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The home side have handed out two debuts for the first time since 2019 while there remains much interest in the Perth pitch

Matt Roller20-Nov-2025Big picture: England’s perfect stormThe multi-purpose Perth Stadium staged a Metallica concert earlier this month and another heavy-metal tour begins there on Friday morning. No series can compete with the Ashes for anticipation, and months of speculation will finally come to an end when the first ball of the 2025-26 series is bowled in front of a sold-out crowd.The first Test arrives with an unmistakable sense of English optimism, fuelled by the injury status of both teams’ fast bowlers. For once, the absentees are Australian: Pat Cummins (back) and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring) are unavailable, while Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will play in the same team for only the second time in Tests.Related

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It represents the best-case scenario for England, who have spent the last three-and-a-half years under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s leadership building a team capable of competing in Australia. They are both aware that the next seven weeks will provide a lasting verdict on their tenures: McCullum has dubbed it “the biggest series of all of our lives”.Four years ago, England returned from Australia as a broken team, thrashed 4-0 on a tour made even more miserable by oppressive Covid restrictions. Since then, they have changed their approach to become Test cricket’s most aggressive team, with a settled batting line-up and a regenerated bowling attack since the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.But context is key: even being competitive on this tour would represent a marked improvement from England’s last three away Ashes series. The scarcity of the draw in the modern era means that they will likely need to win three Tests out of five to regain the urn; they have not managed to win even once in their last 15 in Australia, losing 13.Reports of Australia’s demise are an exaggeration: they have won 14 out of 18 Tests since the drawn 2023 Ashes in England, and are unbeaten in their last six series at home. Steven Smith, their stand-in captain, is an all-time great with a formidable record against England; in Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, they can boast two of the four Australians with over 400 Test wickets.Ready to go: Steven Smith and Ben Stokes pose ahead of the Ashes•Getty Images

But there are hints of vulnerability, not least with Australia fielding two debutants in an Ashes Test for the first time since January 2011. Jake Weatherald will become Usman Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner’s retirement, and Brendan Doggett is the first fast bowler to win an Australia cap in four years.Two years ago, Australia took a 2-0 lead in England but were clinging onto a 2-2 draw by the end of the tour, ultimately saved from a series defeat by the rain in Manchester. It left the clash of styles between England’s power and Australia’s pragmatism in an unsatisfactory stalemate, whetting the appetite for this rematch.This is the first time since 1982-83 that an Ashes series in Australia has not started at the Gabba, with Perth now locked in as the host of the first Test of the summer. Starc said on Wednesday that Australia’s players would rather be in Brisbane, while England will hope that a change of venue brings a change in their fortunes.Form guideAustralia: WWWLW
England: LDWLWJofra Archer prepares for the opening Test•PA Photos/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Mitchell Starc and Jofra ArcherIn the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc is the last man standing in Australia’s long-established pace trio, a fact which he joked made him feel “old” after training on Wednesday. He is the undisputed leader of the attack, and England’s approach against him will be instructive: Starc leaked 4.78 runs per over in the 2023, but was the leading wicket-taker on either side despite missing the first Test. If Australia bowl first, memories will immediately return to the first ball of the 2021-22 series, when he cleaned up Rory Burns at the Gabba to set the tone for a 4-0 win.He may only have played two Tests in the last four years, but Jofra Archer’s gradual comeback to international cricket after back and elbow injuries has culminated in him being available this week. It will be his first Ashes appearance since his maiden Test series six years ago, when he took 22 Australian wickets at 20.27 and hit Steven Smith on the head with a lightning-fast bouncer at Lord’s. He is expected to open the bowling alongside Gus Atkinson, and Ben Stokes plans to use him in “short, sharp bursts” to break games open. Archer’s return to red-ball cricket in the English summer was a reminder of his potency against left-handers, and Australia are expected to field five in their top eight.Team news: Another batting reshuffle for Australia, England set for all paceAustralia will hand debuts to two 31-year-olds: opening batter Jake Weatherald, the top run-scorer in last season’s Sheffield Shield, and seamer Brendan Doggett. There is also a recall for Marnus Labuschagne, who was the spare batter during their most recent series against West Indies, with Cameron Green shuffling down to No. 6 at Beau Webster’s expense. Steven Smith returns as captain in Cummins’ absence, leading Australia for the 41st time in Tests.Australia: 1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Brendan Doggett.England named a 12-man squad on Wednesday, but went no futher, with Shoaib Bashir expected to be the one to miss out. Mark Wood has been cleared to play what will be his first match since February’s Champions Trophy – and his first Test match since last August – after hamstring soreness last week, and is set to form part of a five-man, all-pace attack. Ollie Pope, who captained their most recent Test against India, has been replaced by Harry Brook as vice-captain but retains his spot at No. 3 after pressure from Jacob Bethell.England (probable): 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Jofra Archer.1:45

Will Australian pitches affect England’s Ashes chances?

Pitch and conditionsCurator Isaac McDonald predicts that his pitch will offer fast bowlers the “pace and bounce” that has long been associated with cricket in Western Australia, and that cracks could open up as the Test wears on. The weather has been relatively cool in Perth in the build-up and will continue throughout, with forecast highs of 28 degrees Celsius and the possibility of occasional showers over the weekend. Around 10,000 England fans are in Perth for the first Test, with more than 40,000 expected to attend across the series.Stats and trivia Australia have won 13 and drawn two of their last 15 men’s Ashes Tests on home soil. Their last defeat to England in Australia was in January 2011. Perth last hosted a men’s Ashes Test in 2017/18, when Australia won by an innings and 41 runs at the WACA. Each of the five previous men’s Tests staged at Perth Stadium has been won by the team batting first. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have only played once together previously in Tests, against West Indies in Southampton (July 2020). Mitchell Starc needs 13 wickets in the series to overtake Wasim Akram as the most prolific left-arm fast bowler in Test history. Brendan Doggett will become the third indigenous man to play for Australia in men’s Tests, after Jason Gillespie and team-mate Scott Boland.Quotes”The first three days are sold out, which is outstanding. There’s going to be plenty of viewers on TV, both here and back in England as well, so hopefully we can put on a good show and entertain plenty of people.”
“We’ve obviously come here with a goal, and that goal is to get on that plane in mid-January, returning to England, being Ashes winners. But we know it’s going to be very, very tough.”

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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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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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

• Pakistan fined for slow over-rate for third time in four ODIs

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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.

Liverpool and FSG are said to be considering selling a player who has been labelled as “shocking” recently, with a summer departure not out of the question.

Slot discusses Chiesa's Liverpool future

The Reds beat Bournemouth 4-2 in dramatic fashion on Friday evening, starting their Premier League title with a win, thanks hugely to a late Federico Chiesa strike in front of the Kop.

The Italian’s future has been a key talking point this summer, but it now looks as though he could be staying, with Arne Slot discussing his player after the Bournemouth game.

“As long as he is here he is definitely at Liverpool and I have no reason to believe something is going to change. He’s had a hard time last season, getting his match fitness ready. Unfortunately for him, he missed out on our Asia tour as well, so then you miss quite a lot, but not only him – Joe Gomez the same and we’ve lost Conor Bradley.

“So, all my substitutions were also related to players who probably couldn’t go for 90 minutes. Federico, when we needed him, I brought him in. At 2-2 you need your No.9, we brought him in and he delivered and that’s always positive for your future at the club.”

Now, an important update has emerged regarding another Liverpool player’s future, ahead of a potential exit before the end of the summer transfer window on September 1st.

Liverpool and FSG could sell "shocking" Konate

According to DaveOCKOP, Liverpool and FSG “could be willing to entertain offers” of £35m for Ibrahima Konate this summer, should he fail to agree to their contract extension terms.

All parties have reached a “nervous crossroads” in discussions, with Konate wanting a significant increase on his £70,000-a-week wages, earning around £200,000 per week instead. The report even adds that the Frenchman has been ‘disappointed by Liverpool’s initial contract offers’.

Konate was far from his best against Bournemouth on Friday, even being described as “shocking” by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher for his involvement in Antoine Semenyo’s second goal of the night.

Despite this, the Frenchman remains an invaluable player for the Reds – one who deserves to be rewarded with increased wages after becoming such a strong centre-back partner for Virgil van Dijk.

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Liverpool rallied to beat Bournemouth and kick off their Premier League title defence with three points.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 16, 2025

Granted, Konate can have off nights, and his injury problems have been an issue in the past, but he is 26 years of age and could now be coming into his peak years, so Liverpool losing him in the coming weeks would be a big blow, with a contract extension the preferred outcome.