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“The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do,” Anil Kumble says

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20251:01

Did RCB get their bowling tactics right?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) didn’t to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday night in Lucknow, but they would have wanted to: a win would have given them a great shot at finishing in the top two of the IPL 2025 league table. It didn’t happen. Now, Tom Moody wants them to “move on very quickly”, while Anil Kumble is still backing them to get there – after all, they will play the last game of the league phase and will know “what they need to do.””I think you need to move on very quickly. I think you’ve got to patch up your wounds – and they’ve got a few scars there – but I don’t think you dwell on it too much,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show after RCB’s 42-run loss. “Because they have done a lot of good things this season, and that should be the focus, try to draw out some of the positives of this game – the opening partnership of 80, [Phil] Salt back in the side [and] finding some form – he hit five sixes. So try to keep it upbeat, try to keep it as positive as possible, because now is not the time for people to be second-guessing what they are doing or what their role is in the side.”Salt finding form was certainly one of the positives. His last appearance was back on April 24, almost exactly a month ago, before he fell ill. Then came the break because of the India-Pakistan border tensions. Then came RCB’s first match upon the IPL’s resumption, which was washed out. They have lost Devdutt Padikkal and Josh Hazlewood (though he might return) to injuries, and Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi are done for the season because of responsibilities with their national sides. And Tim David might have done his hamstring on Friday.Related

• RCB need their share of luck now to find lost momentum

• Kishan, SRH quicks dent RCB's chances of a top-two finish

• Hazlewood expected to return to IPL for playoffs

The circumstances can get you down, but Kumble liked what he saw from RCB in their chase of SRH’s 231 for 6, especially the start of 80 runs in seven overs from Virat Kohli and Salt. Though he did point to the mistakes in that chase too.”The start was extremely good. Though Virat Kohli was the dominant partner in the opening stand with Phil Salt, who was playing after a month and looked rusty, but one of them needed to bat deep,” Kumble said. “If that had happened, we would be talking about an RCB win. I also think that the 25-odd balls that Mayank [Agarwal] and Rajat Patidar played together made it tough for RCB. But their game plan was right. The fall of wickets and Tim David’s injury didn’t help.”Agarwal, who has been brought in from the cold to replace Padikkal, scored 11 in ten balls, and Patidar, back from a hand injury and playing as a batter-only scored 18 in 16. Coming as their innings did after the frenetic start, it did peg RCB back.Jitesh Sharma, standing in for Patidar as captain, said after the game that he didn’t mind the result. “I think sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check, analyse where we are lacking.” Kumble wasn’t buying it. But with RCB playing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to end the league phase on May 27, Kumble hasn’t given up on his old team making the top two.”You need to say these things. You shouldn’t be losing at this stage. You needed to win this to make it easier to finish in the top two. We know the importance of a top-two finish,” he said. “It can still happen. Mathematically, anything can happen on the table. But the pressure will be on RCB. The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do.”

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Well that came out of nowhere didn’t it? Having had to listen to reports of Arsenal’s transfer budget seemingly being capped at a meagre £40m this summer, Unai Emery’s side have sold us all down a river and quite possibly clinched one of the signings of the window.

According to BBC Sport, the Gunners have reached an agreement with Lille in order to sign Nicolas Pepe for a reported £72m. It is also claimed that the north London club will pay their French counterparts in instalments so that it suits their financial situation. Quite the pleasant surprise for fans to wake up to this weekend.

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All summer the Gunners have been linked with a whole host of wingers, and the main target was seemingly Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha. Instead, the north Londoners could be seeing the much younger and much more prolific Pepe strut his stuff at the Emirates next season. And boy will he transform their attack.

The Ivory Coast international is a naturally left-footed player who operates from the right-hand side. The 23-goal ace would give Emery’s team a much-needed boost of pace and end product down the wide area areas; a position dominated by the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi last season.

If Emery decides to throw caution to the wind, and field a mouth-watering front four of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Pepe, then the Premier League will be in for a treat. Pepe will give Arsenal a greater balance on the flanks, and perhaps have a knock-on effect on the influence a returning Hector Bellerin could have.

Pepe’s tendency to drift inside and cut back onto his left foot will naturally allow Bellerin to make more dangerous overlapping runs, and allow the Gunners to maximise the potential of another attacking weapon. Whilst Zaha seemed to have a streak of individualism to his game, Pepe’s total of 12 assists last season showed his growing willingness to interchange with his teammates; something that Emery will surely applaud.

The Gunners’ reliance on their front-two last season was public knowledge; bringing Pepe in would give Arsenal an extra dimension and something else for opposition teams to worry about. Emery’s side have been crying out for a bona-fide star from the wide areas since Alexis Sanchez made his acrimonious exit from the Emirates back in January 2018. Pepe could finally be the man to fill the Chilean’s shoes and form part of one of European football’s most formidable attacks.

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KL Rahul is expected to link up with the India A squad on Tuesday and play the game in preparation for the five-Test series against England

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Jun-2025India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill will not play the second unofficial “Test” between England Lions and India A, to be played in Northampton from June 6.While announcing the Test squad for the five-match series in England, the BCCI had said that Gill, along with Gujarat Titans (GT) opening partner B Sai Sudharsan, would join India A ahead of the game. But ESPNcricinfo has learned that Gill and Sai Sudharsan will now travel with the main squad, which lands in England on June 6. KL Rahul, however, is expected to play the Lions game after joining the India A squad on Tuesday.The first Test against England starts in Leeds on June 20.England Lions, who had a total of six Test caps for the first game in Canterbury, are likely to be bolstered by the addition of Chris Woakes for this game.Akash Deep will also be available for selection for the second game against England Lions•Getty Images

For India A, Akash Deep will also be available for selection. The fast bowler suffered a back injury after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, but was declared fit in early April after which he played in IPL 2025 for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While Akash Deep was in Canterbury during the first unofficial “Test” too, he mainly trained with the squad, bowling in short stints during the breaks across the four days.On Monday, the first Lions vs India A game ended in a draw on a pitch that was flat and slow, making it a toil for the bowlers. Among the India Test squad members, while Karun Nair, who batted at No. 3 in the first innings, scored a double-century, Dhruv Jurel hit two half-centuries, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nitish Kumar Reddy hit quick fifties in the second innings.Reddy and Shardul Thakur, the second seaming allrounder in Test squad, bowled 14.5 and 28 overs respectively in the Lions game and would look to add to those numbers in the second game.Following the second match against Lions, which will end on June 9, India will play an intra-squad match against India A in Beckenham, which is likely to be a closed-door exercise. The Test squad will then travel to Leeds.

In the absence of their bowling spearhead, South Africa’s attack trumped over inexperience and expectations of failure to deliver an advantage to their side

Firdose Moonda in Perth04-Nov-2016A burden shared is a burden halved wrote the author T.A. Webb and South Africa’s three fit bowlers proved his words true on the second day of the Perth Test against Australia. When Dale Steyn left the field in the 38th over, Australia were 76 runs behind with nine wickets in hand. Steyn had cut off the head, by dismissing David Warner for 97, as he said he would, but it was up to Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj to deal with the body and they needed only one session to do it.For the debutant spinner Maharaj, it was the biggest ask of his career. He completed Steyn’s over and continued bowling from that end until the innings had concluded. It was a mini-marathon – 16.2 overs – with a break for lunch in between but it was a job that needed to be done correctly if South Africa were to come back into the match.His chief responsibility was to create pressure which the fast bowlers would be able to exploit from the other side. Knowing that that this is a seamer’s surface, knowing that if the Australian line-up were going to target anyone it would be him, and knowing that he had never played at this level before, Maharaj did as he was asked and more. He picked up three wickets in the process, including the big one of Steven Smith, a controversial one given how far down the pitch Smith was at the point of impact. Maharaj, however, will not remember it like that. His first Test wicket was the Australian captain, for a duck. That’s the story he will tell his one-year old niece when he calls home tonight.Maharaj is not a great turner of the ball and so did not overcomplicate his strategy. He nagged away with accuracy and trumped the Australians for temperament – the kind that suggests his Test career will be long. Maharaj showed he belonged with bat in hand from the time he bravely saw off a full first ball of 147kph from Mitchell Starc to the time he heaved Nathan Lyon over long-on. His brief innings was ballsy. His bowling was more so.Unlike previous spinners South Africa have tried, and Imran Tahir is one that comes to mind, Maharaj rarely invited the batsmen to take him on. Most of his deliveries were flat and straight, almost all of them were in the same area, as though he knew that ultimately a mistake would come.That allowed Rabada and Philander some space to search a little more and in their contrasting styles, they found the wickets they were looking for. Rabada ramped up the pace and aggression, threw in the odd bouncer, tempted the batsmen with deliveries outside off and hurried them into making mistakes. He bowled Usman Khawaja with a delivery that swung into him at speed and drew a leading edge from Adam Voges with one aimed at the toes. Rabada’s raw talent combined with remarkable maturity at his age makes him a constant danger, even when in the absence of Steyn.Today, he was the perfect complement to Philander, who found the subtle movement that has given him so much success in the past; the kind that demands the batsman’s full attention because even a small lapse can cost him. It was particularly important for Philander to rediscovered his menace in this situation because he was under scrutiny to seize the reins in Steyn’s absence.In only his first Test, Keshav Maharaj showed awareness of the match situation during a tight bowling spell•Getty ImagesPhilander only played two of the three Tests on South Africa’s previous tour to Australia and, with series returns of 4 for 56, did not make much of an impact. There was a general feeling he would flounder in foreign conditions and, with a waning strike rate, was past his best. But he put those concerns to bed and he did it without getting nasty or ugly, as he had threatened in the build-up.His spell that straddled lunch was poetry. The ball nipped in only a touch to beat Shaun Marsh and only a touch more to mete the same treatment out to Mitchell. He moved it away to take Adam Voges’ edge, which flew for four between the keeper and first slip. He came back to nip out the No.10 and 11 batsmen in the space of three balls and keep the lead to just two.Collectively, the bowlers South Africa did the job in the first innings. Now, they will have to do it again in the second, after confirmation that Steyn will not play further part in the series. Philander, Rabada and Maharaj can take some inspiration from how their batsmen managed to plug the gap caused by AB de Villiers’ absence, due to an elbow problem, over an extended period. In the Tests against New Zealand, the experience of JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis made up for it, while, in the ODIs against Australia, the younger crop, including Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and David Miller stepped up.Professional sportsmen thrive under pressure and losing your spearhead mid-match for the biggest series of your summer is the most pressure an attack can face. But an attack that shares the burden, is an attack that will halve it.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a big fan of an "unlikely Euro 2024 hero", with the north Londoners now eyeing a move for him this summer.

Edu and Arteta seeking four key signings for Arsenal

Not counting the permanent deal for David Raya, it is believed that sporting director Edu is in the market for a new backup 'keeper among other positions, with a new defender, midfielder and forward also on the agenda at London Colney (Simon Collings).

Arteta personally wants Arsenal to sign £30 million Jesus alternative

The Spaniard thinks he’s ideal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 9, 2024

The Gunners are closing in on their second major signing of the summer after Raya, as they look to tick the addition of a new defender off their list. Bologna starlet Riccardo Calafiori is on the verge of joining Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian already agreeing personal terms last week.

With the likes of Mohamed Elneny departing, and Thomas Partey widely tipped to follow the Egyptian, a new midfielder is thought to be high on Edu's agenda over the coming weeks.

Partey has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and the Turkish Super Lig, as the 31-year-old enters the final 12 months of his contract. If he does end up moving on to pastures new, Arsenal will need a replacement and alternative/partner to star man Declan Rice in the engine room.

A few very interesting names have cropped up as targets in the past few weeks, via reports in the media. Arteta reportedly admires Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, with former Everton CEO Keith Wyness claiming Arsenal have held discussions over signing Everton's Amadou Onana.

Edu has also been offered PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte, according to GiveMeSport, so the Premier League title hopefuls aren't exactly short of options.

Arsenal targeting Mikel Merino who Arteta really likes

According to a report by The Athletic, former Newcastle United ace Mikel Merino has attracted attention from the Emirates.

The Real Sociedad midfielder, interestingly a teammate of Zubimendi's, has been called "Spain's unlikely Euro 2024 hero" by journalist Pol Ballus and scored his country's quarter-final winner against Germany to send them into the semis – which they also won on Tuesday night at the expense of France.

The 28-year-old, whose contract includes a £52 million release clause, has not gone unnoticed in north London. The Athletic claims Arteta really likes Merino for his talent and physicality with Arsenal now targeting him.

At club level, Merino chalked up 45 appearances for Sociedad in all competitions last season – scoring eight goals and bagging a further five assists. His disciplinary record is perhaps something to watch out for, though, as the Spaniard also totalled 14 bookings in that time.

The Inter Miami manager highlighted the league's financial regulations as a reason why his side can't sign Neymar

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• Neymar linked with MLS move after buying house in Miami
• Tata Martino admitted 'anything can happen' due to Barcelona ties
• Blamed 'strict rules' for difficulty of a potential deal

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inter Miami manager Tata Martino discussed the latest Neymar to Inter Miami rumors Friday, admitting an MLS move for Neymar would seem unlikely, highlighting the league's strict salary regulations as the primary reason.

  The Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to MLS for years, and a recent purchase of a mansion in Miami fueled speculation that he could be eager to join up with former Barcelona teammates Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets in South Florida. The manager, for his part, was reluctant to link Neymar's real estate acquisition to a deal to play in the U.S. top flight, and also suggested that any transfer business would be a non-starter under league rules.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Miami has repeatedly shown financial leverage to bring big names to South Beach. Messi is the highest paid player in the league, making $20.4 million per year. Busquets, his former Blaugrana teammate is third, pulling in $8.8 million. Under league rules, Neymar might be able to sign a similar low-paying deal to Suarez – who penned a $200,000 per year deal – but it would be a drastic decrease from the over $80 million annual salary he is set to make for Al-Hilal.

  MLS Commissioner Don Garber has previously voiced support for MLS's salary cap rules, claiming that they keep the league in a better position than most European divisions: “In terms of governance, we'd probably change things: maybe not have strict salary caps, maybe not have a centralized entity like the league office making a lot of learned decisions based on committees and the like,” Garber said. “But I think we have a model that has driven our success, and I think if that model was adapted around the world, football would be in much, much better shape.”

  One way in which Miami could make the deal work is if Neymar is willing to accept a similar pay structure to Suarez and Alba – he could be paid using Miami's remaining general allocation money – earning him a maximum of roughly $1.7 million per year.

  Or, it can get complicated. The could make Neymar their third designated player – someone whose salary is exempt from certain salary limits – and offer him more money. However, that would mean shifting their financial structure, and would force them to sell off one of their earmarked U-22 initiative players to comply with league rules – effectively getting rid of a valuable rotation piece to account for a new star man.

• WHAT MARTINO SAID

  Martino quashed rumors that a Neymar deal would be financially possible, saying is a news conference, "With [Messi] and the boys already here, anything that can happen. What I can't imagine is if the league doesn't make the salary issue more flexible, how it would be carried out. After writing it or saying it in the media it's all good, nothing happens, it doesn't have any consequences, but what would the implementation be like? And the reality is that if there is something that the MLS has, it is that the rules are strict and can't be broken, unless the MLS decides to change."

  He also laughed off the suggestion that Neymar's new property could indicate transfer activity: "I arrived in Barcelona at the same time as [Neymar]. It was a good year and for me being able to coach such high-ranking players will always be a very special memory. The truth is that one cannot talk so easily and freely about whether a player could come or not. It seems to me that when we talk about this, another type of support is needed. We cannot talk or mention a player because he bought a house here or has a girlfriend from Fort Lauderdale."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR AND INTER MIAMI?

  It would seem that a deal for the Brazilian is unlikely, unless there is an update to the salary structure in MLS. On the pitch, focus is on their playoff fixture with Atlanta United Saturday evening. A win there could see the club sweep the best of three series and set up a clash with the winner of Orlando City and Charlotte's matchup.

Even amid profit and sustainability concerns, Nottingham Forest reportedly now want to beat Premier League rivals Manchester United in the race to sign a potential future star this summer.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Those at the City Ground felt the punishment of the top flight last season when they were deducted points for breaching profit and sustainability rules. Now, looking to avoid a repeat, Forest are reportedly among the sides who have to sell players before the end of June. According to John Percy of The Telegraph, they must raise as much as £20m to comply with the rules.

With that said, the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White have already been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in a sale which would instantly solve Forest's PSR problem. Meanwhile, any names who do come the other way may well have to be bargain buys, rather than the excessive spending we've seen at the City Ground in recent seasons. And that could see a future star arrive.

According to Football Transfers, Nottingham Forest now want to sign Archie Stevens from Rangers for Nuno Espirito Santo, having been eyeing a move since January. They're not alone in their interest in the 18-year-old, with Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, old rivals Manchester United and also West Ham United eyeing moves to sign the winger this summer.

Nottingham Forest make official £4m offer to sign teenage gem this summer

He is very much considered one for the future.

By
Ben Browning

Jun 20, 2024

One for the future, Stevens may struggle to turn down the chance to return to English football just two years after he swapped AFC Wimbledon for Rangers. Forest, in need of bargain buys, will hope to beat their rivals to the youngster's signature with a pathaway to senior football.

"Energetic" Stevens is one for the future

If Forest want to build a more sustainable model then looking towards and adding to their academy will be more than important than ever. The likes of Stevens have shown signs elsewhere that they have a bright future ahead, including at Rangers where he made his first-team debut at just 16 years old.

It's a rise that his former Wimbeldon academy manager, Michael Hamilton, saw coming too, telling the club's official website a few years ago: "Archie joined us just over two seasons ago and has made massive strides in his development as a player, but also as a person. He is an energetic midfielder, who is capable of playing in numerous positions and is known for his goal scoring and creative ability."

After spending last season in the academy set-up at Rangers, Stevens has quite the decision to make this summer. If Philippe Clement's incomings so far are anything to go by, then the focus is on young talent this summer, but the lure of English football may just be too tempting to turn down for the Rangers gem in the coming months. And it's Forest who will be hoping to benefit.

Barcelona are ready to make a move for unhappy AC Milan star Rafael Leao in the summer of 2025.

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• Barca tracking Rafael Leao
• Portuguese unhappy at AC Milan
• Rumours of a rift with manager Paulo Fonseca

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona are attentive to the situation of Portuguese winger Rafael Leao at AC Milan, amid rumours of a strained relationship with coach Paulo Fonseca.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Catalans have begun the 2024-25 campaign with a bang, scoring 47 goals in 14 games under new manager Hansi Flick. The German coach has found his perfect front three in Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal.

  Consequentially, Ferran Torres has had to make do being a substitute, which has put his future in uncertain territory. In case Torres leaves the club, Barca want Leao to add depth to their attack next summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It was reported last weekend that Arsenal are pushing for a January transfer for Torres, with Unai Emery also keen to bring him to Villa Park. However, Torres is not too keen on an exit.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Barcelona will take on Espanyol in a fierce Catalonian derby on Sunday, November 3, before travelling to Belgrade to take on Crvena zvezda in the Champions League next week.

  Leao, meanwhile, will be hoping to have a more prominent role in Milan's upcoming games: against Monza in Serie A (November 2) and Real Madrid in the Champions League (November 5).

West Bromwich Albion will look back on their 2023/24 campaign and arguably think about what could have been after folding in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals away at Southampton, to crash out as 3-1 losers.

If they'd managed to get to Wembley, who knows what the final outcome could have been for their season, with Carlos Corberan potentially getting one over on his former employers in Leeds United in a theoretical final.

Instead, they're now preparing for another 46-game slog in the second tier, with the likes of Cedric Kipre potentially leaving for free very soon, with his contract up at the end of June.

The Baggies will, no doubt, have plans in place already for the expected exit of Kipre from the Hawthorns, with a youngster potentially benefitting from the imposing centre-back's departure.

West Brom's young Kipre replacement

Capable of playing at left-back and left-midfield, alongside in the centre-back spot, Zac Ashworth might well feel more first-team opportunities are overdue ahead of the season to come, regardless of Kipre leaving.

The versatile 21-year-old has accumulated 58 appearances in total for the U18s and U23s after joining his boyhood club all the way back in 2012, with six senior games to date being gifted to him as a result.

Ashworth's willingness to play in a number of different positions will certainly make him a desirable player next season for Corberan to give more chances too, with the Baggies in need of more reinforcements down the left-flank too with Adam Reach now gone, alongside needing more centre-back options.

Bolton Wanderers must have been avid fans of Ashworth to gamble on loaning him last season, which the 21-year-old took in his stride, to further justify getting more chances next campaign.

Zac Ashworth's numbers at Bolton

Predominantly used as an option down the left-hand side by Ian Evatt's men, Ashworth displayed for his new loan side that he is worthy of time in Corberan's XI next campaign, by picking up three goals and three assists from 23 clashes.

The Trotters loanee did find his minutes hard to come by towards the latter patches of the season, with only two appearances being handed out to him in the last three months of his loan stint, but his flashes of quality for the League One side should be enough to be considered for more senior opportunities soon.

Unusually, despite only really playing on the left for the third-tier side, Kipre leaving the building could see Ashworth take on a role at centre-back, one that he's arguably more comfortable in based on the number of games he played there on youth pitches for the Baggies.

Caleb Taylor, who was also on loan at the Trotters alongside Ashworth, will also fancy his chances at breaking into the first-team to offer Corberan more depth at the back, notching up seven appearances for Evatt's side before returning back to home comforts at the Hawthorns.

Ashworth won't want to head back to West Brom and recede back into his shell in the youth sides, after starring for Bolton in spurts, with the potential for the 21-year-old to take the bull by the horns and dive headfirst into the first-team now, to try and soften the immense blow of Kipre leaving for nothing if it does happen.

West Brom could convince Corberan to stay by sealing "special" £6m move

Carlos Corberan could be convinced to stay at West Bromwich Albion if this transfer is sealed.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 17, 2024

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has claimed that Erik ten Hag's Manchester United sacking was "almost inevitable".

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• Postecoglou weighs in on sacking
• Ten Hag dismissed earlier this week
• United lost 3-0 to Spurs this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Postecoglou guided Spurs to a comfortable 3-0 win over United earlier this season, and he has claimed that Ten Hag's sacking became "almost inevitable" given the level of scrutiny he was facing. United are currently 14th in the Premier League table and have won just three of their nine games thus far.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Postecoglou has faced criticism of his own this season, with Spurs sitting eighth, five points behind the top four. They were beaten by Crystal Palace at the weekend, and the Australian accepts that the demands facing managers in the Premier League are almost unrealistic.

• WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

  Postecoglou told reporters of Ten Hag's sacking: "I'm not really shocked. Disappointing as it was, it was almost inevitable with the scrutiny he had.

  "If you look at Erik, he was there for two and a bit years. He won a trophy in each year, they finished third in his first year. If he was here with that record would he have lost his job? I don’t know. Would he be under the same scrutiny? I don’t know, because everyone tells me all I have to do is win a trophy, but I have got a feeling it would be the same because, just the nature of the world today.

  "As a manager you have to hit a sweet spot where you get success, you play football everyone likes, you get every signing right. In that moment you seem to get some sort of validation. Anything other than that, it seems to be for some clubs they want trophies not football, others want football. It is a difficult task.

  "But what you have seen in the past, I’m sure Erik will bounce back from that because he is a good manager. You have seen it with other managers. I’m sure his career will continue to go on strongly."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United appear poised to appoint Ruben Amorim as ten Hag's replacement at Old Trafford, having communicated their desire to pay his release clause to Sporting CP. In the meantime, they face Leicester in the EFL Cup this week, while Spurs play Manchester City.