It would not be overdoing it to suggest the wheels have well and truly come off at West Ham United this season.

Well, we say this season, but in reality, things have been going wrong for East Londoners for some time, and Graham Potter has not helped.

The former Chelsea manager led the club to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League last year, but as things stand, he has them in the relegation zone, with one win and three losses this year.

Regardless of what happens this weekend, it’s time for the Hammers to find a new coach, and while Slaven Bilic’s name has been thrown around, there is another out-of-work coach who’d be a far better option.

The coaches linked with West Ham

Given the size of the club, it’s not been a surprise to see a host of pretty good managers linked with West Ham over the last couple of weeks.

Manager Focus

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

One of those has been Gary O’Neil, who has been out of work since being fired from Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.

Now, there is certainly a line of thinking that suggests hiring a manager who was fired by another relegation candidate is a bad idea, but it’s important to remember he also saved the Old Gold and Bournemouth before that from going down.

So, while he might not be the perfect long-term option, he might be worth bringing in for this season to stabilise the ship – he can’t be worse than Potter.

Another, more exciting name touted for the job has been Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Portuguese boss is another one fired by a Premier League side, but it’s really not the same, as after saving Nottingham Forest from relegation, he then led them back into Europe for the first time in generations.

Lastly, as we’ve already mentioned, Bilic has been touted for a return to the London Stadium.

Now, while there is an undeniable romanticism to that idea, there is another free coach who’d be a way better hire.

The manager West Ham should hire over Bilic

There are quite a number of quality managers out of work at the moment, from Marco Rose to Sean Dyche.

However, the one West Ham should be going all out for, and should stand a chance of getting, is Luciano Spalletti.

The Italian coach is currently out of work after being let go by the national team.

Still, fans shouldn’t be put off by the fact that things didn’t work out there, as even Roberto Mancini failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, despite being European champions at the time.

Moreover, it was his record at club level that even earned him the chance to manage the Azzurri, and it is an impressive one.

For example, he won back-to-back promotions with Empoli, two league titles and two cups with Zenit Saint Petersburg, back-to-back Coppa Italias with AS Roma and the big one, Napoli’s first Serie A title in a generation in 22/23.

Unsurprisingly, then, when we hold up his record to Bilic’s, there is only one winner.

During his last spell in club football, the coaching “phenomenon,” as dubbed by former Roma sporting director Walter, oversaw 96 games, of which he won 62, drew 16 and lost 18, resulting in a points per game average of 2.10.

In contrast, Croat’s last job was with Al-Fateh, where he oversaw 36 games, won 13 of them, drew nine and lost 14, which came out to an average of 1.33 points per game.

Games

96

36

Wins

62

13

Draws

16

9

Losses

18

14

Points per Game

2.10

1.33

Ultimately, while Bilic would probably do a better job than Potter, it’s crystal clear that Spalletti would be a far better hire for West Ham.

"Fantastic" manager now tempted to replace Graham Potter at West Ham

Graham Potter could be gone in the next few games.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 19, 2025

Board secretary Devajit Saikia says there has been no communication from the BCCI to the ACC regarding upcoming events

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2025Amid growing speculation over whether India will play in this year’s Asia Cup, in the wake of tensions with Pakistan, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has downplayed reports that India were pulling out, insisting that the issue was yet to be “discussed”.India are due to host the six-team event in the T20 format but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which runs the Asia Cup, has not yet announced the schedule or the venue. September has unofficially been pencilled in as the window.”The Asia Cup matter or any other ACC event issue has not come up for discussion at any level,” Saikia said in a statement on Monday. “… till now, BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding ensuing ACC events, leave alone writing anything to the ACC. At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men and women.”Related

Women's Emerging Asia Cup postponed due to weather and health concerns in Sri Lanka

Gambhir: India should not play Pakistan at all

Saikia said the BCCI had not communicated any decision to the ACC concerning India’s participation in the Asia Cup as well as the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June.However, ESPNcricinfo has learned the women’s Emerging Asia Cup has been postponed though the reason could not be confirmed. The ACC has not yet made any formal announcement on the postponement.Speculation about India’s participation and the fate of this year’s event has arisen as tensions between India and Pakistan soared this month after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The two countries engaged militarily briefly, temporarily halting both the IPL and PSL. Both leagues resumed on May 17 after the countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, though bilateral relations remain fraught.India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently said there should be “absolutely no” cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. Speaking in his personal capacity, Gambhir said: “Till all this [terrorism] doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”The BCCI has normally sought permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan in multinational events. In 2023, when Pakistan were the host of the Asia Cup, a precursor to the ODI World Cup, the BCCI said it did not have the Indian government’s permission to travel to Pakistan. Consequently, PCB adopted a hybrid model to conduct the tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the latter hosting all of India’s matches including the final. Earlier this year, India did not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy for similar reasons, and played all their matches including the final in Dubai.India-Pakistan contests are among the most-watched cricket matches and play a significant role in the valuation of broadcast rights both for the ICC (at World Cups) and ACC (Asia Cup). Several editions of the Asia Cup have been hit by strained political ties between the countries, leading to withdrawals and the entire tournament being shelved in the past.

In an effort to complete a full 20-overs match in case of rain interruptions, the IPL has decided to add 120 minutes of extra time for the remaining nine matches in the league phase of the 2025 season.Normally the two-hour extra time allowance has been part of the playing conditions for the playoffs only. However, with the tournament resuming after a week-long suspension and the onset of monsoon across India, the IPL has decided to ensure play as far as possible.Eight of the nine remaining league matches are scheduled to be played in the evening barring the Gujarat Titans-Chennai Super Kings game which will be played in the afternoon on May 25. As per the playing conditions, the regulation completion time for an evening match is 10.50pm and 6.50pm for an afternoon game (all timings IST).This means with an extra two-hour allowance now, a full 20-overs match can start as late as 5.30pm (afternoon game) or 9.30pm (evening game). For a minimum five-overs game, the cut-off time for an afternoon match will be 7.56 pm (including 10-minute changeover) and 11.56 pm for an evening game.So far in IPL 2025, three matches have been abandoned due to rain, with teams sharing points, while two other games have been shortened due to the weather.Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata was the first game to be abandoned due to rain, followed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)-Delhi Capitals (DC) match in Hyderabad. The first match that was scheduled after the week-long suspension of the tournament, between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and KKR, was then abandoned without a ball bowled in Bengaluru.PBKS earlier defeated RCB in a shortened game, while Gujarat Titans (GT) came up trumps against Mumbai Indians (MI) in a match that saw multiple stoppages.Due to a yellow alert issued by the meteorological department in Bengaluru that has predicted “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in the city until Thursday, RCB’s final home game against SRH on May 23 has been shifted to Lucknow.

It’s advantage Arsenal in the Premier League title race after Liverpool’s recent slips and former player Jack Wilshere believes that one player will be the “key” for Mikel Arteta.

Arteta provides latest Odegaard injury update

On a day that saw the Gunners go top of the Premier League, it wasn’t an afternoon without one frustrating moment.

Yet again, captain Martin Odegaard was forced to depart in the first-half after picking up another injury concern. The Norwegian has already had a stop-start opening to the current campaign and could now be set for another spell on the sidelines.

Providing an update on Odegaard’s injury, Arteta told reporters in his post-match reaction: “With Martin it was a clash knee to knee. It’s not looking very positive at the moment.”

The Spaniard was also forced to provide an update on Declan Rice, who asked to come off after discomfort in his back. The Arsenal boss said: “With Declan he was struggling with back pain and he asked me to come off. Let’s see what the doctor says now and what is best for him.”

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In truth, despite sitting top of the Premier League and in excellent form, the international break comes at a good time for the Gunners. It provides them with the perfect opportunity to ensure that Rice is fully fit and Odegaard finally recovers from recent injury woes.

Alas, even if they’re left with no choice but to go on without those two, Wilshere believes that it’s another player who’s going to be “key” to Arsenal’s title hopes.

Wilshere: Timber the "key" for Arsenal

For all of Bukayo Saka’s excellent work and the solid partnership between Gabriel and William Saliba, it is another star who stands out for Wilshere. According to the former midfielder, Jurrien Timber is the “key” to Arsenal’s title hopes after making such an impressive start to the current campaign.

Wilshere’s praise is certainly justified, too. Timber has been a revelation ever since returning from injury at Arsenal and the West Ham game was no different. The Dutchman had six touches in the West Ham box, wasn’t dispossessed once and made six tackles in another complete performance from the versatile fullback.

As time goes on, the £90,000-a-week star looks more and more important for Arteta and Arsenal as they look to build on their lead at the top of the Premier League.

حسمت 8 أندية تأهلها بشكل رسمي، إلى دور ربع النهائي (دور الـ 8) من بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين، للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.

وأقيمت مواجهات دور الـ 16 على مدار يومين مساء الإثنين واليوم الثلاثاء، واستطاعت 8 أندية التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي، أبرزها ثلاثي القمة الهلال والاتحاد والأهلي، بينما ودع منافسات البطولة نادي النصر.

وتأهل النادي الأهلي بالفوز بثلاثية على الباطن، بينما الهلال انتصر على الأخدود بهدف دون رد، والاتحاد حسم الكلاسيكو أمام النصر بنتيجة 2-1.

طالع.. فيديو | الاتحاد يفوز على النصر بثنائية ويتأهل إلى ربع نهائي كأس خادم الحرمين الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الـ 8 من كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين

1- الفتح.

2- الخليج.

3- الخلود.

4- الأهلي.

5- القادسية.

6- الشباب.

7- الهلال.

8- الاتحاد.

Harry Kane has earned “crazy” praise after posting Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo-esque numbers, with the Bayern Munich superstar reaching 400 goals at club level. Those are numbers that few players in the modern era can claim to have achieved, with the most prolific of No.9s continuing to prove that he deserves to occupy a standing alongside the greats.

• Kane's goals: Record scorer for Spurs & England

  Kane already enjoys hero status at Tottenham, as their 280-goal all-time leading scorer. He boasts a similar entry in the history books with England – with his record-shattering tally of efforts for the Three Lions standing at 76 and counting.

  Another productive outing was enjoyed on a domestic stage when helping Bayern to a battling 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. He opened the scoring in that contest when flicking a header home from close range. Said effort saw him reach a quadruple century at club level.

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• Getty
  

  Just like Messi & Ronaldo: Kane reaches 400 club goals

  Kane’s stunning haul has been registered across spells with Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester, Tottenham and Bayern. He is already a centurion at the Allianz Arena, with the target being found on 104 occasions through 107 appearances. His trophy curse has also been lifted in Germany, with the Bundesliga title being captured last season.

  There is the promise of more to come from Kane, with the man himself admitting as much. His head coach, Vincent Kompany, hopes that proves to be the case. He is among those to have been left in awe by the ability possessed by his talismanic striker – with standards being maintained that only the very best in the business boast.

  Kompany told after seeing Kane reach another notable milestone: “Guys like Messi and Ronaldo have set the bar so high that you now think such performances are normal. But 400 goals – that's crazy, that's insane.”

• Kane targets: 100 goals for England

  There are many more targets for Kane to chase down, including reaching 100 goals for England – with the Three Lions having already booked their tickets to next summer’s World Cup.

  Kane, who remains captain of his country, has told of joining an exclusive club there: “I think it’s there. The way I’m feeling right now, I’m not slowing down any time soon. I want to stay at this level for as long as I can. I’m on 76 now so that leaves 24 and we have a few more games between now and the World Cup and then try [to] edge closer to that 100.

  “I am extremely proud to have broken [Wayne] Rooney’s record and now to be going ahead like I am. It is hard to process while I am still playing. In life it’s always about the next moment and the next camp, the next game. I’m aware that it’s a special achievement. I’ll be hungry for as many goals as possible and we’ll see how far I can go.”

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• Getty
  

  Next for Kane: Champions League & Bundesliga challenges

  Former England international Emile Heskey has previously told GOAL of Kane emulating the likes of Ronaldo and Messi by reaching 100 international efforts: “Why not? He’s a goalscorer, that’s what he prides his game on – getting goals. A lot of people say he’s got to do this and this, but when your numbers stack up the way that his do, you kind of look past a lot of it.

  “When you look at the way that he plays, and it’s about looking after your body – if he can have the right diet, the right rest, which is a key thing when you look at the amount of games and the intensity of the games, the key thing is can he get enough rest and get recuperated for the next game. He’ll be fine. I played to 38, it wasn’t at that level as I was in the Championship – which is actually quite relentless with Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday – but he’ll cope fine.”

  Kane and Bayern will be back in action on Wednesday when facing Club Brugge in the Champions League. They have moved five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table, with a faultless record being boasted through seven fixtures – with 21 points already on the board.

Micah Richards criticised two Manchester United players for the role they played against Brentford as the Red Devils were put to the sword once again at the Gtech Community Stadium by Brentford.

Brentford heap more misery on Amorim

Fresh from defeating Chelsea last weekend, Man United had the task of handing Ruben Amorim back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League almost nine months on from arriving. With 20 minutes on the clock, however, it was an all too familiar story for the Manchester club, as Igor Thiago struck not once but twice.

The opening goal saw Harry Maguire fall culrpit to a tight offside call, as Thiago took full advantage to sprint in behind and fire home a tremendous finish.

As for the second, the forward had a far simpler task after getting the best out of Matthijs de Ligt and then on the end of Altay Bayindir’s spilled save straight into his path. In 20 minutes, the Brentford star had his brace gift-wrapped.

Benjamin Sesko’s first Man United goal then gave the Red Devils plenty of hope when he slammed home at the third time of asking midway through the first period and a comeback certainly looked on the cards.

Alas, it almost summed up United’s afternoon, their season and arguably Amorim’s tenure when Bruno Fernandes missed his second penalty of the season to deny United their equaliser late in the second-half. The Portugal international, often so reliable, has fallen short of his standards so far this season.

Caoimhin Kelleher’s save put the writing on the wall for the Red Devils, who had their misery compilled by a stunning late strike from substitute Mathias Jensen to make it 3-1.

Richards slams "shambolic" Maguire & De Ligt

Among those critical of Man United following yet another defeat, former Man City defender Richards slammed Maguire and De Ligt as “shambolic” for their actions in Brentford’s two goals.

There will now be questions asked of Amorim’s position once again, but whether defeat at Brentford is INEOS’ final straw remains to be seen. There’s work to be done, that cannot be denied.

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Up next for United is the visit of Sunderland next Saturday. Defeat against newly-promoted opposition would be yet another low for Amorim, who simply has to change things if he is to turn his tenure around at Old Trafford.

Tottenham summer signing Xavi Simons made his Champions League debut for the Lilywhites on Tuesday in a 1-0 victory over Villarreal, featuring on the left-hand side yet again as opposed to in the number 10 role.

Xavi Simons' mixed first two games for Tottenham

Simons, after failed summer moves for both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, arrived at Spurs during the final days of the window as fans rejoiced over finally signing a replacement for the injured James Maddison.

The Dutchman’s signing may cost a club-record £125 million, once you factor in transfer cost, wages and add-ons spread over his potential seven-year contract (Paul O’Keefe), so the pressure is on for him to deliver.

Simons is already off the mark with his first assist for Tottenham after swinging in a corner for Pape Sarr to head home in their 3-0 London derby win at West Ham last weekend, but he struggled against Villarreal in Europe.

The 22-year-old was unconvincing out wide and was fairly fortunate not to be shown a red card after bringing down Nicolas Pepe on the counter-attack, having already been booked, with members of the media branding Simons “unconvincing”.

That being said, he did display flashes of true quality and cut-in from the left with a few dangerous efforts, but Thomas Frank has been told he must unlock Simons.

Interestingly, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard recently drew attention to attitude concerns surrounding the attacker, after hearing certain rumours in Germany, but so far, there is nothing to suggest Frank will have a problem with this.

Spurs legend Rafael van der Vaart also tipped Simons to be world-class all the way back in 2023, and journalist Suleyman Ozturk has now shared a similar view when speaking on Voetbal’s latest ‘Tour of Europe’ episode.

Xavi Simons insight shared after Tottenham message from Thomas Frank

Commenting on Frank’s recent claim that Simons can play on the left regularly, Ozturk shared what he’s noticed about the forward when he picks up the ball out wide – tipping him to become a “sensation” at Tottenham.

The former PSG starlet, who was also a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, dazzled for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

One of Frank’s major tasks in his debut Tottenham season is getting the best out of Simons, with the player’s versatility likely meaning we’ll see him utilised in more positions as Spurs’ boss experiments throughout 25/26.

World Cup-winning opener last featured in the format in Bob Willis Trophy in 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2025

Jason Roy, England’s World Cup-winning opener, has made a surprise comeback to red-ball cricket, after being named in Surrey’s XI to take on Warwickshire in the County Championship at Edgbaston*.Roy, 34, averages 36.46 in 87 previous red-ball matches in the course of his career, with nine centuries including a best of 143 against Lancashire in 2015. However, he has not played the format since making scores of 4 and 14 in a one-off Bob Willis Trophy appearance for Surrey against Hampshire in the Covid-hit summer of 2020.That, in turn, was Roy’s first and last outing since his short-lived England Test career in the summer of 2019. Fresh from his starring role in that summer’s World Cup victory, Roy was picked to open the batting in five Tests against Ireland and Australia. However, his hard-handed technique was found out by Australia’s seamers in particular, and despite moving into the middle-order for his final appearance at Old Trafford, he was dropped ahead of the series decider after averaging 13.75 in eight innings.His return to the format comes with Surrey looking to fill the gap created by the absence of the club’s ECB-contracted batters, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith, who are rested for this fixture alongside Gus Atkinson ahead of the impending Test against Zimbabwe later this month.Roy’s availability also reflects his declining stock on the global T20 circuit. Despite being one of the pivotal figures of England’s white-ball revolution from 2015 onwards, Roy was the notable omission from the team’s World Cup defence in India in 2023, and was overlooked for this year’s IPL after withdrawing for personal reasons on three occasions in 2020, 2022 and 2024. With his final 50-over match for England coming in Bangladesh in March 2023, it is now more than two years since he played anything longer than a 20-over innings.Surrey, the three-times County Champions, are currently third in the Division One table – one place behind Warwickshire and ten points adrift of table-topping Nottinghamshire. However, they found their form in the last round with a three-day victory over Somerset at the Kia Oval. Their prospects have been boosted by the arrival of their overseas players Nathan Smith and Kurtis Patterson, while Tom Lawes also returns for the first time this season.May 9, 11am GMT – This story was updated with confirmation of Surrey’s XI

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Bruno Lage deve ter uma novidade à sua disposição para o confronto do Botafogo diante do Flamengo. O centroavante Tiquinho Soares entrou em reta final de recuperação de sua lesão.

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Nesta quinta-feira (31), o camisa 9 conseguiu treinar com a equipe sub-20 do Alvinegro e os jogadores que não foram relacionados para a partida contra o Defensa Y Justicia, na Argentina. No decorrer da atividade, o atleta sinalizou que está recuperado do estiramento no ligamento colateral medial do joelho esquerdo.

+ Próximos jogos do Botafogo: veja calendário com datas e adversários

O camisa 9 deve estar no treinamento da sexta-feira (1), data na qual o elenco se reapresenta de olho no clássico diante do Flamengo,  pela 22ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A expectativa é de que Tiquinho fique à disposição de Bruno Lage, podendo ficar no banco de reservas, dependendo do número de minutos que seu estafe entenda que o atacante possa jogar.

Tiquinho Soares não atua desde 6 de agosto, quando sofreu uma lesão durante o empate em 0 a 0 com o Cruzeiro, pelo Brasileirão. A previsão de sua recuperação era de até cinco semanas.

+ Marçal critica postura do Botafogo na partida contra o Defensa Y Justicia

Após um período de recuperação intensiva,com três sessões de fisioterapia por dia, o atacante conseguiu ter condições de retornar ao gramado. Tiquinho Soares tem 13 gols em 17 partidas no Brasileirão e é um dos principais artilheiros do futebol brasileiro em 2023, com 25 feitos marcados em 38 jogos.

O Botafogo é líder do Brasileirão, com 51 pontos, 11 a mais que o Palmeiras.