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Ireland have not played a Test since July 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2021No Irish first-class cricket will be played for a second consecutive season, after Cricket Ireland announced a revamped inter-provincial structure for 2021.The Inter-Provincial Championship, the Irish domestic multi-day competition, has had first-class status since the 2017 season, paving the way for Ireland to become a full member of the ICC, but the tournament was not staged last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and will not be held in 2021 as Ireland focus their efforts on limited-overs cricket.Ireland have not played a Test match since July 2019, when they threatened to cause an upset against England at Lord’s, and are not due to play another until December, when they have a one-off fixture scheduled against Sri Lanka. Their ‘A’ side, the Ireland Wolves, will play a four-day game in Bangladesh later this month, but further red-ball development opportunities will continue to be limited.”With regards to the red-ball format, with no summer Test scheduled in 2021, Cricket Ireland has prioritised white-ball cricket due to there being three white-ball World Cups over the next three years,” a statement said. “However, [we] will be exploring ways to reintroduce the Inter-Provincial Championship when both the pandemic and consequential financial situation permits.”After Leinster Lightning’s domination of the inter-provincial tournaments since their introduction in 2013, Cricket Ireland has overhauled the domestic system to maximise the possibility of “best v best” competition.Previously, talent has been concentrated in Leinster to the extent that players on the fringes of the national set-up have struggled to make their XI, while the other teams – North West Warriors, Northern Knights and, in T20, Munster Reds – have not competed at the same standard.Under the new system, Graham Ford and Andrew White – the national team’s head coach and chair of selectors respectively – will be involved in selecting core squads, rather than provincial union coaches and selectors. “The selectors will adopt a selection policy that, as far as possible, balances the need to strength the tournament via best v best against ensuring the strength of provincial union identity,” the statement said.Related

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A new loan system will also be introduced in 2021 to make squads more flexible, while the Munster Reds will also compete in the 50-over competition, though their coaching hub will be based in Dublin with guidance from Cricket Ireland.The 50-over competition will be played in a double-round-robin series, with each team playing six games in total, while the T20 tournament will be played as a series of three-day festivals. The season will run from May to September, and a new emerging team competition will also be staged.”It is widely acknowledged that more cricket is needed and there is a burning desire for more rounds of both white-ball formats to be played, as well as eventually returning to red-ball three- or four-day first class cricket,” said Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s high performance director.”This is an exciting day for domestic representative cricket across Ireland, as we start to move forward with some substantial reforms to the men’s game. A viable and sustainable inter-provincial structure feeding talent into the international set-up is crucial for the competitiveness of our senior side on the world stage.””The ‘best v best’ philosophy seeks to ensure we don’t have a host of talented players sitting on the sidelines, and that they are getting proper competitive cricket. Balancing this with the need to maintain a sense of regional identity was an important piece of these improvements – and will be one of the main components of ensuring that regional coaches are working closely with national coaches.”Ireland are due to play men’s international fixtures against Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe in their home 2021 season, as well as a three-match World Cup Super League series in the Netherlands. They were beaten 3-0 by Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi this month, having drawn 1-1 with the UAE immediately before.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall says it is "simply not good enough" the way the Women's Super League has handled the rescheduling of matches.

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Chelsea's WSL match with Man Utd postponedConflicted with Champions League tie with Real MadridArsenal boss Eidevall says it's "not good enough"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea's match with Manchester United in the Women's Super League on Sunday was postponed as it was too close to the Blues' Champions League tie with Real Madrid on October 8. The Women's Professional Leagues Limited, which now runs the WSL, said the cancellation was to prioritise player welfare. But the match was scheduled weeks before the Champions League draw, as Gunners boss Eidevall described the whole affair as "amateurish behaviour".

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT JONAS EIDEVALL SAID

He said, via : "Out of the 16 teams, 13 were scheduled to play on the Friday or Saturday and the three English teams were all scheduled to play on the Sunday. We have a league organisation that doesn’t act proactively on these matters. It is damaging for the fans. It is simply not good enough from the league. Do the league want English teams to be successful at European level? I would hope the answer to that would be yes, but the actions show differently. It shows that this is not one of their priorities."

He added: ""It is very important that this is the first time in the group stage that three teams reached the group stage. That should be something we celebrate – instead it becomes a problem. Now it's even worse for us because of this amateurish behaviour, with not having a proactive plan. What needs to change is the approach to Champions League football. It is not good enough to blame it on UEFA because everyone across Europe has had the same information for a long time, and the only one that hasn't acted on that information is the WSL."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While playing a league game and then a Champions League match in the space of two days is far from ideal, the right decision may have been made to postpone it. But this could have been handled a whole lot better, especially as Chelsea's game with United was a sell-out and was picked for Sky Sports coverage.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

While Chelsea and United are not playing in the WSL this weekend, Eidevall's Arsenal host Everton in a battle between fourth and 11th in the table. A win could take the Gunners top of the table if results go their way.

They have received plenty of criticism for it over the last couple of years, but Chelsea seem determined to continue building a team full of exciting young talents.

For example, the West Londoners added Jorrel Hato, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao to Enzo Maresca’s side this summer.

However, one player who is just that little bit older than them is Liam Delap, who, at 22, is arguably still a prospect, but at the same time, needs to start delivering on a more consistent basis.

If he does do that, there is also more than a passing chance he could establish himself as an England regular; if not, Cobham is already producing an incredible gem who could surpass him for club and country.

Delap's route into the England team

While Thomas Tuchel arguably has the strongest England squad for a very long time, a narrative that has been doing the rounds this international break is that, after Harry Kane, there aren’t many, if any, obvious strikers to take as backup for the World Cup.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

For example, Ivan Toney is still playing in the Saudi Pro-League, Ollie Watkins has just one goal and no assists in 16 games this season, and Dominic Solanke is still out injured.

In fact, the search for a backup number nine has been so desperate that there are now genuine conversations around recalling Danny Welbeck ahead of the summer, and while he deserves to be in the conversation, he’ll be 35 this month, so he is not a long-term option.

This, then, is how, even though he’s not had the best of starts this season, Delap could very realistically find himself on that plane to the World Cup next summer.

After all, even though he was playing for a really relatively poor Ipswich Town side last season, the former Manchester City prospect was still able to rack up a reasonable enough tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances.

So, if he can rediscover some form this year, there is surely a place in Tuchel’s squad with his name on it, but if not, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects in a long time could eventually usurp him for club and country.

The Chelsea gem who could usurp Delap

Cobham have long produced Premier League-level youngsters who have gone on to star for Chelsea or other sides, and it looks like Shumaira Mheuka is the next one up.

The 18-year-old goalscoring machine began his footballing journey on the south coast with Brighton & Hove Albion, but made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2022.

In the two and a half years since, the youngster has gone from strength to strength and is without a doubt one of the most exciting up-and-coming centre-forwards in the country.

For example, even though he was just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists in 30 appearances across the u18s and u21s.

However, while his exploits last year were impressive, what he has been able to do this year has been utterly remarkable.

Appearances

61

Goals

34

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

So far, the teenage phenom, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “Cobham’s finest,” has scored 13 goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances for the youth sides, totalling 997 minutes.

In other words, he is currently averaging 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.31 minutes, which is frankly ridiculous.

If that wasn’t enough, the Birmingham-born monster is also doing the business for the national side, racking up a tally of 14 goals and three assists in 20 appearances for the u19s.

With numbers and performances such as these, it’s easy to see why Kulig described the youngster as “the future of Chelsea and English football.”

Ultimately, if Delap doesn’t start performing for Chelsea soon, there is every chance he could be replaced by Mheuka, who could also soon make his way into Tuchel’s plans.

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Also: was Travis Head’s 154 not out the highest score by an Australian in an ODI in England?

Steven Lynch24-Sep-2024Was Travis Head’s 154 not out the highest score by an Australian in an ODI in England? asked Michael Carpenter from Australia
That superb innings from Travis Head in the first one-day international at Trent Bridge last week was the highest ODI score by an Australian against England in England, beating Shane Watson’s 143 in Southampton in 2013.But there has been one higher score for Australia in all ODIs in England: David Warner hammered 166 against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge during the 2019 World Cup. The only score higher than Head’s for Australia against England in any ODI is 161 not out, by Watson again, in Melbourne in 2011.Marnus Labuschagne had a remarkable all-round game in the first ODI against England – a fifty, three wickets and four catches. Has anyone done this before? asked Kevin Wilson from Scotland
Marnus Labuschagne saw Australia to victory at Trent Bridge with 77 not out, having earlier taken three wickets and four catches in England’s innings.Two others have added a half-century to three wickets and three catches in the same ODI: Australia’s Greg Matthews, against New Zealand in Auckland in 1986, and Jacques Kallis of South Africa, against West Indies in Centurion in 1999.It’s been achieved in women’s ODIs only by Suzie Bates, for New Zealand against England in Taunton in 2007.Marnus Labuschagne is the only player to score a half-century, take three wickets and four catches in an ODI•AFPIn a recent CPL match, Roshon Primus bowled an over that lasted 13 balls. Was that a T20 record? asked Chris Dowden from Grenada
The ESPNcricinfo database only has ball-by-ball details for about 63% of all T20 matches, but we have unearthed two cases of overs lasting 14 deliveries: by Bhutan’s Thinley Jamtsho against Maldives in Kirtipur (Nepal) in 2019 – the first over of the innings, it contained eight wides – and by Mongolia’s captain Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan against Japan in Sano (Japan) in 2024. The first over of the match included six wides and two no-balls – and a wicket. In all, Mongolia sent down 21 wides and three no-balls, and were later dismissed for 12.The recent 13-ball over by Roshon Primus came in his only over for Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in their CPL match against Barbados Royals in Bridgetown last week. It was the 12th over of the innings and cost 23: there were four wides and three no-balls – and a wicket, when Quinton de Kock gloved a catch behind.The only other 13-ball over we can find was by Tangeni Lungameni for Namibia v Kenya in East London in 2018. It was his first over, and included seven wides – but he recovered well, sending down no more wides and finishing with 1 for 28 in his four overs.Ravichandran Ashwin has now scored six Test centuries, all from No. 8 or lower, I believe. Is this a record? asked Kiran Mehta from India
Although R Ashwin does now have six Test centuries, following his match-turning effort in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai last week, only four of them came from No. 8 – he scored two while up at No. 6: 113 in Antigua and 118 in St Lucia during India’s series in the West Indies in 2016.Ashwin has scored four centuries from No. 8, which puts him level with Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, and one ahead of the Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. Vettori scored his first hundred from No. 9. He leads the way with five Test centuries from No. 8 or lower in the order.Was Keacy Carty the first Test cricketer to emerge from Sint Maarten? asked Darrell Walcott from Barbados
The small Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Netherlands, is probably best known for its scary airport, whose runway adjoins the beach, meaning that incoming planes appear to be worryingly close to the sea before skimming over anxious holidaymakers. But you’re right, it does now have another claim to fame: batter Keacy Carty, who was born there in 1997, made his Test debut against South Africa in Port-of-Spain in August. In the second innings he batted briefly with Mikyle Louis, the first West Indian Test cricketer from the island of St Kitts.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Manchester United have now made a U-turn and made contact with Casemiro’s agent over a new contract, and the midfielder’s stance on signing a new deal has been revealed.

Kobbie Mainoo has been unable to get a look-in as of late, with Ruben Amorim predominantly opting to give the former Real Madrid man the nod in central midfield, alongside Bruno Fernandes, who has been utilised in a deeper role this season.

Consequently, it is now looking increasingly likely that Mainoo will depart in the January transfer window, with the youngster potentially in line to follow Scott McTominay to Napoli, despite the fact Amorim wants to keep hold of him.

With the central midfielder’s place in the World Cup squad at stake, it is understandable that he is looking to receive more game time ahead of the summer, but Amorim is in a tricky position, given that Casemiro has been indispensable this term.

Recently, the 33-year-old has even been compared to United icon Nemanja Vidic, and it has subsequently emerged that he could be rewarded with a new contract as a result of his fine form, despite widespread reports suggesting United have been hesitant to offer him fresh terms.

Casemiro's stance on signing new contract at Man Utd revealed

According to a report from United In Focus, Man United have now performed a U-turn and contacted the midfielder’s agent about a contract extension, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey revealing Amorim’s stance on one of his star players signing a new deal.

Bailey said: “I’m told Amorim would be open to him staying, and if Casemiro is ready to take a drop in salary and work with United on a deal, it is not inconceivable that he stays.”

Not only is the manager open to keeping hold of the veteran midfielder, but the player himself is also personally receptive to the idea of remaining at Old Trafford, and positive talks have already been held.

The ex-Real Madrid star has certainly turned a corner since Jamie Carragher infamously told him he was finished at the top level and to move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS.

Indeed, the 80-time Brazil international has only missed one Premier League match this season, which was due to suspension, amassing three goals and one assist in his opening ten matches.

Of course, the five-time Champions League winner is more well-known for his stellar defensive attributes, and his ability to win back possession has been on display regularly over the past year, averaging 4.09 tackles per 90, which places the maestro in the top 1% of midfielders.

Consequently, it would make sense to offer Casemiro a new deal, but it would have to be at reduced wages, given his age, with the central midfielder currently the highest-earning player in the squad.

Man Utd's highest earners have been named and ranked Weekly wages: Manchester United FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

We at Football FanCast have gathered all the information on exactly how much the wages of each player is at Manchester United.

ByLuke Randall Sep 4, 2025

On 76* opener has the chance to do something truly monumental

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jan-2021Some players wear expectations of greatness lightly. Eight years and 37 Tests into his career, it is fair to say that Lahiru Thirimanne has not.In his early years, Thirimanne appeared as he still appears now – mature, measured, responsible, astute, always with that determined look upon his face. Here was a serious young player. That determined scowl rarely leaving his face, “serious” in every sense of the word, in a side whose other young players were free-flowing and fearless (read: flippant).When Thirimanne bent that knee and sent the ball scorching through cover, as he did on several occasions during his breakout 91 at the SCG eight years ago, the comparisons were hard to resist. The new Kumar Sangakkara?Angelo Mathews, who was a young captain back then, certainly couldn’t escape being drawn in a few months later: “Thirimanne has the potential to bat at number three in the long term,” Mathews said in 2013. “He has the composure, he’s very calm and he makes good decisions. He’s showed a lot of maturity and he’s got a long future. I’m sure he can be the next Sangakkara.”At the time, Sangakkara was in the midst of the most extraordinary run of his career, unlocking audacious new strokes in limited-overs cricket, while maintaining his Test-match excellence, but even then, this almost seemed a reasonable expectation. Thirimanne left the ball well when it was swinging, clipped the ball nicely through the legside, seemed unperturbed by the short ball, drove elegantly, and though he did seem to nick off to the ball angled across him – which young left-hander doesn’t?Until the end of 2015, Thirimanne even began to make good on some of that early promise, if just in limited-overs cricket. He led Sri Lanka to victory with 101 in the 2014 Asia Cup final. Not long after that, he was his team’s top-scorer in the World T20 semi-final against West Indies – a tournament Sri Lanka went on to win. He’d get it right in the longest format, eventually, right? I mean, the guy didn’t smile. Clearly his temperament is to play Tests.But close to seven years later, what do we have? A Test average of 23.57, even counting his ongoing 76 not out in Galle. Now in his 72nd Test innings, Thirimanne has made only 1532 runs, his only century having come against Bangladesh on arguably the flattest pitch Sri Lanka have played on in the past 10 years. Good looking 20-odds ended by a rash stroke, momentum sapping knocks such as his 17 off 58 at Lord’s in 2016, or his 2 off 59 against New Zealand at the P Sara three years later, and overall, a pattern of not only failure to deliver on his early promise, but of failure full stop. Before this Test, no top-order batsman in Test history had played more than 50 innings and averaged fewer than he had.(Kusal Mendis, who has copped more flak in recent weeks for his series of noughts, has at least produced some great innings. His 176 against Australia was Sri Lanka’s finest in the last decade apart from Kusal Perera’s 153*. He’s also batted out an entire day at the Basin Reserve for a match-saving 141* alongside Angelo Mathews, and later also produced an effervescent 84* to seal a game at Port Elizabeth.)And yet, Thirimanne has continued to be picked in Sri Lanka’s Test squads, frequently falling out of favour after several low scores, but often making a return to squads depleted by injury, or whenever new selectors are installed. The belief seems to be that Thirimanne had been unfairly shafted by the previous lot who kept moving him around the top order. “We’ll get Thiri right, though, you’ll see.” And so he comes in, plays a few of his attractive-but-brief innings. Then he gets dropped again, and not seen for several months until a new lot comes in, or the team is in a serious slide. Other talented batsmen – Roshen Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and more recently, Pathum Nissanka – must wonder what they have to do to gain this kind of goodwill with Sri Lanka’s cricket establishment.His knock in Galle has given Sri Lanka hope of making England bat again, if not quite achieving a strong position just yet. He was dropped in the 50s, but has otherwise been solid. For much of this innings he was batting in the slipstream of the more aggressive Perera, though Thirimanne did have pressure heaped upon him when Kusal Mendis arrived at the crease. In this innings, as in general, Thirimanne has just been there… mostly inoffensive, occasionally useful, decent without being extraordinary, and most of all, hinting that he is capable of more without ever taking the game by its collar.If he goes on to hit his second Test hundred on Sunday, on a difficult pitch, against a decent attack, he will still not have vindicated his selection all these years, so great are the debts he’s racked up. Even in a modest Sri Lanka team, an average of less than 25 is not justifiable over the span of innings he has had the chance to play.But there remains the possibility of his doing something truly monumental – leading Sri Lanka to a position of strength when they had given up a lead of 286. And because even at the age of 31 he continues to be picked on looks and potential, Sri Lankan cricket almost has no choice but to hope this innings will kickstart the phase of his career that sees him live up to even some of those early expectations.

The rivalry has often failed to live up to its billing in women’s cricket, and Friday’s contest was no exception

Shashank Kishore19-Jul-2024’The greatest rivalry ever’ tagline is, to put it mildly, an exaggeration when it comes to an India vs Pakistan in women’s cricket.Only the occasional contest, like the one from the previous Asia Cup, or when Delhi gave Sana Mir & co a rapturous ovation after their famous win at the T20 World Cup in 2016, has piqued interest of broadcasters and advertisers.Related

India win big after racking up their highest T20I total

Otherwise, the excitement has often felt manufactured, not organic. In the digital age, where social media is a barometer of sporting frenzy, there was hardly any talk of this being ‘the contest’ to look forward to. If anything, India vs Bangladesh, with it’s feistiness, occasional ill temper, animated celebrations and, at times, furore over umpiring, has challenged this rivalry to become rivalry in Asia.Ask Harmanpreet Kaur, who was at the centre of it only recently, slamming “pathetic umpiring”, only for her opposite number, Nigar Sultana to suggest she “should’ve shown better manners”.As unfortunate as that incident may have been, it has without doubt contributed to the edge around the rivalry. There has been a sense of uneasy calm around the two teams ever since, and while subsequent matches haven’t witnessed similar episodes, the competitive energy that was missing until even four years ago is now very much present.In that sense, Friday was Pakistan’s opportunity to prove that the broadcasters were right to build this match up for primetime viewing. Unfortunately, it fell flat right at the beginning, perhaps as soon as Nida Dar decided to bat on what she felt was a “dry surface.”Her decision may have perhaps been influenced by recent history. The last time they met India at the Asia Cup, Pakistan batted first, made 137, and then tied India into knots. Maybe it was the chance to bat freely without scoreboard pressure, but Pakistan quickly found themselves up against it when Pooja Vastrakar picked up two wickets inside the powerplay with the short ball.Shreyanka Patil impressed with her variety•ACCBatter after batter attempted big shots, none bigger than Nida’s heave down long-on’s throat at a time when she was Pakistan’s biggest hope of getting close to 130. India’s spinners gnawed at a scratchy middle order who dug themselves into a pit they couldn’t get out of. Barring Muneeba Ali, who looked to break away early on, and Fatima Sana towards the end, most of the other batters adopted a safety-first approach, allowing India’s bowlers to dictate terms.Deepti Sharma continued to show why she’s a threat on subcontinent surfaces, with her guile and ability to lull batters out with her flight. Shreyanka Patil exhibited her variety – a carrom ball, traditional off spin, an outswinger and even a bouncer when challenged to defend a free-hit.Renuka Singh has often been prolific when there has been movement on offer, but has often struggled in conditions where there’s no swing, especially in the middle and death overs. On Friday, she returned to deliver two key breakthroughs to boost her confidence, even as a new and improved Arundhati Reddy waits in the wings. Radha Yadav was largely accurate until one bad over in the end dented her analysis. Essentially, every India bowler got a decent workout.In the end, 108 was hardly enough to challenge India’s batting might. Their response to the total, fuelled by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma’s rampaging form, was not one bit surprising. Mandhana is coming off three hundreds against South Africa, and Shafali a barnstorming Test double.For a while now, Amol Muzumdar, India’s head coach, has stressed on developing a killer instinct. It’s a quality India have seemed to lack in numerous crunch moments, none more famously than against Australia in the semi-finals of the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa. But with little pressure to contend with, Mandhana and Shafali dictated terms, attacked Pakistan’s spinners from the get go, and raced to a powerplay score of 57 for no loss.”Playing fearless cricket, it’s something we’ve spoken about and something we want to keep doing,” Harmanpreet said. “It’s important to set the tone and whoever got the opportunity did well. When we were bowling, we spoke of early breakthroughs [which Vastrakar gave then] and with the bat, credit to Smriti and Shafali.”India would have liked to finish more clinically, without losing three quick wickets to big shots, but it’s unlikely to cause them to fret too much. They looked every bit the tournament favourites, and Pakistan like they needed to play out of their skins to try and have another crack at igniting the ‘greatest rivalry ever’.

U.S. men's national team star Weston McKennie kept his spot in the Juventus XI, but he couldn't separate the two sides in a 0-0 draw with Napoli.

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McKennie starts vs NapoliWeah comes off benchJuve held in 0-0 drawGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

After starting and scoring in Juve's Champions League win over PSV, Weston McKennie was right back in manager Thiago Motta's XI for Saturday's clash with Napoli. Unfortunately for McKennie and Juve, Saturday's match was nowhere near as straightforward as Napoli frustrated the Old Lady in a 0-0 draw.

McKennie played 80 minutes for Juve, starting alongside Manuel Locatelli and Teun Koopmeiners in midfield. The American completed 19 of his 22 passes while winning two of his five duels. He was joined on the pitch in the second half by USMNT teammate Tim Weah, who came on as a substitute after halftime.

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Saturday provided further evidence that McKennie has indeed won Motta's trust after Juve spent most of the summer trying to move on from the American. McKennie ultimately opted to remain at Juve, signing a new contract to commit his future to the Italian club.

It is a big contrast to the start of the season, where McKennie played just 24 minutes prior to their matchup vs. PSV. The coach, though, has turned to him for these two vital matches, showing that McKennie is at least rising up the depth chart in Turin.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

McKennie had a fantastic season with Juventus during the 2023-24 campaign, providing seven assists after returning from a challenging loan spell at Leeds the previous season.

Imago WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

After playing three games in seven days, Juve will now have a bit of a break in comparison before they take on Genoa on Sept. 28.

LOS ANGELES — Two hours after the best player in the history of baseball played the best game in the history of baseball, he headed home from the office. Shohei Ohtani was not holding the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award or the 2025 World Series swag he had earned that night; the half-dozen members of his agency and his security team trailing him could handle that. And besides, his hands were full: He was pushing a Nuna stroller containing his six-month-old daughter and, in the basket below her, his Nederlandse Kooikerhondje. 

Almost more impressive than the feats Ohtani achieves on a nightly basis—the devastating splitters, the towering home runs, the fact that sometimes, as on Friday, three minutes pass between the two—is this: He is both the most and least normal person at the ballpark. 

The former posture helps him attain the latter performance. He spent two weeks listening to reporters, fans and his own manager question whether his pursuit of pitching greatness was hindering his mastery of hitting greatness. After an excellent regular season—a league-leading 1.014 OPS, plus a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings—he scuffled at the plate in the playoffs. In the National League Division Series, he was 1-for-18 with nine strikeouts, and his swing decisions mystified his bosses. 

“We’re not going to win the World Series with a performance like that,” manager Dave Roberts lamented before the NLCS began. 

An “amazing” manager with a £10m+ release clause was Nottingham Forest’s top target to replace Ange Postecoglou prior to a deal for Sean Dyche being agreed, it has been revealed.

Forest slammed for "ridiculous" Ange decision as Dyche joins

After replacing Nuno back in September, Ange lasted just 39 days as Forest manager, with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards both agreeing it was “ridiculous” not to give the Australian more time, despite making a very poor start to life at the City Ground.

The 3-0 defeat against Chelsea was the final straw for Evangelos Marinakis, with the owner sacking the 60-year-old just 18 minutes after full-time, having been seen leaving his seat in the second-half and not returning.

In truth, the scoreline didn’t reflect the balance of the game, with the Tricky Trees recording an xG of 2.35, compared to 1.67 from the visitors, but they were unable to take their chances, and goalkeeper Matz Sels struggled at the opposite end of the pitch.

With the Ange era coming to an end before it really started, Marinakis has wasted no time bringing in a replacement, as Dyche was already in the building by Tuesday morning.

However, according to a report from Football Insider, Nottingham Forest originally identified Fulham manager Marco Silva as the top target for the role.

Forest would have had to fork out over £10m to lure Silva to the City Ground, which may have been the main stumbling block, while Dyche was available without any compensation being required.

"Amazing" Silva could've been ideal Ange replacement

Having been at Fulham since July 2021, the 48-year-old is currently the third-longest serving Premier League manager, and it would be fair to say he’s done a great job, stabilising the Cottagers as a Premier League club after winning the Championship title in 2021-22.

Nottingham Forest contact "incredible" PL title-winning boss to replace Ange

The Tricky Trees have approached a proven top-level manager following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

ByDominic Lund Oct 19, 2025

The Portuguese manager, who prefers to implement a 4-2-3-1 system, has also been praised by former player Tosin Adarabioyo, who described him as “amazing” a little under a year ago.

As such, Silva could’ve been an ideal successor to Postecoglou, but there are signs that Dyche could be the right man for the job, not least due to his experience in relegation battles, leading Everton to safety in dramatic fashion on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign.