Southampton have found their feet again in the Championship and could now be drawing closer to securing a permanent replacement for Will Still.
Southampton look to enter hunt for promotion
Despite a rocky start to the campaign that saw Still relieved of his duties on the South Coast, Southampton have since bounced back under Tonda Eckert and have recorded four straight victories in the second-tier, placing them narrowly outside the playoff slots.
Ultimately, the 32-year-old is only in caretaker charge at the moment. Still, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is enjoying working under his tutelage and praised his attention to detail after Saints’ consecutive victories over Charlton Athletic and Leicester City.
He said via BBC Sport: “I think he (Eckert) has given us everything. The meetings are so detailed with what he wants. There is detail in there that you wouldn’t even think about when you’re on the pitch. That’s a big thing about Tonda, he wants to help you. Against Charlton, the goals we scored were walked through the day before.
“We knew there would be space on the break if we sat off a little bit deeper [against Leicester] and that happened. Obviously there are going to be bumps in the road, we know that. It’s not only going to be plain sailing, but it’s down to us to keep the level now.”
Several names have been mentioned in connection with the post, including former boss Russell Martin, who is available after an ill-fated spell with Rangers.
Either way, the search for a new boss is now seemingly coming to an end, and Southampton supporters may soon know the identity of the head coach tasked with leading the club forward at St Mary’s.
Southampton could appoint Tonda Eckert permanently
According to Football Insider, Eckert is in pole position to be appointed as Southampton’s permanent manager following his successful caretaker stint on the South Coast, and there is now a growing clamour from fans to see the 32-year-old remain on a full-time basis.
Now the clear favourite after guiding Saints to four league wins on the trot, the German is the leading candidate to land the role, even if several other managers have been identified as a long-term successor to Still.
Tonda Eckert in charge of Southampton
Will Still in charge of Southampton
Matches: 4
Matches: 16
Wins: 4
Wins: 4
Draws: 0
Draws: 6
Losses: 0
Losses: 6
Momentum is critical when it comes to influencing public opinion, and it appears that may have seeped into Sport Republic’s way of thinking as they look to map out a path to earning promotion after a rocky few months.
Labelled a “really great coach” by Caspar Jander, Eckert clearly retains the backing of his group and appears to have the trust of figures both inside and outside of the club to lead Saints into positive new beginnings following an acrimonious start to the season for all involved.
West Ham United have now made an enquiry over the signing of Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David, amid doubts over Niclas Fullkrug’s future at the London Stadium.
West Ham have been much-improved from an attacking point of view since the beginning of November, scoring eight goals in their last three Premier League games, with Callum Wilson finding the back of the net three times in his last two outings.
Most recently, a first-half brace from the former Newcastle United man put the Hammers in a very strong position to pick up three points at AFC Bournemouth, but the Cherries fought back and Nuno’s side squandered a two-goal lead, which will undoubtedly be frustrating for the manager.
That said, Wilson’s recent form in front of goal is definitely encouraging, especially considering Niclas Fullkrug’s future with the Irons is now in major doubt, as revealed by Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg earlier this month.
West Ham lodge enquiry to sign Promise David
With Wilson’s current deal to expire in the summer, and the Englishman potentially in the latter stages of his career at 33-years-old, West Ham have now made contact over a deal for a new striker, namely Union Saint-Gilloise star David.
That is according to a report from Claret & Hugh, which states enquiries have been made about a deal for the centre-forward, with chief analyst Max Hahn particularly keen on bringing in players from the Belgian Pro League.
The 24-year-old remains under contract at the Belgian club until 2030, which puts them in a strong negotiating position, but there are signs it could be worth the Hammers paying whatever they ask for.
The eight-time Canada international is off to a flying start to the campaign, having already scored eight goals in all competitions, including one on his Champions League debut in the 3-1 victory against PSV Eindhoven back in September.
The Ontario-born centre-forward also caught scout Jacek Kulig’s eye as a result of his form during the 2024-25 campaign, being lauded as “outstanding” in March, before going on to finish the season on 24 goals in all competitions.
With Fullkrug looking to move on, it would make sense to bring in a new striker this January, especially given that there are still likely to be concerns over Wilson’s injury record, having spent long periods on the treatment table during the previous two seasons.
Callum Wilson’s injury record
Games missed
2023-24
28
2024-25
29
It would be a gamble to sign David, with the Canadian yet to prove himself in a major European league, but his goalscoring record in Belgium is certainly encouraging.
West Ham send scouts to watch the "best" striker in the Championship West Ham now send scouts to watch the "best" striker in the Championship
O Palmeiras entrou com ação no Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) contra o dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor, nesta terça-feira (2). Na noite de segunda (1º), o empresário voltou a dizer que o Verdão vem sendo beneficiado em esquemas de manipulação nos últimos dois anos, mas segue sem apresentar provas. A informação é do portal “ge”.
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O Palmeiras pede que Textor seja suspenso por cada uma das declarações que envolvem o clube em supostos casos de manipulação ou fraude. Além disso, quer também uma punição financeira ao dono do Botafogo, como previsto no Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva (CBJD).
Ainda na noite de ontem, o Verdão se manifestou por meio de nota oficial. No documento, o clube chama o dirigente do Botafogo de “caricato cartola” e categoriza as acusações como “bizarras”. Desde março, o departamento jurídico do Palmeiras vem montando estratégia para processar John Textor.
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Por outro lado, o dono da SAF alvinegra quer levar o assunto para a Justiça comum, já tendo afirmado que o STJD não teria competência para julgar a questão. O entendimento do tribunal, no entanto, é oposto ao de Textor e já foi definido por meio de votação entre os auditores.
O empresário apontou que duas partidas do Palmeiras teriam sido alvo de manipulações. A primeira no Brasileirão de 2022, na vitória por 4 a 0 do Verdão sobre o Fortaleza; a segunda no ano passado, também pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, quando o Alviverde goleou o São Paulo por 5 a 0. Contudo, nenhuma prova foi apresentada pelo estadunidense até o momento.
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The mood around the game in Dubai is sombre given the current geopolitical climate since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military skirmish
Shashank Kishore13-Sep-20251:54
Will we finally have an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final?
It’s been an uneasy build-up to round one of India vs Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The mood around the match seems more complicated than it appears, and everyone, including the players, can sense that.Each of the first four press conferences so far in the Asia Cup 2025, barring the one with India bowling coach Morne Morkel, has invariably circled back to this match, with a rider – “sentiment back home” – keeping the current geopolitical climate in mind.One of the most natural responses for players, or support staff, has been to say that they’re not on social media. But can it really be possible to zone out completely, especially when there are calls for a boycott from certain quarters in India?Related
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India, Pakistan training overlap spikes interest
All the while, the BCCI has simply reiterated the Indian government’s stance on the issue: bilateral cricket is off the table, but multi-nation tournaments can proceed as usual. This is despite sections of the country believing the sporting rivalry shouldn’t exist as long as geopolitical relations remain as strained as they are currently.And that anger often finds itself turning into torrents of online hate and vitriol, like it is now. And it’s perhaps knowing all this, that players have walked a tightrope while preparing for the biggest game of the tournament.They’ve had to ensure there is no room for words or gestures to be magnified, perhaps even more so, after a handshake between Suryakumar Yadav and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi at the captains’ press conference was clipped, replayed and debated. Similarly, there’s no telling how a simple moment could be scrutinised next. Like a laugh shared by the captains at the toss, for instance, could be replayed, slowed down and analysed frame by frame on social media, and perhaps even on news TV.Both Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav are first-time captains at the Asia Cup•Asian Cricket CouncilThis kind of scrutiny has already had an impact. Barely two months ago, a group of recently-retired Indian stars withdrew from a legends’ game in England on the very morning they were scheduled to face Shahid Afridi’s Pakistan team. It’s hard to imagine they would have been unaware of the participation of the Pakistani team when they had originally signed up for the tournament.India vs Pakistan is usually the heartbeat of a tournament. The contests are still half-jokingly being called a two-match series, maybe even three, at the Asia Cup. It’s a match-up that is supposed to bring everything else to a grind for the passion it sparks among fans. Yet it feels very different this time.As such, bilateral cricket has been frozen for 13 years, and so the rare meetings at ICC tournaments and Asia Cups should feel festive. But this time it feels empty, because when you have to work to sell an India-Pakistan Sunday showdown in Dubai – a fixture that sells itself most times – you know something has shifted.Tickets for the India-Pakistan Asia Cup fixture aren’t selling like hot cakes•Getty ImagesDespite all this, the organisers remain optimistic. They’re trying to pull out all their trump cards – bundling, unbundling of tickets, ramping up digital and social media campaigns, and pushing the premium seats that usually sell like hot cakes. There’s still a quiet confidence that Sunday will still see a respectable crowd. ‘Respectable’ being the buzz word.When Sachin Tendulkar says he couldn’t sleep the night before the famous World Cup game at Centurion in 2003, you could almost imagine him replaying Wasim Akram’s left-arm angle, Waqar Younis’ yorkers and Shoaib Akhtar’s bouncers.Similarly, on the day of the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, the team was running purely on adrenaline, with Tendulkar having to make an impassioned speech on how delayed catering resulting in no lunch should make them hungrier on the field.Whether that kind of electricity courses through Suryakumar & co is known only to them. But one thing you can be certain of: the atmosphere will be filtered through a magnifying lens – every handshake, laugh, glance, celebration, send-off having the potential to become a story.Despite all this there’s still an inkling of hope that the old magic and excitement will be back for those four hours, and cricket becomes the story when they take the field on Sunday. Only time will tell if that’s indeed the case.
India added 327 runs for the loss of just three wickets on the third day against West Indies in Ahmedabad
Alagappan Muthu03-Oct-20252:08
Chopra: Jadeja’s game against fast bowling ‘has improved leaps and bounds’
India’s batting riches put them in consummate control of the first Test of their home season, with KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel scoring important centuries. It was Rahul’s first at home since 2016 and it was Jurel’s first one ever. They now have a lead of 286, which is large enough to potentially shrink this down from a five-day game.Ravindra Jadeja had an equal part to play on a day where India made 327 runs for just three wickets. There was a point when the pitch started crumbling and West Indies’ spinners were able to get the ball to turn sharply out of the rough. India collectively decided to attack them, hoping to throw them off the lengths where they could access the worn out parts of the pitch. Jadeja did this the best. His idea was to charge at the bowler, and every time he did, he was looking to hit a boundary. Seven of the 11 he ended up with were the result of this ruthless approach, including a six that helped him breeze through the nervous nineties.Jomel Warrican, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre, in helpful conditions, were left nursing combined figures of 4 for 283 from 82 overs. Jadeja, meanwhile, helped India reprise a feature of their England tour earlier this year, becoming the third centurion of the innings. The last time that happened at home was 2018, during West Indies’ last visit to the country. Jadeja connected that trio to this trio.Related
West Indies cricket reform: Specialist coaches, coordination with franchises part of exhaustive plan
West Indies could have helped themselves had they begun their day’s work with a bit more hope. Instead the captain Chase welcomed the two overnight batters with a sparsely populated slip cordon. The focus, it seemed, was run-saving instead of wicket-taking. Jayden Seales, who has a lovely outswinger, snagged Rahul’s edge in the very first over of play but regulation first slip was missing. He had been pushed wide and so this ball just skipped to the boundary.Rahul survived on 57 and went on to score 100. He celebrated it by raising his bat in one hand and sticking two fingers of the other in his mouth, a little tribute for his new-born daughter.1:41
Chopra: WI should’ve taken the new ball earlier
The next man to three-figures was Jurel. It is clear from the way he bats that he is set up to be consistent. He has good judgment of what to play and what to leave. He’s comfortable in attack and defence. Some of his back foot shots against pace were chef’s kiss, so that, along with the way he played out the second new ball, suggests he should be able to adapt to overseas conditions. Jurel has a high floor. Rishabh Pant beats him with a high ceiling. Maybe India might find a way for both players to be part of the XI; trust Jurel to be a specialist batter. His century celebration was a tribute to his father, who was with the Indian army.West Indies had set themselves up for damage control but in doing so really early, they let India dictate terms. Seales bowled manfully, his pace up around the 140kph mark even at the back end of a very hot day that forced him off the field for a little bit for what looked like cramps.Warrican was good too, slowing the ball down and inviting India to attack him if they could. It was strange that he only bowled two overs before lunch, but did make up for that by bowling 12 back-to-back after the break and picked up Rahul’s wicket. Jadeja negated the effect he could have on the game. He made 86 runs against spin, including 41 off 15 when he chose to come down the track.Shubman Gill’s efforts were cut short on 50 in the middle of that tricky period where India decided to attack spin. He brought out a reverse sweep against Chase and got caught at slip.The second day in Ahmedabad meandered to a close with Pierre enjoying a high that he had chased all his life. Having been part of the domestic system from the age-group level, after making his first-class debut 10 years ago, he finally took a Test wicket at the age of 34 and his smile lit up the place.
UEFA is facing separate legal battles worth a total of €4.5 billion as Real Madrid and A22, the company behind the European Super League, are suing the governing body in the wake of a court ruling. A22 have also sent a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, demanding the controversial project be given full approval.
The €4.5bn lawsuit
According to , the European Super League’s organisers and Madrid are launching separate lawsuits against UEFA, arguing that the organisation's actions caused substantial financial harm to the divisive project. Attempts to block the competition, which aims to challenge the Champions League by pitting the continent's strongest teams against each other, were dashed when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) determined in 2023 that UEFA and FIFA acted unlawfully by blocking the creation of the Super League. Then, in October, the Provincial Court of Madrid dismissed appeals lodged by UEFA, La Liga, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), upholding the earlier judgment.
In a new letter to UEFA, A22 warned of legal consequences should they refuse to adhere to that ruling and grant official approval within two months.
"Despite our substantial concessions, no agreement has been reached," it read. "Consequently, we hereby reiterate our request for UEFA's formal acknowledgement of our proposal (amended to reflect the negotiations mentioned above) as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than eight weeks from the date of this letter."
Meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez confirmed at the Annual General Meeting that the club will file their own lawsuit, which will take the entire claims against UEFA to €4.5bn.
AdvertisementAFPThe new proposed format
The Super League was originally launched with 12 founding clubs as a closed competition, immediately sparking backlash across Europe. Following intense criticism and negotiations with UEFA, the organisers introduced several major reforms to reshape the project into a more open and competitive model. The revised format proposed expanding the competition to 36 clubs, divided into two groups of 18 in a “Super-Champions” style league, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stages. Governance reforms were also put forward, including a new board composed of participating clubs, UEFA or the European Football Council, and player representatives. Significantly, three player delegates would have voting power on crucial matters such as revenue distribution and competition format. A22 additionally suggested creating a unified digital platform called 'Unify' to stream free football content to fans worldwide.
Despite these amendments, UEFA ultimately rejected the proposals, sparking further action from Madrid and A22.
Madrid left alone in the fight
The Super League project, launched in 2021 by giants such as Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, collapsed almost immediately under massive fan protests and strong pressure from football authorities. The English clubs withdrew within days, leaving Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus as the project's remaining supporters. Over time, however, Juventus and Barcelona’s stances shifted. With UEFA introducing a new Champions League format that promises higher revenues, improved competitiveness and several structural adjustments, the Italian side pulled out in June 2024, three years before the other teams withdrew, and Barcelona followed in October this year. The Catalan side's exit leaves their Clasico rivals as the last remaining team still publicly advocating for the Super League.
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Getty ImagesMadrid looking to get back to winning ways
UEFA will look to find common ground with A22 and Madrid before granting official recognition to the revamped Super League. Fans will hope that a solution emerges that serves the broader interests of football. Meanwhile, Madrid are set to host Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Los Blancos aiming to return to winning ways after suffering a loss and two draws in recent games against Liverpool, Rayo Vallecano and Elche.
Glamorgan 261 and 95 for 2 (Carlson 43*, Anderson 2-20) vs LancashireA career-best 6 for 19 by Mason Crane led a superb bowling effort from Glamorgan that has put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy after two days at Emirates Old Trafford.Having been bowled out for 261 in their first innings of this Rothesay County Championship division two promotion battle, second-placed Glamorgan hit back strongly to dismiss fourth-placed Lancashire for 137 before reaching the close on 95 for 2 in their second innings to lead by 219 runs.The day turned Glamorgan’s way during a dramatic afternoon session following the introduction of Crane into the attack. The leg spinner ran through the Lancashire middle and lower order after producing an outstanding 10.3 over spell from the James Anderson End that was chiefly responsible for the hosts losing their last seven wickets for 30 runs.Anderson, on his 43rd birthday, took two early wickets in one over when Glamorgan began their second innings but a steadying partnership of 71 between Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson has the visitors well-placed to push home their strong advantage tomorrow.Following a delay of one hour due to rain, Lancashire took just eight deliveries to wrap up the Glamorgan first innings for the addition of one run to their overnight score of 260 for 8, Tom Bailey trapping Crane lbw for 9 and Anderson having Ned Leonard caught behind for 4.In testing, seaming conditions Asitha Fernando had early reward trapping Luke Wells lbw for 2 and it took some determined and, at times, dogged batting from Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon in a partnership of 45 to prevent further damage to the Lancashire reply.It took a superb one-handed catch by Asa Tribe at bat-pad to dismiss Jennings for 28 off spinner Ben Kellaway shortly before lunch and Glamorgan made further inroads soon after the break, Fernando rewarded for a fine spell when having Bohannon lbw for 32.The introduction of Crane into the attack transformed the afternoon as the leg spinner produced a devastating burst of 5 for 12 in 41 balls on a wicket that has taken spin from the start to put the visitors firmly in charge.If the first of the five was a touch fortunate, Marcus Harris hitting a full toss to Kellaway at mid-on for 30, the rest were a result of some excellent leg spin that the Lancashire batters failed to master.Phil Salt edged behind for 8, Matty Hurst (21) top-edged a sweep that deflected off wicketkeeper Chris Cooke to Colin Ingram at slip, Chris Green drove a catch back to the bowler for 2 while Tom Hartley was lbw three balls later.That left Lancashire reeling on 132 for 8 by the tea interval and Glamorgan wrapped up the innings five overs after the break when Fernando gained a third lbw verdict against Bailey and Crane took his sixth after George Balderson chipped to Kiran Carlson at midwicket.Leading by 119 runs, Glamorgan lost Zain ul Hassan bowled for 12 shouldering arms to Anderson who then took a smart, tumbling catch off his own bowling five balls later to dismiss Tribe for 11.Northeast (26 not out) and Carlson (43 not out) steadied matters with their unbroken partnership during the final hour of the day to leave Glamorgan in a strong position going into day three.
South Africa coach says, “the only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field”
Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2025
Shukri Conrad: “On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything”•Themba Hadebe/Associated Press
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has clarified that he did not intend “to cause any malice,” when he said his team wanted to make India “grovel” during the Guwahati Test.Speaking to the media for the first time since he made that statement, Conrad stopped short of an apology but indicated he regretted his choice of words as South Africa worked their way to a 2-0 Test sweep.”On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it,” Conrad said after South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series loss in Visakhapatnam. “The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them. I’ve got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well.”Related
'Wanted them to really grovel' – SA coach Shukri Conrad on keeping India on the field
Jaiswal, Rohit, Kohli lead India to 2-1 series win
Conrad had made the comment after the fourth day’s play of the second Test, when South Africa batted deep into their second innings and set India a target of 549. When asked why they didn’t declare earlier, Conrad had said: “We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, ‘come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.'”South Africa won the match on day five to hand India their heaviest home defeat and complete a first series win in India in 25 years. But Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” which was heavily loaded because it was used by Tony Greig when referring to the West Indies team in 1976, spoilt some of South Africa’s victory. Conrad was criticised by former Indian and South African players, including Sunil Gavaskar and visiting commentator Dale Steyn.Conrad made no public comment since then but Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma twice fielded questions about the use of the word. On both occasions, Bavuma said it was an issue for Conrad to address. Meanwhile, Conrad was in communication with a “network of people that I trust, family back home, and people on our staff,” and concluded he had done some damage, which he needed to repair.”It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so,” Conrad said. “The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it’s a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended.”In his nearly three years as Test coach and almost six months as all-format coach, Conrad has emerged as a popular, witty figure who does not mince his words. Notably, he asked his team to “show-off more” a few months ago as they put out strong performances on the world stage, but has based his philosophy on the opposite of that and expects humility from everyone including himself.”Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach. People shouldn’t really even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit, and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now.”ESPNcricinfo understands Cricket South Africa was not amused by Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” not least because they maintain a strong relationship with Indian cricket, but left it up to him to decide if or when he wanted to address the issue. CSA has made no comment or statement about the coach’s choice of language.
Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has been questioned by some supporters for the work that was done during the summer transfer, with signings and the appointment of Russell Martin.
It is hard to describe the former Southampton manager’s tenure at Ibrox as anything other than disastrous after he won five matches in all competitions before being sacked last month.
The ex-Rangers centre-back did not have much joy in the dugout during his second stint at the club, as a manager rather than as a player, with 24 goals conceded in 17 matches.
On top of the clearly poor decision to bring Martin to Ibrox, Thelwell’s signings during the summer transfer window have come under some scrutiny, after the new owners provided him with plenty of money to spend.
The appointment of Martin and the work done in the summer window led to a start of one win in the first eight matches of the Scottish Premiership season for the Light Blues, which has put them on the back foot in the title race.
Danny Rohl has come in and won all four of his Premiership games in charge, to his credit, but there are still several summer signings who are yet to prove their worth.
Picking out the worst summer signings for Rangers
It would be hard to look past the most expensive signing of the summer when talking about the worst signings, as Youssef Chermiti was signed for £8m from Everton. That is the most money Rangers have paid for a player since they paid £12m to sign Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
Since that mega-money move to Ibrox, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, and that goal came via some rather questionable goalkeeping, as shown in the clip below.
Chermiti is not the only centre-forward signing who has struggled this season, though, as Rangers signed Bojan Miovski for a fee of up to £4.2m and he has delivered two goals in 16 outings in all competitions, per Sofascore.
Further back on the pitch, central midfielder Joe Rothwell has been a disappointment since his permanent move from Bournemouth. The 30-year-old talent was brought in to offer experience and quality in the middle of the park, but he has failed to make a positive impact.
25/26 Premiership
Rothwell
Percentile rank vs CMs
Tackles
7
Bottom 27%
Interceptions
8
Top 29%
Duels won
16
Bottom 26%
Duel success rate
47%
Bottom 39%
Aerial duels won
4
Bottom 25%
Possession won in the final third
1
Bottom 19%
Ball recoveries
22
Bottom 36%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the English flop ranks poorly among his positional peers in the Premiership in a host of key defensive metrics, whilst playing as a number six for the Light Blues.
Thelo Aasgaard, who was signed from Luton Town, is another summer signing who has failed to deliver, with one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore, which shows that the attacking midfielder has been ineffective at the top end of the pitch.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Whilst there are understandable question marks over all of the summer signings mentioned so far, there is a player signed by Thelwell who impressed against Livingston, and may be on his way to becoming the new Calvin Bassey at Ibrox.
After signing from Leicester in 2020, the Nigeria international only played eight Premiership games in his first season. In the 2021/22 campaign, the versatile defender featured in just three of the first nine league games under Steven Gerrard, per Transfermarkt.
The left-footed star then became a regular in the side when Giovanni van Bronckhorst took over in October and went on to play 50 games in all competitions before sealing a £19.6m move to Ajax in the summer of 2021.
Now, central defender Emmanuel Fernandez could follow a similar path to success at Ibrox after he produced an impressive display against Livingston on Saturday.
Why Emmanuel Fernandez may be the next Calvin Bassey for Rangers
As was the case with Bassey under Gerrard, the summer signing from Peterborough rarely got an opportunity to showcase what he could do on the pitch during Martin’s time at the club.
Per Transfermarkt, Fernandez featured in one of Martin’s seven league matches in charge of the Light Blues and was an unused substitute in all six of the Champions League qualifiers.
The 24-year-old centre-back only started in a 1-1 draw with St Mirren in the Premiership and a 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the League Cup, scoring his first goal for the club in the latter appearance.
Fernandez finally got his first start in the league of the Rohl era against Livingston on Saturday and did not disappoint. On top of scoring the opening goal in the match, making it two goals in three starts for the club, he won eight of his 13 duels and was not dribbled past a single time, per Sofascore.
After the win over Livingston, one Rangers podcaster described him as a “massive” player who “makes a difference” at both ends of the pitch because of his imposing physique.
25/26 Premiership
Emmanuel Fernandez per 90
Percentile rank vs CBs
Tackles made
0.99
Bottom 26%
Duels won
10.44
Top 1%
Duel success rate
72.4%
Top 5%
Aerial duels won
6.96
Top 1%
Aerial duel success rate
87.5%
Top 1%
Interceptions
2.49
Top 5%
Shots blocked
0.99
Top 31%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Fernandez is one of the most dominant and impressive central defenders in the Premiership if you compare his two starts in the league to his positional peers on a per 90 basis.
These statistics suggest that the English defender deserves more chances to start and showcase his quality, which he may well get with John Souttar and Derek Cornelius both missing through injury at the moment.
If he continues to start and produce the level of performance that he has in his first two outings in the division, Fernandez could go on to be a defensive monster for Rohl and anchor the team for the foreseeable future.
Like Bassey, Rangers may look back in the future and wonder why he did not play more regularly earlier in the season, because the towering star looks like he has been a hidden gem at Ibrox.
Fewer touches than Butland: Rohl must bin "missing" Rangers flop after Livi
Rangers did claim another league win over Livingston on Saturday, but one player went “missing” at Ibrox, registering fewer touches than Jack Butland.
Exiled players now living in Australia have trained at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and watched India vs Sri Lanka
S Sudarshanan30-Sep-2025Afghanistan’s women cricketers in exile have been involved at a global event for the first time, albeit only as spectators.A total of 17 formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players attended the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday to watch India face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 as part of a 12-day programme offered by the ICC with support from Cricket Australia (CA), the ECB and BCCI.They have also undergone coaching at the VVS Laxman-led BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, met with players from some of the top teams competing at the World Cup and played some matches.”Most of the players are now based in Australia,” Mel Jones, part of the ICC’s initiative, said on commentary during the match. “They’ve got a few players in Canada and the UK as well. They’ve been put through their paces.”They’re smiling at the moment. That might have been a few ice baths that they had to enjoy over the last couple of days as well. Fitness testing, match simulations, matches, wonderful coaching from the coaching staff at the Centre of Excellence. The ICC, the ECB, BCCI, Cricket Australia have come together to host this tour.”Related
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The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but many are playing in league structures in Australia, having fled their country after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Since then, women have been increasingly excluded from public life in Afghanistan, cannot attend university or secondary school and their voices cannot be heard in public. As such, the ACB is unable to ratify a women’s team, despite contracting 25 players in 2020.Not all those living in Australia have made the trip to India as some faced visa challenges but most of them played in an exhibition match between an Afghanistan XI and Cricket without Borders in Melbourne in January.They had not received any official communication from the ICC between their exile four years ago and April this year, when the ICC announced a support package for Afghan female cricketers in exile. Funding for these players comes from the ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA and not from the ACB’s disbursements and will include training camps and trips, such as this one.By inviting them to a World Cup game, the initiative – firmed up at the ICC’s annual conference in July – aims to give the players exposure and allow them to experience the atmosphere of a high-profile women’s international. Their experience was enhanced by the presence of India, New Zealand, England and Australia at the CoE during the World Cup warm-ups and Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, presented them with a jade necklace.”It’s gorgeous,” Jones said. “A jade necklace, that represents courage and determination and that’s exactly what these women, these players, have shown after the last four years and going into the future as well.”All going to plan that future mimics almost the Afghan men’s cricket team, whereby they can go through these high-performance programmes, they can create a team that can then be in qualifiers for T20 Women’s World Cups in the future.”