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Manchester United are continuing to build under Ruben Amorim, and they will look to move in the right direction over the coming weeks, even if the Portuguese boss has shared a little bit of frustration over one matter at Old Trafford.

Roy Keane drops verdict on Ruben Amorim's Man Utd future

Undoubtedly, the future of Amorim has been the main talking point at Manchester United this season, a topic that has gained attention after Sir Jim Ratcliffe made it clear he will have three years to build a legacy at Old Trafford.

In years gone by, the Red Devils have changed managers, but it hasn’t necessarily brought long-term success or stability to the club in their Premier League finishes. For some, it would be only fair for the Portuguese boss to get an extended crack of the whip to craft his system.

Nevertheless, Roy Keane has cast doubt on whether three years will be afforded to Amorim, claiming in the build-up before Manchester United’s win at Liverpool that results will ultimately determine his fate.

He said on Sky Sports: “I’m not so sure about that. It’s all well and good getting the backing off the board, but results have to improve. You hope, of course, any manager is given time. Whether he will get three years to play with depends how they do over the next few months. They have picked up a little bit – with the new attacking players they look more of a goal threat.”

While Manchester United continue to invest in young talent for the future, the here and now is what is important and the stars that are in the building are the ones in control of building consistency on the pitch.

Man Utd want to sign gem loved by Frank Lampard as part of INEOS strategy

The Red Devils are now plotting a new addition.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Oct 19, 2025

Despite this, Amorim has let out a little bit of frustration regarding one of his players’ recent exploits, even if his comments come in good faith.

Ruben Amorim opens up on Bruno Fernandes' penalty duties

In comments relayed by GOAL before the win at Liverpool, Amorim expressed frustration at Bruno Fernandes missing penalties for Manchester United against Fulham and Brentford, though confirmed he will remain on duties regardless.

Ultimately, £300,000 per week earner Fernandes has been a big game player for Manchester United over the years and never shirks responsibility, setting up Harry Maguire’s winner at Anfield, and unfortunate events will happen from time to time, given that he is their go-to man.

Nevertheless, nobody will argue that his contribution at Old Trafford isn’t absolutely pivotal to the cause, which is why Amorim retains full trust in his captain to deliver when called upon.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not being ungrateful, I’m grateful that we’re still playing, we’re still doing our job”

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2021Bubble life has “definitely taken a toll” on West Indies allrounder Andre Russell because of the restrictions, quarantine rules imposed on players as more and more international series and T20 tournaments are being played around the world during the pandemic. Russell last represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the truncated IPL and will now show up for the Quetta Gladiators in the 2021 PSL, which is likely to resume on June 9.”I think it’s taking a toll on myself,” Russell told from Abu Dhabi, where the rest of the PSL is scheduled to be played. “I can’t talk for any other player, or coaches or anyone that goes through this whole quarantine stuff. But it’s definitely taken a toll on me mentally because from bubble to bubble, in a room locked in, you can’t go out for a walk, you can’t go certain places, you can’t socialise, it’s different.”But at the end of the day, I’m not being ungrateful, I’m grateful that we’re still playing, we’re still doing our job. So it’s tough for us. But even though we prepared for it, it still takes a toll.”Related

• Explained: Life inside the PSL bubble in Abu Dhabi

• How the PSL plans to beat the Abu Dhabi heat

• Start of Pakistan's tour to England delayed to make room for PSL

• Andre Russell retained by Jamaica Tallawahs

• Russell returns to WI squad for SA, Australia, Pakistan series

Russell said he tries to utilise the time and space in hotel rooms during quarantine by doing a variety of exercises.”So for me, I like to have a bike or something in my room so that I can get my heart rate up,” he said. “I would utilise the space that I have, go on the floor, do some of some push-ups. For some exercise, I use stuff in the room to just get something done.”The PSL is currently slated to go on from June 7 to 24 for the remaining 20 games in Abu Dhabi where players and personnel are undergoing varying days of quarantine. Players, especially, will be bracing themselves for the UAE heat which is expected to shoot temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius during the day. Russell has the experience of playing in hot conditions before, but he said this time it’s going to be “a bit different” because players will have to acclimatise quickly as soon as they come out of quarantine.”I have played in hot conditions before. But I was in competition, playing games, having proper net sessions and back and forth, getting used to the condition and fully acclimatised,” Russell said. “However, in this case, it’s going to be a bit different where we are in quarantine and then we just gonna get out and have a few practice sessions and then go straight into the games.”The night won’t be as bad as the day games but if it’s a day game, we just have to be up for the challenge. We are professionals, so we have to condition our minds to deal with the heat and the weather.”Known for his brutal power-hitting, Russell also said a batter with a proper technique can also provide great value in T20s with a different set of skills.”The more power you have as a batter, the more fear you bring into the bowler,” he said. “But for a guy with a proper batting technique, he can pick the gaps, he can score boundaries whenever he wants, then it still adds up.”Russell also spoke about the one-year ban he was handed in early 2017 for a doping code violation and said the incident had opened his eyes.”It was tough for me. It was definitely an era that I wish I could just be careful and just get it done at that time. But, the past is the past, it’s already happened, it definitely opened my eyes to reality and life,” he said.Soon after the PSL, Russell will play in the T20I series against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan at home in June and July before representing the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL which starts on August 28 and then head to the UAE again for the remainder of IPL 2021.

Rico Lewis' rise into Manchester City's senior squad has been meteoric, and Pep Guardiola can't help but shower praise on the versatile youngster.

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• Guardiola praises Lewis' versatility
• Lewis becoming a starter for Man City
• Started all six matches this season

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lewis made his Manchester City debut in 2022 and had been one of the fringe players for Guardiola, the same continued at the start of last season. However, with Kyle Walker ageing and a number of injuries hitting City's squad towards the end of the season, Lewis became a regular in the first team having played in a number of positions.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  So far this season, Lewis has started all of Manchester City's games and is likely to do so again against Arsenal as well. The 19-year-old has mainly played as a defensive midfielder for Guardiola but also fulfilled the duties of a full-back during their last game against Brentford. The Spanish coach has not shied away from praising the England international for his versatility.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Speaking to the media, Guardiola said: “He can play in all positions.

  “I see sometimes when players are asked, they say ‘yeah I’m a holding midfielder’ or ‘I am a winger’ – Rico can play football and you put him in a position, and he knows exactly what he has to do.

  “All the games he has played so far, he has been really, really good and that’s why he’s deserved the minutes he has had so far.

  “He’s so good in so many aspects – he always wins the ball, he’s so intelligent defensively and so aggressive one vs one.

  “He played against one of the best wingers in Europe and of course he can come in midfield and play, or centrally and arrive in the final third with intelligence and do many things, but he’s a really, really good defender.”

• WHAT NEXT FOR LEWIS?

  The 19-year-old is likely to be a starter yet again for Guardiola when Manchester City take on Arsenal on Sunday evening as they look to extend their lead atop the Premier League.

Only three runs separated India’s totals in Adelaide 2022 and Guyana 2024, but in every other sense the innings were a world apart

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Jun-20241:33

Dasgupta: Axar a standout performer from game one

How do you measure success in T20s? How do you measure batting success in a T20 World Cup played on predominantly challenging pitches?It’s easiest to measure it individually. Rohit Sharma is currently the third-highest run-getter in this T20 World Cup, with 248 runs at an average of 41.33 and a strike rate of 155.97. Virat Kohli has made 75 at an average of 10.71 and a strike rate of 100.00. You could look at those numbers and say that Rohit has been a resounding success and Kohli…well, not so much.The truth, if there’s such a thing, is a lot more complicated, in a fickle format made fickler by the conditions in play in this tournament. It’s a lot more complicated because batting in T20, much more than in the other formats, is a team thing.Related

• Axar's powerplay plan: Make it difficult for England 'without doing anything extraordinary'

• Rohit, Axar and Kuldeep lead India's dismantling of England in semi-final

• Rohit praises India's 'calmness' after win against England in semi-final

• 'Outplayed' Buttler wishes he had bowled Moeen on turning Providence pitch

The truth, or something approaching that, is that both Rohit and Kohli have tried to bat in a way that has challenged them, a way that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to either of them, knowing that to bat this way is to walk a thin line between high-impact innings and early dismissal. They’ve both embraced this way of batting because if a line-up with depth, quality, and diverse skillsets bats this way, enough individuals will likely come good on most days and contribute to totals that give their team a strong chance of winning games.In a tournament like this World Cup, where a batter can play a maximum of ten innings, to embrace this way of batting is to embrace the chance that you could end up with ordinary-looking numbers.

****

It has fallen to Kohli to get to the last lap of this World Cup with ordinary-looking numbers, but it’s unlikely anyone in his dressing room will think he’s batted poorly.On Thursday morning in Providence, he hit what may have been the sweetest-timed six of India’s semi-final against England, an exquisite bottom-handed swipe (T20 is the natural home of the oxymoronic shot description) over wide long-on, off Reece Topley. Next ball, he was bowled while attempting a not dissimilar shot off a ball that was a little bit shorter, and laden with extra risk on a pitch where the ball frequently kept low.This wasn’t necessarily a pitch for the dominant bottom hand and the closed bat-face, but batting is a thing of instinct and muscle memory.Not long before Kohli’s dismissal, Rohit had attempted a closed-bat-face whip over the leg side, also off Topley. He had top-edged it for four.Virat Kohli fell early, but there was more to it than met the eye•Getty ImagesThis day was Rohit’s, not Kohli’s; this World Cup has gone much the same way, so far.This is an account of a magnificent, match-winning innings from Rohit, but we have spent a good chunk of time talking about Kohli, because batting in T20, as mentioned earlier, is much more of a team thing than it is in the other formats. It’s important, then, that we put things in context.This was a T20 World Cup semi-final against England. Naturally, a lot of the context had to do with another T20 World Cup semi-final against England: Adelaide, November 10, 2022.On that day, an utterly out-of-rhythm Rohit and a fluent but risk-averse Kohli had between them contributed 77 off 68 balls to an India total of 168 for 6. Their efforts contributed to an India innings that looked so out of place in the brave new world of T20 that it seemed both Rohit and Kohli were no longer relevant to the format. For more than a year after that match, neither played a single T20I. When they came back in time for this World Cup, it was not without a certain amount of indignation from fans, and a certain amount of trepidation.

****

On Thursday, England won the toss once again, and sent India in once again. Echoes of Adelaide were everywhere.India, though, weren’t batting like they did in Adelaide. A lot of this was down to having a line-up that allowed them to bat differently. They batted all the way down to No. 8, with a 1:1 mix of right- and left-hand options, with pace-hitters and spin-hitters sprinkled through the mix.And a lot of it had to do with their senior-most pair’s complete embrace of this new way.On this day, it was Rohit who had the early luck that allowed him to gain an understanding of the conditions and build a run-scoring strategy.He ended up scoring 57 off 39 balls, and hit six fours and two sixes along the way, but perhaps the defining shots of his innings were a pair of mis-hits off Jofra Archer in the fourth over of India’s innings.Both shots were skewed over the off-side ring, the first over mid-off and the second over the covers, and both earned Rohit two runs. Both came off balls on the fuller side of a good length, angled into the stumps, and on both occasions, the angle would have ordinarily allowed Rohit to attempt whips over the leg side.Rohit Sharma’s intent has led India’s campaign•ICC/Getty ImagesOn this day, though, with the ball stopping on the pitch and keeping low, Rohit was averse to the risk of the closed bat face. The closed face had brought him a lucky boundary off the edge, and it had cost Kohli his wicket.But instinct can be hard to fight. The first of these mis-hits over the off side, in fact, began life as a leg-side flick, before realisation kicked in just as Rohit was about to connect with the ball, enabling him to present as full a bat face as he could under the circumstances, and semi-deliberately chip the ball over mid-off. The intent was still to score as many runs as he could off this ball, and he knew he would likely get two runs if he cleared the fielder on the 30-yard circle.The last ball of the over brought another chipped two, but this time the intent was clearer: this was a chip from start to finish, except the ball stopped on the pitch and didn’t quite come off the middle of the bat.These were ungainly shots, neither qualifying as ‘in control’ by ESPNcricinfo’s strict, binary measure, but on a pitch like this, batters had to be prepared to look for this sort of scoring option if they were to score quickly and put pressure on the opposition. In his street-smart, off-the-cuff way, Rohit was bringing to this T20 innings the old-school virtues of a straight(ish) bat and a full(ish) face.2:18

Review: Are India favourites against South Africa in the final?

Suryakumar Yadav did this too, not long after, against a slower ball from Sam Curran that he might have otherwise flicked with a full twirl of his wrists. On this occasion he checked his bat-swing, presented a full face, and manufactured a boundary down the ground; he wasn’t entirely in control of the shot, but you couldn’t call it a mis-controlled shot either. It fell far enough in that end of the spectrum for ESPNcricinfo to label it as ‘in control’.These shots spoke of a batting line-up finding ways to maximise run-scoring on a tricky pitch. India made 46 for 2 in their powerplay in Providence; on a far truer surface in that Adelaide semi-final, they had made 38 for 1.In Adelaide, India had offered aggressive responses to just seven of the 36 balls they faced in the powerplay, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, scoring 23 runs off them without losing a wicket. In Providence, they played 16 aggressive shots in the powerplay despite losing two wickets to them, picking up 33 runs in the process.In conditions where they could have been excused for minimising risk, they took the brave option more often than not. And when they could help it, and had gained an understanding of the conditions, they did this in a smart, calculated way. This was T20 batting at its best.And with Rohit being Rohit and Suryakumar being Suryakumar, there was, ever so often, batting that defied the conditions. Rohit exposed all his stumps and sent a Topley delivery rocketing to the cover boundary with the most minimal of straight-bat punches. Suryakumar leaned across to the off side and whipped his wrists to lift Chris Jordan over the fine-leg boundary. Sometimes, high-quality shotmakers just do their thing, no explanation needed, because no explanation makes any sense.Suryakumar Yadav played a vital role in the middle order•ICC/Getty ImagesUnderpinning all their efforts, and those of the rest of India’s line-up, however, was a seize-the-moment urgency that wasn’t always a feature of India’s batting in past T20 World Cups. It was this quality that took them to their total of 171 for 7.They had made just three runs more than they had done in Adelaide, but seldom have three runs represented a chasm this wide. In Adelaide, England romped home in just 16 overs, with all ten wickets in hand. In Providence, they batted for three balls longer and were bowled out for 103, a far more accurate reflection of the conditions than India’s total had been.Adelaide 2022 has come to represent something of an inflection point in the history of India’s T20 journey, a reiteration of the lessons they had first been taught in Mumbai 2016. Providence 2024 could yet complete the arc for them, and for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They have tasted contrasting outcomes so far in their embrace of this new way, but it has taken both of them buying in for India to get to this point.

He’s taking over a team that has qualified for two IPL finals and won a title, and needs a big season to push for a place in India’s T20 World Cup XI

Shashank Kishore23-Mar-2024″I don’t know if you’ve looked at the captains photo with the trophy. That’s how different it is.”Shubman Gill summed up in one sentence the different vibe to IPL 2024. He was referring to the changing of the guard among captains. No Dhoni, Rohit or Kohli. Shreyas Iyer is the most experienced leader, while Gill is the newest.The new Gujarat Titans captain has barely any formal leadership experience. He’s led his state side Punjab in just two T20s in 2019-20. That’s two more than his predecessor – and opponent on Sunday, Hardik Pandya – had when he captained Titans to the IPL title in their first season in 2022, and steered them to the final again in 2023. The bar has been set high for Gill.Related

• Hardik arrives in Ahmedabad, away captain at home away from home

• Hardik, Rohit and Gill in focus as Mumbai Indians visit Gujarat Titans

He also takes over as Titans captain in what is going to be a crucial season for him as a batter. After a sensational performance in IPL 2023 – 890 runs – you’d imagine that Gill is a lock-in for India at the upcoming T20 World Cup. But the competition for place in the top order, and even to be a reserve in a 15-man squad, is tough.The spectacular rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal and the return of Rohit Sharma as captain leaves little room in the top two. Virat Kohli’s comeback to the shortest format means No. 3 could be spoken for too. Suryakumar Yadav, when fully fit, walks in as well.So this is the challenge facing Gill in his first season as Titans captain, just one year after he so successfully transformed himself as a T20 batter. Between 2019 and 2022, Gill had a best strike rate of 132 in an IPL season. He upped that to 157.80 while remaining prolific – three hundreds and nearly a fourth, an unbeaten 94.Gill took giant strides in improving his six-hitting too. Between IPL 2018 and 2022, he had hit only 47 sixes. Last season alone, he hit 33. The question now is whether Gill will continue batting this aggressively and effectively with the added responsibility of captaincy? There are some examples of young Indian batters who haven’t done so.A time for change: the next generation of IPL captains•BCCIRishabh Pant’s strike rate in his first IPL season as captain was 128.52; it was 152.26 in the previous three seasons. Sanju Samson’s strike rate was 147.32 for three seasons leading into his first as captain, when it dropped to 136.72. For KL Rahul, the drop was from 146.60 to 129.45.Hardik Pandya also slowed down as captain. He went from being a finisher for Mumbai Indians with a strike rate of 169 in three seasons before he became the Titans captain, and then scored at 131.26 in his new role as the team’s anchor. It’s probable that Gill isn’t aware of this trend, but he’s shown himself capable of overcoming challenges.As recently as February, his place in the Test side came under scrutiny during the home series against England after a string of low scores. As the criticism of his form and weakness against the incoming delivery grew, Gill displayed resilience in constructing a fighting second-innings hundred in Visakhapatnam. It paved the way for more runs in the next three Tests.IPL 2022 was an incredible season for Gill with the bat. He needs to find a way to match that along with the responsibility of captaincy, for the Titans to go far in the IPL, and to further his prospects of making the cut for the T20 World Cup.

Mumbai Indians opener also says they would be “getting vaccinated next week”

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2021Mumbai Indians opener Chris Lynn has urged Cricket Australia (CA) to arrange for a chartered flight to bring Australians home at the conclusion of the ongoing IPL as the country temporarily halts arrivals from India.Lynn was speaking before the latest update from the Australian government on Tuesday when the Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a ban on direct flights – both commercial and the government’s repatriation services – from India until May 15 and the use of connecting flights (for example via Doha or Dubai) into the country.”I texted back that as Cricket Australia make 10% of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?” Lynn told .When asked specifically about the cricketers in India, Morrison said there would not be any preferential treatment if repatriation flights resumed later in May. The group stage of the IPL is due to finish on May 23 with the final on May 30.”This wasn’t part of an Australian tour,” he said. “They’re under their own resources. And they’ll be using those resources to, I’m sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements.”It is understood that Cricket Australia are assessing the ramifications of today’s announcement but that the use of a charter flight is not yet the likely option. Although not directly involved in the players’ involvement at the IPL beyond issuing No Objection Certificates, CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have been in regular contact with them plus the Australian coaching staff, broadcasters and commentators working on the tournament.While Andrew Tye became the first player from Australia to leave this IPL on Sunday fearing that he may not be able to return home later, his national team-mates Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa also opted out due to “personal reasons”. Earlier, England’s Liam Livingstone had left the tournament citing “bubble fatigue”, before India and Delhi Capitals’ offspinner R Ashwin also chose to sit out to be with his family.Related

• Nitin Menon leaves IPL bubble; Paul Reiffel's Australia return plans 'cancelled'

• Delhi Capitals hold all the trumps but cornered KKR could yet spring a surprise

• 2021 Women's T20 Challenge likely to be postponed amid Covid-19 wave in India

• BCCI reassures IPL teams: 'You are totally safe within the bubble'

• Chappell: This year will test cricket administrators' resilience

Lynn hoped that once the other Australian players – including David Warner, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith – were done with the IPL, “the government will let us get home on a private charter”, especially because they would be “getting vaccinated next week”.”I know there are people worse off than us. But we are going from a really tight bubble and are getting vaccinated next week so hopefully the government will let us get home on a private charter,” he said.On Monday, the Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Pat Cummins also spoke about the worsening situation in India, having also donated US $50,000 to the country’s PM Cares fund “specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals”. Announcing the move on Twitter, he also urged his fellow IPL players to come forward and contribute.”There has been quite a bit of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high,” Cummins wrote. “I’m advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country.”But David Hussey, the Knight Riders’ assistant coach, admitted that his countrymen were a “bit nervous” if they could get back home.”A couple of players, their fathers have passed away,” Hussey told the . “One person in particular, he’s one of the staff members with us and his father passed away last year from COVID, and he was really pragmatic by saying it was his time to go. From a Kolkata point of view, we’re desperate for the tournament to keep going, purely because everyone’s in lockdown, there’s not much else to do.”Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is now the Capitals’ coach, stated that they are “probably the safest people in the country probably because of the bubbles we are in”.”This IPL, probably more than any other, has become more about what’s happening on the outside rather than what’s happening here,” Ponting said.India has recorded over a million Covid-19 cases over the last three days, with 352,991 new cases reported on Monday. The country has already been put on the Covid-19 red-list by the UK.

Inter Miami aim to defend home turf against NYCFC, while San Diego visit Vancouver in two finely poised conference finals. GOAL’s writers break down both matchups.

Right then – conference finals time. Zoom out, consider the options, and try to be objective, and maybe we were always headed here. As much as the haters wanted Inter Miami to stumble, the Lionel Messi storyline is simply too rich to ignore. San Diego FC have been good all season and fully merit their spot. Vancouver’s acquisition of Thomas Muller last summer signaled their ambition – and their willingness to spend big to get here.

And then there’s NYCFC. Credit to the Pigeons, who have ticked every “Cinderella story” box imaginable. If they reach the final, the feel-good narrative stays very much alive. But can anyone realistically stop Miami now? And will Vancouver’s massive investment in Muller pay off with an MLS Cup final appearance?

It’s all perfectly poised. GOAL U.S. writers break down two massive matches in another edition of… The Rondo.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What's your prediction for Inter Miami-NYCFC?

  Tom Hindle: Is it immensely offensive to NYCFC to say this might not be particularly close? Miami are too good for pretty much anyone at the moment, and if that Messi guy shows up this should really be an unfortunate formality for the Herons. A 3-1 win here.

  Ryan Tolmich: If NYCFC were full strength, maybe this would be a bit closer. No disrespect to them, of course, but their injury issues aren't going to help. Miami should cruise through this as a result, giving Messi his first crack at an MLS Cup.

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• Getty Images
  

  How significant of an upset would an NYCFC win be?

  TH: Massive. Atlanta United is obviously the famous MLS playoff one in recent memory, but this would run it close. The Pigeons might have a shot in other circumstances, but they're without their main goalscoring threat. Pascal Jansen has them playing some good stuff, and they won't be embarrassed, but they simply don't have the quality to get it done. 

  RT: Pretty damn significant. Shorthanded, on the road and against the greatest of all time? Good luck with that! Now, Miami have fallen before, and last season's loss to Atlanta was an all-time MLS upset. This, though, would probably be even crazier than that given the circumstances and stakes, even if it is a one-off game.

• Imagn
  

  Should Luis Suarez start for Miami?

  TH: Not even remotely. Javier Mascherano has found a winning combination with Mateo Silvetti in the XI, and it should be enough to carry Miami into the MLS Cup final. Now, if they get there, it might be a different story. But should be on the bench for now. 

  RT: Probably not, at the moment. The club appears to have something going with the pieces around Messi, and that is almost certainly the formula for these playoffs and the next era of Miami soccer. Plus, is it the worst thing to have Suarez off the bench as a "break in case of emergency" supersub?

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  Prediction for Vancouver-San Diego?

  TH: This is a really tough one. The smart pick, though, might just be Vancouver, who beat the (other) best team in the West last weekend. Thomas Muller is a star through and through, and they're good enough at the back, too. San Diego will play some tasty stuff, but it's hard to look past Muller and Co. 

  RT: Whitecaps should cruise here, right? They have momentum and, of course, quality, not to mention the superstar factor of Muller. The Whitecaps, at the moment, seem to have those "team of destiny" vibes. San Diego, too, have some of those vibes given all they've accomplished, but the Whitecaps' run still feels just a bit more real given the talent they've amassed to make it happen.

Even without the £74m transfer fee lingering over his head, Benjamin Sesko has huge expectations placed on his shoulders after his move to join Manchester United this summer.

The 22-year-old was signed by boss Ruben Amorim to try and inject a new lease of life into the frontline at Old Trafford after a dismal 2024/25 campaign.

His side only managed 44 goals in the Premier League last time around – a tally that was the fifth-lowest of any side in the division – with the three relegated sides included in such a group.

However, Sesko was chosen as the man to transform the situation, with the hierarchy forking out a pretty penny for his signature after netting 21 times for RB Leipzig in all competitions last term.

The Slovenian international will be hoping to make a better attempt at producing the goods than one player who struggled with the responsibility of leading the line.

Rasmus Hojlund’s lack of impact in 2024/25 for United

At this point, every fan up and down England will know how disappointing striker Rasmus Hojlund was for United last season – with the Dane only scoring on four occasions in the Premier League.

He also went 21 games without a goal across all competitions at one stage, further highlighting how little positive impact he had when called upon by Amorim.

However, his underlying stats showcase another level of disappointment that may not have been seen by many supporters at Old Trafford – the majority of which further reflect his lack of success.

Hojlund only averaged a total of 1.4 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, a figure which ranks him in the bottom 1% of all attackers in the division, according to FBref’s metrics.

He also only produced an xG of 0.24 and an average of 0.5 shots on target per 90, with such numbers putting him in the 9th percentile for both the aforementioned areas.

Such figures highlight that the 22-year-old simply didn’t get enough efforts off on goal, but when they were, many were half chances that rarely troubled the opposition.

His lack of involvement is further evident by his average of just 23 touches of the ball per 90 – often being dominated by the opposition or even being bypassed in attacks by his teammates.

As a result, the hierarchy decided to offload him during the summer transfer window, with the forward joining Napoli on loan with a conditional obligation to buy – a decision that may come back to bite them…

The United player who could become the next Hojlund

Despite making the right call in allowing Hojlund to depart, the Danish international has moved back to Italy with a vengeance – something which is already evident in his tallies in 2025/26.

The 22-year-old has featured just six times for Antonio Conte’s side across all competitions, but has already made an immediate impact, netting four goals to date.

Two of his efforts came in the Champions League against Sporting CP, whilst his remaining strikes came in Serie A – both of which proved to be match winners.

Such a tally is more than double that of any current Red Devils first-team member at present, highlighting why Amorim’s side could live to regret his departure in the long term.

However, the club need to be careful they don’t suffer the same fate with academy grade Kobbie Mainoo, given his recent decline in minutes under the 40-year-old.

The England international was seen as one of the country’s hottest prospects a matter of months ago, especially after he scored in the FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City back in May 2024.

He was named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 as a result, even featuring in all but one contest as the Three Lions fell at the final hurdle against Spain.

Mainoo’s rapid rise to stardom led to Alex Turk labelling him a future “£100m+ footballer”, but he’s struggled to have the same impact since Amorim’s arrival at the club.

He only started a total of 18 games in England’s top-flight last season, resulting in the player himself requesting a loan move away from the club to gain valuable game time elsewhere.

However, such a request was dismissed first hand, but the situation is yet to change for the 20-year-old, with his only start in 2025/26 coming in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town.

He’s made five substitute appearances in the league at present, totalling just 113 minutes, with the player once again likely to be fuming with his lack of first-team action.

Should the situation continue to deteriorate in the coming months, the club could be forced to part ways with the player and cash in on him while his value is at its highest.

Such a situation is unthinkable given his previous success at Old Trafford, but it appears as though the manager simply favours players such as Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte ahead of the youngster.

However, Hojlund’s situation should be at the forefront of the board’s thinking, with United running the risk of once again allowing a top prospect to depart way too prematurely.

Bad news for Sesko: Man Utd ready to pay £52m to sign "one of the best" CFs

Man United director Jason Wilcox is already considering the club’s options at centre-forward.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 16, 2025

Picking the final XI will be a tough task although the returning Tayla Vlaeminck won’t play every game

Andrew McGlashan17-Mar-2021Australia coach Matthew Mott knows that he will have to manage the disappointment of players who fail to make the starting XI against New Zealand later this month, with the return of Tayla Vlaeminck and Ellyse Perry further strengthening their squad.Fast bowler Vlaeminck will be carefully handled on her comeback to international cricket and will not be part of every match of the tour [of three T20Is and three ODIs]. She has not played for Australia since the tri-series before last year’s T20 World Cup, which she then missed with a stress fracture of her foot. She also sat out this season’s WBBL.Vlaeminck returned to action in the WNCL last month and picked up six wickets in four games for Victoria, including 4 for 16 against ACT.Perry is also available again, for the first since the World Cup after having missed the home series against New Zealand at the start of the season as she continued he recovery from a severe hamstring injury.Related

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It means some tough selection decisions loom when narrowing down the final XI for the T20I series, which starts on March 28 once Australia complete their two weeks of managed isolation.”There’s going to be one or two very disappointed players that deserve to be in that team, but that’s the byproduct of having success and having players who have been out of the team coming back in,” Mott said. “We aren’t exactly settled on that [final] XI. There are people at difference stages. In Tayla’s case, we won’t be looking to play her in every game over here.”She’s aware of that so we’ll have to manage her through her return to play.”Tayla Vlaeminck will continue to be carefully managed•Getty Images

Having watched a lot of cricket from the sidelines, Vlaeminck is confident about her form and fitness heading into the series. “I gradually got to expose my foot and my body to the feeling of hitting the crease, so I wasn’t going from zero to a hundred really quick,” she told RSN Radio. “Took me probably a couple of games to find my rhythm again but feel like I’m back to that now.”It was a long time between games but makes it so much more enjoyable when you get back out there.”From the last T20I Australia played, against New Zealand in late September, there is one certain absentee, with Delissa Kimmince having taken a break from the game. Allrounder Annabel Sutherland, who was part of the ODI side, was also ruled out of this tour because of a stress fracture.”Ellyse has come off some really good cricket and is a world-class player so she’ll have to get in there somewhere then it’s about managing a couple of really unlucky players who will miss out,” Mott said.The only slight fresh injury concern heading into tour was around Beth Mooney, who missed a WNCL game with a thigh strain after making 163 against Western Australia. But she is expected to be fit.”It was a smart [decision] from her, she nipped it in the bud,” Mott said of Mooney skipping the game. “Kate Beerworth, our physio, is assessing everyone today and we’ll know a bit more tomorrow but Beth seems to be moving around well.”Australia will train for the first time on Thursday in Christchurch and over the course of the next ten days, they will go through various match-based scenarios as they only leave managed isolation the day before the opening T20I in Hamilton.”That’s probably the most critical sessions we’ll have,” Mott said. “Our players have been playing a bit of cricket so we aren’t worried about it, but just that spatial awareness for batters and bowlers to get out there in the middle, it’s very different to the nets, they are craving that contest-type stuff. We’ll put players in positions they’ll likely be in during games.”

Nuno Espirito Santo is in the new manager at West Ham United and the Irons are already eyeing his first potential signing as they look to make improvements come the January window.

Nuno sets out his stall at West Ham Utd

Graham Potter was relieved of his duties by West Ham on Saturday after a poor run of results at the London Stadium, leading to the Hammers acting swiftly to appoint Nuno after his departure from Nottingham Forest.

Availability as an unattached manager and Karren Brady’s desire to see the Portuguese boss take the reins meant he was always the outstanding candidate, albeit his exploits at the City Ground last term shouldn’t go under the radar.

Speaking after his appointment, the former Spurs boss has vowed to try and build a sense of unity among the players, supporters and management staff, claiming that his arrival will be a chance to press the reset button.

He said in his inaugural press conference: “Now it’s a new beginning for everybody. It’s a new process that we really have to know, and we find out who we are and what we want to be. First of all, we have to realise who we are, and then we can create an identity. But first of all, we have to know each other really, really well.

“The supporters are very important, very important. That’s why I truly believe what we want to achieve is a platform. Now is not the moment to ask the fans. Now is the moment to deliver to the fans. When we have this bond, when other teams come to play against us, it’s going to be hell. But we have to achieve this bond first.”

While Paul Merson has voiced his opposition to West Ham appointing Nuno, he was probably the best and most sensible option available, and he could now be set to ramp up efforts to secure his first signing.

West Ham eyeing Juventus star Manuel Locatelli

According to Mark Brus in his Daily Briefing, West Ham are eyeing a January move for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, who may be available for £35 million if the Serie A giants decide to cash in on his services.

Chelsea, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen are also mooted as suitors, albeit the Old Lady would prefer not to lose the engine room operator if they manage to have it their own way.

West Ham failed to consider hiring free agent boss with 12 trophies instead of Nuno

The east Londoners had another option, but never reached out.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 28, 2025

Labelled “exemplary” by Massimiliano Allegri, Locatelli has made five appearances this term and possesses the calibre necessary to make an impact in the Premier League.

The Hammers have struggled for inspiration of late and lack leadership in what has been a difficult period on and off the pitch. However, Nuno’s appointment offers a clean slate, and some high-profile signings would improve the mood at the London Stadium.