All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur were hammered 4-1 by their arch-rivals in the North London derby on Sunday in the Premier League, as they were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at The Emirates.

Thomas Frank started with a back five and two holding midfielders in an attempt to shut the Gunners out, yet it was still far too easy for the hosts to slice through their defence.

Whilst their overly-cautious approach did not prevent Arsenal from creating chances, it did prevent Spurs from creating chances. They only had three shots in 90 minutes, and one of them was Richarlison’s long-range goal from around 45 yards out.

Creating chances and playing forward-thinking football has been a problem for the Lilywhites in the Premier League since Frank came through the door from Brentford in the summer, as shown in the statistics below.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

The defeat to Arsenal will be even harder to take because Tottenham were chasing a deal to sign Eberechi Eze in the summer before the Gunners swooped in and hijacked the move, and he was the star of the show on Sunday.

Meanwhile, it has been a struggle for a few of the players whom the Lilywhites were able to get in the building in an attempt to bolster Frank’s squad in the summer transfer window.

Ranking Tottenham's summer signings for Thomas Frank

Looking at the positive additions first, it is hard to look past Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha as the best signing of the summer, as the Portugal international has delivered four goals and three assists whilst also averaging 5.6 tackles and interceptions per game, per Sofascore.

Mohammed Kudus, who was signed from West Ham for £55m, is deserving of second-place after a return of one goal and four assists in 11 Premier League appearances so far this season.

As you can see in the table below, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso then rank in the middle of the pack, which is because they were brought in as squad additions and have filled that role without any major issues so far this term.

1

Joao Palhinha

2

Mohammed Kudus

3

Luka Vuskovic

4

Mathys Tel

5

Kevin Danso

6

Koto Takai

7

Randal Kolo Muani

8

Xavi Simons

Koto Takai has yet to play a game for Spurs, due to injury, since his move in the summer, which makes it hard to rank him any higher or lower, whilst Kolo Muani is in seventh place with no goals and one assist in nine appearances for the club, per Sofascore.

Ranking in last place, then, is £52m summer signing Xavi Simons. He arrived at Spurs after a return of 21 goals and 21 assists in the last two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, yet has failed to live up to the hype that his form in the Bundesliga created.

The Dutchman was brought in as Tottenham’s alternative to Eze, after they failed to sign the England international, and has only managed two assists and no goals in 15 appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, the former Crystal Palace attacking midfielder has delivered five goals and three assists in 16 outings for Arsenal, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has been far more influential for his side than Xavi has.

In The Pipeline

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

Spurs, though, may already be brewing their own homegrown version of Eze in their academy in the form of exciting teenage attacking midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could be Tottenham's own Eberechi Eze

The 17-year-old starlet’s form for club and country suggests that he is a player to watch for the future, as the Tottenham youngster has shown incredible promise as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

He has been with England’s U17s at the U17 World Cup in recent weeks, knocked out by Austria in the quarter-finals last week, and caught the eye with his performances at the tournament.

Appearances

5

Sofascore rating

7.38

Goals

2

Big chances missed

0

Key passes per game

1.4

Big chances created

3

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

3.4

As you can see in the table above, Williams-Barnett provided regular quality as a goalscorer, a creator, and a dribbler across his five appearances in the competition for his country.

One of his two goals, which came against Haiti’s U17 side, was also an incredible solo goal that showcased his composure, creativity, and quality, as shown in the clip below.

On top of his impressive form for England at youth level, the 17-year-old playmaker has also proven himself to be an incredibly prolific attacker for Tottenham’s academy.

Williams-Barnett, who U23 scout Antonio Mango described as an “underrated” player, has racked up 22 goals and 13 assists in 30 games for the club’s U18 side, per Transfermarkt, to go along with seven goals and five assists in eight U21 games.

These statistics show that the attacking midfielder has delivered goals and assists on a regular basis for both club and country, which is why he could be Tottenham’s own Eberechi Eze, who has scored five goals for Arsenal and two goals for England this season.

Como scout Ben Mattinson claimed that the Spurs youngster “scores bangers” and it is hard to disagree with that assessment, particularly when you see goals such as the ones in the clip above.

Like Eze, Williams-Barnett is a number ten with incredible footwork, finishing, creativity, and dribbling skills, but it is now down to him to make the step to senior level and prove that he can deliver consistent performances in the first-team.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

If he can handle that step up, Frank could have his own version of Eberechi Eze and a possible upgrade on Xavi in the number ten position moving forward.

Rishabh Pant has received a “return to play” clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence following two stages of rehab for a fractured foot and if fit and in form, could make the squad for the two-Test series against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2025Rishabh Pant’s return to competitive cricket following a foot injury will begin with him captaining India A in the two four-day fixtures against South Africa A in Bengaluru starting October 30.Pant has received a ‘return to play’ clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence following two stages of rehab for the fractured foot that he suffered during the fourth England vs India Test in Manchester in July. Pant’s India A selection means he will not be playing for Delhi in the second round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy from October 25 as earlier envisaged.India A vs South Africa A fixtures

1st four-dayer – Oct 30 to Nov 2
2nd four-dayer – Nov 6 to Nov 9

Pant and vice-captain B Sai Sudharsan are set to feature in both the matches, while the likes of KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna ad Mohammed Siraj will feature in only the second four-day fixture, to be played from November 6. It’s likely that all of them will make the cut for India’s Test squad for the South Africa series, which starts on November 14 in Kolkata.The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has had to balance out the squads to ensure there’s also a bit of continuity with those featuring for their respective state teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.This is possibly why Rajat Patidar (captaining Madhya Pradesh), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran (captaining Bengal) and Akash Deep, among others, are part of the squad for just one of the two matches. Meanwhile, the likes of N Jagadeesan, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain and Harsh Dubey have been rewarded for their domestic form.KL Rahul is among a host of internationals who will come in for the second game•AFP/Getty ImagesIf the selectors are convinced with his form and fitness, Pant is likely to make his Test comeback at the first India vs South Africa Test.India squad for first four-day matchRishabh Pant (capt, wk), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vice-capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed.India squad for second four-day matchRishabh Pant (capt, wk), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vice-capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, as the young Red Devils star continues to attract interest from Serie A amidst the stagnation of his Old Trafford career. The 20-year-old has frequently been linked with Napoli and Juve are now said to be 'monitoring' Mainoo, whom they see as the next Paul Pogba if they can convince Mainoo to swap Manchester for Turin.

Mainoo could become new Pogba at Juventus

Reports by in Italy dub Mainoo the ‘talent which conquers half of Europe’ and say that the 20-year-old could become ‘Paul Pogba 2.0’ if he joins Juventus, whom ‘the player likes’.

Reports state that while Mainoo’s potential ‘does not go unnoticed’ at United, Napoli could make him a ‘priority target’ amidst a lack of similar options in the midfield, with a permanent move touted. The door is open for Juventus to make a swoop in January, though, and recreate a famous scenario where Pogba joined the Italian giants from United as a 19-year-old and went on to become one of the world’s best midfielders before returning to Old Trafford for £89 million ($117m) in 2016.

Whether Mainoo’s career could take a similar trajectory remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that comparisons can be drawn between the Carrington academy graduate not being given the first-team opportunities he perhaps deserves, in the same manner Pogba had to deal with before his first exit from the club.

AdvertisementAFP'The club comes first' – Mainoo and Zirkzee told exit reality

Mainoo has previously been reported to have demanded an Old Trafford exit in search of more game-time, but Ruben Amorim recently stated in a press conference that January exits will only occur if it is in the best interests of the club. He appeared to be referring to want-away stars Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee.

"The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen," said Amorim. 

"I was a football player, I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation, so I don't know what is going to happen.

"I want my players happy. I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team."

Midfielder maintains minor Old Trafford role

Having played just 170 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, Mainoo’s role within Amorim’s side does not appear to be growing in the near future. While the Portuguese continues to proclaim his trust in the 10-cap England international publicly, his continued selection decisions tell an entirely different story.

Mainoo has even recently been told to join league leaders Arsenal, by former Gunners star Stefan Schwarz: "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPMainoo exit situation as Serie A interest intensifies

Speculation linking Mainoo with an Old Trafford exit will undoubtedly only increase in volume as the January transfer window approaches.

Monday’s home defeat to Everton ended a five-game unbeaten run for the Red Devils and consigned Amorim’s side to a first home defeat since August, having won all four of their Premier League home fixtures since opening-day defeat to Arsenal.

Whether the disappointing result will impact Mainoo’s chances of further minutes in the coming weeks remains to be seen, with his 32 minutes on the field against the Toffees representing his longest cameo since August 30 against Burnley.

United have European ambitions this season and with the Champions League race looking wide open at present, Amorim has previously expressed how difficult it is to give minutes to his entire squad with only one game per week. This could, ultimately, lead to Mainoo demanding a departure once again, particularly if interest from the likes of Juventus becomes more concrete.

The Atlanta Braves have had a horrendous week that has seen them lose two games in the ninth inning and two more games in the 10th inning. In one of those losses they coughed up a six-run lead in the ninth inning, giving up seven runs to the Diamondbacks to lose 11-10.

Their latest devastating loss came Saturday in San Francisco. The Braves had a 2-1 leading going into the bottom of the ninth but shortly after Heliot Ramos got on with a single, Matt Chapman stepped to the plate and blasted a 1-1 pitch into the left field stands for a walk-off home run.

Braves announcer Brandon Gaudin had the saddest call of the homer as he immediately knew that the game was over.

"Deep to left… oh my," Gaudin said as the ball sailed through the air. "At the wall, it’s gone. The Giants win it 3-2 and Atlanta drops another one."

You can hear that call in the tweet below the very enthusiastic one by the Giants' broadcast.

The Braves are 2-8 in their last 10 games and stand at 27-36 heading into Sunday's series finale with the Giants.

The 2025/26 campaign promised a new dawn for Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters.

Before too long, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy had both been replaced. Thomas Frank was the new manager and Fabio Paratici had even returned for a second bite of the cherry.

Yet, rather like it did with Ange, things have unravelled all too quickly for Frank. There’s one word for it: Spursy.

The North Londoners began the season brilliantly. Their new Danish manager had engineered more security and better organisation at the back.

From the remarkably high line of Ange-ball to the more sedate Frank ball, excusing the Super Cup defeat to PSG, Spurs kept five clean sheets in their opening seven games of the Frank regime. How times change, eh?

Tottenham have now won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions and have shipped 18 goals in that time.

While Spurs may not be in 17th place, the position Postecoglou steered them to, a number of players have regressed.

The biggest issues of Thomas Frank's reign

The Dane moved from west to north London over the summer and while his appointment did not garner the level of fanfare a certain Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho attracted, it was viewed as a smart appointment.

From Championship to the top half of the Premier League, what Frank achieved with Brentford was first-class.

Yet, he is no longer with the Bees and Spurs fans demand more. They demand good football, they demand that they challenge for honours.

Well, despite Postecoglou’s tenure now a thing of the past, Spurs look no closer to achieving their goals under Frank.

The defence improved for a limited amount of time but the biggest issues have emerged in attack.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Brennan Johnson ended last season as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 strikes to his name but he has put in a number of abject performances of late. The Welshman has found the net just once across his last 12 matches, a dire run that’s caused frustration.

Up top, Dominic Solanke has rarely been seen due to injury and the same can be said of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Without them, Spurs have a creativity problem. According to FBref, their expected goals tally sits at just 11.9, the fourth-worst record in the division. That’s hardly a surprise considering that they rank 18th in the Premier League for key passes (88), and 16th for expected assists (8.1) across the campaign so far.

That’s even with marquee signing Xavi Simons in the team. Their failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze is well documented and how Frank must wish they’d secured a Premier League-proven creative midfielder instead.

That said, their full-backs are not offering enough either. Pedro Porro, usually so creative and dangerous, particularly over a dead ball, has only carved out 1.39 key passes per 90 minutes, down on last season’s tally of 1.97 per 90.

His partner in crime on the left isn’t faring much better either. In fact, his drop off has been somewhat reminiscent of Dele Alli.

Spurs star is heading down the Dele Alli path

When analysing the right back position at Spurs, it’s clear that improvement is needed. Perhaps Archie Gray or Djed Spence could profit from Porro’s lack of form.

Likewise at left-back, Destiny Udogie is enduring a tough season. He spent early parts of the term out injured but is now back in action. However, he’s largely disappointing.

It was only a few years ago that the young Italian was described as “one of the best left-backs” in the league by pundit Clinton Morrison but that now couldn’t be further from the truth.

In many senses, Udogie’s rise and fall mirror that of someone like Dele, like a Tanguy Ndombele. He’s got all the talent in the world, all the raw attributes to thrive at this level.

We’ve already seen that. In 2023/24, the wing-back collected two goals and three assists. Not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but this was a player well on his way to cementing himself as a future hero in these parts. He’d get into “nearly every team in the world” remarked journalist Hunter Godson.

Sadly for the 23-year-old, he’s regressed big time under Frank, much like the aforementioned Dele did under Mourinho. While Frank hasn’t called Udogie “lazy”, which was the criticism the ‘Special One’ handed to the England international, his performances have begun to decline.

Like Dele, this was a player with the world at his feet. He looked like a world beater, one of the best young talents in England. Now, however, it’s all gone pear-shaped.

Udogie’s last two performances, in particular, have proven to be a problem. In the defeat to Fulham last weekend, Football.London’s Alasdair Gold noted how the defender ‘didn’t offer too much going forward’ and made an untimely slip when Harry Wilson found the net.

His display against Newcastle United on Tuesday, a 2-2 draw, left plenty to be desired too.

Minutes played

90

Touches

52

Accurate passes

30/36 (83%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Successful dribbles

0/1

Shots

0

Tackles won

1

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/7

Aerial duels won

0/2

The aforementioned Gold slated the Italian for having a few ‘sloppy moments’ while flagging that Newcastle got a lot of joy down the Tottenham flanks.

Safe to say his numbers don’t particularly paint a very vivid picture either. Udogie won just two of his nine duels and failed to register a single shot, supply a key pass or successfully complete a dribble.

All in all, it was a poor day at the office for the Italy international and he must improve moving forward.

He’s a talented player, one of the best young talents we’ve seen in the division across the last few years. Under Frank, however, it’s heading in the same way as Dele under Mourinho. Both had immense potential, but their talents could go to waste.

Thomas Frank may have just found Spurs' new Mousa Dembele vs Newcastle

Tottenham battled back to claim a draw against Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

3 ByAngus Sinclair Dec 3, 2025

Mominul Haque also scored a half-century even as Andy McBrine took all four wickets for Ireland

Mohammad Isam19-Nov-2025Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 99, in his 100th Test, at the end of the first day of the second Test against Ireland in Mirpur. He kept the fans on their toes going into the second day, ready to become the 11th batter to reach a century in their 100th Test.Bangladesh finished on 292 for 4, with half-centuries from Mushfiqur and Mominul Haque, with Litton Das three runs away from one as well. Andy McBrine took all four wickets to fall, ending the day with figures of 4 for 82.The day, however, belonged to Mushfiqur, who was given a reception after toss in the morning. His family, and former Bangladesh captains, including Akram Khan and Habibul Bashar, were present on the occasion, with the BCB presenting him with several mementos.Related

Ceremonies, speeches, felicitation – Mushfiqur soaks the attention in landmark 100th Test

A walk down memory lane to Mushfiqur's Lord's origins

Who does Mushfiqur have the most Test hundreds against?

With endurance and resilience, Mushfiqur Rahim scales the summit

Mushfiqur, however, remained focus at the job in hand. He played tightly for the first 67 balls, as he tried to rebuild after Bangladesh lost three wickets in the first session. Mushfiqur struck his first boundary with an inside-out blow against Matthew Humphreys in the second session. His second boundary brought up his half-century, off the first ball of the third session.Mushfiqur struck another four later in the over, a sweep off Humphreys. He continued to bat calmly, even as a short ball from legspinner Gavin Hoey was dispatched for a boundary in the 73rd over. Another short delivery, this time from McBrine, got him into the nineties, brought up with a punch through the covers.Mushfiqur went through the nineties smoothly, taking a lot of singles towards the end of the day. He kept the small crowd on their feet as he needed three runs to reach his century in the last over of the day.Andy McBrine took all four wickets on the first day•Sportsfile/Getty ImagesMcBrine had given Ireland a great start in the Test, picking up the first three wickets in the morning session. Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan had given the home side a sound start, adding 52 runs for the opening stand. The openers hit eight boundaries between them in a short span as they looked towards another big partnership, like in the Sylhet Test, where they had added 168. In Mirpur, though, Shadman was lbw to McBrine for 35, which ended the opening stand at 52.Mahmudul, who made 171 in the first Test, couldn’t quite follow up in this innings, falling lbw to a slider from McBrine. Ireland got the wicket through the review as Mahmudul made 34 off 86 balls.Offspinner McBrine then had the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto with another slider, this one beating the left-hand batter on the back foot. With that, McBrine became the first Irish spinner to take three wickets in the first session of a Test match.Shanto’s wicket brought Mushfiqur to the crease, much to the appreciation of the Shere Bangla National Stadium faithful.Mushfiqur and Mominul calmed things down till the lunch break, before continuing with their steady partnership. Mominul survived two dropped catches on 23 and 49. First, Cade Carmichael dropped a skier, before Paul Stirling couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance at slip.Mominul’s luck, however, ran out after the tea break. He swept McBrine but the ball deflected off his bat and on to his boot, before Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie completed the catch. Mominul made 63 off 128 balls, with a single boundary.

Manchester City were delighted after VAR intervened to stop the award of a penalty to Real Madrid in just the second minute of the Champions League clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Vinicius Jr was seen punching the air in delight after the referee pointed to the spot, but Matheus Nunes' foul was adjudged to have happened just outside the box on a night where City ran out 2-1 victors over the Spaniards.

Thriller at the Bernabeu

The defeat puts significant pressure on Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who has seen his side relinquish the lead at the top of La Liga to arch rivals Barcelona and now drop down the European rankings after losing to Pep Guardiola’s side. Rodrygo opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 28th minute with a low shot from a counter-attack, ending his long goal drought, but City responded quickly, with Nico O'Reilly poking home an equaliser from close range after a goalmouth scramble. Just before half-time, Erling Haaland converted a penalty after Antonio Rudiger fouled him in the box, sealing the comeback win for City. Despite a second-half push from Real, including a Jude Bellingham chip over the bar and an Endrick header clipping the crossbar, City held on to a crucial victory. The win moves Guardiola's men to fourth in the Champions League standings, while Real drop to seventh. 

But one of the main talking points from the evening will be the early would-be spot-kick, which was controversially overturned by VAR.

AdvertisementWatch the clipHaaland: 'We need to finish strong'

Speaking to after the match, Haaland told reporters: "Difficult to come here, it's a tough place. Game was a bit chaotic, we couldn't really control it. We get the win in the end, super happy. This is a place you want to play, these are games you want to play. With this new format in Champions League you get to play more games which is nice. I like it. It could have looked completely different today if we didn't win because of the Leverkusen defeat, this win is really important. Two more games left. We need to finish strong and hopefully we can be in the first eight because then we're through." 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportKey man Mbappe misses out 

France superstar Kylian Mbappe was an unused substitute after picking up a muscle injury. And the French superstar's absence was a big miss for the hosts. Haaland added: "We know about their injuries, we have some too but they have many. You don't want anyone to be injured but we expected him to play. I expected to come up against Kylian today. But when a player like that is out – you're not happy because you want to play the best – but it gives you a bit of a psychological boost. You want to play the best players and after one minute (Raul) Asencio was trying to push me and beef with me which I like personally – I don't mind it. With Antonio Rudiger as well we have had some great battles, but today he wanted it too much and we got the penalty."

The New York Yankees are set to acquire Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan. Ken Rosenthal of first reported that talks were gaining traction.

The trade lands the 30-year-old Bednar in New York to shore up the back-end of the Yankees' bullpen. The appeal of a Bednar trade with any team was that he had another year of team control into 2026.

After a rough start to the season following a poor 2024, the two-time All-Star was sent down to Triple-A in March. Since returning, he has thrown 37 innings with a 1.70 ERA, re-establishing himself as one of the best relievers in baseball.

He will certainly get plenty of high-leverage work in the second half of the season for the Yankees.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is facing a potentially defining week in his career at the club ahead of Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Liverpool at Elland Road.

The Guardian reported on Monday that Farke’s job may be on the line in these next two matches, because senior figures at the club believe that two losses could lead to his dismissal.

It added that his position in West Yorkshire could be ‘untenable’ if he does not pick up at least one point, as the report states that his job hangs ‘in the balance’.

The Guardian, though, also revealed that some sources have expressed sympathy for the German manager because the results have not been as positive as the performances have been.

Leeds exploring move for English head coach

Whilst a final decision has not been made on the former Norwich City head coach’s future at the club, a fresh report has named one of the managers already in the frame to take his place.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, Leeds United are exploring the possibility of a move to appoint former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil as Farke’s replacement at Elland Road.

The report claims that the English tactician is ‘firmly’ in the running to be the next Whites manager if they decide to part ways with the German this week.

It adds that Farke will be in the dugout for the clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night, as the earlier report from The Guardian backs up, but his future beyond these next two games remains in doubt.

However, the 49ers should change their mind and avoid a deal to appoint O’Neil as their next manager if they opt to move on from Farke, because he could be a Javi Gracia repeat for the club.

Why Gary O'Neil could be a Javi Gracia repeat for Leeds

The Whites appointed Gracia to replace Jesse Marsch in February 2022 in an attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League, and it seemed to be a shrewd move on paper.

Prior to joining Leeds, the Spaniard had finished 14th and 11th in the Premier League with Watford in his first two seasons with the Hornets, per Transfermarkt, before losing his job after three defeats in four games at the start of his third campaign.

He, therefore, arrived as a ‘proven’ Premier League manager, but that did not stop him from losing six of his 11 games in charge before being sacked by the Whites, who then brought in Sam Allardyce.

O’Neil would arrive at Elland Road with a similar reputation because he finished 15th and 14th with Bournemouth and Wolves in his first two seasons in the division, before being sacked after a run of 11 losses in 16 games in his third top-flight campaign, per Transfermarkt.

The English boss, who typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, per Transfermarkt, lost his job with the Old Gold for a run of form that was even worse than Farke’s current performance at Leeds.

Games managed

13

16

Wins

3

2

Draws

2

3

Losses

8

11

Points

11

9

Points per game

0.85

0.56

League position

18th

19th

As you can see in the table above, Farke would still have a better record than O’Neil did last season if he loses these next two games against Chelsea and Liverpool.

These statistics suggest that there is no guarantee that the ex-Wolves manager would be an upgrade on the German in the dugout, as Gracia wasn’t, despite his Premier League experience, when they sacked Marsch in 2022.

With this in mind, the 49ers should avoid moving for the out-of-work head coach if they decide to sack Farke, because it could be a repeat of the mistake that former sporting director Victor Orta once made with Gracia.

Instead, they should look to appoint a manager who is a clear upgrade on the German boss, whether they have Premier League experience or not, to help them in their battle against relegation.

Leeds lining up January spending spree for "phenomenal" Farke replacement

Daniel Farke will reportedly be sacked if Leeds lose their next two matches.

ByBen Goodwin Dec 1, 2025

Of course, it would be remiss of us to ignore the possibility that Farke can turn things around in these next two games to save his job, which would alleviate any need for the board to step in and make a decision on a replacement for him in the coming weeks.

Beau Webster has done everything in his power to keep his Test spot, taking five wickets for Tasmania against South Australia with Alex Carey making 59

AAP11-Nov-2025Beau Webster has taken his first five-wicket haul of the summer for Tasmania – but it came on a day when his chances of keeping his Test spot took a hit.Webster claimed 5 for 50 for the Tigers in Hobart on Tuesday to help dismiss South Australia for 177 in reply to the hosts’ first-innings 209. Tasmania then collapsed by losing nine wickets in an extended last session to reach stumps on day two at 177 for 9, with Henry Thornton taking two wickets in the final over to keep the hosts’ lead to 209 with a tight finish looming.Webster was out for eight as Tasmania crumbled, but was still the star of the day and did everything in his power with the ball to keep his Test spot.Related

Webster bags eight for the match but Tasmania lose to South Australia

Webster, Weatherald miss out as Doggett bags five

Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans

Mark Taylor unsure over Cameron Green's position

However, his wickets came just as Cameron Green was returning to bowl for Western Australia for the first time in six weeks, after battling side soreness.Green bowled with good pace and bounce at the WACA, taking an early wicket and dispelling any concerns over his fitness. If Green is fit to bowl in the first Test from November 21, selectors will be left to decide between keeping Webster or picking a specialist opener in Tasmania teammate Jake Weatherald.A key consideration will also no doubt be that Weatherald’s inclusion would allow Marnus Labuschagne to bat in his preferred position of No.3. Weatherald looked in touch for his 30 on Tuesday, before edging a ball back onto his own stumps off Liam Scott for a pair of squandered starts in this match, after a first-innings 23. He hit Nathan McAndrew for three boundaries in one over, pulling him twice to the rope before a glorious cover drive to the fence.Earlier, Webster was easily Tasmania’s best bowler on Tuesday after having Travis Head caught behind on the opening evening. The seamer bowled Liam Scott through the gate with a ball that swung back in at the right-hander, then also drew Jake Doran’s edge soon afterwards.Beau Webster celebrates his fourth career five-wicket haul•Getty ImagesNathan McAndrew followed in a similar fashion, before Brendan Doggett was the last to go when Webster took the tailender’s off stump.Webster has taken eight wickets at 23.25 since debuting for Australia at the SCG, while also proving a reliable man with the bat at No.6.”Beau does what Beau does, just gets in a nice area,” Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey said. “In conditions like that he gets a lot out of it, and that’s what I’ve seen in his Test career so far.”With wickets that have a bit in it, he comes to the fore and got his five-wicket haul today.”Jake Weatherald, I think, is a really quality player and looked really good for his 30.”Alex Carey drives through cover•Getty ImagesCarey (59) was the only South Australian to pass 50, as he played a counter-attacking role in a low-scoring game. On a day when rain, storms and even hail stopped play, the Australian Test wicketkeeper regularly charged the quicks. He used his feet to hit Jackson Bird over the mid-wicket fence, and played another cracking cover drive against Webster.But when Carey guided Gabe Bell to Webster at second slip on 59, it kick-started a collapse of 6 for 33 to end South Australia’s innings.South Australia then went through the Tasmanians by taking nine wickets in an extended final session, with Ben Manenti taking 3 for 26.