Jaydn Denly, Ekansh Singh star for Kent but can’t stem the tide

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Yorkshire 301 for 9 (Wharton 118, Imam-ul-Haq 70, Ekansh 3-42) beat Kent 225 (Jaydn Denly 77, Ekansh 71, Bess 4-43) by 76 runsYorkshire secured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank Cup after coasting to a 76-run victory over the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.James Wharton hit a century as Yorkshire posted 301 for 9 and Dom Bess then took four for 43 as the Spitfires were dismissed for 225.Wharton hit 118 from 106 balls, while Imam-ul-Haq was the next highest scorer with 70, while Ekansh Singh took three for 42 before making 71 during the Kent reply.Jaydn Denly was the hosts’ top-scorer with 77 but they lost wickets too frequently to sustain a chase and were all out with 5.4 overs remaining.Yorkshire chose to bat and put on 71 for the opening wicket before Corey Flintoff sent Adam Lyth’s off stump flying, bowling him for 28.Mo Rizvi then bowled debutant Will Bennison for a fifth ball duck, but Wharton and Imam-ul-Haq put on 59 for the next wicket, Ekansh breaking the partnership when he had the latter lbw.Finlay Bean made a useful 39 before he was run out by Ollie Curtiss and George Hill made just seven when Klaassen had him caught by Jaydn Denly.Harry Duke hit Ekansh almost vertically and was caught by wicket-keeper Harry Finch for 3 and Ekansh struck again two overs later when he caught and bowled Bess for four.Dan Moriarty went in similar fashion to Klaassen and Wharton finally fell in the final over when Fred Klaassen had him caught behind, leaving Cliff to take the visitors past 300.The chase got off to a rough start when Ben Dawkins went for 1, chipping Ben Cliff to Lyth but Kent responded with a 97-run stand that only ended when Bess had Denly caught by Imam-ul-Haq.Chris Benjamin was then the victim of a brilliant rope-juggle catch by the sub fielder Noah Kelly, after he drove Bess and Joe Denly went for just two, miscuing Dan Moriarty straight to Fin Bean at long off. Curtiss went next ball, lbw for a golden duck on only his second appearance for the Spitfires.Ekansh also fell to Kelly when he skied Hill and Lyth got revenge on Flintoff when he bowled him for 13.Bess came back and bowled Finch for a run-a-ball for 32, then got Klaassen two balls later playing on, leaving Mattie Firbank to seal win when Rizvi pulled him to Lyth, his team mates mobbing him in celebration.

One half down, one half to go.

The All-Star Game and its thrilling tiebreaker swing-off officially marked the midway point of the baseball season. While some players used the first half to build a surprising MVP resume (we're looking at you, Cal Raleigh), others didn't quite live up to expectations.

Here's a look at six players who are hoping to turn things around in the second half:

Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees

Over two-and-a-half seasons to start his career, Volpe has never really gotten his bat going. He owns a career 84 OPS+ (the league average is 100) and a .224 batting average. This year, Volpe is hitting .214/.287/.384 with 10 homers and 10 stolen bases.

In the past, Volpe has made up for his offensive shortcomings with an elite glove. That hasn't been the case in 2025. Volpe, who won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023, has struggled at shortstop. He has made 11 errors—the fourth-most in baseball and the most among AL shortstops—and has just two defensive runs saved at the break, compared to 15 DRS in '23. Volpe appears to be in his head, too, making mental mistakes like this one:

There's still plenty of baseball left to play this summer. But if Volpe can't figure it out, perhaps the Yankees will be shopping for a new shortstop this offseason.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves

Albies was a key piece of the Braves' run of six straight NL East titles from 2018 to '23, but his best days appear to be behind him.

Among the 16 qualified second basemen across MLB, Albies ranks 15th in OPS (.606), batting average (.220) and wRC+ (72). He has yet to rediscover the power that helped him hit 33 homers in 2023, socking just seven long balls over the first half.

Albies still has his everyday job at second base. But his future in Atlanta is in doubt with a $7 million club option looming in 2026.

Willy Adames, SS, Giants

Still searching for a new franchise shortstop after they rescinded a lucrative offer to Carlos Correa in in 2022, the Giants signed Adames to a seven-year contract worth $182 million in December. It hasn't aged well.

Adames, who hit at least 31 homers in two of the last three seasons, only mashed 12 dingers over 96 games in the first half. He is actually making good contact—a career-high 45.2% hard-hit rate—but it hasn't produced the results San Francisco was hoping for with a slash line of .220/.307/.373.

If the Giants are going to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, they'll need their $182 million shortstop to start living up to his price tag.

Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers

For the first time since 2015—his first full season in the big leagues—Betts wasn't named an All-Star this summer.

The uber-talented shortstop batted just .244/.315/.381 over the first half, adding up to a .696 OPS—well short of his career .885 OPS. In fact, Betts has never posted an OPS south of .803 in his 12-year career.

So, what's going on? His BABIP sits at a career-low .247, so there might be a bit of bad luck involved. But his average exit velocity is way down (28th percentile), and his hard-hit rate (35.4%) ranks in the bottom fifth of qualified hitters.

“If I knew [what was wrong]," Betts said in late June, "I promise you I wouldn’t keep doing it."

Royce Lewis, 3B, Twins

In the early days of his career, Lewis, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, was one of the most exciting players in baseball. The only problem was he couldn't stay healthy.

Lewis has struggled with his health again in 2025, missing some time due to hamstring issues. But his production on the field has been far short of what the Twins have come to expect. In 42 games, Lewis is batting .216/.281/.302 with just eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two homers). His 1.3 HR% is a far cry from the 5.5 HR% he posted over the first three seasons of his career.

Minnesota entered the season featuring one of the most exciting offensive trios in baseball in Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. While Buxton has held up his end of the bargain (.925 OPS), Correa (.694 OPS) and Lewis (.583 OPS) have not.

Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks

Unless he drastically turns things around in the second half, Gallen, pitching on the final year of his deal, probably won't land the free-agent contract he was hoping for this offseason.

In a league-high 20 starts, Gallen has registered a 5.40 ERA and 1.374 WHIP. His strikeouts are significantly down this year—8.6 K/9 compared to 9.5 K/9 last year—and his walks are way up—3.5 BB/9 compared to 2.0 BB/9 in 2023 when he finished third in NL Cy Young voting.

With the Diamondbacks (47-50) falling behind in the NL playoff race, Gallen is a candidate to be dealt at the deadline. Perhaps a change in scenery can help the 29-year-old find his old form.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a eliminação na fase de grupos do Paulistão, o Corinthians não garantiu vaga na Copa do Brasil de 2025 e corre riscos de ficar fora da competição. Para se classificar via Campeonato Paulista, é necessário terminar o estadual entre os cinco melhores, algo que o Timão não alcançará neste ano. No entanto, ainda há maneiras do clube conseguir um lugar na competição nacional.

continua após a publicidade

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

Há quatro cenários que podem levar o Corinthians à disputa da Copa do Brasil em 2025. Em três deles, o clube precisa conquistar resultados expressivos nas principais competições da temporda: Brasileirão e Copa do Brasil e Sul-Americana. Já o outro parece uma possibilidade que não será explorada pelo clube.

Nas competições restantes no calendário da equipe, o Timão garante vaga na próxima Copa do Brasil caso se classifique para a Libertadores de 2025. Ou seja, tem de conquistar ou a edição deste ano do torneio ou a Sul-Americana. No pior dos casos, pode conquistar um lugar via Brasileirão.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Entenda os planos ousados do Corinthians para o período sem jogos após eliminação no Paulistão

Há, ainda, outro cenário para que o Corinthians consiga disputar a Copa do Brasil na próxima temporada. A última vaga destinada a um Federação Paulista é destinada ao campeão da Copa Paulista, competição regional que é disputada no segundo semestre e foi criada para preencher o calendário dos times menores do estado. O Timão tem a opção de disputar o torneio, o que não faz desde 2019, mas ainda não se manifestou.

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilCorinthians

Nuno Espírito Santo is still waiting for his first win as West Ham manager since taking over from Graham Potter last month, and the January window could represent a lifeline amid their torrid state of affairs.

West Ham fall to another defeat with January looking vital

Last Friday, it was Leeds United’s turn to inflict yet another damaging defeat on West Ham.

Early goals from Brenden Aaronson and former Tottenham defender Joe Rodon piled more misery on Nuno, with a late consolation from summer signing Mateus Fernandes coming as too little, too late for the Portuguese’s side.

Nuno is still tinkering with his West Ham team as he looks to discover the best formula to steer them away from this season’s relegation dogfight.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

After raising eyebrows with his rather questionable team to play Brentford last Monday, Nuno opted to play Lucas Paqueta as a false nine yet again at Elland Road, with Andy Iriving and Tomas Soucek chosen to start in midfield, similar to their defeat a few days prior.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman were also called upon once more to play as the starting centre-back pair, but just like their defeat against Brentford, they had no joy as Leeds gave West Ham a mountain to climb early doors.

Nuno apparently doesn’t fancy Callum Wilson or James Ward-Prowse, with the latter excluded from all of his matchday squads so far and a January exit appearing likely for the Englishman.

It is becoming abundantly clear that West Ham may not have a good-enough squad to compete at this level, so reports have begun flooding in that chairman David Sullivan and co are planning to be active when the transfer window reopens.

In a bid to save their season, it is believed that Nuno has urged both Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to sign a new defender, midfielder and forward in January, with Sky Sports also reporting funds will be available for West Ham to spend.

Niclas Fullkrug’s injury problems have been a thorn in West Ham’s side since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund last year, and the need for a reliable goalscorer is evident given Nuno’s reported stance on Wilson.

Callum Marshall is another option to lead the line, but so far, Nuno is still reluctant to hand the Northern Ireland international a chance to prove himself as he reaches for makeshift options like Paqueta.

Taking this into account, West Ham are in the market for a new number nine this winter, and Real Madrid starlet Endrick is believed to be a key target.

The Brazil international, thanks to a combination of fitness issues and competition for places, has struggled to establish himself as a Real regular, despite firing them to a Copa del Rey final last season before Los Blancos eventually lost out to Barcelona.

Endrick was a target for West Ham last January on loan, and their long-term interest has remained.

According to some reports, West Ham have already held talks with Real about signing Endrick on a temporary deal ahead of January, and the Hammers are also fond of his teammate, Gonzalo Garcia.

Endrick preparing to leave Real Madrid after alleged West Ham talks

Now, as per reports from Spain, Endrick is “preparing to leave” Real amid these alleged West Ham talks, but it is no guarantee that the teenager chooses a switch to east London amid a growing clamor for his services.

Endrick, who is still widely regarded as one of Brazil’s brightest upcoming talents, could also make a move to Brentford.

Keith Andrews’ side are named as a “clear” candidate for his signature, while La Liga sides like Real Sociedad and Sevilla are also keen on snapping up the ex-Palmeiras sensation who cost Real £53 million to sign back in 2022.

While West Ham are firmly in the mix, they’ll need to move quickly ahead of what looks likely to be a scramble for Endrick when the January window opens.

However, going by Carlo Ancelotti’s past praise of the striker, it could definitely be worth the effort.

Middlesex fell 42 short as Hampshire progress to face Yorkshire in the semi-finals

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 28-Aug-2025Ali Orr’s second century of the tournament guided Hampshire into the Metro Bank One Day Cup semi-finals as they saw off Middlesex in their play-off at Radlett.The left-hander struck 108, batting through most of the innings to underpin Hampshire’s recovery from 95 for 5 as they set their opponents a target of 230 with paceman Henry Brookes taking four for 53.Liam Dawson then stifled Middlesex’s reply with his spell of 4 for 33, supported by fellow left-arm spinner Andrew Neal (1 for 30) as the Seaxes were bowled out for 187 in 45.3 overs.Sam Robson top-scored with 48 and Toby Roland-Jones’ late unbeaten cameo of 39 prolonged the contest, but it was not enough to deny Hampshire a semi-final date on Sunday, when they will face Yorkshire at Scarborough.Middlesex made three changes to the side that had clinched a tense win at Lancashire to secure their knockout place, including returns for Roland-Jones and Ryan Higgins who both sent down tidy opening spells.Despite that, Orr and Nick Gubbins built a steady partnership of 45 until Brookes struck with his second delivery, tempting the Hampshire captain into a mistimed pull that sailed straight to midwicket.Fletcha Middleton was next to depart, caught behind nudging at a Brookes outswinger and the seamer soon grabbed his – and Middlesex’s – third wicket when Ben Brown was pinned leg before.Orr batted fluently, timing his shots on both sides of the wicket and steering Brookes to the point boundary to pass 50 for the second time in as many innings, but Middlesex continued to make inroads.Dawson, drafted in for his first appearance of the tournament, fell lbw to Sebastian Morgan, while Zafar Gohar’s miserly stint of one for 29 brought him the wicket of Ben Mayes, caught miscuing a reverse sweep.However, James Fuller’s spirited 42 provided the perfect foil for Orr, with the pair adding 96 from 18 overs before Higgins had the all-rounder caught in the deep.Having advanced to three figures in style by hooking Brookes for six, Orr eventually holed out to long on off Higgins, his departure effectively ending Hampshire’s hopes of clambering above 250.Middlesex rejigged their batting order, promoting Nathan Fernandes to open in the wake of his match-winning 92 at Old Trafford and the left-hander continued in similar vein with two sweetly-struck straight drives to the rope off Kyle Abbott.Although Josh de Caires fell to Fuller’s diving catch around the corner, the batting side still looked reasonably comfortable at 66 for 1 before they were decisively pegged back by the Hampshire spinners.Fernandes’ innings of 42 came to an end when he was pinned leg before by Neal and Dawson then removed Ben Geddes in the same manner before having Higgins taken low at slip.Along with seamer Eddie Jack, the spin duo smothered their opponents’ scoring rate in the middle overs and it fell to Robson to dig in, take advantage of rare stray deliveries and attempt to take the game deep.Joe Cracknell launched a brief counter-attack, clubbing a six and two fours from one Fuller over to reach 22 from as many balls, but the bowler took his revenge by dismissing both Cracknell and Gohar in the space of three deliveries.Brown’s neat stumping to remove Robson brought Hampshire a third wicket with the score unchanged and that appeared to signal the end of Middlesex’s challenge, but Roland-Jones went on the offensive, battering Abbott for a trio of off-side boundaries.He added 45 for the ninth wicket with Morgan, but Hampshire were not be denied and Dawson sealed victory by bowling last man Brookes in the 46th over.

DC needed Rahul to anchor their innings and take apart CSK’s best bowler, and he did both with aplomb

Deivarayan Muthu05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

At 11am on Saturday, four-and-a-half hours before of the start of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk, the team management learned that Faf du Plessis might not be fit to take the field. DC coach Hemang Badani then asked KL Rahul, who had batted at No. 4 on his franchise debut last Friday, if he could slide up the order and take up du Plessis’ spot.”Happy, coach. I’m happy to go up the order,” was Rahul’s immediate response, according to Badani.Rahul is used to moving up and down the order across formats. He’s a shape-shifting object that is capable of turning himself into whatever the team needs. On a tricky, red-soil surface in Chennai, they needed Rahul to first anchor the innings and then dismantle the opposition’s best bowler. Rahul aced both roles during his 77 off 51 balls – and then even kept wicket in Chennai’s inhospitable heat – to carry DC to their third successive win.Related

• Bruised MI face DC juggernaut at high-scoring Kotla

• KL Rahul: 'Back to enjoying my cricket, not thinking about taking it deep'

• Worried Fleming says CSK are still 'grappling' to find their best line-up

• Rahul 77 leads Delhi Capitals to 183 against CSK

• Stats – CSK go six years without chasing a 180-plus target

He had started slowly. He was on 29 off 23 balls at the halfway mark of DC’s innings. But he had sussed out the conditions intelligently and understood that the pitch was offering extra bounce, of the tennis-ball variety. So, he refrained from hitting over the top. He also needed some time to ease himself in.”Yeah, it’s more the mental [adjustment] and just the process of just getting in and just getting used to walking at a particular stage,” Rahul said after the match. “There are a few routines that I do, and I’d like to get used to doing the same thing and then your body gets used to doing that.”But since I’ve been going up and down the order, I just feel like a little unsettled when I walk in and the first few balls it takes me a few minutes to just get used to it. That’s been the most challenging part for me. Once I get through those initial nerves, and just getting used to being in the middle – or whatever is my routines if I can get settled with that – then it’s just bat and ball again.”Against Noor Ahmad, the left-arm wristspinner who is the highest wicket-taker this season so far, Rahul had a plan, and he committed to it. It’s hard to pick which way a left-arm wristspinner is turning the ball, especially at the high speeds Noor bowls at, but Rahul was ready to pounce on any error in length. When Noor pushed one full enough for the sweep, Rahul slog-swept him away over midwicket for six.KL Rahul slog sweeps Noor Ahmad for a six•BCCILeaving the crease against Noor is fraught with immense risk, so Rahul took the less risky option of sweeping the wristspinner because whichever way the ball turns, the arc of the bat covers for it as long as you pick the length.Expecting Rahul to sweep him once again, Noor then hid a wrong’un away from Rahul’s reach in his third over. Rahul, who had originally shaped for the sweep, picked the length, which wasn’t full enough for the shot, and ended up flat-batting it on one knee over Noor’s head. It forced Noor to change his length again, and Rahul nailed the sweep again. His plan to take Noor down was a sweeping success: 20 off nine balls at a strike rate of 222.22. Noor had looked unstoppable until Saturday, when Rahul stopped him from bowling his full quota of overs.”I think what we have spoken as a side is not to settle or not to let any bowler settle,” Badani said at his post-match press conference. “Now, a certain batter will have their own game plan. And as you mentioned, Rahul was clear enough that he was not going to let Noor settle down. Because he felt that Noor was a crucial bowler for CSK. And he wanted to make sure that once you put the opposition’s best bowler down, it becomes difficult for the opposition to keep coming back after that and I thought he did that well.”Rahul then went about lining up the weakest link in CSK’s attack on the day, reverse-scooping left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary for four between the keeper and short third. Even before the ball had passed Khaleel Ahmed at short third, the bowler had his hands on his head. Rahul ran out of gas in the end overs – he managed just nine off his last ten balls – but he had already done enough to push DC to an above-par total.1:36

Jaffer: ‘Things are falling in place for Delhi Capitals’

In the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Rahul was unable to make a decision under pressure. He wasn’t sure if he should attack Mitchell Starc when he came back for the death, or if he could play him out and find runs elsewhere. Rahul took no half-measures against Noor, though, on Saturday. He took no half-measures against Mitchell Santner either in the Champions Trophy final last month.DC were initially looking to have Rahul open the batting for them but after Harry Brook pulled out of the tournament, they decided to slot him in at No. 4. In his first game for DC at that position, he hit Mohammed Shami, no less, for two fours and a six off his first three (legal) balls in a cameo. In his next match against CSK, he seamlessly moved up to the top and played a starring role for them on a challenging Chepauk track.”He is somebody who has been around long enough to understand the need of the hour,” Badani said of Rahul. “He has opened for India. He has opened in Test cricket recently for India. He has batted at No. 4 or 5 in the Champions Trophy, and he is somebody who can play spin well, who can play pace well.”Wake up in the morning, become a shape-shifting object, and win the Player-of-the-Match award in the evening. It’s just another day in the life of KL Rahul.

The South Africa batter hopes to rejoin his county team-mates for Finals Day next Saturday between two T20Is

Matt Roller05-Sep-2025South Africa batter Matthew Breetzke has revealed that he prepared for his record-breaking ODI innings against England at Lord’s on Thursday by watching Northamptonshire’s dramatic win over Surrey in the T20 Blast quarter-finals on his iPad, and he hopes to rejoin his county team-mates for Finals Day next Saturday.On his return from a hamstring niggle, Breetzke top-scored with 85 in South Africa’s five-run win, a victory which clinched their first ODI series win in England since May 1998 – six months before he was born. He became the first man to reach 50 in each of his first five ODI innings and averages 92.60 in the format after previous scores of 150, 83, 57 and 88.”It’s a bit worrying: it can only go downhill for me,” Breetzke said, laughing, after South Africa’s win. “It’s been a special start, to be honest. I’ve played on some really good wickets, and I just hope and pray that it’ll continue to go the way it’s gone… To be honest, I was bleak not to get to a hundred, because it would’ve been cool to be on the [honours] board.”Related

Breetzke stars as South Africa seal series in five-run thriller

Breetzke and Stubbs stamp their middle-order authority as SA build to 2027

Breetzke added 147 for the fourth wicket with Tristan Stubbs, his fellow Grey High School alumnus, and said that he had thrived on the opportunity to bat with him. “I played a lot of cricket with [Stubbs] in my younger days… We have a really good relationship, so hopefully it can keep going the way it’s gone.”Breetzke has scored 863 runs for Northants across the last two T20 Blast seasons – and recently signed a new two-year, all-format contract with them – but missed Wednesday night’s quarter-final at The Oval, and watched from his hotel room as Ravi Bopara’s century inspired them to a shock seven-run victory over South Group winners Surrey.Blast Finals Day falls between the second and third T20Is of South Africa’s series against England next week but as things stand, Breetzke is not part of their squad. As a result, he is hoping to be involved at Edgbaston as one of their two overseas players – a sentiment echoed by Northants captain David Willey.”I’m not 100% sure, but I think I will be [available],” Breetzke said. “I love playing in England: the crowds and the energy they bring, there’s nothing better, I feed off it… I was watching [the quarter-final] in bed on my iPad there, on YouTube. It was nerve-wracking, but I’m really happy for the boys and looking forward to meeting them on Finals Day.”Breetzke said that South Africa would celebrate their series win with “a few drinks” before looking to seal a 3-0 sweep in Southampton on Sunday, and said that their triumph in June’s World Test Championship final had taken their confidence to a new level. “It starts at the top with Shukri Conrad… He’s very clear on what he wants and there’s no grey area.”Breetzke admitted experiencing some fatigue after a busy workload this year, but is conscious of the bigger picture. “It does get to you sometimes,” he said. “But for me, I just look at it like I’m so grateful to be playing a sport for a living. I just try to take every opportunity I get and try to make the most of it. It doesn’t last forever.”

Celtic have roughly two weeks to decide what they want to do with the manager position at the club before they are back in Scottish Premiership action after the international break.

Martin O’Neill is currently in place as the interim manager of the Scottish giants and has won both of his league matches in charge of the club, including a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The experienced head coach did, however, lose 3-1 to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League and needed extra time to secure a 3-1 win over Rangers, who went down to ten men in the first half, in the semi-final of the League Cup.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not it would be the right call to give O’Neill more time after the international break to take charge of the team, until a permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers can be found.

The Northern Irish boss won the Premiership title in his two full seasons back at the club, but the Hoops are currently seven points adrift of Hearts in the league table, and need someone to turn it around.

One manager who has been touted with a potential move to Glasgow to save the club’s season is Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen, who is among the contenders for the job.

The latest on Kjetil Knutsen to Celtic

TEAMtalk have reported that the Hoops are preparing to make an approach to appoint the Norwegian head coach to be their long-term successor to Rodgers at Parkhead.

The outlet claimed that Knutsen is keen to take the next step in his career and that the prospect of European football and a decent budget in Glasgow matches his ambitions for his next job.

Journalist Graeme Bailey, though, recently claimed that Knutsen wants to finish the Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt, which could see their season run until the end of January.

This means that O’Neill would have to stay in place for another couple of months, at least, as the interim manager, which would also mean that he would be in charge for the rest of the league phase of the Europa League.

Celtic, therefore, have to weigh up whether or not landing Knutsen in the long-term is worth potentially not qualifying from the league phase of the Europa League, given that O’Neill lost his first European game fairly comprehensively.

Kjetil Knutsen’s Bodo/Glimt in the Eliteserien

Season

Matches played

Goals scored

2025

28

78

2024

30

71

2023

30

78

2022

30

86

2021

30

59

2020

30

103

2019

30

64

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Knutsen’s Bodo/Glimt side score plenty of goals and his style of play would be exciting for supporters to watch if it works in Scotland, which is one reason why the wait may be worth it.

He has also won the Eliteserien title in four of the last five full seasons, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can win domestic titles on a consistent basis.

Celtic want to interview Championship manager

Knutsen is not the only manager in the club’s sights, though, and they are interested in a head coach who could come in as a dream alternative to the Norwegian.

Manager Focus

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

Expand Collapse

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are also looking at Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as a possible option to be their long-term successor to Rodgers.

The report claims that the Premiership champions want to interview the Northern Irish head coach, who is currently managing the Tractor Boys in the Championship.

It adds that he is the ‘domestic dream’ for the Hoops, whilst Knutsen is said to be their preferred foreign candidate, which suggests that McKenna and Knutsen are the two favourites for the job.

TEAMtalk also reveals that it would cost at least £5m in compensation to snap the former Manchester United youth coach up, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be a stumbling block for the club from a financial perspective.

Why McKenna would be a dream alternative to Knutsen for Celtic

McKenna, who was described as “incredible” by Ipswich winger Wes Burns, would be the dream alternative to Knutsen for several reasons, not least because this latest report names him as the club’s ‘dream’ domestic target.

Unlike the Norwegian, who wants to stay at Bodo/Glimt well into January, and possibly beyond, the Tractor Boys head coach does not have a Champions League campaign that would mean he is not available in the here and now.

This means that Celtic would be able to bring him to the club immediately, rather than having to wait two months, and he would be in the dugout for the league phase of the Europa League, the final of the League Cup, and plenty of crucial Premiership matches in the title race.

McKenna, who got Neil Lennon’s backing in the clip above, would be a better option than Knutsen in the short-term because of that, whilst he also has experience in British football.

As good as Knutsen has been with Bodo/Glimt, he has never managed outside of his home country and it would be a risk to expect him to hit the ground running when he has no prior experience in British football.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich career

Season (games managed)

Points

League finish

25/26 Championship (14)

23

TBC

24/25 Premier League (38)

22

19th

23/24 Championship (46)

96

2nd

22/23 Championship (46)

98

2nd

21/22 League One (23)

41

11th

Stats via Transfermarkt

McKenna, as you can see in the table above, has plenty of experience in England across the top three divisions, taking Ipswich from League One up to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

Whilst they were relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking, the Northern Irish boss has still progressed the Tractor Boys as a club, as they are currently fighting for promotion in the Championship, after he took them over as a midtable League One side in the 2021/22 campaign.

This shows that he can progress a club, whilst achieving success on the pitch, which is why he could be a good option for Celtic, despite having never won a league title in his career as a coach so far.

McKenna may not have the titles under his belt that Knutsen has, but the Ipswich boss has an impressive track record with Ipswich, knowledge of British football and markets, and would be available two months earlier, which is why he would be a dream alternative.

Related Celtic plot move to sign Stefan Ortega for just £500,000 in January

The Bhoys have a new stopper in their sights and could take advantage of his contract situation.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 10, 2025

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes the seam attack they have picked in the Test squad for the two-match tour of India next month has the “variety” to “operate in any conditions” and “pick 20 wickets”.The West Indies pace attack features Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, along with allrounder Justin Greaves. West Indies haven’t won a Test series in India in 42 years but Sammy said they would take inspiration from the way New Zealand blanked India 3-0 towards the end of 2024 and try to “emulate” that.”We have found ourselves in a position where our seam attack could operate in any conditions,” Sammy said in a press conference. “That six-to-eight-metre length works across the world. But in our fast-bowling department, we’ve got four different guys who have their own variety.Related

• Pierre backs 'hard work over talent' as he inches towards West Indies Test dream

• Injured Shamar Joseph out of India Tests, Johann Layne called up

• Ind vs WI: Brathwaite dropped; Chanderpaul, Athanaze recalled

“You have Shamar Joseph, who’s very skiddy, Jayden, who has a strong front leg and can swing the ball both ways, then you have Alzarri Joseph with his height and the bounce he could extract. So, again, we take confidence in that, especially the way they’ve been bowling over the last year. The ability to take 20 wickets, because that’s what you will need in India. If you can’t take 20 wickets in India, you are on the back foot and we have a bowling line-up of that, especially from the seam department, that could take 20 wickets.”The process remains the same. The lines and lengths don’t change in terms of that six-to-eight-metre length. Maybe it’s just adjusting whether it’s a touch fuller or touch further back into the pitch. I have full confidence in that and it makes me smile knowing that we go out bowling and we take 20 wickets. And that’s the first objective in the Test match.”Sammy, who is also the coach of St Lucia Kings in the ongoing CPL 2025, said he had utilised the last six weeks he had spent with Test captain Roston Chase in the Kings dressing room to discuss and plan for the India tour and their attempt would be “to continue instilling that belief matched up by the work we put in to bring the technical aspects of the game up to where we could compete and win matches”.He also said that they had looked at “a lot of data” to come up with the “best squad” to identify the players for specific roles with their skill sets.”From my end, the ten days leading up to the [first] Test match [in India], we’ll be drilling in all these things and planning very well as to how we’re going to beat India in India,” Sammy said. “We’re definitely going down there with the mindset to win. We’re not just going to go down there and think, “oh, it’s India”. No. New Zealand went there and did incredibly well and that we should take inspiration from. But again, it’s understanding the things that New Zealand did in those conditions and try to emulate it with our guys as well.”Sammy also said former captain Jason Holder was “considered” for the tour but “the role that we’d love for him to play is being played by Justin Greaves.” West Indies also took the big decision of dropping their former captain Kraigg Brathwaite from the 15-man squad and have brought back Alick Athanaze and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Sammy said recalling Chanderpaul, who last played a Test in January 2024, was down to many factors, such as numbers, form, and the other options available to the selectors.Tagenarine Chanderpaul is back after last playing a Test match in January 2024•Associated Press

“Before Tage got injured in the 4-Day Championship, he was averaging, I think, 47 [42 in the 2024-25 season, batting well and just looking at our depth chart, who we have with the opening spot over the last few series, not really giving us the numbers and the results that we want,” Sammy said. “When we look at the role needed for one of these openers, Tage brings that sort of clarity of thought that we’re looking at in terms of the skillset and what that role requires. And his experience, the ability to play spin, he was probably right up there as one of the better contenders for that role. So [he’s a] young man, you speak about transitioning, he made a very strong case for the opening spot.”And in the absence of Kraigg, the next best person that played that type of similar role would have been Tage. And we’re hoping that the build-up before, what he’s been doing here in Guyana, preparation he’s been putting in would be would be good enough to be executed in India.”Explaining the recall of Athanaze, Sammy said, “The return of Alick, again, looking at the conditions, looking at what we’ll face, Alick, we knew before Australia that Alick was always going to come back into the set-up, based on the conditions that we will face and the skillset that would require us to be successful. So again, we don’t just stay there and just pick and pluck players from nowhere. We do a lot of information, a lot of data collected, and we try to come up with the best squad in terms of the roles and the skillset required.”West Indies’ spin attack features Jomel Warrican, the uncapped Khary Pierre and Chase. They have rested left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie keeping in mind his workload in the lead up to the T20 World Cup early next year as he recently played the full CPL season. But Sammy said, “Motie is a very strong contender in all formats.”

‘Durability’ brings veteran Khary Pierre rare opportunity

Explaining the inclusion of Pierre, who will turn 34 next week and has never played Test cricket, for his maiden tour of India, CWI’s senior talent manager Jamal Smith said, “This year, Pierre was able to average just 13.56 and [had an] economy of 2.37 [at the WI Championship],” Smith said. “He’s actually topped the West Indies Championship list, followed closely by Joshua Bishop. I want to say here or insert here that Pierre, obviously, I like to title these cricketers as journeymen, who has been around for first-class domestic set-up for quite a while.Khary Pierre is a familiar face in T20 line-ups, but has never played Test cricket for West Indies•Getty Images

“He’s always been a consistent enough performer in terms of the areas that he bowled. Then he’s been afforded the opportunity to play just a level above the A team or I think the solitary ODI tour. He’s always just shown just enough. But last year in particular, or this season, I should say, we felt that he bowled really, really well.”Pierre has so far played 35 first-class matches for 111 wickets at an average of 22.81, with four five-fors. His last red-ball outing was for West Indies A against the touring South Africa A side in June earlier this year.”You take the extra spin in Khary Pierre because of his experience, first of all, and his durability, his consistency,” Smith said. “If you have managed to watch some CPL last night, for instance, you’ll be seeing him when they’re on the field, quite expertly, to be honest, taking the safest catches as well, to augment with the way that he struck the ball and also how he bowls. He’s the kind of guy that you can give the information to, especially on a tour to India.”Hopefully, he will be able to execute, basically back on his experience, his durability over a long first-class career. You’re hoping that he can put all those things together. At this stage, you’d prefer to go with a guy like Khary Pierre as opposed to probably a youngster.”The series will start on October 2 in Ahmedabad, with the second Test scheduled from October 10 in Delhi.

Tottenham Hotspur have submitted an official bid for Ferran Torres, with Barcelona chiefs now in a debate over whether to sell the forward.

Spurs’ interest in a new forward may stem from the fact they have struggled in front of goal at times this season, perhaps partially due to Dominic Solanke’s absence, recording an xG of just 0.10 across the entire match in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea earlier this month.

Not only that, but it would be fair to say some of the summer signings haven’t hit the ground running, with Randal Kolo Muani failing to find the back of the net in his opening eight matches across all competitions.

Pundit Johan Derksen has also been very critical of Xavi Simons, saying: “That Simons, he is physically incompetent. In England, they are all skilled on the ball and can all play football, but you also need physical strength.

“Tijjani Reijnders has that, and so do the guys at Liverpool, but Simons is getting lost in the onslaught. Simply because he is physically incompetent.”

Although it is still early days for Simons and Kolo Muani, it is no surprise Thomas Frank & co want to bring in a new forward this January, and they have now made an official approach for a La Liga star.

Tottenham submit offer for Ferran Torres

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have now submitted an official offer for Barcelona star Torres, with club chiefs now debating whether to cash-in, given that they could do with generating funds, in light of their financial situation.

Spurs’ proposal amounts to €65m (£57m), which is tempting, but there are hints that the north Londoners may even be willing to offer more, as they are ‘determined’ to get a deal done, even if the La Liga club reject the opening offer.

Barca are yet to make a decision about the Spaniard’s future, but if they do end up being willing to sanction a departure, the 25-year-old could be a statement signing for Frank’s side.

Having initially struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou, the former Manchester City man has developed year-on-year to become an important player, chipping in with seven goals in all competitions already this season.

Ferran Torres’ goal record by season

La Liga appearances

Goals

2021-22

18

4

2022-23

33

4

2023-24

29

7

2024-25

27

10

2025-26

11

5

Should he continue scoring at the current rate, the Spain international, who has been lauded as “world-class” by Xavi, is on course to have his best season yet, so it is understandable that Barcelona are hesitant about cashing-in.

However, should Tottenham be able to get a deal done, Torres could be the ideal addition to Frank’s squad, not least because the manager’s current options are struggling, with Mathys Tel on just two goals in all competitions this term.

Update on Tottenham's pursuit of Antoine Semenyo Tottenham given Semenyo update with sources convinced forward 'will be through the door'

The Lilywhites could sign an attacker in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 13, 2025