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West Ham United will be hoping for a better campaign next term and have now moved to the brink of completing their first deal in the summer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.

West Ham United look for significant improvement

In the end, finishing 14th in the Premier League wasn’t the worst outcome for the Hammers, but there is a wider acknowledgment that results need to improve under Graham Potter at the London Stadium.

A late flurry of positive results against Manchester United and Ipswich Town was enough to put a little bit of shine on a poor period for the club. However, there needs to be far more in the way of consistency to meet standards.

Expectedly, the Hammers will look to the transfer market to improve the general quality of their squad and contact has been made to bring Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to the London Stadium.

Igor Jesus is also on the radar of the Irons due to his form at Botafogo, though Arsenal and Aston Villa provide high-profile competition in the race to sign the Brazil international.

Striking reinforcements appear to be on their agenda. Still, veteran Michail Antonio is someone Potter wants to keep around after the ‘unique situation’ he encountered earlier this year.

Approach made: West Ham now in contact to sign "incredible" £20m defender

The Hammers have come forward for a centre-back, who they are now seriously interested in signing.

ByDominic Lund May 25, 2025

Giving some behind-the-scenes insight on the Jamaica international’s future, he said: “As I’ve said before, it’s a unique situation because of what he’s had to deal with. I think the club are trying their best to accommodate that and to understand that.”

While Antonio’s situation hangs in the balance, West Ham are now well down the road in their quest to sign a talented up-and-coming forward.

Romano: West Ham deal now "done" to sign Daniel Cummings

Taking to social media platform X, Romano confirmed that Celtic striker Daniel Cummings has completed a medical ahead of his move to West Ham for a nominal compensation fee of just over £250,000.

Out of contract in Glasgow, the Scotland Under-19 international has registered 29 goals in 37 appearances this season and made his first-team debut against Aston Villa in January.

Labelled “excellent” by Darren O’Dea, the 19-year-old’s exit from the Scottish champions has been on the cards for quite some time and West Ham previously tried to land Cummings in January, proving unsuccessful in their efforts.

It remains to be seen whether he will occupy a first-team berth at the London Stadium. Regardless, his arrival could be a smart capture in the long run due to his track record of scoring goals with regularity in the Lowland League.

Turning their attention away from title celebrations and towards the summer transfer market, Liverpool are now reportedly preparing a medical for one target who they believe will sign for the club within a matter of days.

Salah reacts to Alexander-Arnold boos

Whilst the focus throughout this week has been on further celebrations within a Liverpool squad who have seemingly not stopped partying since confirming their Premier League title victory, it was only a week ago that Trent Alexander-Arnold was at the centre of headlines for all the wrong reasons.

After coming off the bench for the first time since confirming his Liverpool exit, the scouse-born right-back was met by a chorus of boos with every touch of the ball in a moment that has since caused plenty of debate.

Everyone has seemingly had their say on the controversial moment, including Mohamed Salah, who chose to defend his teammate in a recent interview with Gary Neville.

The Liverpool forward said: “I think somehow the fans were being harsh with him. I think he didn’t deserve it at the time, he deserved the fans to treat him the best way possible because he gave it all to the fans.”

“We shouldn’t act this way with anyone who always appreciates the people, who came here even for six months. Imagine someone who gives you his all for 20 years. It’s shouldn’t be like this. I hope that will change next game, against Brighton or in the last game of the season, because he deserves the farewell.”

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Away from the headlines, though, Liverpool still have a right-back to replace and whilst the debate has continued, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have reportedly seemingly made a move to do exactly that.

Liverpool preparing medical for Frimpong

With Alexander-Arnold on his way out, those at Anfield have instantly shifted their focus towards a fresh option down their right-hand side. According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool are now preparing a medical for Jeremie Frimpong and believe that they’ll have their deal wrapped up to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star in a matter of days.

The Reds have moved rapidly since the Alexander-Arnold news and are reportedly set to trigger Frimpong’s bargain €35m (£29m) release clause to get their deal over the line. Whilst the Dutchman is a different type of player to Liverpool’s academy graduate, he would arguably offer a larger output down Arne Slot’s right-hand side based on this season’s impressive numbers.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Jeremie Frimpong

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Starts

25

28

Goals

5

3

Assists

5

6

Ball Recoveries

84

130

Frimpong is certainly a player who’s rated highly at Leverkusen too, with Real Madrid-bound manager Xabi Alonso telling reporters last season: “Since I got here for the first time, since the first day, Jeremie has been a key player for us and for myself.

“He’s a great guy. His personality… he brings a lot of joy to the locker room. So you need to keep him having this joy. But as well as become more mature.”

Clocked as the fastest player in the Champions League this season by PFF, the Netherlands star will certainly strike fear into opponents when overlapping Salah down the right flank.

Tottenham Hotspur are facing a summer of major change, both in the dugout and in terms of first-team players, with uncertainty surrounding Ange Postecoglou and Spurs anticipating a ‘sell to buy’ transfer window.

Tottenham preparing for season-defining Europa League semi-final

Amid a very regrettable domestic campaign, where the Lilywhites have suffered an inexcusable 19 Premier League defeats, the success of their season rests entirely on the Europa League.

24-year-old confirms decision to leave Tottenham after talks with Spurs

They’ve reached an agreement to mutually part ways.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 29, 2025

After dramatically knocking out Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals, Spurs face this year’s fairytale underdogs, Bodo/Glimt, in a two-legged semi-final which many are expecting them to win.

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

However, even if Tottenham get past the Norwegian minnows and go on to win their first major trophy since 2008, there is still the very real possibility that Postecoglou and Spurs part company – two years after they appointed the Australian to replace Antonio Conte.

The Telegraph reported last week that Postecoglou is heading towards the Tottenham axe, regardless of their success in Europe, and winning the competition could be the most honorable way for him to part ways and end his N17 stay on a high.

Tottenham are already being linked with a host of different managers, from big names to lesser-known quantities, and Postecoglou could be joined out of the exit door by some big-name first-team players.

Matt Law reported recently that Spurs may need to sell players and generate funds for their transfer activity, with right-back Pedro Porro and striker Richarlison among the men tipped to potentially leave. A more regularly mentioned nominee for the transfer list is star defender Cristian Romero.

The Argentine is attracting serious interest from Atlético Madrid ahead of the summer, and it is believed chairman Daniel Levy is growing more open to the possibility of cashing in on him (GiveMeSport).

There are even suggestions that Atlético head coach, Diego Simeone, is personally driving their interest in the £165,000-per-week defender.

Now, another update has emerged courtesy of Spanish news outlet Marca.

Cristian Romero has already told Tottenham he wants to go

The outlet reports that Romero informed Tottenham of his desire to leave in March, and Atlético have been working on a deal for the ex-Atalanta centre-back for as long as five months.

However, they’re postponing formal negotiations for after the Lilywhites’ Europa League campaign, where they may have a better understanding of what it will take to strike a deal for Romero.

While Atlético only wish to bid around £34 million for his signature, as things stand, Spurs are demanding much more for a player who’s been described as “world-class” during his time at the club.

Injuries have largely hindered the 27-year-old’s season, which has been the case for a lot of Tottenham players, but Romero has certainly showcased his serious quality alongside Micky van de Ven in Postecoglou’s high line, especially last season.

It was just under nine months ago that Scottish champions Celtic were pushing Bayern Munich close in the Champions League play-off round, with a fluid, fearsome forward line of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Jota causing all sorts of problems at the Allianz Arena.

To witness the extent of the drop off since then is quite remarkable, a fact most recently exposed during Thursday’s dismal defeat away to FC Midtjylland, with Martin O’Neill’s side looking simply inferior to their Danish hosts.

From the highs of that night in Munich, the Hoops have since sunk to notable lows against the likes of Kairat and in midweek, with the recent Europa League outing seeing O’Neill deploy a forward line of Johnny Kenny, James Forrest and Sebastian Tounekti.

Injury has no doubt been a factor in that decline, although so too has recruitment, with the transfer business having been simply erratic at Parkhead following Brendan Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023.

With January on the horizon, the Glasgow giants face a pivotal month in the market to try and arrest this ongoing decline, albeit with the first port of call settling on who will be the man at the helm by the time that winter window comes around.

Latest on Celtic's manager search

The abrupt nature of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt put the Celtic hierarchy on the back foot, with it unlikely to be a smooth process trying to appoint a permanent solution mid-season.

That fact led to the decision to parachute in O’Neill – and Shaun Maloney – for this recent quartet of games, although the midweek trip to Denmark highlighted the need to make a decision, one way or another, on Rodgers’ long-term successor.

There remain suggestions that O’Neill and Maloney could stay put until the end of the campaign, although the wisdom in that decision remains to be seen, with the previous move to bring Neil Lennon back to the club having ultimately ended in disappointment.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

A fresh start and a fresh face, it would seem, is in order, with the standout name write now appearing to be that of Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, amid recent reports regarding the 57-year-old’s interest in the vacancy.

Indeed, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Norwegian coach would be interested in taking over at Parkhead, albeit with the major caveat being that he wishes to see out his current side’s Champions League campaign.

With the new Swiss format ensuring that fixtures stretch into January and potentially even February, should the Eliteserien outfit secure a place in the play-offs, that would require a lengthy wait for Knutsen to eventually arrive.

Of course, having a sense of patience could be wise if he is deemed to be the perfect candidate, although amid their current slump, the Hoops don’t appear to have the time to wait around.

Why Celtic could be facing an Eddie Howe repeat

The summer of 2021 remains a real Sliding Doors moment for those at Celtic, with the club in the midst of a pivotal period having witnessed rivals Rangers wrestle back the title under Steven Gerrard, resulting in Lennon’s second departure from Parkhead.

As early as March and April 2021, reports emerged that the Premiership side had settled on a successor in the form of ex-Bournemouth boss, Eddie Howe, with the Englishman deemed to be the clear favourite for the role.

Advanced talks had taken place, although after something of a three-month back and forth, it was confirmed that Howe would not be the next man in the dugout, with the current Newcastle United boss later admitting that issues over bringing his backroom staff with him were a key factor in that eventual snub.

Fortunately, having put all their eggs in Howe’s basket, Celtic’s backup option proved to be something of a hidden gem, with Ange Postecoglou swiftly quashing the doubters by winning five domestic trophies over the next two seasons, while implementing a glorious brand of attacking football.

Would the club have such luck again, if they could not get their preferred target this time around, however?

Days in charge

750

Games

113

Wins

83

Draws

12

Losses

18

Players used

53

Points per game

2.31

Trophies won

5

There does appear to be shades of the Howe about this Knutsen interest, with the Scandinavian coach having long been linked with the post, stretching back to the summer of 2023, prior to Rodgers’ return.

Much like Howe at Bournemouth – where he guided the Cherries from the fourth tier into the Premier League – Knutsen has done a fabulous job at his current side, notably steering Bodo/Glimt into the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, prior to securing Champions League qualification this time around.

With four league titles under his belt for the Arctic Circle side, he has undoubtedly done a “magnificent” job over the past few years – in the words of former Bodo/Glimt sporting director, Aasmund Bjorkan – although Celtic can’t afford to be strung along as they seemingly were with Howe.

If Knutsen does demand to see out his continental run this season, then the Hoops may well need to seek out an alternative option, rather than enduring another period of uncertainty over the next few months.

With the upcoming international break providing the perfect time to finally nail down a permanent replacement for Rodgers, Celtic can’t be dictated to again, as they were with Howe.

Even in their current state, the former European champions are a historic and attractive destination. Celtic waits for no one.

Manager who loves Celtic now in "driving seat" for permanent Parkhead job

He’s won 10 trophies during his career.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

Exciting finish with Lancashire could be in prospect after rain wipes out much of day three

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025An exciting finish could be in prospect on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship between Kent and Lancashire at Canterbury, after the hosts reached 206 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 215.Although rain wiped out much of day three, with only 38.3 overs bowled, Jaydn Denly hit 74 as Kent built their lead, before Mitch Stanley helped rein them in with 2 for 56.With Ben Compton not expected to bat Kent are effectively six down and the game looks fascinatingly poised going into day four.Kent resumed with a lead of 105, on 96 for 0, with Denly on 55 and Ben Dawkins on 35.Dawkins had added just a single when he edged Will Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip, but the players went off for rain at 10.56 am and six overs were lost.When play resumed Tom Bailey sent Denly’s off stump flying, but a further downpour resulted in an early lunch, with the score 131 for 2.After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, play resumed and George Balderson, switching to the Pavilion End, had Joey Evison caught behind for 26.Joe Denly, in as a concussion sub for Tawanda Muyeye, cracked Stanley for six over midwicket to take Kent to 170 for 3 at tea, but he rarely looked comfortable and was caught behind for 19 after flashing at the same bowler.Stanley then had Harry Finch lbw for 4 before the rain returned at 5.12 pm. With no prospect of a resumption, play was abandoned for the day, with Ekansh Singh unbeaten on 30 and Mo Rizvi, who’s on a pair, on nought not out.

Ruben Amorim has now spent a little over a year in charge as Manchester United manager, but his spell at Old Trafford has been one that has presented constant questions.

The main one has undoubtedly been around his 3-4-2-1 system, with the 40-year-old utilising such a formation in each and every one of his games in charge of the Red Devils.

It’s led the side to numerous impressive victories, including one at Anfield this campaign, something no manager has managed to achieve in nearly a decade prior to his appointment.

However, it’s also led to concerns among the fanbase, especially when his men lost 1-0 to Everton in the Premier League last month, despite the visitors being down to ten for the majority of the contest.

Only a specific calibre of player can fit into Amorim’s system at the Theatre of Dreams, as seen by their attempts to solve numerous problem positions ahead of January.

Man Utd looking to sign new wing-back

Over the last few weeks, United have been just one Premier League side named with a huge interest in landing Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the January window.

However, such a deal would cost INEOS a pretty penny in the months ahead, with Sean Dyche’s men currently demanding a fee in the region of £100m for his services.

Amorim’s men could miss out on the 23-year-old in the near future, especially after rivals Manchester City stormed into the race to land the England international this week.

However, he’s not the only young talent in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with left-back Nathaniel Brown another talent being considered by the hierarchy.

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the progress of the Eintracht Frankfurt full-back, with a €70m (£61m) price tag being mooted.

Despite the interest from Amorim’s men, they’re not alone in the hunt for the 22-year-old’s signature, as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also look to land the German international.

Analyst Spencer Mossman claimed back in May that he is “1-2 years away from being the most coveted left back” around but based on the fact that plenty of Europe’s heavyweights want him now, there is a sense that Mossman’s prediction is coming true just seven months later.

How Brown compares to Patrick Dorgu

Spending big money on full-backs hasn’t been alien to United over the last couple of seasons, as seen by their £30m move to land Patrick Dorgu in January this year.

The Dane became Amorim’s first major addition since taking the reins, with the 21-year-old identified as the immediate and long-term solution to the left-back issue.

However, as previously mentioned, Amorim’s system requires players to be tactically skilled, something which the youngster has struggled with over the last couple of months.

He was brought on with just a minute to go against Crystal Palace last weekend, with the manager opting to utilise right-back Diogo Dalot in a somewhat unfamiliar role.

Dorgu’s tally of just seven league starts in 2025/26 further highlights the lack of trust shown in him by the manager, which has no doubt led to the recent rumours ahead of January.

Brown, who’s only a year older than the Dane, has already demonstrated his quality at both ends of the pitch, that’s despite operating in a back four in the Bundesliga.

However, he’s still managed to outperform the United man in numerous key areas, with his skillset arguably being perfect for the manager’s philosophy at Old Trafford.

Brown, who’s been dubbed a “galactico” by one analyst, has completed more progressive carries and passes per 90, often liking to get the ball into attacking areas.

Such tallies will no doubt be perfect in a more advanced wing-back role, which could allow Brown to take his career to the next level if he moves to Old Trafford.

How Brown & Dorgu compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Brown

Dorgu

Games played

12

12

Goals & assists

3

1

Progressive carries

3.3

2.8

Progressive passes

2.7

1.1

Pass accuracy

82%

69%

Passes into final third

2.2

0.7

Tackles made

2.4

2.1

Blocks made

1.5

1

Take-on success

38%

12%

Stats via FBref

However, despite currently featuring in a back-four, the German has also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst making more passes into the final third per 90.

The youngster’s creativity is certainly one of his best assets, but he’s also managed to dominate Dorgu without the ball during the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Frankfurt star has won more tackles, whilst also making more blocks per 90 – subsequently handing Amorim’s side the added defensive quality they’ve lacked in the left-back department.

Whilst £52m would be yet another hefty investment from INEOS, it’s a deal that could no doubt solve the glaring issue in such an area for the foreseeable future at Old Trafford.

As for Dorgu, the deal could certainly cast doubt over his long-term future at the club, with the hierarchy potentially wanting to cash in on his services to avoid losing a fortune on their investment.

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Dickson will join from Somerset as a replacement for the outgoing Glamorgan skipper Sam Northeast

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2025Glamorgan have moved quickly to replace outgoing captain Sam Northeast with the signing of multi-format batter Sean Dickson.Dickson will depart Somerset at the end of the summer, moving to Sophia Gardens on a two-year deal.The 34-year old has established himself as an accomplished batter on the domestic scene. Glamorgan will be his fourth county, having also represented Kent and Durham across all formats.He underlined those credentials on Saturday with a match-winning 71 off just 26 deliveries against Birmingham Bears to take Somerset through to Blast Finals Day. Dickson also has a first-class best of 318, for Kent in the County Championship. It is one of 14 first-class centuries, of which 13 have come in English cricket. Born in South Africa, he notched a sole hundred for Northerns, in Centurion, before moving over to the UK in 2015.Glamorgan are pushing for promotion to Divison One but will lose Northeast, their captain, as he returns to his home county, Kent, at the end of this campaign.Speaking on Dickson’s impending arrival, Glamorgan director of cricket, Mark Wallace said: “We’re delighted that Sean has agreed to join Glamorgan for the next two years. Sean is one of the most explosive middle-order T20 batters in the country and is a proven top four option in four-day cricket.”With Sam Northeast heading back to Kent, Sean will add to the experience of our batting unit and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Wales.”

“There’s a real heartbeat of cricket that it’s our duty to tap into,” says new chief executive Dan Feist

Andrew Miller11-Mar-2025English cricket is rife with new realities as the 2025 season dawns. The success of the Hundred equity sale means that county cricket will soon be awash with untold (albeit one-off) riches, but for some clubs, the implications of a lower-profile but no less significant carve-up are already being felt.In April last year, the ECB embarked on its reboot of the women’s domestic structure by announcing the winning bids for eight professional Tier 1 county set-ups. And, while gender equality had never previously counted for much in England’s domestic circles, the outpouring of reaction from the bid’s winners and losers confirmed that, for several disorientated counties, this process had been their best shot at a renewed sense of purpose.Nowhere has this been more obvious than at Chelmsford – or the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, as Essex’s HQ will now grandiloquently be known when it plays host to 30 men’s and women’s county fixtures (plus four representative games) in the course of a bumper 2025.In February, that new naming-rights deal was unveiled on board Ambassador’s flagship Ambience, which had just arrived back at Tilbury Docks from the Caribbean and was due to set sail that evening for the Northern Lights. As metaphors go, this one was full steam ahead for the club’s new journey.Related

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• Durham, Essex big winners as top-flight women's teams are named

Dan Feist, Essex’s new chief executive, is keenly aware of the role the women’s announcement played in securing this deal. “It has raised the profile of the region, and our opportunity within it, as well as doubling the number of activation days at the ground,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “We understand that we’ve got a huge geographical reach in the East of England, in terms of businesses on our doorstep and the sheer weight of population. There’s a real heartbeat of cricket that it’s our duty to tap into.”There’ll be pressures in the season ahead, not least on the Chelmsford groundstaff, but the speed with which the mood at the club has changed is astonishing. In July last year, Essex was still in the throes of perpetual crisis. With further penalties looming from the Cricket Discipline Commission, at the conclusion of a long investigation into historic racism claims, the club embarked on a management restructuring that included the resignation of Feist’s predecessor John Stephenson, and the discontinuation of his role. Though that move was not directly connected to the CDC’s findings, the inference at the time was that a club as financially battered as Essex could not afford to carry on paying for a traditional chief executive.How different things look now – and not simply because Essex, as a partner club of the Hundred’s most valued brand, London Spirit, are due their share of a cool £144 million as and when MCC and their tech consortium bedfellows have worked out the finer details of their new arrangement.Last month, Feist stepped officially into Stephenson’s shoes as Essex’s CEO, having previously overseen the club’s day-to-day operations as general manager, while Chris Silverwood has also returned to the club as director of cricket, eight years after his transformational stint as men’s head coach.On the women’s side, Andy Tennant – the former head coach of regional team Sunrisers – came across to Chelmsford in October, along with 14 of the 16 players who featured in last season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup. And for all that the Hundred’s machinations have reinforced the sense that Essex are lightweights on the London scene compared to their richer neighbours at Lord’s and The Oval, the club’s new brains trust are confident that their traditional homespun strengths can meet the new realities head-on.”Essex’s success has always been built around developing our own players,” Feist says, with some justification. When, in 2017, Essex landed their first County Championship title for 25 years, four of their first XI were born in the same Whipps Cross hospital as the grandee of Chelmsford grandees, Graham Gooch. “The teams that create the best pathway for players tend to be the most successful.”Silverwood was widely credited for reinvigorating those pathways during his first stint as coach, and it was a point he leant back into ahead of his comeback season. “We have to be smart,” Silverwood says. “We’re not going to compete on the money front, but we can be good at what we do. We’re bringing people through that pipeline all the time, and if we can create an over-supply of good cricketers, we get to pick the cream of the crop.”If people go on and make a good career somewhere else, that’s brilliant as well. That doesn’t worry me, as long as we are producing good Essex boys and girls to come and play for Essex.”Essex coach Chris Silverwood poses with fans in 2017•Getty ImagesThis recognition of the club’s place in England’s pecking order could be the remaking of Essex. For all of the success of the Hundred in promoting the women’s game and, as of now, replenishing the sport’s coffers, the relative emptiness of that edifice has arguably been seen in England’s recent performances, across genders.The men’s hapless displays at the Champions Trophy betrayed their lack of familiarity with a format that none of the elite players ever play domestically, while the women’s desperate failures at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes are a warning that – despite the exposure the top players have received in recent years – the women’s game will lack robustness until there’s sufficient pressure for places from a broader base of credible challengers on the domestic circuit.”The wider you can build the pyramid, the higher that has the potential to go,” Tennant says. “We want to be the best player development program in England, and we almost have to build that trading model, because we don’t have the riches of some of the Test venues. But we’re confident that we can punch above our weight and be competitive at the top end of the game.”Essex certainly has the remit to be competitive. As Feist acknowledges, they share a geographical advantage with Somerset and Durham – two other clubs that have been granted Tier 1 women’s status but are not Hundred-hosting venues – in that their catchment area extends into swathes of the country, in this case East Anglia, that are not served by any other first-class county.But there’s the East London factor too – perhaps most keenly felt two summers ago when huge numbers of Bangladeshi fans made the 30-minute journey from Tower Hamlets (and beyond) to attend three sell-out ODIs against Ireland.Essex have been in conversations about similar initiatives in the future, particularly in the lead-up to next year’s Women’s World Cup, and also plan on creating a more dedicated East London supporters’ group to firm up that connection. There is, however, a keen recognition of the need to stay grounded, particularly when it comes to the limitations of a compact venue such as Chelmsford.Bangladesh’s fans get into the spirit of the occasion at Chelmsford•Cricket IrelandWhereas other comparable counties, most notably Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, are assessing their options when it comes to relocation, Feist is confident about leaning into the existing strengths of their existing 5,000-seater home – the smallest on the county circuit, even if it could conceivably be stretched to 10,000 capacity by 2030 if their plans for a redeveloped pavilion can come to fruition.”Chelmsford is our preferred option of where we want to stay,” Feist says. “The benefit here is that we’ve got very limited competitors for the facilities at our ground, whereas if we moved and ended up in the middle of nowhere, it’s quite hard to then get a secondary income. Cricket grounds can sit there empty like white elephants for a while, so we’ve got to make sure our venue is two-way facing, community focused, and representing the region it’s based in.”In cricket, it’s only really the Utilita Bowl [Hampshire] and the Riverside [Durham] that have successfully moved, but they’ve both had their challenges to be financially sustainable, and some of the football clubs have had the same struggles.”You have to be really clear about your business model in the landscape of sport. Whether it’s Brighton or Brentford, or the difference between Bath and Saracens, it’s about knowing your role and how to make the most of it to be successful.”In the short term, however, the excitement for the new season trumps any such long-term considerations – and Essex’s women’s set-up epitomises this mood change. For them, the chance to put down even the most exploratory of roots will be a step up from their previous nomadic experience at Sunrisers. Throughout their five seasons, Chelmsford still hosted more than half their games, but the team’s primary affiliation to Middlesex meant they were only ever passing through.”The regional model was good and of its time, but you did feel as if you were representing everyone and no-one at the same time,” Tennant says. “Having a headquarters will be gold-dust. We’ll be going somewhere that the girls know as their place of work, which is quite powerful, and the fortress Chelmsford moniker is live, isn’t it? It’s a great venue for women’s cricket. It’s a really good size. We’re looking forward to making it into our fortress too.”

Martin O’Neill hasn’t just steadied the ship at Celtic, he’s steered it firmly back on course, with Wednesday’s narrow victory over Dundee seeing the Glasgow giants move level on points with Hearts at the Premiership summit – and with a game in hand to boot.

While that recent surge up the table has come amid a mid-season slump for the Jambos, O’Neill could have done little better during his interim stint, recording five successive league wins, while claiming November’s Manager of the Month award.

Parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, the 73-year-old has brought calm to the chaos, with the Hoops now firmly back on track both domestically and in Europe.

Although the treble-winning coach may not have overseen a vintage display on his final outing in the dugout, Daizen Maeda’s brave first-half header was another to secure all three points, ensuring new man Wilfried Nancy can aim to build on this momentum heading into the weekend’s top-of-the-table clash.

The Frenchman – finally – will take charge at Parkhead, with Wednesday’s win outlining that there is still plenty of work to be done to right the wrongs of Rodgers’ regime.

Nancy's in-tray at Celtic

Perhaps the most notable point of concern for the incoming 48-year-old will be the raft of injuries that have struck Celtic of late, with left-back Marcelo Saracchi the latest to be struck down on Wednesday.

As O’Neill confirmed post-match, the 27-year-old appears to have pulled his hamstring once again, cruelly curtailing his hopes of genuinely challenging Kieran Tierney in that full-back berth.

The summer signing thus joins the likes of Jota, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Cameron Carter-Vickers on the sidelines, with the latter man having notably been ruled out for the season following a severe Achilles injury.

Away from the treatment table, a key issue for Nancy to solve will be in the attacking unit, with the likes of Sebastian Tounekti, Yang Hyun-jun and the forgotten Michel-Ange Balikwisha all vying for that left-wing berth.

On the opposite flank, O’Neill has utilised Luke McCowan in recent weeks, although the Scotsman looks far more suited to a creative number ten berth, much like Sweden star Benjamin Nygren.

Equally, too, a decision will have to be made on the make-up of the midfield trio, with Reo Hatate having found his feet again under O’Neill, notably playing that stunning sweeping pass in the build-up to Maeda’s header against Dundee.

Perhaps the biggest debate, however, might be how best to cover for that devastating loss of Carter-Vickers in the backline, with questions still to be asked of the Auston Trusty and Liam Scales partnership.

Celtic's "player of the year" could now be replaced

In a department that has seen such turbulence in recent years, with figures like Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki coming and going without so much as leaving a trace, the news of Carter-Vickers’ lengthy absence will have been a bitter blow for those at Celtic Park.

Chalkboard

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Unsurprisingly, since then, O’Neill has settled on the experienced duo of Trusty and Scales, although that pairing is not without its problems, as was evident again last night.

Indeed, the Republic of Ireland international was particularly underpar against Steven Pressley’s side, having hardly been his usual dominant self in both boxes.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old won just a solitary duel from four attempts, while failing to win a single tackle, having been dribbled past once in that midweek encounter.

One particular moment of concern came late on, with Scales allowing substitute Ashley Hay to burst in behind and in on goal, albeit with the towering left-footer doing well to narrow the angle for the subsequent attempt on goal.

Callum McGregor

24

Liam Scales

24

Benjamin Nygren

24

Arne Engels

23

Kasper Schmeichel

22

Kieran Tierney

21

Reo Hatate

21

Daizen Maeda

21

Luke McCowan

18

Not his usual threat in an attacking sense either, having registered no shots, dribbles or key passes despite Celtic’s possession dominance, it was a bit of an off night for the former Shamrock Rovers man.

Of course, it has largely been a positive season for the Irishman, having been noted as in the running to be the club’s “player of the year” this term by one podcaster, although as Wednesday showcased, he isn’t without his limitations.

Equally, with the sight of two left-footers deployed together at centre-back still looking somewhat unnatural, Nancy may instead prefer to take a punt on young Dane Murray.

Scales, for what it’s worth, has done little wrong of late, but if Nancy truly wants to progress this team, the steady centre-back may have to be a potential casualty.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

There wasn’t much turn or bounce in the game where India toiled over 200 overs straight, following their decision to enforce the follow-on

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Oct-20253:50

Washington Sundar: ‘Important to not chase the result’

If the Chennai defeat to England in 2021 made India switch from flat home pitches that took turn in the second innings to square turners, the shock 3-0 reverse to New Zealand last year made them rethink the latter strategy.During the ongoing two-Test series against West Indies, India have stated their desire to play on balanced pitches that give batters the chance of scoring big runs, particularly in the first innings.The plan worked out perfectly in the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad, where India rushed to an innings win in three days, but it may have hit a bit of a snag in Delhi, where India are poised to take the series 2-0 going into day five, but only after their bowlers slogged for nearly 200 overs — all in one go following their decision to enforce the follow-on — to bowl West Indies out twice.Related

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Could this prompt another rethink? India allrounder Washington Sundar isn’t thinking about all that; for now he’s happy to experience the variety of challenges that different venues throw up.”It’s quite different in different venues, isn’t it?” he said in his press conference at the end of day four. “This I would say is a typical Delhi wicket, where there’s not much bounce, and obviously there wasn’t a lot of turn on offer in this game. But yeah, different venues play quite differently, and that’s the beauty of this format in particular.India were on the field for over 200 overs in Delhi after enforcing the follow-on against West Indies•Associated Press”We play in a lot of different conditions, be it home or away, and obviously all those conditions and the opposition challenge our skillsets, and that’s the beauty of this format. We keep going. We try and assess what’s really required in those conditions and really be on top of a game and do something special for the team.”India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington bowled 143.5 overs across the two West Indies innings, and picked up 13 wickets between them.”On this kind of a wicket you just need to be patient and try and hit those [good] areas more consistently, and that’s the only challenge,” Washington said. “It’s good to be bowling long spells, and it’s very heartening to have actually taken 20 wickets on a wicket like this. All of the bowlers bowled really well, even the fast bowlers bowled their heart out every single spell, so it’s very heartening.”John Campbell and Shai Hope led West Indies’ fight in their follow-on innings, scoring centuries and putting on 177 for the third wicket. Washington praised them for settling into their partnership by taking calculated risks to spread the field.

“On this kind of a wicket you just need to be patient and try and hit those [good] areas more consistently, and that’s the only challenge. It’s good to be bowling long spells, and it’s very heartening to have actually taken 20 wickets on a wicket like this.”Washington Sundar

“Honestly, Campbell and Hope played really well,” Washington said. “They took their chances, and once the field was spread out they were really sensible with their game as well.”India, Washington felt, were well-prepared for spending long hours on the field, having played their last Test series in England, where all five Tests went into the fifth day. “The England series definitely made us understand what it actually feels like to be on the field for five days, because even in England we fielded for about 180-200 overs every game, so this definitely isn’t something very new to us.”2:43

Chopra: Credit to West Indies for pushing India into day five

Since his return to the Test team during the New Zealand series last year, Washington has often played as one of three allrounders in India’s line-up. This has meant he’s ended up playing more of a batting-heavy role in some games and a bowling-heavy role in others; in this series, he’s only got to bat once so far in three innings, with India declaring after he had faced 13 balls in that one innings.”It’s just been a blessing, honestly,” Washington said. “To be an allrounder is really heartening, because you’re always in the game, either with the ball or bat, and you have a great opportunity with both skillsets to make an impact for the team and eventually win the game for the team. I’ve got to thank god for all the skills he’s blessed me with.”In Test cricket it’s better to have as many allrounders [as possible], because if you go back and see, most of the teams who have dominated Test cricket for many years, I think they’ve had good-quality allrounders in their line-up, and I’d say we’ve got some really quality allrounders in our team as well.”While this is not necessarily true of the West Indies teams that dominated world cricket in the 1970s and 80s or the Australia team of the 2000s, it is certainly true of the India sides that won every home series they played from 2013 until the loss to New Zealand last year, with spin-bowling allrounders Jadeja, R Ashwin and later Axar Patel and Washington himself adding depth and heft to both the bowling and batting.Starting their fourth-innings pursuit of 121 late on Monday evening, India began as if they were looking to end the game on day four itself, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting two fours in the first over before falling in the second while attempting a big hit down the ground. They knuckled down thereafter to ensure no other wicket fell, with KL Rahul and B Sai Sudharsan putting on an unbroken 54 to take India into day five needing a further 58 runs to win.”A lot of you all also would have liked it if the game got over today,” Washington joked to the assembled mediapersons. “Jaiswal did his best — on another day he would have definitely finished [it] today.”