“You can’t win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored, so that has been one of our key discussion points”

Sidharth Monga19-Jun-20253:18

Gill: ‘Can’t win a Test without taking 20 wickets’

Expect India to stop hedging bets as they did in Australia. India’s new captain Shubman Gill said on the eve of the start of the series at Headingley that he was prepared to play even four tailenders in pursuit of 20 wickets as quickly as possible.”Yes, definitely.” Gill said in response to the question. “You can’t win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we’re gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.”The series in Australia was a departure from India’s philosophy of playing Test cricket in recent times. They played with only three full-time quicks through the series. The pitches negated the spinner, and the fifth bowler was either Nitish Kumar Reddy or his combination with Washington Sundar. In the absence of Shardul Thakur, who might be the bowling allrounder Gill spoke of, India seemed worried about the depth in their batting.Related

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The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was also a series with two different captains, and consequently perhaps no clear direction. Now Gill takes over as full-time captain, and at least in the press conference, he has spelled out a philosophy consistent with the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri and Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid teams.There are two stages that this philosophy can get tested in. The first one will arrive as early as the toss when India name the XI. They are going to take a final call on the morning of the match to decide the final one or two places. The main fast bowlers didn’t bowl in the nets on the eve of the Test. Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav were the only bowlers that turned up while most of the batters got one final hit in.The second stage that the philosophy will get tested is if they lose a Test. That is when it will be important to keep backing the method that has tended to put them in the most competitive space in the last seven years or so in England, Australia and South Africa. If, say, India play Shardul as the fourth quick and it doesn’t work either because England take him down or because India add few runs down the order, the response will be telling.Gill, of course, will be gunning to make it work. It will mean extra responsibility on the batters, but it also indirectly means that they have put up or chase fewer runs. Runs is the other thing that Gill will want as soon as possible in his captaincy stint. He has got the selectors’ backing, he has had time to have chats about Test captaincy with both Kohli and Rohit during the IPL, but there might be a little pressure on him given he hasn’t replicated overseas the kind of efficiency he displayed in his debut series in Australia in 2020-21.Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur are all smiles during a training session•PA Images via Getty ImagesThat is something Gill wants to set right in this series. And his goals are not modest. “Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I’m the captain of the team because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you,” Gill said. “Whenever I’m going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that’s what I’m trying to look at.”Being a captain does bring more attention on you from the opposition. You become the No. 1 target. Gill is not fazed by that. “I mean, whenever I’m playing, I always think the opposition is trying to challenge me,” Gill said. “I mean all the players, you know, that they think are key. So I don’t think it’s going to be any different.”Gill has captained India in Under-19 cricket and his IPL side, but Test cricket is the “biggest honour”. The answer is no surprise but Gill summed up the importance of doing well in Test cricket when asked if winning the IPL, which he has actually done once, is bigger or wining a five-Test series in England is.”Definitely the Test series, in my opinion,” Gill said. “You don’t get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two; if you are the best of your generation, maybe three. And IPL comes every year, and you get to have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger.”

Rowdy Tellez made his third relief appearance of the season on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits. Tellez, a first baseman by trade, has hit 12 home runs this season, but this isn't a Shohei Ohtani situation.

Tellez keeps pitching because the Pirates stink. Pittsburgh has the worst record in the NL Central and are 11 games out of the wild card. They'll soon be officially eliminated from the playoff hunt. In the meantime, they're just trying to get through the season.

That's why Tellez took the mound in the eighth inning of the Pirates 12-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Just don't ask manager Derek Shelton about it because he appears to be done talking about it, which is why he kind of snapped when Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette asked him about the decision after the game.

"It's 11 to nothing," said Shelton. "It's 11 to nothing. Bednar and Holderman both pitched yesterday. Santana's been our best reliever. Chapman I'm not going to pitch in that situation. Come on. You've watched enough baseball to know that. It's 11 to nothing. Seriously. No. No, you don't have to ask. There's a better question than that. Seriously. I mean, it's 11 to nothing."

This is Shelton's fifth year as manager of the Pirates. The team is 283-402 during his stint. They have not finished .500 or better since 2018 and haven't been to the playoffs since 2014.

Former Manchester United stars Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood were both on the scoresheet to fire Marseille back to the summit of Ligue 1 on Saturday in a 3-0 win over Brest. It was a much-needed victory for Roberto De Zerbi's side after a turbulent few weeks, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also on target for the hosts at the Stade Velodrome.

Gomes opens the floodgates

The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Gomes stood over a free-kick just outside the box. The 23-year-old curled a dipping effort that seemed simple enough for Brest goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki. However, the ball slipped through the keeper’s hands and trickled over the line, to hand the hosts an unlikely lead. Eight minutes later, Marseille’s dominance was rewarded again. A clumsy challenge on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg inside the area gave Greenwood the chance to double the lead from the spot. The English forward was calm and clinical as he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his fifth of the campaign. By the time the clock hit 82 minutes, the result was beyond doubt. Matt O’Riley whipped in a perfect cross from the right, and Aubameyang rose to meet it with a powerful header that left Majecki rooted. 

AdvertisementDe Zerbi: 'We played with joy again'

After the final whistle, De Zerbi was visibly relieved. The Italian coach has come under intense scrutiny following a string of frustrating results, including a painful Champions League defeat to Atalanta and a disjointed draw against Angers.

"Against Angers it was more or less the same lineup as against Brest," he said. "I had a lot of fun from the bench, we moved the ball well, played vertically, pressed high, created plenty of goal-scoring chances, and kept up the strong pressing. We also switched formations when Brest changed at halftime. That's my OM a bit. We can play really well like we did in Lisbon. You've found the right madman with me—it doesn't scare me one bit."

Reflecting on the Angers match, he said, "We didn’t play well against Angers and Atalanta. The other matches, we played better, but we got less than we deserved. We were unlucky." 

A welcome response to critics

The win couldn’t have come at a better time. Marseille’s stumbles in Europe had sparked talk of a crisis in the French press, with pundits calling for accountability. Jerome Rothen, the outspoken former PSG winger, didn’t hold back earlier this week. Speaking on he blasted both De Zerbi and his players.

"OM's results are ridiculous, that's the reality," he said. "They're struggling and in a group of teams that are currently eliminated and look more like Europa League teams than Champions League teams . Let's call a spade a spade. When you look at De Zerbi's record, it's 10 Champions League matches and one win. That sums it up. Tactically, he doesn't have the tools, he can't find the ingredients and the skills to push OM to be better. He was outmanoeuvred by Juric, the Atalanta coach. There was a casting error."

He further added, "Who recruited and built this team? When you see OM's resources, which are not Atalanta's resources, and you see such a difference in performance and technical execution. In yesterday's match, apart from Greenwood and Rulli, the rest is useless. The players who were there yesterday, who have special statuses and who are highlighted like [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg. They highlight that he is an experienced player, but he is an average player! You look at his big matches in the Champions League and you will see that he is nothing."

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AFPMarseille back on top in Ligue 1

The win over Brest was Marseille’s eighth in the league this season, pushing them one point clear of Paris Saint-Germain at the summit. However, PSG can reclaim top spot with a win over Lyon on Sunday. And with an international break looming, De Zerbi will finally have time to regroup and recharge his squad. They will be back in action against Nice away from home on November 21 before hosting Newcastle four days later at home in the Champions League.  

With three defeats on the spin heading into the international break, it’s safe to say Arne Slot’s Liverpool were experiencing a mini crisis in confidence.

Now, after a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday evening, it’s clear that the Reds are engulfed in a major crisis, with 17 shots at the Red Devils’ goal not enough to nick a win, as the reigning Premier League champions went empty-handed for a fourth game in a row.

Mohamed Salah, again, showed signs of rust against Ruben Amorim’s visitors, as another big game passed the declining Egyptian by.

Salah's performance in numbers vs Manchester United

The 33-year-old attacker was seen as one of the world’s best last season as Liverpool romped home to the top-flight title.

Times have changed, however, with the once untouchable number 11 no longer his usual clinical self, with a total of three shots failing to beat Senne Lammens in goal for Amorim’s challengers.

Staggeringly, for a star that scored a blistering 29 goals last season in the Premier League, Salah is now without a non-penalty strike for seven straight top-flight games, with one big chance also agonisingly missed, as Harry Maguire broke Reds hearts late on.

With zero successful dribbles completed as well, on top of possession being carelessly given away 16 times, it’s clear that Salah is no longer the “top class” version of himself he has previously been – as he was once branded by Jurgen Klopp – with Slot perhaps ready to axe his usually undroppable number 11 for games to follow.

The Dutchman could well axe quite a few underperformers after the alarming defeat at the hands of their arch rivals, with one summer recruit once again struggling to get to grips with his new environment against the Red Devils.

3/10 Liverpool star was even worse than Salah

Salah wasn’t alone in letting his team down during the 2-1 defeat, with his attacking teammate in Alexander Isak, only managing 19 touches of the ball when leading the line for the lacklustre Reds.

Having cost a mind-blowing £125m to obtain from Newcastle, Isak must get up and running fast to dodge claims that he’s an expensive flop.

Milos Kerkez wasn’t purchased on the cheap, either, with the former AFC Bournemouth defender costing a mighty £40m to bring into the building this summer.

Unfortunately, despite being labelled as “one of the most explosive LBs in Europe” by one analyst ib social media shortly after leaving the South Coast behind for Anfield, Kerkez had a night to forget against the visitors from Manchester, as his Liverpool woes go on.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

62

Accurate passes

34/39 (87%)

Big chances created

1

Accurate crosses

1/8

Possession lost

15x

Total duels won

4/6

Indeed, when analysing the numbers, there are some positives for Kerkez to latch onto, with the Hungarian creating one big chance to try and steer his new employers back into the contest.

However, the negatives do start to pile up quickly on further inspection, with the 21-year-old only managing to register one accurate cross from eight attempted, which also led to the defender giving up possession a haphazard 15 times in total.

His unassured nature on the ball even led to Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp labelling him as a “nervous wreck” at half-time of the 2-1 defeat, with fellow pundit Gary Neville also once noting that Kerkez looks “naive” when donning Liverpool red, as opposed to excelling for the Cherries.

It could be time for Slot to bring back in the experienced head of Andrew Robertson for some calm, therefore, with London Evening Standard journalist Sam Tabuteau agreeing with the verdict on the young defender when brandishing a disappointing 3/10 rating his way at the close of the match, with Amad given “acres of space” down the left channel courtesy of the 21-year-old.

Kerkez will hope he can push on from this torrid start at Anfield in the games to come, but if Slot is potentially willing to drop Salah, he won’t bat an eyelid in getting rid of the promising full-back if needs be, as a drastic change of lineup could be needed to get the Reds out of their sophomore slump.

Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday when they travelled to Merseyside to beat Everton 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson.

A first-half double from central defender Micky van de Ven and a late header from Pape Matar Sarr were enough to claim all three points for the away side.

Whilst Thomas Frank will be pleased with the end result from the game, there were several players who failed to perform to the best of their ability. Xavi Simons was one of them.

Why Xavi Simons needs to step up for Spurs

Spurs signed the attacking midfielder from RB Leipzig for £52m in the summer transfer window in the hope that he would add creativity and goals to the team, in the absence of James Maddison.

Simons provided 21 goals and 21 assists in all competitions during his two full seasons with Leipzig in Germany, in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns, per Sofascore, which shows that he is capable of delivering plenty of quality in the final third.

However, the Dutchman, per Sofascore, walked off the pitch against Everton with no shots, no key passes, no dribbles completed, and no ‘big chances’ created against the Toffees.

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Simons, who was given a 4/10 player rating by Football Insider, has now scored no goals and provided one assist in six Premier League appearances for the club this season, which is why Frank needs far more from the attacking midfielder.

The Netherlands international, though, was not the worst performer on the pitch for the Lilywhites. Randal Kolo Muani was even worse than Simons and should be dropped by the manager.

Why Randal Kolo Muani should be dropped

The summer loan signing from PSG was handed his first Premier League start for Spurs against the Toffees, as he was selected ahead of Richarlison and Mathys Tel.

Unfortunately, though, the France international, who was given a 2/10 player rating by Football Insider, failed to prove that he deserves to be the main number nine for the Lilywhites this season, with a disappointing performance against Everton.

As the sole number nine, Kolo Muani needed to hold the ball up to take pressure off the team and act as a focal point for the other attackers to play off. That is why Frank may not be pleased with his display, as the striker lost 88% (7/8) of his duels, per Sofascore, as the opposition defenders found it too easy to get the better of him.

Minutes

62

62

Goals + assists

0 + 0

0 + 0

Touches

38

15

Unsuccessful touches

1

4

Passes made

24

7

Duels won

3/6

1/8

Fouls committed

0

2

As you can see in the table above, Simons offered more to the team both in and out of possession across their 62 minutes on the pitch, winning 50% of his duels and only taking one unsuccessful touch out of 38.

Kolo Muani taking four unsuccessful touches from 15 total touches shows that his close control and technical ability was not good enough, to go along with his struggles out of possession from a physical perspective.

Richarlison came off the bench to replace Kolo Muani and, per Sofascore, only took one unsuccessful touch from 15 touches and won two duels, whilst he created Sarr’s goal with his header back across the goal.

With three goals and one assist to his name in the Premier League, the Brazil international may be favoured by the Spurs head coach when their next Premier League match against Chelsea rolls around, after their EFL Cup action during the week.

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Former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has picked his favourite manager out of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, having achieved great success playing under both.

A glittering career for Gundogan under great managers

The German is now very much in the autumn of his career, but he has arguably been one of the most successful and influential midfielders of his generation.

Gundogan won five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown with City under Guardiola, during the peak of his powers, but he also tasted Bundesliga title glory alongside Klopp in his younger days at Borussia Dortmund.

Guardiola and Klopp are right up with the best managers of the past 20 years, and among the longest-serving coaches in Premier League history, with the pair huge characters who enjoyed a great rivalry during their respective spells in charge of City and Liverpool.

Everyone will have their favourite out of the two, with some preferring the Spaniard’s tactical genius and others liking Klopp’s more free-flowing style, but what about Gundogan?

Gundogan picks between Guardiola and Klopp

Speaking to The Athletic, Gundogan gave Guardiola the edge over Klopp, due to achieving so much trophy-winning success with him in a City shirt.

This is clearly a tough choice for Gundogan, with the 34-year-old an enormous admirer of two people who have had an incredible impact on him as a player, but it does feel right to go with Guardiola, given their dominance of English football together with City.

As mentioned, Gundogan was a younger player with Klopp at Dortmund, scoring a penalty in the 2013 Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich, but he truly came into own as a player at the Etihad, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet in a squad littered with world-class footballers.

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His title-winning goal at home to Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 season will never be forgotten by City fans, and Liverpool supporters for that matter, and his talent has been worthy of playing under two managerial greats of the game.

شارك النجم المصري محمد صلاح في هزيمة فريقه ليفربول أمام مانشستر سيتي بثلاثية نظيفة على ملعب الاتحاد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاءت أهداف مانشستر سيتي عن طريق إيرلينج هالاند في الدقيقة 29، ونيكو جونزاليس في الدقيقة 48، وجيرمي دوكو في الدقيقة 63.

بهذه النتيجة، اصبح ليفربول برصيد 18 نقطة في المركز الثامن، وارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي للنقطة 22 في المركز الثاني خلف آرسنال بفارق أربع نقاط.

وقاد محمد صلاح الخط الهجومي لفريق ليفربول منذ بداية اللقاء، ولم يقم آرني سلوت بتغييره على مدار أحداث الشوط الثاني حتى نهاية المباراة. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول

اقرأ أيضاً.. رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي

وعبر منصة “آكس” تفاعل جماهير ليفربول مع أداء النجم المصري محمد صلاح في لقاء مانشستر سيتي والريدز على ملعب الاتحاد.

“لم أر أي قرار صحيح لصلاح في مباراة اليوم”.

I can’t see any right decision from him tonight — Kenneth Mak (@MurrayS0515) November 9, 2025

“كيف يحصل صلاح على كل هذا الوقت في اللعب أمر لا يصدق”.

How salah is getting all this game time is unbelievable — Am (@AlexisManolis1) November 9, 2025

“يجب على صلاح مغادرة ليفربول بنهاية الموسم، لقد انتهى أمره؟ هو أسطورتنا بالتأكيد لكن الأمر انتهى”.

This guy has to leave Liverpool by the end of the season, it is over for him. Club legend? Yes for sure. But it is done. — Paritosh (@Paritoshnagar8) November 9, 2025

“سلوت هو المسؤول عن هذه الهزيمة، بدا أن سلوت لم يكن مُركزًا على الفوز. لم يُبدِ أبدًا رغبته في الفوز، أبعد كييزا لفترة طويلة بينما بدا صلاح غافلًا طوال المباراة، لم يُشرك إيزاك، ما الفائدة؟ أرجوك ارحل”.

Slot is responsible for this defeat.

Seemed like Slot wasn’t focused on winning. He never looked like he want a win.

Keeping Chiesa away for so long when Salah looked clueless whole match.

Did not bring on Isak. What is the point
Please go. — Harsh (@harsh_stuff) November 9, 2025

“هل يمكن أن يكون صلاح أسوأ؟”.

Can he be worse? — TheMTWorld (@TheMettaWorld) November 9, 2025

“صلاح ليس جيدًا، لا ينبغي أن يبدأ المباراة، لا يجيد استخدام قدمه اليمنى بشكل جيد والمركز الذي يلعب به معظم الكرات هو على اليمين والخصوم على اليسار”.

Salah is not that good.He should not start the game.He can’t use the right foot well and the position he plays most balls are to the right and opponets to the left — Said Suche (@SSuche17753) November 9, 2025

“ليس لدينا مدرب، قلت قبل المباراة لو خسرنا اليوم، أفضل خسارة كبيرة حتى يتم كشف هذا المحتال اللعين، مدرب فاسد”.

We don’t have a Manager.
I said before the game started, if we were to lose today, I’d rather lose big so this fucking bald fraud would be exposed as the shit manager he is. — fabinhobp (@fabio0223) November 9, 2025

“سلوت أوت”.

#SlotOut — theflaskofzorro (@theflaskofzorro) November 9, 2025

When it comes to the definitive Tottenham Hotspur player of the last decade or so, most people will think of Son Heung-min.

After all, the South Korean international was captain of the club when they won the Europa League last year and wore the shirt for a decade.

However, another Lilywhites star who at least has to be in contention for the title is, of course, Harry Kane.

While the England captain did leave the club, he is their all-time top goalscorer and was arguably the key player in the side that came painfully close to Premier League glory.

Unfortunately, he’s now blowing people away in Germany and is an early contender for next year’s Ballon d’Or. Worse yet, another striker Spurs sold is now starting to emulate the world-class forward.

Why Kane could win the Ballon d'Or

While there was a 15 year period in which the Ballon d’Or would generally go to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, things are a lot more open these days.

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For example, Rodri won the award in 2024, and Ousmane Dembélé won it last month. So with this in mind, there is no reason Kane couldn’t be holding that golden ball next year.

In fact, in his usually humble way, the former Spurs star has already made it clear that he would “love to win” it.

Moreover, with the consideration for next year’s award beginning at the start of this season, it would be fair to say that, as things stand, the 32-year-old stands a great chance of getting his wish.

For example, in just ten appearances for Bayern, totalling 827 minutes, the Walthamstow-born machine has already scored 18 goals and provided three assists.

Appearances

10

Starts

10

Minutes

827′

Goals

18

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

2.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

39.38′

Minutes per Goal

45.94′

In other words, the “generational” talent, as dubbed by former manager Ange Postecoglou, has been averaging 2.1 goal involvements per game this season, or one every 39.38 minutes, which is utterly incredible.

Another way to look at those numbers is that, when you take away those three assists, the Englishman is averaging a goal every 45.94 minutes, which is undeniably world-class.

At the end of the day, there wasn’t really much Spurs could have done to keep hold of Kane in 2023, but they certainly could have retained another striker sold the following summer who is putting up numbers similar to his this season.

The former Spurs gem emulating Kane

As with all big clubs, Spurs have gotten rid of their fair share of players they should’ve kept over the years, and one international who is starting to fit that category is Troy Parrott.

The Irish international joined the club’s academy setup in 2017, but made just four competitive appearances for the first team before being sent out on several loans to Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End.

Then, in the summer of 2023, Postecoglou sent him abroad for his fifth loan spell, to Dutch side Excelsior, and it was a brilliant move as, in just 32 appearances, he notched up 17 goals and five assists.

That was enough to convince fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to come in with a £6.7m offer, which was enough to tempt the North Londoners into selling, a decision that, based on how things have gone since, might have been a mistake.

In his first season with De Kaasboeren, the 23-year-old poacher found the back of the net 20 times and provided five assists in 47 appearances, totalling 3432 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 137.28 minutes.

However, this season, the “phenomenal” forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, has taken things to a whole new level.

In just eight appearances, totalling 509 minutes, the Dublin-born goal machine has put the ball in the back of the net ten times and provided two assists for good measure.

Appearances

47

8

Minutes

3432′

509′

Goals

20

10

Assists

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

1.5

Minutes per Goal Involvements

137.28′

42.41′

That comes out to a brilliant average of 1.5 goal involvements every game, or every one every 42.41 minutes, which is a rate of return that is pretty much on parity with Kane’s.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to say how Parrott would have gotten on had he not moved to the Netherlands two years ago, but given his incredible form since then, he certainly feels like a player Thomas Franks would appreciate.

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Wolves have reportedly approached Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards after cutting ties with Vitor Pereira, whose nightmare reign ended with a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Fulham last weekend. The Portuguese manager produced no wins during this current Premier League campaign and was sacked less than 24 hours after the final whistle at Craven Cottage, which left them at rock bottom of the table.

• Rob Edwards: The comeback story in the making?

  According to , Edwards has emerged as the frontrunner to take over in the West Midlands. He has quietly built a strong reputation in the Championship and is one of three high-profile names on Wolves’ radar as they scramble to find a steady hand. The 42-year-old is currently under contract with Middlesbrough until June 2028, meaning Wolves would need to pay significant compensation to lure him back to familiar territory. Meanwhile, for Boro, who have climbed to third in the table under Edwards after 14 games and seven wins, losing him now would be a massive blow. However, the report mentions that the pull of returning to Wolves, the club where he spent a good amount of time as a player and coach, could prove irresistible.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  From youth coach to potential saviour

  Edwards’ connection to Wolves runs deep. He made 111 appearances for the club during his playing days before turning to coaching, where he spent several formative years in their youth setup. His journey began with the under-18s in 2014, followed by a stint with the senior coaching staff a year later, and eventually led the under-23s in 2019. Edwards later took the managerial reins at Forest Green Rovers in 2021, guiding them to promotion, before moving up to the Championship with Watford. 

  However, his time at Vicarage Road was short-lived as he was sacked after just ten games. But redemption came swiftly when he joined Luton Town as he masterminded an incredible promotion campaign in 2022–23, dragging the Hatters into the Premier League against all odds. 

• Edwards plays coy, but doesn’t rule it out

  When asked about speculation linking him to a Wolves return, Edwards tried to steer clear of the gossip, but his words only added fuel to the fire.

  "You know my links to the club [Wolves]," Edwards said. "But my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around. Speculation is hard for me to comment about. We've done a decent job so far. It's all speculation anyway. I never get drawn on stuff that's all hypothetical and I don't want to get drawn on that.

  "I love being Middlesbrough manager and that's what I want to think about. All I can say is I've not given it a single thought because my focus is just on this. It's all the stuff that my daughter was telling me about."

  While Edwards remains the prime target, Wolves have also explored other options. Michael Carrick, who is currently without a club, is also said to be under consideration. However, his lack of Premier League experience could be a stumbling block. Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil was also sounded out, but he reportedly withdrew from the race. 

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  Teti has also left Wolves

  The turmoil at Wolves goes far beyond the manager’s office. On Tuesday, the club confirmed that director of professional football Domenico Teti had left by mutual consent, just months after joining as part of the club’s leadership team. 

  Executive chairman Jeff Shi said: "Domenico approached his role with total professionalism and built strong working relationships across the club during his time with us. He made a positive contribution to our football processes and has carried himself with integrity throughout. We thank him for his efforts and support and wish him every success in the future."

  With just two points from ten matches, Wolves are fighting for survival. For now, interim head coach James Collins will step into the hot seat, taking Friday’s press conference before leading Wolves into a daunting clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It’s their final fixture before the international break, and potentially their final chance to avoid complete collapse before a new era begins. They are eight points away from safety, and if they are to claw their way out of the bottom three, the next appointment must be the right one.

Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup campaign continues. Eddie Howe’s fine record against Tottenham Hotspur continues. The sense that the Magpies are gearing up for yet another glittering chapter in this incredible story grows stronger.

A pair of headers got the job done against Thomas Frank’s Spurs, courtesy of centre-back Fabian Schar and new striker Nick Woltemade, who arrived from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee in August, replacing Alexander Isak.

The German striker faced his detractors upon that high-profile and much-scrutinised move to the Premier League, but he’s passing each test with flying colours, and he proved his worth once again with a strong performance in the cup.

Nick Woltemade continues to impress

Woltemade, 23, has scored six goals from just 11 matches in a Newcastle shirt. That’s quite the return for a raw, up-and-coming forward trying their hand in a new country for the first time.

Nick Woltemade for Newcastle

Competition

Apps

Minutes

Goals

Premier League

6

482′

4

Champions League

3

86′

1

Carabao Cup

2

92′

1

Data via Transfermarkt

But he’s been immense, and his confident header against Tottenham, latching onto Joe Willock’s cross, underscored the quality and potential still to come.

Woltemade has drawn all the plaudits, with onlookers singing his praises once again as he helped his team advance to the quarter-finals. Yet again, he proved he’s more than just a goalscorer, creating two chances and winning four duels (as per Sofascore).

However, he wasn’t the best player on the pitch, and that’s a testament to the outfit Howe has crafted.

Indeed, there’s one man in particular who is starting to look like one of the very best in the business.

Newcastle's "absolute joke" outplayed Woltemade

Newcastle are defined by their recruitment, and while you could pick any number of Howe signings as jackpot additions, none stand taller than Sandro Tonali, whose rise has been well-documented over the past year, and yet he still shocks onlookers with his quality.

After a tough maiden year in England, the Italy international has grown into his skin and is now one of the Premier League’s best players. He simply has so many dimensions to choose from, and was praised to no end for his Man of the Match performance.

Described as an “absolute joke” who “just keeps getting better and better” by journalist Andy Sixsmith, there’s a feeling across Tyneside that the 26-year-old could be the key to shattering expectations this term, and he took Newcastle that step closer with a controlled performance against the Lilywhites.

Schar opened the scoring in the first half, but it was Tonali’s inch-perfect delivery that found the Swiss’s head. This is a man of many talents, who won both of his tackles and made seven ball recoveries besides.

But most impressive of all is that the 92-touch Tonali lost the ball only three times on the evening. He was sitting in the centre of the park, and yet he was almost untouchable as he orchestrated and engineered.

The Shields Gazette were blown away by the tireless performance, hailing Tonali’s 9/10 display and drawing attention to his energy and quality. In a sentence: he was peerless in the middle of the park.

Tonali just continues to be so effortlessly good. His football is a work of art, but he’s tenacious and gripping too, absolutely a completely-shaped midfielder.

Woltemade might be the goal-getter, and someone like Bruno Guimaraes the stylish leader, but Tonali is the metronome, making everyone tick.

Related Not just Joelinton: Newcastle's "true legend" may now be on borrowed time

Newcastle may well part ways with this Howe mainstay at the end of the campaign.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025