rightly so.

This means that INEOS and Ruben Amorim have to be very careful with their squad planning to ensure that there is a competitive team on the pitch in the present, whilst also having a group of players who are for the future as well.

So far this season, United have been competitive on the pitch. They are seventh in the Premier League after 11 matches, with five wins, and are currently unbeaten in five games after their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

One of the players who has been instrumental in the short-term success on the pitch, but is not one for the future, is the incredibly experienced Casemiro.

The Brazil international has been in fantastic form in the Premier League so far this season for the Red Devils, and they need to consider what they will do in the medium to long-term in his position.

Why Man Utd need to find a replacement for Casemiro

Manchester United need to identify their long-term successor to Casemiro because his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and he turns 34 in February.

The Red Devils need to make sure that his replacement is a top-quality one, as the former Real Madrid star has been in impressive form for the club alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.

Casemiro is already one goal away from his Premier League career-high after netting three goals in ten starts in the division so far, with strikes against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Chelsea.

Along with his impressive output at the top end of the pitch, the 33-year-old star has been one of the best midfielders in the division in a host of key defensive metrics.

Non-penalty goals

0.44

Top 1%

Assists

0.15

Top 22%

Tackles

3.22

Top 9%

Tackles + interceptions

3.96

Top 18%

Dribblers tackled

1.46

Top 14%

Blocks

1.76

Top 9%

Aerial duels won

2.20

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, Casemiro ranks highly among his positional peers in the Premier League for tackles, interceptions, blocks, and aerial duels won.

These statistics illustrate why it is important for the Red Devils to find the player who can play in that position in the mid-to-long term, as the Brazilian star may not be at Old Trafford next season.

The only other ‘natural’ defensive midfielder in the squad is Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte, but he has failed to prove his quality since a £42m move from PSG last year.

After the Manchester derby in September, Gary Neville said the midfield is a “massive problem” and that Ugarte is “not good enough”, which speaks to the feeling around his performances for the club over the past 18 months.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Manchester United could save millions of pounds by unleashing one of their stars in a different position, so that they will not need to splash the cash on a replacement for Casemiro and an upgrade on Ugarte.

Central defender Lisandro Martinez has been back in full training in recent weeks after suffering an ACL injury in February, and he could be a wildcard replacement for Casemiro.

Why Lisandro Martinez could be Man Utd's Casemiro replacement

The Argentina international has been away from the action for nine months because of his long-term injury, but he could be the answer to the club’s mid-to-long-term issues in the defensive midfield position.

Per Transfermarkt, all 89 of his appearances for United have come at centre-back or left-back, with 85 in the heart of the defence, which shows that he has not played as a holding midfielder for the club yet.

However, the left-footed star did start 22 matches as a defensive midfielder during his time with Ajax, before his £48.3m move to Old Trafford, and this means that he does have experience in that role.

Even whilst playing as a centre-back, Martinez has shown qualities that suggest that he would excel in midfield. Take the clip above, for example, as he wins the ball back in the opposition half and holds a high position to break into the box to score a wonderful goal.

The Argentine star would have even more opportunities to pull off plays like that as a defensive midfielder, whilst it would also mean that his lack of aerial prowess would be less exposed, as he has won 55% of his aerial duels or lower in all three of his Premier League seasons, per Sofascore.

Shot-creating actions

1.34

Top 13%

Pass accuracy

89%

Top 35%

Progressive passes

6.01

Top 11%

Progressive carries

1.18

Top 16%

Key passes

0.46

Top 12%

Passes into the penalty area

0.93

Top 2%

xA

0.07

Top 6%

As you can see in the table above, Martinez excelled with the ball at his feet in the top-flight last term, ranking highly among centre-backs in a host of progressive metrics.

Como scout Ben Mattinson once claimed that the centre-back “could become a world class DM”, and it is easy to see why when you couple his natural defensive instincts with his technical quality in possession.

Ugarte, for example, has averaged only 3.08 progressive passes and 0.81 progressive carries per 90 in the last 365 days for United, per FBref, which suggests that Martinez would offer more than he has in possession in the middle of the park.

With his prior experience in the position, time left ahead of him to develop further at 27, and his relevant attributes for the role, Martinez could be the dream long-term successor to Casemiro at Old Trafford.

Their new McTominay: Man Utd in talks to sign £25m future "superstar"

Manchester United look set to make a move for a star who could emulate Scott McTominay.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell shared six wickets to dismantled New South Wales’ second innings and secure Tasmania a crushing innings and 58-run Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania.In a match in which neither team was able to take all 10 wickets in the first innings, NSW collapsed on day four to be all out for 174 in 92 overs at Cricket Central in Sydney.Related

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After falling to 143 for 9, NSW captain Jack Edwards (38 off 137 balls) dug in with No. 11 Liam Hatcher (8 not out off 79 balls) for 28 overs to frustrate the Tigers, before Riley Meredith took the final wicket, nipping one past Edward’s edge to take off stump, to finally sink the the home side.Tasmania became the first team to secure an outright win in a Shield game at Cricket Central, with the previous four matches at the venue ending in draws.Cruising at 102 for 2, NSW lost 8 for 41 in the next 25 overs to hand Tasmania their second win of the season. Bell took three wickets in an over: Josh Philippe glancing down the leg side, Charlie Stobo lbw and Tanveer Sangha edging behind. Edwards was clearly unhappy with the umpire’s decision for the latterAfter a breezy 43 on day one, Sam Konstas struggled for his 19 in the second innings before being dismissed by Bird against his former team.Gabe Bell ripped out three wickets in an over•Getty Images

Patterson made 80 in his first innings, but could only manage 1 when batting again as Tasmania captain Jordan Silk pulled off a stunning catch in slips off Bird’s bowling.That made Bird the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Shield history with 421, only behind legendary legspinner Clarrie Grimmett (513) and Queensland pair Michael Kasprowicz (441) and Andy Bichel (430).After being dropped from Australia’s Test team following a difficult tour of the Caribbean, Konstas is yet to recapture his best since going back to domestic cricket this season. He will get another opportunity this weekend when he plays for the PM’s XI against the England Lions in Canberra.Patterson, who played the last of his two Tests in 2019, has experienced a mixed start to the season but scored a century against Queensland in November.Former NSW coach Phil Jaques was scathing in his assessment of the Blues’ last day collapse.”The second innings there’s been no fight, no plan and no effort,” Jaques said in commentary, before the recovery from Edwards and Hatcher. “That might sound harsh, but there’s got to be some application. There’s got to be some fight. It fell away badly in the field too.”Tasmania, who had been bottom of the table, took full advantage of a good batting wicket to belt their way to 623 for 8 dec declared as Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim Ward and Caleb Jewell all made centuries.

Gill was in sublime touch as India raced away to 52 for no loss in 4.5 overs before lightning and rain took over

Tristan Lavalette08-Nov-20255:57

Takeaways: Who won the Jitesh vs Samson debate?

No result India claimed a 2-1 series victory over Australia in an anti-climax after the fifth and final T20I was abandoned due to heavy rain and thunderstorms in Brisbane.After being sent in to bat, there had been intrigue over how India’s top-order would fare on a Gabba surface with plenty of bounce and carry. But with their nemesis Josh Hazlewood in Ashes prep mode and again not in the line-up, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill plundered 52 runs before play came to a halt after 4.5 overs.Abhishek did have luck having been dropped twice, but Gill was in sweet touch as he smacked 29 off 16 balls.The series ended the same way it began after rain ruined the opening T20I in Canberra. Australia dominated game two in front of 82,000 fans at the MCG, largely thanks to a rampant Hazlewood but India ultimately prevailed in the series after their spinners gained a stranglehold on slower surfaces in Hobart and the Gold Coast.The India T20I squad with the series trophy in Brisbane•Matt Roberts/CA/Getty Images

India will head home well pleased ahead of their T20 World Cup title defence on home soil.”The way everyone chipped in every game, it was a complete team effort with the bat, ball and in the field,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said.”I saw what happened with the women’s team winning the World Cup in India, having unbelievable support. When you play at home there is pressure but at the same there is a lot of excitement.”In their final hit-out in the format before the T20 World Cup, Australia’s aggressive batting approach against high-quality spin attacks has come under scrutiny although recriminations are unlikely amid Ashes hysteria.”I don’t think I can remember the last time we had so many rain interruptions,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said. “I think there are a lot of learnings to take forward, a lot of positives. The flexibility of our group and the squad that we’re trying to build in a World Cup year has been amazing.”Earlier, a grinning Marsh once again won the toss but his mood soon soured after the start India’s openers got.There was no settling in for left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis as Abhishek bludgeoned a trademark boundary over mid-off on the fourth delivery of the match.He tried to repeat the dose on the next ball only to miscue high into the air where Glenn Maxwell nestled under having trudged back from mid-off. A resigned Abhishek had already begun walking off only for the unthinkable to happen, with Maxwell spilling a straightforward catch.While Abhishek lived dangerously, Gill was in sublime touch as he stroked four boundaries off Dwarshuis’ second over with the best being a gorgeous cover drive. Gill was in the type of commanding form that had eluded him during a tough tour – which started with an ODI series defeat in his captaincy debut in the format – and he looked determined to finish on a high.Abhishek, on 11, received another life when he was dropped by Dwarshuis who ran in from fine-leg before compounding Nathan Ellis’ misery by smashing him over midwicket for six.Typical for Brisbane this time for year, bad weather loomed large and the players went off due to lightning before heavy rain cascaded onto the ground in a major disappointment for the sold-out crowd.

Australia A chased down rain-reduced target of 160 in 16.4 overs after Tilak Varma’s 94 guided India A

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2025Mackenzie Harvey and Cooper Connolly added 103 runs in just 59 deliveries for the second wicket to blow India A away in the second one-dayer in Kanpur. As a result, Australia A levelled the three-match series 1-1.After opting to bat first, India A were bowled out for 246, with Tilak Varma top-scoring with 94. But rain arrived 5.5 overs into Australia A’s chase, and caused a lengthy delay. The chase resumed after a long wait, with their target reduced to 160 in 25 overs. Australia A achieved that in just 16.4 overs as Harvey cracked 70 not out off 49 balls while Connolly bashed 50 not out off 31.But the tone had been set by Harvey’s opening partner Jake Fraser-McGurk, who smashed 36 in 20 balls in an opening stand of 57. Nishant Sindhu ended Fraser-McGurk’s stay by having him caught in the seventh over, but Harvey and Connolly ensured Australia A didn’t lose momentum.In all, the three thumped 22 fours and six sixes, a performance which was in complete contrast to that of India A. Halfway into the sixth over, Jack Edwards had removed Abhishek Sharma for a duck and Shreyas Iyer for 8, while Will Sutherland had got Prabhsimran Singh for 1.From 17 for 3, India A were rescued by Tilak and Riyan Parag. They added 101 at almost a run a ball in a stand that was dominated by Parag. He hit 58 in 54 balls, but when Sutherland had him caught, it started another collapse which saw India A lose 3 for 18.From 136 for 6, it was time for a rebuild again, and this time Tilak had the lower order for company. While Tilak took his time, Harshit Rana played a cameo of 21 in 13 balls in a stand of 33. Yudhvir Singh fell for 4 soon after, before Ravi Bishnoi gave Tilak good company. Bishnoi scored 26 while No. 11 Arshdeep Singh contributed 10.All this while, Tilak patiently kept ticking over. He was the last man out as Edwards got his fourth wicket, and India A were bowled out with more than four overs to spare. Harvey, Connolly and Fraser-McGurk then stole the show for the rest of the game.The series decider, on Sunday, will also be played in Kanpur.