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It feels as if this summer is make-or-break for Ruben Amorim’s long-term future at Manchester United.

Amorim’s stint in charge to date hasn’t gone to plan whatsoever, with 17 wins and 17 defeats coming his way from 42 contests, culminating in the Red Devils having to stomach a shambolic 15th final place finish in the Premier League.

Therefore, the recruitment in and out of Old Trafford this chaotic transfer window has to be spot on, with the underperformers nearly nailing down the signature of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha to offer up at least one ray of much-needed positivity.

Unfortunately, that excitement has been short-lived as modern-day United great Bruno Fernandes now reportedly edges closer to the exit door. But his departure could be softened immediately by one bold replacement entering the Theatre of Dreams.

Man Utd lining up Fernandes replacement

The graphic above gives you just a flavour as to why the Portuguese ace leaving would be a disaster, with the 30-year-old just fresh off a combined 19 goals and assists in Premier League action, despite United sinking to 15th spot.

Transfer Focus

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

But, Amorim and Co. would surely bounce back from Fernandes’ exit swiftly if they were successful in landing Sporting star Pedro Goncalves, with a new report from Portuguese outlet A Bola – via Sport Witness – indicating that he is being lined up as a like-for-like replacement.

The suggestion is that the Red Devils are ‘considering making an offer’ for the 26-year-old, with any move likely to be ramped if Fernandes departs – although it could still take place regardless.

Losing the experience United number eight to Al-Hilal for mega millions would be able to finance the deal, with the report further stating that Amorim’s ex-employers would only cash in if his €80m (£67m) release clause is met.

How Goncalves compares to Amad

Signed the exciting “creative force” – as he’s been glowingly branded by football analyst Ben Mattinson – wouldn’t be purchased to just plug the gap of Fernandes.

The former Wolves flop is also a tricky customer down the left or right flank, thus representing a potential upgrade down the channels than another of United’s bright gems in Amad Diallo.

Goncalves will be chomping at the bit to change his negative Wolves narrative if he does return to England, having already caused ripples when scoring this blinder away at Arsenal in 2023.

Amad has also had to bounce back from his own difficulties at Old Trafford, albeit while tallying up 11 goals and ten assists last season as the United ship regularly hit icebergs.

That said, the “incredible” Goncalves – as he has been praised by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – might well have the beating of the Ivorian down either channel or through the centre as a number ten when assessing his glittering career numbers in Lisbon.

LW

98

28

34

RW

55

34

9

CM

36

18

12

SS

3

1

0

AM

3

1

0

When assessing the table above, it’s clear how flexible Goncalves can be for the cause, with an amazingly high 30 goals and assists tallied up from 36 games centrally, on top of also registering a combined 105 goal contributions down either wing in the Portuguese capital.

On the flip side, Amad, who is still raw at an earlier stage in his career, has just 26 goal contributions overall when donning a Red Devils strip, meaning he might well have to forfeit some first-team action if the Bruno-like target does join the building.

Sporting Lisbon's Pedro Goncalves.

The overriding anxiety will be that Goncalves has already flopped once in England, which could result in another high-profile failure coming up on his CV.

But, Fernandes entered the English game back in 2020 with a similar hype surrounding his name, having amassed an astounding 113 goals and assists from just 137 appearances for Sporting.

Consequently, it just feels written in the stars that this deal could go down as a similarly golden hit, as Goncalves aims to be a transformative figure that guides United to better days.

Not just Bruno: Man Utd star in talks to leave in another McTominay repeat

Manchester United could repeat their Scott McTominay disaster by selling this star.

ByDan Emery May 30, 2025

Nottingham Forest retain hope of claiming a Champions League slot and could look to sanction a statement deal this summer if they manage to pull off that feat at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest look to make a summer statement

The Tricky Trees have endured a frustrating few weeks in their hunt for continental qualification. However, they could still find a fairytale ending if Nuno Espirito Santo can rectify a run of one win in five matches. Inevitably, Nottingham Forest were going to drop points towards the business end of the season. Still, they have a favourable run-in compared to some of their direct competitors for a European slot.

Should they manage to secure a place in either the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League, an exciting summer could lie in waiting at the City Ground and some intriguing targets are said to be on their radar.

Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera is on Nottingham Forest’s radar and could be an early contender to replace Morgan Gibbs-White, who is being lined up by Manchester City.

On the same token, the Tricky Trees are willing to make a significant offer to sign Juventus defender Federico Gatti, even if the Italy international is happy to remain in Turin as it stands.

Worth more than Anderson: Nottingham Forest have hit gold on "superb" star

Nottingham Forest have a player who’s now worth more than their two record additions.

ByEthan Lamb May 4, 2025

Evaluating the last couple of years, speculating to accumulate is a strategy that has worked in the Midlands. PSR regulations will need to be adhered to, but there are plenty of sellable assets to make up any shortfall if Nottingham Forest need to bite the bullet.

Now, Espirito Santo is plotting a move for a talented midfielder that could be open to a fresh challenge this summer, per developments.

Nottingham Forest turn attention to Liverpool's Harvey Elliott

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest hold growing belief that they can sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott as his future at Anfield remains up for debate this summer.

Arne Slot is set to make a decision on the former Blackburn Rovers loan star. He is keen to play regular Premier League football at this stage of his career and is open to the possibility of switching sides once the window opens.

Harvey Elliott’s limited minutes in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

25

Goals

4

Assists

2

Nottingham Forest believe they could match Liverpool’s asking price of between £40 million and £50 million for the England Under-21 international. Intriguingly, he has emerged as a contingency plan if Gibbs-White were to join Manchester City as the Citizens plot how to replace outgoing legend Kevin De Bruyne.

Labelled “exceptional” by Rio Ferdinand, 22-year-old playmaker Elliott has recorded a long-ball accuracy rate of 78.9% on Premier League duty. Nevertheless, his chances to shine at Liverpool have been limited, putting Nottingham Forest in an advantageous position to land his signature.

Having said that, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bournemouth and Newcastle United are also in pursuit, so there is plenty of work to be done if they are serious about winning the race for Elliott.

Ipswich Town have signed a versatile teenager in an out-of-window move, according to a new update.

Ipswich Town looking to summer with Premier League relegation on the cards

The Tractor Boys are on course for an immediate return to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna’s side are currently 14 points away from safety with just six games to go and look destined to drop back to the second tier alongside fellow promoted sides Southampton and Leicester City despite spending big across the 2024/25 season.

Omari Hutchinson

Chelsea

€23.5m

Jacob Greaves

Hull City

€21.5m

Liam Delap

Man City

€17.85m

Jack Clarke

Sunderland

€17.7m

Dara O’Shea

Burnley

€14.2m

Sammie Szmodics

Blackburn Rovers

€10.6m

Arijanet Muric

Burnley

€9.55m

Chiedozie Ogbene

Luton Town

€9.5m

Jens Cajuste

Napoli

Loan

Conor Townsend

West Brom

€590,000

Ben Johnson

West Ham

Free

Kalvin Phillips

Man City

Loan

Jaden Philogene

Aston Villa

€23.7m

Alex Palmer

West Brom

€2.4m

Julio Enciso

Brighton

Loan

Ben Godfrey

Atalanta

Loan

Relegation looks set to result in a busy summer of departures from Portman Road, with Liam Delap attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. Approaches have been made by both clubs for Delap, who will be available for £30m if Ipswich go down.

Talking about Delap’s future, McKenna said before the 2-2 draw at Chelsea: “It’s not something that’s been discussed loads internally at because everyone’s focus, honestly, has been on Bournemouth, on Wolves, now on Chelsea. But if you ask me, is that a possibility? I think it’s certainly a possibility. Liam’s a young striker. He’s developing really, really well at the football club.

“He’s happy and he’s improving every week and we’re enjoying working with him. I’m sure there’s lots of different possibilities. But Liam’s an Ipswich player. He enjoys being an Ipswich player and that’s where his full focus is.”

A replacement could soon be needed for the star striker, with both Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland and Sheffield United teenager Ryan One both mooted as transfer targets to come in for Delap.

Targeting youth with a move for One shows that Ipswich appear to be looking long-term at potential signings, and they have now agreed a deal to sign another teenage talent.

Ipswich Town sign versatile youngster Corbin Mthunzi

As reported by The East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich Town have signed 17-year-old Corbin Mthunzi following a successful trial.

Previously of Brighton & Hove Albion, Mthunzi has penned a two-year professional contract at Portman Road after turning out twice for Ipswich’s U21s last month.

Ipswich Town "monster" open to Portman Road exit as big clubs make contact

New approaches have been made.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 15, 2025

Mthunzi played as a centre-back in the fixtures against QPR and Chelsea, however, the teenager can also turn out as a midfielder if required.

He’ll now be looking to break into McKenna’s first team plans over the coming years, so Mthunzi’s progress at Portman Road will be one to watch.

Full-time mom, Cricket Scotland administrator and elite sportsperson. She doesn’t want to have any regrets later

Shashank Kishore06-Oct-2024Abbi Aitken-Drummond has a full-time role as the executive assistant to Cricket Scotland’s CEO in her day job. Away from work, she co-parents her 13-month-old daughter. Between these two demanding roles, she plays cricket, and is now, quite incredibly, part of Scotland’s maiden T20 World Cup 2024 squad.Aitken-Drummond, 33, is one of Scotland’s longest-serving players, having first come into the set-up in 2003-04 at the age of 14. She captained from 2008 to 2015 and was more recently the team manager at the 2023 Women’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa to players she now calls colleagues.”The other day, we were chatting about our journeys and Olivia Bell told me she was one year old when I made my debut,” Aitken-Drummond tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was like, ‘Wow, thanks for making me feel so old’ ().”Related

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For Aitken-Drummond, the World Cup seemed like an afterthought, especially after she had to miss the Qualifiers to be on parental leave. But she made the push when a second shot at being part of a history-making squad presented itself.”I knew it wasn’t a right that I’d be back when available,” she says. “I had to work for it. I played for Scotland A with county teams in England [during the build-up], featured for Scotland in a tri-series with Netherlands and Papua New Guinea. But in my mind, I wasn’t sure I’d done enough.”But upon her return to Edinburgh, when Aitken-Drummond received an unexpected phone call from Cricket Scotland, her heart fluttered. “It was our head of performance to tell me I’d been picked,” she remembers.”When my phone rang, I was actually eager to know which of my phones were ringing: work phone or personal phone. I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be the work phone () because it would’ve then been some admin-related stuff.”When the phone rang, in my mind I was like ‘this is now or never. Which phone is it?’ And then I saw his name pop up on my personal phone. I kind of knew it was about selection. Had I known we’d get calls that day, I may have been beside the phone, restless all day. It’s a good thing I didn’t know when the squad was being picked.”

“I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”Abbi Aitken-Drummond

Aitken-Drummond isn’t privy to sensitive matters, such as selection, despite being a Cricket Scotland employee. It’s a boundary she has learnt to draw having juggled a career as a player and administrator. Having studied Event Management in university, Aitken-Drummond has loved to apply some of her learnings to “this side of the rope as well as the other side.””Most players tend to go down the coaching path, but my passion lies in the administration,” she says. “Our CEO Trudy Lindblade has been in the role for eight months now. She’s my line manager back home, but over here [in the UAE] she’s like, ‘we’re not speaking work. Focus on your game and enjoy it.’ I’ve been away from my laptop, enjoying being on this side of the fence.”Aitken-Drummond had to put in long days – sometimes they stretch 18 hours – to make this journey possible. The motivation for her daughter to say, “my mum played in Scotland’s first World Cup” and for her partner [Annette Drummond, former Scotland player] to “live a dream she missed out on” pushed her.”It has needed a whole new level of organisation skills,” she says. “I’m at work for 10 hours a day, four days a week – Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm. Quite often I’m able to work from home, so that helps being around our daughter. Then I head to the nets for my training. No two days are the same. It’s so much easier when you have a routine, but that’s been challenging.”Sometimes, it’s not possible and then I’d feel that guilt of not training enough. But I also recognise if you’re not able to sleep enough, those gym sessions are unlikely to be productive either. So, I’ve learnt to be flexible about these things. So, most days after dinner, when I’ve put my daughter to sleep, I head over to the gym, try sneak in a session or two indoors. It’s tough to juggle everything, but you try and do as best as you can.”I don’t want to look back and regret these small things later on, they grow up quick. But I’m really grateful to my partner for the support. This wouldn’t be possible without her. She pushed me, saying, ‘I don’t want you to regret later, this is your chance, go get it.'”For the moment, Aitken-Drummond is happy being part of the group, irrespective of her role within the set-up. “If you’d told me 20 years ago Scotland would play in a women’s World Cup, I’d have laughed.”The big goal was to make sure I was here. I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”I enjoy one-on-one sessions. If girls are struggling, happy or overwhelmed – just be there for them. Any game I play, I play like it’s my last. Life changes quickly, juggling so many priorities, I don’t want to regret that I could’ve potentially played my last game not having known that. So, I tried each day as it comes.”

The team’s quicks have come a long way in four years, and are now perhaps all Bangladesh can pin their World Cup campaign hopes on

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2022Ebadot Hossain found inspiration from team-mates in Mount Maunganui. As he laboured through a spell late on the fourth day, Bangladesh needed to break a crucial partnership. They had done the hard part against New Zealand, a side they had never beaten at home, but Ross Taylor and Will Young stood in their way. Finally Ebadot skidded one past a pull by Young. The off bail went for a spin.Ebadot, who averaged 81.54 in Tests then, bowled the most memorable spell in Bangladesh cricket history. His 6 for 37 in the second innings sank New Zealand, the defending World Test champions, to an eight-wicket defeatA couple of months later in South Africa, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers scripted another miracle. Taskin Ahmed took 5 for 35, this time in an ODI, to fire the visitors to their maiden series win in South Africa. Until then, Bangladesh had lost all 19 matches in the country.Related

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Taskin Ahmed: 'I told myself, whether I break or I die, I will wear the red and green jersey again'

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'It gives us a breather but it's not the ultimate goal' – Tamim on Bangladesh's World Cup qualification

Under-fire Shanto and Mustafizur finally come good

These were not one-off performances but rather the culmination of two years of hard work on and off the field, not least in convincing Bangladesh cricket’s bosses, the architects of a spin-only policy, that fast bowling is back.Now, going into the T20 World Cup in Australia, Bangladesh are in woeful T20 form, having won just four of their 16 T20Is this year. Still, assistance from the conditions down under will help, and also the confidence from the tremendous 2021 their fast bowlers had in the format. Also, they are fit, and most crucially, for once they have the trust of the captain and team director.Taskin Ahmed was injured for part of the year, but was more than handy when fit•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesA year for bowling fast
Bangladesh’s best cricket this year involves fast bowling. Taskin bowled with intelligence and maturity either side of his injury layoff in the middle of the year. Ebadot will walk away in possession of the greatest moment for Bangladesh in a Test in 2022. And Khaled Ahmed finally came of age, with bursts in South Africa and West Indies. Shoriful Islam, initially dropped from the World Cup squad, only to be reinstated later, took the most wickets in all formats among the fast bowlers. Hasan Mahmud has looked sharp in between his injuries.Russell Domingo, the side’s head coach, has enjoyed this, being the first establishment figure to want to break away from Bangladesh’s spin-only policy at home. He has had to be more pragmatic since then, but his backing of pace has never wavered.”There has been great progress by Bangladesh’s fast bowlers,” Domingo said. “They have developed into a really good bowling unit in the last two years. They will be dangerous [in the T20 World Cup]. If they can get good scores on the board, guys like Taskin, Ebadot, Mustafiz [Rahman] or Hasan Mahmud can put any batting line-up under pressure. The fast bowlers are going to be central for Bangladesh.”Better fast bowing has definitely made our side more competitive when we go away from Bangladesh. In all formats. No doubt about that. But they are still a work in progress, a long way to go.”There’s a good group now: Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman. There’s also Khaled [Ahmed]. They have become good international bowers, but we want two or three of them to become some of the best in the world. It is their next big challenge.”Kamrul Islam Rabbi was a casualty of Bangladesh’s spin-reliant years, falling by the wayside•Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesThat aspiration is a sign of how far fast bowling has come in the last two years. In Domingo’s first Test in charge, in September 2019, Bangladesh didn’t play a single fast bowler. Afghanistan stomped all over a one-dimensional attack, trouncing them by 224 runs.Domingo wasn’t the one taking decisions in that game, and every decision-maker back then was so hypnotised by the spin-only policy that not having a fast bowler was normal. Nobody batted an eyelid, except when looking at the result.Death valley
For years Bangladesh pretended they took fast bowling seriously. Batters ruled Bangladesh cricket – either in the form of the team’s senior players or of former batters taking administrative decisions in the BCB. And given the evidence that Bangladesh batters couldn’t cope with visiting fast bowlers, the pitches started to go lower and lower.Still, the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain and Tapash Baisya emerged. When Mashrafe became white-ball captain in 2014-15, he pushed for a bowling attack that was pace-heavy. Results were immediate, with consecutive ODI series wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa at home. Mashrafe imparted the lessons of his long experience to Mustafizur and Taskin, while Al-Amin Hossain was great against left-handers, and Mohammad Saifuddin was fast-tracked from the Under-19s.It was a bit of a false dawn, though. A year later, coach Chandika Hathurusingha and captain Mushfiqur Rahim decided to go all in with spin again. Kamrul Islam Rabbi, who played seven Tests during Bangladesh’s pace-lean years, did not bowl a single over during the England fourth innings in Mirpur in 2016, only his second Test. Just 31 overs of pace were bowled by Bangladesh in that series, fewer than 10% of all the overs bowled.Khaled Ahmed with Bangladesh bowling coach Allan Donald earlier this year. His first Test wicket came three years into an interrupted career•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesAgainst Australia the following year, fast bowlers bowled 14.5% of all overs, and a remarkably small 2% against West Indies during the 2018 home series. And in the one-off Test against Afghanistan mentioned earlier, Bangladesh didn’t pick any fast bowlers.”The hardest thing for me was the lack of faith in me,” Rabbi said. “Captain, vice-captain, coach or the fast-bowling coach, nobody had faith in fast bowling. For example, nobody would even bother to shine the ball carefully. You know, one might get reverse swing if the ball is taken care of. The moment I bowl a bad over, a spinner comes into the attack.”The ripple effect was felt on the domestic scene. Around this time, most domestic teams mimicked the national team. Already, clubs or divisional sides mostly picked fast bowlers only as token gestures, and as each season wore on, they would point-blank pick line-ups full of left-arm spinners. When the few fast bowlers there were went abroad, they didn’t know how to bowl there, and often were short on bowling experience, having sat out of most Tests earlier in the season.”It is a whole host of things,” says Domingo. “Conditions, backing them and giving them confidence, and them being more secure. We have been so reliant on spinners that fast bowlers weren’t really looked at as big threats for Bangladesh. Now, the captain is looking at Ebadot, Taskin and Shoriful to get those breakthroughs. This confidence that the captains have will also help the fast bowlers get better.”A corner turned
Some point to two domestic tournaments in late 2020 as having changed things. Eight of the top ten wicket-takers in the BCB President’s Cup that year were fast bowlers. In the Bangabandhu Cup, that number was nine out of ten. Fresh pitches and rusty batting, as players emerged from lockdowns and biosecurity bubbles, played a part. But it certainly helped that the fast bowlers were the fittest they had been for a while.Shoriful Islam has taken the most wickets across formats among Bangladesh bowlers this year, 28, followed by Ebadot Hossain with one fewer•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesThis was around when the changing attitudes of the likes of Taskin, Ebadot and Khaled became noticeable. The wickets reinforced the faith that they could keep doing well. Khaled, who has had a complicated career though he is only nine Tests old, returned after a knee injury and finally took his first wicket – three years into a disrupted Test career.”Everyone thinks that only taking wickets means good performance,” he said. “Nobody notices good bowling. Only wickets get noticed.”I saw that people started blaming me. I tried hard to play regularly at the highest level. I think it is important to bowl for long in a Test match, so that you can get the idea about how you can actually take wickets.”Soon after the knee injury, Khaled said he started to think about how to avoid injuries. The pandemic meant a lot of free time at home and he worked on his fitness in Sylhet. A few hundred kilometres west, in Dhaka, Taskin was doing the same: he would run on sand, find local parks in which to bowl off a full run-up when the garage of his apartment building fell short, and even forced his gym owner to open during the height of the pandemic.”When you are healthy, you will have a great mindset,” Khaled said. “When you are tired, your brain doesn’t work. The moment I recovered from my injury, the pandemic happened. I had a lot of time. I focused a lot on running and gym work, as I had bought equipment for my home. I tried to bring my body into a shape.”When I got that first wicket against Pakistan after almost three years, I felt boosted. I thought I could do it. I didn’t get to play in New Zealand, but I had a target of doing well in the next opportunity. Sujon sir [Khaled Mahmud] helped me a lot in the South Africa series. He encouraged me a lot, told me to think hard about how I wanted to bowl. He supports all the fast bowlers,” said Khaled, who was impressive in South Africa and West Indies this year, both otherwise difficult Test series for Bangladesh.Rabbi, who continues to play in the National Cricket League for Barishal Division, said fast bowlers have been handled better in the senior set-up over the last two years or so. “Nowadays a fast bowler isn’t just discarded after one bad Test. Ebadot has been traveling with the team for a long time and he is reaping the rewards. It was different six years ago. Then, if you did badly in one game, you’d be dropped for the next game. If you did badly in two games, you’d be forgotten for the next series.Domingo, who will return to Bangladesh duty after the T20 World Cup, said he is looking forward to a more robust fast-bowling unit. “A year or two ago they were an inexperienced bowling unit. Now Ebadot has played 20 [17] Tests, but we want him to learn and not make the same mistakes. I want them to become more consistent. I know what I am going to get from Taskin. The other fast bowlers are not quite there yet with their consistency.”They just need to have less bad spells than in the past. I am not looking for continuous match-winning spells, I am just looking for consistent spells where they are able to hold the game, and keep control of the run rate. I think it is their next phase. They have the ability to take wickets, but they should have the ability to stay in control against world-class batters.”

From Bodyline to Sandpapergate, these contests are remembered for the controversies they sparked

Mohammad Isam12-Jul-2020Bodyline for Bradman

A cricket series so acrimonious it ended a talented fast bowler’s career, led to the ostracising of a famous captain, soured relationships between two countries, and led to a permanent change in cricket’s rules. By the time the 1932-33 Ashes rolled around, Don Bradman was well on his way to becoming a cricketing God – he had scored 974 runs at 139.14 in the previous Ashes. To counter his brilliance, Douglas Jardine, the England captain, a man who, reportedly, had a special hatred for Australians, decided to employ “leg theory”, a tactic of placing a ring of close fielders on the leg side and bowling short at the batsman’s body. Harold Larwood, one of the fastest bowlers of the time, was charged with attacking the batsmen’s heads and ribs and left many of them bruised. While England won the away series 4-1, the Australian board protested, declaring the tactic unsportsmanlike, and the MCC eventually agreed it was not in keeping with the spirit of the game. Bodyline bowling was subsequently outlawed.”West Indies aren’t coming out”

Clive Lloyd’s mighty West Indians had already won in India, England, and Australia. It seemed a foregone conclusion they would add New Zealand to the list. But, when they travelled there in 1979-80, umpiring took centrestage. West Indies were already upset at having seven lbws given against their batsmen over two innings in the first Test, and things kicked off, literally, when Michael Holding was refused a caught behind in the fourth with New Zealand 28 for 2, chasing 104. The batsman, John Parker, was already removing his gloves, prepared to walk back to the pavilion after watching the keeper complete the take, but umpire John Hastie ruled not out. Exasperated, Holding kicked down the batsman’s stumps. New Zealand ended up winning by a wicket.In the second Test, incensed by another caught-behind denial on the third day, West Indies threatened not to take the field after tea, eventually coming out 12 minutes late. They seemed to intentionally play below par from then on and even threatened to leave the tour. Things got ugly when Colin Croft deliberately flicked the bails off at the bowler’s end after umpire Fred Goodall had given a no-ball. Croft then barged into Goodall while bowling the next ball. That Test and the next ended in draws, but not before there was another threat from some West Indies players to take early flights home. There were also reports that Goodall had made racist remarks about the West Indians, which led to a tense relationship between the two teams for several years after.Patrick Eagar/Popperfoto/Getty Images”A little war erupted”

Fights between the players, with someone in the stands, a walk-out by the umpires, a letter to a president – there was drama enough for a mini-series when Imran Khan’s Pakistan visited Sri Lanka in early 1986. There was already some tension between the sides as Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lanka captain, had complained about biased umpiring when his side toured Pakistan the previous year. Early in the series, Sri Lankan umpire Alane Felsinger allegedly told the visitors this was “not Pakistan” while turning down an appeal. Defiant, the Pakistan players appealed more often and longer, causing the umpires to walk off in protest. Khan had to apologise to convince them to return.In the second Test, Javed Miandad first got into an altercation with the Sri Lanka fielders and then with someone in the stands who had thrown a stone at him. After losing, Pakistan were in such a forlorn mood they considered going home before the third Test. “We felt as though we were locked in a darkened room without a chink of light,” Khan wrote in his book . He wrote to Pakistan president Zia-ul-Haq, who told them to stay put.As a result of that series, Khan became an advocate for neutral umpires, setting an example by inviting them to stand in Tests in Pakistan.The summer of suspicion

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took 43 wickets between them as Pakistan beat England 2-1 over five Tests. The world heralded the coming of two generational talents, but the British press could not wrap their heads around how the duo could get the old ball to swing so much, and so late. Akram and Younis, along with Aaqib Javed, had played on the county circuit, and there were already murmurings about them tampering with the ball, which only got louder as they ripped through England again and again. Things came to a head during the fourth ODI, at Lord’s, when the ball was changed during the lunch interval of England’s innings. The ICC never made it clear why the match referee changed the ball, leaving a cloud hanging over the incident.The atmosphere was made even more edgy by contentious umpiring, with memories of Mike Gatting’s ugly spat with Pakistan umpire Shakoor Rana from England’s 1987 tour of Pakistan quickly resurfacing when umpire Roy Palmer warned Aaqib Javed for intimidatory bowling at the tail in the third Test, before appearing to dismissively toss Javed’s sweater at him at the end of the over. Javed and his captain, Javed Miandad, were livid. In the next Test, Roy’s brother, Ken, adjudged Graham Gooch not out when he had fallen well short of the crease, and then Mervyn Kitchen turned down a Mushtaq Ahmed appeal for caught-behind, causing the Pakistan fielders to vociferously protest.Writing in , journalist Martin Johnson summed up the series: “As far as Pakistan are concerned, cricket in England is run by arrogant racists. As far as England are concerned, Pakistan cheat. Today, the two countries are as far apart as ever.”This was the first of several series in which Asian teams playing against cricket’s old powers, England and Australia, were accused of bending the rules. In 1995, Muttiah Muralitharan was called for chucking in Australia, and then in 2006, Inzamam-ul-Haq forfeited a Test at the Oval after his side was accused, this time officially, of tampering.Associated Press”Only one team was playing in spirit of the game”

It takes a fair bit to make the usually even-keeled Anil Kumble angry, so when he accuses a team of not playing in the spirit of the game, you know a series has become really heated. In the Sydney Test, the second of the series, umpire Steve Bucknor made several mistakes that went against India. But what irked Kumble and his team was first that the Australians refused to walk, even when the edges seemed clear, and second that Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, insisted a catch taken by Michael Clarke close to the ground was clean, raising his finger to signal to the umpire it was out. Replays suggested the ball may have hit the ground, but since the teams had a pact to take the fielder’s word for close ground catches, Sourav Ganguly had to walk off when Ponting made his gesture to the umpire.For their part, Australia were left fuming when Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan Singh of using a racial slur against him. India denied the accusation, leading to a situation so acrimonious India reportedly considered pulling out of the tour before the third Test. After Kumble’s famous “spirit of the game” statement and Bucknor being withdrawn from the rest of the series, India played on and won the next Test, in Perth.Dressing-room threats and Sandpapergate

On the second day of the four-match Test series, Australia players were heard using ambush marketing tactics in protest of having the stump mic volume turned up. By the end of the series, that would be barely a footnote as they lost their captain, vice-captain, opening batsman and coach before the final ball was bowled.The series was bad tempered from the off. Nathan Lyon appeared to drop the ball near a diving AB de Villiers in the second Test, and then Quinton de Kock and David Warner got into an argument on the staircase leading up to the dressing-rooms. The incident was caught on camera, and Warner was seen being held back by team-mates as he yelled at de Kock. Warner was at the centre of more controversy when CSA officials were shown photographed next to fans wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks in an attempt to ridicule Warner, whose wife had been involved with Williams years before.In Cape Town, Kagiso Rabada shoulder-barged Steven Smith and Warner confronted a fan, but nothing could prepare the cricketing world for what would transpire on the third day. Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera shoving a piece of sandpaper down his trousers, and Australia were accused of ball tampering. Bancroft and Smith, his captain, made an apology at the end of the day, but the Australian public called for long bans, and even the prime minister decried the incident.Eventually, Smith, Bancroft, and Warner, who was identified as chief conspirator, were handed lengthy bans, coach Darren Lehmann resigned, and Cricket Australia ordered a cultural review into Australian cricket.

Arne Slot’s contentious selection decision for Liverpool’s latest in a long litany of defeats was a gamble, alright, but whether it has paid off is anybody’s guess at this stage.

Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 win at Anfield against a second-string home side, and Liverpool are now out of the Carabao Cup. But the tactical fault lines run far deeper, and the Reds know that their upcoming run of games will prove decisive in exactly how the club emerge from this dismal run of form.

Aston Villa travel to Merseyside at the weekend, and then next week’s double header of Real Madrid and Manchester City will perhaps show exactly how Slot will fare over the coming months.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Liverpool have one of the most talented and expensive squads in the world, after all, and have seen a few stars go from strength to strength over the past several months.

Chief among them is the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai, but, despite his smaller role, Federico Chiesa has been just as impressive.

How Chiesa is rebuilding his Liverpool career

Liverpool only signed one player during the 2024 summer transfer window: Chiesa. What a contrast to the window just passed. The Italian arrived for a cut-price £12.5m fee, but injuries and Slot’s wariness kept him on the fringes.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed quite the revival this season, among the most prolific players in Slot’s squad. Despite starting only two matches in all competitions (both of the Reds’ domestic cup fixtures), he has notched two goals and three assists.

And still he waits for his first Premier League start of the season. Chiesa is earning starts on tournamental fronts but will perhaps feel somewhat aggrieved by sitting in the centre on Wednesday evening, flanked as he was by teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison.

Hugo Ekitike

13

6 (1)

Mohamed Salah

13

4 (3)

Cody Gakpo

13

4 (3)

Federico Chiesa

10

2 (3)

Alexander Isak

8

1 (1)

Florian Wirtz

13

0 (3)

Rio Ngumoha

7

1 (0)

Chiesa has in the past proved he has the talent to sit alongside the world’s best forwards. He has been deeply unfortunate with injuries, but his mental fortitude and underlying talent are beginning to shine, and there is a real chance for him to lay down a marker over the coming months, especially when you consider Mohamed Salah will be away at AFCON come January.

Liverpool's new version of Chiesa

Last season, Chiesa drifted through Liverpool’s title-winning campaign. Clearly, he was a talented player who had the skills to make a mark, but for whatever reason, Slot opted against unleashing him.

Now that he’s seen Calvin Ramsay put in a fine showing against Crystal Palace, the Dutch coach may want to avoid repeating that same mistake. Right-back Ramsay has not played much football over the past several years, but he showed what he can do against the Eagles.

The 22-year-old was composed on the ball and looked to progress play forward when the chance arose. In the first half, he played a Trent-esque diagonal cross over to Ngumoha, demonstrating a range of strings on his bow.

Liverpool signed Ramsay from Aberdeen in July 2022, adding him to the squad for an initial £4m fee. Jurgen Klopp once said “the sky is the limit” for the one-cap Scotland international, but a low-hanging fog has clouded his potential over the past three years, restricting him to just three first-team appearances for the Merseysiders and a string of unsuccessful loan spells.

But there’s a real player in there.

Against Palace, the Scotsman won six duels, made seven recoveries and four clearances, as per Sofascore. Promising stuff, even if the rust was clear to see, losing the ball 19 times despite not creating a chance.

Like Chiesa, Ramsay has been shaken by injuries over the past several years, and at the early stage of his career, this has had a detrimental impact on his hopes of getting going at the highest level.

Liverpool have lost six of their past seven matches in all competitions, with that emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League an outlier born from the Germans’ own deep defensive deficiencies.

Analytical Reds writer Sam McGuire even said that Slot’s decision to exclude Ramsay previously is “a sackable offence”. Of course, we must take this as tongue in cheek, but it does underline the quality of talent Liverpool have in this Scottish defender, and it’s certainly frustrating that he is now unavailable for the men’s team over the next few months.

Chiesa stands a real chance of continuing to go from strength to strength in Liverpool’s senior squad this year, adding a dimension that Slot simply cannot ignore.

With Jeremie Frimpong not quite a natural full-back and Conor Bradley’s performances leaving something to be desired, might there not be a chance for Ramsay to sneak his way into the club’s plans too?

The defeat to Crystal Palace, the third of the campaign, emphasised the scale of Liverpool’s plight at the moment, with wholesale changes and a bench full of youngsters backing firing on a head coach who now stares down the barrel of a gun, preparing to take on some of Europe’s most threatening outfits.

He will need every tool at his disposal, and allowing Ramsay to taste some more action might not be the worst thing in the world for a side currently lacking solutions.

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One Rangers player who Danny Rohl does not rate could be on his way out of Ibrox amid interest from the Championship, according to recent reports.

Rohl praises "fantastic" Rangers reaction

After back-to-back draw against Falkirk and Dundee United, Rangers couldn’t afford to drop points again in the Scottish Premiership. They’ve been much improved since Rohl’s arrival, but another day without victory would have sparked all too familiar concerns around Glasgow.

The German and his Rangers team bounced back from those draws in style against Kilmarnock, however. With a brace from Bojan Miovski to accompany Mikey Moore’s effort, the Gers sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Rohl shared his delight at full-time, but also urged Rangers to “develop” their “game management” – telling reporters: “From the first minute tonight, I knew the fans were behind the team. We have to do this together.

“I think looking back through the whole week, It was a good performance on Wednesday from Bojan Miovski. I’m glad Mikey [Moore] is back but in general, it was a whole team performance.

“We have to develop our game management, but tonight it was a fantastic reaction and now we have five wins in seven so this is a good step forward. We have to continue, everyone wants to win against us or take something from us. This is a tough league so we have to put the work in.”

It would be a good time for those at Ibrox to hit top form, given how frantic the festive period is and with the January transfer window now less than a month away from swinging open.

The winter window represents the first chance for Rohl to stamp his mark on his side and rumours have already claimed that he’s after a clinical striker.

Arrivals are unlikely to come without departures, though, and Kieran Dowell is among those who could reportedly be heading for the Ibrox exit door.

Hull City keen to sign Kieran Dowell

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Hull City are now keen to sign Dowell in the January transfer window. The midfielder is yet to feature under Rohl, who quite clearly doesn’t rate him, and now looks destined to leave on loan in just under a month.

It’s been the story of Dowell’s Rangers career, but he must get his move in the January window.

The 28-year-old was offered some hope when Russell Martin arrived instantly jumped to his defence by saying: “And by the way he tries really, really every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money, and I don’t think they have done that.”

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Any hope of a Rangers revival has now evaporated, however, with Rohl seemingly ready to bid farewell to the midfield flop who has struggled since arriving in 2023.

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It was like déjà vu all over again at American Family Field on Wednesday afternoon, as for a second consecutive game, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on a walk-off in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Even after losing on a grand slam by Christian Yelich on Tuesday, Wednesday's defeat may have been even worse. Tied 4-4 heading into extra innings, Boston scored on a David Hamilton fielder's choice to take a one-run lead in the 10th. The bottom of the frame, however, turned into a horrid one for the Sox.

To kick things off, they gifted Milwaukee the tying run before an out was even recorded thanks to a brutal throw home by second baseman Kristian Campbell. Then, with runners on second and third, third baseman Caleb Durbin hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Sam Frelick and sealing the deal on a very quick come-from-behind victory.

The win for Milwaukee brings them to 29-28 while the Red Sox—after finally climbing out to an above .500 record this week—have now lost five straight games, sit at 27-31, and have fallen to fourth place in the AL East.

Dealing with a slew of injuries and in turn calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer this weekend, Boston's road ahead doesn't get much easier. They're off to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves before returning home to take on the Los Angeles Angels.

Manchester United’s run of five games unbeaten in the Premier League is evidence that Ruben Amorim is certainly starting to get the best out of the current crop of players Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old’s stint in England has been nothing but plain sailing, as seen by his inability to lead the club to a respectable finish in 2024/25 – subsequently ending the year in 15th place.

However, the hierarchy have shown faith in the former Sporting CP boss, as seen by his £200m spending spree during the recent summer transfer window.

The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have all joined the Red Devils in the last few months, with the latter of the trio already scoring six combined goals in England’s top-flight.

Despite the mammoth investment within the attacking department, the manager is still craving a new central midfielder to help take his side to the next level in the years ahead.

Man United’s hunt for a new central midfielder in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Elliot Anderson has been the name on the lips of all United supporters, with rumours rapidly starting to circle over a move for his signature.

The Nottingham Forest star has risen to stardom over the last 12 months, with the 23-year-old featuring in every league game in 2025/26, even earning him a spot in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel.

It’s been reported in recent days that the Red Devils have already reached out to the Reds over a potential deal for the youngster, but have been quoted a fee in the region of £100m for his services.

However, Anderson isn’t the only midfielder currently in their sights, with the hierarchy also closely monitoring German star Angelo Stiller ahead of the upcoming window.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are preparing an offer in the region of €60m (£53m) for the Stuttgart star, with Real Madrid also interested in a move for his signature.

The report claims that his current employers don’t want to lose the 24-year-old in the near future, but they could be forced to if an acceptable offer is presented by the likes of United.

Why Stiller target would be their own Anderson

United fans have seen first-hand the talents that Anderson currently possesses, after the Forest star managed to run the show in the recent meeting between the sides at the City Ground.

He featured for the entirety of the contest and thrived in and out of possession, as Sean Dyche’s men secured a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils in the East Midlands.

The 23-year-old managed to create three chances for his teammates – offering a threatening option with the ball – whilst also making 14 recoveries and preventing Amorim’s men from extending their winning run.

Anderson’s ability to complete 100% of his dribbles and register 15 passes into the final third further showcases his phenomenal talents – with such a performance leaving the United fanbase demanding his signature.

However, English talents are always more expensive in the modern transfer market, as seen by the current £100m price tag that has been placed on his head at present.

Given the money spent in the summer, it’s unclear if the United hierarchy would splash such a sum, with a potential deal breaking their club-record transfer fee set by Paul Pogba in 2016.

As a result, a move for Stiller could prove to be a more realistic proposition, but that’s not to say he’s a lower quality talent than England international, Anderson.

The German has been labelled as a similar player to the 23-year-old by FBref in the Europa League this season, with the Stuttgart star even bettering him in numerous key areas to date.

Stiller, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more key passes per 90, whilst also making more passes into the opposition box per 90.

How Stiller & Anderson compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Stiller

Anderson

Games played

10

11

Goals & assists

4

2

Progressive carries

2.2

1.3

Pass accuracy

86%

83%

Key passes

2.1

1.3

Passes into opposition box

2.3

1.2

Interceptions made

1.1

0.9

Clearances made

1.4

0.8

Take-ons completed

73%

50%

Stats via FBref

Such numbers are no mean feat, especially considering Anderson’s talents in possession, subsequently showcasing the phenomenal talent that the Stuttgart talent currently possesses.

He’s also registered more progressive carries per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such figures highlighting his dominance over the Forest star with the ball at his feet.

Stiller has managed to provide key talents out of possession too, even bettering the Englishman in terms of interceptions and clearances made per 90 in 2025/26.

The aforementioned figures could certainly make the German the perfect number six in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which could finally end the club’s hunt for a new midfielder.

Anderson may remain as many supporters’ number one choice for the role, but ultimately, his current asking price is way above the range United would spend in January.

As a result, Stiller could offer a cheaper yet more effective option to the Red Devils, potentially helping the side make a top four push come the end of May.

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