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Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have had numerous opportunities to witness numerous elite-level forwards in their first-team squad in North London.

Harry Kane will undoubtedly be the first that springs to mind, after the Englishman netted a total of 280 goals during his decade-long spell as a regular starter.

His tally is the highest in the Lilywhites’ history, but he will no doubt have to hand a huge amount of credit to the direction of former teammate Heung-min Son.

The South Korean often featured alongside Kane in the final third, which saw the duo register 47 goals in the Premier League for one another – a tally making them the best pair in the division’s history.

However, Thomas Frank has been unable to call upon either of the aforementioned talents, with the Dane currently facing a struggle with the options at the top end of the pitch.

Spurs number nine struggles under Thomas Frank

Before a single ball was kicked in 2025/26, many of the Spurs supporters would have anticipated Dominic Solanke to be the club’s starting centre-forward under Frank.

However, it’s been a season to forget for the Englishman to date, with the 28-year-old massively struggling with an ankle issue – even going under the knife to fix the issue.

As a result, he’s been restricted to a total of just 31 league minutes to date, with his last senior appearances for the Lilywhites coming back in August.

Due to the injury issues of Solanke, Richarlison has been handed the responsibility of leading the line in recent months, with the Brazilian making a phenomenal start to the season.

He netted a double in the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, but he’s since only found the net twice in the following ten outings in England’s top-flight.

Prior to netting against Manchester United, the 28-year-old was on a run of ten games without a goal in all competitions, with his previous effort coming way back in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in September.

His lack of form has allowed Randal Kolo Muani to have the opportunity to stake his claim at the top end of the pitch, with the PSG loanee starting in all of the last three outings, including in the meeting with United.

However, he’s also struggled to make the desired impact, with the Frenchman yet to find the back of the net in any of the eight games he’s played in under Frank.

Frank clearly needs to address the issue in such an area of the pitch, but elite-level talismen certainly don’t come cheap in the current climate – with the boss potentially wishing he had his own version of one other Premier League forward.

The Spurs star who is becoming their very own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who has constantly tormented countless backlines in the Premier League, often leaving supporters wishing they had a player of his calibre in their side.

The Norwegian international has registered a staggering record of 142 goals in his 160 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men – cementing himself as one of Europe’s deadliest talismen.

He’s scored four goals in his seven appearances against the Lilywhites, often coming up with the goods and getting one over Spurs since his move to England.

This season alone, the 25-year-old has taken his goalscoring prowess to the next level, already finding the net on 21 occasions in just 18 appearances for the Citizens.

Should Spurs want to land their own version of Haaland, it would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with very few players able to replicate such levels.

However, Frank may already have a similar player in his ranks in the form of centre-back Micky van de Ven – a claim that may come as a surprise given the difference in position.

The Dutch international has been a key member of the Dane’s squad in 2025/26, featuring in every single Premier League and Champions League outing to date.

However, despite his defensive role, he’s thrived in attacking areas, as seen by his tally of six goals in 15 appearances – a tally which has made him the club’s top-goalscorer.

His latest strike came against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night, with the 24-year-old running the entire length of the pitch before firing home expertly – just as Haaland would do at the Etihad.

Van de Ven’s performance led to one analyst dubbing him the “Haaland of centre-backs”, something which is surprisingly accurate given the Dutchman’s freakish pace and power.

The defender, who’s been labelled “world-class” by another analyst, clocked the fastest speed of any player in the division – which is similar to the Norwegian, with the forward having bags of pace despite his huge frame.

Games played

16

Goals scored

6

Pass accuracy

92%

Chances created

0.6

Tackles won

1.1

Aerials won

1.3

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

3.6

His aerial ability has also made him a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the pitch, with his tally of 1.3 aerials won per 90 helping him score a double against Everton earlier this season.

Players like Van de Ven don’t come around very often, with the Lilywhites hierarchy conducting phenomenal business, landing the centre-back for just £40m.

His comparisons to Haaland in 2025/26 are there for all to see, with the Spurs star the closest thing Frank currently has to the Premier League’s leading goalscorer.

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Ahead of the Ashes, Australia offspinner says Shoaib Bashir, England’s current No. 1 spinner, “has been okay”

Alex Malcolm31-Jul-2025Australia’s greatest ever offspinner Nathan Lyon believes that left-arm spinner Jack Leach is still England’s best spinner, and says offspinner Shoaib Bashir, England’s currently injured No.1 spinner and likely Ashes tourist for 2025-26, “has been okay”.Speaking at a Cricket Australia sponsorship announcement in Sydney on Thursday, Lyon said former England seamer James Anderson had revealed to him that Bashir had been selected to try and replicate what Lyon does in Australia. But Lyon believes Leach is still the best spinner England has.”I obviously played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire, and they basically said that they’re picking Bashir to do what I do,” Lyon said. “So I took a little bit of pride out of Jimmy respecting a little bit of what I’ve been able to do in my career. But Bashir has been okay.Related

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“Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match [at The Oval against India], and he looks like he’ll take up the spin bowling from Liam Dawson. But in my eyes, Jack Leach is still their best spinner.”Leach, 34, has not played for England since last year’s tour of Pakistan, where he had a modest series compared Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who spun Pakistan to victory in the final two Tests. Leach’s return of 16 wickets at an average of 31.43 and a strike rate of 50.75 in three Tests in that series were still well ahead of Bashir’s nine wickets at 49.55 and 79.44, respectively.England have since committed to Bashir as the No.1 spinner across their last three series – against New Zealand, Zimbabwe and India. When he suffered a series-ending finger injury in the Lord’s Test of the ongoing series against India, Liam Dawson returned as England’s sole spinner for the fourth Test in Manchester after eight years in the Test wilderness. Dawson has since been left out for the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with England picking four fast bowlers as well as Jacob Bethell as a part-time left-arm spin option in place of Dawson.Leach took 6 for 63 in his most recent outing, for Somerset against Durham at Taunton, in what turned out to be a two-day game on a pitch that was described as “appalling” by Ian Botham. Leach is currently the fourth-leading wicket-taker, and the leading spinner, in division one of the County Championship this season, with 39 wickets at 24.76, including two six-wicket hauls.Jack Leach played three Tests on the last Australia tour in 2021-22•Getty ImagesLeach played three Tests in Australia on the 2021-22 Ashes tour, taking just six wickets at 53.50, and was left out of the final Test in Hobart. Instead, England picked four seamers in a pink-ball game where Lyon did not bowl a single delivery as Australia won inside three days.Bashir, meanwhile, was sent on the England Lions tour of Australia earlier this year to play three four-day games against Cricket Australia (CA) XI and Australia A, although none of them was played at Test venues.He returned match figures of 2 for 91 and 1 for 109 in the two fixtures against the CA XI in Brisbane. Against Australia A in the unofficial Test at Cricket Central in Sydney, which the Lions lost by an innings, Bashir got 1 for 74 in the only innings he bowled.

“It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it in the past in these conditions. But I’m not going to let my secrets out so they come out and perform well out here”Nathan Lyon believes spinners will have their share of role to play in the Ashes this summer

Lyon himself was left out of Australia’s most recent Test match, against West Indies in Jamaica, as the selectors opted for four quicks in a pink-ball game that ended inside two-and-a-half days. But he believes spinners will have their share of role to play in the Ashes in Australia despite the pitches being very seam-friendly in recent years.”It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it in the past in these conditions,” Lyon said. “But I’m not going to let my secrets out so they come out and perform well out here. Our guys know how to play spin really well in this country. That’s probably what helped me produce my skill to where it is at the moment. I know I’ll keep trying getting better, and we’ll see how their spinners go.”

At long last, Rangers have got their next manager after officially announcing the appointment of Danny Rohl. The former Sheffield Wednesday manager was not their first choice, that’s no secret, but one former Ibrox star has already pointed out one similarity with club legend Walter Smith.

Danny Rohl: "No time to waste" at Rangers

It’s not Steven Gerrard, it’s not Kevin Muscat, but it is Rohl. Rangers have finally filled their managerial vacancy and must now put full faith in their 36-year-old coach to turn things around after a disastrous start.

For all his inexperience, it’s worth noting that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss has worked with the likes of Hansi Flick and was Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant when his Southampton side were at their very best. He is one of the best young managers around and has been handed the biggest job of his career to date.

In an ideal world, Rohl would have all the patience needed to make his mark in Scotland. However, the reality is that he must get off to a solid start following the disaster of Russell Martin’s tenure.

The German is well aware of how urgent things are at Ibrox, though, having told the club’s official website: “We have no time to waste, we start straight away.

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“I respect that trust is earned and understand we have to give the supporters confidence in what we are doing by showing it on the pitch from the start. The expectations are huge and I love this challenge because I set high standards for myself and the team too.”

Some have already hit out at his inexperience, but one former Rangers star has highlighted a key similarity with Walter Smith which may just buy Rohl some time.

Andy Halliday reveals similarity between Rohl and Walter Smith

Speaking on Clyde1 Superscoreboard, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday revealed a similarity between Rohl and the legendary Smith.

Indeed, Rohl has no experience as the main man in the pressure environment of a top level club with huge support, but cut his teeth behind the scenes at Bayern Munich as Hansi Flick’s assistant. Similarly, Smith arrived at Ibrox with no senior managerial experience, but had coached Scotland’s youth sides.

Of course, Smith is a once in a generation manager, but Halliday’s point stands. The jury should not deliver their verdict until Rohl has had a chance to impress at Rangers.

There will be many who have been left scared by Martin’s time in charge, but Rohl’s reputation suggests that he is a different calibre to the former Southampton boss.

Thursday’s game against Brann in the Europa League hands the young manager the perfect opportunity to prove Halliday right and get his era off to the best possible start.

Rangers are on the brink of bringing a new manager to Ibrox, and have already agreed to four demands from the incoming boss.

Rangers manager latest

As reported by Ben Jacobs, Rangers are close to a total agreement to seal Steven Gerrard’s return to Ibrox. The Gers have identified their replacement for Russell Martin and look destined to welcome the last manager who won them the Scottish Premiership back to Glasgow.

It’s a swift decision from the 49ers, who know that they cannot afford to get another appointment so wrong after Russell Martin’s tenure to forget. The former Southampton boss won just once in seven games in the Scottish Premiership and lasted just 123 days in charge.

The first task for Gerrard will be turning things around after Rangers’ disastrous start. The Gers are already as many as nine points behind champions Celtic and 11 behind unexpected leaders Hearts. Simply put, the Liverpool legend has a monumental task on his hands.

The new manager also has the task of keeping players happy in the club’s current state. Rumours are already emerging that Nicolas Raskin has attracted interest from Turkish side Besiktas, who could make the midfielder one of Rangers’ biggest ever sales.

Losing Raskin would be a disastrous early blow for Gerrard, who could look to throw the Belgian into his strongest side to make up for Martin’s wrongoings.

It’s a tenure that the 49ers will be desperate to see go right after they agreed to one of Gerrard’s main demands.

Gers agree to backroom demands

As reported by TeamTalk, Ibrox chiefs have already agreed to Gerrard’s demands for his backroom staff. The incoming manager reportedly requested Jermain Defoe, Gary McAllister and Steven Davis return to the club with him alongside one other unnamed staff member, all four of which have been agreed to.

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Having been handed that assurance, Gerrard handed Rangers the enthusiastic “yes” that they had been searching for and should now be on his way to take charge for a second time.

The 45-year-old wasn’t afraid to admit the importance of his backroom staff in a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand and has now followed that up with his Rangers demands.

The Gers have handed Gerrard what he requested and now, he must play his part in turning things around at Rangers following such a poor start to the season.

The threat of rain prompted the team to find an unprecedented way of cutting their innings short and push for victory

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2025 • Updated on 11-May-2025

In an unprecedented turn of events in a Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier game between UAE and Qatar in Bangkok, UAE retired out all ten batters at the score of 192 for 0 in 16 overs. It was the first instance of a team retiring out more than two batters in a men’s or women’s international match. UAE then went on to roll Qatar over for just 29 in an innings that featured seven ducks to seal a massive 163-run win in a match that lasted 27.1 overs.Since the UAE innings also had eight ducks, the game saw a record 15 ducks, easily the most in a women’s T20I.Opting to bat, UAE openers Esha Oza, also the captain, and Theertha Satish were cruising along in their century partnership, with Oza on 113 and Satish on 74. But then UAE decided to end the innings. Since a declaration is not allowed in limited-overs cricket, Oza, Satish, and eight other batters (without facing a ball) were retired out. As a result, UAE were all out for 192 in 16 overs.