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Duo’s perfect combination of fire and ice puts team on the verge of another final

Shashank Kishore10-Feb-2023Sheldon Jackson is 36. But don’t remind him of it. There’s no reason to either, because he is showing no signs of slowing down.A century in the final following a run-drought helped deliver Saurashtra the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in December. Now, a classic 160, his 20th first-class century, has Saurashtra knocking on the doors of the Ranji Trophy final, three years after they clinched a historic first, with Jackson playing a pivotal part.Then there’s Arpit Vasavada, the stone waller, a Shitanshu Kotak clone, someone who can bore bowlers into submission. For the longest time, Vasavada has been known as Saurashtra’s crisis man, and he hasn’t let that tag weigh him down.If crease occupation is of essence, they look up to Vasavada. This isn’t to say he can’t score runs. He can, and do so quite effectively, like on Friday when he made 112 not out, his third hundred of the season and eleventh overall in first-class cricket. That Saurashtra can dare to dream is because of his 232-run fourth-wicket stand with Jackson to bring them within touching distance of a first-innings lead with two days remaining.Related

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Jackson 160, Vasavada 112* deflate Karnataka

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Porel helps Bengal extend advantage

On Friday, it was this perfect combination of fire and ice that propelled Saurashtra. Jackson started in blazing fashion, nonchalantly flicking length balls from middle to the midwicket fence, cutting and pulling ferociously and sweeping the spinners off their lengths. Vasavada was the craftsman, carefully molding his sandcastle with precision, accumulating runs slowly, nudging and tapping deliveries, blunting the bowlers like that was his life mission.Batting of that kind is second nature to him. Growing up at Railways Colony in Rajkot, Arvind, Pujara senior, who was also his first coach, would ingrain virtues of playing ‘correct cricket’ to his wards. Young Vasavada and Cheteshwar would religiously stick to those principles, and proudly accept the treats that were on offer should they achieve set milestones. Over time, Vasavada hasn’t let the vagaries of T20 cricket come in the way of his batting style.This season, Vasavada and Jackson have had different roles.With Jaydev Unadkat away on national duty, Vasavada has also had to shoulder the captaincy responsibilities lately. He’s had to rally the team together after back-to-back losses heading into the quarter-final threatened to derail all the momentum they had built up.In the quarter-final, Vasavada was among a group of players that led a stirring fightback, after Saurashtra were on the mat against Punjab. Having conceded a 128-run lead, Vasavada made a grinding 77 in the second innings to help close in on the deficit, before the lower order helped them surge ahead. On the final day, his bowling chances and field placements were spot on. His calm marshalling of his bowlers even as Mandeep Singh, the Punjab captain, threatened to snatch a draw, was commendable.It’s this calmness and assuredness that Vasavada brought to the fore in the semi-final too, against Karnataka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He walked in to bat early on the third day with Saurashtra on 92 for 3. Karnataka’s seamers were accurate and meant business. Vasavada took 24 balls to get off the mark, but showed no signs of being edgy.In this period, he also copped a blow on his helmet when he was late on a pull off Vidwath Kaverappa. Shaken, but not stirred, Vasavada took his time to ease himself back in and focused on strike rotation. It helped that Jackson was alert to the possibilities of pinching singles at the other end, much to Karnataka’s annoyance. Over three overs, they picked up eleven singles to ensure the bowlers had to keep altering their lengths to the right-left pair.As his innings progressed, Vasavada showed excellent smarts in ensuring he was getting well outside the line of the stumps to defend K Gowtham’s offspin, while also quickly pulling back to dispatch Shreyas Gopal’s half-tracks. It’s perhaps why Gopal wasn’t introduced until the 21st over the morning; while his legbreaks can be deceptive, he’s often struggled for consistency, and both batters took full toll.Arpit Vasavada is known as Saurashtra’s crisis man, a stone waller who can bore bowlers into submission•PTI Vasavada’s refreshing clarity against spin and sound judgment of his off stump all contributed to his innings, one of immense concentration and fight on the face of some serious heat from Karnataka. When he brought up his hundred, off a thick edge that flew between the wicketkeeper and slip, Vasavada finally let out his pent-up emotions. But that he fought through to stumps told you a story of grit and not wanting to leave it to the others to get the job done.At the other end, Jackson was doing what he’s done for most of his career: being in a constant dogfight. Against himself, because he comes from small-town Bhavnagar, and not a traditional cricket centre. It meant if someone made 100, he needed a double, perhaps a triple ton, to get noticed.He’s had to ward off stifling competition despite coming from a relatively small state, geographically speaking, like Saurashtra, because he was in a queue for the senior team for four straight seasons before breaking through in 2011-12.When he finally got his chance, he had to make up for lost time. Over the next decade, Jackson has been a towering presence in a Saurashtra line-up that has evolved from being the outliers to Ranji Trophy champions three years ago. Yet, he’s had to contend with the disappointment of not making the next step up despite being a prolific performer. He’s on a mission to prove why those on the wrong side of 30 must not be viewed, in his own words, as “fossil”.When his team needed him to dig deep, Sheldon Jackson stood tall with one of the biggest knocks of his career•PTI In the Ranji season Saurashtra won in 2019-20, he had finished that season with 809 runs in 18 innings at an average of 50.56 and was the third-highest run-getter among batters in the non-Plate category. A season earlier, he amassed Ranji Trophy with 854 runs at an average of 47.44. But no Saurashtra player made the India A cut even though they finished runners-up. A furious Jackson let his feelings know.Compared to those seasons, this one threatened to run dry. He hadn’t made a single hundred. Like at the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he went into the knockout with a prolonged lean patch, Jackson had felt the jitters here too. However, come the big match, with his team needing him to dig deep, Jackson stood tall.He imperiously cover drove Kaverappa for a boundary off the third ball of the morning to lay down a marker. Two balls later, he picked length in a jiffy to wallop a pull behind square. Jackson wasn’t going to just defend. He was going to thrill, especially if the ball was there to be hit.When Gopal was introduced belatedly, he didn’t take time to step out and loft him inside-but over extra cover. In trying to score quickly, the counterpunch seemed to frustrate Karnataka to such an extent that Manish Pandey even began to sledge Jackson. What ensured was some banter for a better part of the next hour. At one point things got so heated that Pandey even claimed a bump catch and celebrated wildly, much to Jackson’s annoyance as he stood his ground.But it was clear he wasn’t going to let such distraction come in the way of his concentration. Jackson’s marathon knock was also another example of how Saurashtra have often given their seniors clarity. X-factor players who bring something to the table have been given a long rope in the hope of there being a big performance along the way. For Jackson, this was as big an effort as he’s come up with in his career so far.He literally had to be dragged off the field after being given out lbw to a grubber on 160, but by then Saurashtra were within touching distance of a lead. Vasavada stood there applauding, as did the very players who were sledging him not long ago.In defying Karnataka’s bowlers the way they did, Vasavada and Jackson had sowed seeds of another dream in the making for Saurashtra.

Under the gaze of St Peter’s, India’s batsmen were felled with frightening swiftness

Daniel Brettig19-Dec-2020 was a 1935 drama penned by TS Eliot about the assassination of the medieval Archbishop Thomas Becket. should be the title forever applied to the brutally decisive seventh session of the Adelaide Test.Under the gaze of St Peter’s, India’s batsmen were felled with frightening swiftness by an Australian pace attack that found, much to their delight, the pink ball was swinging for more or less the first time in what had already been a quite challenging match for batsmen.Adding to the serendipitous meeting of conditions in the air – markedly less windy than previously – with those under foot on a pitch that had perceptibly quickened from its more sluggish beginnings, was the fact that the Australians had learned from the first day to pitch the ball a little fuller in search of movement and forward strokes from the batsmen.Josh Hazlewood leads Australia off after registering figures of 5-3-8-5•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesIn doing so, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood found the sort of “zone” they had enjoyed on the second day of the Leeds Ashes Test in 2019, South Africa’s seamers had experienced against the Australians when bowling them out for 47 at Cape Town in 2011, and Curtly Ambrose entered during his mesmerising spell of 7 for 1 in the decisive Perth Test of the 1992-93 bout for the Frank Worrell Trophy.On each occasion, there was just enough bounce and lateral movement, by no means an extravagant amount, meaning that edges were consistently found rather than thin air. And on each occasion, whether pushed to be more aggressive by the match situation or simply through building up to the ideal rhythm over the course of a series, the bowlers ventured fuller than their usual lengths when usually they hesitated out of dislike for being driven too often.If there was an added contemporary factor making things still more difficult for the Indians, it arrived in the form of the contrasting approaches taken by Cummins and Hazlewood. As Australia’s most accomplished seam bowler, Cummins has now utterly mastered the art of wobbling the seam, something he began doing more consistently in the 2019 Ashes, culminating in his memorable delivery to bowl Joe Root at Old Trafford. This method is impossible for a batsman to pick up before the ball has pitched, leaving them little or no time to adjust when it moves.At the other end, after an exploratory couple of overs from Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood provided the perfect contrast by sending down a beautifully balanced, upright seam in the more traditional manner once favoured by Ryan Harris and Damien Fleming before him. With the fuller length and just enough lateral movement through the air, the Cummins and Hazlewood tandem was at a level very few batting line-ups through Test match history would have been able to cope with.Pat Cummins is pumped after ripping through India’s top order•Getty Images”He sort of gets a natural wobble on it all the time,” Hazlewood said of Cummins, “so it’s something that’s a bit different and it really worked for him in England with the big seam on the Duke. And even when there’s grass on this wicket it works really well. I think he can do both. He’s not a big swinger of the ball but he can do it from time to time. It’s a nice little change that all three of us are a lot different I guess.”An advantage of the Australian bowlers now having spent the better part of four years operating together in Tests is that they are now well versed at switching between wobble seam and swing methods depending on how the conditions favour them. It’s something Tim Paine spoke candidly about on the second evening, when the Test remained finely balanced after the captain had salvaged something from his side’s halting first innings with a knock of 73 that will look better with each passing day.”It’s a bit of everything actually. Some of the times they’ll talk about it and we’ll say ‘no we think you can do this or do that’, but they’re experienced bowlers,” Paine said. “Most of the time it comes after they’ve done one of the things and it’s not working as well as they would like, so they try something else.”I think Patty’s more like that most of the time, regardless of the conditions. Josh is someone that can do a bit of both and Starcy’s more swing than seam. So we’ve got a nice mix. [Cameron] Greeny is someone who can do both, he’s got really good skills from what we’ve seen with seam up and swing he can do everything. So we’re lucky to have such a good attack. But most of the time they see what’s happening at the time and they’re experienced bowlers, they can make that decision and we back them to do it.”The initial decision to start with Cummins and Starc, seam and swing, was adjusted to Hazlewood, and the contrasting challenges posed by the NSW pair, city and country, were far too much for the Indians. After Jasprit Bumrah’s initial return catch to Cummins, Cheteshwar Pujara could do nothing about a delivery that seamed and bounced away, Mayank Agarwal snicked a perfectly pitched first ball from Hazlewood, Ajinkya Rahane followed in near enough to an action replay, and Virat Kohli did what he had successfully avoided on day one – pushing hard at a full ball.All up, this spellbinding sequence saw India lose 5 for 4 in 5.5 overs, and meant there was very little the rest could do. Hazlewood went on finish with 5 for 8, having had 5 for 3 at one stage, while Cummins recorded the mundane analysis of 4 for 21. It all added up to 36 all out, the lowest Test score in India’s history. Looking on from on high, no less a top order authority than Sunil Gavaskar was at pains to emphasise the quality of the bowling rather than any intrinsic weakness in the way India had batted.”There’s very little that the Indians have done wrong,” Gavaskar said admiringly on Seven’s coverage. “It’s been splendid bowling by the Australians – much fuller length, mixed up with the odd short delivery, around the off stump. The Indian batsmen have been just that little bit tentative, but the bowling has been tremendous.”Tremendously effective, and tremendously violent for the outcome of the match and the series. India’s best chance had been to win in Adelaide while they still had Kohli in the team. Now the Australians are well and truly in the ascendant, and will leave South Australia with far happier memories of St Peter’s spire than anyone in the touring party.

Following the news of Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, Celtic have reportedly added Robbie Keane to their shortlist of managerial candidates. The former Leeds United coach joins the likes of Ange Postecoglou as the Bhoys seek a new permanent boss.

It’s been a dramatic week for those at Celtic Park. First losing 3-1 and conceding an eight-point gap to surprise Scottish Premiership leaders Heart, those in Glasgow then received Rodgers’ shock resignation – sparking a managerial search and a brutal statement from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

Accusing Rodgers of being “self-serving” and “divisive”, Desmond didn’t hold back. Whether the manager, himself, soon has his own say is now the big question.

In the meantime, the show must go on at Celtic, who have hired veteran manager Martin O’Neill on an interim basis. Keeping the seat warm, O’Neill will be expected to steady the ship as soon as the Old Firm derby against Rangers this week. The Bhoys meet their rivals in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

The longer their search for a manager goes on, however, the more questions that will be asked at Celtic. So far, names such as Postecoglou and former Borussia Dortmund man Edin Terzic have both been mentioned, with the former a particularly strong candidate thanks to his previous experience in Glasgow.

The Australian could certainly do with a return to Scotland too, following a disastrous 39-day spell at Nottingham Forest. But he’s not the only one on Celtic’s shortlist, with Keane also among the reported options.

The change of style that Robbie Keane would bring to Celtic

As reported by journalist Ben Jacobs, Keane has now made the shortlist at Celtic as they search for their next manager.

The 45-year-old is currently in charge of Hungarian side Ferencvaros and has had previous experience at Maccabi Tel Aviv as well as in an assistant role at Ireland, Middlsbrough and Leeds United.

Some may question Keane’s experience, or more the lack of it, but his style of football is something to keep an eye on. The former Liverpool and Celtic attacker told reporters in 2020 that he likes to play energetic, pressing football, which could finally unlock the Bhoys’ free-scoring talents once again.

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The Bhoys are looking for their next manager.

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 28, 2025

Daizen Maeda would arguably benefit the most from the change in style from Rodgers’ slower, possession-based approach. The forward scored 33 goals in all competitions last season, before struggling with just three in 13 in the current campaign.

What’s more, the fact that O’Neill already knows Keane well from his playing days could help his case. The current interim boss once even praised his former forward as “terrific” during his time on the pitch.

Celtic linked with manager who nearly joined Rangers

Liverpool have been plugging away under Arne Slot’s management in recent weeks, looking to recover their title-winning form from last season.

And while the Reds have made a measure of progress after that abject Anfield defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, winning at West Ham before recovering to seal a draw against Sunderland, much more is needed.

Despite a summer of heavy spending, it’s clear that there are gaping holes in Slot’s squad, with the backline beyond fragile and the motley group of elite forwards lacking synergy and understanding.

Sporting director Richard Hughes will be rolling up his sleeves as the January transfer window inches closer.

Liverpool's winter transfer plans

Without a doubt, Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo’s names have been touted at the highest frequency this season, and it’s understood that Semenyo could be at the very top of the list after FSG decided against directly replacing Luis Diaz in August.

However, Semenyo’s £65m price tag and the growing interest from Premier League rivals such as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur suggests FSG would be wise to keep their book of options open.

And they have. According to Spanish sources, Barcelona have been left disgruntled in their bid to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig following rising interest from Liverpool and Spurs.

Leipzig value the 19-year-old winger at €90m (about £78m), and after holding talks with the Bundesliga outfit, Liverpool and Tottenham are primed to make official offers this winter.

Why Liverpool should sign Yan Diomande

Though Cody Gakpo has come under flak for his performances this season, he has still scored four goals and provided three assists across 12 Premier League starts.

Semenyo would jockey with the Dutchman for a place on the left flank, but signing Diomande might actually be the more providential move for Liverpool as a whole, bringing back Diaz’s electric pace and energy while establishing a duality of option that could see both players thrive.

And anyway, Diomande might be a work in progress at the moment, but the teenager has the potential to become a superstar, with coach Harry Brook calling him an “explosive and well-rounded athlete” who will soon be “worth £100m plus”.

Goals scored

0.36

0.36

Assists

0.20

0.21

Shots taken

2.73

2.08

Shot-creating actions

3.57

5.23

Touches (att pen)

4.87

7.16

Pass completion (%)

72.9

81.2

Progressive passes

3.48

3.44

Progressive carries

3.79

6.66

Successful take-ons

1.78

4.01

Ball recoveries

4.46

6.01

Tackles + interceptions

1.87

2.72

Semenyo might be one of the Premier League’s most dangerous wide forwards, but the data certainly suggests that Diomande has what it takes to supersede him in the power rankings, should he move to Liverpool in 2026.

Already, he is more active and incisive across ball-carrying and -playing metrics, and in the Bundesliga this term, the two-sided winger has notched three goals and two assists from only eight starts, averaging 2.8 dribbles and winning 4.2 duels per fixture (as per Sofascore).

The Ghana international has been in red-hot form in the Premier League this season and he’s a big-game player besides, but he has gone more than two months without a goal contribution and there’s a compelling case to be made that Diomande could grow into a greater player.

Slot needs to consider the balance and fluency of his outfit as a whole, and this could be a deal to enhance that and then some, allowing the likes of Gakpo to continue to earn opportunities while adding depth and, more importantly, elite quality.

That is not to discredit Semenyo’s talent. The Cherries star is a fantastic, Prem-proven forward. It merely underlines the calibre of player Diomande may well become.

The new Trent: Liverpool shortlist "one of the best players in the world"

Liverpool have not replaced their iconic full-back’s presence down the right channel.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 6, 2025

Manchester United owners INEOS are taking a page out of Chelsea’s book as they swoop to secure two of the brightest talents in South America ahead of the January transfer window.

BlueCo's transfer strategy finally bearing fruit at Chelsea

Todd Boehly was heavily criticised during the early days of his reign at Chelsea, with Jamie Carragher among his most vocal opponents, questioning the sheer volume of signings made under the American.

The Blues have seen a major success story emerge from their flock of young signings however, with Estevao Willian becoming a key member of Enzo Maresca’s first team, scoring crucial goals against Liverpool and Barcelona this season.

The Brazilian is just one of several South American recruits made under BlueCo’s ownership, with the likes of Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez and Aarón Anselmino all out on loan.

The Red Devils have begun to follow the path trodden by BlueCo since INEOS’ arrival, with 18 year-old Paraguay left-back Diego Leon signed in the summer and two more South American gems now seemingly on the way.

Indeed, Manchester United have agreed a deal for midfielder Cristian Orozco and a report from AS has revealed United ‘have already begun negotiations’ for Brazilian centre-back Luis Eduardo, with a bid expected in the coming days and weeks.

Eduardo could be the next Thiago Silva

Eduardo turns 18 in January and has very liittle senior experience, making just one appearance so far for Gremio’s first team.

However, the teenager captained his country to the semi-finals at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last month, which is where he caught the eye of scouts from both United and Chelsea.

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The Red Devils are ready to spend big in the market providing they can meet one key obligation.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Dec 1, 2025

Standing at 6 foot 1, he is not the tallest central defender around, but has been a weapon at set pieces for Brazil’s youth side, scoring three times in just 13 caps.

Similar to the 5 foot 11 Thiago Silva, the Gremio defender has been praised for his leadership, pace and timing, using his reading of the game to break up play rather than pure physicality.

United are expected to reinforce the first team in the January transfer window, but adding quality to the youth ranks can only boost their chances of returning to past glories.

Shohei Ohtani is officially coming to the popular video game Fortnite.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star is getting his own custom skin in the game's upcoming update on March 17, making him the first MLB player to be featured in the game.

MLB partnered with Fortnite to release a preview video for Ohtani's skin, which will feature him wearing his Dodgers No. 17 uniform.

Have a look:

In addition to Ohtani's Dodgers skin, he'll also get a skin dressed as a samurai with the No. 17 on it, as well as a custom pickaxe and a "back bling" of his dog, Decoy.

Fortnite and MLB have teased a possible inclusion of Ohtani in the game in recent weeks. Now, he's officially set to join the game as part of Fortnite's Icon Series.

It's not the first time the game has added a skin of a professional athlete, though Ohtani's the first MLB player to be included. Already in the game are skins of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, soccer stars Neymar Jr., Lionel Messi and Harry Kane, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. Additionally, many popular music artists also have custom skins in the game.

Grace Harris, Surrey’s matchwinner in the Women’s Vitality Blast final, was proud of her team’s aggressive approach to their five-wicket victory at the Kia Oval on Sunday, but admitted to mixed feelings about getting the better of her sister, Laura, who finished on the losing side for Warwickshire Bears.Grace Harris, the Australia international, top-scored with a typically hard-hitting 63 not out, as Surrey lived up to their favourites tag by cruising to a victory target of 154 with 20 balls to spare. She struck seven fours and two sixes in her 33-ball knock, and found key partners in Sophia Dunkley (23 from 13) and Kira Chathli, whose 16 not out from nine balls included the winning boundary off Issy Wong.That target, however, could have been significantly higher had her sister completed the job that she had threatened during the Bears innings. Laura Harris’ riotous knock of 25 from 11 balls included three fours and two sixes, and it took an exceptionally cool catch from Phoebe Franklin at deep midwicket to dislodge her at the start of the 14th over.”I was a little bit nervous,” Grace told the ECB Reporters Network. “I was thinking at long-off, ‘just hit it down someone else’s throat!’ You want her to do well and it’s not like I would have hashed the job, but if I’d caught it, I would have been a little bit disappointed.”I’m happy she got out when she did because it could have been a 180-chase if she’d hung on.”Surrey’s task looked stiff enough, however, when they lost their third wicket for 42 at the start of the seventh over, with Amu Surenkumar and Hannah Baker settling into a threatening rhythm. Grace, however, struck her third ball for four straight back over Baker’s head to set the tempo for the rest of the chase.”I probably get more nervous on the side-lines than I do out in the middle,” she said. “When I am in the centre, I’m like, ‘this is good fun! How good is it to get a chance to bat!’ Sitting on the side-lines, I say to our group, ‘alright introverts, you are going to have to leave, because I’ve got to chat or I’m going to find this day tough!’Related

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• Grace Harris overpowers Bears as Surrey claim Women's Blast

“Sometimes it is harder to chase 140 than 160,” she added, “because you think if you just knock it around, you’ll just get the runs, whereas with 160 you have to go to pick up a boundary an over. Teams can get too complacent with 140.”She cited the 2023 Women’s Big Bash final as an example. “I’ve been involved in a team which has done that before, chasing 120 in a final with [Brisbane] Heat and we lost to Adelaide Strikers because we just knocked it about and didn’t really take the game on.”So it was fantastic to make sure we stayed with that run-chase. Fair play to the girls on what was a very good squad effort.”Harris added that the credit also belonged to Surrey’s bowlers for the manner in which they restricted the Bears after choosing to field first. Franklin was front and centre of their efforts, and not simply with her crucial catch. Her figures of 2 for 16 included wickets in her second and third overs and a well-completed run-out of Georgia Davis in her fourth.”I think Phoebe has genuinely been our player of the season,” Harris said. “Each game she’s either taken a crucial wicket or hit 20 off 10 at the back end and given us a bit of momentum in lower-scoring games. In any other team she would bat a lot higher and get a lot more opportunity than what she does, but when given the opportunity, she is definitely a player that’s taken it.”She has done so well in this T20 tournament and I have been rather impressed with her skill set. It’s not just the fact she can hit a line and a length, it is the fact she can bowl slower balls as well or come up with a yorker when required. Then at the back end with the bat she fully owns her scoring shots.”For the Bears, the final proved a bridge too far after an impressive win over The Blaze in the semi-final. However, for Wong – who was the player of that match with figures of 4 for 14 and a hard-hitting half-century – there was pleasure to be had in the progress of a young team, and in her own performances in the course of what is turning into a resurgent summer.”I’m really proud of our girls,” Wong said. “We knew it was going to be tough to play two games of cricket against the two best sides in the country and win them both. We have such a young squad. I’m in the oldies when we play football at 23, so we have got so much learning we have taken from this season.”Wong’s displays on Finals Day came after a successful return to the England set-up this year. After some high-profile hiccups in recent seasons, including a torrid spell with Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, she was happy to have rediscovered her love of the game once again.”Outwardly it hasn’t always been like that,” she said. “The last couple of years have been pretty challenging, but it has been nice to come back to what is my best personality for playing cricket. That comes from being in a good place with my skills and tactically as well I feel I’m in a really good place. It’s the best job in the world, isn’t it?”

Celtic have failed to score in six competitive games in the 2025/26 campaign so far, most recently against Dundee on Sunday, as Brendan Rodgers has struggled to find consistent performers at the top end of the pitch.

The Hoops lost one of their most productive attacking outlets in the summer when they sold Nicolas Kuhn to Italian side Como for a fee of £16.5m.

Celtic’s number ten provided 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions last season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The German winger’s number ten shirt was vacated when he left to sign for Como, and summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha took over the mantle this season.

Why Celtic need more from Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Celtic signed the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp for a fee £5m to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, but he has yet to nail down a place in the starting XI.

The right-footed attacker has provided one assist in seven matches in all competitions for the Hoops, failing to score a single goal, and was an unused substitute against Braga in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

Balikwisha’s assist off the bench for Daizen Maeda’s winner against Motherwell before the international break has been his only meaningful contribution in a Celtic shirt to date, which is why he has only started two of his five outings in the Scottish Premiership.

Chalkboard

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

Celtic need more quality, goals, and assists from their £5m signing in the final third to justify the price tag and the number ten shirt that he inherited from Kuhn.

Whilst Balikwisha is failing to live up to the number ten shirt, there is another summer signing whose form for the club suggests that he could snatch that number from the Belgian.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is Celtic's next number ten in the making

Sebastian Tounekti arrived from Hammarby for a fee of around £5m, so a similar price tag to Balikwisha’s, and he has hit the ground running in Scotland.

The Tunisia international has started all seven of his appearances for the club since his move to Parkhead on deadline day, including four in the Premiership, two in the Europa League, and one in the League Cup.

Tounekti endeared himself to the supporters in his first appearance for the Hoops against Kilmarnock in September, with direct play that led to four chances created, per Sofascore.

The 23-year-old star scored his first goal for the Scottish giants against Partick Thistle in the League Cup, but he has yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premiership, despite his best efforts.

Appearances

4

Goals

0

Key passes per game

2.5

Assists

0

Dribbles completed per game

1.8

Dribble success rate

41%

As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian star has created ten chances for his teammates in just four appearances, but they have failed to take any of them, which suggests that he is incredibly unfortunate not to have assisted any goals.

Journalist John McGinley claimed “likes being a problem” to opposition defences. That is a quote that sums Tounekti up perfectly, as he is a fearless winger who likes to take players on and make things happen, just as Kuhn was for the Hoops last term.

Balikwisha, who has created 0.4 chances per game and failed to complete any dribbles in the Premiership (Sofascore), has not played with that same fearless attitude in his appearances on the flank.

Unless the Belgian winger can turn his form around and produce performances full of flair, leading to goals and assists, for Celtic in the coming months, there may be question marks over his suitability for the Scottish giants.

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If that becomes the case, Tounekti’s fearless performances could see him in pole position to snatch the number ten shirt away from him when the time comes, as he embodies what Kuhn provided with his exciting displays on the wing before his move to Como.

Manchester United are targeting a new manager who has defeated the Red Devils with three different clubs to replace Ruben Amorim.

Amorim wins 50th Man Utd game with pressure still on

The current Man Utd manager recorded a much-needed 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland last time out prior to the international break in what was his 50th game in charge of the club.

Amorim’s first full season at Old Trafford so far hasn’t gone to plan, but goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko helped ease the pressure and lift United into the top half.

The first Red Devils manager to win his 50th game in charge since Sir Alex Ferguson, Amorim is still under big pressure at Old Trafford. That’s according to former defender Gary Neville, who said:

A number of managers have been linked to replace Amorim in Manchester, including former England boss Gareth Southgate, who has a good relationship with INEOS.

Ex-Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is also eyeing up the Old Trafford position, but it appears as if Man Utd have another name on their radar.

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According to reports from Spain, Man Utd are targeting Aston Villa boss Unai Emery as a replacement for Amorim.

It is stated that ‘Emery appears to be among the favourites among those considering possible replacements’, with his ‘extensive experience’, ‘ability to lead teams coherently’ and ‘tactical control and emphasis on compact defensive structures’ useful in comparison to Amorim.

The 53-year-old, who plays a 4-2-3-1 system, has had his own issues in 2025/26, going four games without a Premier League goal at the start of the campaign.

Villa have since won their last four games in all competitions, and Emery has actually defeated Man Utd with Villarreal, Arsenal and Aston Villa during his career.

Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd

10th March 2019

Villarreal 1-1 Man Utd (12-11 pens)

26th May 2021

Aston Villa 3-1 Man Utd

6th November 2022

A four-time Europa League winner, Emery will be looking to make that five with Aston Villa this season, but by the looks of things, he could be on Man Utd’s shortlist to replace Amorim if INEOS decide to pull the plug over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to submit an opening offer for a “special” forward, having sent scouts to watch him in action over the weekend.

Spurs looking to sign new forward after disappointing draw

Thomas Frank has made a solid start to life as Tottenham boss, but there have been a couple of worrying results, having lost 1-0 at home to AFC Bournemouth at the end of August, and they came close to suffering another loss on Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the game, Wolverhampton Wanderers were the only side yet to pick up a point in the Premier League, but they very nearly took all three against Spurs, with a late Joao Palhinha goal salvaging a draw for the hosts.

It was a game devoid of many real chances, with Frank’s side recording an xG of just 0.91, which is arguably a worrying sign in a match against a struggling side, and the Lilywhites have now entered the mark to sign a new forward.

That is according to a report from Brazil (via Sport Witness), which states Tottenham are expected to make an opening bid in the region of £25.7m for Vasco da Gama forward Rayan, having sent scouts to watch him in action at the weekend.

Zenit St Petersburg are also keen on the 19-year-old, and the Russian side have already submitted an offer of their own, so Spurs may need to move swiftly to ensure they win the race for his signature.

The teenager is described as a 1v1 winger, who is capable of playing on both wings, which suggests he could be a viable alternative for Savinho, who is now set to extend his Manchester City contract until 2031.

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ByCharlie Smith Sep 28, 2025 "Special" Rayan could be future star

Lauded as “special” by Vasco da Gama manager Fernando Diniz, the starlet has already established himself as an important player for the Brazilian side, making 83 appearances in all competitions, during which time he’s picked up 15 goals and two assists.

Diniz isn’t the youngster’s only admirer either, with scout Ben Mattinson praising the Brazilian for his finishing ability a little over a year ago.

After missing out on Savinho, Tottenham were unable to bring in another out-and-out winger during the summer transfer window, so it would make sense to explore a move for an alternative option this January.

It would be a risk to sign Rayan, given that he is unproven outside Brazil, but the Rio de Janeiro-born forward clearly has a lot of potential, and a fee in the region of £25m could end up being a bargain in the long run.