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Alana King fights with three wickets but can’t avoid 89-run loss at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025

Hollie Armitage made Durham Women’s first professional century•Durham CCC

Durham 257 (Armitage 111, Windsor 55, King 3-31) beat Lancashire 168 (Fraser 3-33) by 89 runsAn excellent century from Durham captain Hollie Armitage led her side to an 89-run win in their Metro Bank One Day Cup clash with Lancashire Thunder.Durham’s total of 257 was supercharged by Armitage’s century, the first scored by a Durham player in professional women’s cricket, but three wickets from Alana King restricted the hosts in the closing period of the innings.Lancashire’s chase got off to a bad start as they found themselves 59 for four and they never really got going after that, with Durham bowling them out for 168 to continue their quarter-final pursuit.Armitage won the toss and elected to bat, but the hosts’ innings got off to a bad start as Lancashire got a moment of good fortune when Bates was run out backing up for 12.Armitage then came to the crease and played a delightful shot through the covers off the bowling of Sophie Morris, while Marlow played a tidy shot off her legs for four to keep the Durham total ticking over.The Durham pair were looking good, but a mix up between the wickets meant that Marlow had to depart as she was run out for a well-made 37.King then got her first as Mady Villiers edged a delivery straight into the hands of Eve Jones at slip for one. Armitage then passed fifty for the fourth time in the competition, with this one coming from 61 balls.Emily Windsor, making her Durham List A debut, joined Armitage and looked good as she launched a Morris ball down the ground for four.Lancashire had a chance to get the key wicket of Armitage when she mistimed a slog sweep off Tara Norris but Seren Smale failed to take a catch on the boundary with the Durham batter on 71.The attention quickly turned to a milestone at the other end as Windsor picked up her first half-century in a Durham shirt, with it coming from 47 balls.Windsor didn’t last much longer as King got her caught behind for a fluent 55, but Armitage continued to flow as she picked up back-to-back fours off Norris, but two quick wickets fell at the other end as King got Heath and Phoebe Turner was run out.However, Armitage managed to get her seventh List A century from 110 balls, but Norris got Katherine Fraser with the next ball.Gaur then got Grace Thompson, while Armitage and Sophia Turner were run out in the final over to leave Durham on 257 all out.Lancashire’s opening pair of Emma Lamb and Eve Jones guided their side through the opening overs with minimum fuss, but when Mady Villiers came into the attack that changed as she got Lamb, the top run scorer in this competition, caught behind for 12.Durham struck again to remove Tilly Kesteven for four as the Lancashire batter mistimed a cut shot off the bowling of Fraser and Thompson produced a superb diving catch at backward point.Lancashire’s poor start to their chase continued as Jones chipped one straight back to Fraser for 24 and the visitors were in trouble at 47 for three.Ellie Threlkeld relieved some pressure as she smashed Phoebe Turner’s first ball down the ground for four, but the Durham bowler struck back as she bowled the Lancashire captain with a beauty.Ailsa Lister played a glorious shot over the field on the offside for a much-needed boundary.Smale continued to tick the score along for the visitors, knowing that her partnership with Lister was key to any Lancashire victory hopes, but that partnership didn’t last much longer as Katie Levick got Lister caught at cover for 18. King failed to have the same impact with the bat as she did with the ball as she was caught behind off the bowling of Levick for four.Durham were on the brink of victory as Villiers got Smale LBW for 32 to leave Lancashire seven down.Kate Cross looked to offer some resistance as she played a pair of nice shots off the bowling of Phoebe Turner, but Fraser picked up her third as she removed Norris.Sophia Turner then got in on the act as she bowled Cross for a resolute 34 and she wrapped up the win, bowling Morris for a golden duck.

هاجمت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية النجم الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول بعد الأداء المتواضع الذي يقدمه مع الريدز.

وخسر ليفربول بقيادة مدربه آرني سلوت برباعية مقابل هدف أمام آيندهوفن في مفاجأة كبيرة للغاية وسط جماهيرهم، والتي تعتبر أول هزيمة أوروبية على آنفيلد هذا الموسم.

وخاض محمد صلاح المباراة كاملة لكنه ما زال غائبًا عن زيارة الشباك كما أنه قدم أداءً متوسطًا أمام آيندهوفن.

وقالت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” إنه لا يمكن تجاهل الأداء المتواضع ومساهمات صلاح النادرة إذ لم يُسجل سوى هدفين في الدوري منذ منتصف سبتمبر، ولم يُقدم أي تمريرة حاسمة في أي مسابقة منذ فوز فريقه على إيفرتون بنتيجة 2-1 في الديربي في 20 سبتمبر.

وأفادت أنه كانت هناك أوقات حمل فيها صلاح ليفربول على ظهره بتألقه، لكن الحقيقة الصعبة هي أنه أصبح حملًا زائدًا على الفريق في وقت لا يستطيع ليفربول أن يتحمل أعباء حمله.

في الوقت الذي يحتاج فيه سلوت بشدة إلى صلاح، تلاشى وذهب نحو العدم وأصبح عبئًا على فريق يحتاج إلى الدفاع من الأمام والضغط على دفاعات المنافس ومحاولة عكس سلسلة كارثية من النتائج بطريقة أو بأخرى.

اقرأ أيضًا | “ما حدث لا يغتفر”.. تطورات إقالة سلوت من تدريب ليفربول

كان صلاح غائبًا في خسارة ليفربول أمام آيندهوفن، إنه ليس اللاعب الوحيد الذي لم يحقق النجاح المنتظر منه في الفريق في الوقت الحالي، لكنه واحد منهم وصلاح هو أحد أعظم لاعبي ليفربول على الإطلاق، ويُعرف تفانيه في عمله داخل النادي لكن سلوت يحتاج إلى شيء مختلف على الجانب الأيمن في الوقت الحالي.

في وقت يُعاني فيه النادي من نقص في الأهداف، يحتاج الفريق بشدة إلى مزيد من الثبات، أنفق ليفربول الكثير على التعاقدات الجديدة في الصيف وحان الوقت ليستمتع سلوت بها.

الحل الأخير الذي توصل إليه الكثير من النقاد والتي عرضته الصحيفة البريطانية هو أن فيدريكو كييزا ليس البديل الأمثل لمحمد صلاح لكي يلعب أساسيًا.

ولكن من المؤكد أن هناك حالة من الجدل حول إمكانية إشراك كودي جاكبو على أحد الأطراف ضد وست هام وهوجو إيكيتيكي إذا تعافى من الإصابة على الجانب الآخر مع ألكسندر إيزاك في مركز المهاجم الصريح.

وأشارت “ديلي ميل” أن صلاح لن يكون متاحًا للعب مع ليفربول قريبًا لأنه من المقرر أن يغادر في منتصف ديسمبر للإنضمام إلى منتخب مصر الذي يسعى للفوز بكأس الأمم الأفريقية وقد يغيب لأكثر من شهر بواقع من 8 إلى 9 مباريات إذا قاد منتخب بلده إلى النهائي.

واختتمت موجهة نصيحة إلى سلوت أنه ينبغي عليه أن يبدأ عملية التأقلم مع الحياة بدونه الآن، حان الوقت لإعادة إحياء الفريق بقرارات جريئة، حتى موعد مغادرته إلى المغرب، من المفترض أن يعتمد عليه سلوت على مقاعد البدلاء، وعندما يعود صلاح فسوف يلعب إما تحت قيادة مدرب جديد لليفربول أو سيواجه معركة من أجل العودة إلى الفريق.

Chasing a DLS-revised target of 125 in 12 overs, Heat were undone by two-wicket bursts from Molly Strano, Heather Graham and Nicola Carey

AAP15-Nov-2025Lizelle Lee kept Hobart Hurricanes rolling, and Brisbane Heat winless thanks to a power-packed knock in their rain-impacted 16-run WBBL win in Sydney on Saturday.Lee hit an unbeaten 59 off 45 balls, striking six fours and three sixes either side of a rain delay on Saturday. Hurricanes were flying before their innings was reduced to 12 overs and they purred to 114 for 1, with Heat’s target increased to 125 based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.Jess Jonassen (1 for 12 from three overs) and Lucy Hamilton (0 for 26 off three) were the only Heat bowlers to escape punishment.Danni Wyatt-Hodge (44 in 26 balls) combined with Lee in a 106-run opening stand, which only ended in the final over.Grace Harris (28 in 21) hung in as Heat lost regular wickets attempting to maintain the scoring rate and finished at 108 for 9 thanks to a last-ball six from Sianna Ginger.Molly Strano (2 for 17), Heather Graham (2 for 25) and Nicola Carey (2 for 10) proved too clever for the Heat batters.The loss was Heat’s third straight to begin the season while Hurricanes sit on top of the table with three wins.

India had slumped to 203 for 7 while batting before Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten cameo lifted them to 247

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-2025

Deepti Sharma picked 3 for 45 to derail Pakistan’s chase•Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur was “very happy” with India notching up their second straight win at the 2025 ODI women’s World Cup. But Sunday’s 88-run win over Pakistan in Colombo, one that she described as an “important game for all of us”, wasn’t without its fair share of flutters.Like in their opening game against Sri Lanka, India’s lower-order rescued them to set up a total they managed to defend courtesy of their spinners. For much of their batting innings, India struggled for momentum. They slumped to 203 for 7 at one point, and were in danger of being bowled out until Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 35 off 20 lifted them to 247.”To be honest, it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat,” Harmanpreet said. “We just wanted to bat longer and see how many runs we can get. When we played here in the tri-series [in May], the pitches were different. But with the rain over the last two days, there was a bit of a hold on the pitch. The key was to keep wickets in the end so that we could execute.”Related

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That’s exactly what Ghosh did to give India the end-overs momentum. The other key contributor was fast bowler Kranti Goud, who made the early breakthroughs before Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana got among the wickets with Pakistan batters miscuing big hits in succession with the asking rate mounting.Goud, 22, was named Player of the Match for her 3 for 20, which included the wickets of Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riyaz inside the first ten overs to set Pakistan back.For Goud, it was a return to where it all began for her in May this year when she was handed her ODI debut during the tri-series, on the back of a sensational showing in last year’s domestic one-day final, where she picked up four wickets in four balls, including that of Ghosh to help MP clinch the title.Goud bowled with pace, got the new ball to dart around and in general troubled batters with her zip off the pitch. “Kranti bowled really well,” Harmanpreet acknowledged. “Renuka [Singh] was helping her from the other end, to get breakthroughs for us.”Kranti Goud was named player of the match for her 3 for 20•Associated PressIndia let themselves down on the field, dropping four catches, including three off Sidra Amin, the top-scorer of Pakistan’s innings. Their ground fielding, too, was patchy, a concern that is slowly beginning to creep up on them.”We let ourselves down on the field, we got so many chances which we unfortunately dropped, but in the end, when you win, you feel happy.”India now play their next two games – against South Africa (October 9) and Australia (October 12) – in Visakhapatnam. For now, Harmanpreet wants the team to soak in the winning feeling and reflect on a job well done before they refocus.”There are a lot of areas to work on but right now I’m happy that we won this game,” Harmanpreet said. “We just want to go with that momentum. We go back to India now, where we know how the pitches will play. Let’s see what is the best combination that we can come up with and how we can improve day by day.”

There is no sign that Pakistan’s fast bowlers will rein in the aggression they put on display during the side’s most recent game against India last week. On the eve of the Asia Cup final, captain Salman Agha said he fully supported his team-mates’ right to impose themselves on both the game and the opposition so long as things don’t go too far.”If someone wants to be aggressive on the ground, then why not,” Agha said at a press conference. “If you deprive a fast bowler of their aggression, then what’s left? Every player knows how to deal with their emotions. I give players license to react the way they want at the ground. As long as they’re not disrespecting anyone and stay within the line, I have no issues with that.”That sets the stage for another charged-up India-Pakistan game – their third in as many weeks, this one for the title. After their last meeting on Sunday, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan were pulled up for breaches of the ICC’s code of conduct. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was similarly penalised for comments he made following the group game between the two teams.Related

• An India-Pakistan final that carries more weight than a title

• The myth and math of Saim Ayub

• Abhishek 2, Afridi 0 – the duel that could decide the Asia Cup final

• How can Pakistan turn it around against India in the Asia Cup final?

• India vs Pakistan – a look back at five memorable tournament finals

That day, India also refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, either before or after the game, reflecting the state of affairs between two countries who were in military conflict earlier this year. Agha said he had “never before” known that to happen at a cricket match.”I’ve been playing cricket since 2007 professionally. I’ve never seen no handshakes between two teams. My dad is a huge fan of cricket and used to tell me about its history. He never told me about any game where there’s not been a handshake. I’ve heard it’s never happened before.”When India-Pakistan games took place in even more tense situations, handshakes always happened. Not to have handshakes is not good for cricket. If someone wants to be aggressive, whether they’re from my team or their team, I have no issues with that, but you should shake hands at the end of it.”As things stand, it is almost certain that there will be no handshakes before or after the final.India have, over the past fortnight, attempted to distance themselves from the idea that a game against Pakistan is any more significant than others. Agha’s outlook was different.”It would be wrong to say a Pakistan-India match doesn’t carry more pressure,” he said. “It’s the final. There’ll be a similar amount of pressure on both sides. The pressure of a final is different, of course.2:53

Chopra: Abhishek vs Shaheen could decide the game

“We can’t control what’s happened out of the ground. One of our philosophies is to not worry about what we can’t control. We are not focused on what people on the outside are saying. We’re here to win the Asia Cup and that’s our only focus.”Agha himself has had a near-negligible impact on the tournament. Thirty-one batters have scored more runs than him in the competition, with all of them getting those runs at more than a-run-a-ball. Agha’s strike rate, meanwhile, is 78.04.Agha admitted this tournament has been a struggle for him personally, even as he led his side to just their second Asia Cup final in 11 years. “My performance hasn’t been up to the level it should have been and I am working on that. In T20 cricket, strike rate is important, but at the end of the day, you have to see what the situation demands and the team needs. It’s not necessary to play with a strike rate of 150 if the pitch or the situation doesn’t demand it. You should play according to the situation.”Pakistan have gone with the same side over the past three games, not that there aren’t issues with the playing XI. Saim Ayub continues to search for form with the bat, having now scored four ducks in six games. The bowling, in general, has bailed out the batting, particularly when they’ve had to take first strike, which is all but one game this tournament.In just about each of those they produced below-par totals; the two lowest totals defended this edition have both been by Pakistan. Now they’re in the final and when it turns out this way, Pakistan fans start to talk about destiny. Agha too seems to have been made a believer. “Everyone knows we haven’t batted to our full abilities this tournament, but maybe we’re saving the best for the final,” he laughed.

Manchester United had a problem between the sticks for too many seasons prior to the signing of Senne Lemmens from Royal Antwerp during the summer transfer window.

Andre Onana was signed from Inter for a fee of £43.5m in the summer of 2023, after helping the Italian side to reach the Champions League final, with the hope that he would be the answer to their problems.

Unfortunately, like the one in the clip above, his time at Old Trafford was littered with mistakes. He made two errors that led to shots and four errors that led to goals in his two Premier League seasons, per Sofascore.

Onana also made two errors that directly led to goals for the opposition in 13 appearances in the Europa League during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he slipped up far too many times.

His short-term replacement, Altay Bayindir, did not fare much better. The Turkey international made two errors that led to goals for the opposition in ten appearances in the Premier League, with one in six games this season and one in four outings last term, per Sofascore.

Altay and Onana’s dismal form between the sticks convinced Ruben Amorim and INEOS to sign Lammens in the summer, and he has hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

Manchester United have already hit the jackpot with Senne Lammens

Statistics are great and can be brilliant when used correctly, as we will try to do later in this piece, but the Belgian shot-stopper provides United with something intangible: calmness.

The team looks more settled at the back and confident in their goalkeeper with situations in and around the box, because of the calmness and confidence that Lammens brings to the pitch.

Nervousness and indecision breed mistakes, as shown by Onana and Altay’s performances for United, but the summer signing looks like he will not be bringing either of those things to his performances.

Lammens, as illustrated in the post above, enjoyed a terrific debut against Sunderland in the Premier League last month, keeping a clean sheet and preventing 0.94 xG.

He has now made three appearances for United in the top-flight, winning all three, and has quickly established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the entire division.

Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs)

3.01

7

Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

2.94

7

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

2.72

9

Nick Pope (Newcastle)

2.29

8

Senne Lammens (Man Utd)

1.97

3

As you can see in the table above, only four goalkeepers in the league have prevented more xG/goals than Lammens has, despite the fact that the Belgian star has only played three times.

His performances in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has the potential to go and become the best shot-stopper in the Premier League, if he can hit his peak at Old Trafford.

Senne Lammens (Pro League)

+15.57

Jordan Pickford (Premier League)

+6.15

Matz Sels (Premier League)

+4.55

Mark Travers (Premier League)

+4.48

Ederson (Premier League)

+4.46

Dean Henderson (Premier League)

+3.14

This suggests that United have one of the best goalkeepers in the world in the making, given that he has the potential to be the best shot-stopper in, arguably, the best league in the world.

However, even the best goalkeepers still need a reliable defence in front of them to help rack up clean sheets to improve their reputation in the wider footballing community.

Chalkboard

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

That is why Manchester United need to move on from and upgrade on versatile defender Diogo Dalot in order to help Lammens become known as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

Why Man Utd need to move on from Diogo Dalot

We mentioned earlier that nervousness and indecision breed mistakes. So far this season, the Portugal international has seemed full of nerves and indecision, which has led to mistakes.

Dalot, per Sofascore, has made two errors that have led to shots or goals for the opposition across six starts in the Premier League, which shows that he is putting his team under pressure with needless mistakes.

In the recent 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst claimed that Dalot is “their weakest player”, whilst content creator Mark Goldbridge described his performance as “awful”.

It was not a direct error that led to a shot or goal from Dalot, as shown in the clip above, but he was stationed in the centre of the box and failed to position himself to cut out the ball across that Cody Gakpo scored from.

On top of his mistakes in the Premier League this season, the former AC Milan loanee’s defensive numbers have gone down across the board in comparison to the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

33

7

Assists

3

1

Tackles per game

2.1

1.6

Interceptions per game

1.1

0.6

Ground duels won per game

3.2

2.3

Aerial duels won per game

1.2

0.6

As you can see in the table above, Dalot’s performances have declined this season, as he is making fewer tackles and interceptions and winning fewer duels on the ground and in the air.

This suggests that he has become a liability defensively for the Red Devils, particularly when you take his two direct errors into account, which is why Luckhurst calling him “their weakest player” may have been accurate.

United should, therefore, be looking to find an upgrade on the defender, who can play on the left or the right at full-back, because his mistakes may cost them moving forward.

Replacing him with a more reliable defender, who will not make as many costly mistakes, could help Lammens be known as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, because it would provide him with more protection and reliability ahead of him.

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ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

This could, therefore, lead to more clean sheets, more wins, and more people talking about how impressive United’s defence is with the talented shot-stopper behind them.

Champions’ lead cut to single point after draw in heavily rain-affected game

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025Heavy afternoon rain had the final say at the Kia Oval as title favourites Surrey were forced to accept a draw against Warwickshire that cuts their lead over Nottinghamshire at the top of the Rothesay County Championship to a single point.Surrey set Warwickshire 390 to win in 76 overs after declaring their second innings on 391 for 8, with Dom Sibley completing his fourth Championship hundred of the season despite batting with a runner due to a groin injury.But Warwickshire had few alarms in initially reaching 60 for 1 from 23 overs before the players were driven from the field at 2.24pm. Play did resume again at 3.50pm, with a potential 36 overs remaining, but hands were shaken 16 overs later with Warwickshire on 105 for 1.Tom Lawes pinned Warwickshire captain Alex Davies leg-before for 31 just before the rains came but, in the end, just too many overs – 114 in all following the loss of almost 75 on day three – were taken out of the game by the weather for a positive result to be possible.It sets up a titanic contest between Surrey and Nottinghamshire next week in their only meeting this season, and on a ground where Surrey have lost only one Championship fixture since April 2022 and the start of their three title-winning summers.Rob Yates remained 34 not out and Will Young, who had top-scored for Warwickshire with 72 in their first innings, was unbeaten on 31.With eight points for the draw, both sides take 11 points from this fixture and that means Surrey, chasing a fourth successive Championship title, have lost ground against Notts – who earlier in the day beat Worcestershire at New Road.Surrey, resuming on 276 for 2, added 115 more runs from 18.5 overs with Sibley – who had retired hurt on 64 before the start of a truncated third day – re-emerging at the fall of the sixth wicket, with his captain Rory Burns acting as his runner, to go to an heroic 103 not out. Sibley even hit successive sixes, flipped and hooked off Olly Hannon-Dalby, for the first time in his first-class career to help to speed Surrey to their declaration.The final day began with Ben Foakes and Dan Lawrence, unbeaten on 41 and 29 respectively overnight, hitting out with abandon in the opening overs. Foakes slammed the second ball of the morning wide of mid-on for four and Lawrence hoisted Michael Booth over long on for six before flipping to fine leg for another boundary.However, after Foakes had hooked Nathan Gilchrist for four to reach his half-century, he fell next ball for 52 attempting another big hit to deep square leg to prompt a clatter of five wickets for 24 runs in eight overs as Warwickshire successfully took the second new ball.Lawrence holed out to deep midwicket for 43 off Booth, who then had both Jordan Clark leg-before for 8 – following a pulled six – and Gus Atkinson brilliantly held on the boundary ropes by Ethan Bamber.Another great catch, this time low to his right by a sprawling Young at backward point, saw the end of Ryan Patel for 10 off Gilchrist but Sibley then strode out to join Lawes in a rollicking stand of 52 for the eighth wicket. Lawes’ useful 19 ended with a spliced catch to cover but there was just enough time for Sibley to go to three figures, with a dabbed reverse seep for two off Yates’ off spin, before Burns’ declaration.

“Leave the football before the football leaves you.” That was the sentence Jamie Carragher reserved for a certain Manchester United player by the name of Casemiro back in May 2024.

It’s safe to say that the Brazilian, once a football legend, a serial winner at Real Madrid, had seen his powers wane.

He was making countless mistakes, looked like he was running through treacle and was the shadow of a player who had featured on 336 occasions for Madrid.

18 months on and Casemiro looks like a legandary player again. He may not be capable of featuring for a period of 90 minutes but the 2025/26 campaign has arguably been his best since moving to Old Trafford.

The 33-year-old is making a huge impact, notably scoring on three occasions and registering an assist. He’s finally come good in United colours.

However, the fact that he can’t last 90 minutes is the problem. His backup in the shape of Manuel Ugarte continues to struggle.

Why it's time for Ugarte to leave Man Utd

In the summer of 2024, INEOS spent a great deal on bringing the bullish Uruguayan to Old Trafford, as much as £42m.

He was seen as the heir to Casemiro, someone who could fix their lack of energy and tenacity in the middle of the park.

The big Brazilian was floundering and the more minute Ugarte was here to fix the problem. Yet, he has been more of a hindrance, particularly as Casemiro has returned to form.

So far this term, the midfield veteran has only completed one 90 minutes in the Premier League and in a bid to see out the game, Ruben Amorim has usually tried to rely on Ugarte. However, the South American has been anything but reliable.

Casemiro in the PL this season
Fixture	Minute subbed
Arsenal	65
Fulham	53
Burnley	72
Man City	Did not start
Chelsea	45
Brentford	Suspended
Sunderland	85
Liverpool	58
Brighton	70
Nott’m Forest	Was not subbed
Spurs	72

With the 24-year-old out of the team, the Red Devils have scored 15 goals at a rate of twice per 90 and have conceded eight times, once per 90 minutes.

However, with Ugarte in the team, Amorim’s side have scored just four times, 1.3 per 90 minutes and have shipped ten goals, a whopping 3.2 per 90.

The data is clear; United are a poorer side when the big-money midfielder is in the team. While he has come on and helped his teammates to victories over Chelsea, Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton, he has also come on and been a hindrance.

When he entered the action at the weekend in the 2-2 draw with Spurs, it was 1-0 to United at the time. In the 3-1 defeat to Brentford, he came on at 2-1. During the 1-1 draw with Fulham, Amorim’s charges were leading 1-0 when Ugarte was brought off the bench. To make matters worse, he also started the 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City.

So, why do things go so wrong when he’s on the field? Well, his inability to break up the play and anticipate what happens on the field is a huge issue. That was seen during the draw with Spurs on Saturday when Ugarte simply let Wilson Odobert breeze past him in the build-up to Mathys Tel’s equaliser.

With Kobbie Mainoo on the bench, it does beg the question, why Ugarte? While the Uruguay international is the more traditional holding midfielder, they need more energy and legs when Casemiro heads to the bench. Mainoo would bring that in abundance.

Saying that, the academy graduate isn’t the only Ugarte solution up Amorim’s sleeve. Another future superstar at Carrington is getting ready to make an impact.

Man United's surprise Ugarte replacement

Cutting their losses on the former PSG player would be disastrous from a business point of view but it really does feel as though United need a refresh in midfield.

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Casemiro has made great improvements this term but he is not getting any younger and if INEOS are planning to spend big in the future then it must be in a central area.

Players like Brighton superstar Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest’s Geordie midfielder, Elliot Anderson, have both been linked with a move. They would be fabulous signings too.

Yet, a ready-made solution could present itself at Carrington. In the form of 19-year-old Sekou Kone, United may well have already signed their dream replacement for Ugarte.

Kone arrived at Man United in the summer of 2024. He was not a marquee arrival, far from it. There was very little fanfare for a teenager who had signed in a £1m deal from Malian side Guidars FC.

An exciting midfield player, the youngster had attracted the attention of United scouts during Mali’s run to the semi-finals of the U17 World Cup in 2023. Since then, he has failed to earn any senior game time under Amorim but he looks like a mighty fine prospect.

Kone featured on 14 occasions for the U21s last season but his prospects of football in 2025/26 have so far been dampened by a fractured eye socket. He has played just one match in the opening exchanges of the ongoing campaign but he is now back in training and first-team training at that. Amorim has already shelved plans of a loan spell, such is the potential in this young midfield player.

So, what’s he all about? Well, a defensive midfielder by trade, he is “uber composed on the ball and so press resistant” in the words of Como scout, Ben Mattinson.

Mattinson continued: “He’s got a tight turn radius and rides challenges well when carrying the ball.” On that evidence, he certainly sounds more promising than Ugarte.

He possesses an exciting ball-winning prowess and has an enormous physical ceiling that Mattinson suggests “is something Manchester United need more of in order for Amorim’s man-to-man press to work effectively.”

On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that fellow scout, Antonio Mango, has explained that Kone has “the skillset to be a beast under Amorim.”

This is a player who doesn’t just look capable of ending Ugarte’s career at Old Trafford, but potentially also Casemiro’s.

Trescothick suggests performances in warm-up match against Lions are unlikely to affect selection for first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-20252:32

Pope ‘undermined’ by England treatment

England have hinted that they will pick Ollie Pope at No. 3 in their warm-up game against the Lions on Thursday, indicating that he is likely to beat Jacob Bethell to selection for the first Test against Australia in Perth next week.Harry Brook said that players were told they will be “going hard” against the Lions in their three-day practice match by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes at the start of their Tuesday training session. Some England players may also feature for the Lions, who have brought an 18-man squad to Australia.”That was partly what Baz and Stokesy said,” Brook told England’s social channels. “We’re going hard. We’re going to go 100%. We’re going to try and beat them. I think we’re going to be selecting an XI and playing against another XI, so it’s not going to be just a mess-around… It’s good preparation playing against some of the best players in England ahead of the Ashes.”Pope’s position at No. 3 has been under pressure ever since Bethell’s maiden Test series in New Zealand last year, when he made three half-centuries in the role. England’s decision to transfer the vice-captaincy from Pope to Brook last month only fuelled speculation that Bethell would start the Ashes in the role.But Marcus Trescothick, one of McCullum’s assistant coaches, gave a strong hint that Pope will retain his spot for the warm-up match. “I’m presuming the same sort of No. 3 we’ve had for a period of time,” he told BBC Sport, when asked who would bat there. He added: “I can only say we are a very consistent team in what we’re trying to do.”Trescothick also said that performances in the warm-up match were unlikely to affect selection for the first Test.”It’s definitely not going to change dramatically before the start of an Ashes series because someone puts their hand up by taking five wickets or gets 150,” he said. “The team has been what it has been for a period of time for a reason, so that when you come to big series, you are more settled and confident going into it.”England have trained at Lilac Hill, the venue for the warm-up match and the home ground of grade team Midland-Guildford CC, since they arrived in Perth and Brook said that conditions will be “completely different” when they arrive at Optus Stadium for the first Test.”It’s completely different here, if I’m being brutally honest,” he said. [The pitches] are slow and low here. It’s going to be slightly different to the Optus, but we’ve got three or four days before that first Test where we can utilise [those] pitches… It’s a perfect opportunity in this game to try and get some time out in the middle and use it wisely.”

With just one win picked up across their last five Premier League games, Manchester United now look short on confidence again heading into a bumper December.

Everything looked to be smooth again with three victories secured on the bounce in October, but the boos would ring out at the full-time whistle when the tired Red Devils could only muster up a 1-1 draw versus relegation-threatened West Ham United last time out.

It will be very interesting to see where United sit in the ever-changing league standings when the hustle and bustle of the Christmas period is over, with the up-and-down outfit still only three points off fourth position, despite their recent stumbles.

Whatever does play out, United will surely use the January transfer window to their advantage, as several standout signings are tipped to move to the Theatre of Dreams, despite their hot-and-cold nature.

Man Utd's number one January target

Amorim will just have to hope he is still in the United dug-out by the time January window rolls around, with ESPN reporter Rob Dawson stating that he needs “time and patience” amid shouts he should be given the axe.

Even with this uncertainty in the air, plenty of transfer rumours are circulating, with the likes of Adam Wharton alleged to be on the Premier League outfit’s radar, as they try and win themselves some fresh blood in the middle of the park.

Of course, there is also one incessant piece of gossip that Elliot Anderson could swap Nottingham Forest for the Red Devils, with a statement double deal now even in the works involving Anderson, according to Football Insider.

As per Mick Brown, via Football Insider, United are chasing after the signatures of both the England international and AFC Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo, with the duo named as top targets in a combined £170m deal.

£65m of that alone could be spent on securing Semenyo, as is the Cherries attacker’s previously mentioned release clause, with Amorim loving the idea, surely, of the Ghananian forward moving to Old Trafford, especially with Bryan Mbeumo off to the African Cup of Nations shortly.

Brown said: “Semenyo is the one they’ve been looking at. United need to spend in January to improve the squad, and he’s somebody they wanted to bring in during the summer before he signed that contract. If the opportunity comes up when the window opens, it would make a lot of sense because he would also be able to plug that hole left by Mbeumo.

“You’re looking at people like Semenyo and Elliot Anderson to come in, they’re the top targets for Amorim because both of them would be real improvements in key areas of the squad.”

While United are desperately searching for some fresh blood centrally, Semenyo might well go down as an even better signing than Anderson, particularly as Amorim is no doubt cursing his side’s ineffectiveness in front of goal as of late.

Why Semenyo could be a better signing than Anderson

Immediately after the poor 1-1 draw versus the Hammers, Sky Sports’ Roy Keane would heavily criticise the disappointing United attackers, stating that they’re not “nasty enough” or “clinical” enough to kill off a game.

With Mbeumo set to link up with Cameroon soon at the AFCON, Amorim’s options in attack could soon become even weaker, with the former Brentford striker way out ahead as United’s strongest attacker of the season so far, having powered home five Premier League goals.

In stark contrast, both Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha only have two league strikes between them this season, while Benjamin Sesko has just two goals, himself, when fit, with Semenyo’s arrival on the scene finally gifting United that deadly, rampaging attacker that Keane, and presumably Amorim, is crying out for.

Indeed, just in the Premier League alone this season, the blistering attacker has managed to conjure up a devastating nine-goal contributions, with Pep Guardiola even going out of his way to herald Semenyo as an “extraordinary” talent who can change games, which is what United are in dire need of, to avoid any more underwhelming draws.

25/26

14

6 + 3

24/25

37

11 + 6

23/24

33

8 + 3

22/23

11

1 + 0

Of course, against West Ham, the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro weren’t at their best, but they are still some of the more consistent performers in the United ranks through the middle, with the ex-Real Madrid man managing to win a high 11 duels to keep up his United resurgence.

Moreover, with two goals and five assists next to his name this season, Fernandes will feel he’s done enough to be kept in the United starting XI for the foreseeable future, away from Amorim and Co splurging out £100m on Anderson.

Whereas, if the Red Devils were to splash out a more reasonable £65m on Semenyo, their attack could be taken to that next level, with Chris Waddle even hailing the vibrant number 24 as “the best winger in the country”, as he now sits on a mighty 26 goals and 12 assists from 95 Premier League outings.

Anderson’s arrival could well gift United a fantastic, well-rounded midfield presence for the long run, but in the immediate, with Amorim and Co fluffing their lines consistently up top, Semenyo feels like the more pressing purchase, especially if they’re left short during the AFCON.

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