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The Mets dropped a critical game on Friday, losing 6–2 to the since-eliminated Marlins on a night where the club's competition for the final National League wild card spot, the Reds, were victorious. The loss evened the clubs in a tie for the last postseason spot in the NL, which effectively meant the Mets were on the outside looking in in terms of the playoff picture due to tiebreakers.

And the night started out well for the Mets, who jumped out to a 2–0 lead, which they held until a disastrous six-run inning for Miami in the bottom of the fifth, a cacophony of errors and mental mistakes for New York. First, there was a Marlins single that glanced off first baseman Pete Alonso's glove. Then, after a two-run triple, another grounder, not fielded cleanly by Alonso, allowed a Miami run to score. Finally, Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez stole second and third without a throw from the Mets, preceding a Marlins RBI single and two-run homer.

In the midst of the fiasco, the Mets broadcast booth had seen enough, as they proceeded to tear into the club.

"The Mets—a lack of attention to detail, which has cropped up repeatedly during this slow-motion backwards march over the last three-and-a-half months," play-by-play broadcaster Gary Cohen said, "comes up to bite them again."

Color analyst Ron Darling was no kinder.

"You might take your whole travel ball squad off the field if something like that happened," Darling said. "Here's a team that is fighting to get to October. What are you going to do in October with an inning like that?"

Fellow color analyst Keith Hernandez finished up the broadcast booth's skewering.

"And it's not the first time too," Hernandez said. "They've made a lot of mental errors over the past what? Nine, 10 games down the stretch."

New York, through play on June 12, owned the best record in baseball and a 5 1/2-game lead over the Phillies. Since then, the Mets are an incomprehensible 37–54 and its playoff hopes are on the brink.

The Mets need to win the final two games of the regular season and hope for a Reds loss.

Leeds United have now shown they can compete with the big boys in the Premier League, but can they pick up results against the sides nearer to them in the overall division?

Up next for Daniel Farke’s reinvigorated Whites, after facing off against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool in quickfire succession, is Brentford away, who are only four points better off than the West Yorkshire outfit, sat in 14th spot.

After that, more tough ties flood the calendar for the relegation-threatened side against Crystal Palace and Sunderland, before Arne Slot’s Reds do battle with Farke’s men back at Anfield to see in the New Year.

It will be more obvious by that point in time whether Leeds can go the distance in their survival aims, as plenty of new signings also begin to be linked with a switch to Elland Road, in preparation for the bumper January transfer window swinging open.

Leeds transfer latest

The Premier League newcomers have splashed the cash in January before, having once splurged a club-record £35.5m on Georginio Rutter back in 2022.

The same over-the-top spending is unlikely to be on the menu this time around, but Farke and Co. have been linked with a move for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan, who continues to impress in Scotland.

Barcelona’s Roony Bardhji has also reportedly caught the eye, but the most tantalising rumour of them all now has them linked with Chelsea reserve talent Tyrique George, according to a fresh report from TEAMTalk.

Sources have allegedly revealed to the site that George is adamant about a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge, amid concerns about his lack of first-team opportunities.

That has generated interest in his services from the likes of Fulham, Everton and Leeds, with the Whites said to be monitoring the exciting Englishman, as they seek out depth in the attacking areas this January.

With goals such as this one put away in the Champions League earlier in the season, George should be able to come into Farke’s camp and stamp his authority, as another discarded Chelsea youngster potentially comes into his own at Elland Road, much like Ethan Ampadu.

Why George can be the next Ampadu

Ampadu would only go on to make 12 unmemorable senior appearances for the Blues before moving on from West London.

Transfer Focus

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

George, at the time of writing, sits on a far heftier 36, but he will still be itching for more consistent senior minutes.

The Welshman would, ultimately, never look back after swapping Stamford Bridge for Elland Road in the summer of 2023, with Ampadu now a Championship-winning midfield star under Farke.

He even had the last laugh against his ex-employers at the start of the month, when his six duels and two tackles won, as per Sofascore, gave Leeds some much-needed grit in the 3-1 victory over Enzo Maresca’s challengers.

George will look at Ampadu’s sharp rise from reserve fodder at Chelsea to leading star at Leeds with an eagerness to follow in his footsteps, with clear bursts of quality in the Blues’ first team picture, already, standing the 19-year-old in good stead to make waves in Farke’s main team, if a move is sealed.

Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the London-born winger “explosive” last summer when he was starting to make strides, while scout Jacek Kulig has also noted George as being “special” when chipping in with goal contributions in the FA Cup, Premier League and Conference League for Maresca’s men.

Games played

36

Minutes played

1601 mins

Goals scored

6

Assists

6

Still, despite having 12 goal contributions next to his name in the senior side in West London, George has been restricted to just four Premier League appearances so far this season, with Leeds perhaps the location that can finally hand him the minutes he longs for.

With one goal and one assist in the top-flight from just one start, George would surely be a worthy back-up option at the very least for Leeds.

But, in time, everything looks in place for George to become a dependable first-team presence under the German, with Ampadu’s patience in the reserve ranks at Chelsea, ultimately rewarded by breaking out in style at Elland Road.

Shades of Klich & Dallas: Farke's Leeds "monster" must now start every week

This Leeds star has become a key man in midfield

ByJoe Nuttall 5 days ago

Cole Palmer has missed recent national team call-ups due to a persistent groin injury and a fractured toe, hampering his involvement in England's 2026 World Cup planning. And there's more bad news for the Chelsea star as his absence from the official 2026 England calendar has caused some media speculation, with some fans worrying it is a "major hint" he could miss the World Cup.

Palmer overlooked by Three Lions 

The 2026 England calendar will be a popular stocking filler for many excited young football fans this Christmas, but they certainly won’t feature on anyone’s present list in the Palmer household. The players included features the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and there’s even a space for Jack Grealish. But The Blues’ star forward and the man who scored the Three Lions’ sole goal in the Euro 2024 final against Spain doesn't make the cut. 

The England store website says: "Celebrate the England National Team every day of the year with this 2026 Calendar. Featuring vibrant imagery and key dates, it’s the perfect way to keep track of important events while showing your support."

However, sources from the FA have suggested that players were largely selected for the calendar based on appearances during the 2024/25 season for production deadlines, a campaign during which Palmer struggled with injury issues and limited playing time under manager Thomas Tuchel.

AdvertisementAFPIntrigue over Palmer's latest injury 

Palmer has had to sit out a number of matches recently with a variety of injuries, but the most recent injury to his toe has caused real intrigue, particularly regarding how it occurred. And team-mate Marc Cucurella has hinted it may have happened while playing popular football computer game FIFA. 

He told reporters on Monday: "To be fair, I don't believe it. It is true that these things can sometimes happen. I have had this a couple of times but I'm stronger than them, so I don't feel anything. It's a big upset for us because he's getting closer to playing with us, to train with us, and then now he needs to rest. But this is part of life, a part of footballers' lives, we have personal lives, and we have these kinds of problems, so hopefully he can recover fast." 

When asked what he was doing, Cucurella replied: "I don't know. He's running because I think he lost a FIFA game or something like this, I think!"

Injury-prone Palmer on track to face Gunners

It has been a rollercoaster week for Palmer and the injury updates which have come from Blues boss Enzo Maresca. Midweek, Palmer was still recovering in a protective boot, by Friday he was in contention for the crunch London derby clash with Arsenal. 

Ahead of the game with Barcelona, Maresca said: "Yes, Cole is wearing a (protective) boot. We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball, and the feeling (for him) is good. At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game. It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus, and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well." 

But during his Friday press conference, he confirmed Palmer is ready to face the Gunners. Speaking to reporters, he said: "He is available for both (to start and to play). (His return will elevate the squad) A lot. As you said, he's probably our best player. We are happy he is back. We need to give him time to make sure he's 100 per cent fit. He has done fantastically in the past, and there is no doubt he will do fantastically in the future."

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Getty Images SportAll eyes on Stamford Bridge

League leaders Arsenal visit Chelsea on Sunday with both teams in excellent form and the midfield clash featuring Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo will be key. A win for the Blues will move them to three points behind their north London rivals, but their recent record against Arteta’s side is poor, having won just one of the last 11 Premier League encounters.

For the first time in a long time, there is a lot to be excited about for West Ham United fans.

After a dreadful start to the season, which saw them become one of the early favourites to go down, Nuno Espírito Santo has got them back on track.

The East Londoners picked up just their second Premier League win of the season against Newcastle United, and then got their third on Saturday, against Burnley.

On top of the uptick in form, fans have finally got to see Freddie Potts from the start, and he has been sensational in the middle of the park, although his brilliant form could signal the beginning of the end for another West Ham star.

What makes Potts so special

West Ham have a proud history of producing top-quality players from their academy, such as Declan Rice, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, and there is every chance that Potts could be another.

Now, that is certainly a lot to say about someone who has only just made his second competitive start for the club, but as his last performance made very clear, he is a special midfield talent.

For example, against both Newcastle and Burnley, the Barking-born put in quintessential all-action midfield performances.

One moment, he was fulfilling his defensive duties perfectly, and then the next, he was helping to initiate an attack, either through his exceptional range of passing or by carrying the ball through the centre of the park.

With his recent performances, it’s easy to see why respected analyst Ben Mattinson described the academy gem as someone who is “so smooth on the half-turn and composed under pressure.”

In addition to raw ability and mentality, the West Ham supporter also has considerable experience.

For example, he spent last season on loan with Portsmouth in the Championship, where he made 38 appearances, and the season before that in League One with Wycombe Wanderers, where he made 43 appearances nd was named the Player of the Season.

In all, it looks like Potts is going to become one of West Ham’s most important players this season, but in doing so, he could force one of the club’s signings of the decade to move on.

The West Ham player who could be replaced by Potts

There are a few West Ham players who could see their places in the team threatened by the emergence of Potts this season, such as Andrew Irving and Guido Rodriguez.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, while they might succeed elsewhere, it would be fair to say both of them have been disappointments in East London, which is not the case for Tomáš Souček.

The Czech international might not be anywhere near his best anymore, but when you take into account the totality of his achievements in Claret and Blue, it would be hard not to describe him as one of the club’s best signings this decade.

He initially joined the Hammers from Salvia Praha just over five years ago, and since then has made 254 appearances, in which he’s scored 44 goals and provided 13 assists.

More importantly, though, he was a crucial part of the side that won the Conference League in 2023, making nine appearances in the competition that season, totalling 507 appearances.

There can be no denying the fact that the 30-year-old has given everything during his time at the club and will undoubtedly go down as an icon for it.

However, with his contract expiring in a year and a half, and Potts emerging as a potential game-changer in the middle of the park, the Brod-born titan’s time in East London might be coming to an end.

Ultimately, Souček has been an incredible signing for West Ham, but Potts may eventually be one of the reasons his time with the club comes to an end.

West Ham star with "KDB-type quality" looks like Nuno's new Gibbs-White

The incredible talent could play a massive role in helping Nuno keep West Ham United in the Premier League this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 11, 2025

After a generally productive international break for many of Rangers’ stars, can they bring this form back to Glasgow?

John Souttar, Liam Kelly and Connor Barron were all part of the Scotland squad that remarkably qualified for a first World Cup in 28 years, while Nicolas Raskin started both of Belgium’s matches as they booked their spot in North America, thrashing Liechtenstein in the midfielder’s hometown of Liège.

On Tuesday, striker Bojan Miovski scored his ninth goal for North Macedonia, albeit there was little cause for celebration given that his team were demolished 7-1 by Wales in Cardiff, their heaviest defeat for two and a half years.

While Miovski being back among the goals is undoubtedly good news for Danny Röhl, he does need to improve his performances on the domestic stage.

Rangers' lack of attacking firepower

While many supporters would blame now-dismissed manager Russell Martin’s ineptitude, the club’s poor recruitment over the summer is surely the key factor behind their underwhelming form this season.

This is most abundantly clear in attacking areas where, despite being a goal machine during his two seasons at Aberdeen, Miovski has netted only twice since joining Rangers from Girona for £2.6m in August.

Meantime, Youssef Chermiti has scored only once for the club so far, despite arriving from Everton for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, thereby making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, surpassed only by Tore André Flo’s move in 2000.

This is in complete contrast to last season when Rangers’ top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, bagged 63 goals between them across all competitions, which represented 55% of all goals the club netted.

With the trio having all departed, new manager Röhl requires the attacking players he has inherited to step up and start contributing, something one “huge talent” in particular is yet to do thus far.

Thelwell signing has been a bigger waste than Chermiti & Miovski

In the summer, Rangers spent around £30m on 13 new recruits, including splashing a reported £5m to sign Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town.

Upon his arrival, Scottish football analyst Kai Watson labelled him a “technical dribbler” who “loves to take on opponents and get shots away”, while journalist Jamie Allen asserted that he was a “huge talent”.

However, supporters have not seen very much of that thus far, with Aasgaard’s most noteworthy contribution being that red card he received during the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden.

The table below underlines the fact that Aasgaard has not performed as expected to date. Aasgaard’s statistics are not terrible when compared to his Rangers teammates, ranked second for shots, first in terms of shots on target as well as in the top four when it comes to successful dribbles per 90.

Minutes

1,041

9th

Goals

1

7th

Assists

1

8th

Shots per 90

1.7

2nd

Shots on target per 90

1

1st

Big chances missed

2

2nd

Accurate passes per 90

19.2

12th

Key passes per 90

0.8

8th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.4

4th

Average rating

6.76

8th

Ultimately, however, he has scored only one for the club to date, on target against Dundee United last month, registering his first assist at Dens last time out, albeit scorer Djeidi Gassama did do most of the work.

This lack of end-product has seen his estimated market value, as recorded by Football Transfers, drop to around £3.4m, well below the fee Rangers paid to sign him.

Meantime, the Merseyside-born winger has been on fire for Norway, scoring four times in 24 minutes as his national team demolished Moldova 11-1 at the Ullevål in September, having marked his international debut with a goal in the reverse fixture in Chișinău back in March.

Thus, with Norway back at the World Cup for the first time since France ’98, Aasgaard will certainly be included in Ståle Solbakken’s squad that travels to North America next summer, but he’ll be desperate to improve his club form before then.

In Glasgow, Aasgaard has started three of Danny Röhl’s six matches in charge, but was introduced off the bench during the last two against Roma and Dundee.

With Röhl having switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, and Aasgaard so far is not doing enough to suggest he should be ahead of Gassama, Miovski, Chermiti, Danilo or Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

Considering he cost £5m, surely Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell envisaged that the Norwegian would be a guaranteed starter, but this is certainly not the case. Considering he was a player that Martin pushed to sign, it isn’t ideal when the manager is sacked after just 15 matches in charge.

Thus, while Chermiti and Miovski have established themselves as key figures in Röhl’s team, one could certainly argue that Aasgaard has been the biggest waste of money from last summer.

Rangers star looks set to become Ibrox's new Hamza Igamane under Rohl

As Rangers seek to replace Hamza Igamane, who has been on fire for Lille, which “exciting” forward, not Youssef Chermiti, could replicate his success?

ByBen Gray Nov 16, 2025

Seamer Davey and wicketkeeper Tattersall to join from Somerset and Yorkshire respectively

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2025

Leicestershire have confirmed the double signing of Josh Davey and Jonny Tattersall on three-year deals.Davey, who will depart Somerset, and Yorkshire’s Tattersall will officially join the club on November 1 following the expiry of their current contracts. ESPNcricinfo understands allrounder Ben Green will also be joining his county team-mate Davey in swapping Taunton for Grace Road, having spent time on loan there over the last two summers. Both Davey and Green turned down extensions to remain at Somerset.The acquisitions of Davey, 35, and Tattersall, 30, will add experience to an exciting young Leicestershire squad that are on the verge of a return to Division One for the first time since the club’s relegation in 2003.Related

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An international seamer with 62 caps for Scotland and appearances at two T20 World Cups, Davey has 214 first-class wickets at 24.25, along with 128 at 25.90 in List A cricket and 116 at 21.77 in T20. He has also spent this summer moonlighting as an opening batter for Somerset, and is familiar with Grace Road after a brief loan stint during the 2023 season.”I spoke to Fons [Alfonso Thomas] and Claude [Henderson], and it was clear they’ve got a collective vision for elevating the club to the next level,” Davey said in a statement via the Leicestershire website. “It’s going to be a very exciting place to be over the next three years.”I think it’s starting to shape into a competitive team. There’s a lot of talent in the squad and I hope to supplement that with the experience I’ve gained across all three formats over the last 15 years.”I met a lot of the guys during my loan here in 2023, and I loved the environment. Since then, the likes of Ben Green, Lewis Goldsworthy and Josh Thomas have all been and they have only come back saying positive things, which obviously helped steer my decision. Hopefully I can help to establish Leicestershire in the first division and look to push for some silverware. I believe we can become a real force in all three competitions over the next few years.”Jonny Tattersall captained Yorkshire to promotion last year•Getty Images

The addition of Tattersall, a keeper-batter, covers for the loss of Harry Swindells, who was forced to retire through injury last month.After debuting for Yorkshire in 2013, Tattersall went on to make 155 appearances for the club. His proudest moment came last season when he captained the county to a return to Division One, an ever-present throughout the 2024 summer, averaging 40.18 and affecting 29 dismissals.One of his two centuries last term came away at Leicestershire in September, leading to an innings victory that took Yorkshire into the promotion spots with two rounds to play. However, it was announced by Yorkshire earlier this month that he would be leaving at the end of the season.”Leicestershire is a club that has some great history behind it and has built a team that seems to be going places,” Tattersall said. “I can see a real purpose and a focus within the group with what they’re looking to achieve over the next few years, so it’s incredibly exciting to be asked to play a part in that journey.”Hopefully, I can bring experience of first division cricket and help guide a few younger lads in what that experience is like, as well as produce quality performances myself.”I’ll put in everything I’ve got to take my game to the next level and help Leicestershire win matches. Hopefully that will result in some more trophies.”Speaking on both signings, director of cricket, Claude Henderson, said: “Josh is a high-calibre operator that will offer a lot to the team in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. We know his character well and have no doubt he will be a great fit for Leicestershire. As a senior player with extensive Division One experience, his voice and all-round abilities will be a great addition to our changing room.”Jonny’s character, leadership skills and all-round cricket abilities are hugely impressive. He will bring vast experience to our changing room and further depth to our batting department, which will make him a significant asset to our squad.”

Jamie Overton has been handed a surprise recall to England’s squad for the first Test against India after his Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson was ruled out with a hamstring strain. Jacob Bethell’s return to the squad creates a top-order selection headache, while Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are both back after missing England’s win over Zimbabwe with niggles.Overton won his only cap at Headingley, the venue for the first Test on June 20, against New Zealand in 2022, in which he made a matchturning 97 and took a wicket in each innings. He broke his little finger last week during an ODI against West Indies, and has only played three County Championship matches since the start of last season due to injury and the IPL. However, he has jumped ahead of Matthew Potts as seam-bowling cover.”We’ve spoken many times about our varied attack, and making sure that we’ve still got some pace in the attack,” Luke Wright, England’s selector, said. “Jamie showed in white-ball cricket that he’s got a huge amount of pace and bounce, and he’s a real threat.”He’s obviously had a taste of Test cricket before, and did well, getting some runs, which was great. He’s going back to a ground he did well at Leeds, and for us, it’s making sure that we’ve got the options. If one of those quicker bowlers were to go down, then we’ve got someone who could replace him, and Jamie is a great one to have available.”England were initially confident that Atkinson would recover from injury in time for the first Test but he was deemed unavailable for selection, leaving their seam options depleted. Mark Wood and Olly Stone are both out of the series with knee injuries, while Jofra Archer will not be match-fit until the second Test at the earliest after a thumb issue. Wright confirmed that Archer is expected to play a Championship match for Sussex against Durham in a fortnight’s time to prepare himself for a possible recall.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bethell, meanwhile, missed the Zimbabwe Test while at the IPL and his return leaves England with a dilemma. His impressive debut series in New Zealand, in which he scored three half-centuries at No. 3, left Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope’s spots under pressure, but both men scored hundreds against Zimbabwe and may hold onto their places for the time being.”He’s very close,” Wright said of Bethell’s potential return to the starting XI. “It’s a great option to have, isn’t it? It’s lovely to have him back, what a talent we all see in him. When Baz and Stokesy took on these roles, we were really struggling as a batting group to get runs on the board, and we’re getting to a point now where we’re getting real depth into that squad, which is fantastic.”Sam Cook is retained after making his debut against Zimbabwe but appears likely to start the series as back-up, with Woakes back in contention after an ankle issue. Josh Tongue, who missed the 2024 season through injury, is also named in the squad, and will play for England Lions against India A at Northampton this week – alongside Woakes – to prepare for the first Test.Related

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Potts is arguably the unluckiest absentee, having been named in squads for all formats this summer, including the Zimbabwe Test in which Cook was selected ahead of him. His haul of 36 wickets at 29.44 in 10 Tests to date includes a key role in the first Bazball summer of 2022. However, he has been pushed down the pecking order ever since.”It’s really tough on Pottsy,” Wright said. “It was probably between him and Cookie for that other spare bowler, if we were to lose Woakesy, and we just felt that maybe Cookie has got the edge with that new ball. But we know what Potts is all about. It’s not easy for him, but it’s great to have him as a squad bowler in the pack, if any injuries happen. But on this occasion, he’s just missed out.”England’s squad has changed significantly since their 4-1 series defeat in India 18 months ago: James Anderson retired shortly after that tour, while Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson have also been discarded. India have also undergone a transition, with R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all retiring and Shubman Gill taking on the captaincy for the first time.The series starts at Headingley before moving onto Edgbaston, Lord’s and Emirates Old Trafford, and will finish at the Kia Oval. India, who have not won a Test series in England since 2007, have sent several members of their squad ahead to play for India A against the Lions, and the rest of their touring party will arrive in the UK on Friday.England squad for first Test vs India: Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

A “promising” Glasgow Rangers player may not make a decision regarding his Ibrox future until Russell Martin has been sacked, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Martin still under huge pressure at Rangers

The pressure on Martin isn’t easing at all currently, with the 39-year-old struggling badly since arriving at Ibrox before the 2025/26 season.

There is almost an inevitability about the Englishman being sacked at some point in the near future, unless there are drastic improvements on the pitch, with potential replacements already being mentioned.

Former Everton and Burnley manager Sean Dyche is reportedly considered a “serious option” to come in and replace Martin at Rangers, and he is thought to be keen on taking the job, having most recently been in charge of the Blues.

The current Gers boss has alienated certain players, with Nicolas Raskin only recently returning to the fold, and now a new update has emerged regarding the future of an individual in a similar position.

"Promising" Rangers player waiting for Martin to be sacked

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claimed that Clinton Nsiala is waiting for Martin to be sacked, and that could open the door for his future to still be at Ibrox under a potential new manager.

“Obviously he’s not figured under Russell Martin since the former Southampton manager’s arrival at Ibrox. It doesn’t appear that he does have a long-term future under Martin, but we know things could change at Ibrox, especially if a new manager is appointed to replace the under-fire Martin.

“That would mean a clean slate for everybody. So Nsiala will be waiting to see what happens there because that might give him the opportunity to win back his place in the plans of a new manager as well.

“While Martin remains in charge, I don’t think he is going to change his mind on Nsiala and he will continue to find himself on the sidelines. As we said, with so much pressure on Martin, things could quickly change and then Nsiala could be back in favour under a potential new manager.”

Nsiala is a talented footballer, with The Rangers Review calling him a “promising” player, so it has been frustrating to see him not feature much for Rangers of late.

In fact, the 21-year-old defender hasn’t featured at all this season, highlighting what Martin thinks of him, so if he remains in charge of the Gers moving forward, he will surely feel the need to move on.

For Nsiala’s sake, though, he will hope that a change in manager happens sooner rather than later, which, in truth, is likely to be the mindset of many supporters who have already lost faith in the current boss.

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Posts ByBen Goodwin Oct 4, 2025

It would be disappointing to see the £10,500-a-week centre-back leave Rangers so soon after arriving, having only joined from AC Milan last year, but hopefully, that isn’t the case.

Noor Ahmad is back to being joint at the top with Prasidh Krishna on the IPL 2025 Purple Cap table

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20252:45

Chopra: ‘DC batting can’t just be about Rahul’

Purple Cap tablePrasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans (GT) took one wicket on Sunday to get to 21 wickets, and CSK’s Noor Ahmad joined him there after returning 1 for 42 from three overs against RR. For Noor, though, such expensive figures was of no help, as he continued to remain behind Prasidh on the table with an inferior economy rate as well as average. Prasidh is going at 7.85 and 17.57, while Noor’s corresponding figures are 8.41 and 18.42.Josh Hazlewood, who hasn’t played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since April 27 and may or may not play a role in the remainder of the tournament as he recovers from a shoulder injury, is still in third place with 18 wickets. But Trent Boult could go past him and close in on the table-toppers when Mumbai Indians (MI) play Delhi Capitals (DC) tonight, though there is rain around and the game could be affected.Orange Cap tableSuryakumar Yadav will get a chance to close in on the top three on the Orange Cap list if the MI vs DC game goes ahead, and goes ahead for long enough. He is at No. 4 currently with 510 runs, but the table-topper, GT’s B Sai Sudharsan, is over 100 runs away with 617, and second-placed Shubman Gill is also quite a distance away from Suryakumar with 610 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 36 in 19 balls in RR’s win over CSK, is at third with 559 runs.Also in action tonight will be KL Rahul, the DC batting frontman, but he is further behind Suryakumar at No. 7 with 493 runs.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match

Gary Stead has stepped down as New Zealand men’s white-ball coach and will decide in the coming weeks if he wishes to reapply to lead the Test team as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) considers having split head coaches for the men’s program.Stead, 53, has been New Zealand men’s all-format coach since 2018 but his contract is set to expire in June of this year. The NZC issued a release on Tuesday where Stead confirmed he would step away from the white-ball role after leading New Zealand to the 2019 World Cup final, the 2021 T20 World Cup final and the 2024 Champions Trophy final.The news comes after Rob Walter was linked to a role with New Zealand’s team after he resigned as South Africa’s white-ball coach.Related

• Stead calls time on seven-year tenure as New Zealand coach

• Rob Walter linked to NZ role after quitting as SA coach

Stead will take some time over the coming weeks to decide if he wishes to reapply for the Test coaching role as advertising for the roles will commence over the next week.”I’m looking forward to getting away from touring life for a while and having a think about my future,” Stead said. “My focus has been on finishing the season strongly with a lesser experienced team.”The past six to seven months has been particularly busy with relatively non-stop cricket action since September.”I now want to evaluate my options but still feel I have coaching left in me, albeit not as head coach across all formats.”The next month will give me the opportunity to discuss the situation more with my wife, family and others.”I’ll be in a better position to know whether I want to reapply for the Test coaching position after this time of reflection.”Stead has had great success with New Zealand’s Test team leading them to the 2021 World Test Championship and the recent 3-0 series victory in India last year. He has managed his coaching duties across the three formats in recent years with the likes of his assistant Luke Ronchi taking charge for various white-ball assignments to give Stead a break.New Zealand’s chief high performance officer Bryan Stronach said Stead had earned the right to take his time with his decision and confirmed that the NZC were open to all possibilities as far as the head coaching role moving forward.”Gary’s results have been very impressive over a long period and we’re very comfortable giving him some time to collect his thoughts and mull things over,” Stronach said.”At the moment we haven’t any strong preference for either a split-coaching role or a sole appointment who covers all three formats, and we’re unlikely to be clearer on that until we see who’s putting their name forward.”