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Released from Ashes duty, England quick scores maiden List A fifty before claiming two wickets

ECB Reporters Network07-Jul-2023

Central Sparks celebrate a wicket•PA Images via Getty Images

Issy Wong starred with bat and ball as Central Sparks beat hosts South East Stars by 21 runs at Woodbridge Road.Wong, released from England Ashes duty for the fixture, made her maiden list-A half-century, sharing a stand of 102 with Charis Pavely for the seventh wicket, the youngster finishing 57 not out in only her second game at this level. Their heroics carried Sparks to 246 for 8 despite Stars’ England all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards returning 3 for 46.Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones led the run chase with a magnificent 77 while Davidson-Richards made 48, but Sparks’ bowlers had the final say, Katie George taking 3 for 30, Georgia Davis 3 for 52 and Wong 2 for 37 as Stars were bowled out for 225 with 15 balls left.Eve Jones, Sparks’ leading batter in the competition, was soon out caught behind off Ryana MacDonald-Gay, the first of three catches for wicketkeeper Kira Chathli. In-form Abbey Freeborn also nicked MacDonald-Gay behind, and with Davidson-Richards striking two further blows Sparks stumbled to 61 for 4.George holed out soon afterwards only for a no-ball to be called for a waist-high full toss and the batter made good of the reprieve with three stylish fours in her 31, raising a 50-partnerhip with opener Bethan Ellis who swept to good effect.The pair fell in the space of seven balls, George pinned lbw on the back foot by Dani Gregory, while Ellis (42) played one sweep too many against Stars’ skipper Bryony Smith.At 121 for 6 Sparks needed just that – a spark and in fact found two as Pavely and Wong hit the reset button.Pavely, showing great maturity, played a straight drive back past Gregory before pulling the same bowler to the fence at square leg. Wong played second fiddle for a while before unable to contain her attacking intent any longer – she sent one six into the scoreboard and another clean out the ground as Sparks posted a challenging total.Inspired by her batting exploits, Wong should have had an early wicket when finding the edge of Chathli’s bat, but wicketkeeper Freeborn could only parry the chance away to her right. Wong’s response was to take the fielder’s out of the equation and uproot Chathli’s off-stump.The England quick soon appealed again for a catch behind against Stars’ skipper Bryony Smith, not answered in the affirmative, but from the very next ball Ami Campbell plucked one out of the sky at wide mid-off to send the home skipper packing for a duck.Alexa Stonehouse (29) briefly threatened only to fall to a catch on the fence by George and Jones pulled off another blinder at slip as Jemima Spence came and went, Davis the successful bowler on both occasions.Paige Scholfield with two centuries and more than 300 runs in the tournament was another not to last long, bowled through the gate by Australian all-rounder Erin Burns and at 94 for 5 Stars’ hopes looked slim.Davidson-Richards and Blinkhorn-Jones dug in, surviving several vociferous appeals to punish the odd bad ball when it came to raise a 50-partnership and bring the runs required under 100.The impressive George returned to remove both Davidson-Richards, caught in the deep and Kalea Moore, but Blinkhorn-Jones stood firm, twice dispatching the returning Wong to the fence as she raced to 50.Macdonald-Gay proved a good foil in a stand of 51 to leave the game in the balance, but she was bowled by Davis and when Blinkhorn-Jones holed out at cover the game was up.

Manchester United, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and manager Ruben Amorim are ready to axe 10 players this summer on a combined salary of £1.8m-a-week.

Ratcliffe calls some Man Utd players ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’

The Red Devils and Ratcliffe have been in the headlines this week, and before plans for a new 100,000 capacity stadium were unveiled, the main talking points were on the co-owners’ comments to the media.

Talking on various topics, including Erik ten Hag, Amorim, the squad and Old Trafford finances to the likes of Gary Neville and the BBC, Ratcliffe took aim at some of the current Man Utd squad.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea [on loan] and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.

“Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”

"Devastated" – Mark Goldbridge gutted at Man Utd update confirmed by INEOS

He hasn’t held back.

By
Charlie Smith

Mar 12, 2025

Amorim has since responded to Ratcliffe’s comments on some of the squad being ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’, saying: “If you’re a top player playing in this club, even me – a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club – my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel that they want this really bad.”

It promises to be a busy summer ahead of Amorim’s first full season in charge of Man Utd, and by the looks of things, a mass overhaul of the playing squad is on the cards.

Ratcliffe and Amorim ready to move on 10 Man Utd players this summer

According to a recent report from Spain, Man Utd are preparing to get rid of 10 players who are on a combined £1.8m-a-week at Old Trafford.

Casemiro (£350,000-a-week), Marcus Rashford (£300,000-a-week), Mason Mount, (£250,000-a-week), Jadon Sancho, (£250,000-a-week), Antony (£200,000-a-week), Christian Eriksen (£150,000-a-week), Victor Lindelof (£120,000-a-week), Rasmus Hojlund (£85,000-a-week), Jonny Evans (£85,000-a-week) and Tom Heaton (£45,000-a-week) are all in line to leave Old Trafford over the coming months.

Signings made by Man Utd under Amorim	From
Patrick Dorgu	Lecce
Ayden Heaven	Arsenal

As we know, Rashford, Sancho and Antony are on loan at Aston Villa, Chelsea and Real Betis respectively, whereas Eriksen, Evans, Lindelof and Heaton are out of contract at the end of the season.

INEOS will look to move all 10 on ‘in an attempt to generate income and free up space for new signings’ and Amorim has given the green light regarding the exits.

Should the three loanees complete permanent moves to their new employers, United will only need to find homes for Casmeiro, Mount and Hojlund.

Opener walks and paddles all comers but admits reservations about doing so against Pat Cummins and co

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Apr-2023There is never a bad time to score your first century at Lord’s. But with a couple of big-ticket events here over the next couple of months, Ben Duckett chose wisely.The opener peeled off a crisp 119 not out on the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s Division One clash with Middlesex. Crisp for its execution rather than cleanliness, what with the two let-offs contained within the 176 deliveries and counting. It was productive, too, given that it allowed Duckett to acquaint himself with these surroundings better, while establishing a firm footing for his county, who closed Thursday on 252 for five after being asked to bat first.Duckett’s June will be bookended by Tests here, first against Ireland, then Australia in the second Test of the Ashes. The one-off fixture with Ireland will be the first time he sets his bag down in the home dressing room.The 28-year-old’s three previous Championship matches at Lord’s – two for Northamptonshire – have resulted in just 86 runs from five innings, averaging 17.20. That he was eyeing up about that much in the evening session alone – “I kind of grafted for two sessions, and my idea was to potentially get 80 or 90 runs to finish the day on 200 or something” – speaks of the belief and form he is operating with at the moment. A shame, then, for Nottinghamshire and the neutrals, that the final 27 overs were lost to bad light and then rain.Nottinghamshire say they, too, would have chosen to bowl. You wonder how much of both decisions pertained to wanting to protect/expose a Middlesex top-order that registered 4 for 4, 15 for 3, 11 for 4 and 44 for 3 in their first four innings of the campaign.That is no such problem the visitors have, and there was an element of rubbing it in when Duckett and Haseeb Hameed made 117 between them, following up last week’s 125 opening stand against Somerset. It should, however, have ended on three, and Duckett’s knock on nought.Just 15 deliveries into the day, Ethan Bamber found an edge from around the wicket, which wicketkeeper John Simpson and first slip Stevie Eskinazi watched pass them by. Off it went for the first of Duckett’s 12 boundaries.That the first four wickets fell for just 35 runs created a sense of “what might have been” while enhancing the value of Duckett and Hameed’s start. Middlesex’s attack had recalibrated in the middle session, with Bamber setting that cascade off by snaring Hameed via a catch to Eskinazi, before removing Matthew Montgomery with one through to the Simpson. Lyndon James’ 41 was the only other score of note, outscoring Duckett before the fifth-wicket stand was broken on 73 by Martin Andersson.That in itself spoke of Duckett’s motivation. He scampered to a half-century off 69 deliveries with a six into the shorter Grandstand boundary, lunching on 60 from 80. He advanced down the track and was particularly keen on lapping Ryan Higgins around the corner – doing so twice for four. “I said to Hass I was going to do it,” he said of the shot. “He laughed as if I was joking.”Then came caution. As much as the collapse lent itself to that, conversion was high on the agenda. Duckett started the season with scores of 51 against Hampshire and 75 against Somerset. Moreover, as well as the resumption of his Test career went this winter with 508 in five matches across tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, it grates the left-hander that only one of his five fifty-plus scores was a century (107 in Rawalpindi). Such was his desire to make this count, he stopped himself from reverse-sweeping leg spinner Luke Hollman to the short side, which is a bit like a dog passing on a bone.”Over the past six months, I’ve probably scored five or six fifties and only converted once,” Duckett said. “So to get over the line early on in the season is nice.”As per those numbers, and being the opener not called “Zak Crawley”, he is guaranteed a full run at the summer, barring anything dramatic. Nevertheless, he wanted to set a marker down.Having spent 20 balls in the nineties – 15 between 95 and 99 – Duckett dropped one knee to paddle a Hollman full toss around the corner to move to a crisp 100 from 152 deliveries. By his own admission, he got bored.Upon getting to the other end, a subdued punch of the air, like a man who had completed today’s Wordle at the first attempt, then looked to the heavens relieved like a man who had completed today’s Wordle at the sixth attempt.Duckett did not hide the fact that as much as he has helped fill Nottinghamshire’s plate, loading up on runs will help him come June. Even opening this season after scoring his 1,012 Division Two runs last year at No.3 was down to preparing for England duties.Over the winter, Test head coach Brendon McCullum told him he’d rather he opened. Having thought about it, Duckett decided to put in that request with Nottinghamshire’s head coach Peter Moores on the eve of the season opener against Hampshire. It meant Ben Slater dropped to three, and there was a cruel irony in him being run out today at the non-striker’s end via a straight drive from Duckett deflected onto the stumps by Roland-Jones. As it happens, it was just as bitter a pill for Roland-Jones, who missed a catching opportunity off Duckett on 70 in the process.Two drops takes a bit of gloss off this first hundred of the summer. But in moving on from the first error, the end result makes them inconsequential in Duckett’s mind.”Scoring a hundred for the team is the priority, but the fact that it’s here at Lord’s is even more special,” Duckett said. “Thankfully, I’ve had an opportunity to play here and have another knock, and I’m obviously going to get another one batting with the slope and different things.”Obviously it’s 20mph slower than what it will be at the end of the summer, but it’s always nice gaining that experience. If I get the nod, I can think back to this and having a hundred here is nice confidence.”On the subject of pace, he does note that doing as he has done today – advancing down the pitch or getting down on one knee – against Australia’s pace attack probably won’t fly.”I don’t think I’ll be walking at bowlers as much or paddling Pat Cummins. But it was probably more prep for the Ireland Test!”That pace is going to come on a bit nicer; if it’s flat, it’s going to come on and sometimes pace is nice here in England. Actually, it can be more tricky facing someone more like Bamber, who’s around the knee-roll at 75mph – it could be 80mph, or whatever it is. Sometimes I find that harder – to sit in and back your defence and play in a different way. I know they’re (Australia) one of the best attacks potentially ever, so it’s going to be tough but an enjoyable challenge.”Josh Little might have something to say about that Ireland comment. But evidently, Duckett is so sure of himself right now that it doesn’t matter how much motivation bowlers have. His drive and self-confidence are as high as they have ever been. Just as well at the start of the biggest summer of his career.

And so the cycle continues at Manchester United. With the end of the season on the horizon, the Red Devils will head into the summer window in need of a major overhaul yet again in this grim post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Getting it right on the recruitment front has long been an issue at Old Trafford, even stretching into the glory days under Fergie. Who can forget the 2009 window, in which the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were replaced by Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan…

A word must also be said for 2013, when new boss David Moyes spent the summer chasing Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale – in came Marouane Fellaini. The 2020 window, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is another that requires further scrutiny, with the Norwegian coach handed the likes of Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani, Alex Telles and a teenage Facundo Pellistri.

As can be seen above, far too often have the Manchester side made a mess of things with regard to incomings, with INEOS – who may have questions to answer regarding their own business last summer – now left to try and rebuild the squad in Ruben Amorim’s image.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co will no doubt need to cover up the mess of the previous regime, with there seemingly a number of Erik ten Hag signings who need to be shown the door ahead of 2025/26.

How Man Utd's stars compare under Ten Hag & Amorim this season

When Amorim walked in the door back in November, United were languishing in mid-table, albeit with just seven points separating them and the top four, amid a slim but realistic chance of ending the season in the Champions League berths.

As it stands, the 15th-place strugglers are now 13 points behind Chelsea in fifth, having also slipped to ten points adrift of eighth-place Brighton and Hove Albion, ensuring any form of European qualification is likely to rest on Europa League glory.

Those woes lay bare the difficulties that Amorim has faced since replacing Ten Hag in the dugout, with far too many of his side having gone even further off the boil following the change in manager.

Selected players in 2024/25 – Amorim vs Ten Hag

Ten Hag

Games

Goals

Assists

Bruno Fernandes

13

0

5

Amad Diallo

12

1

1

Alejandro Garnacho

14

5

3

Joshua Zirkzee

13

1

2

Rasmus Hojlund

8

2

0

Christian Eriksen

11

4

2

Amorim

Games

Goals

Assists

Bruno Fernandes

23

7

6

Amad Diallo

20

6

5

Alejandro Garnacho

23

1

2

Joshua Zirkzee

23

4

0

Rasmus Hojlund

23

5

1

Christian Eriksen

10

0

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

As indicated in the table above, the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo – prior to his cruel injury blow – have been the major beneficiaries of the Portuguese’s arrival, with the attacking pair having found their shooting boots amid the change in set-up.

On the flip side, Alejandro Garnacho – who was linked with a move to Chelsea in January – has scored just once under the new regime, with questions still to be asked over whether the Argentine truly fits in the 3-4-3 system.

The 20-year-old winger isn’t alone in having suffered of late, with Andre Onana’s strong early-season form having rapidly faded over the past three months or so.

Man Utd's "best player this season" needs to be sold

Prior to Amorim’s arrival – and the meteoric rise of Amad – there was a time in which it looked like Onana was blossoming into becoming United’s key performer, with journalist Steven Railston stating in late November that the Cameroonian had been the club’s “best player this season” at that stage.

Indeed, the former Inter stopper had produced a real highlight reel of saves in the early months of the campaign, even as Ten Hag’s fortunes dwindled, having notably produced stunning double saves away to the likes of Crystal Palace – as shown above – and Porto.

Since Amorim’s appointment, however, things have quickly taken a turn for the worse, with the 28-year-old making a string of costly mistakes across all competitions. After conceding just 17 times in 13 games under Ten Hag, Onana has now conceded 32 goals in just 20 games under Amorim in 2024/25.

Against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, for instance, the experienced ‘keeper failed to keep out Morgan Gibbs-White’s long-range effort, before both he and Lisandro Martinez watched on as Chris Wood’s header looped in at the back post.

Just days later, Onana’s errant pass out from the back was swiftly punished as Viktoria Plzen took a shock lead away in Czechia, while the new year has seemingly been the same old story, with the one-time Ajax man at fault for Brighton’s third goal after palming the ball into the path of Georginio Rutter.

That was followed by the £120k-per-week star also pushing the ball into the path of James Maddison in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, while he also produced a strange parry into the air for Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.

That growing list was then added to in the narrow 3-2 win over Ipswich Town, with Onana – who had raced out of his goal – partially at fault along with Patrick Dorgu for the away side’s opener, having also failed to keep out Jaden Philogene’s curling cross.

With three errors made leading to a goal by United’s number 24 in the Premier League this term, he is now looking back to the player who proved so costly in last season’s Champions League group stage horror show.

As analyst H noted on X, Onana will “never fill the Old Trafford crowd with any sense of confidence”, be it with the ball at his feet or when making a save. As The Overlap’s tactics man also went on to state, such uncertainty and nervousness is “impossible to come back from”.

Most errors leading to a goal – PL goalkeepers

Player

Errors

Arijant Muric

5

Robert Sanchez

5

Bart Vebruggen

4

Andre Onana

3

Alex McCarthy

2

Nick Pope

2

Stats via Premier League

The Manchester Evening News has reported in recent days that the current first-choice is keen to stay put next season, yet with Amorim himself seemingly looking to acquire a new goalkeeper, Onana’s days at Old Trafford should well be numbered.

And so, while the £47.2m signing did show signs of life in the early months of 2024/25, old habits have crept back in since then. INEOS may have other more pressing issues to consider this summer, but seeking out an upgrade in the sticks should certainly remain high on the agenda.

Related Not just Lindelof: Amorim must sell Man Utd man who earns more than Mainoo

Manchester United should move on from the winger in the summer transfer window.

Posts ByDan Emery Mar 3, 2025

It’s rare for a Queenslander to love Perth as much as Marnus Labuschagne does. But he continued his adoring relationship with Western Australia’s capital and its newest cricket stadium, compiling a masterful 154 not out on day one of the opening Test against West Indies with promises of more to come.Labuschagne has only batted three times at Perth Stadium for scores of 143, 50 against New Zealand and this currently unbeaten hundred, with the venue reminding him of his home in Brisbane.”I love this venue,” Labuschagne said. “I love playing in Perth because the conditions are so similar to Brisbane. And I’ve had some good success in Brisbane so it’s really nice to be able to come to a ground where the characteristics of the wicket are very similar.”Related

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• Labuschagne's big hundred puts Australia in command

Labuschagne is compiling a staggering Test record at home in general. Of all the Test greats who have played 20 innings or more in Australia, only Sir Donald Bradman averages more than Labuschagne’s 69.28, having scored seven of his eight Test centuries in Australia.Having broken his overseas century duck in Sri Lanka in his last Test match in Galle in July, Labuschagne slipped back into the rhythms of Test cricket in Australia with ease.He negotiated a tricky morning session, leaving the ball well and absorbing pressure as the West Indies quicks tested him on both the front and back foot. Having done the hard yards, he cashed in later in the day as West Indies erred full and wide and he was able to pick them off.Marnus Labuschagne jumps over to get under the ball•Getty Images

“Growing up playing a lot on the Gabba really helps with that because you know there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” Labuschagne said. “So you know you’ve got to put in the hard work early. Knowing the conditions, obviously playing in Brisbane with the bouncy conditions, certainly helps.”You just let the ball go. You understand the game, the tempo isn’t as fast as other venues. You’re not hitting as many balls. You’re letting a lot of balls go. So all those things really helped. And then to be able to then come out after lunch and after tea and be able to put the pressure on, they tried to amend their shorter length and they tried to bowl a bit fuller which created a few more scoring options for us.”Labuschagne’s innings wasn’t without luck. He nicked twice through the slips, with Jason Holder failing to lay a hand on one while the other flew wide of the cordon at a catchable height, and also edged Kraigg Brathwaite onto keeper Joshua Da Silva’s knee with the ball ballooning over slip’s head. He could have been caught at deep point late in the day with debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul misjudging the flight in the shadows.Luck aside, Labuschagne was pleased to iron out some of the kinks that plagued him late in last year’s Ashes series at home where England’s Mark Wood caused him some problems fending outside off stump.”I certainly looked at a lot of that stuff from last summer,” Labuschagne said. “It’s feeling alright. I’ve certainly felt better. But it’s nice to be scoring runs when you’re not absolutely feeling 100%. Certainly my stance is probably more closed off I think from where it was last summer.”I’m probably not as rigid as I was last summer. I feel like I’m a little bit more relaxed in my hands. So I think that’s helping me on that short ball and that back-foot punch, so I don’t really get stuck and then start fending the ball away from my face.”Labuschagne is loading up to add more to his tally tomorrow with a second Test double-century within reach.”Whenever you’re not out overnight on 150 the next stop is 200,” he said. “So it’s just going to be for me tomorrow if I’m able to stick to the process for long enough. If I do, I’m sure I’ll get there. But put that out of your mind, you’ve got to take it ball by ball and if the 200 does come that’s great, but more importantly, I’m just trying to get as many runs as we can in this first innings and put the pressure on the West Indies.”

كشف ستيفن أوستاكيو، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بورتو، عن المباراة الأصعب للفريق البرتغالي خلال منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتنطلق منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025 خلال شهر يونيه الحالي، في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ويتواجد بورتو في المجموعة الأولى في منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025، بجانب كل من الأهلي وإنتر ميامي بالإضافة إلى بالميراس البرازيلي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. رامي ربيعة يوضح دور لاعب الأهلي في انضمامه للعين.. وموقفه من المشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية

وقال أوستاكيو في تصريحات لـ شبكة “DAZN”: “لأكون صريحًا، أعتقد أن الأهلي هو الفريق الأصعب في المجموعة، لأننا لا نعرف الفريق جيدًا، ولا أريد أن أكون غير محترم بالطبع، كثيرون قالوا إنهم فريق جيد جدًا، وقوي بدنيًا، ويحب الجري”.

وأضاف اللاعب الكندي: “جميع المباريات صعبة، وبالميراس أيضًا فريق صعب للغاية، إنتر ميامي أيضًا لديه إمكانياته، لهذا السبب أعتقد أن مباراة الأهلي ستكون صعبة، مباريات تنافسية للغاية، وأعتقد أنها مجموعة متوازنة”.

وتابع: “نتوقع أن فريقنا سيُقدم أفضل أداء، وسيكون مُحفّزًا أيضًا، سنخوض مباريات صعبة للغاية، لأن الفرق الأخرى قوية جدًا أيضًا، لكنني أعتقد أنه إذا تحلينا بالعقلية والخصائص المناسبة، فسنمتلك كل ما نحتاجه لتجاوز دور المجموعات، ثم ستكون المباريات التالية ضد فرق قوية للغاية”.

وواصل حديثه: “هذه البطولة تشبه دوري أبطال أوروبا، لكننا سنبذل قصارى جهدنا للوصول إلى أبعد مدى ممكن، من الصعب تحديد ذلك، لكنني أعتقد أن المباراة التي أرغب بخوضها أكثر هي ضد بالميراس، لا يوجد لاعب مُحدد أرغب بتبادل القمصان معه، لكنني أعتقد أن اللعب ضد فريق برازيلي بمستوى بالميراس سيكون رائعًا للغاية”.

وعن معرفته بالملاعب الأمريكية، أجاب قائلاً: “نعم، أعتقد أن خبرتي، من جهتي، تتعلق أكثر بالملاعب، لقد زرت العديد من تلك الملاعب في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، أتيحت لي فرصة اللعب في الكأس الذهبية، وكوبا أمريكا، أعلم أن هناك الكثير من مشجعي بورتو في تورونتو، وآمل أن يقوموا برحلة قصيرة إلى هناك، ونعم، أعتقد أننا سنحظى بدعم أكبر بلا شك”.

And just like that, another transfer window has slammed closed. It was a somewhat anti-climatic end to the winter market, but Everton still managed to get a deal done.

Gone are the days of frantic and breathless deadline-day drama. Manchester City were the only team to bring a player into their first-team squad for a transfer fee (Brighton’s new forward, Stefanos Tzimas, not joining until the end of the season).

Everton weren’t able to sign a new centre-forward, but David Moyes will be delighted with the signing of Charly Alcaraz from Flamengo.

Why Everton have signed Charly Alcaraz

Everton still lack a fresh striker to spearhead the new Moyes era. However, Alcaraz’s dynamism and fluidity across a number of midfield positions will serve to thread offensive positions together.

Last summer, Alcaraz joined Flamengo for an €18m (fee £15m) fee. It was the Brasileiro Serie A club’s record signing.

Now, he’s back in the Premier League, arriving at Goodison Park on loan until the end of the season, although a permanent buy option worth £12m will be activated should Alcaraz complete an undisclosed number of top-flight appearances.

Able in the middle of the park and playing off the central striker’s shadow, the 22-year-old brings some flair and excitement, crucially already having played 19 times in the Premier League with Southampton, notching four goals and two assists.

Alcaraz has a budding playmaking skill and will seek to thread balls through to Beto. However, there’s a member of Moyes’ squad who can achieve this to a greater effect.

Frustratingly, he’s yet to grace the field under the Scotsman’s management.

The Everton star who is worth more than Alcaraz

Dwight McNeil has missed Everton’s past nine Premier League matches with a knee injury and is still expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

The attacking midfielder had been applauded by reporter Joe Thomas for his “magic” ability on the ball and will be a central cog in the Moyes machine when he does return, but Alcaraz will be able to operate in his area for now, with Abdoulaye Doucoure struggling to impress in his advanced deployment.

McNeil started the campaign in fine fettle, serving as a creative hub for a Sean Dyche side that was decidedly lacking in inspiration, posting three goals and three assists from eight opening Premier League games.

Matches (starts)

13 (13)

Goals

3

Assists

3

Shots (on target)*

1.8 ( 0.6)

Big chances missed

0

Pass completion

81%

Big chances created

9

Key passes*

2.5

Dribble (success)*

1.5 (56%)

Ball recoveries*

4.8

Tackles + interceptions*

1.2

Duels (won)*

3.5 (40%)

Energetic, potent and invariably creative, McNeil’s absence over the past few months undoubtedly added to the sapped nature of Dyche’s attacking line.

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength on Merseyside since leaving relegated Burnley for £20m in July 2022 and he’s sure to be excited about the future now that Moyes is in the dugout.

As per Football Transfers, the ball-playing specialist is worth £24m at present, about double the figure that was agreed for Alcaraz’s prospective permanent signing this summer.

It’s also worth noting that only two months ago, McNeil boasted a market value of £34m, with his fitness purgatory seemingly the cause of the depreciation, for his performances over the opening months of the campaign were worthy of such a figure.

Market Movers

In any case, Everton have hit the jackpot with this one, but with both Alcaraz and McNeil in the mix, there are exciting signs of stepping toward a more modern and expansive tactical style.

Everton's most expensive sales of all time

The Toffees have received some huge fees over the years.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025

India thrashed a seemingly directionless West Indies by 88 runs in the fifth T20I to end the series with a 4-1 scoreline. Both sides made four changes each for the dead rubber but West Indies looked like just going through the motions. Their bowlers bowled three no balls, and on more than one occasion didn’t seem interested in fielding the ball in their follow-through, and most tellingly their attack lacked quality: there was no express pace, no point of difference, no accuracy.With their regular openers Kyle Mayers and Brandon King rested, West Indies’ batting order was bizarre. Jason Holder opened, the right-hand batters were bunched together, and Axar Patel feasted on them in the powerplay. A forgettable series for captain Nicholas Pooran ended with a 6-ball 3. Playing their first matches of the series, wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi had some fun against the hapless middle and lower order as West Indies slumped to 100 all out. This was the first time spinners had taken all 10 wickets in a men’s T20 international.Iyer, Hooda set India up
Having rested both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, India opened with Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. On a pitch that was in use for a second day running, shot-making wasn’t as straightforward as Kishan discovered when he went to pull Dominic Drakes in the fifth over but managed only a top edge to mid-on.Iyer and Deepak Hooda, though, made batting look easy during the course of a 76-run stand in 7.2 overs. It helped that West Indies often failed to bowl to their fields. Iyer often got width with the field up on the off side, and gleefully kept hitting over the 30-yard circle. He also played a gorgeous aerial off-drive off Odean Smith for his second consecutive six in the eighth over.He was only to be outdone by Hooda who drove legspinner Hayden Walsh inside-out, into the wind and over extra-cover for India’s third straight six. From 95 for 1 in 10 overs, the two batters showed even higher intent, taking 17 off the 11th over, bowled by Obed McCoy for whom the series has gone south after his six-for in the second match. India were looking for a massive total here.Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 64 off 40 balls•AFP/Getty Images

The pullback
Walsh and Smith made a good comeback in the second half of the innings, which was interrupted for a while with the lightning-threat alarm going off. Under the Florida state laws, no sporting activity can go ahead if there is a threat of lightning in a seven-mile radius of the venue. Even the spectators had to find shelter.On the field, West Indies found some respite with the ball sticking into the surface. Before the break, Walsh went round the wicket with a change of ends, made Hooda hit into the wind on the leg side, and had him caught in the deep. Holder had Iyer caught and bowled for 64 off 40.Smith conceded just 18 off his last three overs – the 16th, 18th and 20th – by bowling into the pitch and varying his pace. He was rewarded with three wickets as India looked for quick runs. Except for the 19th over, in which stand-in captain Hardik Pandya hit Holder for two sixes and four, India struggled to score briskly. The last nine overs produced just 76 runs, but India had an imposing total on the board.Axar owns the powerplay
Possibly because India saw two right-hand batters walk in to open, they threw the new ball to Axar, who consistently troubled the right-hand batters with lack of turn. After being hit on the inside half of the bat twice, Holder looked to paddle Axar only to be beaten on the inside edge and have his leg stump knocked back. After a wicket-maiden at the start, Axar took out Devon Thomas and Shamarh Brroks in the fifth over. Thomas looked to cut but the ball skidded on to beat the inside edge. Brooks was stumped, also beaten on the inside edge.Wristspinners take over
Hetmyer played a lone hand of 56 off 35 at one end, but at the other, Kuldeep and Bishnoi wreaked havoc. Pooran was done in by a Kuldeep flipper, playing back to a full ball. Rovman Powell and Keemo Paul had no clue about the Bishnoi wrong’un. Drakes and Smith failed to respond to Kuldeep wrong’uns. Only Hetmyer stretched the innings before holing out to long-off off Bishnoi.

MatériaMais Notícias

Não foi neste domingo que o torcedor do Botafogo viu a primeira vitória do clube em casa neste Brasileirão. O Alvinegro empatou por 1 a 1 com o Juventude no Estádio Nilton Santos em jogo válido pela 5ª rodada do torneio. Pitta e Diego Gonçalves fizeram os gols.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

Com o empate, o Botafogo chegou a cinco pontos e ocupa a 11ª colocação na classificação, mas ainda pode perder posições pelo andamento da rodada. O Juventude segue sem vencer, tem dois pontos e é o penúltimo.

As equipes voltam a jogar no próximo domingo pela 5ª rodada do Brasileirão. O Botafogo tem clássico contra o Flamengo às 11h no Estádio Mané Garrincha, em Brasília. O Juventude também terá um confronto regional: medirá forças com o Internacional às 19h no Alfredo Jaconi.

PRESSÃO ALVINEGRA!
Empurrado pela torcida, o Botafogo começou em cima. Dominando o meio-campo e tendo facilidade nas viradas de jogo, o Alvinegro era soberano na posse de bola. O time teve uma boa chance em uma trama envolvendo Daniel Borges e Chay, mas o chute do camisa 14 passou pelo direito do gol.

O Botafogo tinha a bola, mas não transformava em chances efetivas. O time até conseguiu chegar no campo ofensivo, mas os jogadores se confundiam e erravam passes que pareciam ser até simples. Enquanto isso, o Juventude pouco ofereceu ao gol de Gatito. O resumo: primeiro tempo zerado.

PRECISOU DE UMA CHANCE…
O segundo tempo teve cenário parecido: Botafogo com a bola, pressionando, mas sem o ‘toque final’ para chegar ao gol. O Juventude, por outro lado, precisou de apenas uma chance para marcar. Em falha da defesa, Pitta se adiantou a Philipe Sampaio, deixou o zagueiro no chão e finalizou para abrir o placar.

DE VOLTA PRO JOGO!
Luís Castro chamou Diego Gonçalves e Matheus Nascimento imediatamente após o gol do Juventude. E os dois estiveram envolvidos no gol de empate do Botafogo. O jovem recebeu na direita, fez jogada individual de categoria e viu uma finalização bater na mão de Paulo Miranda dentro da área.

Na cobrança, Diego Gonçalves bateu com perfeição, deslocou o goleiro César e empatou. Foi o suficiente para fazer a torcida explodir.

LÁ E CÁ
O fim de jogo foi intenso e um pouco louco. O Botafogo se lançou ao ataque em busca do empate e deu espaço para o Juventude no contra-ataque. O Papo quase marcou o segundo, quando Capixaba chutou por cima após uma batida de roupa de Gatito.

No fim, a partida terminou em igualdade. A torcida ensaiou algumas vaias no último apito do árbitro.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO 1 X 1 JUVENTUDE

Data-Hora: 01/05/2022, às 11h
Local: Estádio Nilton Santos
Árbitro: Bráulio da Silva Machado (FIFA – SC)
Assistentes: Alex dos Santos (SC) e Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (RN)
​Gramado: Bom
​Cartões amarelos: Philipe Sampaio e Victor Sá (BOT); Paulinho Moccelin, Rodrigo Soares, Marlon, Paulo Miranda e Pitta (JUV)
​Cartões vermelhos:

Gols: Isidro Pitta (0-1, 18’/2ºT); Diego Gonçalves (1-1, 37’/2ºT)

BOTAFOGO: Gatito Fernández; Saravia, Philipe Sampaio, Cuesta, Daniel Borges; Luís Oyama, Patrick de Paula (Tchê Tchê 13’/2ºT); Gustavo Sauer (Diego Gonçalves 22’/2ºT), Chay (Matheus Nascimento 22’/2ºT), Victor Sá; Erison (Vinícius Lopes 47’/2ºT). Técnico: Luís Castro.

JUVENTUDE: César; Rodrigo Soares (Rômulo/Intervalo), Paulo Miranda, Rafael Forster, William Matheus; Yuri, Jadson; Capixaba (Jean 44’/2ºT), Marlon (Chico/Intervalo), Paulinho Moccelin (Guilherme Parede/Intervalo); Isidro Pitta. Técnico: Eduardo Baptista.

Throughout the 2024/25 Championship campaign, Leeds United have possessed the most potent attack in the division, scoring 48 times in 26 outings – with no side scoring more to date.

Joel Piroe has been the leading lad for Daniel Farke’s side, scoring ten times in his opening 26 matches, with the Dutchman the only man into double figures so far.

Such a record in the final third has been all the more impressive considering the club lost two of their biggest stars in the form of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville over the summer after failing to secure promotion.

The German has been superb since arriving at Elland Road back in the summer of 2023, trying to add yet another second-division promotion to his already impressive CV.

However, he’s been unable to rely on one player who’s been unable to produce the goods in front of goals for the Whites over the last couple of months.

The latest on Patrick Bamford's future at Leeds

Striker Patrick Bamford was for a long time the club’s main man within the final third, but over the last few months, his performance levels have significantly dropped – resulting in him losing his starting role.

The Englishman has failed to find the back of the net since the victory against Middlesbrough back in April, currently enduring a nine month spell without a goal.

Such a run is made even more crazy when knowing that the 31-year-old is currently the club’s highest earner, pocketing a mammoth £70k-per-week, completely overpaying for a player who has struggled in recent times.

However, despite the lack of form, Bamford has attracted big interest from various sides across the EFL including Blackburn Rovers and Wrexham – with Farke desperately needing to cash in on the first team ace given the interest.

Undoubtedly, the lack of options at the top end of the pitch could see Bamford have to wait for a move to materialise elsewhere, but it’s crucial that the hierarchy move him on before the end of the month.

Such a transfer away from Elland Road could allow the boss to reignite a move for a player who was touted with a move to Yorkshire over the last couple of weeks.

Farke could end Bamford’s Leeds career with £8.5m talisman

Just prior to Christmas, it was reported that Leeds were monitoring Hammarby IF striker Jusef Erabi over a potential move during the January window.

The interest came after previously following the 21-year-old during the summer, with this month presenting another opportunity for Farke’s side to secure a move for the youngster.

The previous report stated that Erabi’s current side wanted a fee in the region of £8.5m for his services, but it’s unclear if the Whites would pay such a fee in January for the talent.

However, should they decide to move for the “prolific” Swede, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he would provide the added ammunition to the current squad to bolster their promotion ambitions.

Erabi has scored nine times in this calendar year for Hammarby, massively outscoring current Leeds ace Bamford, with a move allowing him to provide needed competition to Piroe in attacking areas.

He’s also achieved a much higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, highlighting his clinical edge in front of goal, allowing Farke’s side to increase their already potent record in 2024/25.

How Erabi compares to Patrick Bamford in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Erabi

Bamford

Games played

23

10

Minutes played

1670

133

Goals & assists

10

0

Shot-on-target accuracy

43%

10%

Fouls won

1.8

0.7

Times caught offside

0.7

1.3

Stats via FBref

The youngsters’ stats demonstrate the quality he possesses, with the £8.5m fee potentially seeming like a huge price tag, but one that could turn out to be a shrewd investment should he improve further as a result of any move.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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It may seem harsh that Bamford has been pushed ever closer to the exit door in Yorkshire over recent weeks, but it’s a surprise to no one given his lack of form with a move away from Elland Road desperately needed to reignite his confidence in attacking areas.

The hole vacated by the 31-year-old could make Erabi the perfect option to fill the void, allowing the club to make a huge leap in their ambitions of returning to the Premier League come the end of May.

Related Farke eyeing big January signing in "tremendous" Rutter repeat for Leeds

Leeds United appear to be targeting reinforcements all over the pitch this January.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Jan 16, 2025