Australia marched into a commanding position at the end of day one in Adelaide, the top-order grit of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne denying England any pink-ball sparkle in their attempts to fight back in the series. The withdrawal of Pat Cummins, after Australia’s new captain was forced into isolation by South Australia’s Covid-19 regulations, forced a last-minute rejig of the home XI but thereafter proceedings followed a familiar script.After Warner had fallen just short of three figures for the second innings in succession, Labuschagne walked off unbeaten at the close but still waiting for a maiden Ashes hundred. It was far from his most fluent innings, but England only had themselves to blame for not seeing the back of him earlier – Jos Buttler twice dropping the Australia No. 3, most egregiously when he was on 95 and clinging to his wicket as the pink ball zipped around under the floodlights.Steven Smith, resuming the Australia captaincy in unexpected circumstances for the first time since his 2018 ban for ball-tampering, won the toss and duly opted to bat. It was hard going at times, but a 172-run stand for the second wicket between Warner and Labuschagne ensured Australia took a position from which, in Smith’s words, they could hope to “control the game”. England’s five-man pace attack asked plenty of questions but ultimately managed as many wickets as catches dropped – one of them, ironically enough, via a superb Buttler take.Related

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England struck early through the returning Stuart Broad, playing his 150th Test, but they were kept at bay during the afternoon and evening as Australia’s second-wicket pair resumed a productive association that has now yielded six century stands. Warner seemed set to raise the individual hundred he missed out on in Brisbane, following a watchful innings that blossomed as the sun began to set – only to thrash a Ben Stokes ball to Broad in the covers for 95.Remarkably, following an unbeaten 335 against Pakistan in 2019 and having not played against India last summer, it was Warner’s first Test dismissal at Adelaide since the 2017-18 Ashes.Labuschagne’s innings was as dependably quirky as ever, loud cries of “No ruuuuuuuuuuuun!” punctuating his obdurate stay at the crease. Having moved quickly to 10 from his first nine balls, he was successfully tied down by England, playing out 37 consecutive dots before an attempt to break free saw an angled dab at Ben Stokes fly through the slip cordon at catchable height.Stokes targeted Labuschagne with a sustained short-ball attack throughout the day, and it should have borne fruit shortly after the dinner break, a gloved pull down the leg side put down by Buttler despite the wicketkeeper getting a full hand to the ball. Labuschagne’s efforts to reinforce his bubble brought out some of his famed eccentricities – the decision to duck a bouncer later in the same over bringing an enthusiastic, “Yeah, well played, Marn!”His thoughts on the hard-handed attempt to punch James Anderson through the covers in the 85th over of the day went unrecorded, but Buttler’s error ensured it went unpunished.Marnus Labuschagne gets down to sweep•Getty Images

Chances were few and far between on an attritional day. Warner took 20 balls to get off the mark, twice surviving ambitious England reviews as he fought to stay afloat after losing his opening partner, Marcus Harris. Australia were 1 for 11 after the first ten overs – their slowest start to a Test innings in the last 20 years – and the session was into the second hour before Warner connected with an attacking stroke, as Chris Woakes was flogged through the covers.Both he and Labuschagne began to open up as the ball and the England attack lost their hardness, although it was not until the 41st over that Australia’s run rate rose above two an over – Warner launching some more short stuff from Stokes over cover and through backward square leg to bring up a 108-ball half-century, his third-slowest in Tests. Labuschagne nearly tickled the pink straight to leg slip when facing Root’s offbreaks, before bringing up his own fifty, from 156 balls, shortly before the tea interval.Having left out Jack Leach – the first time England had not picked a spinner in an Ashes Test since Headingley 2001 – Root filled in capably but the sight of him bowling a leg-stump line as Australia passed 200 two down, at a time when they were supposed to be creating twilit havoc, summed up their day.With Anderson and Broad back in harness after being left out at the Gabba, England made a disciplined start. Broad’s first ball to Warner since dominating the Australia opener during the 2019 Ashes – seven dismissals from 104 balls – brought an optimistic lbw appeal, and Harris was also in the crosshairs, given out lbw in the sixth over only to be saved by a review.Harris did not last much longer, falling to a superb diving catch from Buttler. Whether Broad intended to pitch the ball quite as short and leg side as he did, England were certainly looking at that mode of dismissal, having stationed Haseeb Hameed at leg gully. Harris duly cuffed a pull off splice and glove and although Hameed wouldn’t have got there, Buttler clung on one-handed while in mid-air and fully horizontal.England knew the importance of trying to remove Warner early, having squandered several chances in Brisbane, and reviewed for a catch in the slips off Broad – the DRS showed the ball beating the inside edge before deflecting straight off the thigh pad. Root burned another review a few overs later, when Woakes struck Warner on the front pad. Third umpire Paul Reiffel deliberated at length over replays trying to discern an inside edge before deciding they were inconclusive, only for ball-tracking to show the delivery had pitched outside leg regardless.

David Beckham and Inter Miami looking to "build our Galacticos", with the MLS side following Real Madrid’s model in pursuit of the next Lionel Messi.

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Herons only debuted in 2020Signed Argentine GOAT in 2023Want success well beyond 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United and England legend Beckham, as part of the deal that he signed with the LA Galaxy during his playing days, helped to launch Inter Miami as another expansion franchise in 2020. They have come a long way in the space of five short years.

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Acquiring eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in 2023 helped to accelerate their progress, with a historic Leagues Cup title claimed within weeks of the Argentine’s arrival in the United States. The Herons went on to rewrite the record books last season when savouring Supporters’ Shield success.

GettyWHAT DAVID BECKHAM SAID

Messi remains part of their project for now, with there an extension option in his contract for 2026, but long-term plans are being drawn up in Florida. Beckham has told the new : "You know, my dream was always to bring the best players to Miami. It's not just about bringing the best player there ever was (Messi). We've brought in four superstars in our team.

"Our vision, we wanted to create one of the biggest clubs in the world – and I just think it's good for the sport, I think it's good for the club, I think it's great for the league. It's a tough league. And it's a tough league to win a championship but as an owner of Miami, we want to win – it's simple as that."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Beckham went on to say: "Yes, we've got great players here at the moment in Leo, Sergio, Jordi and Luis. But we have to always look forward. We also have to have conversations about 'OK, where do we go next. What do we do next? Who do we bring in?' And I think this is a league that really needs stars."

Arne Slot's side were forced to hold on in the second half at Anfield, but just about did enough to earn victory

Liverpool re-established their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah secured a nervy 2-1 win for the Reds over Wolves on Sunday.

The Reds took control early on as Diaz got on the end of Salah's deflected cross and managed to bundle the ball home with his stomach for his first goal of 2025. The Colombian then drew goalkeeper Jose Sa into a foul inside the penalty area, with Salah on hand to convert from the spot and open up a two-goal lead before half-time.

It looked likely to be a straightforward afternoon for Arne Slot's side at that point, but Wolves emerged with more attacking intent after the break, and after Alexis Mac Allister blocked a close-range effort from Matheus Cunha, Alisson Becker had to be on his toes to deny Marshall Munetsi.

At the other end, Salah had a goal ruled out for offside while VAR rescinded a penalty that Diogo Jota thought he had won, and eventually Liverpool were made to pay for not putting the game away as Cunha curled a 20-yard effort into the bottom corner.

The hosts struggled to create chances of their own in response, and substitute Jarell Quansah had to produce a superb block to keep Munetsi from scoring a late equaliser. In the end, however, there was to be no repeat of Wednesday's night's dramatic draw at Everton as the leaders held out for victory.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Alisson Becker (7/10):

  Superb one-on-one save denied Munetsi early in the second half and showed good handling throughout. Had no chance with Cunha's curled finish.

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (4/10):

  Passing was sloppy from kick-off while he struggled defensively when Ait-Nouri came forward. Looked rusty after a couple of weeks on the sidelines, and was replaced just past the hour mark.

  Ibrahima Konate (5/10):

  Snuffed out a couple of early attacks, but slightly fortunate to avoid a red card after two clumsy challenges resulted in just the solitary booking. Substituted at the break so as to avoid him being sent off.

  Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

  Seemed to be three steps ahead of everyone else on the pitch as he put in a dominant display. Cut out counter-attacks, blocked crosses and won plenty of duels around his penalty area.

  Andrew Robertson (6/10):

  Posed an attacking threat, as per, but still doesn't always convince defensively.

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Ryan Gravenberch (5/10):

  A presence in midfield, but couldn't have his usual influence on proceedings. Sold himself too easily for Cunha's strike.

  Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

  Played his part in both Liverpool goals with fine passes forward, and kept the hosts ticking over in possession. Also made a superb block to deny Cunha immediately after half-time.

  Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

  Worked tirelessly in midfield, but only showed glimpses of his quality when in possession.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Mohamed Salah (7/10):

  Got his goal from the penalty spot and played his part on laying on the opener, but a lot of what he tried didn't quite come off. Still ended up being the match-winner, though.

  Diogo Jota (7/10):

  Never gave his former club a moment's peace. Superb touch and turn led to the opening goal and went close on a couple of occasions. Disappointing dive to try and win a penalty the only mark against him.

  Luis Diaz (8/10):

  Looked far more comfortable coming off the left than he has centrally in recent weeks, and though his goal came with some fortune, he showed good energy to bundle the ball home. Also won the penalty before being sacrificed for Endo's solidity in the final 20 minutes.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Jarell Quansah (7/10):

  On at half-time and needed some time to get up to speed. Eventually found his bearings before a superb block denied Munetsi late on.

  Conor Bradley (6/10):

  Combined well with Salah down the right after replacing Alexander-Arnold.

  Darwin Nunez (5/10):

  Struggled to have much impact despite being given almost 30 minutes on the pitch.

  Wataru Endo (6/10):

  Did give away a couple of fouls in dangerous areas, but Wolves were far less threatening after he was introduced for the final 20 minutes.

  Arne Slot (6/10):

  Even if it was enforced by Gakpo's injury, moving Diaz out to the left certainly paid off. However, the way his team allowed Wolves to get back into the game will be a concern, even if his substitutions did eventually stem the tide somewhat.

Despite picking up a much-needed 4-0 victory in the Europa League against FCSB, it wasn’t all good news for Rangers, who have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of St. Mirren this weekend.

Rangers injury news

It was so very nearly the perfect night at Ibrox, with Rangers sweeping their Romanian opposition aside in impressive fashion. Tom Lawrence opened the scoring with just 10 minutes on the clock, before Vaclav Cerny’s brace either side of the break all but sealed the points and Hamza Igamane turned a comfortable victory into an evening to savour for the Gers with just 20 minutes remaining.

Philippe Clement’s attention must now turn to getting his side back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership as his side square off against St. Mirren this weekend. The Gers already sit six points adrift of leaders Celtic and second place Aberdeen and cannot afford to drop any more points after losing late on against Kilmarnock last time out.

That said, a double injury blow may well make their task that much more difficult. As confirmed by Clement and relayed by Rangers Review, both Tom Lawrence and Cyriel Dessers are doubts to face St. Mirren after coming off injured against FCSB.

More touches than Cerny: Rangers star with 95% pass rate stole the show

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Clement issued an update on the duo, telling reporters after Dessers suffered an eye injury: “I’m not an eye specialist. I’ve a lot of things to do at this club, but that’s not one of those things. We will see how he is in the next couple of days.”

After what looked like a worse knock for Lawrence, the Rangers boss told reporters: “Tom Lawrence got a bad knock, so we need to see how he is and what we can do with that.”

"Emotional" Dessers must find Rangers form

Amid their inconsistency, Rangers have desperately lacked the talisman that Dessers must become sooner rather than later. The 29-year-old has scored just three goals in eight games so far this season and showcased his frustrations after being forced off through injury against FCSB.

Clement explained the forward’s disappointment following the injury after he walked straight down the tunnel, telling reporters: “He apologised for that. He was so emotional. He was hungry to score, hungry to play good for the team.

“He got a knock on his eye and lost eyesight. He could not see anything any more or not enough to play so he was emotional in that moment because he didn’t want to come off. But he could not play.

“Afterwards he said, ‘Sorry manager I should have stayed longer and sit down and give time for the rest’ but it was an emotional reaction of a player who is very hungry to play.”

It’s the type of luck that Dessers could do without as he looks to make things finally work at Ibrox. Whether he gets the chance to do just that against St. Mirren remains to be seen, however.

Looking to make up for their summer failure, Newcastle United and PIF have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a big-money striker in 2025, who would take Eddie Howe’s frontline up another level entirely.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s no surprise that the Magpies are already looking to steal the headlines on the transfer front after such an inactive summer left them without some much-needed reinforcements. Howe may be desperate to see his side boosted by fresh faces in both the January transfer window and next summer amid links emerging to the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo in recent weeks.

Mbeumo would be a particularly impressive move. The Brentford star has been in excellent form throughout the current campaign and represents a player who would offer Newcastle an instant upgrade on their right-hand side. This time around, Paul Mitchell will be hoping to get his targets over the line too, having spent the majority of last summer on a failed chase to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

With attacking options in mind, meanwhile, the Magpies could welcome what would be their most impressive transfer yet under PIF. According to reliable reporter Lee Ryder of Chronicle Live, PIF and Newcastle are among those set to be offered the chance to sign Victor Osimhen next summer.

Development: Newcastle given boost over injury return of £90,000-a-week ace

A major boost for the Magpies.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2024

The Galatasaray star – on loan from Napoli – looked destined to join Chelsea or complete a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer before neither move came to fruition. Frozen out at Napoli as a result, Galatasaray emerged as a shock destination for the Nigerian international, who has a £113m release clause.

Thriving ever since under Jose Mourinho, Osimhen will once again be among the headlines when his loan spell comes to an end in Turkey at the end of the season and Newcastle potentially strike.

"Fantastic" Osimhen would take Newcastle up a level

The prospect, alone, of Osimhen and Alexander Isak’s potential partnership is enough to send Newcastle into a dreamland which could yet become their reality in 2025. Of course, Osimhen’s reported £113m release clause doesn’t exactly make the deal an easy one to pull off, especially amid profit and sustainability concerns at St James’ Park, but the Nigerian would undoubtedly take Howe’s side up a level or two.

Scoring six goals and assisting a further four in eight games as a Galatasaray player so far this season, Osimhen earned deserved praise from Mourinho, who told reporters as relayed by The Independent: “Osimhen is a fantastic player, he is a player that if I was in a club with the potential to pay £70-75m I would buy.

“He is a fantastic player. Of course, he came [to Turkey] in different circumstances but it doesn’t matter the circumstances. What matters is that Galatasaray have got a really fantastic player.”

When next summer arrives and Osimhen once again has his sights set on a big move away from Napoli, Newcastle should do everything in their power to secure his signature and deal the likes of Chelsea a major blow in the process.

A club are struggling to tie down their star player who has been called the “perfect” forward for Arsenal, and it is believed the Gunners are among the sides who could look to take advantage of this situation in 2025.

Arsenal targeting new attackers for next year

Their hopes of a first Premier League title in 21 years have faded quite dramatically in the last month, with Arsenal failing to win a single league game since their 3-1 victory over Southampton in early October.

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 13, 2024

This disappointing run of form has left them nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, and despite it still being quite early in the campaign, that is a huge gap to overcome against a Reds side who look near-unbeatable right now.

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Arsenal were widely tipped to clinch the title after two successive seasons falling short behind long-reigning English dominators Man City, but it appears Arne Slot’s Liverpool are in pole position to upset the apple-cart and loosen Pep Guardiola’s stranglehold on the trophy.

Amidst their concerning on-field run of form, Arteta must also contend with the loss of influential sporting director Edu Gaspar, who left his post last Monday. Edu was responsible for overseeing the club’s rebuild, leading the charge for a host of key signings, and now interim director Jason Ayto must lead Arsenal’s pursuit of a new forward for the time being.

Indeed, after missing out on a striker in the summer, there is a belief that Arsenal are keen to sign a centre-forward who can relieve the pressure off Kai Havertz’s shoulders.

Gabriel Jesus hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season, and there are growing concerns over the £265,000-per-week Brazilian’s suitability to lead Arsenal’s forward line.

This has resulted in speculation that Arsenal have made contact over Victor Osimhen, a player they’ve long been linked with, while another high-profile striker in Viktor Gyokeres is said to be on Arteta’s radar as well.

Newcastle struggling to seal new Isak deal as Arsenal eye move

Meanwhile, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak has been sporadically linked throughout 2024 as well. The Sweden international has just hit a rich vein of form, scoring in each of Newcastle’s last four games in all competitions, but Eddie Howe’s side are encountering “hurdles” in talks over a new deal.

That is according to The Boot Room, who also state that Isak’s camp have been left “shocked” over Newcastle’s stance on a new contract for the 25-year-old. They also write that Arsenal remain interested in Isak as Newcastle struggle to agree an extension, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City among his other prestigious suitors.

Isak’s Premier League pedigree and proven top level goalscoring is a real temptation for Arsenal to spend what needs to be big money on the former Real Sociedad star, with journalist Charles Watts also calling him the “perfect” striker for Arteta.

The India Test captain is back to reclaim his spot in the XI for the Mumbai Test, but who will sit out? He isn’t telling just yet

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-20215:11

Kohli: ‘We are not playing in normal times’

Virat Kohli is back in international cricket after a break, during which he skipped the T20I series against New Zealand completely and then essentially chose to step off the treadmill and spend time working on his game rather than jump right back into Test cricket. While India played the Kanpur Test, Kohli worked with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Mumbai, which is where he lives.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US

India vs New Zealand is available in the US on ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to live coverage of the 2nd Test in English or in Hindi.

Kohli is now back refreshed and recharged, and emphasised on the need to look after one’s mental well-being in this bio-bubbles era of cricket. “It is very important to understand that it is crucial to refresh yourself mentally,” Kohli said a day before the Mumbai Test. “When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match.”Since the situation has changed [with bio-bubbles being introduced as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic], a lot of people have spoken about how difficult it is in bubble life. Our players’ understanding and management’s communication is good, we have spoken a lot about how to manage the workload. More than workload, giving them mental space.Related

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“From my personal experience, I can tell you that practising in an environment where you were not in a structured environment and there weren’t 50 cameras trained at you… we could do that previously, we would have windows where you could step aside and individually work on your game or take some time off where you are not doing the same thing every day. That makes a lot of difference.”To maintain the quality of cricket, to maximise the ability of the cricketers, to keep them in a good space, it is very important to consider this. Not just our team, but across the world, players are in the mindset to manage the workload, more from the mental point of view rather than physical.””When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match”•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli has now gone two years of international cricket without a century. This period has included the break because of the pandemic and his paternity leave, but 12 Tests and 15 ODIs is the longest he has had to wait for a century. Was there anything specific he felt he needed to work on during this week spent away from the spotlight? No, said Kohli.”It was just to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket,” he said. “The idea was to get repetition and volume, which is important in Test cricket. It is just about getting into the mould of switching in-between formats, something that I have always tried to do. Whenever I get the opportunity to get some time to work on setting up for different formats. It is more so mentally than doing anything technique-wise. The more cricket you play, you understand your game more. It is just about getting into that headspace that you want to play in a certain way in a certain format. It was purely based on that.”There is no soft landing for Kohli. Straight off the bat, he has to make a tricky call on who should make way for him in the XI. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have had low returns for a while now, and Shreyas Iyer has amplified that with a century and a half-century on debut. Kohli didn’t give any information on what changes to expect, but spoke on dealing with such tough calls on a human level, mainly handling the person who is left out.2:12

Agarwal or Rahane: Who will sit out when Kohli is back?

“You have to obviously understand the situation of where the team is placed,” Kohli said. “You have to understand where individuals stand at certain stages during the course of a long season. So you have to obviously communicate well. You have to speak to the individuals, and approach them in a way where you explain things to them properly. Mostly it has been combination-based whenever we have done changes in the past.”We have explained it to the individuals, and they have understood the mindset behind going in with a certain combination. It is not a difficult thing to do when there is collective trust and belief in the group that we are working towards the same vision. Along the line, there are ups and downs, and we understand that as cricketers and sportspeople in general.”It is never a thing that you say that I am absolutely okay or happy about being told that the combination doesn’t allow me to play. That is the dynamic of team sport, and we prioritise the team first, and making sure we take care of individuals along the way. That’s something we have done consistently as a Test team.”We have backed the set of players that have done the job for the Indian team the last five-six years. We maintain and continue to maintain they are the integral part of the larger scheme of things, of the core group of the Indian Test team. They have always been players we have relied upon on many occasions. And they have done the job. It is upon realising and being aware of what’s happening, and then we find the right space and the right way to approach people. Obviously with the management, the coaching staff, discussions happen in a rounded manner.”

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement saw his side claim a solid point away from home in their latest Europa League tie.

Olympiacos were stern opposition, but a Cyriel Dessers equaliser kept the club’s hopes of reaching the last 16 well and truly alive.

Seven points after four games is a decent total, but the Light Blues do have ties against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the coming months.

They face Hearts at Ibrox today in the Premiership, although they will be without Tom Lawrence due to injury.

Tom Lawrence's injury absence

Following the 2-1 win over Motherwell at Hampden Park last weekend, Clement stated that Lawrence suffered a leg knock during the tie and would be ruled out for between 4–6 weeks.

The Welshman has emerged as a key player under the Belgian this season, scoring five goals in 15 appearances for the Gers, while chipping in with three assists too.

Although not the most mobile player in the number ten role, Lawrence has delivered several excellent performances in recent weeks.

His injury comes at the worst time for the club as fixtures will ramp up ahead of the festive season.

For the game against Hearts, Clement will need to unleash one of his summer signings in a slightly different role to what he has been playing of late…

The Rangers star who can replace Lawrence

Nedim Bajrami joined in the summer for a fee in the region of £3.4m and has proven to be one of the club’s most impressive signings so far.

Nedim Bajrami’s Rangers stats

Metric

Premiership

Europa League

Goals

1

1

Assists

0

0

Big chances created

3

5

Successful dribbles per game

2

3.3

Key passes per game

1.3

2.8

Via Sofascore

In 12 games for the Ibrox side, the 25-year-old has scored three goals and grabbed an assist, looking like the type of player that Clement requires to fit his system.

The Albanian has been forced to play out on the left flank due to injuries to several wingers. This clearly isn’t impacting his performances. In Europe, the midfielder has created five big chances, averages 2.8 key passes per game and succeeds with an impressive 3.3 dribbles per game – a success rate of 72% – which proves he is contributing effectively from the flank.

These skills could be transferred to a more central position, however, filling the void left by Lawrence over the next few weeks.

For Sassuolo last season, Bajrami played 15 times as an attacking midfielder, registering four goal contributions in the process – three goals and one assist.

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

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This should be all the evidence Clement needs to unleash his summer signing in a new role for the club, one that saw him shine last term in Serie A.

There is no doubt the former Sassuolo gem can cause the Hearts’ defence all sorts of problems, regardless of where he plays. But due to Lawrence’s injury, Bajrami being unleashed just behind Dessers could prove to be a wise tactical change that may lead the club to victory this afternoon.

Related Rangers loan star is now worth £20m & better than Bajrami after leaving

Rangers had the chance to sign a former loan star for £5m…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Nov 9, 2024

The Reds may be 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, but they could unquestionably do with a striker like the Swede

A delighted Andy Robertson said after Liverpool's 2-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday, "This afternoon couldn't have gone much better." And the Scotland left-back had a point.

Arne Slot's tactical tweaks for the game at the Etihad worked a treat, with his decision to play a striker-less system featuring two No.10s (Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai) in between regular wingers Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah playing a pivotal role in the Reds recording their first clean sheet in the Premier League for five games.

Jones and Szoboszlai worked tirelessly all afternoon, making life incredibly uncomfortable for City's players with their constant pressing while also carrying a threat on the counter-attack. Just like Salah, Szoboszlai both scored and created a goal during one of his most impressive performances to date for Liverpool, who took full advantage of Arsenal's loss at West Ham the day before to move 11 points clear of the second-placed Gunners at the top of the table.

However, the mere fact that Slot fielded a team without an orthodox centre-forward highlighted his squad's lack of reliable No.9 and, on Wednesday at Anfield, Alexander Isak has another opportunity to show why he could be the missing link in Liverpool's attack.

• AFP
  

  Persistent fitness problems

  Slot's post-match revelation that Diogo Jota "could only play 60" minutes of last Wednesday's 2-2 with Aston Villa was depressingly unsurprising.

  The forward may have missed a glorious chance towards the tail end of the first half, but he was having "a very good game", as his manager admitted, having already teed up Salah for the opener. He'd also just hit the bar with a fine strike from just outside the area before being replaced by Darwin Nunez.

  However, Slot explained that he had to protect Jota, who only returned from his latest muscular issue in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on August 12. The thinking was that an early withdrawal would ensure that the injury-prone Portuguese would be available for Sunday's trip to the Etihad. He wasn't, though.

  Jota informed Slot on Saturday that he "wasn't fully recovered yet", with the versatile Cody Gakpo also only fit to take a seat on the bench while Federico Chiesa is yet to be trusted to start a single league since joining from Juventus last summer. Slot, then, was faced with the usual Nunez dilemma.

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• Getty Images
  

  Passenger

  The Uruguayan had missed a sitter after coming on for Jota at Villa Park, and was so badly affected by the failure in front of goal that he became a passenger for the remainder of the game, leading to a very rare public rebuke from Slot.

  "I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that's scored for us in the home game against Villa. Players miss chances, that I can accept," the Reds boss said. "But what was a bit harder for me to accept [was] his behaviour after that chance, and with behaviour I mean I think it got too much in his head where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his [backside] off and makes sure he helps the team.

  "I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe – we will never know, we will never find out – that's why he was just a fraction short [in] the moment afterwards. It's not about the chance for me, it's more about the 20 minutes afterwards where I want to talk to him about than about him missing a chance."

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  Time to move on

  What little hope Nunez had of replacing Jota up top against City was effectively killed by his calamitous cameo against Villa. Slot knew that Liverpool were going to have to work incredibly hard at the Etihad as it was, and he decided against picking the maddeningly inconsistent striker because "defending in and around his box is not Darwin's main strength".

  Obviously, Nunez's pace could have been useful on the break, but it's not like he could have any complaints about being left out given he's failed to contribute a goal or assist in the league since the middle of January. There were moments of real encouragement and progress during his first two years at Liverpool, but this season has been a step backwards.

  He's simply not good enough to start up front for Liverpool and it now appears inevitable that he will be offloaded at the end of the current campaign, with the Reds likely praying that another Saudi Pro League club will make a generous offer for the former Benfica ace this summer, after Al-Nassr's advances were rejected during the January transfer window.

  The club's stance may have made sense at the time, as it would have been risky to sell Nunez in the middle of a title challenge without a replacement already lined up in the notoriously difficult January transfer window, but it will be a different story in June, particularly as his sale would generate funds for a forward truly worthy of Liverpool's No.9 jersey.

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  Isak's 'excellent form'

  It was reported last month that Slot sees Isak as the 'perfect' striker for his side – and there's really no reason to doubt the veracity of those claims. There's probably not a manager in the world that wouldn't want the Swede in his side right now. On the eve of Newcastle's visit to Anfield, Slot even felt compelled to correct a journalist who had pointed out that Isak was in "fine form" going into the game.

  "I think that's an understatement," the former Feyenoord coach said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "He is in excellent form!" And has been pretty much ever since he last faced Liverpool.

  Isak's thumping strike in the 3-3 draw with the Reds at St. James' Park on December 4 was the first of 11 goals in eight consecutive Premier League games. After Sunday's double in Newcastle's 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest, he now has 19 in 24 outings so far this season – only Salah has more (25), and the idea that the two could be lining up alongside one another next season is a mouth-watering prospect for Liverpool supporters.

  One imagines that captain Virgil van Dijk would also dearly love to play with Isak rather than against him, given the 25-year-old is one of the few attackers in world football that has actually managed to ruffle the Dutchman in recent seasons with his blistering pace and clever movement.

Sat one point adrift of safety in the Championship and sacking Tim Walter as a result, one manager is now reportedly in pole position to take the vacant managerial role at Hull City, who desperately need to get their next appointment right.

Hull City's Tim Walter replacement

Having failed to win in nine games, Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat against relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday proved to be the final straw in Walter’s reign, with Hull left with no choice but to end his time in charge. Taking over from Liam Rosenior was never going to be an easy task, given that he took his side within three points of the play-offs last season, but the Tigers made their bed by sacking their former manager and watched on as Walter struggled since.

Releasing a statement after parting ways with Walter, Hull said: “Hull City can confirm we have parted company with head coach Tim Walter with immediate effect. Assistant head coaches Julian Hübner and Filip Tapalović have also left the club.

“First-team coach Andy Dawson will take interim charge while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a permanent successor. We would like to thank Tim, Julian and Filip for their efforts during their time at the MKM Stadium and wish them well for the future.”

Back to the drawing board, the Tigers may have already identified their next manager. According to TalkSport journalist Alex Crook, Slavisa Jokanovic is now in pole position to become the next Hull manager and is the leading candidate to replace Walter.

Out of a job since leaving Dynamo Moscow in 2023, Jokanovic could return to take his fourth job in English football, having enjoyed mixed success at both Sheffield United and Fulham. Earning promotion twice from the Championship, the 56-year-old represents an option who would likely do more than just take Hull to safety in England’s second tier.

"Proven" Jokanovic would be a wise appointment

Unexpectedly in the Championship’s bottom three, now is the time that Hull must turn towards experience rather than gambling like they did when sacking Rosenior at the end of last season. Jokanovic is more than capable of taking the Tigers towards their play-off ambitions too. He’s already got two promotions on an impressive CV, but taking Hull back to the Premier League would arguably be his best achievement in English football yet.

The manager earned plenty of praise the last time that he returned to English football, with Sky Sports’ Tim Thornton saying after his arrival at Sheffield United was confirmed: “Two-and-a-half months after the departure of Chris Wilder, Sheffield United have got their new first team manager. Jokanovic comes in on a three-year contract.

“He’s been managing in Qatar since 2019 but he’s someone with a proven track record in the Championship having already gained promotion at Watford and Fulham.”

It is, of course, early days in Hull’s managerial hunt but picking Jokanovic out of the leading pack could instantly be a wise decision, given the Tigers’ long-term ambitions.