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The allrounder overcame a blow to the forearm and spent a lengthy stint in the middle then Cooper Connolly ensured against late alarms

Tristan Lavalette31-Oct-2025Cameron Green has been “hitting intensity” in training as he ramps up his bowling loads, but it remains unclear whether he will have an overs-restriction in his expected return to bowling in the next Sheffield Shield round.Green played as a specialist batter in Western Australia’s drawn Shield match against South Australia at the WACA. Batting in his preferred No. 4 spot, Green gave WA some hope of chasing down the 303-run target before he unluckily fell for 41 after a dubious caught behind decision.Immediately after the match ended due to bad light, Green had a 30-minute bowl in the middle of the WACA until rain fell on the ground.Related

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Green has bowled just four overs since returning from back surgery. He is likely to play as an allrounder in WA’s next Shield match against Queensland at the WACA starting on November 11 although he might be placed under bowling restrictions.”We’ll just make sure he can bowl first and then we’ll work that bit out,” WA coach Adam Voges said. “My hope is that he’ll be able to play as an allrounder the next game. He’s still building nicely. From what we’ve seen in the nets, he’s hitting intensity.”Green did get some quality batting time at the crease after making a duck in the first innings in his return from side soreness that ruled him out of the India ODI series. He faced 108 balls, his longest stint in the middle since the third Test against the West Indies in July.Green was in command and appeared unaffected after copping a stinging blow in the left forearm by quick Henry Thornton. He was eventually adjudged caught behind off a length delivery from Liam Scott that he tried to fend away from his body.Green threw his head back in disappointment at the decision following a half-hearted appeal from South Australia.Cameron Green inspects his arm after a blow from Henry Thornton•Getty ImagesAfter the match appeared destined for a draw, there was a late twist when Aaron Hardie and Joel Curtis fell in quick succession to Scott. But Cooper Connolly held firm with an unbeaten half-century to ensure WA avoided a third consecutive defeat to start the season. It capped a strong allround performance for Connolly, who also claimed two wickets in South Australia’s second innings.With the pitch flattening out as the match wore on, South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney opted for caution and declared 30 minutes before lunch. Their hopes of an unlikely victory rested on spearhead Brendan Doggett, who produced a spectacular delivery to dismiss captain Sam Whiteman before being thwarted by Green and Cameron Bancroft, who top-scored with 58.Doggett finished with seven wickets for the match in his return from a hamstring injury, with his only previous game this season being in the One-Day Cup on September 20.With relentless accuracy and menacing movement, Doggett showed why he is likely to be a fast-bowling reserve for the Ashes having been on the fringes for the past 12 months.”I think he would be around the mark for the squad, it’s nice to see him come out and bowl like he did,” South Australia coach Ryan Harris said.After taking six wickets in WA’s first innings to claw South Australia back into the match, Doggett again loomed as South Australia’s talismanic figure. He stepped up in his first over to knock over Whiteman, who shouldered arms only to watch in horror as the ball swung back wickedly to hit the top of the off stump.All eyes were on Green, who entered at 37 for 2 early in the second session after Hilton Cartwright on 12 drove straight to mid-on. Green was rock solid and locked in as gleaned by his routine of stepping to the side and looking up at three of the WACA’s massive light towers after every delivery.Green had most of the strike and took his time, scoring just 8 off his first 32 balls. Bancroft appeared to be cruising towards a brisk half-century until Thornton bent his back and produced a hostile spell. But Thornton was left despondent when he had two big shouts against Bancroft turned down.Thornton then whacked Green’s forehand, with medical attention needed. But Green shrugged off any concern with several delightful strokes to give WA renewed enthusiasm heading into tea.Bancroft reached his half-century on resumption, but fell shortly after when he cut straight to Conor McInerney who juggled the catch at gully. Quick Nathan McAndrew resorted to a short-ball tactic against a patient Green, who did not bite but WA’s task proved beyond them as the match inevitably headed towards a draw.The result leaves the teams, who have won the last four Shield titles, still winless after three rounds.

South Africa must find better support for lead spinner Keshav Maharaj, whose absence was felt in Pakistan

Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2025South Africa will leave Pakistan with only a share of a Test series after losing both white-ball contests, including their first ODI series under coach Shukri Conrad. Given that they have also won just five out of 13 T20Is since July, and there is a World Cup looming in three months’ time, it could be cause for concern. But there’s a caveat.Despite Conrad’s assertion that South Africa would have their first-choice players available more often than not, the opposite has happened. A packed schedule, the need to prioritise some series over others and the inevitability of injuries has meant that South Africa have not always been at full strength. That was the case for both the T20I and ODI series in Pakistan and so the post-tour analysis is likely to focus more on individuals than the overall result.This is what South Africa may have learnt:

De Kock is back for real

A four-ball one in Windhoek last month was not quite the way Quinton de Kock would have wanted to come back to the international game but he quickly found his old self, albeit in the longer white-ball game. De Kock was named player of the ODI series as he topped the run-charts with a century sandwiched between two fifties that served as a reminder of how vital he is at the top of the order.ESPNcricinfo LtdNo longer just a basher, de Kock was happy to let his young opening partner Lhuan-dre Pretorius take the lead while he dropped anchor and it worked a charm. The pair shared in three profitable opening stands and have given South Africa a good selection headache. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram are the incumbents but it is difficult to see a situation where South Africa don’t find a space for de Kock, who continues to work on his game.”It’s my first time playing white-ball cricket in Pakistan and I learnt a couple of things about my own game,” he said on Saturday. “The wickets stayed low, reverse swing and there was a bit of a turn, so it was about how we adjusted to that.”De Kock will have a break before South Africa’s white-ball series in India, which could prove decisive in whether he makes the T20 World Cup squad.

Breetzke’s diminishing returns

Pakistan seemed to be Matthew Breetzke’s favourite place to play cricket earlier this year when he scored 150 on debut at the start of a run of five successive fifty-plus scores. Breetzke was the world’s leading run-getter after five ODI innings and the second-leading after eight but has since fallen to fifth after nine innings in what was a tough return, with additional responsibility.Matthew Breetzke enjoyed an excellent tour of Pakistan earlier this year, but in this one he made 42, 17 and 16•Getty ImagesHe was named South Africa’s stand-in captain and while he did a decent job in the field, his batting returns of 42, 17 not out and 16 were less than satisfactory. Breetzke was out to Abrar Ahmed on the two occasions he was dismissed – once trying a big shot and once on the forward defence – and like so many South Africans before him will want to work on his game play against legspin. In the third ODI, he wanted “to try and play as straight as possible with the variable bounce” but it proved trickier than he expected. Of course, Breetzke did not become a bad batter over the course of three matches but with a queue of top-order players knocking down the door, including Tony de Zorzi, his returns in this series may push him down the pecking order for now.

Nandre Burger’s bowling

With the first-choice fast bowlers – Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen – rested, left-armer Nandre Burger stepped up and finished second to Abrar on the wicket-takers’ charts. Four of his five wickets came in the second ODI, and three of those four in the powerplay, where he used the bouncer to excellent effect. Breetzke singled out Burger’s “aggression,” as a positive South Africa will take from this tour. Burger also found seam movement in the third match and sprinkled in slower-ball variations and has given South Africa an additional option to vary their attack.Nqabayomzi Peter, the 23-year-old legspinner, is likely to be part of SA’s future plans•Getty Images

Where are the next batch of spinners coming from?

Keshav Maharaj was rested for this series and his absence only seems to highlight his importance, but South Africa must find another tier of spinners to come after him. Donovan Ferreira had a forgettable tour with ball, bat and as a temporary T20I captain and George Linde was expensive which leaves left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter to assess. Fortuin was South Africa’s most economical bowler of the ODIs, and conceded at 4.50 runs to the over, but was not particularly threatening while Peter, 23, demonstrated good control and is most likely to be part of South Africa’s longer-term plans.Playing in Pakistan is tough – for reasons other than the conditions While almost all the South African players interviewed described the pitches as the most difficult thing to get used to in Pakistan, there were also other challenges that come with touring a country so unlike their own. South Africa cited last year’s Bangladesh Test series as a tour that unified them like never before because they were confined to their hotel and this year’s Pakistan visit may have had the same effect.”You kind of get into a routine because you can’t leave the hotel,” de Zorzi said at a pre-match press conference. “So it’s a bit of a grind on and off. It’s almost just staying in that work mindset and only really focusing on cricket. There’s nothing else to focus on. There’s nothing else to do. Everything is a bit of a grind, but you kind of make peace with that. And anyone would be happy to do that grind. So you just have to remind yourself that you’re lucky to be here and it’s your job.”

Will Pat Cummins play the Gabba Test? And if he does, will he be captain? And who will he replace – Nathan Lyon or Brendan Doggett?

Andrew McGlashan03-Dec-20250:54

Clarke: Australia going to a venue where they play well

It was a question that summed up the slightly curious situation that has become the discussion around Australia’s selection for the Gabba Test. Steven Smith, the stand-in captain, was asked if he would still be leading if Pat Cummins made a surprise return: “I wouldn’t have thought so,” Smith said.There have been plenty of chances this week to say that Cummins definitely won’t make his comeback in Brisbane. Adelaide had long seemed the most likely timeline and he has never officially been made part of the squad. But the door has not been slammed shut.At the time Smith spoke on Wednesday, Australia’s hierarchy wanted a further look at the pitch before making a call on their XI. It was due for another cut from the groundstaff, which duly came at around 3pm, although, in truth, it did not seem to change its distinct green tinge much at all – at least from 100 or so metres away.Related

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A short while later, Smith and chair of selectors George Bailey wandered out to the middle for a look and a prod. There were chats with the curator. How much grass was left, how firm was it? Around 15 minutes later another inspection followed, this time including Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald.There was a hug exchanged between Cummins and McDonald, but that could have meant absolutely nothing, and they will have been well aware that plenty of eyes were watching. Remember when Mitchell Marsh marked out his run at Edgbaston before the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes?Shortly after 5pm, in which time the Gabba had been evacuated due to a smoke alarm, it was confirmed Australia would name their XI at the toss. Yes, that has taken quite a lot of words to say something completely unremarkable. But there’s been 11 days without cricket.

“We’ll look at the surface, as I said, and we’ll sum things up from there. I think here’s a place where Nathan’s done really well in the past. He’s a quality bowler, but we’ll weigh up the options”Steven Smith on Nathan Lyon

On a slightly more serious note, the intrigue around Cummins has been fuelled by how impressive he has looked during his ramp up in bowling over the last two weeks. On Monday in Brisbane, he bowled twice either side of a having a bat. On Tuesday, he went out to Allan Border Field, along with Mitchell Starc, where bowlers are able to get full run-ups unlike in the Gabba nets, although it could not be ascertained what he did there.”He looked in red-hot form the other night, as good as you’ll see [from] a fast bowler charging in in the nets,” Scott Boland said.But, perhaps significantly, Smith made reference to how nets and the middle are different beasts. “He looks pretty good to me,” he said. “The way he’s bowled in the nets, obviously the game’s a different intensity for sure, but he’s tracking really nicely. He knows his body well, and we’ll wait and see.”The other interest in all this comes from who Cummins would replace. It’s understood that a week ago the only realistic way for him to feature in Brisbane would be as part of an all-pace attack so that workloads could be managed, which would mean Nathan Lyon being left out.2:10

England hedging their bets on Will Jacks is ‘worrying’

Lyon didn’t play Australia’s previous pink-ball Test in Jamaica, bowled only two overs in Perth and sent down just one in last season’s day-night Test in Adelaide. But he had an important role to play at the Gabba in the ground’s previous day-night Test against West Indies, and concerns linger about how the harder surface here could make the ball so soft. Overall with the pink ball, Lyon has 43 wickets at 25.62.”We’ll look at the surface, as I said, and we’ll sum things up from there,” Smith said. “I think here’s a place where Nathan’s done really well in the past. He’s a quality bowler, but we’ll weigh up the options.”The other way back for Cummins would be in place of Brendan Doggett, although there may be a risk of having him as one of three frontline quicks without another two weeks of work under his belt, albeit Cameron Green was barely needed in Perth.England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged he didn’t know who he would be walking out with tomorrow afternoon. “Pat’s awesome,” he added. “Has been for a very, very long time. He’s done great things, not only as a player, but he’s been great since he’s been given the responsibility of being captain for Australia.”0:46

McGlashan: An unfortunate end if Khawaja’s Test career is over

The home side has another decision to make, but the replacement for Usman Khawaja feels more certain with Josh Inglis, who made a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, strongly favoured to come into the middle order with Travis Head continuing the opening role he took on with such dramatic effect in the second innings in Perth.It would mean Beau Webster being unfortunate for the second Test in a row, but Inglis’ strength against the short ball, something Australia expect to continue to receive plenty of, is highly rated by the selectors. He was very impressive against Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood (the latter now injured) when he crunched 120 off 86 balls at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”He’s obviously a pretty attacking batsman,” Smith said. “He did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka. He’s been in really good form… he plays fast bowling really nicely. He’s been a really good player for a long period of time. He’s come up through the system and I think he just continues to get better and better. Every opportunity he’s got at any level, whether it be T20, ODI or Test cricket, he’s put his best foot forward and done a good job for the team.”But tomorrow afternoon, all the interest will be around one man. Is it all a smokescreen? You know, those dastardly Ashes mind games. Or is it a genuine selection discussion? Either way, one of Smith or Cummins will be in their blazers to toss the coin and then this Ashes series can finally resume.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph in the 2024/25 campaign allowed numerous players to write themselves into the club’s history books forever.

The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware, and did so in tremendous fashion after defeating fellow Premier League side Manchester United in Bilbao.

Ange Postecoglou handed the fanbase memories to last a lifetime with the triumph, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his position as manager in North London.

Thomas Frank was elected as the man to take the reins during the summer, with the Dane handed the responsibility of taking the club to the next level after the European success.

However, his appointment has prevented numerous players from kicking on in their careers, with the first-team members often struggling to replicate the form they demonstrated under the Aussie.

The biggest losers from Thomas Frank's appointment at Spurs

Yves Bissouma was often one of Postecoglou’s first names on the teamsheet during the 2024/25 campaign, as seen by his tally of 44 appearances across all competitions.

The Malian international featured in 11 of the 15 club’s European outings last campaign, but it’s safe to say his spell under Frank has been far from successful to date.

He was left out of the club’s UEFA Super Cup final after being late numerous times, resulting in missing out on the club’s Premier League squad for the current 2025/26 campaign.

However, he’s not alone in that regard, with Brennan Johnson one of the Lilywhites’ most important players in the previous campaign, as seen by his phenomenal goalscoring record.

The Welshman scored 18 times across all competitions – even netting the winner in the Europa League final – subsequently ending the year as the club’s top goalscorer.

Like Bissouma, he’s struggled for consistency this time around, with the 24-year-old only starting five league games out of a possible 11 since Frank took charge in the summer.

Mohammed Kudus’ arrival has no doubt pushed him down the pecking order, with the manager seemingly preferring the Ghanaian international over him at present.

Spurs star is no longer "one of the best in the world"

Spurs’ £120m spending spree during the summer window has made competition for places even tougher in 2025/26, with the first-team now having incredible depth in certain areas of the squad.

Given the number of competitions the Lilywhites are currently featuring in this season, it’s crucial Frank has the ability to rotate and rest certain players when needed.

Competitions such as the Premier League and Champions League will likely take priority, which has seen numerous players have to settle for minutes off the bench as a result.

Djed Spence has taken his career in North London to the next level over the last couple of years, with the full-back taking advantage of the injury crisis last campaign.

The Englishman made himself a regular starter under Ange last campaign, which has resulted in the 25-year-old now becoming an international regular under Thomas Tuchel.

His starts at right-back has provided competition for Pedro Porro in such an area of the pitch, with the Spaniard often missing out from the starting eleven as a result in recent months.

The 26-year-old has become known for his ability in possession rather than out of it, with Spence the complete opposite and making him an excellent fit for Frank’s system.

In 2024/25, Porro registered nine assists across all competitions, the most in a single season since his move to England – resulting in one journalist labelling him the “best in the world”.

However, in the ongoing campaign, the full-back has only registered one assist to date – showcasing his struggles – with his underlying stats also a cause for concern.

He’s completed just 72% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him in the bottom 8% of all players in England’s top-flight this season.

Porro’s crossing success has also taken a massive hit in recent months, as the Spaniard has only completed a total of 17% of his efforts as of the middle of November.

Out of possession, he’s struggled just as much, as seen by his tally of just 3.9 duels won per 90, with such a figure placing him in the bottom 25% of all defenders in the league.

His lack of defensive talent is also evident in his tally of being dribbled past 1.3 times per 90, which is higher than 82% of other full-backs in the division at present.

Such numbers will certainly be a cause for concern to the manager, especially given the quality of players such as Spence already on the books in North London.

Despite his form under Ange, Porro could now find himself on borrowed time in the near future, with the hierarchy potentially tempted to cash in on him and invest in other areas of the squad.

He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could end Rodrigo Bentancur’s career in North London.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 19, 2025

We will be keeping tabs on how these five young women go at the latest edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia

Shashank Kishore17-Jan-2025Caoimhe Bray (Australia)A seam-bowling allrounder like her role model Ellyse Perry, Bray became the youngest to feature in the WBBL late last year when she was just 15. She marked the occasion by dismissing Deandra Dottin and then hitting the winning runs for Sydney Sixers.She had come into the spotlight after amassing nearly 1000 runs in the New South Wales Under-18s competition in 2024, which included a double-century in the final. Last September, she made her Australia Under-19s debut in a tri-series, where she hit 84 and picked up 4 for 20 against New Zealand.Bray has also represented Australia’s junior football team as a 14-year-old at the AFC Women’s Under-17 championships in Indonesia.Tilly Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket•Getty ImagesTilly Corteen-Coleman (England)A left-arm spinner who dismissed Meg Lanning on her Hundred debut as a 16-year-old, England’s Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket, where she picked up four wickets in four deliveries for South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.She followed that up with an impressive outing at the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2024, where she picked up nine wickets in eight games as South East Stars finished runners-up.Corteen-Coleman has already gained valuable experience in Asia, having represented England Under-19s in Sri Lanka last year.Niki Prasad recently led India to the Under-19 Asia Cup title•ICC via Getty ImagesNiki Prasad (India)As a 15-year-old in 2021, Prasad hit Deepti Sharma for towering sixes at a club tournament in Bengaluru, and there was a buzz around her in the cricket circles in the city. But a departure from her aggressive game to try and bat longer pushed her down the pecking order after she was initially in the running to play in the inaugural edition of this World Cup in 2023.Over the past 18 months, Prasad has rediscovered her big-hitting abilities through dedicated power-hitting sessions as well as a transformation in her fitness routine. In 2025, she will lead India as they hope to defend their crown. She is one of five players from the current India squad to have been picked up in the latest WPL auction; Prasad will play for the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals.Karabo Meso has already featured in two T20Is as a wicketkeeper-batter•Cricket South AfricaKarabo Meso (South Africa)Set to play in her second Under-19 World Cup, Meso is seen in South Africa as the natural successor to incumbent wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.Meso comes from a family with a sporting background. Her mother played netball and her father played softball. Meso herself started off as a prodigious track-and-field athlete before shifting to cricket and choosing the big gloves. She earned a maiden national call-up for the home series against Sri Lanka last April, and has subsequently featured in two T20Is.Related

All you need to know about 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup

Her eight dismissals and superb glovework at the previous edition of the tournament was noticed when she was picked in ICC’s team of the tournament despite South Africa not making it past the Super Six stage.Limansa Thilakarathna (Sri Lanka)Daughter of former Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Melbourne-raised Limansa, an Australian national, wants to be a legspinner like another famous Victorian, the late Shane Warne. In 2021, she became the youngest female cricketer – at 12 – to play at the premier level, when she was chosen for Cricket Victoria’s Under-16 squad. She currently represents Melbourne Cricket Club.Limansa’s Australian nationality has caused debate within Sri Lankan cricketing circles, but the selectors have stuck to their decision of picking her citing her all-round abilities – she bats left-handed and in the top four, apart from being a legspinner.

Nair, Jurel, Akash Deep and Prasidh were back for the visitors, who trail the series 1-2

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Toss A 15th successive toss refused to go India’s way, and they will have to start the deciding game of an engrossing series by doing a bit of heavy lifting. The conditions in London were overcast. The pitch was green. Ollie Pope, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, had no hesitation in choosing to bowl.Shubman Gill, who admitted tongue in cheek that the toss was the thing that he was thinking about the most, called heads again, as he has done all tour, and it let him down for one last time at The Oval. He confirmed four changes for India – three expected, with Jasprit Bumrah (workload management), Rishabh Pant (broken foot) and Anshul Kamboj (rookie) sitting out – for Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and a fully fit Akash Deep. The final one though appeared to be tactical, with batter Karun Nair replacing allrounder Shardul Thakur, who only bowled 27 overs across two Tests.England had already announced their XI with Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Liam Dawson making way for Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson. This is the 22nd first-class match (and fourth Test) at The Oval since May 2023. In 22 out of 22, the captain who has won the toss has chosen to bowl first. The reason for that is the amount of help the fast bowlers have got out of this pitch. Since the start of 2023, seamers have taken 617 wickets and spinners have taken 79.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Jamie Overton, 11 Josh TongueIndia: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Karun Nair, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed Siraj

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Torcedores do Corinthians elogiaram a atuação de Carlos Miguel no primeiro tempo da partida contra o América-RN, pelo jogo de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Apesar de não conseguir defender o chute que originou o primeiro gol do Mecão, o goleiro se recuperou na partida e salvou o Timão em pelo menos três oportunidades neste primeiro tempo.

Titular na vaga de Cássio, que perdeu a posição após sucessivas falhas nos últimos jogos da equipe comandada por António Oliveira, Carlos Miguel foi ovacionado pela Fiel na internet.

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Nas redes sociais, torcedores comemoraram as defesas do camisa 22 e cobraram que ele permanece como titular do Corinthians. Confira algumas reações abaixo.

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Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Thomas Frank and a Tottenham Hotspur star in the wake of the 2-1 defeat against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Frank under major pressure after Fulham defeat

Spurs remain without a Premier League win on home soil since defeating Burnley 3-0 on the opening day of the season, following the 2-1 loss against the Cottagers at the weekend, which saw Frank’s fall down to 12th place, having now lost as many games as they’ve won.

The Dane is under major pressure after the latest setback, with it being revealed that former Barcelona manager Xavi is now under serious consideration as a replacement, and a move could be made if there is not an improvement in results by the end of this month.

That said, some of the blame has to lie with the players, according to Agbonlahor, who recently said live on talkSPORT that Frank’s men need to start stepping up to the plate, and the pundit was particularly unimpressed with the start Xavi Simons has made to life in north London.

The former Aston Villa striker said: “A lot’s got to change, Jeff. Players have got to start turning up. Xavi Simons has got to come to the table and start performing.

“You never know what Spurs’ starting team is going to be. Looks very confused doesn’t he? Sometimes it’s five-at-the-back, then it looks like it’s a diamond, then now it’s Bergvall off the left.”

Simons needs to step up sooner rather than later

Of course, any player in their debut Premier League season should be given time to adapt, but Simons needs to start showing signs of improvement very soon, given that he is yet to score for Tottenham, and has registered just two assists in 15 matches in all competitions.

The Dutchman was benched against Fulham, but didn’t make much of an impact after replacing Richarlison on the hour mark, failing to register a single key pass or create a big chance.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2025

Some Spurs players are also already starting to have doubts about Frank, as they believe the 52-year-old makes too many changes to his attack and focuses on the opposition too much, and the manager will need to start improving results quickly before he loses the dressing room entirely.

It is still early days for the former Brentford boss, but things certainly haven’t worked out so far, with £52m summer signing Simons flattering to deceive, and things don’t get any easier, with Spurs set to travel to St. James’ Park to take on an in-form Newcastle United side on Tuesday night.

Manchester City have now moved into pole position in the race for a “superstar”, and they are now ready to make a bid of over £65m.

Pep eyeing long-term additions to his defence

Pep Guardiola has made it clear he is a huge admirer of Matheus Nunes this season, saying: “He can be an incredible right-back,”

“Matheus is a holding midfielder with incredible physicality and as much as he is focused, he can become one of the best [right-backs].

“He has special attributions to play in the sides, and in the last two or three games he has played unbelievable.”

Nunes has remained a key player for Man City in recent weeks, starting the last three games, with Abdukhodir Khusanov also capable of slotting in at right-back, doing so in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen back in November, while also impressing against Arsenal.

Despite Pep being blessed with a number of options in defence, the City boss remains keen on making long-term additions to his backline, according to a new report from TEAMtalk, which states he views Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento as the complete package.

The Blues have now moved into pole position in the race for Livramento’s signature, despite interest from a number of Premier League clubs, and they are ready to make a bid of more than £65m, which could include add-ons, while summer signing James Trafford may also be used as part of a swap deal.

"Superstar" Livramento may find it difficult to dislodge Nunes

Lauded as a “superstar” by Newcastle content creator Kendall Rowan, there are signs the right-back could be a good fit in a Guardiola system, with his passing ability particularly impressive over the course of the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Pass completion %

85.9% (90th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.17 (87th percentile)

Pep has been keen on signing the full-back for quite some time, and he is now vastly experienced in the Premier League, having made 103 appearances in the competition, while he has also tested himself in the Champions League for the second time this season.

The 23-year-old could be able to push for Nunes’ place in the starting XI before too long, but it will be difficult to dislodge the Portugal international, given that the City star is arguably a more well-rounded right-back at the moment.

Related Man City offer Real Madrid shock swap deal to sign "the next De Bruyne"

He’s impressed under Xabi Alonso.

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The 27-year-old has displayed a keen eye for creating chances this season, chipping in with one goal and three assists in the Premier League, while Livramento has just four goal contributions in 93 games for Newcastle.

As such, the Engand international may have to improve the attacking side of his game if he is going to take Nunes’ shirt.

Three games into the 2025-26 season under new head coach Thomas Frank, Tottenham must have believed they were onto a sure-fire winner. They showed tremendous promise in their eventual UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, destroyed Burnley in their Premier League opener, and then tore apart Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Fast-forward three months, though, and you'd be hard pressed to find a Spurs fan who didn't have major reservations over Frank, let alone a growing contingent of people wanting him sacked. Tottenham were incredibly lucky to lose only 1-0 to Chelsea at the start of November, while they could have few complaints over Sunday's 4-1 hammering at the hands of north London rivals Arsenal.

Across those two matches against their most bitter of foes, Frank's side registered only six shots and a combined expected goals tally of 0.17. Their only goal came courtesy of Richarlison, who lobbed David Raya from just inside Arsenal's half during the second of those two defeats.

Frank was hired to bring organisation and a calmer head to a young team that had been burnt too much by their own adventure under Ange Postecoglou. However, by completely throwing that identity in reverse, Frank has made Spurs one of the most boring teams in the Premier League without a requisite number of points to make this at least palatable. Even his Brentford teams of far lesser quality never resorted to the lows we've seen of Tottenham over the last few weeks.

CEO Vinai Venkatesham declared upon Frank's hiring that he scored highest on a 10-point checklist of 30 managerial candidates. The club's belief in such a system will be put to the test over the winter unless the Dane gets his house in order again.

There isn't a simple fix to Spurs' issues, not least because they severely lack the star power of a Harry Kane or a Son Heung-min to get them out of a hole these days, but there are definitely solutions within Frank's reach to curb this unrest. GOAL runs through eight ideas to get Tottenham firing again:

Getty Images SportDestroy the 'Bentinha' midfield

Jamie Carragher broke down the number one problem with Spurs' build-up play prior to the November international break, which is that Frank has put far too much trust in two destroyers to anchor his midfield, particularly loan signing Joao Palhinha.

"Palhinha hasn't got the quality," he began, commentating over a clip from their loss to Chelsea. "For me, for a player playing in central midfield for Tottenham, that is a pass you have to be able to make. He can't make it, so… he goes back. Listen to the boos. The only reason he does a clever turn on the ball is because of the boos. Otherwise, he’d have gone back to the goalkeeper. Palhinha gets back on the ball and he takes five touches because he hasn't got the confidence or the ability.

"You might look at that result and think there's not a lot wrong, but when you watch the game at the weekend, that was like watching a League Two team against a Premier League team in the FA Cup. When you look at the stats, there was a huge contrast with the ball, and that is the biggest challenge for any coach making that jump from one of the teams in the bottom half of the Premier League to one of the big boys."

Pairing Portugal international Palhinha with Rodrigo Bentancur hasn't helped matters. In isolation, they're OK footballers who can break up play, but together they present huge challenges for Spurs both in and out of possession. They don't show for the ball, they don't want to progress the ball centrally, and they're not clean when they do get on the ball. The derby defeats showed their positions are effectively redundant too, seeing as Spurs gave away so many shots on the edge of the own box in the area the duo ought to be occupying.

Pape Matar Sarr, with his lung-busting energy and determination to actually get into the game, has inexplicably had his minutes cut following a fine start to the season. It probably isn't a coincidence he played out of his skin against PSG and Man City before results and performances took a tumble when he was removed from the XI. Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall – the only player in the squad that resembles a deep-lying playmaker – and Archie Gray haven't featured enough considering those ahead of them have been churning out mediocre performances bi-weekly. Frank has to turn to fresh blood in midfield.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKeep the ball on the floor

Spurs' inability to progress play in central areas has made them even more predictable than they were under Postecoglou. Guglielmo Vicario passes to Micky van de Ven, Van de Ven passes it back, Vicario passes it back again, Van de Ven doesn't have any other option but to smash it into the channel, where nobody is willing to challenge for it and they turn the ball over. Rinse and repeat every time you get a goal-kick.

Frank has tried to simplify Tottenham's game too much. It's overkill. As Gary Neville pointed out on commentary during the Arsenal loss, there's a difference between playing direct and playing long without any plan whatsoever.

Part of Spurs' current predicament is the only in-possession principles they appear to be abiding by are from set pieces. The Dane could perhaps take some tips from one of his predecessors, Mauricio Pochettino, in this sense.

Before Tottenham scored their second goal in what was an eventual 3-2 loss at Liverpool in 2015 during his first season, Pochettino was seen shouting one particular instruction towards defender Eric Dier. "Eric! To feet! No long balls!" he yelped from the sidelines. Now, this version of Spurs would go on to become a team who could cut teams open with ranging passes, but the point is that Pochettino wanted his troops to learn a rudimentary way of his final philosophy first. To boot, this came after the Argentine had made sweeping squad changes to overthrow the old guard and build around a younger core. This wouldn't be unprecedented territory for Frank to head into as a Tottenham head coach.

Getty Images SportLean on natural full-backs

This is a minor point in the grand scheme of this rebuild given there are only three full-backs in the Tottenham squad and Destiny Udogie has been injured for part of the season, but it's a structural issue all the same.

Pedro Porro, one of the Premier League's best attacking full-backs, hasn't hit top form yet this season. He's getting into promising positions, though has been let down by some poor deliveries and his team-mates not exactly knowing where to stand and which runs to make. Playing a back five at Arsenal would have made far more sense if Spain's first-choice right-back was starting instead of the defence-first option of Djed Spence.

Speaking of the England star, Spence's inclination to tuck infield when deployed on the left has also contributed to an overload of nothingness in the middle of the park. In the absence of Udogie, it would be worth giving Van de Ven some more opportunities at full-back, where he has been playing for the Netherlands national team.

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Getty Images SportTrust in Simons

Back in August, Tottenham nearly wrapped up a deal to sign Eberechi Eze. At the eleventh hour, Arsenal swooped in and brought him back to his boyhood club instead. The silver lining for Spurs was this led to a deal for Xavi Simons, who was only lower down their list of targets because it seemed for all the world he would be heading to Chelsea instead.

It would have hurt the Lilywhites immeasurably that Simons was dropped for the derby while Eze dropped a hat-trick on them. The point made by fans on social media post-match was there's an irony that Eze probably wouldn't have even been selected for this encounter had he joined Tottenham, such has been the extent of Frank's pragmatism to this point.

Simons, much like Liverpool's Florian Wirtz, is still adapting to the Premier League following a successful stint in the Bundesliga. If Spurs fans want any consolation over what happened at the Emirates Stadium, the Dutchman is five years Eze's junior and clearly has the potential to become a leading attacking midfielder, though his development is only being stifled by Frank and his deep-lying midfielders refusing to get him into games more.

This Tottenham team have created very little over the course of the season irrespective of whether Simons has been playing, though arguably one of their more potent spells came when they were trailing at Brighton in October, and the introduction of the No.10 in his natural position helped Spurs come from two goals down to earn a well-deserved 2-2 draw. Simons may as well be given more of a licence to roam and feel his way into games if Frank's men are putting up such measly xG totals anyway.