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Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly expressed interest in signing a young Premier League gem on loan in the January transfer window.

Sheffield Wednesday narrow down takeover candidates

Despite the fact that they’ve now passed their initial soft deadline of December 5, Sheffield Wednesday are yet to name their new owners. In a long, detailed process, the Owls are seemingly keen to ensure that they find the right candidate for the job rather than simply the highest bidder.

Joint-administrator Kris Wigfield released a statement when the club passed their first deadline at the beginning of December, claiming that takeover talks have gained “momentum”.

According to The Star’s Alex Miller, Wednesday have now shortened their list of candidates in a move that should at least push takeover talks forward.

Wigfield has kept the names of candidates close to his chest, but reports have claimed that Mike Ashley has been among those attempting to buy the club.

The former Newcastle United owner reportedly saw his first bid turned away, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll return with an improved offer.

When it comes to the football, meanwhile, the Owls have set their sights on some much-needed January additions now that they can sign free agents or players on loan and that could see Everton’s Reece Welch arrive.

Sheffield Wednesday express interest in signing Reece Welch

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Sheffield Wednesday have now expressed interest in signing Welch on loan from Everton in the January transfer window. The Toffees reportedly believe that a loan move for the 22-year-old would be an ideal next step for his development next month.

Those at Hillsborough are no strangers to welcoming Premier League talent on loan, either. Harry Amass has thrived on loan from Manchester United this season, even as off-pitch chaos has engulfed the club, and the Owls could now repeat their transfer genius by signing Welch next month.

The young central defender also has just over six months remaining on his current Everton contract, which means that Sheffield Wednesday could look to land a free deal if he arrives on loan and impresses.

Related Sheffield Wednesday candidates now considering shock move to complete takeover

The Owls are approaching their initial deadline.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Dec 3, 2025

On paper, joining Sheffield Wednesday won’t be the most attractive option for young players, but the Owls can at least guarantee the game time that the likes of Welch so desperately need.

Billionaire takeover candidate makes Sheffield Wednesday decision as deadline nears

Manchester United managed to return to winning ways in the Premier League last night, after a dominant 4-1 thrashing of bottom-placed side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ruben Amorim’s men produced one of their best performances of the campaign to date, to put themselves into sixth place and just a point off the top four.

Hearts will no doubt have been in the mouths of all supporters at the break, after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ensured the game was level going into the break.

However, three goals in the second half secured a seventh league victory of the 2025/26 campaign for the Red Devils – now extending their run to just one loss in the last nine outings.

One player deserves massive credit for his showing at Molineux on Monday night, with the first-team member massively excelling during the well-deserved triumph.

Bruno Fernandes’ stats against Wolves

Bruno Fernandes has often struggled throughout the ongoing campaign, as Amorim has decided to utilise him in a deeper-lying midfield role rather than the number ten position.

It’s required the Portuguese international to think more defensively, which has no doubt had an effect on his output within the final third in the Premier League.

However, his showing against Rob Edwards’ men was arguably his best of the season to date, with the 31-year-old notching two goals and an assist in the triumph.

Such a tally takes him to 10 combined goals and assists in his first 15 appearances of the season, but it was his underlying figures that highlighted his impressive display.

He featured for the entirety of the contest and registered 55 completed passes, whilst creating five chances for his teammates – with both the highest of any player in the meeting.

Bruno also completed 12 passes into the final third, and only misplaced eight passes in total, further highlighting his incredible performance with the ball at his feet.

However, without the ball, the midfielder was just as impressive, as seen by his tally of 100% tackles won, seven recoveries made and a total of five combined aerials and ground duels won.

The United player who is as undroppable as Bruno

As seen by his tally of 15 starts out of a possible 15 in 2025/26, there’s little denying that Bruno is undroppable and certainly one of Amorim’s most important players.

Numerous other players are starting to force themselves into such a bracket, with Bryan Mbeumo just one player who should be a starter week in and week out.

The Cameroonian international netted once again in the clash in the West Midlands, subsequently taking his league tally to six this campaign – the most of any player in the squad.

He registered four shots on target against the hosts, whilst also completing two dribbles – largely being a menace to the Wolves backline during the victory last night.

However, the backline has been a cause for concern over the last couple of weeks, especially with the absence of centre-back Matthijs de Ligt in the last two matches.

As a result, youngster Ayden Heaven has been thrown in at the deep end, but he’s managed to impress – with his showing at Molineux certainly one to remember.

It was just his second start of the season, but the 19-year-old appeared unfazed and produced numerous impressive figures that could make him undroppable within the manager’s current side.

The teenager registered 36 passes during his minutes on the pitch, subsequently achieving a completion rate of 100% – the highest of any player who started the match.

Minutes played

69

Touches

49

Passes completed

36

Pass accuracy

100%

Blocks made

1

Clearances made

7

Duels won

100%

Fouls won

2

He also made seven clearances, three of which were with his head, whilst making three recoveries, which enabled him to be in the right place at the right time when called upon.

Heaven’s dominance at the heart of the three-man defence was further highlighted by his impressive tally of six combined duels won – also at a success rate of 100%.

It’s no mean feat for such a young defender to start in the middle of a Premier League defence, but Heaven has made it look routine over the last couple of weeks.

Given his tender age, expectations will no doubt need to be managed by Amorim, but it is certainly hard not to get excited by the youngster after his showing at Molineux.

He’s certainly done enough to cement his place in the starting eleven for the run-up to Christmas, potentially being a huge asset for the club in their hunt for Premier League glory in the years ahead.

Bad news for Mainoo: INEOS make £70m "passing machine" Man Utd’s no.1 target

Man United’s need for a new centre-midfielder is as pressing as ever.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 8, 2025

They aren’t the finished project, but Chelsea have built an impressive squad over the last few years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Estevao and Reece James, for example, would get into most Premier League teams.

However, if there is one weakness in the side, it’s probably at centre-back, as without Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, the options at Enzo Maresca’s disposal aren’t all that inspiring.

Fortunately, Chelsea have been linked with an impressive defender who has been compared to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

Chelsea target defensive reinforcements

The transfer is over a month away, but Chelsea are already being linked with some incredible players from the Premier League and beyond.

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

For example, the Blues have been among a handful of sides credited with significant interest in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, and have even been linked with Juventus wonderkid Kenan Yıldız.

However, while both players would most certainly improve Maresca’s squad, they wouldn’t improve the centre-back depth, unlike Ousmane Diomande.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have reignited their interest in the up-and-coming Sporting CP star.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the West Londoners are planning to hijack Crystal Palace’s move for the Ivorian international.

However, to do that, the Pensioners would have to match or even exceed the Eagles’ supposed bid of around £44m.

It could therefore be a complicated and somewhat costly transfer to get over the line, but given Diomande’s ability, potential, and the fact he’s been compared to Saliba and Gabriel, it’s one Chelsea should pursue.

How Diomande compares to Saliba and Gabriel

Now, while Chelsea fans might not want to admit it, and understandably so, Saliba and Gabriel have been the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League for at least a season now.

Therefore, it’s a huge claim to suggest another defender is like a combination of the two, a claim respected analyst Ben Mattinson made when he described Diomande as “a hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba” just last year.

Now, when it comes to the Brazilian, the similarities are rather difficult to miss, as while he’s just an inch shorter, the Ivorian international is still a titan of a player at 6 foot 3.

This stature allows the 21-year-old “monster,” in the words of Mattinson, to overpower opposition attackers and put in challenges that a more slight centre-back would find difficult.

How about the Frenchman, then? What makes the Abidjan-born star similar to him?

Well, despite his impressive physicality, the former Midtjylland gem is no slouch on the ball and has a passing range most defenders could only dream of.

Moreover, according to FBref, the Arsenal star was statistically the most similar centre-back to the Sporting man across last season’s Champions League.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.01

0.03

Progressive Carries

0.36

0.36

Passing Accuracy

93.2%

92.2%

Expected Assists

0.01

0.01

Live Passes

58.8

56.5

Interceptions

0.96

0.91

You can gain a better understanding of how FBref arrived at this conclusion by examining the underlying metrics that the pair ranked closely.

These metrics included non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, passing accuracy, expected assists, live passes, interceptions, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while he is still young and untested in the top leagues, Diomande looks like an exceptional talent, and given his similarities to Gabriel and Saliba, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him.

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

The incredible youngster will be a superstar for England and Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras venceu o São Bernardo por 1 a 0, nesta quinta-feira (15), pelo Campeonato Paulista, em partida marcada por queda de energia em um dos refletores do Estádio 1º de Maio. O gol do Verdão foi marcado por Flaco López, que entrou no lugar de Endrick na segunda etapa.

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Com o resultado, a equipe comandada por Abel Ferreira chega aos 17 pontos e permanece na liderança do grupo B. Os mandantes, por sua vez, estacionam nos 11 pontos e ocupam a terceira posição do grupo D.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Mesmo com uma equipe alternativa, o Palmeiras dominou as ações na primeira etapa. No entanto, pecou nas finalizações e não conseguiu abrir o placar. Aos 28 minutos, a partida foi interrompida por falta de energia em um dos refletores do Estádio 1º de Maio. Após 25 minutos de paralisação, o duelo foi retomado.

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Na segunda etapa, Abel Ferreira promoveu as entradas de Flaco López e Estêvão, que decidiram o confronto. Aos 42 minutos, o jovem encontrou o argentino dentro da área, que aproveitou saída equivocada do goleiro Alex Alves para marcar o único gol do duelo.

➡️ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

No próximo domingo (18), o Palmeiras encara o Corinthians, às 18h (de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, pela nona rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

✅ SÃO BERNARDO 0 X 1 PALMEIRAS
Campeonato Paulista – Primeira fase – Oitava rodada

Data e horário: Quinta-feira, 15 de fevereiro de 2024, às 19h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio 1º de Maio, em São Bernardo (SP)
Árbitro: Luiz Flávio de Oliveira
Assistentes: Daniel Paulo Ziolli e Daniel Luís Marques
Cartões amarelos: Lucas Lima, Helder, Wesley Dias e Pedro Carrerete (São Bernardo); Jhon John e Vanderlan (Palmeiras)
Cartões vermelhos: –

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Gol: Flaco López

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

SÃO BERNARDO
Alex Alves; Vitor Ricardo, Hélder Maciel, Pedro Lima e Arthur; Silvinho, Lucas Lima e Souza; Wellison, João Carlos Ferreira e Lucas Tocantins. Técnico: Márcio Zanardi.

PALMEIRAS
Marcelo Lomba; Marcos Rocha, Kaiky Naves e Murilo; Aníbal, Menino, Jhon Jhon, Luis Guilherme e Vanderlan; Rony e Endrick. Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

Liverpool aren’t quite right this season. Despite an incredible summer spending spree that soared above anything that English football has seen before, Arne Slot’s side are struggling to recapture the verve of last season.

But for Liverpool to have completed an underwhelming start to their title defence and perch at the top of the table after six games, winning the first five before suffering defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend.

Many Redmen have struggled to find their finest form, but not all have flattered to deceive, with Federico Chiesa already looking leaps and bounds above the rarely-seen winger on the margins last year.

Chiesa's Liverpool resurgence

Liverpool hardly broke the bank after replacing Jurgen Klopp with Slot during the summer of 2024, only adding Chiesa to the ranks, and for a shrewd £12.5m fee at that.

However, Chiesa arrived having been ravaged by injury problems in recent years at Juventus, and he spent the lion’s share of the 2024/25 campaign on the sidelines, either suffering from fitness issues or overlooked by Slot.

This year, however, he is looking to make up for lost time, already with two goals and two assists apiece across all competitions. So impressive has he been that there have been calls for the underperforming Mohamed Salah to be dropped, and for Chiesa to start from the right.

Liverpool’s Frontline in 25/26 (all comps)
Player	Apps	Goals (assists)
Hugo Ekitike	9	5 (1)
Mohamed Salah	9	3 (3)
Federico Chiesa	6	2 (2)
Alexander Isak	5	1 (0)
Cody Gakpo	9	1 (2)
Rio Ngumoha	5	1 (0)
Data via Transfermarkt

The versatile Italian will play an important role across the term, but there’s another member of Slot’s squad who has fallen deeper into the fringes of the squad and is beginning to look like last year’s version of the 27-year-old.

Slot's new version of Chiesa

While Chiesa is enjoying a resurgence on Merseyside, Wataru Endo’s role at the club continues to become more and more insubstantial, having

Described by Liverpool correspondent David Lynch as being an “unsung hero” for Liverpool, Endo was instrumental in steering Klopp toward a trophy-winning crescendo at the Anfield helm, and he achieved cult status last year for his tough-tackling cameos in the dying embers of matches.

Having joined for about £16m from Stuttgart after Liverpool missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both signing for Chelsea, the 32-year-old Endo has played a crucial role in getting this current Liverpool team off the ground, but he’s into the penultimate year of his contract and has sat as an unused substitute for each of his side’s past three top-flight fixtures.

Tenacious, industrious and a model professional, Endo remains a valued member of Slot’s squad, but it’s hard to see him earning many opportunities, with his quality on the ball admittedly limited.

Given Gravenberch came into his own last year and is now one of Liverpool’s most important players, even said by journalist Beth Lindop to be “on par with Salah and Van Dijk”, it doesn’t look like Endo will be earning a string of starts in the Premier League any time soon, with Slot sure to look for other ways to cover at number six, should the Dutchman fall to an injury.

With Stefan Bajcetic also waiting in the wings and boasting a confidence in receiving the ball, pivoting and progressing forward, there’s a sense Endo’s fringe role at Liverpool may become more peripheral still as the year goes on.

While Chiesa’s bounce-back across the opening weeks of the season serves as inspiration for any footballer looking to pick themselves up from the wayside, Endo is not a spring chicken anymore, and his big moments in Slot’s squad might trail behind him.

Trent 2.0: FSG have already sold a Bradley & Frimpong upgrade at Liverpool

Arne Slot has problems to fix at Liverpool after an up-and-down start to the season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 30, 2025

Mahika Gaur and Eve Jones looked to have sealed the game, only for Essex’s bowlers to rally

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-Jul-2025

Gaur removed both openers for a duck in the first over•Getty Images

Lancashire 108 for 6 (Jones 59, Penna 2-11) beat Essex 107 (Macleod 23, Gaur 3-22) by four wicketsTwo wides from what should have been the last ball of the match saw Lancashire home by four wickets against Essex in a low scoring thriller at Chelmsford.The Red Rose made hard work of chasing down 108 on a used pitch, but Eve Jones 59 from 58 balls got to the brink before the last-ball drama. It was hard on Essex, who defended their score of 107 all out like tigers, Eva Gray and Maddie Penna their standout bowlers.Earlier, Mahika Gaur threatened an early finish, the young England quick took 3 for 1 in her first 12 balls, including the wickets of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens, both for ducks as the hosts stumbled to 12 for 3.Gaur finished with 3 for 22 including 15 dots while Alana King and Tara Norris were also in the wickets. Lancashire skipper Ellie Threlkeld set a new record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the competition with six. Alice Macleod top-scored for Essex with 23.Gaur gave the game an explosive start with the wicket of former England opener Winfield-Hill with the game’s first ball, a wide half-volley nicked through to Threlkeld.Her second over brought more carnage with the speedster hooping the ball around corners to find the edge of first Scrivens and then Jody Grewcock’s bat to leave the hosts in tatters.Cordelia Griffith struck successive boundaries in Gaur’s next over, while Penna lofted one from King back over the bowler’s head as they briefly threatened a fightback. Griffiths though became the fourth batter to edge into the gloves of Threlkeld, while Penna rather tossed her wicket away, hoisting King into the safe hands of Norris in the deep.Thereafter, only Macleod suggested any permanence, but she too holed out tamely to mid-on, giving Norris a second wicket. Two late runouts contributed to Essex’s woes as they subsided for 68 for 4 to 107 all out with 10 balls of their innings unused.Without leading wicket-taker Esmae MacGregor, the onus was on Gray to lead the wicket taking charge and the seamer dismissed Seren Smale as part of a wicket maiden early in the chase.Only 26 came from the powerplay and Jones was spilt by Griffith at extra-cover on 20, just as she was increasing the pace. Jones celebrated the reprieve with a classic straight drive for four.Scrivens bowled Tilly Kesteven with a beauty and Ailsa Lister survived a huge lbw shout from Jo Gardner only to be stumped next ball, leaving the Red Rose 51 for 3 at halfway.With Gray equally miserly, Threlkeld’s four to long leg was the first for 46 balls and 30 were needed from the final four overs.Penna struck twice in as many balls, bowling Threlkeld and having Fi Morris caught behind and while King survived the hat-trick ball 24 were needed from the final three.Jones found the boundary for the sixth time to reach 50 in 49 balls and she and King ran like lightning between the wickets as the runs ticked down. The opener was stumped from the penultimate ball, but two the visitors scrambled home in a breathless finish.

Nottingham Forest chiefs privately want owner Evangelos Marinakis to replace Ange Postecoglou with a “master” tactician, with the latter relieved of his duties immediately after their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou sacked by Nottingham Forest after Chelsea loss

Goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James cemented Postecoglou’s title as the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history, but his departure has been inevitable for quite some time.

Forest failed to win a single game during the Australian’s brief 39-day tenure in charge, with reports over the international break suggesting that Marinakis and co performed due-diligence on a host of potential replacements.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Forest 0-3 Chelsea

Premier League

Postecoglou also broke a 100-year record at the City Ground, making the worst start out of any new Forest boss in a century, forcing Marinakis to call time on the former Tottenham boss after a nightmare stint.

In his final pre-match press conference, the 60-year-old went down swinging, perhaps realising that a loss to Chelsea this afternoon would spell the end.

Marinakis had apparently made up his mind about sacking Postecoglou before their clash with Chelsea had even finished, with the Greek billionaire even seen storming out of his seat (talkSPORT).

Postecoglou was informed of the decision just moments after the full-time whistle blew (talkSPORT), and he then said goodbye to his Forest players in the dressing room before the club officially announced his departure.

Now, attention turns to who could replace Postecoglou in the hot seat.

A succession of managers have been linked within the past fortnight — including Sean Dyche, Oliver Glasner, Steve Cooper and Rafael Benitez — but it is Fulham boss Marco Silva who’s seriously admired by the Forest hierarchy.

Nottingham Forest chiefs want Marinakis to replace Postecoglou with Marco Silva

According to the BBC, internal figures at the club have identified Silva as their “preferred option” to succeed Postecoglou.

The 48-year-old, who reportedly has an £8 million release clause in his contract, is poised to become a free agent at the end of this season, and it’s believed that Silva is likely to leave Craven Cottage in 2026 after rather public spats with the owners about their transfer activity.

However, it’ll be much more difficult to prise him out of West London immediately, as Forest are mindful of the compensation fees due if they decide to try and appoint Silva right now.

Marinakis has only just paid off Nuno, and will also have to compensate Postecoglou now that Forest have parted company with him too — meaning the club aren’t overly keen on shelling out yet more money for a new manager.

The Tricky Trees have studied alternatives to Silva amid the difficulties surrounding his appointment, but if Marinakis does decide to invest the cash, it is clear that he’s a very ideal candidate.

The former Everton and Hull City boss has worked wonders at Fulham on a shoe-string budget since guiding them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2022.

They briefly contended for Europe last season as well, despite their meagre transfer spend compared to rivals, and Silva has been lavished with praise as a “master” tactician by players who’ve worked with him.

Never before has the expression dead man walking applied so aptly to a manager but, for now, Russell Martin remains in charge of Rangers.

The atmosphere at Ibrox last weekend was absolutely mutinous, with the Hearts supporters signing “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, only for the home fans, the ones who remained anyway, to join in.

That 2-0 defeat means the Light Blues have failed to win any of their first five league matches to start a season for the first time in 47 years and, should results go against them, they could be bottom of the Premiership by the time they’re next in action at Almondvale against Livingston on 28 September.

Before then, Hibernian will be the visitors for a League Cup quarter-final on Saturday and, having lost just one of nine outings since the start of August, David Gray’s team will more than fancy their chances of victory.

Should the Hibees book their place at Hampden, the 49ers could be holding an emergency meeting by Saturday night, so which manager should they be targeting, if a vacancy were to arise soon, which appears the most-likely outcome?

The leading candidates to be the next Rangers manager

Right now, the two front-runners to succeed Martin at Ibrox are Steven Gerrard and Sean Dyche.

Gerrard would certainly be the populist choice, having been in charge of the club for 192 matches between 2018 and 2021.

The Englishman only won one trophy in charge of the club, but it was quite an important one, collecting the club’s sole Premiership title since 2011, crucially stopping Celtic from becoming the first Scottish side in history to achieve ten in a row.

Of course, other Rangers managers have had more trophy-laden stints in Govan, but Gerrard took over a complete mess and transformed the club, leading them into the Europa League group stages in four successive seasons, winning 12 qualifiers, victories that were so crucial both from a financial standpoint, but also re-establishing the club at continental level.

Gerrard laid the foundations for successor Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who guided the club to the Europa League Final just six months after Gerrard’s departure, as well as back into the Champions League group stages, so he could be the right man for what the club needs right now.

Dyche meantime, may well be the safe option, epitomising the archetypal safe pair of hands.

He has been out of work since being sacked by Everton in January, but is vastly experienced, taking charge of 557 fixtures as a manager to date, of which 332 have come in the Premier League.

However, given that the clubs on his CV are Watford, Burnley and the aforementioned Everton, it is difficult to forecast how Dyche’s methods would translate if he was coaching a top side in a division, albeit does that apply to tenth-placed Rangers?

Nevertheless, there might be another available English coach who could prove to be the best fit for this vacancy.

Who the 49ers should target for Rangers

Back in the summer, it was reported that Gary O’Neil was among the many candidates on the Rangers managerial shortlist.

The 49ers, of course, opted for Martin instead, but should they reignite their interest in the 42-year-old?

As a player, the central midfielder made 539 senior club appearances, representing Portsmouth and Middlesbrough over 100 times, as well as stints with West Ham, Norwich, Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers, Bolton, Cardiff and Walsall.

He then began his coaching career in charge of Liverpool’s youth teams, similar to the path followed by Gerrard, before moving to Bournemouth to be the assistant manager to Jonathan Woodgate and then Scott Parker.

When the latter was sacked, following a 9-0 annihilation at Anfield, O’Neil became a senior head coach for the very first time, leading Bournemouth to 15th place, enjoying historic victories over Liverpool and Tottenham.

Thus, there was widespread outcry when he was dismissed the following summer, replaced by Andoni Iraola, but he soon found himself another crisis club, this time in the Midlands.

In August 2023, just a few days before the start of the season, Julen Lopetegui resigned as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, with O’Neil thereby taking the reins at Molineux, similarly guiding them to safety, ending the season with a respectable 46 points.

He was sacked by Wolves last December, after yielding just one point from the first eight Premier League fixtures, but the 42-year-old has shown himself adept at coming in and making an immediate impact at a club, as the table below documents.

O’Neil statistics
Season	Matches	Points-per-game
2022/23	34	1.06
2023/24	38	1.21
2024/25	16	0.56
Note: league games only
via Transfermarkt

Of course, O’Neil’s record at Wolves last season was pretty miserable but, as we’re seeing now, with the Old Gold rock-bottom of the Premier League table, yet to pick up a point, perhaps he wasn’t the problem at Molineux.

Ahead of a meeting between the two clubs, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe labelled his opposite number “tactically astute”.

Meantime, speaking on Match of the Day in February 2024, Shay Given praised the “phenomenal” job O’Neil did at Wolves, given the difficult circumstances under which he was forced to work. He was even tipped to be the next England boss by Micah Richards.

In an interview with the Guardian this summer, O’Neil himself stated that he believes his team can be very “adaptable”, adding that he is capable of getting a “whole group of players from different cultures to buy into my way”.

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Both of those sound like the exact opposite of what Martin is doing in Glasgow right now, so perhaps O’Neil might be the perfect man for the job, having excelled mid-season and in crises before.

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Sam Konstas and Matt Kuhnemann’s rollercoaster summers have been capped by being added to Cricket Australia’s central contract list for 2025-26 in a clear sign both are set for more Test cricket this year, while Cooper Connolly and Jake Fraser-McGurk have been overlooked in a T20 World Cup cycle.Konstas, Kuhnemann and Tasmanian allrounder Beau Webster are the three new additions to the 23-player list with Sean Abbott, Aaron Hardie and Todd Murphy all dropping off the initial group from 2024-25.Related

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• Green nears return ahead of World Test Championship final selection race

Abbott and Hardie were both part of the Champions Trophy squad but did not play a game in the tournament while Murphy played one Test on the recent tour of Sri Lanka as the third spinner but Australia do not have a tour of Asia in the 2025-26 season. There is a chance Australia could play two spinners in their XI during the three Test tour of the Caribbean but the success of Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon as a duo in Sri Lanka means Murphy has been squeezed off the list.It rounds out a remarkable period for Kuhnemann. He went from possibly missing the Sri Lanka tour with the broken thumb, to starring in both Tests before being reporting for a suspect action by match officials. He was subsequently cleared after undergoing ICC testing and is now clearly Australia’s No. 2 Test spinner.”Matt was outstanding once again in Sri Lanka and we believe he can play a key role across the next 18 months,” chair of selectors George Bailey said.Connolly’s absence is interesting given he played in Australia’s last Test and ODI teams. He also played two T20Is last year and might have played in Australia’s most recent matches against Pakistan in November had he not been nursing a broken finger. But despite earning an CA contract upgrade last year, he has not been placed on the central list for the next 12 months.Cooper Connolly featured across formats in the 2024-25 season•ICC/Getty Images

Konstas, 19, is currently only a one-format prospect but he looks set to feature in a lot of Test cricket given he has been added to the list despite losing his place in Sri Lanka after playing the final two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests in Melbourne and Sydney where he cracked a remarkable 60 on debut.”In Sam we see promising upside in a young player who will continue to develop at first class level and in the international environment,” Bailey said.Nathan McSweeney earned a CA contract upgrade after playing the first three Tests of the India series and toured Sri Lanka as the spare batter but has not made the list.Mitchell Marsh remains contracted despite losing his Test place last summer. He is Australia’s T20I captain as they head into another T20 World Cup year but Bailey insisted his Test career was not over despite very lean returns during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.CA has continued to invest in injury-prone fast bowlers Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson. They played one ODI between them in the last contract period and Richardson is currently rehabbing from his third shoulder surgery. Xavier Bartlett has also been retained despite being overlooked for the Champions Trophy when Australia’s big three fast bowlers were all absent.Fraser-McGurk’s absence is notable given he earned an upgrade for playing five ODIs and seven T20Is in the 2024-25 period. He was in the Champions Trophy squad but was not selected for the semi-final when opener Matt Short was injured, with Connolly picked ahead of him having not been in initial 15.Sam Konstas will be looking to add to the two Tests he played against India•Getty Images

T20 specialists Marcus Stoinis and Tim David have also been left off the list as they were last year. Both qualified for upgrades in the 2024-25 period with Stoinis receiving his before retiring from ODI cricket on the eve of the Champions Trophy.Players have the opportunity to upgrade to national contracts in the 12-month period via selection in Test, ODI and T20I cricket.Stoinis, David, Fraser-McGurk, Connolly, Abbott, Hardie, as well as white-ball bowlers Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Tanveer Sangha, who played in the Champions Trophy, will have the chance to earn an upgrade given Australia are set to play 19 bilateral T20Is across five series in 2025-26 as well as the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year.They will also play nine ODIs across three series. Australia only play seven Test matches in 2025-26 contract period, the last two of the West Indies tour and the five home Ashes Tests.

Cricket Australia men’s contract list 2025-26

Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa

Pakistan have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate for a third game in a row after they were found to be one over short in the third ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton.They have been fined 5% their match fees to round up what was a dismal tour of New Zealand, where they lost the T20I series 4-1 and the ODIs 3-0. This is the fourth time in the last five ODIs that Pakistan have been guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate. They were also fined 5% of their match fees in the 2025 Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand in Karachi.Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan pled guilty to the charge levelled by the on-field umpires Chris Brown and Paul Reiffel along with the third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire Wayne Knights.The sanction was imposed by Jeff Crowe, the match referee, in accordance with article 2.22 of the ICC code of conduct for players and player support personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, for which players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time after the time allowances are taken into consideration.Related

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• Pakistan fined for slow over-rate in Champions Trophy opener

After losing the T20I series, they lost the opening ODI in Napier by 73 runs. In that match, they were found two overs short and fined. In the second ODI, Pakistan went down by 84 runs. Batting first, New Zealand racked up 292 for 8 and then bowled out the hosts for 208. They were docked 5% of their match fee after this game as well.In the third ODI in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand scored 264 for 8 in the rain-affected 42-overs-a-side clash. In reply, Babar Azam scored a fifty but Ben Sears’ five-wicket haul restricted Pakistan to 221 in 40 overs. There was also an altercation between Khushdil Shah and spectators during the match, which led to the ejection of two spectators from the venue.