Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores
Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo LtdNaim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related
No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup
Vikramjit back in Netherlands squad for Bangladesh T20Is
Asia Cup: India-Pakistan set to go ahead after Indian government clarifies stance
Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim
The center midfielder, who was a mainstay for the USMNT during the 2022 World Cup, is in danger of missing out on the 2026 tournament on home soil. Could a new manager at Atalanta change his fortunes?
On Aug. 26, Yunus Musah made it clear that he had big plans for the 2025-26 season at AC Milan.
"The nearest goals and achievement for me are winning trophies here at Milan," he told ESPN. "This season we have the possibility to win three trophies [Serie A, Coppa Italia, Italian Supercoppa]. I'd love to win all three of them. And also then go to the national team and win more trophies as well."
That all sounded good. There was confidence, gusto, the idea that Musah believed that all of those things were possible Milan and the USMNT. A week later, he was holding up an Atalanta shirt, grinning, after agreeing to a year-long loan to Milan's direct rivals. Just over two months after that, he is out of the U.S. squad after barely playing for his new club.
It is impossible to speculate on the minutea here. But some things are true. The first is that Musah has played just under 300 minutes of football this season. He has also played for two different club managers and is about to play for a third after Atalanta sacked Ivan Juric on Monday. And, according to insights offered by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, it is playing time, not injury, that has seen him dropped from the U.S. squad. Piece it all together, and this looks like a footballer who made one of those rare, truly poor decisions in his career. His move may have come late, but the destination was also frightfully ill-judged, with Musah now stuck in a spot where he is unlikely to play more, and without a steady parent club to return to.
Getty ImagesAllegri didn't rate him
The state of tension between Musah and Allegri was perhaps a bit overblown. But the eye test certainly didn't help. There were, in fact, two significant incidents in the game between Milan and Lecce that suggested that something was up. The first came in the second half, when the American was on the ground after being on the receiving end of a hefty challenge. Allegri didn't "kick" him, per se, but there was, to be sure, contact between the manager's foot and Musah's body.
Later in the game, Allegri berated him for trying to take a throw in quickly with his side leading 2-0 in stoppage time. Musah dropped the ball and looked away without even looking at his coach. It must be acknowledged here that managers and players are allowed to disagree. Allegri, too, isn't exactly the most fun guy. He is a strict disciplinarian who plays intense, testy football. He was famously denied a job in the Premier League when he outlined his playing style: "I don't have one."
Allegri also made it abundantly clear to Milan's hierarchy that he wanted a center midfielder who could offer a little more control in his side. The solution? Veteran Frenchman Adrien Rabiot, one of Allegri's favorites at Juventus, and a regular for Didier Deschamps in the French National Team. The reality was that Musah was always going to be a bit frozen out.
AdvertisementAFPDecision to join Atalanta
And so it proved. Things accelerated rapidly on Musah's move. There had been some scattered talk for a few weeks that his long term future might not lie with the , but the pace at which his loan move was tracked through was remarkable. All of the reporting all summer suggested that Musah was set to be an important player for Milan. But then, on Aug. 27 – less than a week before the transfer deadline – Serie A transfer guru Matteo Moretto reported that a move to Atalanta was gaining traction. The club was reportedly prepared to pay €25 million for his services. Eventually, the two sides agreed on a loan with a club option to buy.
But it was an odd call, all said. There were, admittedly, some things to like about playing for Atalanta. They needed a little midfield depth. They play attacking football. They are in the Champions League this season. There seemed to be plenty of minutes to go around, then.
Tactically, too, the fit was intriguing. Atalanta play a 3-4-2-1, with two disciplined, defensive center midfielders and proper runners on the wing. Musah, at his best, is an energetic, box-to-box No. 8. But he can also play on the right or left. He even admitted, after playing well in a 4-3-3 for the USMNT, that he could play on the wing if needed.
"It's more of a position where you're supposed to be that guy that takes the risks, you're supposed to be that guy that takes on a man and creates [scoring] chances," Musah said. "So ultimately, when the coach tells you to play free, then it gives you even more of a chance to do those things."
Getty Images SportNeeding a position
Musah's versatility, in a way, cannot be questioned. But it might have also held him back a bit. In Milan in the 2023-24 campaign, he played nine different positions. But 42 percent of his minutes came in central midfield, where he was genuinely excellent for spells. The rest? Well, there was some time spent out wide, a bit as a defensive midfielder, and even as a right winger. But the point was, largely, he was a center mid doing center mid things.
The year after, Milan changed managers, and thereby removed the role that Musah had excelled in. Under Paolo Fonseca, he operated mostly as a right attacking midfielder. The Portuguese did not set up in a system that offered his preferred position. And even if he finished the campaign with 1,600 minutes under his belt and 19 Serie A starts, Musah didn't quite offer a sense of specialization that he needed.
And Atalanta have, in a way, capitalized on that. Musah has perhaps a similar problem to Weston McKennie in that he can do a little bit of everything – but is caught in a system that doesn't truly excel in his greatest area.
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AFPA nightmare of a start to the season
The result is a limited role. It was always, perhaps, going to be tough to crack the XI. In Ederson and veteran midfielder Mario Pasalic – a similar profile of player to Musah – they have two established center midfielders. Davide Zappacosta is a mainstay out wide. Raoul Bellanova has impressed on the other wing. Musah isn't a good fit in either of the No. 10 positions.
So, yes, the tactical fit is an awkward one. But what is perhaps even more surprising is just how few minutes he might get. Ederson is a star midfielder who plays nearly every minute. But Pasalic is aging. Zappacosta, too, could do with a rest here and there. Rotational minutes may not be ideal, but even they should still be attainable – especially for a player of Musah's potential. Instead, Musah has played just six times in Serie A, totaling 145 minutes. His one start came not for Atalanta, but Milan – where he played all 90 minutes against Lecce. He has only played five of Atalanta's last 10 games, despite being fit and available for all of them.
His performances, meanwhile, have been agreeable. It is admittedly hard to make much of an impact when minutes are sparse. But Musah assisted in the Champions League, and his efforts when on the pitch cannot be questioned. His dribbling and ball-carrying stats are as strong as ever, too.
Every year for 24 consecutive years the World Series has given us a new champion. Repeating is difficult because of the expanded postseason, a more even distribution of talent and the democracy of analytics and technology, which can level the playing field in non-monetary ways.
The bottom line is there are many ways to win a World Series—from a sixth seed last year (Texas Rangers) to a one seed this year (Los Angeles Dodgers). But there are some lessons we can learn from the 2024 World Series. For instance, the next World Series champion is likely to have elite power. The past five champions all have ranked in the top four in MLB in home runs. As hits have grown scarcer, the home run ball looms larger in deciding games.
Here is what else we learned from the 2024 World Series:
1. Spin is in
The Dodgers threw 41.2% breaking pitches against the Yankees. Since pitch tracking began in 2008, that’s the heaviest dose of spin by any of the 34 World Series teams.
Los Angeles knew the New York offense was predicated on taking pitches and creating count leverage to force pitchers into the zone with fastballs—and hammering them. The Dodgers did not let that happen.
Los Angeles kept the Yankees off balance by throwing the abundance of breaking pitches. The idea was to constantly change speeds to keep hitters uncomfortable. There was no better example than how Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Treinen carved up Aaron Judge in Game 2 (0-for-4, including three strikeouts).
Judge saw 21 pitches in Game 2. He saw the same pitch a second time in a row in the same at-bat only twice—and whiffed both times. Look how Yamamoto and Treinen yo-yoed Judge with pitches as far apart as 21 mph:
MLB
The Dodgers expertly executed this back-and-forth style of pitching throughout the series. The Yankees were the No. 1 slugging team against fastballs in the regular season. They had an easy time with the Royals and Guardians in the first two rounds because those teams inexplicably threw them less spin than the Yankees saw in the regular season.
The Dodgers gave the Yankees a whole different look. They threw so much spin that when they did attack with fastballs the Yankees were not on time.
This progression of pitching plans against New York says it all: the way to get the Yankees off the fastball was with increased spin:
Yankees Hitting 2024
Spin %
Fastballs in Zone
Regular season
30.7%
.307 (2nd in MLB)
NL division series
26.1%
.347
NL championship series
27.4%
.313
World Series
41.2%*
.211 (5th lowest among past 34 WS teams)
Soto had just one RBI via a Game 2 solo home run during the World Series. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images2. The Dodgers took Juan Soto off the board.
Before Game 1, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked which hitters in the Yankees lineup most concerned him.
“Soto,” Roberts said. Then, looking over the New York lineup card, added, “Soto, Soto, Soto.”
Soto is the best fastball hitter on the planet. Overall in the postseason Soto hit .600 and slugged 1.300 against fastballs.
The Dodgers’ plan for Soto was brutal in its simplicity: never give him a fastball to hit in any meaningful spot. The pennant-winning home run Soto hit off a four-seamer from Hunter Gaddis of Cleveland, one of the most ridiculous pitch calls in recent memory, was fresh in their minds.
The Dodgers threw Soto:
Only 13 four-seamers in the zone out of 110 pitches in the series. Soto was 3-for-3 on those rare heaters. 65% secondary pitches, including cutters. Soto was 1-for-11 against them.58% pitches out of the zone.
Los Angeles preferred pitching to Judge. The plan worked perfectly until Jack Flaherty threw Judge a first-pitch fastball right down Broadway in Game 5.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone accommodated the Dodgers’ plan to take Soto off the board by never tweaking his lineup. He was fully committed to Gleyber Torres-Soto-Judge as the 1-2-3 hitters, a combo that worked well down the stretch. But when Torres and Judge went cold, the lineup remained the same.
Boone could have batted Judge first, with Soto behind him. The Dodgers did that with Shohei Ohtani and the Mets with Francisco Lindor. The idea is to have the whole lineup protect your best hitter, get that hitter to the plate as often as possible and, in the case of Judge just as it was for Lindor, take pressure off a cold hitter by asking him to simply get on base, not produce damage.
Boone said he did think about batting Judge leadoff for Game 4, but opted against it because he did not think it was fair to Torres. But Torres had gone cold. He took the most plate appearances for the Yankees in the series and slashed .143/.250/.333.
With Torres cold and the Dodgers flipping Soto so much spin out of the zone, Soto became a non-factor. He saw four pitches the entire series with a runner in scoring position, including one pitch in the zone. He saw just 10 pitches in the zone with a runner on base.
3. The Dodgers out-executed the Yankees
Years from now people will look at the statistical summary of the 2024 World Series and ask, “How did the Yankees not win?” New York had more hits, more home runs, more walks, more stolen bases, a higher batting average, a better on-base percentage, a lower ERA and a lower WHIP.
To understand why the Yankees lost you had to watch the games. Their fifth-inning collapse in Game 5 was historically awful. But at every turn the Dodgers made plays the Yankees did not. Here are some of the key hidden moments why Los Angeles won the series:
The Yankees were two outs away from winning Game 1, 4–3. Jake Cousins, facing the 7-8-9 hitters, had just retired Will Smith. Lux was hitless in his last 16 plate appearances. Cousins walked him on five pitches, four of which were nowhere close to the strike zone, including a wild high sinker after four straight sliders. The walk virtually assured the lineup would turn over, and when it did, Boone called on Nestor Cortes, who gave up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman.
Batting ninth, Edman drew a four-pitch walk from Clarke Schmidt leading off the third. (Yankees pitchers had some terrible walks, and the Dodgers made them pay.) Edman took off for second on his own on a 2-and-2 pitch, allowing him to reach second and stay out of a double play as Ohtani grounded out. He scored on a bloop single because he broke immediately on a perfect read rather than hesitating to see if the ball could be caught.
With runners at first and second in the fifth, Smith hit a ground ball to the right of Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Running from second, Hernández bowed his angle to disrupt Volpe’s throwing lane (perfectly legal). Volpe, sidearm, alligator-armed his throw into the dirt and Hernández’s running lane. Third baseman Jazz Chisholm should have been able to secure the ball on a short hop. But he did not work his glove hand through the ball and dropped it.
Kahnle threw 27 pitches in the series. Twenty-five of them were changeups. The Dodgers swung and missed only once against him.
Seeing the same pitch over and over—not a nasty swing-and-miss pitch at that—gave the Dodgers an edge. Down 6–5 and down to their last six outs, the Dodgers built their series-winning rally on Kahnle changeups: singles by Hernández and Edman on changeups left up in the zone and a walk by Smith on four changeups out of the zone.
After the Dodgers loaded the bases against Kahnle, Boone brought in Weaver to face Lux. The average MLB hitter delivers the runner from third with less than two outs 50% of the time. Lux had done so only 35% in the regular season. Only 12 hitters were worse (min. 20 PA).
This time Lux ripped a 2–2 fastball for a sacrifice fly. The key to this at-bat was that the flyball was deep enough to center field not just to score Hernandez but also to advance Edman to third base. Those 90 feet were huge because Edman scored the series-clinching run on a sacrifice fly by Betts.
The World Series exposed a huge difference between the Dodgers and Yankees: athleticism and baseball IQ. In the regular season, Los Angeles was tied with Detroit for the MLB lead in taking the extra base (49% of the time). New York was tied for last with Houston (36%).
Smith, right, was trusted with more game management responsibilities in his sixth season. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images4. The maturation of Will Smith
In past postseasons the Dodgers were a quick out while relying heavily on analytics-based scripts. “We probably stuck to scripts a little too much,” Roberts said.
This year they gave Smith more freedom behind the plate to call his own game.
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely,” Smith told me. “That was probably one of the things we talked about early in the year. Going off script. But Mark [Prior], Danny [Lehmann], Connor [McGuiness], the pitchers have been great. It's all been a lot of good communication, conversations before games, in game … trying to figure out best ways to change, or redirect, or whatever it is, or kind of stick with the same plan. It's just a lot of people coming together, talking through stuff.”
A good example: Smith freelanced to throw a 3-and-2 curve to Francisco Lindor in NLCS Game 3 with the bases loaded. Walker Buehler had thrown only six full-count curves to lefties all year. Lindor struck out. I asked Smith if that was an example where he felt more empowered to call his own game.
“Yeah, I feel super confident,” he said. “You know, I'm convicted in it. Just as long as the pitcher's convicted in whatever I put down. If they want to shake, that's fine. Just as long as they're convicted, it's fine.”
5. The Yankees pitched Shohei Ohtani tough
Ohtani’s swing in Games 3 through 5 was clearly compromised after he suffered a left shoulder subluxation. Nonetheless, give New York credit for making it difficult on Ohtani with a mix of pitches, especially down in the zone.
On pitches no higher than 25 inches off the ground—about mid-thigh high and below—Ohtani was 0-for-6 in the World Series and 1-for-17 in the postseason.
6. The ballad of Anthony Banda
The first of seven relievers Roberts called on in Game 5 was Banda, who at this time last year was coaching kids at Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz., and wondering if his professional career was over.
Banda was DFA’d last season after one month with the Nationals, his 10th team in 10 years. Nobody wanted him. At age 30, he spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Rochester, where he posted a 7.58 ERA.
“I don't know what I would have done,” he told me. “I would have probably found myself in Mexico playing ball or something. I felt after that last season, getting my butt whooped all season, it was just like, ‘Man, if I can't even get these guys out, what makes me think I can get to the big-league level and get those guys out?’”
Then one day, while working with high school kids, he had an epiphany.
“I had a moment,” Banda told me, “where I even looked to one of the assistant coaches and I was like, ‘Man, I'm telling them the things that people would tell me all the time.’ And I found myself enjoying it. Seeing the kids have fun … It made a lot more sense.
“I mean, watching the kids, the way they were asking questions and going through the practices and understanding that they could do it … and me showing them that they could do it … It was just a lot of fun, seeing all the kids light up.
“That was something where I'm like, ‘Man, this is fun. This is fun. I really love this.’ And I just started training again.”
Banda signed a minor league deal with Cleveland, his 11th team. He made 12 appearances for Triple-A Columbus and caught the eye of the Dodgers. On May 17, the Dodgers became his 12th team. They traded cash considerations for Banda.
His world was about to change immediately. You can talk all you want about all the money the Dodgers have and spend. But the secret sauce to how the Dodgers have built one of the greatest 12-year runs in baseball history is their player development, both in the minors and majors. They are expert at finding undervalued talent in the draft and on other rosters and bringing the best out of those players. Banda is another example.
Banda could always throw hard and had a good changeup, but he had trouble throwing a good breaking pitch.
“I never had a breaking ball really that was consistent enough for hitters to respect,” Banda said.
The day Banda reported to the Dodgers they had him throw a bullpen session while being recorded by a high-speed video camera known as edgertronic, which shows at thousands of frames per second how a baseball leaves a pitcher’s hand. Banda threw his slider, which he threw with a funky three-finger grip.
“Uh, they laughed at me when I showed them,” he said, “because they couldn't believe I was throwing a slider like that. They changed it right away when they saw it.”
Banda’s problem with his slider was due to the natural movement of his hand and wrist. Banda is a heavy pronator, which means his hand naturally turns outward, which is great for throwing a football or a changeup, but not for throwing a breaking pitch.
“I was always told growing up, ‘You’ve got to get the fingers to the front of the ball,’” Banda said. “I just couldn't do it. I was just like, ‘I don't know how guys do this.’”
Dodgers assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness is the King of Spin. No one in baseball better understands how spin works and how to teach it than McGuiness. He sat down with Banda and showed him edgertronic videos of the breaking pitches of other pitchers who, like him, were heavy pronators.
“They're throwing sliders and curveballs and I'm like, ‘How did they do that?’” Banda says. “They showed me the edgertronics stuff and it just showed that it works off the pronation of your hand instead of getting to the front of the ball. So that’s what really made it click for me and then after that it was just kind of like I got a new toy.
“Yeah, it was fun. It all happened May 19. I wasn't able to see the name of the guys they showed me, but it was a close-up of the hands in a similar arm slot. They have stuff where they can match it with my video. And it was mind blowing when it really, really clicked and I understood it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this really clicked. I've been taught wrong this entire time.’”
His career was changed. Batters hit .147 against Banda’s new slider, including .125 in the postseason. He threw the pitch 53% of the time in the postseason. It was the toughest slider to hit in the postseason among those thrown at least 60 times.
Banda became one of only five pitchers to appear in four World Series wins without allowing a run (min. batters faced: 14). The others are Rollie Fingers (1972), Mariano Rivera (2009), Joe Kelly (2018) and Will Smith (2021).
World Series Fun FactsFreddie Freeman joined Lou Gehrig as the only players to hit four home runs in a World Series while striking out no more than once. Gehrig had no strikeouts in 1928.Roberts joined Tony La Russa (2011 Cardinals) as the only managers to win the World Series using five or more pitchers in each victory.Roberts is the only manager to win a nine-inning World Series game with eight pitchers, as he did in the clincher.The Dodgers in Game 5 became only the third team to win a World Series game by getting out-homered 3–0 (Blue Jays 1993 Game 4 and Yankees 1949 Game 3). They are the first team to win a clincher that way.The Dodgers are only the second team to win a World Series clincher by scoring seven runs without a homer and no more than seven hits. The other: the 1919 Pirates.Buehler became only the sixth pitcher to win a game as a starter and save the clincher. The others were Grover Alexander for the 1926 Cardinals, Bill Hallahan for the 1931 Cardinals, Gene Bearden for the 1948 Indians, Johnny Antonelli for the 1954 Giants and Madison Bumgarner for the 2014 Giants.The Dodgers hit .184 with runners in scoring position, the worst such average for a team that won the World Series since the 2008 Phillies (.167).Gerrit Cole has made 339 career starts, postseason included. Game 5 marked the first time he allowed five unearned runs. He is only the ninth pitcher to allow five or more unearned runs in a World Series game, the first since Clem Labine for Pittsburgh in 1960 World Series Game 2 and the first ever to do so facing elimination.The Yankees are the first team to lose the final game of the World Series while allowing five unearned runs. The previous high was four, set by the 1911 Giants and matched by the 1925 Senators.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has sacked Ange Postecoglou. After supposedly a week of deliberation, it was determined the Aussie coach’s Europa League triumph was not enough to save him.
There’s no question this has been one of the most dramatic years in the club’s modern history, certainly one of the most chaotic and turbulent seasons across Europe’s myriad clubs.
Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecogloucelebrates after winning the Europa League
All have been watching, though. Watching with glee or compassion, but with eyes riveted on the drama as it unfolded.
Postecoglou made a promise, and that promise was delivered in the most resounding fashion as Spurs won the Europa League in their manager’s second season, salvaging a wretched domestic campaign that has seen the club finish 17th in the Premier League.
Sadly, there will be no season three in this series. There could, however, be an exciting new face in the dugout.
Spurs hold talks for Ange replacement
According to TBR Football, Levy has held talks with a number of candidates for the Tottenham manager’s position, and while Brentford’s Thomas Frank is the leading contender, there’s another Premier League boss who could make the move.
That’s Oliver Glasner, who led Crystal Palace to glory in the FA Cup this term. Earmarked as a potential option, Glasner stated he was “100% committed” to Selhurst Park after the Wembley win against Manchester City, but Tottenham present a compelling long-term project.
The Austrian coach, 50, is even thought to be leading the race to succeed Postecoglou, alongside Frank.
What Oliver Glasner would bring to Spurs
Making the move from a divisional rival below the league’s ‘big six’, Glasner could prove to be Tottenham’s next Mauricio Pochettino, especially since both bosses employ expansive attacking games.
Oliver Glasner lifts FA CUp.
Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner took the Eagles reins in February 2024, replacing Roy Hodgson after ten defeats from 17 matches. Palace were 15th but lacked inspiration and direction.
Hailed for his “incredible” work in south London by AFTV’s James B, Glasner has led Palace to a 12th-placed finish, but with the highest points total in the club’s Premier League history.
24/25
Glasner
12th
53
23/24
Hodgson/Glasner
10th
49
18/19
Hodgson
12th
49
14/15
Pardew
10th
48
21/22
Vieira
11th
48
His high-intensity, hard-working tactical approach is something that could see him emulate Spurs’ one-time gaffer, who was actually criticised once for working his players too hard during Tottenham training.
Of course, Glasner’s FA Cup lift didn’t mark the first major trophy in his managerial career, having won the Europa League with Frankfurt, so he’d bring his own brand down N17, simply aligning with some of the principles that have convinced Spurs to make appointments in the past.
In that regard, he’s proven himself capable of outstripping Pochettino, making the move from a divisional rival but with the winning mentality already constructed.
The truth is, there’s a very solid argument behind Levy’s decision to dismiss the man who ended 17 endless years of searching for a major trophy.
And if he moves to appoint Glasner, whose football is entertaining and whose trophy-winning credentials have been illustrated through victory in the FA Cup last month, Tottenham might just go from strength to strength next term.
He's another Bergvall: Spurs enter race to sign "extraordinary" wonderkid
It’s been a tale of two halves for Everton this season.
The mood was dour when Sean Dyche’s side dragged themselves to the Premier League campaign’s midpoint, 16th after successive losses against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, their 15-goal haul better only than Southampton, a team that have since failed to pull themselves from the pit of the division, utterly miserable throughout.
A different trajectory for David Moyes’ Everton, though. The Scottish manager replaced Dyche shortly after those aforementioned defeats and has now sealed a 13th-place finish, far more optimism, far more fluency, and a new sense of hope that simply wasn’t there during the Farhad Moshiri era.
Everton manager DavidMoyes
However, Dyche left the club in a somewhat stable fashion. No doubt, he needed to go, but defensive foundations had been laid and solidified, and one or two positive additions were welcomed last summer – namely, the £15m signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille.
Moyes will also thank his lucky stars for Jarrad Branthwaite, who has grown into his role as one of the country’s most talented defenders over the past few years.
Jarrad Branthwaite is Everton's biggest star
A formidable presence, Branthwaite might only be 22 years old, but he’s shaped into one of the most powerful and precise centre-backs in the Premier League.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
Described as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig last season, Branthwaite has continued to prove himself Everton’s defender par excellence, more athletic and accurate than James Tarkowski and with an underrated technical side too.
Dyche and Moyes’ tactical approaches preclude fluid ball playing with the regularity that Branthwaite perhaps wants (he will be frustrated at having been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad), but interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United make a telling comment on the high regard he is held in by possession-focused outfits.
Matches (starts)
35 (35)
30 (28)
Goals
3
0
Assists
0
1
Clean sheets
12
8
Touches*
52.2
51.9
Pass completion
80%
83%
Ball recoveries*
5.2
3.1
Tackles + interceptions*
3.3
2.1
Clearances*
4.5
6.3
Duels (won)*
5.3 (68%)
3.9 (63%)
As you can see above, he’s maintained a brilliant level across the past two campaigns, and it’s no surprise he was absent through injury during the 2024/25 season’s opening, when Dyche’s Toffees were at their nadir.
But would you believe it, he hasn’t actually been Everton’s best defender this season. Moyes will thank his stars for Branthwaite and Ndiaye and so on, but Jake O’Brien may well have been the most astute signing of them all.
Why Jake O'Brien has been even better than Branthwaite
When analysing the role O’Brien has played for Everton this season, it becomes clear that he’s been an instrumental part of the club’s success in steering away from relegation danger and erecting a framework for a promising new era under the wing of The Friedkin Group.
Jake O'Brien celebrates for Everton
Everton signed the Republic of Ireland international from Lyon last summer for a £17m fee, but he failed to make more than a smattering of appearances for Dyche, playing two cameos in the Premier League before Moyes’ first match in January against Aston Villa.
Since coming off the bench at Goodison Park on that day, the 24-year-old has started 16 top-flight fixtures, principally at right-back, missing just one game due to injury.
He’s scored crucial goals in 1-1 draws against Brentford and West Ham United and has kept four clean sheets, winning 55% of his duels and averaging 4.3 clearances per game, as per Sofascore. He hasn’t made a single error.
Typically a central defender, O’Brien’s emergence on the right has been something of a masterstroke from Moyes, with Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman, who have a combined age of 75, both approaching the end of their contracts and lacking the powerful physicality and mobility of this rising star, whose defensive roots actually align with Moyes’ vision too.
Hailed “an absolute revelation” for the Merseysiders by TNT Sports commentator Adam Virgo, O’Brien has indeed proved his positional dynamism, his roundedness and his willingness to provide his services in any way Moyes sees best fit, and to a high standard at that.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of Premier League full-backs this season for goals scored, the top 2% for clearances, the top 5% for aerial battles won, and the top 7% for long passes completed.
Everton's Jake O'Brien
That final metric, his ranged distribution, is an interesting one. The 6 foot 6 O’Brien might be perfunctorily categorised as a hulking defender, good in the air and solid against onrushing forwards, but lacking on the technical side.
However, this simply isn’t the case. His crisp forward passing opens up a dimension for Moyes, who is rooted in his pragmatic style but open to advanced tinkering, creating a layered style that has worked a treat for Everton as they prepare to transition to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Jake O'Brien
It’s probably fair to say that Everton would have been in a spot of bother, had Moyes failed to: a) recognise O’Brien’s potential as a moonlighter at right-back or b) find he had the Irishman in his squad to begin with.
O’Brien has been brilliant, adding a defensive dimension that has kept Coleman and Young on the back burner. With Nathan Patterson unreliable on the fitness and, consequently, form fronts, his performances have maybe even been instrumental.
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Chelsea now want to trigger the £70m release clause included in the contract of an “unbelievable” Premier League star, according to a report.
Blues set for exciting end to the season
As the season approaches its climax, the Blues still have everything to play for, with the result in next Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest set to decide whether Enzo Maresca’s side return to the Champions League next season.
Not only that, but the west Londoners also have the opportunity to become the first club to win all three major European trophies, should they defeat Real Betis in the Conference League final at the end of the month,
In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Gus Poyet recently spoke about the importance of Maresca winning the Conference League, despite it not being the most prestigious competition, saying: “I think for him, Chelsea winning the European competition will be the platform to build on for next season. It’s always important winning a trophy for Chelsea and you cannot lose that.
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In order to compete for the more major honours next season, however, Chelsea may need to strengthen this summer, and a report from Spain has now revealed they are lining up a move for Eberechi Eze, fresh off the back of the winger scoring the winner in the FA Cup final.
Such is the Blues’ level of interest, they are willing to trigger the £70m release clause in Eze’s contract, but there may be competition for the Crystal Palace star’s signature, with Manchester City also making moves.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Palace are, understandably, reluctant to sell the 26-year-old, but the England international thinks this summer could be the perfect time to leave and start competing for major trophies more regularly elsewhere.
Eze could be "unbelievable" signing for Chelsea
The 26-year-old could now be tempted to remain at Selhurst Park beyond the summer, with his goal in the shock 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City securing Europa League football for the Eagles next season.
However, the London-born attacker has certainly earned a big move this summer, having regularly provided goals and assists in all three of the domestic competitions he has competed in this season.
Competition
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Premier League
32
7
8
FA Cup
5
4
1
EFL Cup
4
2
2
The Palace star has been performing at a very high level for quite some time, having been lauded as “unbelievable” by Statman Dave last season, so it is little wonder that some of the Premier League’s top clubs are queuing up for his signature.
Right now, Eze will undoubtedly want to revel in the glory of securing a first-ever major trophy for Palace, but the Englishman will have a difficult decision to make this summer, as a move to Chelsea could be of great appeal, should they manage to qualify for the Champions League.
This summer is a huge window for Manchester United if they are to overturn their lack of success in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, currently sitting in 14th position.
However, despite their lowly league standing, the Red Devils could find themselves in the Champions League next season should they manage to win the Europa League in the coming weeks.
If they are to compete at the top level, all areas of the pitch are in need of investment to inject the needed quality and depth to take the side back to their former glory.
Undoubtedly, sales are needed to provide Ruben Amorim with the funds he requires to make the necessary changes to his squad to try and push them back towards the summit of England’s top-flight.
With the summer window rapidly approaching, work is already being done behind the scenes as Amorim prepares for an overhaul of the Red Devils side this summer.
The latest on United’s pursuit of new attackers
Over the last few weeks, countless attackers have been linked with a move to United, including Liam Delap, who was seen as the club’s number one option for the centre-forward role.
However, no deal appears to have progressed despite his £30m relegation release clause, with the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United entering the race for his signature in recent weeks.
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapreacts
It appears that the Red Devils have switched their attentions to other targets in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, that’s if the recent reports from Spain are to be believed.
It’s been reported that United have stepped up their attempts to land the Sporting CP striker, advancing talks and making contact with the player’s representatives ahead of the summer.
It also states that they are considering making a lucrative offer to the player and club to hand Amorim a reunion with the player who thrived under his guidance in Portugal.
Why United’s target would be perfect with Cunha
Matheus Cunha is another player who has emerged on United’s shortlist over the last couple of weeks, with the Brazilian potentially becoming their first signing this summer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhareacts
Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Red Devils have already been in talks with Wolves over a deal for his signature, whilst also willing to trigger his £62.5m release clause.
The 25-year-old himself is open to a switch to Old Trafford, regardless of whether or not the side secure a place in the Champions League next season.
Cunha would be signed to operate in the number ten role behind the striker in Amorim’s side, handing strikers endless chances – based upon his figures of 2.1 chances created and 2.2 dribbles completed.
Such tallies would fall perfectly into the hands of Gyokeres, who could certainly end United’s pursuit of a new talisman, taking the side to the next level as a result.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates scoring their third goal to complete his hat-trick
The Swede, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one Portuguese analyst, has registered 52 goals in 48 appearances in 2024/25, potentially forming a deadly partnership with Cunha in forward areas.
He’s also managed to register 2.6 shots on target per 90 and complete 49% of the dribbles he’s attempted in the Liga Portugal – offering a constant threat to all opposition backlines.
Games played
30
Goals scored
38
Pass accuracy
75%
Shots on target
2.6
Dribbles completed
49%
Aerials won
55%
Touches in the opposition box
10.7
Gyokeres has also impressed as a focal point, winning 55% of the aerial duels he’s entered, allowing the likes of Cunha to link up and play off him, bolstering his own goalscoring tallies as a result.
Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for the Sporting talisman would set the hierarchy back in the coming months, it’s evident that he would massively bolster the attacking department.
The prospect of the pair linking up together at Old Trafford is certainly an exciting one for the supporters, with their talents hopefully pushing the club in the right direction ahead of 2025/26.
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Manchester United took a huge step towards the Europa League final last night with a 3-0 win over Athletic Club.
Aston Villa may not end the 2024/25 season with a trophy, but Unai Emery could still lead them back into the Champions League courtesy of a top-five finish in the Premier League.
The Spaniard now needs to add some depth to the current Villa squad this summer, especially if they do reach the promised land once again.
Securing a permanent deal for Marcus Rashford – now out for the season through injury – and Marco Asensio could be an excellent way to start his summer business.
It is another Premier League midfielder who Emery has recently targeted, however, and this could be a game-changer.
Why Aston Villa want to sign Kevin De Bruyne
According to Sky Sports last week, Villa have held internal discussions regarding a sensational move for Kevin De Bruyne once his Man City contract expires in a few weeks.
He wouldn’t cost a penny, therefore it could be one of the best bargains of the summer should a potential move go ahead.
Kevin De Bruyne
After 11 years at City, where he won six league titles and the Champions League, the Belgian is now looking for a new challenge.
He will be 34 by the time the 2025/26 season begins, yet according to Transfermarkt, he is still valued at €27m (£23m) after registering 13 goal involvements this term.
It’s safe to say he’s been one of the most elite playmakers we’ve ever seen in the English top-flight.
A six-time Premier League winner, a Champions League winner and the assister of 121 goals in the Premier League, few have been better when it comes to supplying chances and creating magic than the Belgian.
This is the type of quality Emery needs. Although there is someone who plays in his position that is valued nearly twice as much as the Belgian.
Aston Villa's very own De Bruyne
When Villa spent just £15m on bringing a certain Morgan Rogers to the Midlands from Middlesbrough in the 2024 winter transfer window, it was deemed a signing for the future.
Three goals and an assist in his first 13 top flight games, however, cemented Rogers as one of the finest young talents in the Premier League.
Goals
8
4
Assists
8
2
Big chances created
13
5
Key passes per game
1.3
1.3
Successful dribbles per game
1.8
1.6
This season couldn’t have gone any better for the Englishman who is now following in the footsteps of De Bruyne, creating and scoring goals aplenty while shining on the European stage too.
Across 50 matches so far, he has amassed 27 goal involvements – 14 goals and 13 assists – with seven of these coming in the continent’s premier club competition, the Champions League.
The former Man City starlet even made his England debut against Greece towards the end of 2024 and was called up for Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad for the games against Albania and Latvia.
Following his display against the latter, Glenn Hoddle hailed the midfielder as “wonderful” and his future at both club and international level looks bright indeed.
He ranks 14th for big chances created (13) and eighth for successful dribbles per game (1.8) in the Premier League this season, just rubberstamping those comparing to De Bruyne.
These displays have, unsurprisingly, seen a staggering rise in his market valuation over the previous 12 months.
As per Transfermarkt, Rogers is now valued at €50m (£43m) and this is nearly double what De Bruyne is worth at the time of writing.
If Emery does persuade the City dynamo to join Villa, hopefully it won’t be to the detriment of Rogers, who certainly has the number ten position locked down with a string of excellent performances.
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Celtic have made a habit of bringing back former players in recent times and could now do the same again once the summer window rolls around, according to pundit Paul Slane.
Celtic's summer transfer business is already underway
When discussing the Bhoys’ summer business, Kieran Tierney’s impending arrival at Parkhead on a free transfer is a topic worth delving into.
The Scotland international could potentially win a Champions League trophy at Arsenal before heading back to his boyhood club, representing quite the coup for Brendan Rodgers ahead of next season.
Greg Taylor could be Tierney’s direct competitor at Celtic if negotiations over a new deal for the former Kilmarnock man prove successful, potentially leaving Jeffrey Schlupp’s future up in the air amid his contract being set to expire at parent club Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa'sLeonBaileyin action with Celtic's Greg Taylor
Intriguingly, Tierney isn’t the only player Rodgers has opted to bring back during his tenure. Portuguese icon Jota made a shock move from Rennes in January after only six months at the Ligue 1 outfit.
Since pitching up in Glasgow’s east end for a second time, the 26-year-old has registered five goals and two assists in 13 appearances across all competitions, reminding supporters of his supreme quality on the flank.
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Ultimately, talented stars who gain admiration from elsewhere will mostly move on from Celtic at some point. That is a fact of life for any Scottish Premiership club, but the fact that they have been able to re-capture their services later down the line is a testament to the Bhoys’ recruitment department.
Of course, you don’t want a strategy that becomes entirely contingent on heroes of the past, but Slane suspects that Celtic could repeat the trick this summer.
Celtic backed to re-sign Kyogo Furuhashi this summer
Speaking on Open Goal (59:40), former Celtic man Slane rejected a suggestion entertained by Tony Watt insinuating Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland could be targeted to bolster the Bhoys’ forward line.
Instead, he believes his old side should look at potentially swooping for Kyogo Furuhashi after his move to Rennes in January, where he has yet to score inside six top-flight appearances.
Initially, Watt stated when asked on the possibility of Shankland coming to Celtic: “Celtic probably need another number nine now, don’t they? Because the boy Kenny’s not really going to sniff. Somebody that scored 25 goals, I don’t think it would be the worst.”
Replying to his opinion, Slane then added: “The reason I’ll say no is I would have a wee sniff at bringing Kyogo back. It will be the same as Tierney and Jota and you’ll get him for less than you sold him. It will be a great bit of business.”
Labelled “excellent” by Celtic boss Rodgers, Furuhashi scored 85 times in 165 matches for the Bhoys and established himself as a fan favourite among supporters while leading the line at Parkhead.
However, he sought a new challenge and most supporters would likely want a new name to come into the fold this summer, given the need for fresh additions with future sell-on value.
Manchester City have now seemingly come out the other side of their disastrous dip in form in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s men yet to taste the bitter disappointment of a loss this April.
A comprehensive 5-2 victory secured over Crystal Palace at the Etihad in the middle of the positive month has since been followed up by a determined late 2-0 win over Everton on Easter weekend, leaving City sitting pretty in fourth spot in the tight Champions League race.
An FA Cup semi-final even awaits the boosted Citizens heading into May, but before any talk about Wembley intensifies, the away faithful packed into Goodison Park would have been pleased with a number of top performances from their beloved side.
Man City's best performers at Everton
The visitors would have known it was going to be a tough contest when travelling to the blue half of Merseyside, with David Moyes’ men fresh off a brilliant 1-0 win on the road at Nottingham Forest away from City’s own upturn in results.
Still, City would finish the contest as 2-0 victors, with makeshift full-back Matheus Nunes and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan picking up assists to play key roles in the away day success.
Gundogan was crucial in sealing the three points when teeing up late second-half substitute Mateo Kovacic for his emphatic strike, with the 34-year-old even firing two efforts of his own at Jordan Pickford’s goal.
Away from the likes of Gundogan shining bright, City also had to stand strong defensively when the Toffees ventured forward themselves, with Stefan Ortega making two big saves to preserve his clean sheet, on top of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol having to remain cool throughout with a remarkable combined 213 touches.
But, there is one performer who hasn’t yet been mentioned who stole the show once more, with wild shouts even claiming that Guardiola could have his very own Declan Rice.
Guardiola is brewing his very own Rice
The outspoken Spaniard has been unafraid to chuck youngsters into the City first team mix this season, with 22-year-old James McAtee scoring in the aforementioned rout versus Oliver Glasner’s men, on top of 21-year-old sensation Abdukodir Khusanov gaining six Premier League starts after arriving over the winter.
But, the most hyped starlet of them all is Nico O’Reilly and deservedly so, with the breakout number 75 scoring yet another senior strike at the death at Goodison to take his men’s career total to a stunning five goals and two assists from 14 outings.
These unbelievable numbers to date have led to outlandish comparisons being drawn between the Manchester-born ace and Arsenal enforcer, Rice. Indeed, speaking earlier this amid O’Reilly’s impressive form, City content creator Stephen McInerney stated that he has the “physicality of someone like Rice” alongside his ceiling in the game being “so, so high.”
West Ham United supporters must watch on with dismay now when they consider how much Rice’s game has been elevated since leaving the London Stadium behind, with the 26-year-old even bagging two outrageous free-kicks recently in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
Much like Rice, O’Reilly can also dazzle from the centre of the pitch and that is surely where the youngster’s future lies.
AM
40
13
11
CM
28
10
6
CF
9
3
2
LB
6
4
0
SS
1
0
0
DM
1
0
0
CB
1
1
0
O’Reilly certainly has the added spice of goals and assists on his side like Rice, with his overall career numbers above largely for the U18s and U21s suggesting he could do a spectacular job under Guardiola in the midfield positions if given a chance, away from currently being shoehorned into defence.
Capable of holding his own in a tussle too, City really do have an “outstanding” talent – as he has been lauded by his manager – on their hands, with the new-look makeup of the reigning Premier League champions to come perhaps centred around the 20-year-old’s impressive emergence.
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