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Yet another performance that’s greater than the sum of its parts in crucial England win

Vithushan Ehantharajah22-Jul-2022Ben Stokes’ media engagements following his retirement from one-day internationals gave us plenty to digest. But contained within his wounded pride at not being able to contribute as effectively as he once could was this nugget at the end:”I didn’t like […] the feeling of stopping someone else being able to progress in this format for England, who I know is desperate to go out and is able to give the captain, the coach and the rest of the team 100 percent themselves.”At first glance, it reads simply as humility. Because where is this other Ben Stokes out there, capable of bowling heat, hitting bombs and taking worldies? It was no coincidence England were at their peak in 2019 when Stokes had full command of his rabbit-out-of-a-hat powers. There won’t be another like him and, it’s probably greedy to expect anyone close in the near future.But after Friday night’s 118-run win in the Manchester rain, the identity of this “someone” to give “100 percent themselves” became clear. Sam Curran’s 35 off 18 pushed England to 201, then his sole wicket proved to be the final nail in the coffin: David Miller, a finisher for hire on the T20 circuit, losing his off stump just as he was getting his eye in. At 27 for 5, the Proteas’ chase was dead and buried.There’s something oh-so-very-Sam Curran about those numbers. They speak of an impact that won’t move the dials when it comes to ODI scores of 50 or more, or five-wicket hauls, (both just one for Curran across 14 matches), but nevertheless, they profoundly changed the complexion of this match. It was an accurate summation of the 24-year-old’s career to date.Like Stokes, the numbers don’t quite tell the story of the work Curran gets through. And because of that, conversations around selection never reflect particularly well on him. After all, all any pro-Scurran types can offer as counter-points are the odd spells they witnessed here and there, in red- and white-ball cricket, and no huge scores or spells in which he tore the house down. The frames of reference are nothing but one’s own experience. It’s why championing the Surrey allrounder can at times feel like explaining an in-joke.So it was probably quite handy that this second ODI was condensed to 29 overs each, thus justifying the exaggeration of his output. England were 101 for six when Curran arrived to the crease, with just 70 deliveries to go. From the seventh ball he faced, Curran struck the first six of the innings, striding to the pitch of the ball and striking Keshav Maharaj back over his head. Tabraiz Shamsi got the same treatment, at which point Curran had even inspired Liam Livingstone to rediscover his funk as the pair shared four consecutive sixes – and then a four – before the end of their 21-ball stand that brought 43 runs.Analysing Curran’s performance on Sky Sports at the end of the match, his former captain Eoin Morgan was effusive on not just this performance but the batting potential that England could unlock, as Chennai Super Kings and Surrey have done, particularly up the order (and far higher than No.8).”I think he has so much to offer with the bat and he has a track record as well,” Morgan said. “At Surrey, he wants to get up the order as soon as possible. He’s batted at 3, 4, he’s batted three to eight at a domestic level and is proving he doesn’t waste balls. He’s not going to get in the way of being aggressive or posting a big score. So, legitimately, it becomes a logical option.”Big-hitting is a trick Curran seems to have mastered over the last two years, even if his bow in international cricket in 2018 – in Tests, no less – was punctuated by explosive counter-attacking moments against India. It has been refined at the Indian Premier League, but most instructive is how quickly he seems to have perfected it.Related

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England square series with resounding victory

The same can be said of his bowling, and the different role he has found for himself now, as part of a battery of lefties. The early movement with the new ball was once seen as one of Curran’s strengths, regardless of the colour of the ball. Now, he is very much third in the pecking order behind David Willey and Reece Topley for the fresh white Kookaburra, and so he has had to do a few different things.Not only did he vary his pace to ensure he just conceded five runs from his two overs, but his wicket ball was a smart assessment of the conditions and an execution of a plan to exploit them. Under the lights, the ball was that much harder to pick up, but an extra bit of tweak imparted by Curran allowed the seam to grip and turn between the left-handed Miller’s bat and pad. He was flummoxed, Curran was ecstatic and England were up and about.In the grand scheme of things, it was a vital win to give England a chance of finishing the ODI summer with a much-needed series win. There has been a lot of introspection over the team’s tactics and ethos over the past fortnight, parallel to the loss of high-profile names who gave so much to the team. Now things are a little bit rosier, thanks in no small part to Curran.He’s not the new Stokes. Indeed he’s not new at all, with 56 appearances into his fifth year as an England international. But he has plenty to offer as an allrounder. Even though he won’t necessarily grab as many headlines as the previous guy who had the gig, he is certainly capable of winning as many games.

Also, should the Kolkata Knight Riders have opened with Rahul Tripathi?

Deivarayan Muthu12-Oct-2020Why did Russell bowl in the powerplay?
Andre Russell has been the Kolkata Knight Riders’ designated death bowler this IPL, but with them leaving out Sunil Narine, who has been put on the warning list because of an alleged suspect action, they needed Russell to front up in the powerplay, middle overs, and death as well. Also, with the Knight Riders picking batsman Tom Banton over offspin-bowling allrounder Chris Green and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, they had only five genuine bowling options and part-timer Nitish Rana, who didn’t bowl at all.Russell, who had injured his knee in the CPL and possibly aggravated it while tumbling near the boundary against the Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, ran up gingerly on Monday and aborted. However, he then ran in harder and rushed Aaron Finch with a short ball on his fifth delivery. The next ball was also similarly short and Russell drew a spliced pull, but Kamlesh Nagarkoti dropped a regulation catch at short fine leg to give Finch a life on 19. Finch added 28 to his tally before he was bowled by Prasidh Krishna.Should the Knight Riders have opened with Tripathi?
In the Knight Riders’ match against Delhi Capitals at Sharjah, Rahul Tripathi showed his attacking enterprise with 36 off 16 from No. 8, and in the next game he returned to the top, a position where he thrived with Rising Pune Supergiant. He maximised the powerplay against the Super Kings, his 81 off 51 balls setting up a ten-run victory. However, after managing only 4 off 10 balls in his next innings at the top against the Rajasthan Royals, Tripathi was shuffled to the lower-middle order again, this time to accommodate IPL debutant Banton at the top.Rahul Tripathi goes over the leg side•BCCIBanton didn’t show enough attacking intent. He faced five dots out of 12 balls he faced and was castled for 8. Shubman Gill, the other opener, was brisk but not brisk enough in a tall chase of 195. Tripathi batted at No. 7 and by the time he came in, the game was up for the Knight Riders.In hindsight, the Knight Riders could have given Tripathi another shot at opening the batting and taking on the short boundaries despite Banton having opened in 36 of his 40 T20 innings. That would have also allowed Banton to ease into the IPL by sandwiching between Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell in the middle order.Why did Sundar bowl just one over in the powerplay
Washington Sundar had taken down both Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis on Saturday, and with the Sharjah pitch also getting slower, quite a few may have expected him to bowl earlier than the sixth over. Probably, Virat Kohli held him back to match him up with left-handers Rana and Eoin Morgan. After inside-edging a slog sweep onto his pad, Rana aimed another slog sweep off Sundar in the next over, but the spinner went much fuller and quickened his pace to knock over his middle stump.Sundar then kept Morgan to 5 off 4 balls before he found extra bounce and drew a top edge to short third man. The Knight Riders were reduced to 64 for 5 and there was no way back for them.How did the spinners do so well in Sharjah?
Varun Chakaravarthy, Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal had combined figures of 12-0-57-3. The success of the spinners was partly down to the tiring pitches and the absence of grass. Even the likes of Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Krishna found grip when they took pace off and bowled cutters into the pitch. This wasn’t quite the Sharjah pitch where teams had rattled off 200-plus totals for fun at the start of the season.Kohli had opted to bat, reasoning that this pitch will become more slower in the second half. It sure did, with Sundar and Chahal finding more turn and some uneven bounce. The Knight Riders’ rapidly rising asking rate also worked in the favour of both Sundar and Chahal. Isuru Udana’s slower offcuters, too, were difficult to put away.

After watching him clobber two home runs in Game 1 and deliver an RBI single earlier in Game 2, the Cincinnati Reds were done pitching to Shohei Ohtani. So, when the reigning National League MVP stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on second base and one out on Wednesday night, the Reds opted to intentionally walk him.

Can you blame them?

But the decision didn't pay off, as the next batter, Mookie Betts, hit an RBI double to extend the Dodgers' lead to 8-2. And even though Betts helped orchestrate the decision's backfire, he told reporters after the game that he doesn't blame teams for not wanting to pitch to Ohtani.

"Nothing," Betts said when asked what goes through his mind when he's intentionally walked. "I wouldn't let Shohei swing either. I mean, I understand. I expect the Phillies to do it. I expect [it to happen] for the rest of the postseason. I undertstand. I understand Shohei. I understand the situation of the game. And so I just gotta be ready to do my thing."

And ready he was, as Betts' RBI double proved to be valuable insurance when the Reds would bring the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning, a jam the Dodgers bullpen navigated out of.

And as for intentionally walking Ohtani to pitch to Betts, it may be a short-lived strategy with the latter heating up at the dish. Betts collected six hits and three RBI in the Dodgers' sweep of the Reds.

Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies begins on Saturday.

Few things in baseball—actually, few things in all of sports—are more exciting than an inside-the-park home run. It's almost impossible for a player to get one without something unusual happening, whether it be a catastrophic miscalculation from a fielder or the ball taking a zany bounce. Point is, if someone tells you that there was an inside-the-park homer, you're going to want to see it.

Tuesday night brought two of those strange round-trippers to Major League Baseball. First, Lawrence Butler of the Athletics casually cruised 360 feet to lead off the game against the Atlanta Braves.

Later, the San Francisco Giants' Patrick Bailey ran very fast to walk off the Philadelphia Phillies after his shot to right-center decided to explore the space far away from any fielder.

They've been playing baseball for a long, long time. So it's a bit surprising to learn that this was the first time in Major League Baseball history that a leadoff inside-the-parker and a walk-off inside-the-parker occurred on the same day.

Considering the fact that baseball teams used to play in bizarrely-shaped playing surfaces back in the day with cavernous power alleys, one would think something like this would have happened before. But considering Butler's scamper was the Athletic's first leadoff inside-the-parker since 1943 and Bailey's was the first walk-off of the variety across all baseball in the last decade … yeah, definitely a rare night.

Rep your team in time for a summer of football

With winter dawning on us for many of us around the world, we can only dream of a summer of football. Hang tight because it won't be long until the World Cup 2026 comes around and kicks off on June 11, as the United States, Mexico and Canada aim to host the best edition of the competition yet. 

adidas World Cup 2026 kitsBuy now 

Lionel Scaloni and Argentina will look to defend their World Cup title, which they won at Qatar 2022. It was their third World Cup success story as Lionel Messi and co finally got their hands on the coveted trophy. 

Ahead of the competition, some of the biggest brands, including adidas, Nike, PUMA, and more, have launched new kits for fresh new looks on the pitch. On November  5th 2025, adidas launched the home kits for 22 nations, including the likes of holders Germany, Spain, Belgium, joint hosts Mexico and many more. The collection combines historic visual identities and traditions of each nation and portrays them in a modernist, forward-looking aesthetic.

adidas

The bold array of jerseys reflects the heart of each nation via colourways and patterns that celebrate key aspects of each nation’s identity. From their rich histories to famous landscapes, traditional architecture and iconic past kit designs, each jersey aims to unite fans around a shared passion for their nation.

PUMA followed suit on December 4th 2025, unveiling kits for Portugal, Austria, Czechia, Iceland, and Switzerland that explore identity, heritage, and we're here for the stunning designs. 

So, whether you'll be watching at home, throwing a watch party with friends or making the trip out to watch the World Cup in person, you need to look the part. Let GOAL break down the full release, so you can get yourself kitted out for the big tournament:

Shop: World Cup 2026 kits

• adidas
  

  Algeria I Home

  Inspired by the sand dunes of the Algerian desert, the Algeria home jersey boasts a dynamic stripe graphic layout in beige and white, with a vibrant green finish across the neckline and shoulders. This articulation of the undulating dunes iconic to the country, connects the team to home, alongside 'Algeria which appears in Arabic on the back of the neck.

  🇬🇧 Algeria kits at adidasShop now

• adidas
  

  Argentina I Home

  The traditional Argentine vertical stripes in sky blue and white take on a shapeshifting look, with a unique 3 coloured fading effect, channelling the blue tones from the three previous World Cup winning shirts – 1978, 1986 & 2022. The back neck sees a bespoke sign-off reading ‘1896’ – celebrating the founding date of the AFA. 

  🇬🇧 Argentina kits at adidasShop now

• adidas
  

  Belgium I Home

  Belgium’s home kit takes inspiration from the prominent Gothic stained-glass windows found across the Nation’s architecture. Icons representing the Red Devils, and the Red Flames – the nicknames of the Men’s and Women’s teams are repeated in this style across the jersey’s red base. The trims of the shoulders and cuffs are finished in a black and yellow detailing, leaning into the colours of the country’s flag.

  🇬🇧 Belgium kits at adidasShop now

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• adidas
  

  Chile I Home

  Chile’s national bird, the Condor, takes centre stage across their home jersey. Sitting on a traditional red base, an all-over printed pattern echoes the feathers of the bird, whilst on the back of the neck, the Condor appears again, in the form of a bespoke sign-off icon. 

  🇬🇧 Chile kits at adidasShop now

Australia are preparing to face Pakistan in Colombo after their second match was washed out

Andrew McGlashan06-Oct-20252:21

‘Tough to make a case against Australia winning the lot’

Megan Schutt has been termed the “ultimate professional” for the way she responded to being left out of Australia’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand. She does, however, face a further wait to see if she will be included against Pakistan in Colombo.Due to the washed-out match against Sri Lanka, it will be a seven-day gap for Australia when they take on Pakistan. Head coach Shelley Nitschke did not confirm whether Schutt would have featured in that abandoned contest after Darcie Brown’s pace had been preferred against New Zealand.Related

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Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

Schutt: 'I didn't have the skill or work ethic, I just happened to be able to swing a ball'

Schutt has 10 wickets in nine ODIs against Pakistan although she did go wicketless in the two most recent matches, at home, between the two sides in early 2023. Brown, meanwhile, has five wickets in two outings – figures of 2 for 21 and 3 for 32 in Brisbane – but she was taken for 52 off four overs against New Zealand in the World Cup opener.”She [Schutt] is obviously the ultimate professional and she took it very well,” Nitschke said on Monday. “We sort of looked at the match-ups and the performances coming in, but certainly I understand that Megan’s got a big role to play for us moving forward. We’ll have another look again at the match-ups and the conditions at Premadasa before we take on Pakistan and see if she’s in that right sort of team to best match up to them to hopefully win.”Speaking to ESPNcricinfo prior to the World Cup, Schutt said she had hoped to feature throughout. “I’d like to think my previous performances have kept me in good stead for that,” she said. “Obviously if it doesn’t work out, I will completely understand the balance of the squad and run drinks as best as I can if I’m not in the XI. But ideally I’d love to be out on the field doing what I do with people that I love. I like to think I’ve got pretty good awareness to know if that’s not going happen but ideally, I’d love to play all the games and get right through.”Sophie Molineux was outstanding on her return•Getty Images

The other key selection call Australia made for the opening match was preferring Alana King ahead of fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham. The fact there wasn’t room for both was because of Sophie Molineux’s return to the side which saw her take 3 for 25, including the wicket of Suzie Bates in her first over and the final removal of Izzy Gaze who was flying on 28 off 18 balls alongside a dominant Sophie Devine.It was Molineux’s first international since last December and Nitschke confirmed the left-arm spinner will need to be looked after as she continues to regain strength from knee surgery.”She [Molineux] was fantastic in that first round,” Nitschke said. “To open the bowling first game back and return figures like she did was unbelievable and a credit to her and the work she’s done to get her back to being available to play for us.”I think her knee is just ongoing management and seeing how it responds to training and games and looking at her availability from there. We’ll make sure that we’re doing the right thing by her and hopefully having her available when we need her.”When a decision needs to be made between King and Wareham, Nitschke said “sometimes it’s actually not about one or the other, like they bring different things to the table. I think Alana probably spins the ball a bit more and she’s a bit more attacking. Georgia can find a really good defensive length and [has] got a few variations that she goes to.”They both offer different things so it’s also about what we think we need in the game. Alana makes things happen, like I said, she’s an attacking bowler, as does Wolf [Wareham], but she also plays a lot of T20 and knows how to hit a really good defensive length at times as well.”The match in Colombo on Sunday between India and Pakistan saw play suspended for 15 minutes while the ground was fumigated against flying insects. It’s a problem Australia have not experienced during their training sessions in the city.”I’m not sure if that’s relative to the conditions and the bit of moisture that’s around,” Nitschke said. “But hopefully the fumigators are out and ready to go if that’s the case.”

Teams play respects to Dickie Bird before play, as Stokes, Carse work on fitness ahead of Ashes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025

David Bedingham anchored Durham’s innings•Getty Images

Durham 322 for 7 (Bedingham 93, Raine 87*, Rhodes 50) vs Yorkshire South Africa Test batter David Bedingham hit a season’s best 93 off 195 balls to steer an impressive Durham recovery from early strife against fellow relegation candidates Yorkshire on day one of the final-round Rothesay County Championship clash at Headingley.Durham, having elected to bat, slipped to seven for two inside five overs, bringing Bedingham in. He determinedly batted through until late evening and shared in a series of crucial partnerships, chiefly 101 for the fourth wicket either side of lunch with Will Rhodes, 50.The second-bottom visitors closed on 322 for seven from 96 overs. They will be delighted with the outcome, especially considering Ben Raine’s counter-attacking 87 not out off 85 late in the day. His was also a season’s best score.Yorkshire came into this fixture seventh in the table on 146 points, Durham ninth on 140. Sandwiched in between, Hampshire on 142.The White Rose need 10 points to assure survival – they have gained two today – while it is looking likely that Durham will have to win to stay up after Hampshire started strongly at home to Surrey.Just before play, a minute’s applause in memory of the late Dickie Bird was observed.England Test captain Ben Stokes, here working on his fitness following a shoulder injury, paid his respects from the Dickie Bird Players’ Balcony alongside fellow international Brydon Carse. Both then bowled at lunch.Yorkshire made a start their former president Bird would have been proud of, reducing Durham, who elected to bat, to that aforementioned seven for two as new-ball seamers Matt Milnes and Jack White struck on a lovely late summer’s morning.Alex Lees and opening partner Emilio Gay were caught at third slip by Fin Bean, the former defending at one he could have left alone and the latter driving at one he also needn’t have gone after.Ben McKinney and Bedingham tried to steady through a 44-run stand. But George Hill broke their alliance when McKinney was caught behind pushing forwards – 51 for three in the 20th over.A couple of catches went down at first slip, including Rhodes on 17 shortly after lunch.But, by and large – against an attack who kept things tight – Bedingham and Rhodes turned the tide very impressively.During the heart of the afternoon, both reached their fifties. Bedingham’s came first off 105 balls before Rhodes got there off 96. By that stage, the visitors were in a much healthier state at 152 for three after 50 overs.However, trouble was just around the corner as Rhodes miscued the off-spin of Dom Bess to midwicket in the next over and Ollie Robinson offered no stroke to Hill in the 54th and was bowled – 155 for five.Bedingham’s contribution was clearly key to keeping Durham afloat and was a far cry from his regular aggression, surviving as Yorkshire chipped away at the wickets on what looks to be a placid, hybrid pitch.The 31-year-old is playing only his sixth Championship match of the summer, owing much to Test commitments.This, his sixth season at Durham, could yet be his last given no deal has been finalised for next season and beyond.Bedingham, particularly strong on the back foot, also added 48 for the sixth wicket with Graham Clark, who was trapped lbw for 27 playing to leg in the early stages the evening, leaving the score at 203 for six in the 72nd over.Raine hoisted Bess for a couple of sixes, the first drilled over long-off and the second slog-swept over midwicket.He shared 42 with Bedingham, who fell to a beauty of a catch from Hill running back from first slip towards third-man following a top-edged pull against White.That left Durham at 245 for seven in the 83rd over.Raine reached his fifty off 58 balls inside the day’s final 10 overs and cleared the ropes twice more amidst an unbroken 77-run stand with Matthew Potts, 23.

Essex 366 for 6 (Westley 118, Benkenstein 74, Allison 64) beat Derbyshire 322 for 9 (Came 139, Montgomery 108, Critchley 3-63) by 44 runsHarry Came’s highest List A score of 139 from 120 balls was in vain as Derbyshire Falcons lost to Essex by 44 runs in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A game at the Central Co-op County Ground.But victory for Essex was not enough to qualify for the knock-out stages as Hampshire’s win at Bristol denied them a third-place finish.Came shared a second-wicket stand of 225 from 178 balls with Matt Montgomery, who made 108 off 91, but once Simon Harmer (2 for 45) broke through, the Falcons’ chase of 367 stalled as former Derbyshire all-rounder Matt Critchley claimed 3 for 63.The home side finished on 322 for 9 with all-rounder Martin Andersson unable to bat after injuring a hand in the field.Essex’s 366 for 6 was built around Tom Westley’s 118 from 110 balls, 74 off 48 by Luc Benkenstein and Charlie Allison’s 64 with Zak Chappell taking 2 for 64.Essex chose to bat on a pitch which was used for Friday’s high-scoring game against Surrey and lost Critchley in the second over.Critchley made only 2 on his return to Derby for the first time since he left the county four years ago when he missed a full length ball from Ben Aitchison.Paul Walter marked his first List A game since 2021 by flicking Rory Haydon over the deep square leg boundary and pulled the young spinner Joe Hawkins for two sixes in the 14th over.The Falcons were relieved to see him get a big leading edge to mid-off in the next over but Westley and Allison were soon finding the ropes or clearing them with regularity.After Westley went to his 50 from 60 balls, Allison reached his off 46 by dispatching Hawkins for successive sixes.Hawkins failed to cling on to a difficult chance running back from mid-off when Allison was on 57 but the Falcons broke the stand three overs later.Allison tried to drive the medium pace of Amrit Basra over cover but Caleb Jewell took a good catch above his head.Westley edged a drive at Jack Morley to reach his 100 which came off 98 balls and contained 14 fours and a six but was well caught at deep midwicket off Haydon in the 42nd over.Benkenstein initially struggled to beat the fielders but when he found his range, he did so spectacularly, driving and pulling Haydon for six to reach 50 from 38 balls.He dispatched Morley for two more sixes before a mistimed pull was taken at long on but Harmer’s unbeaten 29 off 20 balls took Essex to an imposing total.The Falcons’ chase started badly when Charlie Bennett moved one in to bowl Jewell in the third over but Came and Montgomery got them back on track.Came advanced to drive Jamie Porter for six and then Montgomery dismissed a free hit over wide long on for another maximum.Montgomery nudged Harmer to the third boundary to reach 50 from 37 balls with Benkenstein’s leg-spin coming in for some harsh treatment.Came completed his 50 off 61 balls and after 25 overs, the game was in the balance with the Falcons on 168 for 1, needing another 199.Essex were struggling to exert any control with Came driving Critchley for six, the pair reaching their hundreds in consecutive overs as the 200 stand came up off 163 balls.Harmer made the breakthrough when Montgomery dragged a drive into his stumps and four balls later he turned one through Basra’s defence.Came drove Shane Snater for six but Essex struck again when Walter’s throw from cover ran out Brooke Guest, leaving the Falcons to score 90 from the last 10 overs.Critchley gave the contest a decisive twist when he bowled Chappell and with the asking rate above 10 an over, Came was stumped to end the Falcons hopes.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers unleashed Benjamin Nygren on the right wing against Sturm Graz in his latest attempt to fill that spot that was vacated by Nicolas Kuhn.

The Hoops sold the German winger to Como for £16.5m in the summer transfer window, after he racked up 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, per Transfermarkt.

Nygren, who missed four ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, scored the winning goal against Sturm Graz on Thursday night in the Europa League with a close-range header.

However, Football FanCast have suggested that the injury to Kelechi Iheanacho could mean that the Swedish star is needed at centre-forward, which would leave the manager to find another right winger.

Why Celtic are struggling on the right wing

Celtic allowed Kuhn to move on from Parkhead without signing an out-and-out right winger, as Rodgers has mainly used Nygren in a central midfield role, whilst Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti are both left-sided wingers.

This has meant that there has been pressure on Hyun-jun Yang and experienced winger James Forrest to step up on the right, but neither of them have risen to the task.

Per WhoScored, Yang and Forrest have failed to provide a single goal or assist in 12 combined appearances in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, which shows that they have not offered enough quality in the final third.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Rodgers should look to unleash Luke McCowan in a new role on the right wing for the clash with Hearts in the league on Sunday.

Why Luke McCowan should start against Hearts

With Nygren moving over a centre-forward role, per our suggestion, the former Dundee midfielder could be an interesting solution to the team’s problems on the right wing.

As aforementioned, Yang and Forrest have simply not done enough with the ball at the top end of the pitch to suggest that they have the quality to be regular starters on the right wing to finally replace Kuhn at Parkhead.

McCowan, albeit in a different position, is a proven Premiership performer who knows how to score and assist goals fairly consistently for Celtic.

Appearances

44

58

Starts

19

21

Goals

9

6

Big chances created

10

9

Assists

8

7

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish midfielder has produced more goals, more ‘big chances’ created, and more assists than both Forrest and Yang combined in the league since the start of last season.

These statistics suggest that the 27-year-old maestro, who was once described as a “game winner” by pundit Marvin Bartley, could make an impact in front of goal from a right wing position, in which he has played 43 matches in the past for other clubs, per Transfermarkt.

McCowan, as Kuhn did last season, would want to cut inside onto his left foot from a right wing position, which would then open more space for Colby Donovan to attack down the right.

Instead of having Yang and Forrest both wanting to go down the line and clogging up the width, McCowan could come infield to draw attention away from the young full-back, who provided an assist against Sturm Graz.

Celtic star who Lennon dubbed "world-class" was even better than Nygren

This Nakamura-esque Celtic star was even better than Benjamin Nygren against Sturm Graz.

ByDan Emery Oct 24, 2025

Donovan, who has created two ‘big chances’ in three Europa League outings, could, therefore, benefit from Rodgers unleashing McCowan as a Kuhn-esque right winger against Hearts on Sunday, with Nygren through the middle as a striker.

Liverpool’s lavish spending this summer has given them one of the best starting elevens in Europe. New signings like Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak have elevated their attack from players like Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz, who struggled at times last season.

However, even with their big spend, there is still room for them to improve in January and next summer. On deadline day, they secured the signing of Isak but failed to get a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi over the line.

Centre-back is one of the positions where the squad is thinnest, and when Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are out, they only have Joe Gomez and new youngster Giovanni Leoni as naturals in the position. Guehi will be available as a free agent next summer, but Real Madrid are now looking to snatch him up.

Another position that needs some reinforcement is the deeper part of the midfield. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch are the three most common faces in midfield, but when they’re rotated, options are only really Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo, with the latter often being utilised in a makeshift defensive role.

Due to this, the Premier League champions are looking at bringing in another midfielder so they can compete across the Champions League and the domestic competitions.

Stiller the new name in midfield hunt

A number of midfielders have been linked with the Liverpool midfield role next summer but a new name in contention is Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller. On Liverpool’s 2026 summer transfer business, transfer journalist Graham Bailey said: “In my opinion, Liverpool are going to want another CDM next year, a top-class one.

“Angelo Stiller would do that role, but I do personally wonder whether Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton would be higher up in the pecking order; obviously, they would come with significantly higher price tags. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see Liverpool getting involved in those conversations a bit more.”

Stiller is currently valued at around £40 million, but Wharton and Baleba could both be double that or even more. In the summer, Manchester United decided not to pursue the Brighton midfielder after it was made clear they wouldn’t drop their asking price below £100 million.

Stiller indicates shift in desired profile

The shift in focus from Wharton and Baleba to Stiller is not just a monetary change but a stylistic one. Wharton and Baleba’s strengths lie defensively, whereas Stiller is more of a ball-playing footballer, more in the vein of Pedri, who FBREF rank as a similar profile.

24/25 Season Stats Per 90
	Passes	Tackles
Baleba	38.8	2.67
Wharton	37.5	2.33
Stiller	72.8	1.61
Pedri	75.1	1.91

Based on these metrics, it seems that Liverpool is after a different profile midfielder rather than a cheaper one. Slot is clearly looking for a player who can play the ball well and support with ball progression.

This season has demonstrated that even the midfielders who would be expected to be contributing defensively, like Gravenberch, are also expected to contribute in attack. While Slot’s side has conceded a significant amount of goals this season, they are winning games by outscoring teams, and this may be why there has been a shift in target to a midfielder like Stiller.