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Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be able to make further additions to his playing squad when the January transfer window opens for business next month.

It will be interesting to see what kind of players the German boss wants to add to the group, though, because he has changed the formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 in the last two matches, resulting in a 3-1 win over Chelsea and a 3-3 draw with Liverpool.

Because of how successful the new system has been, Farke may want to alter the club’s plans for the window to sign players who fit the 3-5-2, rather than a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

Leeds make approach for Premiership star

What this may mean, for example, is that versatile wing-back options could be pursued instead of traditional wingers, as would be needed for the previous system.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail, via MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United have made an approach to sign Hibernian star Josh Mulligan in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites and fellow Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest are both interested in a deal to snap up the versatile Scottish talent ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that Leeds have checked in on his progress in the Scottish Premiership and made contact with Hibs to see what their stance is on a January sale.

However, the report does not reveal what the answer to that approach was or how much Mulligan would cost if they wanted to submit a bid to snap him up next month.

Why Leeds should sign Josh Mulligan in January

Scotland is not one of the club’s usual markets. Per Transfermarkt, none of the current first-team squad joined Leeds from a Scottish club, and only Mark Viduka ranks within their top 50 most-expensive signings.

The Whites signed Viduka from Celtic in the summer of 2000, and he went on to score 72 goals in 166 appearances for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was an incredibly successful signing from north of the border.

Mulligan could follow in the Australian striker’s footsteps by becoming one of the rare players to make the move from Scotland to be a key player and star for Leeds in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old star is not a striker who is going to go and score goals at the rate that Viduka did, but he is an impressive attacking force who could shine in the newly created right wing-back role at Elland Road.

Mulligan has played as a central midfielder, as a right wing-back, as an attacking midfielder, and as a right winger, per FotMob, and he has caught the eye with his performances.

xA

2.17

Top 15%

Assists

3

Top 9%

Chances created

14

Top 19%

Cross accuracy

30%

Top 22%

Successful dribbles

16

Top 3%

Touches in the opposition’s box

40

Top 6%

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has shown that he has the attributes to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, and his dribbling, chance creation, and cross accuracy stats suggest that he is well-suited to a wing-back role.

Back in August, analyst John Walker described him as the “Scottish Gareth Bale” after a stunning Bale-esque goal from distance against Livingston in the Premiership.

He’s not the only one to compare him to the great Welshman. Former teammate Simon Ferry once said: “He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – powerful, strong, direct. He’s a machine at that age. He wants to learn, listens to you.”

Since the start of last season, Mulligan has provided eight league assists for Dundee and Hibernian combined, per Sofascore, whilst Jayden Bogle has produced five assists for Leeds in that time in the Championship and the Premier League.

The Hibs star has scored three goals and provided three assists in all competitions in the current campaign, compared to Bogle’s one goal and one assist, and could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch than the Englishman.

Mulligan’s experience playing as a wing-back for Dundee and Hibernian also means that he would be a perfect fit for Farke’s new system in the 3-5-2 formation, as he is used to playing in the role, albeit in Scotland, and could slot straight into the team as a potential upgrade on Bogle.

If the Scottish whiz can adapt to the Premier League and hit the ground running as an attacking force down the flank for the Whites, he could be Viduka 2.0 as the next Premiership star to shine in the top-flight for Leeds, if they can get a deal done in January.

Best signing since Raphinha: "Underrated" Leeds star must start every game

Daniel Farke must now start this Leeds United star for every game, who could be considered their best signing since Raphinha.

ByKelan Sarson 6 days ago

Each of their top six batters made a vital contribution to create history

Mohammad Isam03-Sep-20249:19

Tamim: ‘Bangladesh’s biggest achievement in Test cricket’

Bangladesh’s maturity in their successful chase in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi was one of the standout features of their 2-0 series win. Three mid-sized partnerships took them to their target of 185 with six wickets in hand, but more than that, it was their approach that justified their victory.After Zakir Hasan gave them a quick start on the fourth evening, their measured approach proved that their win in the first Test was no fluke. It showed there is something they can build on.After their ten-wicket win in the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, Bangladesh had acknowledged the importance of the 12 overs that their openers Zakir and Shadman Islam batted out on the second evening after Pakistan had declared on 448 for 6.Related

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Nine days later, Zakir led the way once again but in a very different manner. With so much at stake, his burst of boundaries on the fourth evening, under dark clouds, flattened the hosts. He raced to 31 off 23 balls with two fours and two sixes, taking Bangladesh to 42 runs in seven overs before bad lights forced and rain early stumps. On the final morning, Zakir and Shadman added Bangladesh’s first 50-plus opening stand in 18 innings, going back to almost two years.The approach Zakir took can be dangerous in Test cricket and he, too, was out for 40 off 39 balls. It might have been justified for Zakir to be extra cautious after the first-innings collapse that had Bangladesh reeling on 26 for 6. But it made everyone in the dressing room feel confident. It does not look like a big contribution but it was huge in the context of the game, the series, and even the Bangladesh cricket.Later, Najmul Hossain Shanto said that with the weather around, Zakir was aware that Bangladesh needed to score quickly in the event of more rain on the fifth day.Zakir Hasan’s boundary-laden start to Bangladesh’s chase laid the foundation for victory•AFP/Getty Images”Zakir didn’t need any instructions,” Shanto told ESPNcricinfo after the match. “This is how he should play. He is an attacking player. He should attack in this manner. This is why we told him to bat this way. Shadman’s natural game is to take his time. Zakir needed to attack, and that’s what he did. He played a very important knock. We had the rain in the back of our minds. These are tricky targets. He got us the momentum.”By the time the two openers fell, Bangladesh had 70 on the board. The base was set for Mominul Haque and Shanto to build on, and they added another 57 in nearly 20 overs. That reduced Bangladesh’s requirement to less than 60. Shanto scored 38, his highest score of the series. Just like Zakir’s contribution, it may not seem a lot, but the two hours he spent at the crease filled the dressing room with assurance. Similarly, Mominul’s 34, in a little over two hours, was more about him spending time in the middle, something he had stressed after scoring a fifty in the first Test.”We wanted to play every ball with focus,” Shanto said. “They were bowling well in that period. They didn’t give us many chances. It was a day-five wicket. We didn’t think too far ahead. I think Mominul batted superbly in that period.”Shanto said that the team wanted Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, and Mushfiqur Rahim, their most capped Test player, to finish the game. That wish came true when, with Mushfiqur at the other end, Shakib slashed Abrar Ahmed to the cover boundary for the winning runs. Shakib lofted his hands in delight, while Mushfiqur let out a huge roar.”It looked great from the dressing room,” Shanto said.”We really wanted them to finish the game” – Shanto said of Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan•Associated PressAmong Bangladesh’s major strides on this tour was Shanto’s captaincy. He had to deal with a lot of off-field issues before and during the first Test. He had a smoother ride off the field in the second game but had to ensure that the less experienced players didn’t lose focus after the win in the first Test. He credited his team-mates for the series win, saying that everyone, down to the reserve players, contributed to the triumph.”I think it is better if the players talked about my captaincy – it will be good feedback,” he said. “It is a great feeling to win a series as captain. Credit goes to every single player… how they kept their mind on cricket [despite the off-field issues back home]. They kept focus on the game despite everything. There was an effort to keep everyone together and on how to play as one team. We had guys who didn’t play a match here – such as Taijul [Islam], Khaled [Ahmed], [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy and Nayeem [Hasan] – but they too made a great contribution.”After the initial celebrations were over, Shanto went to the middle of the pitch and took a photo with the trophy in his hands.”The photo on the pitch was a memory – it is the greatest moment of my life,” he said. “It is bigger than the Asia Cup final I played in 2018 [where Bangladesh lost to India]. We were all talking about how we wanted to celebrate. We were together. It was a fine moment.”

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been put on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of Major League Baseball's sports betting investigation, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Clase joins fellow relief pitcher Luis Ortiz on leave. They're both tied to the same investigation.

The Guardians addressed the issue in a statement on Monday.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that as part of their sports betting investigation Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave per an agreement with the Players Association. We have been informed that no additional players or Club personnel are expected to be impacted. The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process as we continue to fully cooperate."

Clase has recorded a 5–3 record with a 3.23 ERA in 48 games this season, with 24 saves.

Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has been defended by Ruud Gullit, who claims the 22-year-old is the best player Los Blancos have, and that he is the 'victim' of a lack of industry by his team-mates. Bellingham cut a frustrated figure at full-time as Real were defeated 2-1 at home by Manchester City in the Champions League, but former Ballon d'Or winner Gullit has hit back at renewed criticism of the Englishman's attitude.

Bellingham defended after latest criticism of England man

Bellingham has seen his attitude criticised by portions of the media on several occasions in recent times, not least following England controversy involving Thomas Tuchel, who described the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s “repulsive” behaviour, later apologising but going on to leave Bellingham out of his squad for the October internationals despite returning from injury.

Now back within the set-up and aiming to secure a place in the squad for the World Cup next summer, Bellingham was defended by two-time European Cup winner with AC Milan Gullit, who claimed that the Birmingham-born global star is Madrid’s “best player” and that he should undoubtedly be on the plane for the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer. Gullit’s comments were relayed by ESPN.

The former Netherlands international and 1987 Ballon d’Or winner’s comments will raise eyebrows as Los Blancos continue to descend into chaos, amidst growing fan discontentment with boss Xabi Alonso and high-profile disputes with the likes of Vinicius Jr.

AdvertisementZiggo SportGullit comes to Bellingham's defence as Real Madrid crisis continues

Gullit told BeIN Sports on Bellingham following Real Madrid’s defeat to City: "Mbappe is not doing a lot when he doesn't have the ball. Vinicius Junior doesn't do a lot, Rodrygo doesn't do a lot, and lots of others have to work double. Bellingham is a victim of that.

"He can't play in the same way that he did that Kroos was there. When Kroos was there… they had a balance.

"He's the best player they have," he added.

On his future with England, Gullit commented: "Bellingham is a certainty in the national team, and if [Tuchel] doesn't do that [selecting him], that's the wrong decision for me."

Bellingham speaks after Los Blancos defeat

Bellingham spoke himself after the final whistle and said: "We're still trying to work it out inside the changing room.

"We have everything we need to turn it around," he said to TNT Sports. "I've got full faith that this season isn't over just because we've been on a bad run."

Asked if he still supports the under-fire Xabi Alonso, Bellingham replied: "100%. The manager's been great, I've got a great relationship with him.

"We'll have to take a bit of the s**t on the chin, but we will have to keep fighting and keep bouncing forward."

Goalscorer Rodrygo, who was assisted by Bellingham for the opening goal, said: "We know there's a lot of pressure here. It's normal when things don't go your way on the field. After my goal, I went to hug Xabi to show the team's unity. I knew it was important to have that moment.

"It's a difficult time," Rodrygo added. "It is for us and it is for him [Alonso], too. Things aren't working out and I wanted to show people that we are united with our coach. I know a lot of things are always said. They often try to create a lot of things and I just wanted to say that, that we were united and that we need this unity to move forward and achieve our goal."

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AFPA period of reckoning awaits for Real Madrid, Alonso and Bellingham

The present moment leaves several questions unanswered by Bellingham, Alonso and the remainder of the Real Madrid squad. What Gullit’s words reflect is the fact that the problems faced by Los Blancos at present are not down to just one man, but to a range of problems plaguing big-name players across the squad.

Alonso’s side have now lost two home games on the bounce, with La Liga defeat to Celta Vigo last weekend the most damaging of all. After just two victories in eight matches dating back to November 4, the Madrid giants find themselves four points adrift of Barcelona at the top of La Liga and just about clinging onto a top-eight Champions League place in seventh. The pressure on Alonso may yet ramp up further if results do not improve, quickly.

Sophie Devine was the first player sold at the WPL mega auction in Delhi on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2025Allrounder Deepti Sharma became the joint second-most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction when her previous franchise UP Warriorz bid INR 3.2 crore (USD 360,000) and used a right-to-match (RTM) option to buy her back at the mega auction in Delhi on Thursday.New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr was the second most expensive player at the auction, going to Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore (USD 340,000). Allrounder Shikha Pandey, who hasn’t played for India since 2023, was a surprise as the third most expensive buy, with UPW bidding INR 2.4 crore (USD 270,000) for her.The mega auction opened with a surprise – Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy going unsold at her base price of INR 50 lakh; her name did not reappear during multiple accelerated rounds later in the auction. The first player sold was New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who was bought by Gujarat Giants (GG) for INR 2 crore (USD 220,000).Deepti, the player of the tournament at the recent Women’s ODI World Cup, was the third player on sale from the marquee set and initially attracted no bids at her base price of INR 50 lakh until Delhi Capitals (DC) raised the paddle late. There were no other bids and so UPW were given the option to use their RTM option, which they did. Thereafter, DC had the one-time option to raise their bid, which they did to INR 3.2 crore, a price that was matched by UPW to buy back Deepti. Had Deepti been retained by UPW ahead of the auction, they would have lost INR 3.5 crore from their purse.MI’s first purchase at the mega auction was Kerr, who had played for them previously in the WPL. They had to raise the bid for Kerr as far as INR 3 crore out of their auction purse of INR 5.75 crore because they had no RTM options available at the auction due to them retaining five players. She remained their only buy from the first three sets of players at the auction.Related

Abhishek Nayar: We wanted Shikha's experience and Deepti back through RTM

Jess Jonassen pulls out of WPL auction

“We were really excited to have the same core back,” MI coach Lisa Keightley said. “We’ve got world-class players in there who can win matches and games of cricket which is most important. Sometimes you can underestimate having the same core back. I’ve seen in a lot of franchises that being consistent with a group can give you advantages since you don’t start a tournament with so many moving parts. As for how much we’d have gone for Amelia, we were pretty much on the limit, most people would’ve known that. She’s worth the money and we’re excited to have her back.Of the other players in the marquee set, Renuka Singh went to GG for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000), Sophie Ecclestone to UPW for INR 85 lakh (USD 100,000, via RTM), Meg Lanning (USD 210,000) to UPW for INR 1.9 crore, and Laura Wolvaardt to DC for INR 1.1 crore (USD 120,000).Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were the only team to not buy a player in the marquee set, having bid for Devine, Ecclestone and Wolvaardt. Their first buy came from the second set – the Australian batter Georgia Voll for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000) – after which they bought allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav from the third set.After buying Deepti and Lanning, UPW further strengthened their batting by picking up 22-year old Australian Phoebe Litchfield for INR 1.2 crore (USD 130,000) and using an RTM option to buy back Kiran Navgire for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000). UPW used their fourth and last RTM option to buy back fast bowler Kranti Gaud at her base price of INR 50 lakh, after DC had made the first and final bid. However, UPW lost out on promising spinner Sree Charani, who was bought by DC for INR 1.3 crore (USD 150,000).DC picked up the youngest player bought at the auction, 16-year-old Deeya Yadav, a hard-hitting top-order batter from Haryana at her base price of INR 10 lakh. Her stable base, excellent hand-eye coordination and raw hitting power have already prompted comparisons to Shafali Verma, with many touting her as Haryana’s next big batting talent.The most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction is Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 crore), followed by Ashleigh Gardner and Nat-Sciver Brunt (INR 3.2 crore), whose bids in 2023 Deepti matched in 2025.”We had a new coach at the helm and we wanted to give him a clean state based on his vision and we’ll build a squad together,” Kshemal Waingankar, COO of UPW, said. “We had no doubt that we’d bring Deepti back and we’re very delighted to bring her back. To add to that, we’ve also been able to bring Sophie back and bring Meg Lanning in as well. So far it’s played out well. We will discuss that [the captaincy]. It’s too early to say. Will depend on how the squad comes through. We’ll have to have a conversation with Deepti, and understand the dynamics with the leadership. We haven’t thought that through.”DC’s purchase of Wolvaardt gave them a leadership option but they indicated they would prefer an Indian captain. “I think in Laura we’ve got a tremendous player who can fill in those (Lanning’s) shoes. Not only was she the highest run-scorer in the recent World Cup, but she’s also someone who’s got leadership ability as well,” Parth Jindal, DC co-owner, said. “No, no, not at all [whether Wolvaardt will be captain]. I think we are very clear that we would like to have an Indian as the captain. So depending on who else we land, we already have our mind made up, but let’s see what happens. But yeah, Laura will add a lot of leadership into the dressing room, but we are clear that we want to go with an Indian captain.”The 2026 WPL season will begin on January 9 and end on February 5, with the tournament played in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “incredible” star, who’s scored a whopping 147 career goals, and they are looking to get a deal done at the start of next year.

Man Utd looking to bring in another leader

In the wake of the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, Ruben Amorim praised Lisandro Martinez for his leadership capabilities, while also adding: “Mason Mount is always the same thing, training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy. So he is a very, very good player.”

However, the perceived lack of leaders in the squad has been criticised for quite some time, with Roy Keane calling into question whether Bruno Fernandes is a suitable captain after the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last season.

Following the emphatic win at Molineux, the Red Devils are up to sixth in the Premier League table, but they clearly aren’t the finished article just yet, having lost at home to 10-man Everton and drawn with a struggling West Ham United side in recent weeks.

If Man United are to start competing for the top honours once again, they may need to bring in players who are experienced at the top level, and they have now opened talks over a deal for Sergio Ramos, who is a free agent, following his departure from Monterrey.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states negotiations are in the early stages, with United expressing the ‘strongest’ interest in securing the former Real Madrid man’s signature, and they are looking to bring him in at the start of next year.

Several other unnamed clubs are in the race for the Spaniard’s signature, with his future set to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

ByDominic Lund 6 days ago "Incredible" Ramos knows what it takes to win

With Keane previously making it clear he is not entirely convinced by Fernandes as a captain, Man United could perhaps do with bringing in an experienced leader, who knows what it takes to win.

The 39-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having become the first player to captain a team to three straight Champions League triumphs during his time with Real Madrid.

Mesut Özil has also made it clear just how highly he rates his former teammate, saying: “Sergio Ramos is the best defender I’ve ever played with. And the one with the most character. At that time I was still very young, but I already had a very strong mentality. It was incredible. It was clear that sooner or later he would lead Real Madrid to UCL glory.”

Not only is the 180-time Spain international a top-quality defender, but he also poses a threat at the other end of the pitch, having amassed a whopping 147 career goals for club and country.

That said, Ramos is now 39-years-old, and hasn’t played in Europe since a spell with Sevilla in the 2023-24 campaign, so there may be some doubts over whether he is still capable of making an impact at a club like Man United.

The Texas Rangers' 10–5 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday was painful in more ways than one.

Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson fractured his hand in Saturday's loss, Texas manager Bruce Bochy said after the game. Pederson, 33, was hit by an 87 mph cutter from White Sox pitcher Bryse Wilson in the top of the fourth inning; he eventually scored to put the Rangers up 2–0.

The Palo Alto, Calif. native signed a two-year contract worth $37 million in December. He has struggled mightily ever since, slashing .132/.266/.240 with two home runs and six RBIs in 45 games with Texas.

Despite his recent slump, Pederson is coming off a bounce-back 2024. He slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs for the Arizona Diamondbacks—and his 18 hit-by-pitches led the National League.

The Rangers are currently 25-28, fourth in the American League West division and five games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners.

Barcelona’s Champions League hopes took another hit after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, worsened by Ronald Araujo’s first-half red card that left the Catalans battling with 10 men for most of the game. Hansi Flick admitted the sending-off was avoidable and vowed to review the incident with his captain as pressure mounts on Barca amid their poor European form.

Araujo’s red card leaves Barca with uphill battle

Barcelona’s trip to Stamford Bridge quickly turned into a nightmare as Flick’s side were reduced to 10 men in the first half, eventually falling 3-0 to Chelsea. The Catalans had started brightly, creating early chances through Ferran Torres, but their momentum collapsed the moment Araujo received two bookings – the first for dissent, the second for a heavy challenge on Marc Cucurella just before the end of the first half.

The dismissal forced Barcelona into damage-control mode, leaving them outnumbered for over an hour in a must-win Champions League tie. Flick did not hide his frustration post-match, admitting the defender “shouldn’t have gone in like that” and that the red card fundamentally changed the game’s dynamic. That set the stage for the German coach to share his wider assessment of a disappointing night.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFlick’s frustration over Araujo and the team’s display

In the post match press conference Flick made it clear he believed the Uruguayan's dismissal was avoidable, while also reflecting on Barca’s struggle to compete a man down.

"I don't know what happened with the first yellow card," the German said. "I have to talk to him and see the videos, and the second one shouldn't have gone in like that. But these things happen in football. It wasn't the right time or the right play, but that's how it was."

He then expanded on the team’s overall performance in London: "It's just one game. We started well, with good chances, from Ferran, and then with one less player it became very difficult. We didn't have the necessary intensity, but I'm positive about the future." 

"It's not easy to win against this team, Chelsea, with one less player. But I'm positive about the upcoming matches. We have three games left and I'm confident we can win them. But today we made some mistakes, we didn't keep possession, some players made errors… Today it wasn't enough, but there are positives: Raphinha is back, Marcus is playing well… we have to be positive. If you analyze the game, you have to see that we played with one less player and that has a big impact. You play better with one more player. For Chelsea, playing against ten is a huge advantage."

Champions League qualification hangs by a thread

Barcelona’s European campaign is now in a precarious position. With just two wins from five Champions League group games and sitting 16th in the table with seven points, the Catalans must win their remaining fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and Copenhagen to have a realistic chance of going straight through to the round of 16 without having to navigate the knockout play-off.

Flick acknowledged the challenge, stressing that qualification remains possible but only if the team drastically improves their aggression and intensity. "It will be very difficult to finish in the top eight, but anything is possible. We need to play aggressively. We've seen a more dynamic Chelsea, and that's what I want from my team. We have to fight harder and play more aggressively," he said.

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Getty Images SportFlick promises a response as Barca look to rebound

Despite the setback, Flick ended the night with an optimistic tone, insisting that Barcelona’s level will rise in the coming weeks. With La Liga fixture against Alaves up next and Champions League qualification on the line, the pressure is growing but the coach remains defiant. "We'll see a different Barca, I can promise you that. I see how we train, the intensity and the quality, and it's different from a few weeks ago… I have a good feeling about it." 

The Blaugrana sit second in La Liga, a point behind Real Madrid, but must now juggle domestic ambitions with the crucial European mission ahead. All eyes turn to the Camp Nou this weekend, where Flick hopes a convincing performance can reset their trajectory.

“This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. We need to take responsibility.”

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2025Pakistan’s head coach was left to bemoan a familiar flaw with the team’s performance, pointing to his side’s first-innings collapse as the turning point in the game. After the Test, which South Africa won by eight wickets, Azhar Mahmood said Pakistan had specifically discussed this at their training camps, and that it was “not acceptable” that this kept happening.”The first innings collapse was where it started,” he said at the post-match press conference. “We lost 5 for 17. We should have posted 400-425 there, which was the position we’d put ourselves in. Agha and Rizwan were building a partnership which we couldn’t utilise.”This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. This is not acceptable, and we need to take responsibility. We spoke about this at our two camps. Whenever your top players score 270-300, the contribution from the lower order really matters.”Related

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Babar's century drought grows longer; SA end a long wait

Harmer's six-for helps South Africa ease to series-levelling win

The only thing more reliable than Pakistan’s late-order collapses this series has been a senior player or coach criticising those collapses. Midway through the first Test, Mahmood was fiercely criticial of Pakistan’s first innings collapse which saw then lose their last 5 for 16, slumping from 362 for 5 to 378. Following the game, captain Shan Masood highlighted the issue once more after Pakistan lost their final six for 17 in the second innings.But forewarned has not proved forearmed. The second Test saw the same issues prop up in each innings. On Thursday, Pakistan began at 94 for 4, but soon crumbled to 105 for 8, losing their final six for 43 to set South Africa up for a straightforward chase.”You also have to give credit to opposition,” Mahmood said. “South Africa were much better than us in this department. We could have taken the lead but credit goes to Muthuswamy, the way he played; his shot selection was perfect. He put on 70 with Maharaj and 98 with Rabada. If you play with a quality team and you give them several chances in a brief period of time, they will punish you. That’s what happened and we allowed them extra runs.”You have to work on your game and know your scoring shots. You can learn from the opposition. Muthuswamy scored primarily from the sweep and reverse sweep. You should know your scoring options. When we went to bat, we started blocking early. If we had rotated the strike and put pressure on them, we could have pushed them off their lengths. The way they did – though of course a low target made it easier. You need mental toughness; international cricket is all about how you cope with pressure.”Shan Masood and Aiden Markram pose with the shared trophy after the series ended in a draw•AFP/Getty ImagesIt was that innings from Muthuswamy which turned the Test around from one Pakistan controlled to one South Africa ran away with. With South Africa reduced to 235 for 8, 98 shy of Pakistan’s first innings total, it looked like a repeat of the Lahore Test. But Muthuswamy, who finished unbeaten on 88, struck a 70-run stand with Keshav Maharaj, and another 98-run partnership with Kagiso Rabada to give South Africa a 71-run lead.It set Pakistan up for what has now become a familiar phenomenon – the third innings implosion. In several Tests last cycle, Pakistan’s third innings turned Tests which were relatively evenly poised to ones the opposition dominated by crumbling late on, leaving them with innings defeats or straightforward chases for the opposition. That was a feature in each of the three Tests Pakistan lost before their turn to spin wickets – two against Bangladesh and one against England – and it reared its head once more.Mahmood admitted that was a concern, though believed Pakistan’s calendar didn’t help. “It is a concern that we have a poor record in our third and fourth innings. But if you play four Tests in a year and the team only gets together every six months, you don’t have time to work on your game. We last played in January and our next Test is in March. These gaps are too long, and we’ll have to play regular Test matches to cope with these situations.”

Leeds United currently find themselves in the relegation zone in the Premier League ahead of games against Chelsea and Liverpool at Elland Road this week.

The Whites have lost their last four matches in the top-flight and there is now speculation over the short-term future of their head coach, Daniel Farke.

The Guardian claims that senior figures at Thorp Arch expect the German manager to be sacked by the 49ers if he oversees losses to Chelsea and Liverpool in the next five days or so, after the 3-2 loss to Manchester City on Saturday.

It is hard not to feel a bit sorry for the former Norwich coach, though, because several of his stars from the 100-point Championship promotion campaign have failed to make the step up required to perform in the Premier League.

Leeds players who have failed to make the step up to the Premier League

Joel Piroe is perhaps the most obvious example of a player who has failed to make the step up from the Whites’ exceptional season in the second tier.

The Dutchman was the top scorer in the Championship last term, with 19 goals, yet has found himself as the third-choice striker behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, and has yet to score in seven outings this season, per Sofascore.

Ao Tanaka, meanwhile, was willing to candidly admit that his level is “not good enough” at the moment, as he has lost 58% of his duels in midfield across ten appearances in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

After 12 goals and nine assists in the 2024/25 campaign, Daniel James has failed to produce a single goal or assist for the Whites this term, per Sofascore, which shows that the Welsh winger has also struggled to deal with the step up.

Another one of last season’s stars who has failed to step up to the top-flight is right-back Jayden Bogle, who was exceptional in the Championship last term.

Why Jayden Bogle has been a liability for Leeds this season

The £45k-per-week star was described as a “massive signing” by pundit Micah Richards earlier this year, and it was hard to argue with that assessment after his form in his first year at Elland Road.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Bogle scored six goals and created 11 ‘big chances’ in the Championship for Leeds, whilst also proving himself to be a solid defender at that level by winning 55% of his ground duels and 52% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore.

However, the step up to the Premier League is a significant one, and Bogle has been unable to make it, which has made him the club’s biggest defensive liability since Rasmus Kristensen in the 2022/23 campaign when they were last relegated from the division.

The Danish flop was a liability for the Whites that season because he offered little to the team from a creative perspective in possession, whilst being far too easy for opposition players to get the better of defensively.

Appearances

26

13

Sofascore rating

6.70

6.36

Key passes per game

0.3

0.3

Assists

1

0

Dribbled past

34x

13x

Ground duel success rate

54%

48%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

44%

Error led to goal

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Bogle has lost an even higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air than Kristensen did in the Premier League that season, whilst creating the same number of chances per game on average.

These statistics both illustrate how underwhelming the English full-back has been, as he has failed to transfer his Championship form over to the top-flight, and how he has been even worse than Kristensen was in a relegation campaign for the Whites.

Bogle’s Premier League struggles should not come as a massive surprise, though, because Leeds signed him off the back of playing in 34 of Sheffield United’s 38 top-flight games when they conceded a record 104 goals in 38 games, and he lost 53% of his ground duels in that time, per Sofascore.

Whilst it is still not even the halfway point in the campaign and there is time left for him to turn his season around, Bogle’s current form is on par with what he has shown in the past at this level, which was not good enough defensively then and does not look good enough now because of how easy it has been for opposition players to beat him in duels.

Dan James' dream replacement hasn't played for Leeds since October 2024

Leeds star James has struggled for his best form this season

1 ByJoe Nuttall Dec 1, 2025

Hopefully, the former Derby star can find a way to get back to his best at right-back to bring the exciting and dynamic play that he brought to the team to make him a “massive signing” in the Championship.