Newcastle United have a tough run of fixtures to contend with for the rest of November, before the bumper Christmas schedule weighs heavily on the calendar.

Indeed, the up-and-down Magpies have a tricky home clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City up next, as Eddie Howe no doubt worries already as to how his porous defence will deal with a free-flowing Erling Haaland.

Then, it’s back-to-back away fixtures at Marseille and Everton in the Champions League and Premier League, with Howe, presumably, under even more intense pressure if he fails to pick up a win or two across this stretch of contests.

Far too many players Howe has relied on over the years have failed to deliver the goods across recent matches, with many of those underperformers also falling into the high earners bracket at St James’ Park.

Assessing Newcastle's current wage bill

Newcastle’s highest earner currently continues to lead by example for the most part in club captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Understandably, during losses on the road against West Ham United and Brentford, the Brazilian wasn’t at his liveliest.

But, the £160k-per-week “talisman” – as he has been recently labelled by Michael Carrick – does still have three goals next to his name this season, when bailing his topsy-turvy side out of some sticky situations, which included this wonderfully taken strike breaking the deadlock against Nottingham Forest last month in a much-needed 2-0 win.

The same adoration isn’t being extended to Joelinton and Anthony Gordon – who both take home a hefty £150k-per-week pay packet – with the pair notably struggling in league action this season. Neither player has scored a single goal or registered an assist from a combined 16 Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Nick Woltemade has lived up to his club-record £69m price tag, and his high £132.5k-per-week wage, on the contrary, with four league goals already next to his name.

There will be some grumbles about Anthony Elanga’s £55m fee and £100k-per-week wage, though, with the ex-Manchester United attacker dubbed a “massive overpay” by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Swede yet to show off his exhilarating best on the wings. He remains goalless so far on Tyneside.

Chalkboard

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

The likes of Elanga and Gordon are not the only players being hounded.

A "legendary" star must be ditched by Newcastle

Elanga will also surely have the benefit of patience on his side, with the 23-year-old only 17 games down for his new employers. In time, the hope will be that the expensive £55m purchase does come good.

Whereas, in the case of Joe Willock, the peak of his Newcastle career looks to be very firmly behind him now, with his drop-off in form on Tyneside a very concerning tale.

Towards the start of his Newcastle playing days, Willock perform the role of a bright spark in front of goal from the midfield ranks expertly, much like Guimaraes now provides Howe and Co.

Staggeringly, he scored in seven straight Premier League matches during his initial loan spell from Arsenal during the 2020/21 season, as Willock lived up to Mikel Arteta’s words of being a “special” talent.

Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even went as far as to state that Willock had achieved “legendary stats” at St James’ Park with this unbelievable goalscoring run, further hailing the number 28 as “god-like” to the Tyneside masses.

Willock has, arguably, become a victim of his own successes at Newcastle, with the former Arsenal midfielder only managing to cough up two more goals across 133 games, away from exploding onto the scene with a breakneck eight goals during his first 14 outings.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has simply labelled the 26-year-old as a major “disappointment” over the past couple of seasons, with only 100 minutes of Premier League action handed his way this campaign, really bringing into view his lavish £80k-per-week wage.

Wildly, that means summer arrival Malick Thiaw earns less than Willock, despite being an ever-present part of Howe’s defensive unit in the Premier League so far this season, with the German only banking a £70k-per-week salary.

It’s far from the most uplifting story seeing the decline of Willock in real time, but if Howe is to turn around his side’s fortunes right now, he will have to consider shelving the EFL Cup-winning midfielder for good very soon, alongside other previous regulars who have now fallen off the horse.

Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 16, 2025

Raza had valiantly revived Zimbabwe’s chase through the middle overs but he could not take them over the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2025A spectacular Dilshan Madushanka hat-trick derailed a scintillating Zimbabwe chase in the final over, which Sikandar Raza had valiantly revived through the middle overs.Raza had brought Zimbabwe to the cusp of what would have been a famous victory. They needed ten off the last over, he himself was on strike and batting beautifully on 92 off 86 balls, and at the other end was Tony Munyonga, with whom he’d shared a 128-run stand.But Madushanka backed his speed and went for the stumps. Raza attempted an over-the-shoulder scoop with the fine leg in the circle. But he could not get a touch on the ball, which sent middle stump flying.With ten now needed off five, Zimbabwe were still in with a shot if someone could find the boundary. But Madushanka kept going full and fast, and kept finding wickets. Brad Evans tried a scoop as well, but wound up only giving short fine a catch. Richard Ngarava tried to swipe across the line next ball, and also found his stumps rearranged. Only two runs were possible off the last three deliveries – Madushanka sticking to fuller lengths and staying tight on the stumps. Though he had been expensive earlier, he had produced the defining over of the match in his first ODI this year. He took 4 for 62. Asitha Fernando took 3 for 50 from his ten overs.Tony Munyonga and Sikandar Raza put on a century stand for the sixth wicket but it wasn’t enough•Zimbabwe Cricket

Before that Madushanka finale, Raza had Zimbabwe sailing through the death overs. He and Munyonga had come together when Zimbabwe still needed 138 for victory off 120 balls, and the pair had produced a dynamic partnership, Raza always leading the way, manipulating the field expertly as the early assistance the pitch had offered died out. (Sri Lanka’s lower middle order had also found batting conditions improved substantially as the ball wore.)Raza largely milked the spinners and reserved his big shots for the seam bowlers, punishing them severely when they missed their lengths. Sri Lanka’s fielding was sloppy through this period, and their over rate also suffered to such an extent that they were punished with having an extra fielder in the circle for the last two overs. Raza kept the singles and twos flowing, and in Munyonga had a partner who could turn the strike back over to him fairly efficiently.Munyonga was dropped on 35 at deep point, with Zimbabwe needing 32 off 22 balls, and from there Zimbabwe’s victory felt fairly assured, as Raza continued to whittle down the score with boundaries and sharp running. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka had his more reliable quicks – Dushmantha Chameera and Fernando – bowl out by the end of the 49th over, hoping one of them could take the breakthrough wicket. In the end, they left Madushanka with enough runs to defend that batters still had to hit a boundary in that over.Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis put on 137 off just 83 balls•Zimbabwe Cricket

Sri Lanka’s innings had also centred around their sixth-wicket partnership, and those batters had – like Raza and Munyonga – been joined with the score 161 for 5. Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis added 137 off 83 balls to electrify what had been a slow Sri Lanka innings until that point. Of those runs, Liyanage hit 70 not out off 47 balls, and Kamindu 57 off 36 before being bowled by Richard Ngarava off the last delivery of the innings.Although batters above them had been watchful, Liyanage and Kamindu were more severe on the bowlers’ errors in length, as the spinners attempted to continue rushing through the overs, and the seamers tried to exploit the extra bounce in the surface. They found boundaries square of the wicket – Liyanage favouring the offside – and the two were also excellent between the wickets.Kamindu was the busier of the two, but Liyanage got more strike towards the end of the innings, and did not fail to land some big blows, hitting an especially memorable helicopter-shot six off Ngarava in the final over. Trevor Gwandu had earlier conceded a 23-run over to the pair.There had been good top-order contributions in both innings. For Zimbabwe, Sean Williams and Ben Curran both hit fifties in their 118-run partnership, having come together with the score at two wickets for no runs. For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka had struck a patient fifty.

Celtic have closed the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on a potentially pivotal Sunday.

The Hoops demolished Kilmarnock 4-0 at Parkhead, with Johnny Kenny breaking the deadlock, Kieran Tierney adding a second shortly after half time, before Daizen Maeda and then Arne Engels from the penalty spot added a little gloss to the scoreline late on.

With Hearts held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United over at Tynecastle, the Hoops go into the international break now just seven points adrift of the leaders, also with a game in hand.

For Martin O’Neill, since returning to the Parkhead dugout after two decades away, he has enjoyed back-to-back 4-0 Premiership wins, as well as dumping Rangers out of the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden; the less said about Thursday’s Europa League clash with Midtjylland the better!

In this victory, for however long the 73-year-old remains in caretaker charge, he learned that one Celtic player in particular can be counted on.

Will O'Neill still be at Celtic after the break?

After Sunday’s comfortable victory, O’Neill confirmed “I genuinely don’t know” if he will still be in charge for their next fixture, adding that if the board do appoint a permanent manager during the international break that it’ll “be absolutely fine by me”.

When Celtic do return to action later this month, they’ll travel to St Mirren before facing Feyenoord in Rotterdam in a repeat of the 1970 European Cup Final, but who will be in charge of those matches?

Well, could it be Wilfried Nancy?

He is currently the favourite to land the job, reportedly one of the club’s top targets alongside Kieran McKenna, and a move to Glasgow may have edged a little bit closer this weekend, after Nancy’s Columbus Crew were dumped out the MLS play-offs by rivals FC Cincinnati on Saturday, meaning their season is now over, which could expedite any appointment, if he is indeed who they want.

Irrespective of who is sat in the away dugout in Paisley in a fortnight, they surely can’t help but be impressed by the performance of one Celtic player in particular this weekend.

Celtic star enjoys his finest day of the season vs Kilmarnock

The Celtic medical staff may need to paraphrase Police Chief Brody from Jaws: we’re going to need a bigger treatment room!

The Hoops are already without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Jota and Kelechi Ịheanachọ, before Hampden hero Callum Osmand​​​​​​​ suffered a long-term injury in Herning on Thursday, while Marcelo Saracchi was then stretchered off in the first half against Kilmarnock.

This obviously is not ideal, but does of course present opportunities for others and, in the absence of Carter-Vickers, his compatriot Auston Trusty has really impressed.

The American centre-back put in an excellent display against Rangers in last weekend’s semi-final victory, but was possibly even more eye-catching this Sunday, with the statistics supporting this assertion.

Accurate passes

98

1st

Passing accuracy %

96%

3rd

Accurate long balls

9

2nd

Dribbles success %

100%

1st

Defensive actions

9

5th

Clearances

7

3rd

Interceptions

1

6th

Duels won

9

1st

Aerial duels won

6

1st

Touches

117

1st

SofaScore rating

8.4

3rd

As the table documents, the centre-half put in a colossal defensive display on Sunday, ranked first for duels as well as accurate passes and touches.

Meantime, when only Celtic players are considered, nobody accumulated more defensive actions, clearances or interceptions.

Glasgow World documented that he ‘continued his rich vein of form’, while noting that the 27-year-old appears to be the perfect man to fill a rather large Carter-Vickers-shaped void at the back.

The defender, who was named man of the match, was also labelled “composed, dominant and aggressive”, having been “immense​​​​​​​” since Carter-Vickers suffered a long-term achilles injury against Sturm Graz.

As recognition of his form, Trusty has been recalled to the United States squad for their friendlies against Paraguay in Pennsylvania and then Uruguay in Florida next week.

Trusty has not played a single minute for the USMNT since November last year, but could well change that as Mauricio Pochettino continues to experiment ahead of the World Cup.

Back at club level, Celtic will need Trusty to remain fit, available and in form because, frankly, they don’t have any other options and, if a new manager is appointed in the next fortnight, he has really staked a claim to remain a key figure. This was undoubtedly his finest day of the campaign to date.

The new Rodgers: Celtic make "incredible" manager their new No.1 target

Celtic could be looking to appoint another Brendan Rodgers-type figure.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 9, 2025

Minto stars for England with five-for, but Ratan takes 4 for 9 to seal comfortable victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Sep-2025Bangladesh U19 292 (Hossan 100, Minto 5-68) beat England U19 205 (Mohammed 75, Ratul 4-9) by 87 runsRizan Hossan’s authoritative century off 101 balls outdid a five-wicket haul from Durham’s James Minto and a sparkling 75 from Isaac Mohammed as Bangladesh Men U19s beat England Men U19s by 87 runs in the first Youth One-Day International at Loughborough.Despite a confident start, a target of 293 proved too much for the hosts, as England dramatically collapsed from 132 for two to 205 all out. Bangladesh’s spinners combined to take eight wickets. Samiun Basir Ratul stood out with outstanding figures of 4.2-0-9-4.Bangladesh openers Zawad Abrar and Rifat Beg made a brisk start, reaching 31 for none after five overs. Abrar’s brace of sixes over fine leg during an expensive opening spell by Minto typified their approach. Progress was halted when Leicestershire’s Alex Green claimed Beg’s wicket with his first ball, which grazed the leg stump and ended the 44-run opening stand.Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim Tamim, who was dropped on four, was next to depart, caught by Kent’s Ben Dawkins off Yorkshire new-ball bowler, Matthew Firbank, for 11. England struck again when Abrar gloved Minto down the legside, at 69 for three in the 13th over the Young Lions appeared to gain a foothold in the game.However, a fourth-wicket partnership worth 148 between Kalam Aleen and Hossan allowed the visitors to regain the initiative.Initially Hossan was the main aggressor, he got to his fifty off 58 balls with a stylish boundary over midwicket. Aleen’s half-century, characterised by strong sweep shots, soon followed off 68 balls, as both batters manipulated the field effectively.The partnership was broken by Minto in the 39th over, who took two wickets in consecutive balls, leaving the score on 217 for five. Firstly, Aleen played across the line and was trapped LBW and then Mohammad Abdullah was the victim of another legside strangle, with captain Thomas Rew completing a regulation catch.England’s impressive death bowling meant that only 66 runs were added in the final 9.2 overs of the innings. The late flurry of wickets included Hossan, dismissed by Nottinghamshire’s Hatton-Lowe, one ball after getting to a deserved century. In the final over, Minto mopped up the innings, bagging two tailend wickets in two balls, the left-armer finishing with five for 68.England’s chase of 293 began badly, as Fahad castled Dawkins, in the first over of the reply. Joe Moores followed in the sixth over for 14, a looping top edge offering Tamim a catch off his own bowling.That brought Will Bennison to the middle, the Yorkshire batter in partnership with Mohammed proceeded to dominate the powerplay, accelerating the score to 129 for two after 15 overs. Isaac’s fifty, off only 34 balls, contained a ramped six along with several conventional boundaries.Bangladesh’s breakthrough came via Shadin Islam’s off-spin, bowling Bennison through the gate for 36 off 32 balls. Soon after, Mohammed’s fine innings of 75 ended with a catch to cover, leaving two new batters at the crease and 151 runs needed off 32.2 overs.Skipper Rew and debutant Jack Nelson maintained the pressure until a critical passage saw Middlesex’s Nelson undone by Ratul. The slow left armer also accounted for Rew as England faltered at 189 for six after 26.2 overs.The situation considerably worsened when Ralphie Albert was needlessly run out. The very next ball, Hatton-Lowe was then caught behind off Shahdin.Ratul closed out the game a few overs later with Firbank’s wicket, a sharp catch of his bowling.Mohammed said: “I really enjoyed it to be fair, I just felt good, I’ve doing a lot of training recently and I feel like a lot of that paid off today. At the end of the day the result didn’t go our way but when Sunday comes hopefully we can put it right.”When I’m batting, I like to stay positive, whatever the scenario is, I’m backing my ability.”Speaking about the Bangladesh spinners claiming eight wickets, he added: “At the start it was quite a fresh ball so it wasn’t doing as much. When the spinners did come back on, I’d just got out before that.”But looking at some of the videos, it looked like it was starting to grip, so if we are playing on the same wicket on Sunday, that could be something to look into.”Mohammed, whose Worcestershire are in the men’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Hampshire later this month, to cap a breakthrough season for the batter said: “I’m loving it, and hopefully in the (Metro Bank) final against Hampshire, we can bring home the trophy.”

The allrounder will be available for selection for their first Super Four match against Bangladesh on Saturday

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Sep-2025

Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage rejoined* the squad at the Asia Cup on Saturday morning after having returned home following the death of his father Suranga Wellalage on Thursday. Sri Lanka Cricket said he will be available for selection for Sri Lanka’s first match in the Super Four round on Saturday evening, against Bangladesh in Dubai.He was accompanied on his journey from the UAE to Sri Lanka and back by team manager Mahinda Halangode.Suranga Wellalage died on September 18, the same day that his son Dunith played in the Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father’s death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.The match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage’s fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He took figures of 1 for 49 and did not bat. Wellalage has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.After Saturday’s fixture against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s next two Super Four games are against Pakistan on September 23 and India on September 26.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is coming under increasing pressure after his side moved closer to the relegation zone, and Brendan Rodgers is now a contender to take over at Elland Road.

Despite a decent start to the Premier League campaign, the Whites have begun to feel the reality of how difficult it is to claim a regular stream of results in the top-flight as other clubs begin to get their act together after indifferent performances.

Nottingham Forest fit that bracket and took Leeds apart last weekend at the City Ground, leaving the Yorkshire outfit one point above West Ham United and two above the Tricky Trees, who are beginning to show signs of life under Sean Dyche.

With pressure mounting on Farke to deliver results, he responded post-match by indicating that his side have to be better when it comes to fine margins, something that can so often determine whether newly-promoted sides are able to stay in the top division.

He told BBC Sport: “Football games on this level are decided with small details. We have to make sure we are more switched on. We concentrate on the things we can influence and should have defended the cross situation. It was crucial.

“We didn’t follow their full-back and that can happen, but not after we’ve just celebrated. We lost two 50/50 duels, and then the cross comes in. We could have defended the situation more competitively.”

Journalist Graham Smyth labelled the Whites’ performance “desperately poor” and some supporters are now at the point of demanding change at Elland Road.

In that case, who could come in to replace Farke at Leeds? Ian Ladyman has let slip one potential contender that could come to the forefront if that scenario were to take place.

Leeds could replace Daniel Farke with Brendan Rodgers

According to Daily Mail football editor Ladyman, Leeds could replace Farke with former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers after he left the Scottish champions following a public fallout with Dermot Desmond last month.

Suggesting that the Irishman may well be a candidate to take over at Elland Road, he explained: “Now we are eleven games in and Leeds are on a bit of a sticky run with only win in six and games against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool to come the other side of the international break.

How has Brendan Rodgers fared in the Premier League?

Matches

302

Wins

139

Draws

71

Losses

102

Points claimed

488

“Farke doesn’t deserve the sack, far from it. But that doesn’t mean he won’t get it. And the moment Brendan Rodgers left Celtic a couple of weeks ago, every manager in the lower half of the Premier League became a little more vulnerable.”

Intriguingly, he averaged over two points per game in his second spell at Celtic, adding another two Scottish Premiership titles, a Scottish Cup and a Premier Sports Cup to his haul of 11 trophies while in Glasgow.

Leeds could sign a talented Championship star in January

Of course, his time at Liverpool and Leicester City is still fresh in the memory, and the Carnlough native may be the sensible choice to replace Farke at Leeds due to his ability to turn the tide via his man-management skills.

In a high-pressure situation, with every chance that the execution could go awry, Avesh Khan backed himself to nail yorker after inch-perfect yorker to win LSG the game

Sidharth Monga19-Apr-20251:57

Boucher: It was a fantastic last over from Avesh

In a twist of fate, the protagonists of the only tied match in IPL 2025 found themselves in near-identical situations against two other teams on the same day, only two days removed from the thriller they played out.On Wednesday night, when Mitchell Starc started the final over, Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed nine runs to win. Two specialist batters, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel, were at the wicket. With the ball reversing a touch, Starc went on to nail his yorkers, forced a tie, and then won the Super Over, thanks in part to some helter-skelter running between the wickets featuring Hetmyer and Jurel both in regulation and in extra time.Late Sunday evening, Starc again found himself bowling the last over with Gujarat Titans (GT) needing ten runs to win. He missed the first yorker narrowly, and Rahul Tewatia flicked him over midwicket for a six. The next yorker was accurate, but it took the inside edge past short fine to end the game in two balls. Starc doesn’t need reminding, but within three days, cricket made apparent its fickle nature.Related

'I don't know what we did wrong' – Parag at a loss to explain latest botched chase

Ice-man Avesh holds his nerve as LSG edge past RR in last-over classic

14-year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi kicks off IPL career with first-ball six

Jurel and Hetmyer would have hoped for a change in fortunes of equal proportions when confronted with the eerie requirement of nine runs in the last over for a second straight match. Yet again, they came up against a bowler who likes going for the yorker. You can hardly ever nail them all, but Avesh Khan did just enough to leave RR heartbroken once again. When Hetmyer did manufacture a powerful flick to a near yorker, he found to perfection the one fielder at short fine. This was a bluff ball on the stumps; the field was set deep on the off side, and this would certainly have been four had Hetmyer hit it even six feet either side.Avesh continued to only try the yorker, and managed to prevail in the end. Even for him, it was a twist of fate on the same night. His night began with getting smacked for a six by a 14-year-old kid the first time he bowled to him. His first over went for 13. Then they kept his three overs for the last five. With only 46 required off these five overs, it was largely on Avesh to make sure he got to bowl all three of his remaining overs.To those who bemoan the low number of yorkers attempted by bowlers, the 16th over is a great explanation. Avesh tried six yorkers, nailed two, missed two narrowly, and missed two others a little more than narrowly. He went for 13. When he began the 18th over, RR needed just 25 with eight wickets in hand.3:09

Rayudu: RR panicked under pressure

It should not come as a surprise that Avesh stuck with the yorker. Since 2021, only Jasprit Bumrah, with 137, has nailed more yorkers than Avesh’s 126 in the IPL. Even Bumrah tends to trust the yorker less at the death. Avesh has executed 88 yorkers at the death in the same period, Bumrah only 76.Here’s why bowlers don’t try yorkers as often as some of the followers of the game would like them to. Assuming nobody means to bowl a half-volley or a full toss, and that those lengths are attempted yorkers, Avesh gets only one in four right overall, and 30% of his attempts at the death. For Bumrah, these numbers are 30% overall and 33% at the death. And when you miss the yorker, you end up bowling the two most hittable lengths.Then again, there are yorkers, and there are . The quality of hitting and the fielding restrictions that allow only four fielders on the boundary make the line of the yorker crucial too. Famously, in the final of IPL 2023, Mohit Sharma got almost every yorker right with the wet ball, brought it down to ten off two, missed the first and then went too straight with the last one.Avesh Khan is pumped after flattening Yashasvi Jaiswal’s poles•BCCITo Avesh, it is simple. He said after the match that he is clear about the line he wants to bowl, one that corresponds with his field. But if the batter started moving around, he looked to go to the base of the middle stump. That’s exactly what happened, and brought him the three wickets of the three best batters in the RR line-up. Yashasvi Jaiswal backed away, and was bowled. Riyan Parag looked to ramp, and was lbw. Hetmyer saw the field for the wide yorker, shuffled across, still managed to time the flick, but Avesh had luck on his side on the day.”I only focus on the execution at the time,” Avesh said. “When we watch from the outside, even us, we feel the tension; but when I am playing, I never feel that tension that I will go for a six or a four. I just focus on the execution: just back 100% whatever ball I have decided to bowl. Mostly it is the yorker, even if it is 15 required or 20 required. I back myself on the yorker, and that is very important in the IPL.”When you focus completely on the match, you focus only where you want to bowl. Not that you want to get the wicket this ball or you want to make the batter defend or you want to bowl a dot ball. The moment I saw him [Hetmyer] shuffle to off, I bowled the stump line, and luckily it went to hand because he was the only fielder there.”This is valuable wisdom that can only come from someone who has done this job regularly in high-pressure situations for long enough to understand that you can’t let the results define you because they don’t always correspond to your planning and execution in this format.

Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.

• Barnes' on-and-off flirtation with Scotland

  The 27-year-old has flirted with Scottish football for the past few years, prompting Clark to pursue talks with the winger in the early days of his tenure. 

  While the former Leicester City winger has enjoyed successful spells since his international debut, he has been unable to carve out a place in Gareth Southgate or Thomas Tuchel's squad. Barnes represented England 14 times at youth level; his sole senior cap came in a 14-minute cameo against Wales in October 2020. 

  With Scotland qualifying for their first World Cup in 28 years, the idea of Barnes switching allegiances was put to him once again. While he admitted he hasn't given it much thought, Barnes refused to close the door on playing in front of the Tartan Army.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Scotland switch is 'not off the table'

  Barnes was speaking to earlier this week. When asked if he had ruled out changing his international allegiance, Barnes said: "No, no, of course it's not [off the table].

  "I've obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side's still there. So, it's hard to say either way but there's been no real chats or any sort of progression in that sense."

  That non-committal answer will do little to prompt Scotland boss Clarke to go banging down Barnes' door. The former West Brom and Reading manager last spoke on Barnes eligibility in 2023, where he revealed he had made comment with the player to discuss his international future. 

  He said: "I am not going to say I haven't spoken to Harvey, because I have. But that was a long time ago. I haven't heard from him since. The next phone call won't be from me."

• Barnes could become first man to switch allegiance from England to Scotland

  If Barnes does decide to switch his allegiance from Wembley to Hampden, he would be the first men's player to appear for Scotland after earning a senior England cap. 

  Former Everton and Manchester City goalkeeper Sandy MacIver chose to represent Scotland after appearing in a friendly for the Lionesses in 2021. Now turning out in the NWSL for the Washington Spirit, MacIver has made five appearances for Scotland since making her debut in 2023.

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• What would Barnes bring to Scotland?

  Scottish football is riding an unbelievable high in the aftermath of their scintillating 4-2 win over Denmark earlier this week. That famous win secured Clarke's side a spot in next summer's World Cup; competition for spots in his final squad will be fierce as proud Scottish players fight for the rare opportunity to represent their country on the biggest stage.

  The wide men were highly influential in the crucial qualifying victory, with Ben Gannon-Doak setting up Scott McTominay's overhead kick, and Kyle McClean sending Hampden Park into raptures with his last minute effort from the halfway line. Captain John McGinn typically operates from the left flank for Clarke's side, meaning starting options for Barnes could be be limited; especially when you consider the manager's loyalty to his squad. The starting XI against Denmark held more than 600 caps between them. Would those battle-hardened veterans of this side be happy to lose their spot to a player that has flirted with the idea of joining them for the best part of five years? 

  However, the Newcastle winger could be an attractive squad option. The 27-year-old has been a consistent Premier League operator since making his debut for Leicester City back in the 2017-18 season. With four goals and two assists in limited game time for the Magpies this season, the Scottish FA may well pursue Barnes one last time, to help their heroic side fire on all cylinders in North America next summer. 

Manchester United have kept their unbeaten run going by the skin of their teeth. The Red Devils drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur, and it took a late goal from Matthijs de Ligt to secure the point and extend the unbeaten run to five games.

Indeed, the Dutchman’s strike in the 96th minute was enough to bail his side out of yet another defeat under Ruben Amorim, although they had previously led in the game.

Bryan Mbeumo scored a header which put United 1-0 up at halftime.

However, Spurs struck back after lots of pressure in the second half. First, Mathys Tel fired home, with his effort flicking off De Ligt’s foot and into the back of Senne Lammens’ goal.

Richarlison thought he had won it in the 91st minute with a clever header, before United’s number four cancelled his goal out moments later.

It was a largely uninspiring performance from United. They played an incredibly passive game, happy to let Spurs dominate the ball. In total, Amorim’s side had just five shots, with the only two that were on target ending up in the back of the net.

Their first goalscorer, Mbeumo, continued his fine form in front of goal.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stats vs. Spurs

October’s Premier League player of the month is off the mark in November. Mbeumo has been one of the signings of the season, and now has seven goals and assists in just 12 games for the Red Devils.

His strike on Saturday lunchtime away to Spurs was one of good centre-forward play and a deft touch.

The United number 19 got in between two Lilywhites defenders, before glancing his header home into the back of the net.

That was not Mbeumo’s only positive contribution against Spurs, though. He was a constant problem for the opposition defence, having 44 touches and making three passes into the final third.

The attacker was excellent off the ball, too, and made four recoveries.

As well as the 26-year-old played against Spurs, however, there was a United player who arguably outshone him.

United’s standout player vs. Spurs

United’s draw away to Spurs was certainly frustrating. Amorim was critical of his side post-match, explaining that “we should do better, be more aggressive, feel the environment in the stadium, the three points were there.”

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However, one player, like Mbeumo, who stood out, was Amad. It was a different role for the Ivorian from the start today, operating as the right number 10 rather than at wing-back.

However, he was his usual energetic self, posing a threat going forward and worked hard defensively.

In fact, it was the attacker’s cross from which Mbeumo scored. What a delightful ball it was, too. Amad picked the ball up just inside the Spurs’ penalty area, lifting his cross from a standing position to the back post for his teammate to guide home.

That was one of two chances he created, on an afternoon where he also played four passes into Spurs’ third.

Amad stats vs. Spurs

Stat

Number

Touches

48

Passes completed

23/32

Duels won

7

Ball recoveries

5

Passes into final third

4

Chances created

2

Assists

1

Stats from Fotmob

Amad’s excellent performance certainly stood out, with journalist Liam Canning saying it was an “unbelievable” showing from the Ivorian attacker, while lauding him as the actual man of the match.

There is certainly a case to be made that Amad is becoming Amorim’s new version of Bruno Fernandes. Often, it is the Portuguese attacker who has shouldered the creative burden at United. Yet, it has been different this season, with the captain’s three assists matched by Amad.

A reason for that could be the role United’s manager uses his skipper in. A number 10 by trade, Fernandes now plays deeper in the pivot, and with their number 16 operating high and wide at wing-back or in the pockets as a number 10. He is certainly far more involved in the final third.

This is not a bad thing for United, who have relied solely on Fernandes for too many years. But, Amad is certainly taking up more creative responsibility, and is slowly becoming their new version of Fernandes.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 6, 2025

Former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz believes a move to Lyon could be the best step for Endrick if the Brazilian leaves the club in January, saying regular minutes matter more than staying on the bench at the Bernabeu. Mariano, who made the same move in 2017 after struggling for game time, says there is "life beyond" Madrid.

Endrick’s season stalled at Real Madrid

Los Blancos signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 in a deal worth up to €60 million. His first year under Carlo Ancelotti showed promise, with seven goals in 37 appearances, but injuries halted his progress heading into this season. A hamstring injury kept him out of the Club World Cup and the start of the new campaign. By the time he returned, new manager Xabi Alonso had settled on other attacking options, leaving Endrick with just one brief appearance against Valencia earlier this month, where he played just 11 minutes. The lack of consistent minutes has raised concerns about his development, especially with the World Cup coming next year.

AdvertisementAFPMariano advises Endrick to embrace a move abroad

Speaking to , Mariano sees parallels between their situations and says leaving Madrid does not mean giving up on a future at the club.

“If Endrick ends up leaving, or a player who isn’t getting much playing time has to go abroad to play, I would tell him to enjoy it a lot, to appreciate that if he’s going to be a starter on the team, that’s the best thing that can happen to him,” Diaz said.

He stressed that regular starts give players a real chance to prove their ability. 

"You have to try to prove yourself when they give you that confidence, because it’s not the same when you play a few minutes every three games. You can’t prove your worth in a few minutes. But if they trust you and you’re a starter, that’s when you can prove a lot of things. In this case, if he [Endrick] leaves, he could also return to Madrid," the 32-year-old added.

Endrick stands at same career crossroads Mariano faced

The Dominican Republic international knows what it feels like to wait for chances at Madrid. The forward broke into the senior team during the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, but spent most of his time behind the famous 'BBC' trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Los Blancos went on to win the Champions League and enjoy their most successful campaign in decades, but Mariano’s role was limited.

"It was one of the best teams I’ve ever played for because it wasn’t just the starters, but also what the press called ‘Plan B’. It was a bit curious, but the truth is that Plan B was like Plan A."

At the end of that season, Diaz moved to Lyon to play regularly, a decision he now sees as crucial in his development. However, he returned a year later after Cristiano Ronaldo's shocking move to Juventus. 

"As it was Madrid, I wasn’t going to say no,” Mariano recalled. "But they told me that this time it would be different, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to return."

Injuries derailed his progress, and he was again playing a bench role until his exit in 2023.

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Getty Images SportBrazilian forward sees Lyon as the right move for development

Several clubs have shown interest in Endrick, including Manchester United, who saw him as a replacement option after Benjamin Sesko’s injury. But the 19-year-old prefers Lyon, viewing the French club as a place where he can earn minutes, regain confidence and stay in contention for the 2026 World Cup with Brazil. Madrid had initially wanted to loan him within La Liga to help him adapt more smoothly and keep him close to home as he approaches Spanish citizenship in six months. However, Endrick pushed for a move abroad, prioritising consistent game time over location.

Ancelotti, now the Brazil national team coach, is yet to call up the young forward in any of the international breaks. However, the former Madrid coach has also urged him to play regularly if he wants to remain in the national-team picture.

"He has to think with his entourage about what’s best. Talk to the club, to see what’s best for him. Endrick is very young, this won’t be his last World Cup," he said. "He could play in the 2026 World Cup, because he has the quality for it, but he could also be in the 2030 World Cup, or the 2034 World Cup, and maybe even the 2038 World Cup (laughs). I believe it’s important for him to get back to playing and show his qualities.”