Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting Gary O’Neil as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, and the former manager’s stance on a return has been revealed.

The 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday spelled the end for Pereira, with his side putting in yet another disappointing performance, barely laying a glove on the Cottagers and recording a total xG of just 0.24.

Moreover, the Old Gold were also very poor at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding three goals, which means they now have the worst defensive record in the league.

As such, it is no surprise that Fosun finally had enough and sacked the 57-year-old, who penned a new three-year contract less than two months ago, with Wolves’ Premier League status now under serious threat.

After the latest defeat, which was their eighth in ten Premier League games, the Wanderers are now eight points from safety, leaving the new manager with a lot of work to do to dig them out of the relegation zone.

Gary O'Neil pulls out of Wolves manager race

According to an update from reliable reporter John Percy on X, Wolves entered “advanced talks” to appoint O’Neil, who emerged as a “very strong contender” for the job.

However, the former Old Gold boss has on Monday evening withdrawn himself from the running.

Appointing a manager who was sacked less than 12 months ago could be viewed as a backwards step, and the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss doesn’t have the greatest of records in the Premier League, averaging a little over one point per game.

Gary O’Neil’s Premier League record

Games

88

Wins

25

Draws

16

Losses

47

Points per match

1.03

However, the Beckenham-born manager does have experience in relegation battles, successfully guiding the Cherries to safety in the 2022-23 campaign after taking over from Scott Parker, before going on to secure a 14th-place finish with Wolves the following season.

Percy also hailed O’Neil for the job he did at Molineux, after taking over from Julen Lopetegui at a difficult time.

In truth, with Wolves eight points from safety, top managers are unlikely to be queuing up for the job, so to miss out on their former boss is a blow.

Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as Vitor Pereira replacement Related Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

Posts 2 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

5

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 31, 2025

يستعد ليفربول لمواجهة آيندهوفن الهولندي مساء اليوم، على ملعب أنفيلد، ضمن منافسات مرحلة الدوري بمسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز العاشر برصيد 9 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بفارق 3 نقاط عن صاحب المركز الأول بايرن ميونخ.

ويحتل آيندهوفن المركز 24 برصيد 5 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا أيضاً.

وقد أعلن آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول تشكيل الفريق يتكون من: “مامارداشفيلي، سوبوسلاي، كوناتي، فان دايك، كيركيز، جرافنبيرخ، ماك أليستر، جونز، صلاح، إيكتيكي، جاكبو”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. هامان يوجه رسالة لـ سلوت حول استبعاد محمد صلاح من تشكيل ليفربول

وبحسب الصحفي “لويس ستيل” فإن أليسون بيكر لن يشارك في مباراة اليوم، ويعود سبب غيابه لمرضه ولكنه لا يعاني من أي إصابة.

جدير بالذكر أن أليسون بيكر قد عاد لقائمة ليفربول بعد غيابه لعدة أسابيع بسبب معاناته في أوتار الركبة، وشارك في حراسة مرمى فريقه أمام نوتينجهام فورست بشكل أساسي.

The 16-year-old wicketkeeper batter has shown fearlessness and resilience during her rapid rise

Sruthi Ravindranath16-Dec-2024G Kamalini’s mother Saranya had never felt such happiness. Not even when her daughter was born.On Sunday, 16-year-old Kamalini first won the Player-of-the-Match award for her unbeaten 44 off 29 balls for India against Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup in Malaysia, and then earned a INR 1.6 crore deal with Mumbai Indians at the WPL 2025 auction in Bengaluru. For Kamalini’s family, who watched both events from Chennai, it felt like a dream.”Don’t think we were this happy even when Kamalini was born,” Saranya told ESPNcricinfo. “Kamalini’s revelling in the moment. She’s getting a lot of calls and wishes – her team-mates, coaches have all been calling. She’s feeling very happy. She also scored at the Under-19 Asia Cup and got Player of the Match today, she’s so happy that everything is going well.”There was a bidding war between MI and Delhi Capitals for the teenager, and MI head coach Charlotte Edwards and team mentor Jhulan Goswami exchanged smiles after they won. Kamalini later revealed to Goswami that her family couldn’t control their tears.Saranya, Kamalini’s father Gunalan, and her brother Dominic Kishore had sat glued to the television all day.”Her dad was so confident she would be picked but I kept my hopes low,” Saranya said. “She was part of the trials with several teams, including Mumbai, ahead of the auction. I probably thought she’d go for 50 lakh. Her dad was nervous when the match was on but was relaxed during the auction. So many players before her went unsold so we were a bit worried. But I did not expect her to go for this amount.”MI liked what they had seen and heard of her over the last year and had set aside a significant chunk of their purse to secure the “cheeky” Kamalini at the auction.”It’s the one name that’s cropping up in all meetings we’ve had in the last two or three months,” Edwards said at the auction. “Having seen her first hand as well, she looks an exciting, young talent. We need back-up for Yastika [Bhatia] at the top of the order but equally we wanted a left-handed option for our middle order, that’s something we recognised last year. She seems the perfect fit. I know she’s young. She looks cheeky which I like. We knew there’d be other interest in her. So we knew we needed to keep some purse to hopefully secure her.”As a kid growing up in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Kamalini was into inline skating. She was so good at it that she had her own showcase at home to display her medals and trophies. But she wanted to play cricket like her brother. She took up the game when she was 11 and it soon became an “obsession”.Related

Aggression, clarity, fearlessness – coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

Dottin goes back to Gujarat Giants to cap her year of new beginnings

WPL 2025 auction: what the five teams have done right, and what they have not

WPL 2025 auction: Uncapped Indians make a splash

With her father as her first coach, Kamalini and her brother trained almost every day. A natural right-hander, she was trained to become a left-hand batter by her father, who believed that would give her an edge.The family decided to move to Chennai for better opportunities for both children. Her father even quit his business. Kamalini and her brother joined the Super Kings Academy in 2022 and started training under coach Louis Mariano.A hard-hitting opener who keeps wicket, Kamalini also bowls spin. But Mariano was keen that she prioritised wicketkeeping.”Kamalini has everything you look for in a cricketer,” Mariano said. “Be it defence, shots all round the wicket, back foot or front foot. She also has the ability to clear the ground with ease. Even at 16 she can play the ground easily because the technique is so good whatever shots she plays. The technique takes care of her game. She was destined for greatness right at a very young age.”Mariano was all praise for her work ethic. It’s hard even for Kamalini’s coaches to get her out of the nets. She spends at least five hours at the academy every day.Kamalini has made giant strides after joining the academy. In 2023, she was the Player of the Tournament in the Freyer T20 Cup hosted by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. She captained Tamil Nadu Women in the BCCI Under-15 tournament and was also picked for a special National Cricket Academy U-15 camp in Alur.Making the step up to the Under-19 level last year, Kamalini continued her terrific form. She was instrumental in Tamil Nadu winning the Under-19 domestic tournament in October, hitting 311 runs in eight matches. She followed that up by top-scoring with 79 in the Under-19 tri-series final for India B against South Africa A, which earned her a spot in India’s Under-19 Asia Cup squad.It was right before one of those tournaments last year that Kamalini’s family was coping with tough situation. Her father had a massive heart attack, kidney failure, and underwent an open-heart surgery. While he spent days in the intensive care unit, Kamalini and her brother were under the care of their extended family as their mother cared for their father.Kamalini had the Senior Women’s One-Day tournament to play during this turbulent time.”She’s so mentally strong. Even if the situation had worsened for her dad, she wouldn’t have returned from the tournament,” Saranya said. “She has that kind of mentality. She’s been like that since she was small. She left to the tournament crying, I’ll never forget that. Everyone told her father that he’ll live to see the day she wears the India jersey, and I believed in that too.”Kamalini had an excellent run in that tournament, scoring a century and finishing as the second highest run-scorer. Mariano said Kamalini’s biggest strength is her resilience and “fearlessness”.”She’d still turn up for training every day even when her father was critically ill,” he said. “She even attended a TNCA camp at that time. Her parents made sure the situation didn’t stop her cricket. Along with her skills, her fearlessness on and off the field is the biggest strength. She’s never scared to speak out also.”Kamalini father recovered but hasn’t been able to get back to training with her. Her rapid rise, however, has kept him in good spirits. Her parents’ dream is to see her in the senior Indian team for a long time.”We want to see her wear the jersey consistently,” Saranya said, “And play many games for India and have a long career.”

A former West Ham employee has shared some “clear” boardroom issues he saw during his time at the club, amid the ongoing protests surrounding Karren Brady and David Sullivan’s leadership.

West Ham fans have been increasingly vocal in their opposition to the club’s ownership under Brady and Sullivan, with discontent reaching new heights.

Supporter groups are so frustrated that they’re planning protests at every Saturday home game this season, aiming to make their voices heard loud and clear.

The root of the protest lies in fans’ growing frustration over what they see as mismanagement and broken promises by Brady and Sullivan. Many supporters feel the duo have prioritised profit over the club’s long-term success, failing to reinvest adequately in the squad and infrastructure.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

Despite some initial optimism when they took over, the lack of consistent on-field progress, underwhelming recruitment strategy and no clear plan moving forward has undoubtedly escalated tensions to boiling point.

Just two years after West Ham won their first major trophy in decades, with David Moyes’ Hammers lifting the Conference League in 2023, the east Londoners find themselves battling relegation after conceding more goals than any other Premier League side.

Since Moyes’ departure, a host of managers in Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and now Nuno Espirito Santo have failed to transform their fortunes, with things looking very bleak at the London Stadium.

While reports suggest that West Ham are ready to spend in January as they look to save their season, the club’s precarious position can be majorly put down to some questionable decisions by Sullivan, Brady and co.

Former West Ham scout reveals "clear" boardroom issues he saw during his time at the club

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-West Ham senior scout Mick Brown, didn’t hold back in his criticism of the boardroom — saying their problems go all the way back to when he was employed by the Irons.

Given this is coming from someone who once worked for West Ham, it is evident that fans’ frustrations are entirely justified.

Now, Nuno is the latest under-fire boss to be tasked with getting the best out of this uninspired West Ham side, who’ve looked as poor of an outfit as we’ve seen this season.

January represents a major lifeline for the club as they reportedly target a new defender, midfielder and forward, but questions will be asked as to why they didn’t address these three positions properly in the summer.

Come the winter, it could even be a case of too little, too late.

Insider shares more "bad news" for West Ham as Nuno dealt "another injury blow"

The Los Angeles Dodgers did not have a great start to the post-All-Star break portion of their season as they were swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers in three straight games. On Sunday the Brewers beat the Dodgers, 6-5, despite Shohei Ohtani hitting a home run for the second consecutive game.

Aside from Ohtani's homers, the top names in the Dodgers lineup were especially quiet in the series. The home runs accounted for two of Ohtani's three hits in the series. Freddie Freeman went 1-for-8 at the plate against Milwaukee. Teoscar Hernandez had one hit in 11 at-bats. Mookie Betts was 1-for-9 in the series, while Miguel Rojas had two hits, including a home run, in his one start at shortstop on Saturday while Betts rested.

After the game Betts, sporting a Pablo Sanchez hat that indicates there was a lot more fun going on in the dugout than there actually was, spoke with the press.

Asked about the switch that put him back at the top of the order and moved Ohtani to second, Betts downplayed the change. "Just a day at the park," said Betts. "Nothing really changed so it didn't matter. "

Betts then turned his attention to his own performance. "Just gotta play better," he continued. "In all facets. I can't speak for everyone. I just know for me, I gotta play better. Gotta figure it out."

Betts, an eight-time All-Star who has won three World Series, was left off the NL All-Star team this year as he's struggling through his worst season as a professional. Betts started the season dealing with a mystery illness and then fractured a toe going to the bathroom.

Despite that and the three-game losing streak, Los Angeles still leads their division by 3.5 games and has one of the best records in all of baseball.

The MLB trade deadline is less than a week away and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman still has some work to do. Cashman himself, while speaking to reporters prior to the All-Star break, cited starting pitching, relief pitching and an infielder—ideally a third baseman—as the club's biggest needs and vowed that the club would "try to be active." True to his word, Cashman and the Yankees have already addressed third base, on Friday acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. The club then imported utilityman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals on Saturday. And while the injury to captain Aaron Judge throws a bit of a wrench in New York's plans, it's likely the club has enough outfield depth to navigate the reigning American League MVP's right elbow flexor strain. So, let's operate under the assumption that Cashman will be working the phones with the remaining two positions on his shopping list, starting pitcher and relief pitcher, in mind. What players are the best fits for the Yankees to acquire?

3 MLB Trade Deadline Targets for Yankees

David Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar, 30, is a hard-throwing righthander who misses bats, something the Yankees' bullpen, which features a smaller circle of trust then manager Aaron Boone would like thanks to injuries and inconsistent performance, could use. Bednar, a two-time All-Star and the No. 21 player on SI's Big Board of trade candidates, has pitched to a 2.19 ERA with 16 saves in 37 innings this year. The Pittsburgh native has utilized an arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball, split-fingered fastball and curveball to register an impressive 34.5% strikeout rate and 30% whiff rate. In other words, he misses bats at a very high rate. That's music to New York's ears.

The Yankees, who possess just one lefthanded reliever, would love to add a southpaw to the bullpen. Bednar is the next best thing, though. Yankees pitchers have surrendered a .736 OPS to lefty batters vs. a .650 mark to righties. Bednar is the rare kind of righthander who is better against lefties, making him a desirable upgrade for the Yankees' 'pen.

The Pirates closer has popped up in trade rumors in years past, though Pittsburgh has balked at trading him. This might be the year they finally do. He won't come cheap—it could take one, potentially two top-10 prospects to acquire the righty, depending on the Pirates front office's demands. But Bednar, who is not a free agent until 2027, would be a savvy addition by Cashman for another reason. Both current closer Devin Williams, as well as Luke Weaver, are free agents this winter. Should the Yankees lose one or both, the presence of Bednar, an experienced high-leverage reliever, would soften the blow.

Merrill Kelly, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

New York Yankees starting pitchers have recorded a 3.80 ERA this season, eighth in MLB and fourth in the American League. If you told Cashman before the season that he would be without 2023 Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for the whole season and the whole first half, respectively, and the club's rotation would pitch this way; he'd likely have taken it. The Yankees have All-Stars Max Fried and Carlos Rodon to thank for that.

But make no mistake.

The club's rotation is on shaky ground at the moment. Fried, the de facto ace, is dealing with a troublesome blister on his left index finger. Rodon has a bit of a checkered injury history. Behind their two steady lefties, the Yankees have received innings from the likes of two-time All-Star Marcus Stroman, youngsters Will Warren and Cam Schlittler, journeyman Ryan Yarbrough and Clarke Schmidt, who is also out for the remainder of the year due to Tommy John surgery.

Gil is on his way back, but the Yankees could use another starter. Kelly, one of two Diamondbacks starters on the trade block ahead of the deadline, could fit the bill. The 36-year-old has been a dependable, durable innings-eater during his seven seasons in Arizona.

In 22 starts in 2025, Kelly, the No. 12 player on s Big Board of trade candidates, ranks 21st in MLB in ERA (3.22), seventh in innings pitched (128 2/3), tied for third in quality starts (13) and 12th in WHIP (1.06). He's been about as reliable as they come. Plus, there's reason to believe that Kelly could handle the bright lights of New York. During the Diamondbacks' 2023 run to the World Series, Kelly was masterful, pitching to a 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts.

At 36 years old, he does carry some health risks, particularly given that he's coming off of an injury-riddled '24 campaign. But Kelly has made 25 or more starts in all but two of his seven seasons—and is ticketed to hit that mark once again in '25.

Plus, Kelly, a free agent this winter, likely won't fetch as much of a prospect haul as fellow Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who is seven years younger and likely has a higher ceiling in the majors.

The Yankees, reluctant to part ways with top hitting prospects George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, might not need to in order to acquire Kelly. New York has plenty of young pitching prospects who might intrigue the Diamondbacks and their pitching-starved farm system.

Kelly is a bit of a risk as a rental arm, but it's a calculated one Cashman must strongly consider.

Danny Coulombe, RP, Minnesota Twins

The Yankees need another lefthanded relief pitcher. Southpaw Tim Hill, firmly entrenched in the Boone circle of trust with his 2.83 ERA, is the only lefty reliever on the Yankees roster.

That's a problem.

One possible solution for Cashman and the club's front office is Twins' Danny Coloumbe. And you might be thinking, what do the Yankees want with a 35-year old soft-tossing lefty? Yes, Coloumbe is not lighting up radar guns with his 90.3 mph average fastball velocity. But what Coloumbe does remarkably, and perhaps almost better than any lefty reliever in the big leagues, is keep hitters off balance.

Like an old-fashioned junkballer, Coloumbe primarily relies on a cutter, sweeper and sinker to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge around the strike zone. It's highly effective.

Opposing batters are hitting just .188 against him. Among lefty relievers who have pitched at least 30 innings, Coloumbe is tied for third in opponent barrel rate (2.6 percent), eighth in average exit velocity (87.4), and boasts a 27.9 percent whiff rate. In other words, he's incredibly hard to square up.

The Twins front office seems to be looking for ways to toe the line between buying and selling at this year's trade deadline. Holding onto club-controlled relievers like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax while parting with the likes of Coloumbe, a free agent in '26, would be smart business on Minnesota's part.

And perhaps his age and pending free agency would make him a bit easier for Cashman and company to acquire. Coloumbe would be a legitimate weapon for Boone out of the bullpen, and most importantly, a much-needed second southpaw for the Yankees to throw at opposing lefty swingers.

Liverpool continue to push to complete the signing of Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, with a new report suggesting an offer is coming his way.

Mohamed Salah’s struggles this season have increased the need for the Reds to look at bringing in a long-term replacement in 2026, with Jamie Carragher recently saying he should no longer be a guaranteed starter week in, week out.

“He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don’t think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he’s in.

“Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you’re not playing well, where’s your argument? It’s different if you’re banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you’re frustrated. I don’t think Mo Salah’s in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.”

Olise has emerged as an option for Liverpool next summer, having matured into arguably one of the best wingers in Europe, and now a new update has dropped regarding the situation.

Liverpool planning record offer for Olise

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are now planning a mammoth £177m bid for Bayern star Olise, which would smash the club-record fee spent on Alexander Isak earlier this summer. It is added that the Reds have been ‘working for weeks on the salary structure and the leading role the player would have upon his arrival’.

The 23-year-old is naturally seen as a replacement for Salah, who will turn 34 next summer and isn’t a certainty to stay put, should the Premier League champions decide to cash in on him.

The idea of Olise joining Liverpool is so exciting, considering the Frenchman possesses such natural ability, gliding in off the right flank and wreaking havoc.

The former Crystal Palace man is adding more end product to his game, scoring four goals and registering three assists in eight Bundesliga starts this season, as well as being lauded by teammate Dayot Upamecano: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

Olise should be seen as arguably the best possible choice to be Salah’s successor at Liverpool, with the France international having few negatives working against him.

Liverpool launch Serge Gnabry move as reporter shares Bayern contract stance

The Reds could welcome another attacking star.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 15, 2025

He has Premier League experience, which is an added bonus, and has both an aesthetic style of play and plenty of substance in his game at the same time.

Liverpool's "generational" Doku regen is destined to take the #11 from Salah

UAE were knocked out after they folded for 105 in their chase of 147

Danyal Rasool17-Sep-2025
On a day of remarkable drama in the Asia Cup, Pakistan did just about enough to keep their focus and secure the win that guarantees them safe passage to the Super Four. But they had to weather a spirited bowling performance from UAE who gave them a mini-scare. However, an all-round performance from Shaheen Shah Afridi and a team effort from the Pakistan bowlers ultimately sealed a 41-run victory.After the game started an hour late as the PCB threatened brinksmanship over the status of match referee Andy Pycroft, Pakistan appeared to have left all their fire and fury off the field. They scratched and poked timidly in the first four overs, limping to 17 for 2, and it wouldn’t get much better for most of the innings. Junaid Siddique took wickets at top and tail while Simranjeet Singh punctured Pakistan with three in the middle. It was only Fakhar Zaman who was left holding the innings together, but even his 36-ball 50 barely got Pakistan’s run rate above a run a ball.Related

• The arrival of Shaheen Afridi, lower-order basher

• The Pakcroft drama: everything, everywhere, all at once

• PCB clears Pakistan to play UAE; says Pycroft apologised

Afridi’s unbeaten 29 off 14 balls at the end gave his side some breathing room, but after a third successive below-par game with the bat, it was Pakistan’s bowlers left to bail them out. Afridi enjoyed his best bowling display of the tournament, crucially breaking through with Alishan Sharafu’s wicket, while Haris Rauf, playing his first match of the Asia Cup, took the wicket of Dhruv Parashar to break a 48-run fourth wicket stand whose menace had slowly been increasing.Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub were operating in conditions conducive to their skillset, and they kept their end of the deal, their eight overs combining for 3 for 31 as the UAE’s innings ran out of steam. With six overs to go – they needed 62 runs with six wickets in the bag – the game still in the balance. However, as the pressure piled on, the Associates would crumple in a heap, the last seven wickets falling for 20 runs in 23 balls.

Junaid Siddique doubles up

In a tournament dominated by spin bowling, UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique has become the top wicket-taker. Not for nothing has he amassed 105 T20I wickets, four of which came in a masterful spell of bowling against Pakistan on Wednesday.Following on from his 4 for 23 against Oman earlier in the tournament, Siddique drew Saim Ayub into a lash outside off for his third successive duck of the tournament. Varying his pace and lengths beautifully, he went the other way for Sahibzada Farhan, denying him room to induce a feeble chip into the infield.It meant Pakistan started off painfully – they were 9 for 2 in the third over – and Waseem squirelled away Siddique’s remaining two overs for the death. There, Siddique delivered like a charm once more, Pakistan’s lower-middle order finding him as difficult to put away as well. He struck once more in each of his two overs, outfoxing Mohammad Haris as he tried to paddle him, before signing off with a slower delivery that had Mohammad Nawaz holing out to leave Pakistan eight down.1:49

Jaffer: Junaid Siddique was ‘spot on’ in a must-win game

Shaheen injects batting momentum

It was fast bowler Afridi whose last-gasp cameo with the bat against India established some competitiveness to Pakistan’s total, and he came to the rescue in similar circumstances against UAE. With Pakistan 110 for 7 in the 17th over, Afridi almost single-handedly got Pakistan up to and beyond par. He found a way to fetch a pair of boundaries off Siddique, but the bulk of the runs came in a thrilling final over.Freeing his arms to get that windmill of a swing going, he began by slapping Muhammad Rohid over mid-off for six before whipping him over square leg for six more. Eighteen would come off that over, and of the 28 that came off the final two, with Afridi scoring 27 in 10 deliveries. It pushed Pakistan up to 146, placing a level of scoreboard pressure on the hosts that ultimately weighed them down throughout the chase.

When the moment slipped away

The game was going perfectly to plan for UAE. A superb bowling performance was being followed by a brisk start with the bat. Alishan Sharafu caressed the first ball of the innings from Afridi for four, and the first two overs produced 19 for 0.But there were signs that Afridi would back up his batting cameo with the ball when he coaxed Sharafu into dragging on. UAE’s captain Waseem then tried to keep the innings going. Five wides from Haris Rauf helped the run rate, and Waseem thwacked him for a boundary in the same over. By the end of the fourth, UAE were 35 for 1.The final two overs of the powerplay, though, damaged their chase. Salman Agha turned to Abrar whose carrom ball deceived Waseem. Mohammad Nawaz threw in a dive to take a stunning low catch to deal a hammer blow to their chances of an upset. In the next over, Saim Ayub cleaned up Muhammad Zohaib to leave UAE tottering at 38 for 3. As the asking rate rose into the ether, it took UAE’s hopes with it.

Ruben Amorim had some strong words for a £120,000-a-week Manchester United star in front of the rest of the squad at their Carrington training ground, it has been revealed.

Amorim says Man Utd “have a lot to do” after Tottenham draw

The Red Devils boss bemoaned United’s inability to kill off Tottenham and insisted they still have “lots of problems” after a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw.

Matthijs de Ligt struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a point for United, who faced a first loss since a difficult September following Spurs goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison.

“We have a lot of problems. We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving. We are improving but we have a lot to do,” Amorim reflected candidly.

“You can divide the game into the final 10 minutes and also when we have to take out Harry Maguire, then suffer two goals and then losing Ben. To overcome everything and manage to score is a good thing.

“If you look at the rest of the game, I think we were comfortable in the game but we should do better. Be more aggressive, feeling the environment in the stadium that the three points were there, the space was there and I think we felt too comfortable during the game.

“We need to expect that in one play anything can happen and change the mood of the stadium. Today was that. I think we control well the game, but we need to do better because the game was there to take.”

It was the first time United faced Spurs since the Europa League final, and it has now been revealed that Amorim was fuming with one of his players after the defeat in Bilbao.

Man Utd slammed Ugarte in front of teammates during Carrington meeting

The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell wrote an in-depth story on Amorim’s first year in charge at Old Trafford.

He revealed that Amorim wasn’t happy with Manuel Ugarte following the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham and let him know in front of his Man Utd teammates during a Carrington meeting.

Amorim felt that Ugarte ‘had let his work rate slide from their time together at Sporting’ adding that the midfielder ‘had gotten comfortable and said he did not recognise him as the same player from their first stint together’.

Whitwell added that ‘criticising a former player in front of his team-mates certainly caused a ripple of reaction among those in the squad’ and ‘showed them that Amorim was hard, but broadly fair, when it came to assessing application’.

Ugarte’s Man Utd stats

Total

Games

55

Goals

2

Assists

6

Yellow cards

15

Red cards

0

Minutes played

3,239

The Uruguay international, on £120,000-a-week in Manchester, is yet to be fully trusted by Amorim during the 2025/26 season, considering that he’s started just two Premier League games so far.

Playing under 350 minutes in all competitions, Ugarte has been preferred to Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in central midfield, so by the looks of things, he still has plenty of work to do to get back in Amorim’s good books.

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