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With little consistent support from the rest of his batting line-up, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain had to play the dual roles of superhero and sidekick to lift them to their maiden IPL title

Nagraj Gollapudi in Bangalore29-May-2016Virat Kohli might have earned a considerable amount of applause for his mesmeric batting in this IPL. But in the biggest match of the season, the one man who had been challenging Kohli’s claim for the tournament’s MVP crossed the finish line ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. David Warner was that man.He had dared Kohli by electing to bat first, telling Royal Challengers that he possessed a formidable bowling attack. But first, Sunrisers had to put a challenging total on the board.Unlike Chris Gayle, later in the evening, Warner was not destructive. As he has been throughout the tournament, he was attentive to the possibilities, his placement inch-perfect.Take this instance: Sachin Baby stood at short third man, Gayle at backward point. Barely 10 yards separated the two. Shane Watson erred for the third time in his first over, bowling full and wide outside off stump. Warner stretched to chop the ball neatly into the narrow divide. The fielders held their heads. Warner did not even look up. He knew what he was doing.Gayle then came on to bowl. He was firing his offbreaks into the batsman’s legs. But the first time he opted to flight the ball, the last ball of his third over, Warner swept him powerfully over mid-on for his second six.In no time – 24 balls – Warner raised his bat to mark his ninth fifty of the season, the most by any batsman. Kohli might have won the Orange Cap with four centuries, but Warner was not far behind – he finished with 848 runs to Kohli’s 973, his strike rate, 151.42, nearly identical to Kohli’s 152.03.Yuzvendra Chahal, the best spinner in this IPL, became a little predictable, bowling too many googlies at the left-handed Warner. Offered width, Warner cut Chahal for two fours in the ninth over.S Aravind finally forced Warner to edge one in the 14th. Did Aravind take the wicket or did Warner throw it away? Probably it was the latter. Offered a low full toss on off stump, Warner had punched Aravind for a straight boundary as soon as Kohli had brought the left-arm seamer back. Aravind’s next ball was a fraction wider, on the fourth stump. Warner went for an expansive drive, attempting to hit over cover, and ended up slicing into the hands of Iqbal Abdulla at short third man.Warner has not had the kind of support Kohli enjoys in Royal Challengers’ batting line-up. He has had to be both Batman and Robin for Sunrisers. For half the tournament he did not have the services of Yuvraj Singh, who proved a catalyst as soon as he returned from injury. Barring Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj, none of the Sunrisers batsmen – overseas or Indian – crossed the 200-run mark. At times Warner lost his cool and made his anger public: when the batsmen at the other end were throwing their wickets away in a tight chase in the second Qualifier against Gujarat Lions, he bared his emotions in the face of head coach Tom Moody, who remained speechless.Warner eventually took Sunrisers home with some late help from Bipul Sharma. He finished short of a century by seven runs, but he had won Sunrisers their first IPL final ticket, in their fourth season.On Sunday, late into the match, when Sunrisers had all but sealed the win, Warner was still fully switched on. In the penultimate over of the match, Sachin Baby hit a straight drive off Mustafizur Rahman. Warner was at wide long-on. He set off swiftly to his right, threw himself into a sprawling dive and interrupted the progress of the ball, relaying it two-handed to the fielder coming the opposite way from long-off.Moody said Warner had set high standards for himself, and inspired his team-mates to do the same.”The most important thing that I draw from him is he has a relentless passion to win,” Moody said. “He is a born winner and that rubs off on others. He has got incredible work ethic, incredible discipline and all those things are so important from a leadership point of view and that has rubbed off on the group.”David Warner thumped his chest. David Warner shrieked. David Warner was a proud winner.

With three double-hundreds in first-class cricket, consistent scores in the domestic circuit, and scope to improve even further, 19-year-old Mosaddek Hossain has been labelled the “next big thing” in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam14-Oct-2015Unlike his Bangladesh A team-mates, Mosaddek Hossain’s fortunes during the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe will be heavily scrutinised back home. Three double-hundreds in the last eight months in first-class cricket has earned Mosaddek the tag of Bangladesh cricket’s “next big thing”.The label has come after a consistent run of big scores in domestic cricket, which dates back to Mosaddek’s first season in the Dhaka Premier League when he single-handedly led Abahani Limited’s title fight in 2013. After being chosen on the A-team tour that left Dhaka on Wednesday night, Mosaddek is now among the second line of Bangladesh cricketers at a time when the senior team is having different requirements for the three formats.Many have observed that Mosaddek’s greatest asset – apart from his physical powers and concentration- is his awareness of his own strength and weakness. After making an unbeaten 200 against Sylhet earlier this month, Mosaddek holds the record for most double-hundreds by a Bangladesh batsman. The first of those three knocks was his 250 against Rangpur, and the second a 282 against Chittagong during the 2014-15 season.It is rare for such a young batsman, particularly in Bangladesh, to bat in so many long innings within a short span of time. Recent batsmen like Liton Das, Rony Talukdar and Marshall Ayub, and before them, Mohammad Ashraful and Raqibul Hasan, all made great starts to their domestic career with significant knocks and run-heavy seasons.Liton made it to the Bangladesh team this year, but has not proved himself at the international level yet. Talukdar also got a single chance, but that is still not enough for someone who has done so well in the domestic circuit. Marshall was given chances in 2013, while Raqibul’s international career has stalled. Ashraful started off at blistering pace in both domestic and international cricket, but a 12-year career hardly reflected his early promise.Mosaddek hails from Mymensingh, 130 km north of Dhaka. He is the second of four children. He learned the game in the Circuit House club, and made it to Dhaka through BCB’s age-group programmes. He made an early impression on his coaches during the nets, and showed his temperament at the crease by averaging 54.37 in Abahani’s 2013-14 Premier League campaign.Still, Mosaddek has a long way to go. As a youngster, he needs to be afforded some protection from inevitable failures. He should also be given time to mature for the international stage. Bangladesh A captain Shuvagata Hom called him “a rare talent”, so expectations must also be managed.Mosaddek sees the Bangladesh A tour as a starting point in his career, but admitted that he might find it hard to adjust to new conditions.”I am seeing this as a big opportunity for a good performance,” Mosaddek told ESPNcricinfo. “I have played for the A team before but missed out on a couple of series in between. I am back now and I want to contribute to the A team by batting consistently as I did in domestic cricket. I won’t get pitches like I do in domestic cricket in South Africa and Zimbabwe. I haven’t been on a foreign tour in some time so it will take time for me to adjust to the conditions.”Mosaddek’s game, from No 5, has been quite simple. He likes to bat within his limitations, which for now is a fair array of shots.He was also seen to have handled batting with the tail quite well, especially against Sylhet during the 2014-15 season. During his maiden double-hundred, he added 423 runs with Al-Amin for the fifth wicket, against Rangpur. In the 282 against Chittagong, he had two late-order 100-plus stands, too.Mosaddek – “I just try to bat naturally. I try to get set and once I do that, like all batsmen, I see the ball better”•WICB Media”I just try to bat naturally. I try to get set and once I do that, like all batsmen, I see the ball better. It also depends on the type of wicket I am batting on. But now I have the confidence to score runs after getting set in the middle. I don’t make any shots. I have certain zones that I am good at, I stick to those usually. A big innings doesn’t come easily. I needed support of all the batsmen at the other end whenever I scored the double-hundreds.”Sometimes it was the tail-enders who really helped me, especially our captain Kamrul Islam Rabbi. He was helpful in my last double-hundred. Time and luck also matter when you play for a long time without getting dismissed. I did think of a triple-hundred when I made 282 against Chittagong. Confidence and remaining hungry are also important factors.”Shahriar Nafees, Mosaddek’s senior team-mate in Barisal, was very impressed by Mosaddek’s ability to bat long. “He bats fluently, fearlessly. He has a sense of his strength and weakness while batting. One thing that stands out for Mosaddek is that he has batted naturally through every situation. He plays exactly how a No 5 should play. All his big innings have been about batting rhythm, and he tended to repeat what he had done before. For a young guy he is a powerful hitter too,” Nafees said.Mosaddek wants to manage his areas of weakness, rather than master it. “It will be wrong on my part to think about the national team now. I will hope to do well on this A tour so that ultimately, by god’s grace, I make it to the national team.”I will have to perform and the rest will be up to the selectors. I play spin quite well but I wouldn’t say I am not good at pace either. I may not be able to master the areas where I lack but I can certainly manage them.”

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2016He hit Ashton Agar for three sixes in an over during the Powerplay, forcing Steven Smith to take the young left-armer out of the firing line•Getty ImagesBut Australia hit back; after James Faulkner dismissed Guptill, Glenn Maxwell removed Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson in quick succession•Getty ImagesAgar gained redemption of sorts, taking the catches for both of Maxwell’s wickets•Getty ImagesThereafter, New Zealand kept losing wickets at regular intervals•Getty ImagesHowever, Grant Elliott’s handy 27 got New Zealand up to 142, before he was run out off the last ball of the innings•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja started the run chase promisingly, stroking six fours in his 38. He put on 44 in 32 balls with opening partner Shane Watson•Getty ImagesBut Khawaja was run out, becoming the third wicket to fall in a developing Australian wobble•Getty ImagesMitchell Santner chipped in with two wickets. His second wicket, that of David Warner, left Australia on 66 for 4, one ball past the halfway point in the innings•Getty ImagesSantner was well supported by a beautiful spell of bowling from legspinner Ish Sodhi, whose figures of 1 for 14 in four overs helped New Zealand gain the upper hand•Getty/ICCMitchell Marsh briefly counter-attacked, striking two big sixes to take the equation to 22 runs needed in the last two overs•Getty ImagesIt was New Zealand’s bowling that prevailed – Mitchell McClenaghan took two wickets in an excellent 19th over to set up an eight-run win•Getty Images

da poker： The Southampton hierarchy have now identified a 3-4-3 specialist, as their search for Russell Martin’s replacement continues, according to a recent report.

Latest on Southampton’s manager search

da jogodeouro： The Saints have won just one game in the Premier League all season, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a decision was made to relieve Martin of his duties, as his possession-based style of play didn’t have the same effect this season as it did in the Championship.

Southampton will be hoping they can get a new manager through the door as soon as possible, ideally before their game against Fulham on Sunday. There have already been a few names linked to the vacancy; Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl was the first manager to be mentioned as a candidate. The German is said to be under consideration, but his compensation fee may be too much for Saints to pay now.

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Meanwhile, former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand has been admired by Southampton for a while, and he is another option that is being considered by the Premier League side. The Saints are looking at the overseas free-agent market to replace Martin, and Hjulmand is a realistic option. Former Roma boss Ivan Juric has also been identified as a potential option, as they would rather hire a manager who is out of work than risk paying a substantial compensation fee.

Southampton are now eyeing a 3-4-3 specialist

As Southampton look at overseas manager targets, a new name has emerged on their radar, but surprisingly, he is someone who is currently in work. According to TBR Football, Southampton have placed Santa Clara manager Vasco Matos on their list of potential managers to replace Martin.

Matos, who likes to play a 3-4-3 formation, is currently in charge of Santa Clara, who are a Portuguese team in Liga Portugal. The 44-year-old joined the club in July 2023, and it was a first season to remember, as he guided the club to the Liga Portugal 2 title, and they are now sitting in fourth place in the top tier. Before joining Santa Clara, he was an assistant manager at Casa Pia for three years but has now made a name for himself as an impressive manager.

The job he has done in Portugal has not gone unnoticed, as this report states that Matos is now a “genuine” option for the Saints. The Portuguese has guided his side to nine wins from their opening 14 league games, five points adrift of third-place Benfica.

Vasco Matos’ Santa Clara stats

Games

57

Won

35

Drawn

10

Lost

12

Matos has made Santa Clara a team that is hard to beat, as last season they lost just three games, and they have only conceded 19 goals in 34 matches. His ability to make his teams defensively sound and make a limited squad overachieve appeals to Southampton, as they look to get off the bottom of the table. However, Matos is said to not be at the top of Southampton’s managerial wishlist, although it could still be one to watch.

Lewis Goldsworthy’s maiden List A hundred brings light to dismal campaign

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2022Somerset 266 for 5 (Goldsworthy 111, Rew 96) beat Warwickshire 252 (Rhodes 92, Brookes 51) by 14 runsSomerset collected their first Royal London Cup win at the eighth and last attempt and dragged Warwickshire out of the competition in the process with a 14-run victory at Edgbaston.Lewis Goldsworthy’s maiden List A century (111, 116 balls) and Jack Brooks’ excellent bowling (four for 38) underpinned a win which brought some belated light to a leaden campaign.Somerset owed their total to a third-wicket stand of 198 in 35 overs between Goldsworthy and James Rew (96, 120). Olly Hannon-Dalby and Liam Norwell took two wickets apiece but George Garrett impressed most, conceding 37 from his ten overs.Warwickshire knew that reaching 267 would take them through to the knockout phase but their depleted batting order, without the injured Krunal Pandya and Michael Burgess, fell just short on 252 all out. Captain Will Rhodes (92, 103) and Ethan Brookes (51, 57) added 104 in 18 overs for the fifth wicket but there were no contributions of substance either side of their stand.After choosing to bat, Somerset soon lost former Warwickshire opener Andy Umeed, bowled by Norwell who also had Steven Davies superbly caught low at slip by Rob Yates. With three vital championship games to come in September, the Bears will be encouraged to see Norwell starting to regain full fitness and menace.Related

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Rew and Goldsworthy rebuilt, slowly at first, then more fluently, reaching their half-centuries from 77 and 71 balls respectively. The latter struck 12 fours in a polished innings before falling lbw to Yates.Eighteen-year-old Rew was a boundary short of his second List A ton when he sliced Hannon-Dalby to short third man. George Bartlett’s tidy unbeaten 29 (21 balls) lifted Somerset to a competitive score.Yates (four fours and a six in 25) gave Warwickshire’s reply a brisk start until he was brilliantly caught at extra cover by Bartlett off Kasey Aldridge. A string of batters then also picked out fielders. Bartlett pounced again at extra when Dom Sibley (23, 36 balls) lifted a drive at Brooks and Goldsworthy added wickets to his earlier runs as Hamza Shaikh swept to deep mid-wicket and Matt Lamb cut to point.That was 95 for four but as Rhodes and Brookes’ enterprising batting righted the ship and got the crowd involved. Brookes twice located the Hollies Stand on his way to a 53-ball half-century before edging Brooks to wicketkeeper Davies.Brooks’ then pinned Kai Smith lbw with a yorker to send Warwickshire into the last five overs needing another 42. Denied the required boundaries by disciplined, full-length bowling, they entered the final over requiring 21. That was well beyond the tail and they accompany their opponents out of the tournament.

Chelsea have now made a new attacker their “top priority” in 2025 as they look to provide Enzo Maresca with the final piece of his attacking puzzle at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson going from laughing stock to lethal

In the 2023/24 Premier League season, Nicolas Jackson scored 14 goals, but developed a reputation for missing easy chances in his debut campaign for Chelsea.

In fact, only three players underperformed their expected goals by a bigger margin, and Chelsea spent much of the summer looking for a new no.9 to at least provide competition for the Senegal international, if not start ahead of him.

This season, however, he has taken his game to another level under Maresca. His goal against Newcastle was his sixth of the season, from an expected goals of exactly six, and demonstrated that he has made the step from future star to main man in Chelsea’s attack.

He has been rewarded with a new contract, which runs until 2031, and seems likely to lead the Chelsea line for some time to come. As a result, Chelsea’s priorities have shifted somewhat, away from a traditional no.9.

Chelsea target "devastating" forward

Now, it has been claimed that Chelsea are now eyeing a more versatile option in attack, and have made Borussia Dortmund ace Karim Adeyemi their “top priority” for 2025. The German international is still a raw talent, but has shown clear glimpses of his talent, most recently by netting a hat-trick against Celtic in the Champions League, while he also scored against Chelsea on the same stage in 2023 with a superb solo effort.

He has been described as having the potential to become “a devastating outlet” by football analyst Ben Mattinson on X, and Chelsea would like to be the club to harness that potential.

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Ben Browning

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That is according to French outlet Jeunes Footeux [via TEAMtalk], who claim that the Blues have made the German their ‘top priority’ for next summer amid reported interest from French Champions PSG too.

The 22-year-old would not come cheap, with the winger still having three years left to run on his £96,000 a week deal in Dortmund, but he would add some excellent versatility to Maresca’s attack, with Adeyemi able to play on either flank or even as a central striker alongside Jackson.

His raw pace would add yet another dimension to Chelsea’s attack, who currently only have the injury-prone Pedro Neto as a natural speedster in attack, and that could complement Jackson’s hold up skills and Palmer’s passing range excellently.

It is added that “Dortmund will look to reject any winter approaches for their player as they would rather keep him for the full campaign before selling next summer”, as they anticipate a bidding war for his services. Could Chelsea bring him to Stamford Bridge?

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da apostaganha： O torcedor do Palmeiras teve uma preocupação além do empate em 0 a 0 com o Fortaleza, no último domingo, pelo Brasileirão. Isso porque Rony, um dos principais jogadores do time na temporada, saiu de campo sentindo a coxa esquerda e pode ser desfalques nas próximas partidas, inclusive nesta quinta, diante do São Paulo.

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Nesta segunda, porém, o elenco ganhou folga da comissão técnica e se reapresentará somente na manhã desta terça. Portanto, ainda não há informações sobre a situação física do camisa 10 palmeirense.

Rony deverá passar por uma reavaliação e por exames para que se possa saber da gravidade do problema que ele sentiu no segundo tempo do duelo com o Fortaleza, quando estava perto de ser substituído e caiu no gramado com dores na coxa esquerda. Ele deixou o campo para dar lugar ao jovem Gabriel Silva.

Caso tenha uma lesão constatada, Rony será desfalque para o clássico desta quinta-feira, contra o São Paulo, pela partida de volta das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. A situação preocupa a comissão técnica, que já havia perdido Rafael Navarro, também por problemas musculares. Seriam duas baixas certas para o ataque.

Sem Gabriel Veron, que se recupera de corte no pé, Abel Ferreira teria como opções Breno Lopes e Wesley. Tudo isso, porém, o português começará a definir nesta terça, a partir das 11h, quando começa o treino do Alviverde, que terá mais uma atividade na quarta e outra provavelmente na manhã de quinta-feira, como é praxe do técnico.

The Eastern Conference side let half of their team go at the end of the 2024 season, and might be all the better for it

Curt Onalfo watches training every day. The New England Revolution Sporting Director, who has overseen immense change in his 18 months in the role, makes sure to be on the sidelines every time his team – yes, this is now team – goes to work on the practice field. And of course, Onalfo is there. He used to be a head coach himself. He sees it all.

He sees veteran playmaker Carles Gil find pockets of space and orchestrate in small-sided games. He sees winger Luca Langoni, Argentine flair and all, sit-down defenders. These days, he also looks at Leo Campana, his marquee winter signing, do all of the right things — make the right runs, press at the right time, and find the back of the net.

And the man in the middle of it all, leading the session, is Caleb Porter – someone he is aligned with. It has been 18 difficult months in New England. The Revolution were poor at the back end of the 2023 campaign, mired by scandal and the subsequent departure of Bruce Arena. In 2024, they responded by hiring Porter, a coach with an immaculate MLS pedigree, but one who played a markedly different style to the roster he inherited. This wasn't a full rebuild, but changes had to be made.

This winter, they all happened at the same time. Sixteen players were let go. Fifthteen came in. With the transfer window still open, more might yet arrive. New England is a different team altogether, re-energized, rebuilt, and, finally, shaped in the image of a club that looks far more aligned, top to bottom.

"I would call it the end of a cycle. Every roster goes through that… and we felt the group had stagnated a bit," Porter told GOAL.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowUSA Today ImagesA rejuvenated head coach

Porter knows what the world thinks about him. He knows that he is a perfectionist and fiercely competitive — often to a fault. Those things will never go away, he admitted. But it might just be time for change. This has been, in Porter's words, the best preseason of his life. The former title-winning manager with Portland and Columbus endured arguably his worst season as a head coach last year. And now, with a new group, he feels more energized than ever.

"With this group, I'm already seeing it. It's just more natural for them, the way I work and the things I'm looking for," Porter said.

There is a real buzz about the side, he said. The refresh has brought not only new talent but also good vibes. The team is working hard, top to bottom. There is a palpable energy. It marks a change from the head coach. Porter, at times, has developed a reputation for being a hard-nosed, intense figure. He has routinely been icy with officials and media members.

These days, though, he is just trying to have fun.

"I've probably hated losing more than I've liked winning in some ways. I think I'm just trying to enjoy the little things, and I don't take it for granted," Porter said.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe situation in 2023

New England was in an odd spot when Porter took the job following the 2023 season. It was clear from early on, he said, that the squad didn't fit his playing style. Arena has an immaculate pedigree as an MLS and USMNT coach. But he plays a radically different brand of soccer to Porter. The current manager likes creative players, wingers, a reliable No.10, and a high line. Everything here is focused on winning the ball and being expressive when you have it.

Arena, meanwhile, is different. He has, admittedly, evolved over the years. But his New England played in a diamond with two strikers. That system and its personnel didn't fit Porter's approach.

"We needed to increase the profile. We didn't have any wingers. It was crazy. We needed a few more, what I would call, soccer players, a bit more creativity in the center of the park," he said.

The fallout from Arena's resignation, too, had left an impact, Porter said.

"I felt there was actually quite a bit of scar tissue in the locker room, just with some of the things that went on and everything. So the group needed to be rebuilt completely," Porter said.

Throw in the fact that New England had one of the oldest squads in the league last season, and changes were needed.

USA TodayLetting players go

Porter didn't know all of this when he first joined the club. He had an idea, he said, but wasn't entirely clear on how deep the issues ran. But he and Onalfo have enjoyed a good relationship from early on.

"When we were in our interview process, immediately we saw eye to eye on players and how the game should be played," Onalfo said.

The plan was always to move players on and refresh the squad. But the state of the club suggested otherwise. Money was tight in New England, making it difficult to make wide-scale changes in 2024. Following the season, the focus shifted towards moving on the old guard and promising young talents like Esmir Bajraktarevic also needed to go to allow the GM and head coach to reinvest in the squad.

"Prior to last year, and we had a lot of mature players who were paid a lot of money, and so we were able to obviously free up some cap space with some moves," Porter said.

The work started in earnest last summer. Langoni was bought from Boca Juniors for a club-record $7 million – an expensive outlay from a club that tends to keep things tight. In Langoni, they immediately had the kind of match-winner they had been missing.

This winter, they got even busier. New England has found success in recent years selling homegrown talents for significant fees. Djordje Petrovic, Tajon Buchanan, and Matt Turner have all been sent to Europe for big money. They energized that network once again to send Bajraktarevic to PSV for a handsome $6 million. Six players didn't have their contract options exercised. A further five were let go in free agency. By the end of November, they had shed $4.5 million in salary while keeping their best XI mostly intact.

USA Today ImagesBringing the right ones in

And then, it was time to go to work. There weren't unlimited funds to work with here, but the Revolution could certainly explore some options. The big outlay came on Campana. Pushed into a reserve role by the arrival of Luis Suarez in Miami, New England thought he could be an excellent value for money signing – and their starting No.9. Porter, in particular, was excited at the prospect of bringing in a player who had always scored goals, and deserved a bigger role.

"With Leo, we love the fact that he's scored, he's been successful in this league. He scored goals in this league, but he's never been the guy. He really wanted that opportunity to be the guy. And we feel like, with a role where he's going to game in and game out, be highlighted and be given the opportunity to find goals that he'll produce," Porter said.

Campana should also benefit from the presence of Gil as the team's roaming No. 10. And Porter has been impressed with just how well-rounded Campana is.

"He's got enough pace, he's got enough work rate. He's got enough, you know, tactical understanding, you know, he's got a little bit of everything. He's pretty complete in a lot of ways," Porter said.

He represented excellent value for money, too. A player of his age, 24, could easily cost $8 million if the Revolution were to dip into the international market. Using the newly established cash-for-player provision in MLS, New England spent just $2.5 million. Onalfo sees him as potentially one of the best strikers in the league.

"We felt like if he was playing regularly based on his qualities, he should be a guy who can score 15 to 20 goals. In our league, that's exactly what you want out of your No. 9," Onalfo said.

But Campana wasn't the only new face. Fourteen others arrived, both via the draft and in other moves. Mamadou Fofana and Brayan Ceballos have offered much-needed center back strength. Ignatius Ganago should provide an extra attacking threat. Jackson Yueill is an ideal veteran depth signing in central midfield. Factor in all of the competition brought about by the additions, and half of the starting XI will be new.

Wigan Under 18s star Harrison Rimmer brutally trolled Everton after scoring the first goal at their new stadium.

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Everton trolled by Wigan U18 playerPlayed first-ever match at their new stadiumRimmer mocked hosts with Liverpool gestureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Toffees hosted a test game at their newly opened 52,000-seater stadium on Monday with 10,000 fans in attendance as their U18 side faced Wigan's youth side. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 12th minute of the match with 18-year-old midfielder Rimmer scoring the first-ever goal at the venue. Rimmer, who is a Liverpool fan, celebrated the goal by mocking the hosts with a Reds' gesture where he used his fingers to show six European titles won by Everton's arch-rivals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The first-ever game at their new home turned out to be a disaster for the Merseyside club as they eventually went down 2-1. The Toffees' senior team will start using the venue as their home ground from the 2025-26 campaign. Last week, the club played in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park one last time and James Tarkowski made the outing a memorable one as his last-gasp goal helped them to hold the Premier League leaders to a 2-2 draw.

DID YOU KNOW?

Before joining Wigan Athletic's youth ranks, Monday's goalscorer Rimmer spent a considerable amount of time at Everton during his formative years.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

David Moyes' side will be back in action on February 22 as they host a demoralised Manchester United side in a Premier League clash.

Leny Yoro has revealed he is in a Manchester United WhatsApp group predominantly used to help improve their defending.

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Yoro in first season at Man UnitedPart of WhatsApp group to improve defendingTrying to bounce back from criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United centre-back Yoro explained how Ruben Amorim's coaching staff have been sending his fellow defenders clips about opponents they are facing and mistakes they themselves have made this season. After the teenager was criticised for his display in the win over Southampton in January, he wants to kick on from these setbacks.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT LENY YORO SAID

He said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: "When I was playing against strikers every week, on the Thursday or Friday before the game, I said to the analyst, 'Fill the iPad up with the strikers that I'm playing against, and I want to see their best clips and their moments—goals and assists, etc'."

Ferdinand then asked: "Is that what you're doing?"

To which he replied: "Yeah, yeah, of course. It's important. We have a group on WhatsApp. With all the defenders, they send clips of the strikers, their movements, their runs. And outside of that. I have one person who's doing really a lot of clips on the striker for me to know. I had already someone in Lille, so I keep working with him. [I am] especially looking where to run, for example if the defender has the ball, for a long pass. Or for a cross with the first or second ball, everything is really important."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Yoro swapped Lille for United in a £52 million ($68m) deal last summer but he has, arguably, been a tad underwhelming so far. At a time when the Red Devils have been accused of having players with big egos and not trying hard enough, the 19-year-old, who snubbed interest from Real Madrid, appears to have the right attitude to improve his game.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Yoro could feature for United in their fourth round FA Cup clash at home to Leicester City on Friday night.