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The Red Devils are back in the Champions League but they cannot pat themselves in the back – they must mount a serious title challenge next season

Manchester United are back in the Champions League but they are not yet back where they belong. Finishing in the top four in the Premier League is a solid start for Erik ten Hag, especially given the mess he had inherited from interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

The coach has also won the Carabao Cup and could yet add the FA Cup to round off a stellar debut campaign, although there is the small matter of facing Pep Guardiola's formidable Manchester City side in the final.

But under Sir Alex Ferguson, a top-four finish and a domestic cup would not be classed as a great season. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus would not see it that way either.

Too often in the last decade, United have let a top-four finish go to waste and have gone backwards instead of forwards the following campaign. They cannot afford to make the same mistake again this time.

GettyTime for a title challenge

United's 4-1 win over Chelsea sealed their place in the Premier League's top four for only the fifth time in the last decade. However, they have only finished in the top two twice in that period, in 2017/18 under Jose Mourinho and 2020/21 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

But on both occasions they were barely involved in a title race. In 2017/18 Man City took an 11-point lead over United after winning the Manchester derby in December and ended up taking a record 100 points that campaign, while the Red Devils finished on 81 points.

The 2020/21 season was more exciting and there was at least a brief title race, with United moving top in January after beating Burnley. But they lasted just two weeks at the Premier League summit, with City unseating them after United's limp 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United, who finished bottom that season. The Red Devils ended that campaign a whopping 12 points off City.

It might be optimistic to envisage United toppling Pep Guardiola's side next year but they should at least be able to put up a fight. No one saw Arsenal's title challenge coming and United are in a better position now than the Gunners were this time last year.

AdvertisementGettyBack Ten Hag in the summer

United made a big mistake in the summer of 2018 by not giving Mourinho the funds to land a top centre-back, and the only new players to arrive were Fred and Diogo Dalot. One year later they went on to sign Harry Maguire for £80 million, having rejected Mourinho's plans to sign him for £60 million.

They invested more in 2021 by signing Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the much- vaunted return of the Portuguese – which was not planned for – ended up holding the team back.

United know exactly what they need to do in the summer: sign a proven centre-forward, a young sweeper-keeper to compete with David de Gea and an attacking midfielder.

They are already in discussions to sign Mason Mount and are interested in a move for Anderlecht 'keeper Bart Verbruggen. Meanwhile, Goncalo Ramos and Harry Kane are serious striker options.

Despite the uncertainty of the club's impending takeover, Ten Hag simply has to be backed financially if United are to go beyond their current top-four ceiling.

GettyGet business done early and stay clear of Neymar

The club should steer well clear of signing Neymar, however. Ronaldo's return should serve as a warning against signing glamorous superstars who are way past their prime and the club do not need any more injury-prone forwards.

The club are asking the right questions but getting an early deal over the line has often proved problematic in the past. Last season, Antony was signed on transfer deadline day while Casemiro was brought in after the defeats to Brighton and Brentford.

New signings work best once they have had time to gel with their team-mates – Casemiro did not start to excel until around October – so getting business done early should also be a priority.

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Getty ImagesBe more clinical in front of goal

Buying a new striker is key to mounting and maintaining a title challenge next season because United have simply not scored enough goals this season.

The heavy win over Chelsea was their biggest victory league victory of the season and the only occasion in which they have scored four goals. They have only scored three goals in five matches, one of which was the 6-3 thrashing by Manchester City.

Ten Hag's side have the lowest goal count of any team in the top six and among the top 10 teams in the Premier League, only Aston Villa and Fulham have scored fewer.

The Gunners' £50m defender has been one of the stars of the season in north London – just don't ask him if he saw the game last night!

Arsenal fans knew exactly what was coming when Ben White was asked in the aftermath of the win against Leeds whether he had paid much attention to Manchester City’s victory at Liverpool earlier in the afternoon.

“I don’t watch football,” the right-back replied stoney faced.

Immediately that quote was clipped up and plastered all over social media. ‘Never change Ben’ was the overriding message from supporters, who just can’t get enough of their right-back.

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White may not be overly appreciated by England and Gareth Southgate at present, but he is absolutely loved at Arsenal. And that is no surprise given the performances he has been putting in for Mikel Arteta’s league leaders this season.

“I’m really pleased with him,” Arteta said after the win against Leeds, which saw White score his second goal of the season in the 4-1 success.

GettyMoney well spent

When White first signed from Brighton in the summer of 2021, there were plenty of questions raised over the £50 million price tag. Those doubters have long been silenced, however.

The 25-year-old has been exceptional, whether that be at centre-back last season or at right-back during the current campaign, where he has excelled having been switched out wide by Arteta to accommodate William Saliba.

Very few central defenders could move into a full-back role and look as assured as White has done in this Arsenal side, but such is his level of ability that he has made it look easy.

“Ben has been incredible all season,” Bukayo Saka said, while discussing his team-mate. “We are building a great partnership, with Martin [Odegaard] on that right side.”

AdvertisementGettyA master of the dark arts

It’s not just his performance levels that have made White so popular at Arsenal, however – it’s the way he handles himself. Never has the term ‘sh*thousery’ applied more to a player than it does to Arteta’s right-back. 

Reminding Spurs fans of the score during the north London derbies, the tactical fouls, the little digs to the opposition keeper while waiting for a corner to come in, the sly smile he gives when he gets a reaction. It all just adds to his cult hero status in north London.

As do his post-match interviews, as we witnessed after Saturday’s win. White wasn’t joking when he said he doesn’t watch football.

"I watch myself for analytical reasons,” he explained earlier in the season. “I just wouldn't just sit down and watch a game. After I’ve trained all day and had four or five meetings about football, the last thing I want to do is watch more.”

That’s the sort of the thing that makes White stand out so much from the crowd. He’s just not the type to personality we are used to seeing in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans love him for that.

They love that he has that edge to him, that he has that ability to wind up the opposition players and their fans. 

The Saka link-up

Occasionally, White’s antics can backfire, as they did at Leicester when the VAR cameras picked up his tug on Danny Ward and so ruled out Leandro Trossard’s stunning goal. But you won’t find an Arsenal fan who would want White to change his ways because of that.

Of course, if you have that side to your game like White has, you have to be able to back it up on the pitch, and he can certainly do that.

The partnership he has struck up with Saka down that flank has been so integral to Arsenal’s success. The understanding they have, along with Odegaard, is one of the great strengths of Arteta’s side.

Although Trossard filled in excellently for Saka against Leeds, it was very evident in the first half how much White was missing having his usual partner in crime operating in front of him.

But one of White’s biggest attributes, which can be said for Trossard as well, is his level of intelligence and technical quality, and so it didn’t long for either player to adapt and make a big impact on the game.

White’s goal just after half-time was crucial, as it gave Arsenal the breathing space they needed. 

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Getty Images'He’s timing his runs very well'

Gabriel Martinelli understandably took a lot of credit for his excellent ball in, but when you look at White in the replays, he is pointing exactly where he wants it. He was clever enough to see the space and get in front of his defender to score. It was just reward for his industry and his vision. 

It was also his second crucial goal in a matter of weeks, following on from his strike against Bournemouth.

“He’s timing his runs very well and he’s a threat,” said Arteta. “Even on set-pieces, he’s improved a lot to be more dangerous and to drive more attention to the opponent. “

The reaction of his team-mates in the celebration that followed White’s goal against Leeds told its own story. You can see how popular he is within the squad by the way he was mobbed by everyone.

It was also very apparent how much joy his team-mates were all taking in giving him a series of head slaps. Oleksandr Zinchenko even kicked him up the backside.

This was clearly some payback for all the times he had done it to them during various celebrations over the course of the past few months.

Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded with the referee not to give him a penalty despite the official pointing to the spot in Al-Nassr's clash against Persepolis.

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Ronaldo went down in Persepolis boxReferee pointed to penalty spotAl-Nassr star told him to reverse decisionWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo was brought down in the Persepolis box in the early stages of the AFC Champions League clash in Riyadh. Chinese referee Ma Ning quickly pointed to the spot but the Portuguese star joined the Persepolis players in protesting against the decision, wagging his finger at the official and telling him it was not a penalty. Ning then went to review the incident and decided to reverse his initial decision.

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Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team went on to draw 0-0 with Persepolis, with the 38-year-old missing the home side's best chance – lashing narrowly wide of the target in the second half. The point saw his side progress to the round-of-16 of the AFC Champions League, with Persepolis sitting five points behind them.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Al-Nassr have one more AFC Champions League group game to come – against Istiqlol Dushanbe on December 5. Before that, however, they will take on Al-Hilal in a top of the Saudi Pro League clash on Friday. Al-Hilal are four points ahead of Ronaldo's team heading into the tie.

A stunning 43-ball 90 from Suresh Raina was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings’ 54-run win over Dolphins in Bangalore

The Report by Rachna Shetty22-Sep-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSuresh Raina’s 31st T20 fifty battered the Dolphins bowling•BCCIA stunning 43-ball 90 from Suresh Raina was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings’ 54-run win over Dolphins in Bangalore but the contest, at least for the early part of the Dolphins chase, was far more closely matched than the eventual victory margin suggested.Dolphins captain Morne van Wyk had opted to bowl and said his decision had been influenced by the reputation the Chinnaswamy Stadium had for aiding sides batting second. For 20 overs of Super Kings’ innings, however, van Wyk could only watch from behind the stumps as Raina, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis and Ravindra Jadeja plundered runs at will, powering Super Kings to 242 for 6.The Dolphins response was equally explosive at the start. Van Wyk and Cameron Delport raised the side’s 50 in 15 balls. By the end of the Powerplay, Dolphins had raced to 85 for 2, bettering the CLT20 record set by Super Kings earlier in the day. As is typical in big chases, the breakthroughs came when the Dolphins batsmen kept playing for the big shots, but they were also left to rue a poor decision from umpire K Srinath, who adjudged Van Wyk lbw when a ball from R Ashwin had pitched several inches outside leg stump. The dismissal came in an over where the Dolphins captain had smacked two fours and a six off the bowler.After van Wyk was dismissed, Dolphins’ hopes rested on Delport who swung and swiped his way to a nine-ball 34. All but two of the deliveries he faced had raced to the boundary and his bustling innings had threatened to play out the same way as Andre Russell’s a few days ago before Mohit Sharma ended it with a slower ball.After Delport was out, the pressure of keeping pace with a spiraling asking rate was squarely on Cody Chetty. He tried with a gamely 37 off 28 balls but his dismissal gave Super Kings an opening to stifle the scoring rate for a couple of overs and the bowlers responded. The target left Dolphins with no room for quiet overs and when those did come, especially during Bravo’s tight spell filled with variations of slower balls, whatever little hope they had left slipped away quickly.In sharp contrast, unburdened by a target hanging over them, the Super Kings innings motored along at top speed. MS Dhoni had some concerns at the toss about how the track would behave due to the presence of a few patches but there was little to worry about for Super Kings once they began. After Dwayne Smith fell early to the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj, Raina and McCullum set about dismantling the Dolphins attack, matching each other almost stroke for stroke during a relentless 91-run stand that came off 45 balls.The Dolphin pacers, including Kyle Abbott, had few answers to the fearsome shots McCullum unleashed either side of the wicket, harking back in some ways to the whirlwind century he played during the first game of the Indian Premier League.The pair led Super Kings to the second-best Powerplay score of the season, smashing 70 in the first six overs. Raina got off the mark with a four and after that, kept carving out sixes effortlessly. The scoring rate barely suffered a hiccup when McCullum was out for 49 – caught at deep midwicket off a mis-timed shot – as Raina took over the lead role. He marched to a fifty off 27 balls and in a third-wicket partnership of 65 with du Plessis, contributed 53 runs.The gaps between the landmarks showed how effectively Super Kings had negated the Dolphins attack as the side progressed to 50 to 100 and 150 in 25, 28 and 26 balls, respectively. Sixty-four of Raina’s 90 runs came in boundaries and by the time his top edge settled in Delport’s hands at point, Raina had become the first Indian batsman to move past 5000 runs in T20s and was one short of 200 sixes in the format.Dolphins’ relief over quick wickets at the end was also short-lived as Jadeja smashed 40 off 14 balls to produce a big flourish. Abbott came back and bowled a couple of quiet overs but by then the total had swelled to 242, equalling the tournament record set by Otago Volts last season.

South Africa believe they will arrive at the World Cup in better shape than at least two other big sides, one of whom is in their group

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-2015South Africa believe they will arrive at the World Cup in better shape than at least two other big sides, one of whom is in their group. Russell Domingo identified India and Sri Lanka as two of the teams South Africa could have an edge over on the back of recent results.”We’d be more confident than India and Sri Lanka at the moment. Sri Lanka were 4-1 down in the series in New Zealand and I don’t think India have won a game in Australia in three months. Our confidence levels might be a little better than them,” Domingo said. “New Zealand and Australia – their confidence levels are up and they are playing in conditions that they’re used to. So are we. We beat New Zealand in New Zealand so we know we can do that. We ran Australia close in all five games as far as I can recall. There’s not much to choose between these sides.””Domingo’s men will not have to think about Sri Lanka and New Zealand, teams they beat last year, or Australia who they lost to 4-1 – the series not as tight as Domingo suggests, including a 73-run defeat – until the knockouts but preying on a weary Indian side is within their sights early on. The teams will meet on February 22 in Melbourne in a fixture which could decide who tops the group. As was the case at the 2011 World Cup, it is expected to be a battle of the batsmen and as far as that department goes, Domingo has declared South Africa more than ready.”We’ve batted really well for the last year and a bit. We’ve got close to 25 hundreds in our last 30 ODIs,” he said. Those 30 matches date back to a home series against Pakistan in November 2013 and South Africa have had 23 centuries scored since then. Perhaps most telling is that more than a third of them – eight – have been racked up by one man: Hashim Amla.In the period Domingo referenced, Amla has scored 1625 at an average of 65.00. He has also become the fastest batsman to 5,000 ODI runs and has established an opening partnership with Quinton de Kock that, although in its infancy, is already among South Africa’s most successful pairings. Darren Sammy said a South Africa side with Amla in it is far more difficult for opposition attacks to dig into, but now Amla has the kind of back-up he may have lacked in the past.South Africa’s other centurions have included de Kock (five), AB de Villiers (four), Faf du Plessis (three), Rilee Rossouw (two) and David Miller (one) which speaks to a middle-order muscle that has previously been weak. Two of du Plessis’ three hundreds came against Australia, a side he enjoys dominating, one of Rossouw’s centuries was scored in the No.4 position where, if he plays at the World Cup, he may be used and Miller’s milestone was achieved when the finisher moved up a place into No.5 and was allowed to bat through an innings.De Kock, Parnell and Phangiso to face England Lions

The bulk of South Africa’s World Cup squad will enjoy a week off following the completion of the West Indies series apart from three players. Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell and Aaron Phangiso have been included in the South African A squad to play England Lions on Sunday. The trio have all had limited game time over the summer and coach Russell Domingo wants them to have “one last run of competitive cricket before we head to the World Cup.”

De Kock has only played one match in the last six weeks after tearing his ankle ligament on the third morning of the first Test against West Indies. He made a speedy recovery to ensure he is fit for the World Cup. Parnell only played in two of the five ODIs against West Indies, although he has had no injury concerns while Phangiso had a finger injury which kept him out of the Australia series last November but has since played both T20 and ODI cricket for South Africa.

All South Africa’s major batsmen have proved that with enough time at the crease they can end an innings strongly, something which was a worry for them not too long ago. “The backend of our innings has been a concern with the bat, particularly with the series in Australia, but we seem to have come through. That’s been an improvement,” Domingo said.Encouragingly the bowlers are starting to show the same thing. “It’s common knowledge over the last period of time that we’ve really tried to work a lot on our backend bowling and that’s why we brought a guy like Charl Langeveldt into the mix to try and save us 10 runs at the backend of an innings. It is such a difficult thing with only four fielders out of the ring. Many teams are struggling to deal with it. It’s something we are trying to address.”Kyle Abbott is one of the few who has mastered the yorker while Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn have both also done death-bowling duties. Parnell’s consistency is still not guaranteed but he proved he is progressing in the two matches he played against West Indies. He maintained an economy rate of under five and picked up five wickets in the two games, including four at SuperSport Park.”Wayne has really worked hard the last couple weeks and he is a talented cricketer,” Domingo said. “He’s now got 64 wickets in 40 games which is one and a half wickets a game which is really good. If you’re doing that in one-day cricket, you are doing exceptionally well.”Parnell, like Rossouw, will likely operate as a reserve player but with both in good form, Domingo has reason to believe South Africa have ticked all the boxes as they head to the World Cup. They have played in the two countries the tournament will be hosted, against many of the teams they will meet there, under pressure and in the absence of it.Now they want to replicate that at the tournament by playing in the same way they have been doing for the last 18 months. “Going into the World Cup it’s going to be totally different to what we’ve experienced over the last few weeks in terms of the publicity and the deemed pressure it comes with. As a unit we’re trying to play it down as much as we can. It’s difficult to do but just see it as just another series and a great opportunity to play some good cricket,” Domingo said.

Ahead of the unveiling of the 2018 NxGn on Wednesday, Goal takes a look back at prodigiously gifted players who never lived up to the hype

AdrianoAdriano was just 17 when he broke into the Flamengo first team in February 2000 and so impressive were his initial performances in the professional ranks that Inter paid €7 million for the striking sensation just over a year later. After impressive loan spells at Fiorentina and Parma, it appeared that Adriano would live up to his billing as Ronaldo's heir, for both club and country. However, despite playing a key role in Brazil's triumphs at the 2004 Copa America and 2005 Confederations Cup, The Emperor's career went off the rails due to his battles with depression and alcoholism, following the death of his father in 2004.AdvertisementGetty ImagesFreddy AduFrom being touted as 'The New Pele' at 14 to searching for a club at 28, perhaps no prodigy has suffered a more spectacular fall from grace than Freddy Adu. Capped by his country by the age of 16, superstardom beckoned when the forward moved to Benfica the following year. However, Adu failed dismally to prove his worth at the Estadio da Luz and he ultimately became the quintessential journeyman footballer, plying his trade in the likes of Serbia and Finland before being released by the Tampa Bay Rowdies in January 2017.GettyAndersonAnderson believes that it is medals that make the man, recently pointing out that he has four Premier League titles to Steven Gerrard's none. However, whereas even the Brazilian concedes that the former Liverpool captain has a place in "football history", the former Porto man will never be remembered as anything other than a total waste of talent. Indeed, a player once described by legendary Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson as "something special" was eventually let go in 2015, when still only 26, due to his total lack of professionalism. He is now back in Brazil, on loan to Coritiba from Internacional.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesValeri BojinovThe youngest non-Italian ever to play in Serie A, Valeri Bojinov just 15 when he made his debut for Lecce, in January 2002. So highly was the Bulgarian rated that he made his international bow at Euro 2004, leading to the striker being touted as Serie A's answer to England starlet Wayne Rooney. However, if Rooney eventually burned out after over a decade at the top, Bojinov never really got going. He was still only 19 when he joined Fiorentina in 2005 but his career, which also took in spells at Juventus and Manchester City, was blighted by injuries and altercations with team-mates and coaches. He is now plying his trade in Croatia with Rijeka.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe could reportedly take key inspiration from Todd Boehly's ownership model at Chelsea after their investment deal is complete.

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Ratcliffe to secure 25% stakeCould mimic Boehly's model of multiple directorsFirm focus on modernising United's recruitmentWHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report in Ratcliffe intends to reshape the club's recruitment structure after taking over football operations of the club following a £1.3bn investment deal that would see him gain 25 per cent ownership. The departure of CEO Richard Arnold is a move in that direction which indicates a significant shakeup at the board level, with Ratcliffe keen to adopt a modern approach to recruitment.

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The INEOS chief plans to take cues from Chelsea and appoint multiple sporting directors, deviating from the initially expected single director. The Chelsea model, led by two sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, which has seen the Blues spend close to £1.4bn in transfers, seemingly serves as a blueprint for a potential resurgence at Old Trafford. This move aims to enhance control over transfers while allowing manager Erik ten Hag to remain focused on managing first-team operations.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

As part of Ratcliffe's planned overhaul at Manchester United, two notable figures have been linked to permanent roles as director of football – Paul Mitchell and Dougie Freedman. Interestingly, Mitchell, who has worked with clubs like Tottenham and Monaco, was previously overlooked by the club when John Murtough was appointed. Freedman, currently serving as the sporting director at Crystal Palace, is another contender for the director of football role, as his work at Crystal Palace has received widespread praise. He played a crucial role in securing transfers for key players at the London club, including centre-back Marc Guehi and winger Michael Olise, who have been instrumental for the Eagles. Ex-AC Milan player and official, Paolo Maldini, and former Liverpool sporting director Micahel Edwards are other names in the mix.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

The impending completion of the £1.3bn investment deal marks the beginning of Ratcliffe's transformative era at United, focusing on a collaborative leadership approach and strategic recruitment decisions. The confirmation of the takeover could potentially be announced by the end of November.

The pair won two Women's World Cups together with the U.S., but on Saturday, they are rivals as OL Reign takes on Gotham in the big season finale

When Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, both set to retire at the end of this year, exchanged a few laughs over text back in September, they had no idea what they were manifesting. “When is your last game?”, Rapinoe asked, a question Krieger answered with the date of the 2023 NWSL Championship game. “Well I guess that’s my last game too,” was Rapinoe’s reply, the two giggling away as they imagined the unlikelihood of the stars aligning and setting up a title-deciding clash between Krieger’s Gotham and Rapinoe’s OL Reign.

But that is exactly what has happened. On Saturday, in San Diego, the final action for one of these icons of U.S. women’s soccer will be to lift a title that has eluded them for a whole decade.

These two have won plenty between them, including two Women’s World Cups together, but the top prize in their home domestic league isn’t on an otherwise almost complete list. Rapinoe has come closest over the years, playing in two of these NWSL Championship games and winning three Shields, the award given to the team that finishes top of the regular season standings, during 10 years with the Reign.

Given how regularly the Seattle-based side have been there or thereabouts, if you had predicted at the start of the year that Rapinoe would have a shot of signing off with this title, it wouldn’t have been a particularly bold shout. Krieger and Gotham, though? Now that’s a surprise.

GettyChances hard to come by

NJ/NY Gotham FC is the third different name for a club that has existed since 2006, first as Jersey Sky Blue, then as Sky Blue FC. As the latter, the New Jersey-based side won the Women's Professional Soccer title in 2009, that the league that preceded the NWSL. But shots at glory have been few and far between in the time since, with this year's appearance in the postseason just its third since the NWSL was formed in 2013. Finishing rock bottom of the standings in 2022, winning just four of its 22 matches, it’s fair to say that Gotham was not a popular pick to make the NWSL Championship game this year.

As an individual, despite having two World Cup titles and a UEFA Women’s Champions League triumph to her name, Krieger herself has only come close to the NWSL’s biggest trophy on one occasion, too, and that was seven years ago. With the Washington Spirit, the defender reached the Championship game, but it was lost to Western New York Flash in the most heart-breaking fashion, on penalties, Krieger missing the first spot-kick.

After five years with the Orlando Pride failed to give her another shot, the Florida side only reaching the postseason once in that time, and her first season with Gotham ending in a last-placed finish, Krieger would’ve been forgiven for coming into 2023, the final year of her career, thinking that her chance of adding that elusive Championship to her long list of achievements had gone.

But her swansong had quite the surprise in store…

AdvertisementGettyRebuilding a reputation

Gotham hasn’t been a particularly popular destination for players during its time in the NWSL. For example, when Julia Ashley was chosen by the club in the first round of the 2019 College Draft, despite being a New Jersey native, she opted to go to Sweden. "Just from what I’ve heard in terms of organization, some of the housing issues that they’ve had this past year, I’ve heard some bad things. I think everybody has,” she told at the time.

Indeed, in the Yates report, which mainly outlined the abusive behaviour and sexual misconduct in the NWSL when it was released last October, there were details of those exact issues. “Players reported living in houses with broken windows, cracked floors, leaking ceilings, dried mucus on the walls, and, in one instance, a whole human toenail sitting on a windowsill,” it read.

A lot of work, off the pitch as well as on it, has had to be done to get the team to its first NWSL Championship game, then, and since coming to the club as its general manager in 2021, Yael Averbuch West has done a lot of it.

GettyChange aplenty

So, what has Averbuch West changed? Well, one of the most obvious things is that she appointed a new head coach in Juan Carlos Amoros. The Spaniard previously held roles at the Houston Dash and Real Betis, but is best known for his success with Tottenham, helping the English club win three promotions to reach the Women’s Super League.

The number of staff around him was increased to offer more support, the squad was analyzed and rebuilt, and the issues with the facilities have also been addressed. Some of Gotham’s roster moves did appear questionable at times, with some fan favorites moved on, but others offered a glimpse into how strategic the club was growing to be, such as the shock draft-day trade that saw the club acquire USWNT star Lynn Williams.

That meant Gotham went from having the first overall pick in the draft to having the fourth overall pick, and it used that to select Jenna Nighswonger, who has been so good in her first year in the NWSL that she was up for the Rookie of the Year award.

There have been other stand-out moves, too. USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara joined fellow World Cup winner Krieger at the club, promising young talent Bruninha was brought over from Brazil and, midway through the season, another world champion, in Spain striker Esther Gonzalez, added extra firepower to the attack.

The changes have created a positive environment, a place where players want to be and a cohesive team that has a clear style. It’s also given Krieger, who was handed the captain’s armband in another of those clever off-season decisions, a shot of retiring on the highest of highs.

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GettyCaptain Krieger

Krieger makes a fantastic captain, too. At 39 years old, she has plenty of experience under her belt, and a lot of that involves the art of winning. Indeed, she won an incredible treble in a five-year spell in Germany with Frankfurt, which included the Champions League, and she has two World Cup titles to her name.

The defender credits her time abroad with developing her as a person, the spell coming when she was still so young – straight out of college, even, and her personality is a crucial part of what makes her a brilliant leader today.

“When I first met Ali, I was just blown away by her genuine personality and how good of a person she is,” Nighswonger, who will complete her first NWSL season on Saturday while Krieger plays the final match of her career, said this week. “She was so welcoming immediately and she creates such a safe space and a good culture in the locker room.

“Going into a new position this year, I was a nervous wreck playing left-back, but she's helped me grow so much. Before every game she always says, 'I got your back’ or ‘I'm here whenever you need me', and that may seem like the most simple sentence in the world, but for me it's just the best thing. That allows me to get forward more, be more aggressive, go harder into tackles, because I know that the captain of our team and the person that's next to me, my left center-back, she believes in me wholeheartedly.”

After a crushing defeat at Lord’s, Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach

George Dobell20-Jul-20154:07

Five things we learned at Lord’s

The honeymoon was beautiful, brief and spent in Cardiff. But it is over. Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach.Seeing his batsmen dismissed for 103 on a surface on which Australia looked as if they could have batted into October, seeing his bowlers rendered impotent where Mitchell Johnson looked ferocious and watching his slip fielders catch as if they flippers rather than hands, he now knows why England have slumped to No. 6 in the Test rankings and what a task he has to drag them back towards the top.His initial reaction to defeat was to suggest the Lord’s pitch “played into the hands of Australia” and to hint that changes of selection are “on the mind”. Both of which are fairly natural responses. He will understand, too, that such fluctuations of performance are the hallmark of a young side in development. He knew there would be days like these.Trevor Bayliss on…

Team changes: “It wouldn’t be a surprise to any player in the team that, when you play badly, positions are going to be looked at and discussed. All I’ll say is two Tests ago they were selected because they were considered the best players in the country. That doesn’t necessarily change after only four innings. But it’s a concern that we are three or four for 40 and they know that.”
Adil Rashid: “When Rash turned up, he had problems with a finger. He couldn’t spin it hard. But Moeen Ali was fine. I would think we would probably take two spinners to Edgbaston. I would like to play two spinners somewhere and he is currently thought of as one of the top two spinners in the country.”
Ben Stokes’ run-out: “Stokesy was filthy. He’s only got to look at the replay and I think he’ll realise all he had to do was slide the bat and he would have been home. That’s a lesson for a young player I suppose.”

But it is, perhaps, his ability to look beyond the immediate and suggest underlying issues that might prove most valuable to England. It is his ability to hint at long-term reform that will render him so valuable.Bayliss has only been in England a few weeks. He hasn’t had the opportunity to watch county cricket and work out which players can feature in England’s future. He cannot play much of a role in selection.But he has noticed that England has a problem with pitch preparation. He has noticed that the talk of aggression, an agenda that was largely led by Shane Warne’s repetition on the subject (truly, if they turned the volume up to max on Warne’s commentary and played it to prisoners of war, the UN would ban it), has led to a generation of batsmen who react to adversity by trying to thrash their way out of it. And he knows such an approach is entertaining but has the logic of driving home quickly in fog so as to spend less time in it.”Speaking to a few of the county coaches,” Bayliss said as he reflected on defeat in the second Investec Ashes Test, “are the pitches the county players are playing on away from Tests so different to what we’re actually playing on out there?””There are always a lot of low scores in first-class cricket here. Is that preparing our batters to actually bat for a long time? Possibly not.”It is not that county pitches are inherently bad – though some certainly are – it is that they increasingly bear no comparison with international surfaces. And not just international pitches around the world, but international pitches in England.While England will struggle to disprove the myth that they asked for such surfaces to negate the pace of Mitchell Johnson and co, the truth is that the groundsmen at Test grounds are generally instructed by their employers – the counties – to prepare surfaces that last for five days. Like just about every decision in modern cricket, it is predicated on the principle: what will earn most money in the short term?So while quite a few county surfaces encourage medium-pace bowlers who nibble the ball around in helpful conditions – it remains unhelpful that bowlers such as Darren Stevens and Jesse Ryder claim so many first-class wickets in England – batsmen learn that, sooner or later, they will receive an unplayable delivery and play positively to combat it. The solution to such problems – centrally contracted groundstaff – has long been discussed but has never been implemented.

“Probably the one shot we didn’t employ against him today was the leave”Trevor Bayliss on facing Mitchell Johnson

“Ordering a flat wicket is to our detriment,” Bayliss said. “I’d like to see a typical English seaming wicket against the Australians. That would suit our bowlers. I think the flatter and slower the wicket is actually plays in to the Australians’ hands. Their big, tall fast bowlers can get good bounce and variations out of the wicket because they hit the deck hard.”Meanwhile, rules have been changed to render it more difficult for experienced players to remain in the game – counties are given incentives for fielding young, England-qualified players – and it is ever more difficult to register overseas player or Kolpak-qualified cricketers. As a result, the quality of the domestic game has been diluted and gap between it and the international game has grown.The situation will only worsen. At the end of the season, the ECB will announce a new domestic structure – it will claim it is in a consultation period, but the decision has been made – which will see the number of Championship matches reduced from 16 to 12 per side and ever-more emphasis on white-ball cricket in peak season. It will do nothing to help produce wicket-taking spinners, fast bowlers or batsmen prepared to graft for a living. The emphasis, ever more, is on limited-overs skills.Bayliss picked up on this issue when he reflected on England’s shot-selection against Johnson. “Probably the one shot we didn’t employ against him today was the leave,” he said.It’s a comment that goes to the heart of much of the recent talk that suggests that anything defensive is bad and anything aggressive is good. For what England have missed most in recent months is a pair of opening batsmen who can see off the new ball and shield the attacking middle-order from the conditions at their most difficult.Yet when they meet to pick the side for the third Test on Tuesday, it seems most likely they will select another aggressive middle-order batsman in Jonny Bairstow. He is a fine player in supreme form. But that is like installing a new fire alarm to combat a flood. He is the answer to a different question.There are other options from within the current squad. Joe Root could move back to the top three – a move that weakens a strength but may be the less of several evils – while Moeen Ali could make the same journey. It is where he bats in county cricket and ODIs, after all. The way he was dismissed by a Johnson bouncer in the second innings at Lord’s did not instil a huge amount of confidence in him facing a newer ball and fresher bowlers, though.But those are short-term solutions to a longer-term issue. When Alastair Cook complains of batsmen not facing bowling of Test pace at county level and Bayliss complains of poor pitches, they are talking of longer-term fixes. If England want to enjoy more than fleeting success, it may pay to listen to them.

The Arsenal and Man City stars headline the group as the six nominees for the Men's PFA Young Player of the Year award are revealed

The PFA Awards have been a highlight of the footballing calendar for 50 years, and the organisation has now revealed the shortlist for the 2023 Men's Young Player of the Year, with six hugely exciting talents aged 21 or under nominated for the prestigious award.

Manchester City's goal-scoring phenom Erling Haaland and Arsenal's dazzling winger Bukayo Saka find themselves among the nominees for both the young player and players' player of the season awards for 2022-23. Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey and Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli also make the shortlist, along with Brighton duo Evan Ferguson and Moises Caicedo. The latter has just completed a British-record £115 million ($146m) move to Chelsea.

Haaland's City team-mate Phil Foden was the winner last year. Find out more about the six-man shortlist for 2023 below…

GettyMoises Caicedo | Club: Brighton | Nationality: Ecuador

Caicedo, considered one of the brightest up-and-coming talents in all of world football, had a brilliant season for the Seagulls that saw them complete their best-ever finish in the Premier League and earn European football for the first time. The Ecuador international has since completed a move to west London side Chelsea for a British-record fee.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEvan Ferguson | Club: Brighton | Nationality: Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland international had a breakout 2022-23 campaign for Brighton, helping them to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League with 10 goals and three assists. The 18-year-old forward is poised to have an important role in their first season of European football this time around.

GettyErling Haaland | Club: Manchester City | Nationality: Norway

Following a stunning campaign where he helped City to both a historic treble with his goal-scoringe exploits, Haaland has found himself nominated for both prestigious men's PFA awards. His 52-goal season across all competitions sees him as a frontrunner for the gong.

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GettyBukayo Saka | Club: Arsenal | Nationality: England

The 21-year-old winger had a brilliant campaign for Arsenal that saw them finish second in the Premier League – their best league performance of the last decade. He contributed 15 goals and 11 assists across all competitions and is set to become a superstar for club and country.