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Lifting the trophy would save Ruben Amorim's blushes and earn the Red Devils a ticket to the Champions League – here's how they can pull it off

Here's the thing about Manchester United. Even when they are out of both domestic cups, heading for their worst league finish since they were last relegated and supporters groups are urging people to wear black to mourn the club's death, there is still hope.

Everything might seem lost for Ruben Amorim's side amid dismal results, an injury crisis and fan discontent with both of their ownership groups, yet there is still the possibility that this historically awful season can end on a high by winning the Europa League.

Europe's second-tier competition has become the one thing left for United to fight for after Sunday's frustrating exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Fulham and a Premier League campaign that has yielded more defeats than wins and a goal difference of minus six. And despite their general malaise, the Red Devils have reason to be confident of going all the way to the final in Bilbao and lifting their first European trophy in eight years.

The Red Devils finished third in the 36-team League Phase and were the only team to remain unbeaten. Their path to the final is by no means easy, but nor is it a daunting one. It begins with Thursday's last-16 first leg at Real Sociedad, who are ninth in La Liga and reeling from a 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona. If they can get past the Basque side, they would likely face Lyon (sixth in Ligue 1) in the quarter-finals, with Athletic Club, Fenerbahce, Rangers or Roma lying in wait in the semis.

So forget the doom and gloom, as there is still a good chance of United tasting European glory in May and earning a ticket back into the Champions League, relieving their deep financial problems in the process. Here, then, is GOAL's six-point plan for United to lift the Europa League and save their season…

Getty Be pragmatic, not idealistic

United last won the Europa League in 2017, a season in which they also struggled in the Premier League as they finished sixth. Their path to the trophy was not exactly one to remember, as the Red Devils won every knockout tie from the last-16 to the semi-finals by a single goal, needing extra-time to overcome Anderlecht in the quarters and a frantic defensive display against Celta Vigo in the last four before beating Ajax 2-0 in the final.

Jose Mourinho boasted of his pragmatic approach throughout the competition after his side over-powered an exciting but youthful Ajax in the final, proudly declaring: "We knew where they were better than us, we knew where we were better than them. We tried to kill their good qualities, we tried to exploit their weaknesses."

And Amorim sure could take a leaf out of the book of Mourinho, who he spent a week shadowing at United while he was doing his coaching diploma. The Red Devils' boss has tried to make his dogmatic tactical style a virtue, but he has not won any admirers by losing 10 of his 24 matches in charge. Compromise is allowed in knockout football, and if he can guide United to win the Europa League, no one will quibble about how he did it.

Real Sociedad is a great opponent to begin taking a more pragmatic approach against. The Basques play attractive, positional football, but United destroyed them 5-1 on aggregate in the 2020-21 season by being defensive and picking them off on the counter. It is a tactic worth repeating both on Thursday and in next week's second leg at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGettyUnleash Euro-Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund cannot catch a break at the moment, and his goal-drought stretched to 18 games when he drew another blank against Fulham. Fans got so frustrated with him that huge cheers were heard when he was taken off for Chido Obi, something that had also happened against Everton the previous week. But Hojlund in European competition is a very different beast from the player he has shown himself to be in domestic competition, and he can get firing again against a less physical defence than the ones he faces each week in England.

Hojlund has scored five times in eight Europa League appearances this season, four of which were starts. He produced match-winning displays against Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen, scoring twice in each game. And he was lethal in the Champions League last season, scoring five times in six group-stage games despite failing to find the net in the Premier League until December.

Hojlund tends to waste valuable energy on taking on physical defenders in the league, but in Europe he has had much more success running in behind and pressing from the front. The difference between his strike rate at European and domestic level is remarkable: he has scored 10 times in 14 games for United in continental competition, but he has only 13 goals in 64 appearances across the Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

If the Denmark international can try and forget about his poor record in England and instead remember how prolific he has been in Europe, then he may just end his long wait to score in San Sebastian and fire United into the quarter-finals, and eventually to the trophy.

Getty Images SportPlay to Garnacho's strengths

Alejandro Garnacho has struggled to adapt to Amorim's way of playing, only scoring once since the Portuguese took charge (and it was an open goal). He has also had two run-ins with the United boss already, having been dropped against Manchester City and given a dressing down for his stroppy reaction to being substituted against Ipswich.

Despite his attitude problems and a three-month goal drought, Garnacho remains crucial to United's hopes of progressing in the Europa League, and so Amorim must try and get the best out of him. He should try and make the most of his strengths, which are running in behind and zipping past defenders down the flank, rather than getting Garnacho to try and play a possession game which does not suit him.

With Rashford and Antony gone and Amad Diallo out for the rest of the season, Garnacho is the only wide forward Amorim has left, and the coach must try and make the most of the ex-Atletico Madrid trainee as he still holds the key to United succeeding in Europe.

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Getty Make Old Trafford intimidating again

The Fulham game proved to be a huge disappointment, but one silver lining was the return of some atmosphere to Old Trafford. For much of the game, the fans were fired up as they showed their anger with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent moves on ticket pricing and axing staff, and were determined to roar their team back to life. The team fed off the energy and had several chances to score in the second half and extra-time before being eliminated on penalties.

The United supporters need to raise the volume even more on European nights. The team's record at Old Trafford this season has been its worst in 131 years, and the general apathy among fans has been a factor, with Amorim saying he can feel the anxiety around the stadium and how it filters down to the players.

But by embracing European nights, especially as they might not have them next season, the supporters can help make Old Trafford intimidating for opponents again and roar the team towards Bilbao.

Tottenham Hotspur have entered pole position for a £50 million defender, who Chelsea hold a “serious” interest in signing, with Ange Postecoglou’s side thought to have an “advantage” in the race for his signature.

Spurs face Fulham in the Premier League after 2-2 draw with Roma

Following their disappointing 2-2 draw with Roma, where they conceded an added-time equaliser courtesy of Mats Hummels, Spurs return to action against London rivals Fulham on Sunday.

Tottenham could sign £200k-per-week forward in major U-turn after Ange call

Spurs appear to have had a change of heart.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2024

The Lilywhites’ inconsistency has been brought to the forefront yet again this week, with Spurs following up their 4-0 win away at Man City by failing to beat Serie A strugglers Roma, but Postecoglou hasn’t been helped by the plethora of injuries and absentees in his squad right now.

Tottenham are currently without number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who had surgery on his right ankle after his fracture against City, alongside Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Mikey Moore, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur (domestic ban).

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

In his pre-match press conference this afternoon, Postecoglou did say that Romero is the closest to returning to action for Spurs, refusing to rule him out of contention to play Fulham in a couple of days time.

“So last night, at this stage a clean bill of health,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham team news ahead of Fulham.

“Mind you I thought that last week and we had a guy who needed surgery an hour later. I think everything is alright from last night. Obviously we’ll see when the boys come in. Returns…unlikely. Romero is closer, he’s probably the closest but again probably unlikely, but I’m not ruling him out. He’s got to get through a few things today and then we’ve got a session tomorrow.”

It’s been a desperately unlucky few weeks for Postecoglou and Spurs on that front, perhaps highlighting the need for further reinforcements.

Tottenham’s manager has already brought attention to the fact his squad is being stretched to the bare limits, and there are reportedly a few players who the club’s hierarchy are considering ahead of January and next summer.

Tottenham in pole position to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce

According to The Boot Room, Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu is firmly on their agenda as a potential alternative to Destiny Udogie.

The Denmark international, who could cost as much as £50 million, can play further up the field as a winger as well – which could be attractive to the north Londoners. Spurs have already been named as suitors for Dorgu, but now TBR have another promising update.

TBR state that Tottenham are leading the race to sign Dorgu and hold an “advantage” over fellow Premier League suitors like Chelsea, despite Maresca’s side having a “serious” interest in the 20-year-old.

Dorgu has started 12 Serie A games so far this season, netting three goals and averaging an impressive 2.1 shots at goal per 90 according to WhoScored.

“He has already had a lot of playing minutes in Serie A with Lecce, and he has done really, really well,” said Denmark Under-21s coach Steffen Højer to bold.dk.

“What is special about him is that he is a quiet and calm guy, but things are just incredibly natural for him on a football pitch.”

Half-centuries from Mandhana, Verma and Raj go in vain as South Africa chase down 275 off the last ball

Firdose Moonda27-Mar-2022India have been knocked out of the 2022 World Cup, after South Africa completed their highest successful chase in ODIs, hunting down a decent target of 275 after a middle-order wobble. The result puts West Indies in the semi-final in fourth place, which means they will face Australia in the last four. South Africa will play England in a repeat of the 2017 semi-final, after England beat Bangladesh in their last group stage match earlier in the day.Line-up for the semi-finals

March 30: Australia vs West Indies in Wellington
March 31: South Africa vs England in Christchurch

South Africa’s unbeaten run batting second has now extended to 16 matches, including four at this competition, where all their victories have been nail-biters. They finished with five wins in seven group-stage matches, and their batting has improved on each occasion. This time, they needed 20 runs off the last three overs, 14 off the last two, and six off the final over, and had former captain Mignon du Preez and the tail to take them there. du Preez reached her first half-century of this World Cup, and highest score in 12 matches since September 2021, but it was not without its own drama.She was caught at long-on off what would have been the penultimate ball off the match, bowled by Deepti Sharma, with South Africa needing three runs off two balls. The batter was almost off the field when the umpires asked her to wait, and checked Deepti’s front foot. Her heel was lifted above the line and the no-ball was called. du Preez returned to hit the winning run through midwicket to send India packing.In the changeroom, a distraught Jhulan Goswami watched after missing out on this match with a side strain. It was the first time in five World Cups and two decades that India have played a World Cup match without Goswami and she was missed in the field. Meghna Singh, who replaced her, conceded 37 runs in six overs and went wicketless.Laura Wolvaardt and Lara Goodall added 125 runs for the second wicket to set up South Africa’s chase•ICC via Getty ImagesIndia’s defence started well when they ran Lizelle Lee out at the non-striker’s end for six to extend her poor run. Lee has scored just 79 runs in six innings in the competition after missing the first match. Her opening partner, Laura Wolvaardt, has been in great form, though. She brought up her fifth fifty of this event and became the first batter to score over 400 runs at the event, and now sits 75 runs ahead of her nearest competitor, Meg Lanning, for this tournament.For the first time at the competition, Wolvaardt found a No. 3 to form a significant partnership with. Lara Goodall, who replaced Tazmin Brits, shared in a 125-run second-wicket stand and was stumped one run short of her fifty to help set up South Africa’s chase. But the over after Goodall’s dismissal, Wolvaardt was drawn forward by Harmanpreet Kaur, beaten by flight and turn, and bowled.That left it to Sune Luus and du Preez to put South Africa back on track. Luus was out lbw for 22, which brought Marizanne Kapp to the crease with 93 needed off 14 overs. She approached the finisher’s role, as she has done throughout the tournament, with aggression. Kapp found the fence three times, but with India’s field spread, she had to push to rotate strike, which was her undoing. Kapp was run-out and left South Africa leaving 46 runs off 31 balls.du Preez took two fours off Pooja Vastrakar’s last over and Chloe Tryon took on Rajeshwari Gayakwad for three fours in her five balls, before he was caught off a leading edge as the advantage swung wildly in the last period. South Africa needed 20 off the last three overs and got there to finish their group-stage run on 11 points.Smriti Mandhana top-scored for India with 71•ICC via Getty ImagesEarlier, half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Mithali Raj, and a 48 from Harmanpreet gave India a competitive total on a decent pitch, but India would have been disappointed not to get closer to 300 after a strong start. Mandhana and Verma scored 68 in the first powerplay, and Verma brought up her first fifty of the tournament and third overall, off 40 balls. Their first-wicket partnership grew to 91 in 15 overs before Verma was run-out at the non-striker’s end for 53.Two overs later, Yastika Bhatia attempted to sweep an innocuous Tryon delivery and managed to edge the ball on to her stumps and South Africa were able to pull things back. In the next ten overs, they gave away 39 runs and conceded just two boundaries.Mandhana brought up her fifty and was rebuilding with Raj, and their partnership had reached 80, when Mandhana miscued a heave towards mid-off, where Tryon had to spring back and to her right, and put in a dive, to pull off a two-handed catch. She did all that, and then flicked the ball casually away in celebration.Raj hit her 64th ODI fifty and 13th at a World Cup – the most by any player – off 69 balls and demonstrated excellent timing and placement as India entered the last ten overs on 223 for 3. They scored 11 runs off the first 14 balls before Raj was dismissed, and then lost four wickets for 37 runs as South Africa’s attack rallied. Shabnim Ismail and Masabata Klaas finished with two wickets each and India were kept to under 275.

Sheffield United would have been watching on with awe on Monday night as automatic promotion rivals Leeds United dramatically beat Sunderland 2-1 to return to the top of the competitive Championship table.

Chris Wilder’s Blades do have an opportunity to return to the summit when the Whites come to town next up in what could be the second tier’s most tantalising contest to date this campaign.

Jayden Bogle will also be relishing the prospect of getting one over on his former employers here, with the 24-year-old defecting over to West Yorkshire in the summer to pursue promotion glory with Daniel Farke’s men, instead of sticking it out at Bramall Lane after relegation.

Jayden Bogle's numbers this season

There would have been some anger in the air when Bogle was allowed to move to Leeds, with the right-back still having a positive campaign for the most part last season even as the Blades finished bottom of the top-flight pile.

In total in South Yorkshire, Bogle would pick up 12 goals and four assists from his familiar right-hand side, with his presence in the Leeds team last time out helping Farke’s men beat Regis Le Bris’ tricky side.

Amassing 91 touches across the course of the high-energy 2-1 win, Bogle was committed throughout to the cause, with tackles and duels won aplenty as 11 tackles and duels were successfully won, alongside also completing two successful dribbles to push his team further up the field to mount a spectacular comeback.

Whilst he didn’t score or assist in this one, Bogle’s numbers in the Championship this season still stand at an impressive six goal contributions regardless, before analysing further his obvious strengths as a defender when collecting a hefty 16 clean sheets.

Wilder has bemoaned the lack of depth available to him in the right-back spot, hence the loan signing of Harry Clarke in the recently closed transfer window, but he will be equally displeased – if not more enraged – at the fact that one centre-back star was moved on when Bogle exited.

United's centre-back situation

After all, if it hadn’t been for the deadline day loan signing of Rob Holding, the promotion chasers would have been entering into a crunch few months in the division with just two available centre-backs.

That’s where Auston Trusty could have eased some nerves, with the American defender sold to Celtic in the wake of United’s demoralising drop down to the second tier.

Trusty was thrown straight into the deep end donning a United strip, considering his only full campaign at Bramall Lane was when the Blades leaked an atrocious 104 goals, but he still managed to win himself a big £6m move to Scotland.

Indeed, the ex-Arsenal man would walk away from that pitiful relegation campaign with his head held high still, with his numbers in Glasgow to date proving that he would have done a competent job in the chaotic Championship, instead of Wilder and Co having to take a punt on the forgotten Holding.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Trusty

Matches played

16

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches*

126.3

Accurate passes*

106.3 (93%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

3.3

Total duels won*

7.0

Clean sheets

10

Looking at the table above, Trusty has effortlessly slotted into the Celtic team as a stylish but staunch operator at the back, with his hefty seven duels won on average in league action this season even seeing him be heralded as a “man mountain” by football journalist Ryan McGinlay.

The compliments don’t end there, with ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton lauding Trusty as “phenomenal” when the 26-year-old helped the Bhoys overcome RB Leipzig 3-1 on a famous Champions League night in November, which is a far cry from his troubles at the bottom of the Premier League in South Yorkshire.

Whilst Wilder will be pleased with what he has at his disposal at the back after some last-ditch buys, both Bogle and Trusty would have undoubtedly been in and around the first-team picture if they remained in Sheffield to this day.

Value has soared 190%: Wilder has hit gold on “class” Sheffield United star

Sheffield United are already reaping their rewards for this excellent purchase.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 17, 2025

Zimbabwe will combine tours of Australia and Pakistan into a T20I triangular series, followed by five ODIs against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2018Zimbabwe Cricket, still reeling from their inability to qualify for the World Cup and the sacking of the organisation’s entire coaching staff, will host Australia and Pakistan in July for a T20I triangular tournament and then Pakistan for five ODIs. Neither country will play a Test in Zimbabwe, although the FTP had Australia pencilled in for one Test and Pakistan for two, further underlining ZC’s desire to restructure and avoid costly home Tests.”Playing two of the game’s biggest teams will provide us with a very welcome litmus test as we forge ahead with our plans to develop a stronger Zimbabwe side capable of consistently competing and winning against the best,” Faisal Hasnain, ZC MD said.But ZC’s plans appear, at best, hazy. After hosting West Indies for two Tests in October last year, ZC strongly indicated it would consider playing less longer-format cricket at home, given the costs and the fact that Zimbabwe is not part of the new Test Championship. Instead, it focused its energy on 50-over cricket, in the hopes of qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. Failure to do that has left Zimbabwe Cricket in limbo, which came to a head when all coaching staff – from national coach Heath Streak to under-19 coach Stephen Mangongo – were fired. Graeme Cremer lost the captaincy and Tatenda Taibu was relieved of his duties as convener of selectors as well.ZC held a press conference on Tuesday to outline its plans for the resumption of domestic cricket – the 2018-19 season was not concluded as World Cup qualifier preparations began earlier this year – as well as plans for an academy. But the issue of coaching staff was not on the agenda. They would need to attend to the allocation of backroom staff with haste if Zimbabwe are to play international cricket again three months’ time.The prospect of the tours of Australia and Pakistan being curtailed has been looming large for months given the financial state of Zimbabwean cricket, and matters came to a head with the country’s failure to qualify for the 2019 World Cup set to hit them hard in the pocket. In February, there was doubt over the fate of Pakistan’s tour to the country, with ZC’s managing director Faisal Hasnain saying as much.”Finances may not allow the [Pakistan] series to go ahead because we don’t get a lot from our TV contract, and the series ends up – the production costs result in huge losses,” Faisal Hasnain, ZC’s managing director had told “Given our current cash situation, in order to balance our books, we may actually have to either renegotiate the format or we may have to postpone it until such time as we are ready to play.”

Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some immeasurable talent over their illustrious history, although a lack of it in recent memory has fed into their frustrating avoidance of silverware.

The Lilywhites have not won a trophy since their EFL Cup triumph in 2008, and despite having some immense players in the years since then, it always felt like those stars appeared at unfortunate times for the club, or under the completely wrong manager.

That's not to suggest that they did not leave their mark, with the likes of Luka Modric, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and many more all widely recognised as outstanding players to have graced north London, but left without having won a thing.

Perhaps their most frustrating departure of players of this ilk was Gareth Bale, who had smashed through his ceiling to become one of the Premier League's elite assets. So, when Real Madrid came calling with a world record fee, it was not something to be turned down.

Although they were seemingly powerless at the time, had the club been run with precision and intelligence, perhaps there might have been a squad talented enough to convince the Welshman to stick around in England.

Despite that, he would leave for Spain in an £85m move, where, like many others, the 34-year-old would win a host of trophies to build on the sole cup success earned with Spurs.

What did Gareth Bale achieve?

It almost seems an impossible task to quantify the quality of Bale with mere words given what he offered to the sport, having retired as one of the most decorated British players of all time.

Although the bulk of his silverware was won in the Spanish capital, it could be argued that some of his best days were actually enjoyed in the Premier League, as he worked his way up from a left-back on the verge of leaving the club, to their star right winger.

Boasting a unique physical profile that blended his bulky 6 foot 1 frame with lightning pace, former Saints player David Prutton had always predicted big things for the Southampton youngster: "You could see that he was unfazed, you can see that he was fit, you can see he was a real weapon to have. You could see when he was playing left-back, maybe, just maybe…

“He had the athletic ability to cover ground, at speed, at real volume. I’m not simplifying what our tactics were but a lot of it was down the left-hand side with the ball being rolled out to Gareth who would tear off down the left wing and put a decent ball in or having a crack at goal. He soon became very effective at doing that."

Bursting onto the scene with his European hat trick against a legendary Inter Milan outfit, this would mark the platform for the 111-cap star to shine. After all, the following season he would score ten and assist 14 in the Premier League alone, creeping towards the immeasurable figures that would catch the eye of Los Blancos.

1

Harry Kane

278

2

Jimmy Greaves

162

3

Heung-min Son

148

4

Jermaine Defoe

140

5

Robbie Keane

122

In what was his final year for Spurs, Bale would score 26 and assist 14 across all competitions for an outfit that finished fifth in the league, rightfully winning the PFA Player of the Year award. He was far too good, and everybody knew it. Playing with the elite was only fair.

Clearly unburdened by the financial weight of his price tag, instantly the speedster would translate this form into a new country, recording 28 goal contributions alone in that first year in La Liga. Despite a rocky relationship with his new fanbase, upon departing the Santiago Bernabeu he had amassed three Spanish league titles, a host of domestic honours and five Champions Leagues, two of which he scored decisive goals in the final.

Whilst rumours circled surrounding his retirement in January 2023, which he would later confirm, his agent Jonathan Barnett noted: "When you reach a level that he’s at I think it’s important that you bow out at the right time. He doesn’t need to do anything else, he’s proved everything, he’s got a list of achievements that are quite amazing. I think he’s the best player Britain has ever produced. Why carry on? He couldn’t play at the level he wanted to anymore."

With 236 Spurs appearances to his name, and a trophy cabinet to rival the very best, Bale's is a legacy few will even come close to in their careers.

However, there is one man already at the north London club that has forged a reputation to rival the retired superstar's.

Having signed in 2015, Heung-min Son has quickly grown into one of the Premier League's most dependable and prolific goalscorers from the left flank.

Is Heung-min Son better than Gareth Bale?

Cutting in onto his wicked right foot, although it could be argued his left is just as good, few have been able to quell the threat that Son's pace, directness and lethal touch over his eight years in England have provided.

In fact, across every full league term the 31-year-old has enjoyed with the Lilywhites apart from his debut, the South Korean has hit double figures. Even during his best season for goal contributions, which saw the £40m-rated dynamo notch 32 during the 2021/22 league campaign, surpassed that aforementioned term where Bale scored 21 and assisted eight in the league.

It is no surprise that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen ace has been lauded too, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp even claiming: "One of the big mistakes in my life was that I didn’t sign him. Outstanding player. World class player and one of the best strikers in the world. Yeah, you should be proud."

All their figures in front of goal point towards Son actually having already surpassed Bale's tenure at Spurs, with the only difference being that sole trophy that the former Wales international won in 2008.

However, with positivity radiating around the club following Ange Postecoglou's fine start to life as their new leader, and the experienced winger the man tasked with now captaining the side, there is every chance that he could overcome that final hurdle to comfortably surpass the legacy left by Bale, should a trophy or two fall his way.

From 83 for 5, West Indies recovered to set Ireland a target of 258, and proceeded to win by 52 runs with Kemar Roach picking up four vital wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2018Getty ImagesWest Indies, looking to finish top of their World Cup Qualifier group and carry maximum points into the Super six stage, ran into some trouble against Ireland, falling to 83 for 5 after being sent in to bat. Enter Rovman Powell. After a cautious and at times edgy beginning – he was 9 off 34 balls at one stage and enjoyed some luck – he exploded to compile a run-a-ball hundred and lift his side to 257 for 8.That proved beyond Ireland’s reach, despite a controlled half-century from Ed Joyce, who put on useful stands with the O’Brien brothers and kept them in the game for a significant period.There was a sense of Ireland building up a proper head of steam too. The stand of 64 between Joyce and Niall O’Brien came at a run rate of 4.46, as the fourth-wicket pair rebuilt after their team had slipped to 32 for 3; Joyce and Kevin O’Brien then added 70 off 69 balls. At one stage, Ireland needed 92 off 83 balls with six wickets in hand.Kemar Roach, however, dismissed both Joyce and the younger O’Brien in the same over, dealing a body blow to Ireland’s hopes. They were eventually bowled out for 205 in the 47th over of their innings. Roach, who also took the key wickets of Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie early on, finished with figures of 4 for 27. There were four wickets for Kesrick Williams as well, and two for the captain Jason Holder.Powell’s was the first instance of a century coming from No. 7 or lower for West Indies in ODIs. He was ably assisted by his captain Jason Holder, who made his second-successive 50-plus score of the tournament.Ireland made excellent use of bowling first in conditions that suited their fast bowlers early on. There had been overnight rain in Harare and the pitch retained a tinge of green when the West Indian openers walked out to bat. Chris Gayle was repeatedly beaten on the outside edge before it was eventually taken. Evin Lewis was surprised by extra bounce, spooning a catch to point. Marlon Samuels got a jaffa that angled into him and straightened to flick his glove through to the keeper.The man doing much of the damage was Tim Murtagh, the 36-year-old seamer whose control more than made up for his lack of pace. And, in any case, it was Boyd Rankin’s job to hustle the batsmen, his 6’7″ frame coming in more than handy as he banged the ball into the pitch.The spinners Andy McBrine and George Dockrell took over in the middle overs, assisted by a pitch that revealed itself to be a slow turner once the early moisture dissipated. Holder and Powell battled hard to keep West Indies afloat; their 86-run partnership almost exclusively comprised of singles between the 18th and 26th overs before the West Indies captain began dictating terms.Holder finished with 54 off 71 balls, the landmark achieved with a monstrous six over wide long-on. He could, however, have been dismissed for 17 if Paul Stirling had held on to a return catch generated by his part-time offbreaks. Eleven runs later, he survived a run-out chance with his partner indulging in a last-minute change of mind about a single to square leg.Powell enjoyed a couple of lives as well: he was on 18 when a leading edge off the bowling of Dockrell was shelled by Gary Wilson running back and to his left from mid-off. On 39, he top-edged a pull that went straight up but the keeper was unable to catch up with the ball, which landed harmlessly near the middle of the pitch.Powell needed to take such risks, though, with time running out. He pulled Rankin down the ground with stinging disdain and later hit him over the top. West Indies lost a lot of firepower when Carlos Brathwaite ran himself out in the 45th over but Powell persisted until the end, doing exactly what his team needed off him.

Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters has delivered a definitive update on his future at the club during a new interview following a summer of uncertainty in the Championship.

How old is Kyle Walker-Peters?

The St. Mary’s right-back is 26 years of age and has plied his trade on the south coast for the past three years having permanently joined in 2020 following a successful loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, via Transfermarkt. To date, he’s made a total of 126 appearances.

England’s former international still has another two years remaining on his contract with Russell Martin’s side, but over the summer, his future was looking extremely uncertain having attracted attention from several high-profile clubs in the Premier League.

Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Fulham have all been credited with an interest in the defender over the past couple of months, but with a deal having failed to come to fruition before the deadline on September 1st, he remained in the second tier.

Is Kyle Walker-Peters leaving Southampton?

Speaking to The Daily Echo, Walker-Peters opened up on his future at Southampton amid the interest he received over the summer and shared his stance on a potential exit, whilst commenting on life under Martin. He said:

"Of course, I was aware that there was a lot of interest. I'm not someone who was going to try and force my way out or have things put in the media. That’s not my style.

"I came in and spoke to the manager on day one and I got to work. I worked as hard as I could to learn the gaffer’s new style. I’m really enjoying working with him. My main focus is on Southampton and getting the club back into the Premier League. Hopefully we can do that.

“First and foremost, I love Southampton. With the new gaffer coming in, he was excellent with me. He was excellent with everyone actually. He has implemented his style really well. I’m enjoying it. The focus for myself and everyone in the dressing room is to try and get back into the Premier League."

How good is Kyle Walker-Peters?

Members of the media have called Walker-Peters a “top-class” full-back, and whilst he’s naturally a defender, he is much extremely good in the attacking aspect of his game having racked up ten goal contributions (seven assists and three goals) since putting pen to paper.

The Edmonton-born talent, who pockets £20k-per-week, also ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and pass completion, highlighting his desire to dribble past his marker, burst down the flank and link up the play with his teammates in the final third.

Furthermore, Walker-Peters has the ability to operate in four different positions over the pitch, so his versatility is another attribute that makes him a great option for the boss to have at his disposal, and Martin will be hoping to fend off any further interest in January.

It was a historic weekend for Nottingham Forest.

Their 1-0 win away at a struggling Chelsea was the first time the east Midlands outfit won at Stamford Bridge since 1995.

Summer signing Anthony Elanga's goal just after half-time was enough to give Forest the three points. The result helped send them into the top half of the Premier League table going into the international break.

Following the performance, Premier League Hall of Famer and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer heaped praise onto two Forest stars, in particular, highlighting their importance in the Garibaldi's victory.

Which two players impressed Shearer?

Speaking to the official Premier League website, Shearer named defenders Joe Worrall and Willy Boly as part of the defence for his team of the week.

On Boly's performance, Shearer said that the Frenchman "used his experience to frustrate Chelsea. Marshalled his team really well."

The Premier League's record goalscorer shared similar sentiments for Worrall, stating that the Forest captain was "magnificent at the back in really tough circumstances."

The two defenders put in a colossal effort as part of a back five with Scott McKenna, Serge Aurier and former Chelsea youngster Ola Aina.

Despite conceding 21 shots on goal, only two actually troubled American goalkeeper Matt Turner, highlighting just how difficult the Forest defenders made it for Chelsea's attackers.

How good was Worrall and Boly?

Forest boss Steve Cooper paid special tribute to his skipper. His immense performance came off the back of a tragic week for the defender.

His uncle, Sergeant Graham Saville, unfortunately passed after being hit by a train whilst attempting to save someone on the track.

"He’s been incredible," Cooper stated.

"He’s put himself second for his family and for the football club.

“I cannot speak highly enough of the man that he’s been over the last week or so. I know how important today will be for him, and it will give him and his family some respite.

“Nothing can make what happened any better, but at least this gives them some nice feelings for a short while. I can’t speak highly enough of Joe, with what he and his family have been through. A lot of that result was for them."

Indeed, Worrall's titanic showing was summed up by his returns, per Sofascore. Earning a 7.3 rating – better than nine of the Blues' well-paid stars – the Tricky Trees skipper recorded a whopping seven clearances, three blocks and two tackles to help thwart the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling.

Meanwhile, Boly – who earned a match-high 7.9 rating – matched his captain's clearances but made four blocks and three tackles, whilst also winning 80% of his duels, both on the ground and in the air. Well and truly living up to the tag of being a "monster" – as once lauded by The Athletic's Tim Spiers.

Cooper will be hoping the impressive defensive duo can resume such duties when Forest return to action after the international break, where they will continue their campaign at home to Burnley on the 18th of September.

The announcement was made ahead of Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha

Mohammad Isam26-Feb-2018Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha.Walsh joined the Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a three-year deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate.Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this month, calling the environment “dirty.””Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.”Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said. “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”