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While their performances last year and at the start of the season suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a talented squad.

The likes of Freddie Potts, Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are all good to great players who will help move the East Londoners away from a Premier League relegation scrap as the season goes on.

However, one area of the team that the Hammers have consistently failed to address is up top, with neither Niclas Füllkrug nor Callum Wilson good enough to lead the line.

Fortunately, West Ham are now being linked with an inform number nine who could end their striker curse and was even linked to Harry Kane as a youngster.

West Ham target Füllkrug and Wilson upgrade

Before his injury, Füllkrug had made seven appearances for West Ham this season, in which he failed to score or assist a single goal, which makes news of his likely departure in January rather welcome to most fans.

Transfer Focus

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

Wilson, on the other hand, has been able to find the back of the net twice, in fact, but even so, he has hardly blown anyone away in his nine appearances so far this season, and with his injury record being what it is, he cannot be relied upon.

So, with all that in mind, it’s clear that the East Londoners are in desperate need of a new striker once the window opens, and fortunately, that might happen.

According to a recent report from Turkey, West Ham are among several sides interested in man of the moment, Troy Parrott.

Alongside the Hammers, the report claims that Everton, Leeds United and Stuttgart are keen on signing the Irish international from AZ Alkmaar, who want at least €30m for him, which is about £26m.

It could be a tough transfer to get over the line, but with how well Parrott has played in recent years, and how much of an upgrade on Füllkrug and Wilson he’d be, it’s one worth fighting for.

Why Parrott would be massive upgrade on Wilson & Füllkrug

It’s the obvious place to start, but it’s also the most important: Parrott would be a huge upgrade on Wilson and Füllkrug because he’s simply the better goalscorer.

For example, while the two West Ham strikers have just two goals between them this season, the Irishman has already racked up an astounding tally of 13 goals and two assists in 14 appearances, totalling 928 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.07 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.86 minutes.

Appearances

14

Starts

11

Minutes

928′

Goals

13

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

1.07

Minutes per Goal Involvement

61.86′

Points per Game

2.21

Such an incredible rate of return makes the claim of one analyst, made over five years ago, that he was “reminiscent of Harry Kane” as a youngster look rather reasonable today.

It’s not just this season that the former Tottenham Hotspur gem has been on fire, though, as he ended last season with an excellent haul of 20 goals and five assists in 47 games.

With that said, the second reason he’d be an excellent upgrade on the Hammers’ ageing forwards is that he’s still just 23 years old, and therefore has plenty left in the tank.

Moreover, while he did have some injury problems early on in his career, he has not missed more than nine games for club and country in any of the last three campaigns.

Finally, as was made quite clear over the last week or so, the Dublin-born game-changer is someone for the big occasions.

For example, he scored both goals in Ireland’s 2-0 win over Portugal, and then followed that up with what is already a legendary hat-trick against Hungary, securing the country’s place in the World Cup play-offs.

Moreover, his third goal was practically the final kick of the game, suggesting he isn’t someone to flap under the most immense of pressure.

Ultimately, while it might be difficult to get ahead of the other interested parties, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign Parrott in January, as he might be the man to end their striker curse.

£67m spent & no Wilson or Fullkrug: Nuno's dream West Ham XI after January

This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2025

Liverpool were left furious after Virgil van Dijk’s first-half header against Manchester City was ruled out for offside, despite Andy Robertson not touching the ball. The Dutchman thought he had equalised from a Mohamed Salah corner, but VAR sided with the on-field officials. And here's why Arne Slot's team did not end up getting a goal that could have had a big impact on the game.

Van Dijk goal ruled off in Man City loss

Liverpool were denied what they believed to be a legitimate equaliser in the first half of their Premier League clash with City at Etihad Stadium. After falling behind to Erling Haaland’s opener, Van Dijk met a corner from Salah and directed a powerful header past Gianluigi Donnarumma, seemingly restoring parity for the visitors. The Liverpool captain sprinted away in celebration, only for the assistant referee’s flag to cut short the jubilation.

Robertson was deemed to be in an offside position during the play, standing just a yard from Donnarumma inside the six-yard box. Although the Scotland international made no contact with the ball and attempted to duck out of its flight path, VAR confirmed that his movement was enough to interfere with the goalkeeper’s ability to play the ball. The Premier League’s Match Centre later clarified that Robertson’s proximity constituted “an obvious action which impacted an opponent’s ability to play the ball,” meaning the goal could not stand.

The decision proved divisive, particularly as Donnarumma appeared unlikely to have reached the header regardless of Robertson’s position. While City took advantage of the reprieve and doubled their lead before the interval, Liverpool’s players were left visibly frustrated — with Arne Slot animatedly remonstrating with the officials on the touchline. It was a key moment in a match where fine margins once again played a decisive role.

AdvertisementFans fume at VAR's offside decision

@TheKopWatch commented on X: "Side netting. GK is getting nowhere near it. Robertson doesn’t block his view of the ball. How on earth is that disallowed?"

@markgoldbridge wrote: "Got to say that is a joke. Keeper is at full stretch and Robertson isn't interfering with play. Another shocker."

@Abdulba71267148 fumed: "Complete robbery."

@JonnyGibson33 explained: "He's miles away from the keeper the ball, literally moving away from the goal and then ducks. Incredible decision."

@holly82649091 claimed: "They want a title race between Arsenal and City."

@mo11salahh took shots at the inconsistency: "Bernardo Silva against Wolves last season. Robertson against city this season. Man City goal given. Liverpool goal NOT given."

Getty Images SportWas Robertson actually in Donnarumma's 'line of sight'?

The controversy stems from Law 11 of the FA’s rules on offside, which outlines that a player can be penalised even without touching the ball if they “make an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball”. In this instance, Robertson’s quick duck to avoid Van Dijk’s header was deemed an “obvious action”. Officials concluded that his proximity to Donnarumma caused hesitation in the goalkeeper’s movement, constituting interference.

The Premier League’s post-match explanation described Robertson as being “in an offside position directly in front of the goalkeeper”. However, replays suggested the full-back was actually slightly to Donnarumma’s left, leading to debate over whether the “line of sight” element of the rule applied. While Robertson’s motion to evade the ball was instinctive, officials interpreted it as influencing Donnarumma’s reaction, and therefore as active involvement in the play.

The controversy reignited broader frustrations over VAR’s inconsistency in judging offside interference. Similar incidents in previous seasons have seen goals allowed when players appeared to obstruct goalkeepers, further blurring the line between passive and active involvement.

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VAR continues to split fans on a weekly basis

The fallout from the disallowed goal is likely to continue, with Liverpool supporters and pundits demanding greater clarity from the Premier League’s officiating body. While the decision may have adhered to the letter of the law, the interpretation will once again draw criticism for its subjectivity — particularly in high-stakes fixtures like this one.

City, meanwhile, took full advantage of Liverpool’s deflation, controlling the tempo in the second half to preserve their lead and maintain their unbeaten home record.

A “fantastic” title-winning manager is considered a serious option for Glasgow Rangers, after 49ers Enterprises decided to part ways with Russell Martin on Sunday.

Rangers sack Russell Martin

Martin accepted full responsibility as another dismal Rangers performance ended with a 1-1 draw at Falkirk, after which enraged fans tried to block the team bus from leaving the ground.

The Englishman had been bullish about the job he is doing at Ibrox prior to dropping more points on Sunday, but admitted the blame lies at his door after a valiant effort by his players.

Martin’s fate was sealed as the club announced in a statement on Sunday that he, Assistant Head Coach Matt Gill and First-Team Coach Mike Williamson will all leave, and a well-known figure has now been mentioned as a possible option to replace him.

"Fantastic" manager keen to replace Martin at Rangers

According to a fresh claim from TEAMtalk, Sean Dyche is “very open” to becoming Rangers’ next manager. He is described as a “serious option” for the Gers, and “ranks very highly” on their “shortlist of potential replacements” as Martin was finally put out of his misery.

Dyche, who plays a 4-4-1-1 system, could be a strong choice for Rangers after the 49ers finally took the plunge and sacked Martin, having proven himself at the top level for a long time now.

The Englishman is a title-winning manager, winning the Championship during his Burnley days, while Thomas Frank has spoken highly of him as a boss in the past.

“Sean is a fantastic coach and manager. He always makes his team very difficult to play against. They are physical, intensive in pressing, they have pace on transitions, are very good on set-pieces, and they play behind you. What he brings is a fantastic foundation. I don’t think he always gets enough credit for how dynamic they are and how good they are in the offensive third.”

Rangers supporters have not been enamoured with Martin’s ball-playing style, with the players not always necessarily capable of always doing what he wants, but in Dyche, a very different style of football could be on show at Ibrox.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 4, 2025

He adopts a far more direct style of play, which may appeal to some more than others, but most importantly, he knows how to win games and make his teams difficult to beat, which hasn’t been the case with Martin.

Lennart Karl is the crown jewel of Bayern Munich, having broken through the Bundesliga heavyweights' youth academy. The 17-year-old has been enjoying a purple patch with the Bavarians, with head coach Vincent Kompany offering regular minutes to the talented youngster. Now, recent reports from Germany reveal that the club already has plans in place to secure Karl's long-term future.

Karl becomes Bayern's big bet for the future

Karl joined the Bayern youth academy as a prodigious 14-year-old in 2022. The talented youngster had a colossal impact for Bayern's Under-17 and U19 outfits in the 2024-25 season, scoring 32 goals and delivering 10 assists in a combined total of 26 games. His dramatic rise through the ranks saw him earn his first-team debut in the 10-0 win over Auckland City at the Club World Cup during the summer.

Ahead of the season, Karl was promoted to the first team. Now, according to a report from , the future looks bright for both the talented teenager and the Bavarian giants. The report claims that Bayern already have a foolproof plan in place to secure Karl's long-term future. The news comes after Karl's stunning breakthrough in the first team in the ongoing 2025-26 campaign, where he has featured in 10 of the 13 games Bayern have played in all competitions. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKarl to receive automatic extension gift on his 18th birthday

"I want to assert myself at Bayern Munich and one day play for the club in the Champions League," Karl told Bayern's official website in an interview earlier this year. He has already started proving himself in Europe's greatest club competition. Last week, he scored his first-ever professional goal in a 4-0 rout of Belgian side Club Brugge, surpassing Jamal Musiala to become Bayern's youngest ever goal scorer in the competition at the age of 17 years and 242 days. 

Karl is currently tied to the club until June 30, 2028. Per , the diminutive winger's contract will be extended automatically until 2029 on February 28, 2026, when he turns 18. With the renewal, his current contract will be converted into a professional contract, accompanied by an increase in the young prodigy's salary. There will not be an exit clause inserted, as both the club and the player want to prolong this association into the foreseeable future.

Patience the key to Karl's development at Bayern

Aided by his mentor and agent Michael Ballack – among Germany's all-time greats – Karl has shown an eagerness to learn and improve in the first few months of his life as Bayern's senior side member. His minutes have been managed carefully by head coach Kompany, handing him three starts already. Karl has clocked 291 minutes of action so far, and is on course to breach the 1,000-minute milestone if he remains injury-free. 

Kompany, however, has urged for patience with the versatile left-footed teenager. "I'm not a fan of hype, and now he will be getting some of that," the Belgian boss told reporters after the 4-0 win over Brugge last week. "I'm a fan of training and calm… Everyone knows he can score goals and if he keeps going like this, he'll get a chance and maybe at the right time he'll need a bit of calm.

"As a young player, you don't have pressure. I want Lennart to feel that too. He has to enjoy what he's doing. If he makes mistakes, we'll discuss it. Hopefully, at some point, the pressure will be on his shoulders. But for now he should enjoy these moments without any pressure."

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Getty Images SportPremier League giants scouting Karl

Karl's gradual progression into the first-team has attracted attention from some of Premier League's biggest sides. Indeed, a report from earlier this week claimed that the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City reportedly sent scouts to monitor the teenage sensation. Adding intrigue to this report is his agent Ballack's past affiliations with Chelsea, whom he played for between 2006 and 2010. 

The focus for the rest of the reason will be to ensure that Karl continues his development with regular playing time off the bench along with occasional opportunities to feature in the starting XI. His versatility allows Kompany the luxury to hand rest to undisputed stars like Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and even Harry Kane.

Nat Sciver-Brunt hasn’t just been juggling life as a new working mum in recent weeks, but also an intensive rehab programme on an Achilles injury that means she will start her tenure as England Women’s captain playing as a batter only.Speaking publicly for the first time since her appointment as Heather Knight’s successor a fortnight ago and becoming a mum with wife Katherine in March, allrounder Sciver-Brunt said she had been battling Achilles tendinopathy “on and off for years”. But her maternity leave had allowed a clear six-week window to treat the injury – including painful shockwave therapy – which had her on track to bat during her first assignment as captain, when England host West Indies in two white-ball series starting on May 21.”For now I haven’t been bowling,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Just from an Achilles perspective to build up my workload through playing, batting is important in terms of the next step up. So certainly for the first part of the summer I’ll be playing as a batter.”My intention is to keep bowling. I mean, bowling 10 overs every 50-over match probably isn’t something that is sustainable for me. But I’d like to have a good role with the ball as well.”It just came to a head and was very sore during the winter, so I was really glad to have a chance to have a good period of rehab so that I can go through the summer more pain-free, obviously with a big 50-over World Cup after the summer. I’m on track, which I’m really happy about.”Related

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• Nat Sciver-Brunt named England Women captain

• Sciver-Brunt must put England back in business

• Chinelle Henry to miss West Indies tour of England

Sciver-Brunt said she was still adjusting to “a new normal” since the arrival of son Theo, who will join Nat and Katherine on tour as England look to put their 16-0 Ashes drubbing at the hands of Australia in January behind them.”It’s been interesting, obviously doing everything I can to get back into cricket and whilst rehabbing my Achilles was important,” she said. “Doing all of that and then being at home and there for Katherine and Theo has been tricky at times, but looking after a newborn is really rewarding.”To be asked [to be captain] is a huge privilege and one that I didn’t want to turn down. Obviously that doesn’t come without its challenges in terms of where I’m at in my life and the changes that have happened outside of cricket, to becoming a mum and getting used to all of that, so it will be a new thing to get used to, but hopefully something I can take in my stride.”West Indies named their squad – without the injured Chinelle Henry and Deandra Dottin – on Tuesday and England were set to follow suit within 48 hours. During that time Lydia Greenway is expected to be confirmed as the national women’s selector, a new position created to work alongside head coach Charlotte Edwards, England Women’s managing director Clare Connor and director Jonathan Finch on a four-person selection panel.Unlike Knight, Sciver-Brunt won’t be part of the selection panel as captain, although she will have share her views in pre-selection meetings with Edwards and have a say in the starting XI for each match.England are yet to settle on a leadership group to support Sciver-Brunt and on whether they will have a vice-captain. In her role as deputy, Sciver-Brunt was called upon a number of times to lead the side in Knight’s absence, most recently midway through their T20 World Cup defeat to West Indies in October which resulted in England failing to reach the knockout phase of the tournament. Sciver-Brunt has a 9-3 win-loss record in the 12 matches she has captained for England – 11 T20Is, including at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and one ODI.”We’ve had some great success when I’ve stepped in to captain, but also lost a few games as well,” she reflected. “Just learning from those experiences and working out the best way to help everybody on the pitch stay level and in the best place to perform well, that’s the biggest learning, how to help people get back to their normal, which we’ve done a lot of as a group over the last year or so.”I’ll be having conversations with everybody just to work out the best way to work with them when we’re on the pitch and what they would need from me to help them best work.”As a leader, I want to empower everyone to be the best version of themselves, as a group I want us all to work really hard for each other and the team and themselves, and also making smarter decisions, with learning about the game and different experiences and using what we’ve done really well in the past and just tweaking it a little. We’ve got a great chance with a new coach, a new captain to start fresh I suppose, and look forward as a group. We’ll look to tweak a few things and hopefully we can win a few more games.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quarta-feira (16), o São Paulo decide seu futuro contra o Corinthians na Copa do Brasil pela semifinal da competição. O Tricolor perdeu o jogo de ida por 2 a 1 na casa do rival, mas tem chance de recuperar o resultado no estádio do Morumbi. Embora o resultado negativo desanime a um primeiro olhar, o Tricolor já apresentou algumas reviravoltas na história onde conseguiu reverter no duelo de volta – e com a mesma diferença de gols que está apresentando agora. Relembre cinco vezes em que isso foi possível!

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Conquista da Copa Libertadores de 1992
Na final do continental daquele ano, o Tricolor enfrentou o Newell’s Old Boys. No primeiro jogo, perdeu fora de casa por 1 a 0. No duelo de volta, no Morumbi, venceu por 1 a 0 e decidiu o confronto nos pênaltis. O resultado consagrou a primeira Libertadores da história do Tricolor e um dos títulos mais importantes da equipe.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Tricolor com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

+ ATUAÇÕES: Lucas Moura marca primeiro gol após volta, e São Paulo empata com Flamengo pelo Brasileirão

Oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil de 2012
O São Paulo garantiu sua vaga nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil em 2012 contra a Ponte Preta. Primeiro, perdeu o jogo de ida fora de casa por 1 a 0. No duelo de volta e com apoio da torcida, venceu por 3 a 1 e se classificou.

Quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista de 2018
Nas quartas de final do Paulistão de 2018, o São Paulo se classificou também após perder o jogo de ida. No caso, foi derrotado por 1 a 0, mas reverteu vencendo por 2 a 0 no jogo de volta.

Terceira fase da Copa do Brasil em 2021
Sem dúvidas, uma das decisões recentes mais memoráveis do São Paulo. Em 2021, o Tricolor foi do lixo ao luxo na Copa do Brasil contra o IX de Julho. No jogo de ida, perdeu por 3 a 2. No duelo de volta, simplesmente virou o resultado após vencer por 9 a 1 – um dos placares mais elásticos da história do clube.

Oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana em 2023
O exemplo mais recente de virada do São Paulo. Nas oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, o São Paulo perdeu para o San Lorenzo por 1 a 0 na Argentina. No Morumbi, reverteu ao vencer por 2 a 0 e se classificar para as quartas.

*Estes levantamentos foram concedidos pelo historiador Alexandre Giesbrecht, do Anotações Tricolores

Lamine Yamal returned to the Barcelona matchday squad and had an instant impact as he his assist led to Robert Lewandowski scoring the winning goal in the second half. Yamal started on the bench against Real Sociedad and was introduced in the game just a minute before the hour mark. He came on and within a few seconds played a perfect cross for the Polish forward to score.

• TELL ME MORE

  Hansi Flick rested several first-team stars like Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia as he wanted to keep them fresh for the Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain next week. Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, returned to the matchday squad from injury but started on the bench.

  Barcelona were the more dominant side in the first half as they enjoyed 86 per cent ball possession and created several goalscoring opportunities. Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro was the busiest player on the pitch as he pulled off multiple saves to deny players like Pedri and Marcus Rashford from scoring. 

  After resisting the Barcelona attack for half an hour, the visitors broke the deadlock against the run of play. Goncalo Guedes sent in a curling cross towards Mikel Oyarzabal, who in turn, found Ander Barrenetxea with a pass. The left winger then kept a low ball inside the box from which Alvaro Odriozola converted a simple tap-in.

  The Catalan giants restored parity just two minutes before the end of regulation time in the first when Jules Kounde converted a clinical header from Marcus Rashford's inch-perfect corner.

  Flick introduced Olmo and Yamal in the second half and the changes instantly had an impact on Barcelona's game. Yamal came on just a minute before the hour mark and contributed to Lewandowski's goal. The youngster received a pass from Olmo near the left edge of the box and made a run before keeping a perfect cross inside the six-yard box as the veteran Polish forward converted a brilliant header. Lewandowski came close to a second goal for himself when Ferran Torres set him up with a perfect ball inside the six-yard box, but the 37-year-old's powerful shot from a close range hit the crossbar and went out. 

  With a 2-1 win on Sunday, Barcelona overtook rivals Real Madrid to occupy the top spot after Los Blancos suffered a 5-2 loss against Atletico Madrid a day before.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE MVP

  Rashford had yet another impressive night in a Barcelona shirt as he worked relentlessly on the left side of the pitch, but Yamal's impact on the game was magical. Just seconds after he replaced Roony Bardghji on the pitch, the Blaugrana sensation played an inch-perfect ball for Lewandowski to score the winner.

• THE BIG LOSER

  The Sociedad defenders let their goalkeeper down on a night when Remiro made eight saves and was practically unbeaten in front of goal. Yet Barcelona converted two headers as the backline was caught napping on both occasions. 

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT COMES NEXT?

  The Catalan giants will now shift their focus to Europe as they are all set to host defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in a crucial Champions League fixture on Wednesday. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Luís Castro não é mais treinador do Botafogo. A saída do técnico foi confirmada pelo clube na tarde desta sexta-feira nas redes sociais. O português será comandante do Al-Nassr, da Arábia Saudita.

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– Luís Castro não é mais o técnico do Botafogo. O Botafogo foi comunicado nesta sexta-feira (30) pelo técnico Luís Castro sobre a sua decisão de aceitar proposta de um clube do exterior, o que encerra a atuação no comando técnico da equipe. Também deixam o Clube os auxiliares Vitor Severino e João Brandão; o preparador físico Roberto de Oliveira; o preparador de goleiros Daniel Correia; e o analista de desempenho Nuno Baptista. O Clube agradece aos profissionais pelo serviços prestados e deseja sucesso nos futuros desafios – publicou o perfil oficial do Botafogo nas redes sociais.

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Glorioso na Sul-Americana por apenas R$1,00!

DA DESCONFIANÇA À ARRANCADA

HISTÓRIA DE LUÍS CASTRO

Após dar os primeiros passos da migração do Botafogo para uma SAF, o acionista John Textor definiu Luís Castro como treinador ideal para a equipe. O português comandava o Al-Duhail, do Qatar, e chegou a ficar próximo de desembarcar no Corinthians. Porém, o Glorioso levou a melhor e fez com que Castro se encaminhasse para General Severiano.

+ Até 50% OFF em produtos Alvinegros para os torcedores fanáticos!

Luís Castro desembarcou no Rio de Janeiro em 26 de março de 2022. Sua estreia aconteceu em 16 de abril, na vitória por 3 a 1 sobre o Ceará. O primeiro ano no comando da equipe, entretanto, foi marcado por oscilações.

O Botafogo perdia muitos pontos quando atuava no Nilton Santos e chegou a flertar com a zona de rebaixamento no Campeonato Brasileiro. O sonho da Copa do Brasil acabou com duas derrotas para o América-MG.

A chegada de reforços, porém, injetou novo fôlego e fez a equipe engatar uma sequência promissora. Aos poucos, o Botafogo passou a ver ao horizonte o sonho de disputar uma Copa Libertadores. No entanto, a expectativa acabou na última rodada, com uma derrota por 3 a 0 para o Athletico-PR.

Em décimo-primeiro lugar, o Alvinegro se garantiu na Copa Sul-Americana. Na última entrevista coletiva do ano, Castro deixou o pedido de “cinco ou seis reforços” para fazer a equipe pensar em sonhos maiores em 2023.

CRISE E CARGO EM RISCO

O início de 2023 foi marcado por turbulências em General Severiano. A equipe principal alvinegra patinou no Campeonato Carioca, apresentando resultados pouco expressivos e tendo derrotas surpreendentes.

O ambiente ficou ainda mais conturbado após a derrota por 1 a 0 para a Portuguesa, que causou a eliminação precoce do Glorioso na primeira fase. A série de maus resultados e atuações abaixo do esperado levaram a protestos dos torcedores e deixaram a permanência de Castro em dúvida. Depois de uma reunião com a diretoria da SAF, John Textor decidiu dar mais um voto de confiança ao treinador.

O início na Copa do Brasil também aconteceu com sustos. O Glorioso escapou da eliminação para o Sergipe no último minuto, com gol de Adryelson no empate em 1 a 1.

O português começou a reorganizar o grupo ainda na caminhada da Taça Rio. O Alvinegro garantiu o título e sua vaga na Copa do Brasil de 2024 sem sustos.

AFIRMAÇÃO ALVINEGRA E RECORDES QUEBRADOS

O início de Brasileirão marcou uma guinada na passagem de Luís Castro no Botafogo. Sob seu comando, o Alvinegro engatou uma sequência de cinco vitórias consecutivas no início da competição (quebrando o recorde botafoguense em começos de Brasileirão, que era da edição de 1981).

Além disso, o grupo que tem como referência Tiquinho Soares estabeleceu o recorde de rodadas na liderança da competição nacional. São 12 rodadas no topo, e o Alvinegro abriu sete pontos de vantagem sobre o vice-líder Grêmio.

Após montar minuciosamente o Botafogo e torná-lo digno de sonhar com títulos de ponta, Luís Castro parte para um sonho nas Arábias.

England Lions 316 (Flintoff 108, Davies 76, Whitney 4-72) and 276 for 9 (Coles 67, Hurst 53, Elliott 3-38) drew with Cricket Australia XI 214 (Hicks 64, Brown 5-21) and 442 for 9 dec (Ward 120, Clayton 84, Hackney 70*, Radhakrishnan 58, Cook 4-47)England Lions held out for a battling draw after last pair Josh Tongue and Sam Cook defied a Cricket Australia XI attack for more than an hour in their tour game at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Half-centuries from Matt Hurst and James Coles rebuilt the Lions innings after they had slipped to 21 for 4, before the tail held on despite Jem Ryan and Sam Elliott claiming three wickets apiece.The Lions had been set a target of 331 after Ryan Hackney’s unbeaten 70 helped the home side to declare at 441 for 9. Cook finished with 4 for 47 but his unbeaten 8 in 86 minutes of batting at the end of the day was just as valuable as he survived alongside Tongue, who finished unbeaten on 19 from 50 balls.The Lions innings had run into trouble when Elliott struck twice in as many balls, removing Hamza Shaikh and James Rew, to leave the tourists four down inside nine overs.Opener Ben McKinney counter-attacked with 47 before Hurst and Coles got to work on balancing a salvage job with keeping a still-achievable victory target within their scope.Hurst was judged leg before after moving down the wicket and looking to engineer a shot to leg off Elliott before Coles pulled Ryan to Hackney as the field had started to spread.First-innings centurion Rocky Flintoff was cast into a different role, his patient 28 from 64 balls befitting the situation, while Shoaib Bashir (24) batted for an hour before Hugo Burdon found his off stump. Last pair Tongue and Cook completed the rearguard by surviving 45 balls, as the Lions reached stumps on 276 for 9.The Lions now turn their attention to next week’s first-class match against Australia A in Sydney, which start on 30 January.

Tourists make two changes for second Multan Test with spin expected to play bigger role

Matt Roller14-Oct-2024Ben Stokes will return to captain England in Multan this week after two months sidelined with a torn hamstring. Stokes has stepped up his recovery in the past week and will replace Chris Woakes in one of two England changes from the first Test, with Matthew Potts also coming in for the rested Gus Atkinson.”I feel good. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field,” Stokes said ahead of his return. “I’ve worked really hard at the back end of my rehab period at home and throughout the last Test match as well. I’ve put myself through a fitness test, pretty much, over the last couple of days, and come through that pretty well.”England are braced for a lower-scoring second Test, with the match set to be played on the same strip as the one used for their innings win last week. The pitch has been heavily watered but has dried out in the sun during two practice days, and the used surface could bring both teams’ spinners into the game.Stokes has been bowling in training and will be England’s third seam option behind Potts and Brydon Carse, his Durham team-mates. It is a rare example of England picking three seamers from the same county. “It’s going to be a proud moment for the club,” he said. “Durham have a great record of producing England cricketers, and in particular fast bowlers.”On his own fitness to bowl, Stokes said: “I’ve obviously got to be sensible. Playing on a used wicket made the decision a little bit easier… We’ve got two workhorses in the team in Carsey and Potts who just keep going and going and going. But I’m available to bowl, and when I sense the time is right for me to come on and make an impact, there won’t be any doubts in my mind.”Related

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England’s seamers all had a heavy workload in the first Test, despite their innings win: Atkinson bowled 39 overs, Carse 38 and Woakes 35. Atkinson and Woakes both played all six Tests of England’s home summer and have been rested, with a short turnaround between matches, while Carse should be much fresher after spending June, July and August serving a ban.”You’re looking at the last seven Test matches being pretty gruelling – in particular, the last one,” Stokes said. “Looking at the seamers we’ve got out here, this is a good time for them to have a rest and refresh the body. They’ve had a really big summer and put in really good performances, bowled a lot of overs. It’s a good time for them to get their feet up and have a break.”Ben Duckett retains his place at the top of the order after recovering from a dislocated thumb sustained on the second evening of the first Test, while Jamie Smith will shuffle back down to No. 7 to allow Stokes to return in his favoured role at No. 6.England have stuck with the same spinners – Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir – despite Bashir’s quiet first Test, in which he returned match figures of 1 for 156. Rehan Ahmed is the other spin option in their squad, while the Warwickshire and England Under-19s legspinner Tazeem Ali is on holiday in Pakistan and has been bowling in the nets this week.England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Matthew Potts, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Shoaib Bashir