Fewer touches than Perri: Farke must ditch Leeds flop who's Meslier 2.0

Leeds United fans must now be growing impatient with Daniel Farke at the helm, as another disastrous away performance was put in against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Heading into this huge tie towards the lower reaches of the Premier League, Forest had managed to collect just one home victory all season long.

Thankfully for Sean Dyche’s men, Leeds felt in a charitable mood defensively as another horror show performance on the road saw the Whites crash to a 3-1 loss, which now leaves the away side just one point above the dreaded bottom three spaces.

While the Tricky Trees have shot up to nine points after the win, and have some much-needed hope now that they can get out of their relegation mire, Leeds seem to be getting sucked more and more into a dog-fight as the season progresses, with several Whites first-teamers letting their under-fire manager down in the dreadful defeat.

Leeds' biggest underperformers against Forest

Minus Lukas Nmecha, who hammered home Leeds’ opening strike of the day before the wheels fell off, not many Leeds shirts can come away from that 3-1 loss with their heads held high.

In particular, the Leeds midfield ranks badly let the German down, as Sean Longstaff looked nowhere near his assured best when squandering possession 13 times.

Moreover, Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu also looked a shadow of his Championship best up against Dyche’s rejuvenated hosts, with the Whites captain failing to provide the away side’s defence with a stern cover, when winning just four of his nine duel attempts.

He was also at fault when Morgan Gibbs-White headed home the game-clinching second goal for the Tricky Trees, as the Welshman – alongside an equally ropey Jaka Bijol – left the England international in acres of room to become Forest’s hero on the day.

Farke will know he needs to make some alterations for Leeds’ next Premier League clash against Aston Villa in a bid to save his job.

Farke must now ditch Leeds' new Meslier-like figure

A certain Illan Meslier is now nowhere to be seen in the Leeds starting lineups, despite once being a regular week in, week out, stretching all the way back to the glory days of Marcelo Bielsa.

He was a consistent starter last season up to a point, too, before far too many error-prone moments started seeping into his game, leaving Farke with no choice but to bring in reserve stopper Karl Darlow to see out the rest of Leeds’ promotion bid.

Former Arsenal winger Perry Groves would put it down to a “lack of concentration” on the ex-Lorient goalkeeper’s end when consistently making errors, which made Leeds move for a new number one stopper in Lucas Perri in the summer.

The Frenchman hasn’t always been dismissed as an accident waiting to happen in between the sticks, though, with 21 clean sheets tallied up last season when at the peak of his powers.

Another scapegoat in the shape of Brenden Aaronson could well be becoming a new Meslier-type figure in the here and now for Leeds.

An unbelievable performance against West Ham United, which saw him bag Leeds’ opener, was then followed up by two forgettable showings against Brighton and Hove Albion and Forest to start November off on a damp note and push him back into the spotlight as an inconsistent individual who lets his side down too often, just like Meslier.

Minutes played

90

74

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

1

Touches

41

38

Accurate passes

24/26 (92%)

14/15 (93%)

Shots

0

2

Successful dribbles

0/2

1/7

Possession lost

11x

10x

Ball recoveries

1

10

Total duels won

3/10

8/16

Across Leeds’ last two pitiful defeats on the road, Aaronson has only managed to muster up one successful dribble from nine attempts, which is a far cry from him completing all 100% of his dribbles against West Ham as a reliable livewire.

On top of that, while the American found himself in the thick of the action all night long against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, he could only amass a lacklustre 38 touches of the ball versus Forest, with the aforementioned Perri even managing more in between the sticks at 44.

These constant hot and cold performances could kill Farke in the long run as he searches for consistent form from all his players to save his skin, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth handing Aaronson a 4/10 post-match rating even after he had a minimal part to play in Nmecha’s early strike.

Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto are available in reserve down the right flank if Farke wants to ditch the attacking midfielder who has been so staunchly loyal to.

BBC commentator drops immediate verdict on Farke amid Leeds sack rumours

Leeds have lost four of their last five Premier League games.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 9, 2025

Frank can finally get Simons firing by unleashing "phenomenal" Spurs gem

Thomas Frank has enjoyed an impressive start to his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, only losing three of his first 14 competitive games in charge of the club.

However, many fans still aren’t convinced by the Dane, especially after the defeat against Newcastle United in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The 51-year-old only made four changes to his starting eleven, but one of which proved to be a huge mistake – with Mohammed Kudus dropping down to the substitutes bench.

The Ghanaian has been the Lilywhites’ shining light in 2025/26, as seen by his tally of one goal and four assists within his first nine Premier League outings.

Such creativity was hugely lacking against the Magpies, with the £55m leaving the responsibility down to one of the other big-money names to move to North London this summer.

Xavi Simons’ best game in a Tottenham shirt

After spending £52m on the signature of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, huge excitement was generated within the Spurs fanbase – but it’s safe to say he’s failed to live up to such expectations.

The Dutch international has registered just one assist and failed to score a single goal in any of his 11 outings, further backing up his lack of impact in North London.

However, his showing against Newcastle was arguably one of his best for the club, with Frank finally starting to utilise the 22-year-old in his natural attacking midfield role.

Simons featured for the entirety of the defeat, subsequently creating three chances for his teammates – but none of which resulted in a goal for Frank’s men.

Richarlison was often the man on the end of his chances, but the Brazilian’s wasteful nature was highlighted in his own tally of two big chances missed.

There’s no doubt he’s been unlucky during his opening few months in England, but the manager can certainly solve such an issue during the next couple of matches.

The Spurs player who can finally get Simons firing

In Spurs’ nine Premier League matches throughout 2025/26, the side have already netted 17 goals – subsequently averaging nearly two goals per game in England’s top-flight.

The goals have been spread around the first-team squad, as seen by centre-back Micky Van de Ven’s tally of three goals, which puts him joint-top of the goalscoring charts.

Richarlison has also netted the same number of goals, but has been called into question over the last few weeks for his inability to find the back of the net.

The Brazilian has failed to score in any of his last eight outings for the Lilywhites, often being wasteful within the final third – as seen by his misses against the Magpies.

Dominic Solanke has been unavailable over recent months due to an ankle issue, with Frank needing to hand fellow centre-forward Randal Kolo Muani the chance to impress.

Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani

The Frenchman joined on a season-long loan from PSG on deadline day, but has only started one game to date as he builds up match fitness after a stop-start pre-season.

However, despite his minutes off the substitutes bench, the 26-year-old has still demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which could see him handed a needed run of games as a regular starter.

He was even brought on with 25 minutes remaining at St James’ Park earlier this week, making an immediate impact with his direct run through the midfield, halted by referee Chris Kavanagh.

Kolo Muani, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, may have failed to score for the Lilywhites to date, but his temporary spells elsewhere have showcased his clinical nature.

Games played

22

Goals scored

10

Shot on target accuracy

55%

Goals per shot on target

0.4

Key passes made

1.4

Take-ons completed

1.5

Carries into opposition box

1.2

Aerials won

1.2

He scored 10 goals in just 22 appearances with Juventus last campaign, even managing to put 55% of the shots he took on target – highlighting his accuracy in front of goal.

Such numbers would allow Simons to increase his own tallies in North London, with his incredible defence splitting passes falling into the path of a clinical talisman.

Creativity has been the Dutchman’s strong point prior to his move to England, but it’s been massively neglected given Richarlison’s inability to find the back of the net.

However, that could all be about to change if Frank decides to start Kolo Muani, with the pair having the talent to make the 2025/26 campaign one to remember for the Lilywhites.

Forget Kudus: Spurs star is rapidly becoming one of the "best in the world"

Tottenham Hotspur now have a world-class talent on their books under Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 29, 2025

Sai Kishore five-for drives Surrey to lead-extending win over Durham

Sam Curran makes 40 in run-chase as Durham’s relegation woes are heightened

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025Surrey 322 and 176 for 5 (Curran 40) beat Durham 153 and 344 (Gay 99, Kishore 5-72) by five wicketsSurrey’s cricketers took a vital step towards the retention of the Rothesay County Championship when they defeated Durham by five wickets at the Banks Homes Riverside.Indian slow left-armer, Sai Kishore, took five for 72 as Rory Burns’ side dismissed Durham for 344 in their second innings and Sam Curran made 40 to help Surrey score the 176 runs they needed for their fourth victory of the season.With the game between Nottinghamshire and Somerset at Trent Bridge seemingly heading for a draw, it appears certain the 21 points Surrey earned for their victory will ensure they extend their lead at the top of the Division One table and make them even stronger favourites to clinch their fourth successive title at some point in September.However, the three points they earned from the game does nothing to ease next-to-bottom Durham’s relegation concerns, although their precise situation will not be clear until the results at Scarborough, Chelmsford and Worcester are known on Friday.But this third day did not go entirely according to Surrey’s morning plans. For nearly 45 minutes, the spin bowling of Sai Kishore and Dan Lawrence gave Durham’s overnight pair, Graham Clark and Codi Yusuf, few problems and it was no surprise when Burns took the new ball as soon as it was available. However, neither Dan Worrall nor Jordan Clark, the latter bowling to his brother, could make a breakthrough and it was left to Lawrence to take the first wicket of the day twenty minutes before lunch when Clark inside-edged a sharply turning off-spinner to Ryan Patel at short leg and departed for 42.But Clark’s 71-run partnership with Yusuf had increased Durham’s lead to 121 and that figure had been nudged up to 136 at the first interval, when the home side were 305 for six, with Yusuf unbeaten on 38.After lunch, though, Durham lost their last four wickets for 33 runs in ten overs and the magnitude of Surrey’s task became clear. After batting for 149 minutes and facing 117 balls, Yusuf was caught at the wicket by Ben Foakes off Sai Kishore for 43, seven short of what would have been only his second first-class fifty; Bas de Leede was then lbw for five when he pushed forward to a ball from Sai Kishore that slid on with the arm; and the left-handed Ben Raine departed for 27 when he moved a yard or so across his stumps and was hit on the pads when trying to swing Sam Curran to leg.Sai Kishore then completed his first five-wicket haul for Surrey in his final spell for them this year when Matthew Potts drove him to Patel at short extra-cover and Surrey were left with the task of scoring 176 to secure their fourth win of the season.Their pursuit began in straightforward fashion. Despite being handicapped by a groin strain and needing Tom Lawes to run for him, Dom Sibley made 35 and had put on 49 with Burns before he was caught at slip by Colin Ackermann off Callum Parkinson. Patel joined his captain and the pair had put on 45 runs either side of tea before both were dismissed in the space of three balls.Having made 28, Patel was the first to go when he attempted to pull Metthew Potts through the leg side but only skied a catch to Clark at midwicket. Two balls later, Burns was stumped by Robinson off Parkinson for 24. That left Surrey on 94 for three and Durham’s hopes were raised once more.Not for long, however. Curran and Lawrence took their side to 135 for three, just 41 runs short of their target when the umpires decided the light was too bad and briefly took the teams off the field. When they returned, Surrey’s batsmen accelerated towards their target with a flurry of boundaries. Although Curran was caught at long-on by Ben McKinney off Parkinson when nine runs were needed and Foakes was bowled for seven by Potts in the next over, Clark ended the game by hitting his first ball through the covers for two.

United States suffer penalty shootout loss to Morocco in FIFA U17 World Cup

The United States saw their FIFA U17 World Cup run end in the Round of 32 after a dramatic 1-1 draw and a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco. Jude Terry’s early strike had the Americans in control for much of the match, but Abdellah Ouazane’s 90th-minute equalizer forced the shootout that ultimately sealed their exit.

  • Getty

    Early advantage squandered by late Moroccan equalizer

    The United States appeared to be in control after Jude Terry's well-taken goal in the 21st minute gave them a deserved lead. The Philadelphia Union academy product finished clinically after connecting with a precise pass from Cavan Sullivan, continuing his impressive tournament form. The Americans maintained their advantage through most of the match, creating several opportunities to extend their lead while limiting Morocco's attacking threats.

    The match took a dramatic turn in the 74th minute when the United States was awarded a penalty kick that could have sealed their advancement. Mathis Albert, who had been effective throughout the tournament, stepped up to take the spot kick but saw his effort saved.

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  • Penalty shootout heartbreak

    In the ensuing penalty shootout, both teams displayed nerves under the intense pressure. Morocco's Ahmed Mouhoub missed his attempt, briefly giving the Americans an advantage. However, the United States couldn't capitalize as both Maximo Carrizo and Cooper Sanchez failed to convert their spot kicks, allowing Morocco to claim a 4-3 shootout victory and advance to the Round of 16.

  • Another defeat to Morocco…

    The defeat represents a significant disappointment for coach Gonzalo Segares and his team, who had shown tremendous potential throughout the competition. The U.S. squad, featuring talented prospects like Sullivan, Terry, and Nimfasha Berchimas, had impressed observers with their tactical discipline and attacking flair during the group stage, where they conceded just one goal while scoring four.

    This also represents the third-straight youth tournament elimination for the U.S. at the hands of Morocco. The U.S. previously lost in the Olympics to the les Lions de l'Atlas in 2024 and then lost again to the Morocco U20s in the U20 World Cup earlier this year. 

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  • Morocco advance to face Japan

    With the victory, Morocco advances to face Japan in the Round of 16, continuing their remarkable turnaround after a difficult group stage. They had finished third in Group B behind Japan and Portugal, qualifying for the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams despite losing two of their three group matches.

Gloucestershire bring in Will Williams from Lancashire

Gloucestershire have signed seam bowler Will Williams on a three-year contract. Williams, who began his career in New Zealand but has played for Lancashire since 2022, will join at the end of the season.The 32-year-old has only played three times in the County Championship this season but had been offered a contract extension. In all, he has taken 99 first-class wickets at 24.29 for Lancashire, as well as nine in List A competition.Gloucestershire have been severely depleted by player departures, with fast bowlers Ajeet Singh Dale, Zaman Akhter, Tom Price and Dom Goodman all agreeing moves elsewhere. Singh Dale will move in the opposite direction to Williams, Akhter is joining Essex, while Price and Goodman have both signed for Sussex.”It is not often a player becomes available still in the peak of their career with a bowling record like Will’s,” Gloucestershire’s head coach, Mark Alleyne, said”That alone would have been enough to attract our interest, but after a couple of meetings, it was clear this lad is a lot more than a high-performing bowler. He has the character I love in a cricketer and is prepared to commit totally to the cause.”I look forward to welcoming and embracing him to the Glorious family; I’m confident he will be popular with players and supporters alike.”Williams was born in New Zealand and spent ten years with Canterbury. He has dual UK-NZ citizenship and has been registered as a local player since joining Lancashire.”I’m really excited for this new chapter in my life. Speaking to Mark [Alleyne], it’s clear the club has strong ambitions, and he’s made it clear how I fit into those plans,” Williams said.”From the outside, Gloucestershire has always looked like a tight-knit, hardworking group. I’m keen to bring my experience, learn from the environment, and hopefully make a positive impact on and off the field. I can’t wait to get started and to make Gloucestershire and Bristol my new home.”

Davey Martinez Says He and CJ Abrams Back on Good Terms After Demotion Last Season

CJ Abrams's first All-Star campaign came to a unexpected end when the Washington Nationals optioned him to Triple-A Rochester late in the 2024 season. The surprising demotion took place right before the Triple-A season came to an end, and the Nationals were clear to distinguish that he was optioned because of an "internal matter," not his play.

Later, it was reported that the Nationals optioned Abrams after he was out at a casino until 8 a.m. despite the Nationals having a 1 p.m. game that same day. Abrams would go 0-for-3 with a walk in the loss to the Chicago Cubs that day.

The team would head into the offseason shortly after, but have since returned to spring training and are now looking towards a fresh start in the 2025 season. Nationals manager Davey Martinez noted that teh team has "moved on" from what happened with Abrams at the end of last season.

"We're beyond that," Martinez said, via "I talked to him over the winter. I don't have any hard feelings about the whole deal. I love the kid, I really do. For the most part, he's engaged, he's here, he knows what he needs to do. His routine's impeccable. That's beyond us, I hope he learned from what happened, and we've moved on, and we're looking forward to him doing big things."

Abrams also addressed getting optioned earlier in spring training, saying it "took some time" to get passed the situation, but spent much of the offseason putting in work to prepare for the upcoming season. As the 2025 campaign approaches, Martinez is looking to see Abrams build off his All-Star season by improving his consistency on defense and accepting walks as the team's lead-off hitter.

The Nationals open up the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 27.

Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Signs Deal With Agency Co-Owned by Bad Bunny

Rimas Sports—an agency co-owned by musician Bad Bunny—has added another high-profile client.

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has signed with Rimas Sports to "expand his portfolio as an athlete, businessman and philanthropist," according to the agency via the AP.

Tatis, 26, joins Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar on Rimas Sports's self-reported client list. The move comes a year after Tatis's second All-Star appearance, and four years after he signed a 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres.

Bad Bunny and his partners launched Rimas Sports in early 2023, but ran afoul of the MLBPA in April 2024. The union accused three of the partners of financial misconduct, and fined the agency $400,000.

The Puerto Rican rapper released his sixth album on Jan. 5 to commercial success and widespread critical acclaim.

Pumas now happy for Juarez to join Celtic as Hoops eye secret release clause

Pumas are now reportedly happy to let manager Efrain Juarez join Celtic, who could take full advantage of their former star’s secret release clause at the Mexican club.

The Bhoys once again struggled on the European stage in midweek, losing 3-1 against Midtjylland, as Martin O’Neill saw their problems in full for the first time. The interim boss has continued to distance himself from the permanent job, despite recent reports suggesting that he could yet be the next man to take the hotseat.

For now, the 73-year-old is set to remain in the dugout for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock this weekend, but Parkhead chiefs are continuing their search.

Recent reports have claimed that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is now open to joining the Scottish giants, but it remains to be seen whether he’d leave Portman Road in the middle of a campaign which has so far been disappointing.

Meanwhile, Nicky Hayen is also a reported candidate. The Club Brugge manager knows all about beating the top clubs in Scottish football, having smashed Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season and defeated Celtic last season. Now, he could be on his way to the home dugout in Glasgow.

Once again, however, luring him away from Club Brugge will not be an easy task. Instead, the Hoops may have no choice but to turn towards former player Juarez, who has previously shared that he dreams of managing the club.

Pumas happy to let Juarez join Celtic

As reported in Mexico and relayed by Sport Witness, Pumas are now happy to let Juarez join Celtic, who could trigger a release clause that allows the 37-year-old to leave for free when a European club comes knocking.

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More bad news for the Bhoys.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 7, 2025

It would save Celtic a transfer fee and it would welcome someone who knows the standards of the club, given that Juarez played for the Bhoys between 2010 and 2012. Whether he has the right managerial experience for the role is another question, though, and the Scottish club may find that out after reportedly scheduling an interview over zoom.

The former player, who uses a 4-2-3-1 system, has taken charge of just two sides and is yet to even reach 100 games as a manager. At this point in time, it should be questioned whether Celtic can afford to take such a gamble.

Games

33

Wins

11

Draws

10

Defeats

12

Juarez’s time at Pumas hasn’t exactly been the greatest success, either. The Mexican has lost more games than he’s won and averaged just 1.3 points over 33 games in charge. It suddenly makes the club’s willingness to let him leave make all too much sense for Celtic to make their move.

For the time being, those at Celtic Park should trust O’Neill with the job until a suitable candidate emerges.

Celtic schedule first interview with Efrain Juarez

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move with January exit expected

Everton are reportedly exploring a move to sign James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out at West Ham United ever since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Toffees are making a habit of offering transfer lifelines, having welcomed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City in the summer and since been linked with Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Their decision to sign Grealish on loan in the summer has so far gone as well as they could have wished. The Premier League winner has been back to his very best form for the most part and is likely to play a crucial part in the outcome of Everton’s season.

Full of praise for his summer arrival, Everton boss David Moyes recently told talkSPORT: “Jack’s been really good. He’s helped us maintain the ball more, we’re up on numbers in terms of possession.

“His goals have been huge, I’m sort of driving home to him that it’s good being an assist maker but it’s even better being a goalscorer. He’s given us a real strength in how he plays.

“He and Iliman Ndiaye have played really, really well and probably changed the way we are, we wanted to evolve and become better and both those players give us that opportunity.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 9, 2025

“He’s an incredible character, loves his football, watches and listens, which a lot of the modern players don’t so much, but Jack loves his football and Tuchel’s got a really difficult job [picking the squad].”

With Zirkzee already linked with a similar move from Man United and now Ward-Prowse emerging as a target, 2026 could be all about the revival of impressive players in Merseyside.

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Everton are now exploring a move to sign Ward-Prowse in January. The midfielder has been given the cold shoulder by Nuno ever since the manager arrived at West Ham and is now almost “certain” to move on from the London club.

A reunion with Moyes could, therefore, be on the cards. Ward-Prowse played 51 games under the Scot during their time together at West Ham, scoring seven goals and assisting another 11 in an impressive run. Now frozen out in London, his former manager could hand him a much-needed lifeline.

It’s easy to forget the quality that the former Southampton star can offer these days, but it’s worth remembering that Ward-Prowse is only one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 direct goals. That’s the unique quality that he could offer Everton, who would suddenly take their set-pieces to a whole new level.

Moyes knows all about Ward-Prowse’s specialty, having been full of praise for the midfielder at West Ham – telling reporters in 2023: “We could have scored four or five from corner kicks.

“We’ve been a decent side from set pieces, maybe without the word “specialist”, but I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse. He’s contributing to us and our results at the moment.”

Joshua Zirkzee now a priority target for Everton as Arsenal refuse Gabriel Jesus sale

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