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Newcastle United entered this season with big expectations following their Champions League qualification, and after summers of frustration in the market, the club finally spent heavily in the summer.

Competing on multiple fronts requires options, and this recruitment drive ensured Howe could rotate while maintaining quality.

The need was particularly pressing in attack, where Newcastle have struggled to click in the early stages of the season.

They currently rank among the bottom clubs in expected goals across the Premier League.

Yet, their 4-0 win over Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League showed a glimpse of what this new-look attack could produce.

It was their first win of the European campaign and their biggest-ever victory in the competition, giving fans a reason to believe their forwards were beginning to gel – Anthony Elanga, in particular

Elanga's performance vs Saint-Gilloise

When Newcastle splashed £55 million on Elanga in the summer, eyebrows were raised.

The 23-year-old winger had been seen as a bright spark at Manchester United’s academy before joining Nottingham Forest in 2023.

Last season, he impressed with six goals and 11 assists across 38 appearances.

For all his promise, critics questioned whether he could justify his price tag at a club with Newcastle’s ambitions.

Howe, however, has been steadfast in his backing of Elanga, stressing that adaptation takes time.

That patience looked to pay off in the Champions League win over Union Saint-Gilloise.

Elanga was electric down the flank, winning a penalty and constantly driving at defenders. His pace, directness, and ability to stretch the pitch gave Newcastle’s attack a dimension it had been lacking.

He was named man of the match, and while there remains plenty of room for improvement, his performance offered a glimpse into why Howe views him as central to Newcastle’s long-term project.

His stats underline his impact that night.

7.8km distance covered, 13 sprints, and 54 touches, as per Sofascore.

With 30 passes completed at 83% accuracy, he also created a big chance and won his team valuable territory with his relentless running.

These are numbers that show not just effort, but the effectiveness of a player starting to find his rhythm.

Newcastle’s attack may still be bedding in, but Elanga’s contribution suggests he is the man for the future.

The biggest loser from Elanga's rise at Newcastle

While Elanga’s arrival signals promise, it also leaves question marks for one of Newcastle’s longest-serving wingers.

Jacob Murphy, the 30-year-old boyhood Newcastle fan, has been with the club since 2017 after joining from Norwich City.

Over his eight years at St James’ Park, he has made 224 appearances, scored 21 goals, and provided 36 assists.

Murphy’s best campaign came last season, where he registered 12 assists, many of them coming from his productive link-up with Alexander Isak.

Throughout the season, he received much acclaim — including from Craig Bellamy, who said he was an “outstanding professional.”

Matches

35

Goals

8

Assists

12

Progressive Carries

79

Progressive Passes

83

His ability to deliver crosses into dangerous areas was a huge part of Newcastle’s attacking arsenal, particularly in transition.

He ranked in the 99th percentile for assists per 90 (0.50) and the 84th percentile for crosses per 90 (4.99).

Isak’s struggles to adapt to life at Liverpool only reiterate how important Murphy was for both him and the side as a whole.

But football moves fast, and with Newcastle targeting Champions League success and looking to the future, Murphy’s role has already started to diminish.

Elanga has shown flashes of why Howe is building around him, and with competition for wide positions fiercer than ever, Murphy risks finding himself limited to a rotational role.

While his work rate and loyalty are beyond question, the brutal reality is that Howe is assembling a squad to challenge on multiple fronts, and sentimental ties are unlikely to outweigh tactical needs.

Murphy remains an experienced option from the bench, but the trajectory suggests that Elanga’s emergence will increasingly push him out of the starting XI.

For a boyhood fan who has lived the highs and lows of Newcastle’s resurgence, it’s a tough reality.

Yet his journey highlights the cutthroat nature of football where loyalty and service are often overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of progress.

Not Bruno & Tonali: Newcastle "monster" looks like one of PIFs best signings

Newcastle have been wise in the transfer market since their momentous club takeover in 2021.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 3, 2025

With the World Cup just eight months away, GOAL looks at how the U.S. squad might look next summer

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – With a 2-1 comeback win over Australia, the U.S. men's national team concluded their November camp in style. That's three unbeaten now against three World Cup-quality opponents and, for the first time in months, there seems to be some wind in the USMNT's sails. Momentum is building and vibes are relatively high.

It's not a coincidence. Now just more than a year into his tenure as coach, Mauricio Pochettino is truly settling in. He's narrowing down his squads into a list of players he can count on – and they're delivering. It's not the finished product by any stretch, but it's possible to really start envisioning what this could look like next summer.

Narrowing down the player pool to 26 won't be easy and, in truth, it can't be done now. Injuries and form will certainly inform next summer's roster. But if all goes well, Pochettino surely has something of an idea of what the squad could look like. Pochettino's principles and values are clearly shining through heading into the final camps before he winnows things down.

So who's in and who's out? What are the tough calls Pochettino will have to make? GOAL takes a look.

Getty ImagesGOALKEEPERS

GOAL's picks: Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner

Two of the goalkeepers are obvious. Either Freese or Turner will almost certainly be the starter next summer. At the moment, it's the former, who continues to start every match – 10 straight – after emerging as the No. 1 at the Gold Cup. Might that change with Turner back playing with the New England Revolution? Perhaps. But either way, those two are 1A and 1B.

As for the third, there are several ways Pochettino can go. He name-dropped several goalkeepers when asked about the position on Tuesday, indicating  there's still competition for spots. Does he go with a talented veteran such as Steffen? An up-and-coming MLS player such as Brady or Schulte? Or does he hand the keys to Kochen in an effort to give the young Barcelona keeper a kickstart ahead of the 2030 tournament?

Ultimately, that choice shouldn't be consequential on the field. But it is an interesting one for team dynamics.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDEFENDERS

GOAL's picks: Noahkai Banks, Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson

Starting with the centerbacks, two of the three central spots seem locked down by Richards and Ream. Even after October camp, it doesn't seem we're any closer to figuring out the third.

Could it be Miles Robinson, who started the recent games against Ecuador and Australia, and has both the athleticism and experience to play in this three-back? Could it be McKenzie, who also regularly plays in this system at the club level? Could it possibly be Banks, who has incredible upside and could very well be a Bundesliga starter by the end of the season?

We'll find out where everyone stands in November but, even now, that third central defender remains something of a mystery.

As for fullback, in a nice problem to have, there's almost too much depth. On the left, Antonee Robinson is unquestioned. On the right, it seems a battle could be brewing between Dest and Tim Weah. Both Weah and Dest provide depth on that left-hand side, which means it could come down to one of Freeman, Arfsten and Scally making the team. For now, we'll give it to Freeman due to his upside, athleticism and attacking ability.

Getty ImagesMIDFIELDERS

GOAL's picks: Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann, Malik Tillman

We can put the midfielders, essentially, into two categories: the two deeper and the two attacking midfielders.

Starting with the deep-lying options, Adams is in and the battle continues for the spot next to him. Both Tessmann and Morris made their case and, at the moment, there's a path for both to the World Cup. Same for the 30-year-old Roldan, who has clearly impressed Pochettino.

With 26 players on the roster, it makes sense to bring a player such as Roldan, who offers veteran experience, good vibes and – as his two assists against Australia demonstrated – a bit of bite and creativity, too.

There are some questions, though, and Cardoso is probably the biggest. Here is an Atletico Madrid player, one of the biggest teams in the world. Here is also a player who has never impressed for the USMNT. Can he fix that in time for the World Cup? The other big question mark? Musah. So much will depend on how he acclimates in Atalanta, and whether he proves he can defend or attack at a higher level than we've seen.

For the attacking midfielders, Christian Pulisic is one, but who starts next to him: Tillman or McKennie? It may be situational, in truth, but, at the moment, it seems as if McKennie is competing more for that spot than the one next to Adams. As for the others, Luna's heart, fire and creativity continue to make an impression, while Brenden Aaronson's versatility and ability to serve as something of a late-game closer keep him in the mix.

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ImagnFORWARDS

GOAL's picks: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendejas

Pulisic and Weah have been noted at other positions. Pulisic is one of the attacking midfielders or, perhaps, a second striker. Weah, meanwhile, can play as a winger if the U.S. does go back to a four-at-the-back system, and can also offer depth at both wingback positions. Zendejas rounds out the attacking midfield options while also having the ability to play out wide.

The striker position is the fun one. Balogun is locked in after scoring in back-to-back games against Japan and Ecuador, not that there was much doubt there. Pepi, meanwhile, has been out for nearly a year, but is too talented to leave behind when he does get back to full fitness. For that third spot, it appears Wright is in pole position after his brace against Australia.

But don't write off any of the other contenders, just yet. They could still play their way in with a good run of form.

While there are clear weaknesses in the current Celtic squad, Brendan Rodgers has a plethora of fantastic central midfield options.

As a result, club-record signing Arne Engels has started just three Premiership or European matches so far this season, while Paulo Bernardo has seen a miserly 185 minutes of action across all competitions.

Thus, it came as a surprise this week that Celtic are reportedly interested in spending big on a new midfielder, especially considering they struck gold by recruiting one new star whose estimated market value is even higher.

Latest on Celtic's interest in Bobby Clark

According to a report earlier this week, midfielder Bobby Clark is set to join Celtic for around £6m in January.

Should this come to fruition, he would become one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history, so who is he, and would he be worth the investment?

Well, after spells with Birmingham City and Newcastle, Clark joined Liverpool for £1.5m as a 16-year-old, making 14 appearances for the Reds’ first-team, scoring his first senior goal during a Europa League demolition of Sparta Prague at Anfield.

He also came off the bench during the 2024 EFL Cup triumph over Chelsea at Wembley, seeing 42 minutes of action, underlining that he was certainly highly-rated by Jürgen Klopp.

However, following the arrival of Arne Slot on Merseyside, he was sold to RB Salzburg for a whopping £10m, plus a 17.5% sell-on clause, following Klopp’s former assistant Pepijn Lijnders to Austria.

Well, this move to Wals-Siezenheim did not work out for either the player nor coach, with Lijnders sacked after less than 30 matches in charge, while Clark made just 25 appearances for the Red Bulls, his solitary goal coming against Austria Klagenfurt.

Now though, Clark is currently on loan at Derby County, a key figure in John Eustace’s team, starting five of the Rams’ last six EFL Championship fixtures, scoring his first goal for the club during a Carabao Cup victory at Burnley last month.

Still only 20 years old, he remains a player with plenty of potential, certainly highly-rated by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout who praises his “amazing technical quality”, labelling him a “roaming playmaker”.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

However, this does not necessarily mean he would be a smart addition for Celtic, given their aforementioned array of options for the midfield positions, as well as the fact that that they just signed an even bigger talent.

The Celtic star worth even more than Bobby Clark

While plenty of Celtic’s summer signings have either been underwhelming or were left too late, the £1.7m paid to secure the signature of Benjamin Nygren back in June appears to be an absolute stroke of genius.

As the table below highlights, he has been, arguably, the Hoops’ best player so far this season.

Goals

4

1st

Assists

2

1st

Shots

23

1st

Shots on target

11

1st

Key passes

6

1st

Big chances created

6

1st

Shot-creating actions

6

1st

Successful dribbles per 90

0.7

2nd

As the table documents, Nygren ranks first for pretty much every attacking metric we could find among Celtic players this season, scoring four goals while also providing more assists than anybody else, as well as creating the most big chances, key passes and shot-creating actions.

The 24-year-old has been labelled “intelligent”, while Rodgers praised Nygren’s “excellent” performance following August’s victory at Aberdeen, in which he scored his first goal for the club.

He has instantaneously made himself a first-choice member of Rodgers’ team, starting all four European fixtures, as well as the first five Premiership matches, keeping the aforementioned Engels and Bernardo in reserve.

At 24 years old, Nygren has now made 195 senior club appearances, 107 of which came for previous club Nordsjælland, scoring 35 times for the Danish Superligaen side, including bagging a hat-trick against Fenerbahçe in the Conference League.

His time at Farum also caught the attention of recently sacked Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, earning his first six senior international caps throughout 2025, scoring his first Blågult goal against Northern Ireland in Stockholm in March; not a bad way to mark your first-ever start for your country.

All of this has led to Football Transfers estimating that Nygren’s current market value is around £6m, 3.5 times more than Celtic paid for him, a value that is only set to increase.

For comparison, Clark has just 49 senior appearances to his name, and is valued at only £4.86m, around £1m less than RB Salzburg’s reported valuation.

Thus, given that plenty of other positions in the Celtic squad, most notably centre-forward, could do with some serious investment in January, the reported move for Clark makes little sense, with resources better served being allocated elsewhere.

Rodgers already has Bobby Clark-type star who's "going to thrive" at Celtic

Celtic already have their own Bobby Clark with this young and promising central midfielder.

ByDan Emery Oct 18, 2025

Lionel Messi scored two goals, and Inter Miami took advantage of an admittedly sloppy Nashville SC to earn a 3-1 win and take a 1-0 lead in the first round of their MLS playoff series. The Argentine was short of his best, but opportunistic at the right moments, and the Herons' only real gripe can be that they didn't keep a clean sheet in their pursuit of an evasive MLS Cup.

This all looked like classic Miami from the first minute. They were thoroughly outplayed in the opening exchanges and should have gone behind, had it not been for an untimely slip from Jacob Shaffelburg as he ran through on goal. 

Messi soon got into the game, though. And he played architect for the opener. Luis Suarez picked up the ball on the right, and Messi ghosted to the center of the box. Neither defender tracked him, and Messi easily nodded home. 

Tadeo Allende should have made it two in the first half, and eventually did in the second. The goal was a well constructed thing, an Ian Fray cross landing agreeably on Allende's forehead, who had sufficient space to nod home unchallenged. Nashville had more of the ball in the second half, but did admittedly little with it. 

Miami were, in the most part, happy to defend. They were rather gifted a third when a defensive mishap gave Messi the ball in front of an open goal. He poked it home. Nashville's defense looked around. Miami took a 3-0 lead. A late Hany Mukhtar free kick, where the German scored, did little to change the result. This wasn't perfect, but Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano will certainly be pleased. 

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defense

Rocco Rios Novo (7/10):

Didn't really have loads to do, other than claim a cross or two. Denied Surridge late. Could do nothing about Mukhtar's late free kick.

Ian Fray (8/10):

Grabbed himself an assist, and held down his side of the pitch effectively. A really good night. 

Maxi Falcon (7/10):

A bit chaotic, which is kind of his thing. Made a few tackles, missed a few tackles, but Miami kept a clean sheet. 

Noah Allen (7/10):

Made a big mistake early on that really should have been punished by Shaffelburg. Settled down thereafter. 

Jordi Alba (6/10):

Industrious on the left, looked to combine, but was a little lacking in his final ball. 

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Sergio Busquets (6/10):

Not involved much. Picked up a yellow that could have probably been a red. Won some important tackles, otherwise. 

Rodrigo De Paul (7/10):

Scrappy, a bit of an irritant, and played a ball that was crucial in the run up to the opening goal. 

Lionel Messi (8/10):

Pretty magical, as per usual. Found all sorts of spaces, scored a wonderful goal, bagged an easy second. Makes it look so easy. 

GettyAttack

Tadeo Allende (7/10):

Should have scored to double Miami's lead. Eventually did in the second half. Has found the net 11 times this season in MLS. A really good signing. 

Luis Suarez (8/10):

His ball to Messi for Miami's opener was delightful. Had a couple of chances well denied. Not happening for him in front of goal, but was still mightily effective. 

Baltasar Rodriguez (6/10):

Never fully worked his way into the game. Put in the legwork, but certainly could have been more effective when called upon.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Telasco Segovia (7/10):

A solid shift with a few nice touches. 

Mateo Silvetti (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Yannick Bright (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Gonzalo Lujan (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Javier Mascherano (8/10):

Didn't change much on the night, and didn't really have to. Miami took their chances and defended well enough to earn a routine win. A few more of those will do them just fine. 

“The wicket on day five wasn’t as we expected,” Shanto said with Mathews adding that “it was a tough wicket for the bowlers”

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jun-2025Angelo Mathews had played more Test cricket than anyone else on the field in Galle, and even he thought the worst Bangladesh could do after making 495 in the first innings was end up with a draw.Sri Lanka did have a small window in which they could have pushed for victory. But having been 4 for 377 at one stage in the first innings, they were all out for 485, which meant they actually registered a ten-run deficit in the first dig. Najmul Hossain Shanto made twin centuries in this game, hitting 148 in the first innings, and 125 not out in the second.”Once you get 400 in the in the first innings, it’s really difficult to lose a game,” Mathews said. “After losing three early wickets, I thought Shanto batted beautifully in the first innings. But it was a tough wicket for the bowlers, to be honest.”Related

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Shanto agreed with Mathews about the state of the surface. Galle is generally a spin-bowlers’ paradise, but even with a lot of sunshine falling on this deck through the Test, it did not produce the kinds of batting collapses it usually does.”The wicket on day five wasn’t as we expected,” Shanto, the game’s top-scorer, said. “We were batting comfortably even on day four. We wanted to get into a position which allowed us more possibilities of winning, and take losing out of the equation.”Their victory push was weakened by rain. Showers came through soon after 11am on Saturday, and play could only resume at 2.10pm. That lost time would have been useful for Bangladesh.”Rain forced us to change our plans,” Shanto said. “I think we were always playing to win the Test. We took our time in the morning as we wanted to see how much the wicket would change. We were batting at three runs an over. If we could bat till lunch, the scenario would have been different. We needed at least 60 to 70 overs [to bowl at Sri Lanka] given the pitch conditions on the fifth day. I am still happy that we took four wickets in the limited time we had with the ball.”Thanks in part to the rain delay, Bangladesh only had 37 overs at Sri Lanka’s batters. The hosts survived, losing four wickets in 32 overs.

Jadon Sancho has been urged by a Premier League legend to improve his attitude so he does not waste the latest opportunity to kickstart his career at Aston Villa. Sancho is into the third loan spell of his disastrous time at Manchester United but he has struggled to get into Unai Emery's side, playing just 52 minutes in the Premier League so far.

Getty Images SportSubstitution deepens Sancho woes

Sancho joined Villa on deadline day on loan after no club wanted to sign him permanently following a disappointing spell at Chelsea last season. He has only started two games for the Villans, in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, as he struggles to regain full fitness after being a part of United's 'bomb squad' over the summer along with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.

Sancho made just his second Premier League appearance on Sunday against Manchester City when he replaced the injured Emi Buendia in the 29th minute. But he was then taken off in the second half as Villa looked to protect their 1-0 advantage. Emery insisted that he had always planned to take Sancho off as he is not yet fully fit although the image of him coming off the pitch only 45 minutes after being brought on added to the sense that he has a long way to go to get back to the player he once was. And Premier League all-time top scorer Alan Shearer believes Sancho must change his attitude if he is to make the loan move a success.

AdvertisementShearer: Sancho will only get so many opportunities

Shearer told : "I don't know what's going on with Jadon Sancho in terms of his training or his life, but he's got an opportunity at Villa now, and if it doesn't work out here, people will look back and say, 'Hang on, you've been given so many opportunities.' You can only have so many.

"I guess it is humiliating when you're put on as a sub and then taken off again. It hasn't worked out yet for him, but there's only one way around it and that is hard work. Get your head down, get your attitude right, and if you do that, things will turn around."

Former coach believes Sancho can follow Dembele's footsteps

Sancho's career has been in freefall ever since he moved to United for £74m in 2021 on the back of three sensational seasons with Borussia Dortmund. He failed to replicate his form in Germany for the Red Devils and early into his third season he fell out with coach Erik ten Hag, blasting back at the Dutchman after he had been accused of not showing enough effort in training. Sancho was cast out from the squad for four months, eventually returning to Dortmund on loan. He thrived back at his former club, helping them reach the Champions League final.

And his former coach Edin Terzic has sensationally claimed that the winger could one day win the Ballon d'Or and follow the same redemption path as Ousmane Dembele. The French winger bombed at Barcelona after joining the Catalans from Dortmund for a total fee of £135m in 2017 but has turned his career around at Paris Saint-Germain. He won the 2025 Ballon d'Or for his role in PSG winning the Champions League for the first time to complete the treble.

Terzic told : "All those players can win the Ballon d’Or in the future. Even Jadon. From the talent point of view, if you talk about Jadon, then maybe five years ago you would talk about Ousmane Dembele in the same way."

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Getty Images SportSancho continues road to full fitness

Sancho will be looking to get sharper and fitter by playing at least some role in Villa's next three matches before the November international break. He might struggle to get in the starting line-up in Saturday's game at Liverpool although he will be expecting to start in the Europa League game at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday. Villa will then host the in-form Bournemouth before the two-week break for international fixtures, although Sancho will remain with his club as he has no prospect of returning to the England squad any time soon.

Peter Schmeichel has slammed the business Manchester United did during the summer transfer window, branding one signing as “weird”.

Man Utd's summer signings yet to make major impact

After finishing 15th in the Premier League last season, the Man United squad was always going to need major surgery in the summer, but their new additions, despite showing some promising signs, are yet to make a major impact.

Matheus Cunha has largely been utliised as a substitute in recent weeks, after injury derailed the Brazilian forward’s start to the season, while Bryan Mbeumo has just one goal to his name in the opening seven league matches.

With Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both making errors to give away goals at the start of the season, it was always going to be important for Ruben Amorim to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Senne Lammens is off to a solid start, keeping a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Benjamin Sesko is also starting to find his form, scoring in his last two Premier League outings, but Schmeichel has criticised the decision to sign the Slovenian in the first place on the Sacked in the Morning podcast.

The former Man United goalkeeper said: “The signing of Benjamin Šeško was a little bit weird to me because we have Rasmus Hojlund, who has been starved of service for two years.

The Dane also went on to say: “You spend £70 million+ on Sesko, when we don’t have the number six we should have, and there’s the goalkeeping position as well.

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ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025

“This season alone, we’ve conceded nine goals from goalkeeping errors. When I played, when Edwin van der Sar played, when David de Gea played, the brief was win 10 points a season; you don’t give points away.

“Why did we bring someone in that we didn’t need? Because the head of recruitment comes from Leipzig [Sesko’s former club], and he’s got to make a mark.”

Hojlund off to flying start at Napoli

Sesko is starting to come good, but it is clear to see why Schmeichel doesn’t believe he was a necessary signing, with Hojlund making a flying start to life at Napoli, scoring four goals in his opening six matches in all competitions.

The 61-year-old was also right to assess that signing a new goalkeeper was far more important, given just how poor Andre Onana has been since his arrival, with Nemanja Matic famously singling the Cameroonian out for heavy criticism last season.

That said, while it is still early days, Lammens exhibited promising signs on his debut against Sunderland, making two saves from inside the box to keep the Black Cats at bay, and preventing 0.94 goals.

It must also be noted that Hojlund was very poor last season, scoring just four Premier League goals, so it is understandable that Amorim wanted to bring in an upgrade, and Sesko is now finding his feet.

“There’s no second dip at it. We have to make sure we hit the ground running and are nice and sharp come day one”

Firdose Moonda08-Jun-20252:58

Finch: Australia’s batting gives them the edge over SA

South Africa’s schedule of two-Test series throughout the World Test Championship has an unintended benefit in preparing them for getting off the starting blocks quickly, which could come in handy in a one-off final. Or at least, that’s the line Aiden Markram came up with, and is sticking to, three days out from the biggest Tests of his and his team-mate’s careers.”A lot of our series have been two-game series, so in order to win, you can’t start slow. That’s helped us along the way,” Markram said after South Africa’s first training session at Lord’s. “We know the importance of starting well, trying to get ahead of the game early and how important each session is going to be. There’s no second dip at it. We have to make sure we hit the ground running and are nice and sharp come day one.”A prominent example of South Africa taking time to get into matches was on their 2012 tour to England, where England got to 267 for 3 on the first day and South Africa appeared lethargic. But they soared back to win that match, the series and the mace, albeit with a completely different generation of players. The luxury of allowing themselves a meander does not exist in a one-off final and has not existed over the course of the cycle because of how few Tests South Africa have played. They could not afford to slip up, much less when they effectively forfeited a series in New Zealand by sending an understrength side in February 2022, which meant they had to win seven out of their next eight Tests.Related

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Still, there are concerns over whether a team that has not played a Test in six months and whose warm-up match only had one full day of cricket will be ready for an occasion like Lord’s and specifically whether their batting line-up will be. Temba Bavuma is the only player in the top seven who has played more than 50 Tests and, before October, one of only three batters – Markram and Kyle Verreynne being the others – to have scored a Test hundred.South Africa’s inexperience is stark, especially when compared with the opposite in the Australian camp. As one illustration, Steven Smith has played two fewer Tests than Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham and Verreynne – South Africa’s top seven without Bavuma – combined. It’s no secret that South Africa’s batting is considered their weaker suit and all eyes will be on how they front up to Australia’s much-vaunted attack. Markram knows that and, after a few days facing his own bowlers in the nets, believes he is ready.

“The few of us that have been a part of previous ICC events that didn’t go our way have chatted to each other and made sure we’ve buried it and taken some good lessons from it”

“When you’re opening the batting, obviously your responsibility is to calm the changing room down, get the team off to a good start and get us ahead of the game,” he said. “That’s the challenge, that’s what excites us. When you’re preparing against your bowlers who are world-class, it can only help you as a batter, as uncomfortable as it can be at times. But that’s the gauge – that you judge where your game is at.”At Lord’s on Sunday, Markram faced Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen for a lengthy period of time, and with five fifties from 13 innings at the IPL, he considers himself to be in good form. “I’m feeling good. I feel like I’m moving well,” he said. “The IPL is obviously a completely different format but it was nice to come into a game feeling good. I’m pleased to be in that headspace at the moment and when you’re feeling like this, it’s really about cashing in and trying to make a difference for the team.”Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins with the Test mace ahead of the final•ICC via Getty ImagesMarkram also has the unique experience of being the only other captain to lead South Africa in an ICC event final this millennium (Hansie Cronje led them in the 1998 Wills International Cup final) – and he has done it twice. Markram was in charge when the South Africa U-19 won the age-group World Cup in 2014 and last year, when the senior side got to the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. The latter was the apex of a few weeks of intensity as South Africa reeled off eight consecutive wins to reach the final. In Tests, they’ve now won seven in a row. Are there any similarities?”It has a different feeling, to be very honest,” Markram said. “I think because it’s a one-off game and there hasn’t been a consecutive build-up to it, it does feel slightly different, at least for the time being. Maybe the night before, all of a sudden, it might all align. But for now, it’s got a different feel about it. Also, knowing it’s multiple days of cricket, not just three hours and it’s done.”All the reasons that make red- and white-ball cricket different (time, pressure, narrative) is why this South African team cannot be lumped with the ODI and T20I squads who failed to cross the final hurdle before them, but nuance can often get lost. South Africa know that, so “the few of us that have been a part of previous ICC events that didn’t go our way have dealt with it, chatted to each other and made sure we’ve buried it and taken some good lessons from it”, Markram said. “From now on, it’s more about the excitement of having another opportunity to do the job.”And that will require even temperaments and an understanding that they have to start strongly. “It’s about each guy making sure that they don’t peak too early and get too excited too early, because then you end up draining yourself,” Markram said. “So, managing your loads at training, managing specifics at training, instead of trying to flush everything out in one session, have that gradual build-up so that by the time you get to day one, you feel like you’ve ticked every box, but it hasn’t been at 100 miles an hour. We have to respect the Test match format. It takes a lot out of you from an energy point of view and a psychological point of view. We need to be fresh and ready to go on day one.”

Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche is now plotting a shock January transfer raid to sign a “magic” £20m forward, who could be the new manager’s first signing.

Forest keen to strengthen attacking options amid Kalimuendo uncertainty

Despite spending just a few months at the City Ground, it has recently emerged that Arnaud Kalimuendo’s future is already up in the air, with Forest now in talks over a deal to sell the striker to AS Roma, having made just a handful of substitute appearances.

It could be difficult for Kalimuendo to force his way into contention, given that Dyche knows he can trust Chris Wood from their time working together at Burnley, with the new manager taking the time to praise his former player for a top performance last season.

After Everton’s 2-0 defeat against the Tricky Trees, the former Toffees boss said: “I thought he was excellent today, doing all the hard yards. Not touching the ball very often, but doing everything he needs to to be a handful. He was the difference in my opinion today.”

As such, the 54-year-old is likely to be excited by the prospect of working with Wood once again, and he is also looking to seal a reunion with another former player.

That is according to a report from Sports Boom, which reveals Dyche is now plotting a shock January transfer raid to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil, with the manager determined to reunite the 25-year-old with Wood.

The duo formed a successful partnership at Burnley, which the new Nottingham Forest manager is aiming to replicate, although McNeil has since gone on to struggle at Everton, having failed to force his way into David Moyes’ plans so far this season.

Every word Dyche said after bust-up involving Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis

Sean Dyche was once involved in a heated situation with his new boss.

ByDominic Lund Oct 22, 2025

Having arrived on Merseyside for a fee of £20m back in 2022, the 25-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal, but a move to the City Ground could be tempting, given that he arguably played his best football under Dyche…

"Magic" McNeil could kickstart his career at Forest

The forward has impressed at times since moving to Everton, chipping in with 12 goal contributions in 21 Premier League matches last season, while also once being lauded as “magic” by reporter Joe Thomas.

owever, game time became much more limited after Moyes’ arrival, and it is clear that Dyche has a lot of trust in the former Burnley man, who missed just two Premier League games for the Clarets across three seasons from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

Season

Premier League appearances

Combined goals and assists

2019-20

38

8

2020-21

36

7

2021-22

38

1

McNeil hasn’t always been the most prolific of attackers, but having sacked two managers already this season, Evangelos Marinakis needs to back Dyche, who is evidently a huge admirer of the winger.

Gill was involved in a 203-run stand with Jadeja before Tongue gave England the breakthrough

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-20251:52

Aaron: A statement knock from Gill

Lunch India cruised past 400 on the second morning at Edgbaston, as Shubman Gill registered his new Test high score in a 203-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth wicket. Jadeja fell shortly before the interval for 89, gloving a catch behind down the leg side off Josh Tongue, but Gill batted serenely to pass 150 for the first time in Tests.Gill and Jadeja added an unbroken 99 on the first evening, and reached their 100-run stand off the first ball of the day as Gill tucked Ben Stokes through the leg side. Gill played a rare false shot early on, edging Chris Woakes past second slip, but otherwise offered almost nothing while batting at a slightly higher tempo than he had on the opening day.England’s bowlers were frustrated by Jadeja’s habit of taking a step or two down the pitch before deciding whether or not to attempt a run, with Stokes and Woakes both exchanging words with him. Both Jadeja and Stokes were spoken to by the umpires – Sharfuddoula and Chris Gaffaney – and encouraged to avoid the ‘danger area’ on a good length.Jadeja marked his ninth 50-plus score against England with his trade sword celebration, and scored freely on both sides of the wicket. He and Gill exchanged sixes off Shoaib Bashir to take India past 400 – and take their partnership beyond 200 – before Tongue, unused for the first 85 minutes of the day, struck in his third over of the session.Tongue found some extra bounce with an 85mph/137kph short ball, which looped through to Jamie Smith via Jadeja’s glove, and bowled a hostile spell to Washington Sundar, India’s No. 8. But India were well on top by the lunch break, with Gill still unbeaten and batting with a combination of class and composure.