تحدث دون هاتشيسون، لاعب خط الوسط السابق في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، عن جلوس نجم نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح خلال مباراة فريقه ضد وست هام يونايتد يوم أمس الأحد.
ليفربول تمكن من تحقيق الانتصار على وست هام بهدفين دون رد يوم أمس الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
لكن وفي مفاجأة كبيرة بقى محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء، حيث وضعه مدرب ليفربول، آرني سلوت، كبديل ولم يدفع به في أي دقيقة من المباراة.
وكسر سلوت بذلك سلسلة مشاركة محمد صلاح بشكل أساسي في مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، والتي وصلت إلى 53 مباراة متتالية.
ويرى هاتشيسون في تصريحات نقلتها بي بي سي سبورت، أن محمد صلاح يعاني بشكل كبير من الإجهاد ويعيش فترة صعبة منذ بداية الموسم.
وقال هاتشيسون عن محمد صلاح: “دون أن يكون مبهراً، دخل جو جوميز ببساطة ولعب دوره كمدافع وظهير أيمن ولقد دافع بشكل جيد، لم يكن هناك أي استعراض للكرة”.
اقرأ أيضًا .. تقارير: محمد صلاح قد يمنع لاعب ليفربول من الرحيل في يناير
وأضاف هاتشيسون في حديثه: “قدم فلوريان فيرتز أفضل مباراة له بكل تأكيد حيث بدا واثقاً من نفسه، وكان لديه مساحة أكبر والمشاهد التي يراها، والكرات حول الزاوية، وقوة التمريرات”.
وأوضح: ”عندما يشارك صلاح في كأس الأمم الأفريقية، سيتاح مركز شاغر هناك، سواءً لجيريمي فريمبونج أو فيديريكو كييزا. لن تتلاشى الشائعات حول أنطوان سيمينيو فقد يكون هو مستقبل الفريق”.
وأردف هاتشيسون: “إنه حديث مقلق، لأن صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك لا يمكنهما الاستمرار للأبد”.
وتابع: “هذه هي الحقيقة المزعجة، لكنني أعتقد أن محمد صلاح سيلعب في منتصف الأسبوع بشكل أساسي ضد سندرلاند، لقد شارك كأساسي 53 مباراة متتالية قبل هذه المباراة، لذا ربما رأى آرني سلوت أنه يبدو منهكًا بعض الشيء”.
واختتم هاتشيسون في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “لم تتحسن ساقا صلاح، إنه يمر فقط بفترة صعبة”.
Liverpool haven’t been very good this season. That’s an understatement, too, with Arne Slot’s side having fallen so far below expectations after so dominantly winning the Premier League last year.
Though the Reds have stopped the rot that was spreading after nine losses from 12 fixtures in all competitions, winning at West Ham before drawing against Sunderland at Anfield, there is still so much to be desired from this group, whose mini-revival is presently built atop a house of cards.
Whether the head coach finds the formula that will shift Liverpool back into a winning outfit is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that performances and results have been so far below the firmly set standard that it beggars belief, and Slot needs to make changes before he finds himself on borrowed time, with potential successors already being touted in the media.
Liverpool looking at Slot replacement
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool chiefs Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are putting serious thought into appointing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner to replace Slot.
Glasner, 51, has defied the odds at Selhurst Park over the past few years, winning the FA Cup in May and then the Community Shield (against Liverpool) at the start of the current campaign. They are currently fifth in the Premier League.
It’s important to stress that there have not been any talks with Palace or the Austrian’s entourage. FSG remain committed to guiding their Dutch coach through this storm.
However, if it doesn’t abate, sources indicate Glasner is emerging as the preferred candidate to take the Anfield hot seat.
What Oliver Glasner would bring to Liverpool
Glasner has achieved great things with Crystal Palace, and his past Europa League-winning success with Eintracht Frankfurt corroborates the claim that he is a “top-five manager in the world”, as suggested by one English football content creator.
Though appointing Glasner would require something of a tactical transformation on Merseyside, with the Palace boss typically fielding a 3-4-2-1 formation, he is relaxed about the minutiae of his systems, which are interchangeable and open to tweaks. This tactical pliability suggests that he could be an interesting pick from the FSG hierarchy.
Glasner gets it. And, moreover, he speaks with the clarity and intellect to throw down with any top manager in the Premier League, perhaps even having the credentials to wage tactical battle against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
The ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara has even gone as far as to suggest that Glasner is “a better manager” than Arteta, with his trophy-winning credentials and the instant level-up he has overseen in south London bearing testament to that claim.
O’Hara’s football allegiances may lend themselves to a dislike of the high-flying Gunners project, but there is something to be said of Glasner’s success in taking over a Palace side that had lost their way under Roy Hodgson and have since achieved superstardom, plying their craft in Europe and enjoying new status as multi-trophy holders.
There is an urgency to Palace’s creative play that does not detract from their grace and elegance. They have created more big chances this season than both Arsenal and Liverpool. In fact, Manchester City are the only outfit with a higher count at this stage.
Man City
35
46
Chelsea
25
41
Brentford
21
41
Crystal Palace
18
41
Arsenal
27
40
Palace’s inherent playmaking prowess under Glasner’s wing suggests that he could be the perfect fit for a Liverpool side chock-full of devastating attacking quality.
Things might have gone stale in Slot’s system, but Glasner would prove the likes of O’Hara right by joining the Anfield side and elevating this Reds side back to illustrious heights.
Glasner could be the project manager Liverpool need to rival Arteta and Arsenal and reclaim their place on their perch, should Slot indeed face the axe in the coming months.
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Liverpool’s draw against Sunderland illustrated a litany of problems Slot is still dealing with.
Liverpool ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions by claiming all three points against West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.
Arne Slot’s team had lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest and 3-0 to Manchester City in their last two outings in the top-flight, which is why it was so important for them to bounce back with a win against the Hammers.
Alexander Isak scored his first league goal for the Reds after his £125m move from Newcastle United in the summer, as part of an attack that looked very different after some impressive tweaks from the head coach.
The key tactical tweaks Liverpool made against West Ham
Instead of playing Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, Slot opted to go with a natural defender in Joe Gomez in the back four and it was a tactical decision that paid off big time.
The former England international was not dribbled past a single time in the 90 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, and provided an assist for the second goal with an excellent cross after Szoboszlai, who was able to play further up the field, did well to lay the ball off to him.
Slot also played Florian Wirtz in the number ten role, after he was left on the bench against PSV, and the Germany international completed 93% of his attempted passes in a controlling and metronomic display in the middle of the park.
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The Liverpool boss also made the bold call to drop Mohamed Salah from the starting line-up to play Szoboszlai out wide on the right, days after Alan Pardew suggested that the Egypt international has looked “lost”.
In Salah’s absence, though, Reds forward Cody Gakpo showed that he is the manager’s most clutch player this season with an impressive display.
Liverpool's most clutch player
In March of last year, the £40m signing from PSV was criticised by former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher, who claimed that the Dutchman “plays like the game is in slow motion”.
Believe it or not, that’s not the first time the former centre-back has criticised the Dutchman.
Indeed, just after he signed, Carragher wrote that he was ‘baffled watching Gakpo’s early performances,” further stating that ‘Gakpo is not a typical Klopp signing, lacking lightning pace and the capacity to lead a high press.’
There is a languid demeanour to the way that Gakpo plays for Liverpool on the wing, but that is not an inherently bad thing because it is not down to a genuine lack of effort, as shown by his output this season.
The Netherlands international added a goal and an assist to his tally in the 2-0 win over West Ham, setting up Isak for the opener before burying a finish late on to seal the win.
With Salah out, Gakpo once again showed that he is the most clutch player in the squad in the Premier League this season, because he has been the most productive player in front of goal.
Last season, Salah was the player Liverpool looked to when they needed a goal, as he ended the campaign with a staggering 29 goals and 18 assists, per WhoScored.
25/26 PL
Gakpo
Liverpool rank
xG
3.8
1st
Goals
4
1st
Big chances created
7
1st
Chances created
25
1st
xA
2.6
1st
Assists
3
1st
Goals + assists
7
1st
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, it is Gakpo who has been the go-to man for Slot in the top-flight so far this term, leading the way in pretty much every significant attacking metric.
These statistics show how clutch the Dutchman has been for the Reds this season, because he has been their main star for both goals and creativity at the top end of the pitch, which was on full display with a goal and an assist on Sunday.
Until Salah is able to get back to his best in the Premier League, which will hopefully happen in the coming weeks, Gakpo should be considered the most clutch player in the squad for his output so far.
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Elly De La Cruz is picking up right where he left off.
The Cincinnati Reds phenom got his spring training off to the best start possible Saturday, as he crushed a high-flying solo home run in the first inning of an exhibition matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.
Three innings later, he did it again. In his second at-bat of the day—this time as a right-handed hitter—De La Cruz mashed a 91.8-mph fastball from Logan Allen deep over the wall in right-center field.
Two at-bats, two home runs. That is one sweet, sweet swing.
De La Cruz is hoping to build off a promising All-Star campaign in 2024. In 160 games last season, the shortstop led the big leagues in strikeouts (218) but also batted .259/.339/.471 with 25 homers and 67 stolen bases. He became the first player in MLB history to notch at least 100 stolen bases and 30 homers over his first two seasons.
De La Cruz is set to start at shortstop once again for the Reds, who are looking to improve upon a disappointing 77–85 campaign in 2024 and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
With their striker troubles not going away anytime soon, Everton are now reportedly serious about making a January move to sign a big-money star in January.
Moyes has say on Beto after Man City miss
It was far from a disastrous summer for The Friedkin Group. In fact, it was actually fairly positive. They signed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler Dibling among others in an impressive spending spree. Yet, one problem persists. Everton need a consistent, clinical striker.
The Toffees thought they got that in Thierno Barry in the summer, but the former Villarreal man is yet to make his mark and may need at least a season to find his feet in English football. As a result, David Moyes has been forced to turn towards Beto, who has scored just one Premier League goal in eight appearances so far this season.
The towering forward struggled once again last weekend as Everton were made to pay for not taking their chances by a clinical Man City and Erling Haaland. As the best striker in the world dominated at one end, Beto failed to impress at the other in a glaring contrast.
It’s something that Everton must look to solve when January arrives and Moyes will know that more than most.
The experienced manager had his say on Beto’s missed chances against Man City, saying: “I think the one he doesn’t get to, he should get to. The one that was given offside was onside, I think, and ultimately we get a VAR decision if it goes in. The first chance – we’re studs away from getting a goal.”
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It seems as though Friedkin are also aware of the Toffees’ striker troubles, with those at the Hill Dickinson now reportedly serious about signing a big-money star.
Everton now serious about Ivan Toney move
According to Football Insider, Everton are now seriously interested in signing Ivan Toney in the January transfer window. The Al-Ahli forward reportedly believes that a return to the Premier League is his best chance to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup and particularly wants to work under Moyes.
Toney’s camp reportedly favour a move to Merseyside rather than West Ham United, handing Everton a major advantage ahead of the winter window. The deal, even if on loan, is unlikely to come cheap, however.
The 29-year-old earns a staggering £22m-a-year in the Saudi Pro League, which would instantly make him Everton’s highest earner by more than £10m. It simply looks like an impossible deal unless Al-Ahli pay a percentage of the forward’s wages in a loan deal or Toney takes a pay-cut in a permanent switch.
Hailed as “intelligent” by former manager Thomas Frank, Toney is the type of player who could solve Everton’s striker problem. Whether they can find a way past his big-money salary is another question entirely, though. If the forward wants a World Cup place then he may have to compromise in January.
O atacante Júnior Santos demonstrou entusiasmo com o fato do Botafogo ter saído de campo com a vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Fluminense, neste domingo (8), no Maracanã. Em entrevista na zona mista, o camisa 37 exaltou o fato do Alvinegro ter se reencontrado com as vitórias após uma sequência de cinco jogos.
RelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: melhores momentos da vitória do Botafogo sobre o Fluminense pelo BrasileirãoVídeo08/10/2023BotafogoLúcio Flávio exalta atuação do Botafogo e atribui vitória no clássico à confiança da equipe em seu potencialBotafogo08/10/2023
O atleta também frisou o fato de ter sido um clássico.
+ Transforme sua paixão pelo futebol em profissão. Descubra o caminho com o curso Gestor de Futebol!
É um jogo muito importante, né? A gente sabia que ia ser um jogo difícil e conseguimos os três pontos. Vai dar mais confiança para a gente fazer os jogos no decorrer da temporada e alcançar o objetivo que é o título – disse.
Em seguida, o jogador cometeu um ato falho ao falar sobre a recente mudança de comando no Glorioso.
– Hoje, a equipe um pouco diferente. O Luís Castro… ops… O Lúcio Flávio, junto com o Carli colocou praticamente a equipe que a gente vinha jogando, que começou a pré-temporada. E graças a Deus, a gente foi abençoado e conseguiu fazer um bom jogo. Agora, a gente vai ganhar mais confiança – afirmou.
Júnior Santos também detalhou o que foi crucial para a vitória no clássico.
– A gente tem uma identidade. A gente colocou isso no campo. O Bruno Lage chegou e para ele foi difícil pegar esse trabalho no meio da temporada. O Carli já treinava, trabalhava com a gente, conhecia os estilos dos jogadores. Tanto para ele, quanto para o Lúcio, que pegou esse início de trabalho, consegui ali colocar nossa equipe e deu certo. A gente fez um grande jogo. Agora é cabeça no lugar e continuar focado no campeonato – afirmou.
O Botafogo volta a campo no dia 18, quando encara o América-MG, no Independência.
Aston Villa are poised to wave goodbye to a “wonderful footballer” pretty shortly, as a new report reveals this week.
Aston Villa turn corner under Unai Emery after disastrous start
It took Unai Emery’s side five Premier League games to score their first goal of the season, with Matty Cash’s long-range pile driver against newly-promoted Sunderland finally opening their account.
After a very difficult summer transfer window marred by issues with PSR, their severe lack of attacking impetus had many supporters fearing the worst, but in a huge sigh of relief for the Villans, they’re starting to hit an excellent run of form.
Aston Villa’s results in the Premier League so far this season
Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle
Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham
Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley
Since Cash burst the net at the Stadium of Light, Villa have sealed two wins from two of their opening Europa League games, whilst securing precious back-to-back Premier League wins against Fulham and Burnley.
The recent departure of Monchi, who left his role as Aston Villa sporting director, also marks the beginning of a new era, with former Real Sociedad chief Roberto Olabe brought in as Villa’s replacement.
Aston Villa's president of football operations, Monchi.
In one of his final acts as the club’s ‘president of football operations’, Monchi agreed to let midfielder Enzo Barrenechea join José Mourinho’s Benfica on loan with an obligation to buy.
Enzo Barrenechea on the verge of permanent Aston Villa exit to Benfica
Interestingly, according to A Bola this week, the conditions of his loan-to-buy clause mean that Barrenechea is just one game away from becoming a permanent Benfica player and leaving Villa Park for good.
Apparently, all requirements for the permanent option to be triggered are nearly met, including appearances, and Villa are about to receive a £10 million payment for the Argentine, on top of the £2.5 million loan fee they got in the summer, right after he makes another cameo.
Indeed, once Barrenechea is given his next nod for Benfica, he’ll have met the 15 games required to activate his permanent move to Portugal.
The 24-year-old joined Villa in a swap deal last year with Douglas Luiz heading the other way to Juventus, but he hasn’t made a single appearance for Villa.
He was sent out on loan to Valencia in his debut season, where he seriously impressed for the La Liga side, though it is now Mourinho who’s poised to snap up Villa’s forgotten “wonderful footballer”.
“You called me to talk about my favourite player,” said coach Andrea Bonatti, who worked with the player at Juve’s youth academy.
“He is a wonderful footballer. He has many virtues. He is very technical, he controls the ball very well under pressure, he has that ability that comes from futsal, which allows him to have good ball coverage. He has an excellent short game with both legs. And a great long movement, when you have to give speed to the game.
“He is very brave in aerial play, in heading. He is very helpful in defensive and offensive actions in the air. He covers a lot of ground, he is a 6 that gives a lot of balance, that frees up a lot for the teammate next to him. He is always on alert, with a great tactical sense, giving orders to avoid transitions against the rival team.”
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have built their season on defensive solidity.
Heading into their clash with Arsenal, the Magpies boasted the lowest expected goals conceded (xGA) in the league at 2.5, highlighting just how compact and resilient they had been.
That statistic shifted after Arsenal generated 2.04 xG at St James’ Park, pushing Newcastle down to second-best in the league.
Even so, Howe’s side have only conceded five goals all season while keeping four clean sheets, with only Liverpool and Arsenal managing to find the net against them.
Against the Gunners, Newcastle were disciplined and well-drilled, often forcing Mikel Arteta’s side into less threatening areas.
Yet all that hard work was undone in the 96th minute, when Gabriel Magalhães rose highest to score the winner.
How Gabriel helped to down Newcastle
It was a bitter pill to swallow given how well Newcastle had restricted Arsenal, but Gabriel’s decisive intervention underlined the fine margins at this level.
The Brazilian’s influence was evident beyond his goal. He disrupted Nick Woltemade and marshalled the defensive line with authority.
His performance earned him a man-of-the-match rating of 8.6 – a reminder of just how important he is to Arsenal’s title push.
Even if there was that one blemish with Woltemade, it’s safe to say he’s become a force in the Premier League in recent years.
Gabriel’s journey at Arsenal since arriving from Lille in 2020 has been one of steady progression.
Now 27 years old and valued at around £70m by Transfermarkt, he has cemented his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most commanding centre-backs.
His partnership with William Saliba has been the bedrock of Arsenal’s recent success.
Together they have anchored a backline that has kept 29 clean sheets over the last two seasons, while goalkeeper David Raya has claimed consecutive Golden Glove awards.
Beyond his defensive qualities, Gabriel provides a consistent goal threat.
His headed winner against Newcastle was his 21st goal for Arsenal, a remarkable tally for a central defender.
That ability to contribute at both ends makes him invaluable to Mikel Arteta’s side. Statistically, he remains a well-rounded force.
Gabriel – 2025/26
Matches Played
6
Minutes
540
Goals
1
Tackles
8
Blocks
12
Source: FBref
He completes just over 56 passes per match with a 90.2% accuracy rate, while also contributing 4.79 progressive passes per 90 minutes.
Defensively, he averages 0.95 tackles, 0.46 challenges, and 1.6 blocks per 90, illustrating his balance of proactive interventions and last-ditch defending.
His dominance in the air, as demonstrated against Newcastle, adds yet another dimension to his game.
Arsenal'sGabrielMagalhaes and WilliamSaliba
Having also earned 15 caps for Brazil, Gabriel is now a figure of experience and consistency on the international stage.
If Arsenal are to go one better than last season, his blend of physicality, set-piece threat, and defensive nous will be central to their challenge.
But, do the Toon have their own answer to the big Brazilian?
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Newcastle's answer to Gabriel
While Gabriel left St James’ Park with the headlines, Malick Thiaw walked away with plenty of admirers after what has been described as an “outstanding” performance.
The 24-year-old German, a £30m signing from AC Milan, is only a handful of games into his Newcastle career but already looks like a player with huge potential.
Thiaw’s numbers against Arsenal painted the picture of a defender unfazed by one of the toughest attacking units in Europe.
He won four of his six aerial duels, cleared his lines eight times, and registered one interception.
Crucially, he was not dribbled past once, underlining his ability to stand his ground in one-v-one situations.
On the ball, he attempted 23 passes, completing 20, showing the composure that made him such an attractive signing.
He sits in the 95th percentile for pass completion among centre-backs in Europe (93.1%), completing almost 59 passes per match.
He averages 4.43 progressive passes per 90, nearly identical to Gabriel’s 4.79, and also attempts more progressive carries, at 0.60 per 90 compared to Gabriel’s 0.38.
Defensively, Thiaw’s 1.19 tackles per 90 outstrip Gabriel’s 0.95, while he also makes 0.70 blocks per 90.
These numbers highlight subtle differences in style. Gabriel excels in last-ditch defending and aerial duels, while Thiaw appears more proactive in stepping out to intercept and more comfortable driving play forward.
Both are commanding presences, titans at the back, but Thiaw’s on-ball security may give Newcastle an edge in building from the back once Eddie Howe’s attacking system clicks.
The prospect of the summer arrival forming a long-term partnership with Sven Botman is tantalising.
Newcastle defender Sven Botman.
Botman’s anticipation and positional discipline, combined with Thiaw’s composure, could provide Newcastle with a defensive pairing to rival Arsenal’s Gabriel-Saliba axis.
Against Arsenal, Thiaw didn’t just look like a stopgap in Fabian Schär’s absence – he looked like a centre-half ready to shape Newcastle’s future.
His performance against the Gunners suggested he has the physicality, intelligence, and technical quality to become one of the Premier League’s standout defenders.
If Newcastle’s rise continues, Thiaw could be at the heart of it.
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Sussex have significant lead but last-day declaration would have to be carefully judged in batting friendly conditions
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Apr-2025Sussex 528 and 126 for 3 (Haines 34, Hughes 33, Yates 2-29) lead Warwickshire 454 (Yates 115, Barnard 82, Davies 66, Mousley 63) by 200 runsWarwickshire and Sussex appear destined to start their Rothesay County Championship Division One season with a draw after three sun and run-soaked days at Edgbaston.Sussex closed the third day on 126 for 3 in their second innings, 200 ahead overall, having taken a first innings lead of 74. It is a solid advantage but taking ten wickets quickly on the final day on a pitch offering some turn but which remains batter-friendly would require something special from the bowlers.The match was pretty much consigned to a draw on the third afternoon when Warwickshire, replying to 528, reached 379 to avoid the follow on. They went on to total 454 thanks to Rob Yates with 115 off 159 balls and half-centuries to Ed Barnard, Alex Davies and Dan Mousley. Jack Carson took 4 for 92, a highly commendable effort in the excellent batting conditions.Sussex have a significant lead but, in such conditions, a last-day declaration would have to be very carefully judged as a run-chase would heavily favour the batting side.After Warwickshire resumed on the third morning on 223 for 3, Sussex struck early. Ollie Robinson needs to fire early this season to advance his case for an England recall and he has started strongly in this match with several hostile spells in conditions favouring the bat. He removed the well-set Yates with the 21st ball of the day, a perfectly-pitched leg-cutter which was edged behind.Robinson then unfurled another fine ball which Mousley, still to score, edged to slip, but Tom Alsop grassed the catch. Less impressive was his next wicket-taking ball – a full toss which Ethan Bamber belted straight to midwicket.At 252 for 5, still 127 short of the follow on, Warwickshire needed steadying and Mousley and Barnard provided the necessary stability with a stand of 124 in 32 overs. Mousley exploited his early reprieve to bat attractively but departed furious at himself for missing a sweep at Carson and falling lbw. Barnard struck seven fours and two sixes in an increasingly fluent innings before he fell lbw to a fine ball from Danny Lamb.Kai Smith’s punchy 27 from 32 balls ended when he lifted Carson to long on and Michael Booth fell in similar fashion after Tazeem Ali edged Lamb to second slip.Sussex were left with a session to bat and they spent it enhancing their lead in less than scintillating fashion for the loss of three wickets to the spinners. Yates added two wickets to his earlier century as he had Daniel Hughes caught at slip and Tom Haines lbw, half-forward.Tom Clark offered no shot to a sharply turning ball from Tazeem and was adjudged lbw. The degree of turn in that last dismissal offers some hope of purposeful cricket tomorrow but it will take some monumentally good or careless cricket for this match to yield a winner and a loser.
West Ham United co-owner Daniel Kretinsky could advocate for a “natural winner” to replace Graham Potter as manager, if the poor results continue.
Potter under pressure after "Spursy" performance
Following the 3-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has been very critical of Potter, saying: “I don’t want to be disrespectful to a manager, but sometimes you look at things and you think, ‘Do you know what? I’m not sure what he’s bringing to the table as a manager.
“West Ham yesterday looked as Spursy as Spurs have ever been. They looked like when Spurs were at their worst and times under Ange where they looked like they were going to concede for fun.”
As such, the 50-year-old is clearly under mounting pressure, with widespread reports suggesting Nuno is being considered as a potential replacement, alongside former Hammer Frank Lampard, given the job the Englishman has done at Coventry City.
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At the end of August, Jose Mourinho was also named as the leading candidate to replace Potter, and there has now been a new update on the Hammers’ interest in the former Chelsea manager.
According to a report from Claret & Hugh, West Ham co-owner Kretinsky could advocate for the appointment of Mourinho, should the poor results continue.
However, the report also makes it clear that the Portuguese manager has been largely discounted, so it remains to be seen whether Kretinsky would be able to convince the rest of the board to make a move.
"Natural winner" Mourinho could be divisive appointment
The 62-year-old has undoubtedly achieved a lot in football, winning the World’s Best Club Coach award on four occasions, courtesy of lifting Premier League, Serie A and La Liga titles, as well as the Champions League on two occasions.
However, it seems likely the recently-sacked former Fenerbahçe manager would be a divisive appointment, not least because of his links to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Not only that, but the former Spurs boss is clearly not the manager he once was, having been sacked by Daniel Levy after just 17 months in charge, while also failing to win a trophy during his recent spell in Turkey.
Consequently, despite being lauded as a “natural winner” by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, it may be wise to avoid making a move for Mourinho, and instead appoint Nuno, given that the 51-year-old transformed Nottingham Forest from relegation candidates into a Europa League side.
Former footballer Karl Henry also praised the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss for the job he did at Molineux.