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Eoin Morgan is confident that Alex Hales will be able to focus on his game after being made available for selection in the wake of the Bristol incident

Andrew McGlashan06-Dec-2017England’s one-day captain Eoin Morgan is confident that Alex Hales will be able to focus on his game after being made available for selection, following confirmation by police that he is no longer a suspect in the incident that took place in Bristol on September 25, although it seems likely he won’t immediately earn his place back in the starting XI against Australia.Hales has been included in England’s 16-man squad for the one-day series against Australia which follows the Ashes, having been omitted from the last two ODIs of the home season against West Indies following events in Bristol. Ben Stokes is also currently part of the squad but his participation depends on a decision from the Crown Prosecution Service, after their charging advice was sought by Avon and Somerset Police.Hales’ position in the squad could yet come into doubt, should the CPS take no action against Stokes and the issue is handed to the Cricket Discipline Commission, but for now Hales is back in the mix and Morgan has no concerns over his state of mind.”I’m very confident he’ll be able to move on. I think that’s dictated by the performances he puts in and the hard work he puts in, but I’ve no doubt his head is in the right space to do that,” Morgan told ESPNcricinfo.”It’s very pleasing to have Alex back, when the news broke it was going to be a boost to the squad in what I think will be a tough series in the New Year and that starts off 2018 for us, which will be quite a significant year for us in growing what we’ve established as a team, and he remains a vital part of that.”Whether Hales walks back into the side remains up for debate from a cricket point of view, however, following the successful comeback for Jason Roy when he took Hales’ spot against West Indies. Roy scored 84 and 96 to finish a disappointing summer on a high after losing his spot for the Champions Trophy semi-final.Alongside the prolific introduction of Jonny Bairstow as an opener – he has scored 345 runs at 115.00 in the six matches since he replaced Roy – it means England are overloaded for top-order options. England coach Trevor Bayliss has suggested that Bairstow and Roy will both retain their positions at the top, but it is a dilemma Morgan is happy to have.”It was unfortunate that Jason couldn’t turn a corner for the semi-final or the lead into it and the opportunity fell to Jonny, which was great,” Morgan said. “He had grafted over the last two years and every opportunity he got he managed to cash in. I think the performances from Jason in the last two games against West Indies were outstanding.”It’s never easy when you’ve been dropped to come back in and score runs and it’s quite evident that when he does he’s a dominant force at the top of the order. Performances like that always create an interesting conversation in selection – it’s done that for two years now and it’s epitomised the hunger to get into the XI. It’s been difficult at times but it’s a pleasure to play in such a strong XI.”

A 201-run second-wicket stand, built around centuries from William Porterfield and Andy Balbirnie, followed by a four-wicket haul from Kevin O’Brien, set up Ireland’s 67-run triumph over the hosts

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2018William Porterfield drives through cover for a boundary•Peter Della PennaA 201-run second-wicket stand, built around centuries from William Porterfield and Andy Balbirnie, followed by a four-wicket haul by Kevin O’Brien set up Ireland’s 67-run triumph over United Arab Emirates. In doing so, Ireland consigned the hosts to a second successive defeat in as many games in the ODI tri-series in Dubai.Ireland’s decision to bat found early validation as Porterfield, the captain, got them off to a 44-run opening partnership with Paul Stirling. After Stirling (20) handed a return catch to Zahoor Khan in the ninth over, Porterfield joined forces with Balbirnie, trotting to a 147-ball 139 – his tenth ODI century – while plundering a combined 27 fours and three sixes with Balbirnie to propel the score to 301. Balbirnie, meanwhile, scored his maiden ODI century with the help of 12 fours and a six during their partnership that lasted 35.3 overs. Qadeer Ahmed struck in the 44th over, taking out Balbirne for a 109-ball 102. Just before Ireland reached 300, Mohammad Naveed had Porterfield caught and offspinner Rohan Mustafa’s double-strike in the last over accounted for the O’Brien brothers – Kevin and Niall – leaving UAE 302 to chase.UAE started slow in the chase, losing their openers – Ashfaq Ahmed and Mustafa – in 8.3 overs for 40 runs. While Barry McCarthy and Peter Chase sniped out the first two wickets, Andy McBrine sniped out wicketkeeper-batsman Ghulam Shabber in the 20th over. A fourth-wicket stand of 68 runs between Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman took UAE close to 150, before Shahzad was caught behind off McBrine for a 56-ball 50. Kevin O’Brien subsequently took out the next three wickets – inclduing two in the 41st over – and left UAE reeling at 199 for 7 with only nine overs left. No. 8 Mohammad Naveed’s 31-ball 25 helped UAE inch towards 250 before O’Brien found his fourth wicket in Zahoor and McCarthy his second in Naveed, rolling the home side over for 234 in 48.4 overs.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has named his top five signings of the summer, including Liverpool ace Dominik Szoboszlai in his rankings.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

It's been a busy summer for the Reds who have seen some key players depart as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild his midfield.

Indeed, Fabinho recently completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, becoming the second Liverpool player to move to the Middle East after Jordan Henderson’s switch to Al-Ettifaq.

As well as that, other midfielders James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all also left Anfield, departing after their contracts expired at the start of the summer.

To help fill the void, the Reds went out and signed World Cup-winning Brighton ace Alexis Mac Allister, for an initial fee of around £35m – although that could rise to £55m.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

On top of that, they tried to bring in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia but both players snubbed Klopp and co in favour of a move to Chelsea.

Instead, they have ended up with Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo who was previously at VfB Stuttgart. However, it is the deal for Szoboszlai that appears to have caught Romano's eye the most.

Indeed, when speaking to 888 Sport (via Sport Bible), the Italian journalist named the player in his top five signings so far in the summer transfer window.

In fifth place, Romano placed AC Milan's move Tijani Rejinders, who arrived from PSV for around €20m (around £17m). And then Szoboszlai was ranked in at fourth.

The Austrian midfielder signed a five-year contract until 2028, after the Reds agreed upon a £60m fee with RB Leipzig earlier in the transfer window.

In third place, Romano named Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal for a British-record transfer fee of £105m from West Ham United – although Romano interestingly told fans to be patient with that particular deal.

Second on the list was the move of former Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona. He left England following the expiration of his contract but big things are expected of him in Spain with Romano labelling him "one of the most underrated players in the world in the last 10 years".

While first up on the list – ironically enough a big Liverpool target – was Jude Bellingham. The talented youngster of course moved to Real Madrid for just £88m. With so much competition for his signature, Romano called the deal a "masterpiece" from Los Blancos.

Does Dominik Szoboszlai speak English?

Despite having only arrived at Liverpool recently, It appears, Szoboszlai is settling in pretty fast. After all, he has played every minute in the Premier League for the Reds so far – and, across those appearances, has the fourth-best averaged WhoScored match rating (7.00) in the squad.

Perhaps what has helped him settle in is his ability to speak pretty good English. He showed this when he made a bold claim after talking recently to the media.

Indeed, when asked who he thinks will win the league this season, he told Liverpool Echo: "Us."

He added: "I am thinking it. I always think that way. Even if this is hard and there are very good teams in the Premier League, but we are also very good, we have a very good coach and players. We are going to do our best and at the end I want to be first.

"We will see. We have a lot of games. [Manchester City] mainly have a lot of games and we have to play against them as well. I think everybody in the Premier League who has a chance to win, they are going to want to win anyway. We are thinking the same. Like, I am thinking the same but probably the other guys are going to think the same if you ask them.

"I am this type, I like to win, I like to do everything for the team. If they ask me if I want to win the Premier League, of course I want to win it. If I want to win the Europa League and the FA Cup, the same. Everything we can do this year. I want to win everything because nobody is going to ask you how it feels to be second."

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the rest of the board backed Northern Irish head coach Brendan Rodgers significantly throughout the summer transfer window.

Who did Celtic sign this summer?

The Hoops added nine new additions to the group in an attempt to bolster the playing squad in spite of the treble-winning campaign last season.

Nat Phillips

Loan

Luis Palma

Permanent

Gustaf Lagerbielke

Permanent

Maik Nawrocki

Permanent

Paulo Bernardo

Loan

Odin Thiago Holm

Permanent

Marco Tilio

Permanent

Hyeok-kyu Kwon

Permanent

Hyun-jun Yang

Permanent

Seven players were brought in on permanent deals to improve the side in the long term, with Luis Palma arriving for a reported fee of £3.5m as the final addition in that bracket.

Bernardo has arrived on a season-long loan from Benfica, although the club do have the option to sign him at the end of the campaign, and Phillips has joined from Liverpool until January.

These signings have added further depth to Rodgers' squad and that has resulted in a number of players being surplus to requirements as they have too many people ahead of them in the pecking order to have a realistic chance of getting minutes on the pitch. One of those who fell victim to that is Albian Ajeti.

Why did Celtic sell Ajeti?

Ajeti is one of the players who fell into that aforementioned situation with the Hoops reportedly very keen to move him on before the Turkish transfer window closes on the 15th, amid interest from Gaziantep.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT recently, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the Bhoys were "desperate" to cash in on the Switzerland international.

The reporter also revealed that the Hoops dud had rejected two moves away from Parkhead already and was content to remain at the club on his reported £21k-per-week salary without being a part of the team if the right move did not arise.

However, Gaziantep officially confirmed the signing of Ajeti this week, and the Scottish giants have finally been unable to offload him from their wage bill.

Joseph had stated that the club would sanction an exit for a fee of just £500k this summer, although it is yet to be confirmed exactly how much the Turkish side have spent to secure his signature.

How much did Celtic pay for Ajeti?

Celtic paid a reported fee of £5m to sign the striker from West Ham United in 2020 and you could forgive supporters for having high expectations of a player when they arrive for such a significant amount of money.

Then-manager Neil Lennon described the former Hammers marksman as a "tremendous" player, despite his form for the Premier League side being less-than-impressive.

Ajeti joined the London-based club from Basel in 2019 and struggled badly in England as he ended his time with West Ham without a single goal to his name in 12 competitive appearances. This included zero goals and zero assists in nine outings in the English top-flight.

He averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.46 and lost a staggering 91% of his physical duels across those nine Premier League matches, but that did not put Celtic off in their pursuit of his services.

How many goals did Ajeti score for Celtic?

The Swiss forward ended his career in Scotland with nine goals in 46 competitive games across his three years with the Hoops, which shows that he was far from prolific.

Ajeti failed to break into Lennon's side on a regular basis throughout his debut campaign as he started only ten Scottish Premiership matches in the 2020/21 season.

The 26-year-old, who former Bhoys striker Frank McAvennie described as "lazy" due to his poor work rate, featured in 20 league clashes in total that term and found the back of the net six times, whilst he also provided his teammates with one assist.

His lack of physical strength was an issue as the former Premier League attacker lost 65% of his duels and a whopping 74% of his aerial battles, which may have been a big reason behind his lack of starts as Lennon could not rely on him to occupy opposition defenders.

Teams found it far too easy to dominate him and the Swiss finisher did not make up for it with his quality in possession, failing to create a single 'big chance' and producing 0.6 key passes per game to go along with his six goals.

Lennon moved on from Parkhead at the end of that season and Ange Postecoglou was brought in for the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Australian head coach did not take a liking to Ajeti either and only handed him seven league appearances. In that time, the ex-Hoop scored two goals and lost 61% of his duels for the Scottish side to go alongside a rather average Sofascore rating of 6.72.

These statistics show that the ex-Basel star struggled with the physicality of football in Scotland and was unable to earn a regular run of starts due to that and his lack of quality in the final third.

His record in European competitions was also particularly dire. He produced one goal in 14 games across the Europa League and Champions League, including qualifiers, as the misfiring forward failed to make the step up to continental competitions.

Ajeti's dreadful form for the Hoops led to him being sent out on loan to Sturm Graz by Postecoglou for the 2022/23 campaign and he struggled to make an impact in Austria.

Only four goals and one assist fell his way in 23 appearances for the club and, once again, he left a lot to be desired out of possession. He lost 60% of his physical battles and found the back of the net on three occasions in 15 Bundesliga outings for Sturm Graz.

His finishing ability also came into question in Austria as the misfiring dud spurned eight 'big chances' in front of goal in those league matches, which shows that Ajeti struggled on and off the ball throughout the season.

The £5m signing's disappointing loan spell clearly failed to indicate to Rodgers that he was worth handing a chance to at Parkhead this season, which led to his move to Turkey this week.

Celtic certinaly endured a nightmare with the Lennon signing over the course of his three years in Scotland and they will be happy that his chapter at the club has now come to an end.

The PCB’s anti-corruption unit has formally charged the opening batsman for as many as five breaches of their anti-corruption code, to do with fixing, accepting money to improperly influence games as well as inducing other players to indulge in corrupt ac

Umar Farooq08-Feb-2018After 12 months of allegations and only a minor charge, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has blinked and made its first major move against Nasir Jamshed. The PCB’s anti-corruption unit has formally charged the opening batsman for as many as five breaches of their anti-corruption code. Jamshed is already serving a one-year ban after the PCB had found him guilty of the relatively minor charge of non-cooperation in the PSL spot-fixing investigation – that ends on February 13.Clauses under which Nasir Jamshed is charged

2.1 Corruption: 2.1.1 Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.
2.1.2 Ensuring for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a Domestic Match.
2.1.3 Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match or (b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a Domestic Match.
2.1.4 Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this Article 2.1.
2.4.4 Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code.

But all through the last year, the PCB firmly believed that Jamshed was more central to the plots to corrupt games during the PSL and it was made clear several times by the board that he would face further consequences. That, potentially, could be the case now, as Jamshed has been charged with fixing, accepting money to improperly influence games as well as inducing other players to indulge in corrupt activity.Jamshed was also arrested in the UK by the National Crime Agency in February last year in connection to this case, though he was quickly released on bail. That investigation is believed to be ongoing, though officials familiar with the case believe a decision is expected in a few weeks – Jamshed, these officials believe, is not the centre of the NCA’s investigation.”The Pakistan Cricket Board has today issued a notice of charge to cricketer Nasir Jamshed, wherein he has been charged with multiple violations of Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and 2.4.4 of the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code for Participants (“the Code”),” a statement said. “Nasir Jamshed now has fourteen (14) days to respond to the notice of charge.”According to officials involved with the case, the PCB acted after the emergence of fresh evidence, centering around alleged meetings prior to the PSL in the UK. The board has, over the past year, claimed to have overwhelming evidence against Jamshed and also said that they have been waiting for the NCA to share their evidence – the latter has not occurred, though an NCA official did appear as a witness via video link in one of the PCB’s tribunal hearings. At least one part of the evidence against Jamshed is a collection of WhatsApp voice recordings allegedly between Jamshed and others also implicated in the case; these recordings were leaked to the media.Jamshed has all along denied any wrongdoing and has, in fact, threatened to take the PCB to court for maligning his name. He is based in Birmingham and has been communicating with the PCB through his Lahore-based lawyer, and has appeared before the PCB tribunal via video link.Jamshed was the fifth Pakistani player sanctioned in relation to the spot-fixing case that marred the start of the second season of the PSL last February. Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Nawaz were all fined and banned for various periods of time, for a variety of charges. Shahzaib Hasan was also charged and is presently undergoing legal proceedings before a PCB three-man tribunal.Jamshed hasn’t played an international game for Pakistan since the 2015 World Cup and last featured in domestic cricket in December 2016.

Celtic maintained their position at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they swept Dundee aside on Saturday with a 3-0 win at Parkhead.

Who scored for Celtic against Dundee?

David Turnbull opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was adjudged to have been fouled just inside the box, although it took VAR to confirm that the incident was indeed a penalty rather than a free-kick.

The second then came as Callum McGregor floated a delicious cross in for Kyogo Furuhashi to rise and flick the ball past the goalkeeper with his head.

Celtic's Japanese marksman then turned provider as he raced down the right channel and produced a pinpoint cutback for Matt O'Riley to make it 3-0 and wrap up all three points.

How good was Kyogo against Dundee?

Whilst Kyogo caught the eye with a lethal display up front, the Denmark U21 international was an unsung hero for Brendan Rodgers with his display in the middle of the park.

Kyogo vs Dundee in numbers (via Sofascore)

22 touches

64% pass success

1 key pass

40% duels won

0 dribbles completed

The Japan international was not constantly involved in the match with regard to overall touches and did not provide a physical outlet for the team to play off through the middle of the pitch, but certainly made up for it with a goal and assist.

O'Riley, on the other hand, produced a fantastic all-round display throughout the match as he made an impact in and out of possession for the Scottish giants.

How good was Matt O'Riley against Dundee?

The 22-year-old was rock solid off the ball and did not allow the opposition to get the better of him in any physical contest as he won 100% (4/4) of his duels throughout 73 minutes on the pitch.

This certainly shows that he had too much strength for Dundee and was a brick wall in midfield for the Hoops.

His offensive play was also impressive too as the former MK Dons star caught the eye with his quality in possession. That included a composed and low finish for his third league goal of the campaign – matching his tally for the 2022/23 Premiership season already.

As per Sofascore, O'Riley completed 100% (2/2) of his attempted dribbles and had a pass success rate of 85%, which resulted in one key pass for his teammates, in 58 touches.

The central midfielder was reliable on the ball and rarely gave it away to the opposition, proving to be effective in his attacking actions, as the defenders found it impossible to dispossess him when he dribbled past them.

Kyogo certainly deserves plaudits for his two goal contributions that helped to secure all three points, ultimately receiving the highest Sofascore rating in the game (8.3).

However, O'Riley earned a rating of 8.0, which was the second-highest of the match, and as a result, was the unsung hero with the impact that he made at both ends of the pitch.

The ex-Fulham man put in an outstanding performance alongside Kyogo and Rodgers will surely be hoping for more of the same from the pair moving forward, particularly ahead of their Champions League clash with Feyenoord on Tuesday night.

Mohammad Amir has come to an agreement with Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur that is likely to see him play less Test cricket

Umar Farooq26-Mar-2018Mohammad Amir is considering shortening his Test career in a bid to extend his international playing days. The fast bowler has come to an agreement in principle with Pakistan’s head coach, Mickey Arthur, which will see Amir’s workload being managed in the future, and it is likely that it will reduce the number of Tests he appears in.Amir, 25, has played 30 Tests since his debut nearly nine years ago, but he didn’t play any cricket for five of those years when he was serving a ban for his part in the Lord’s spot-fix in 2010. He was 18 at the time, had played 14 Tests and become the youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets. Had he not taken part in the fix and been banned it is likely he would have played a majority of Pakistan’s 43 Tests in the interim.Since his international return at the start of 2016, he has added 16 Tests and though his record may not stand out – 44 wickets at 37.25 – he has been a regular for Pakistan in all three formats. Added to stints in county cricket and T20 leagues and it is no surprise he is starting to feel the toll. He has bowled the most international overs for any Pakistan bowler since his return (864.3 overs) across all formats, sixth among fast bowlers worldwide – none of the others returned, however, from five years out of top-flight sport.”Cricket is different since 2010 and if you look back I have lost five precious years of my career,” Amir told ESPNcricinfo. “Just imagine had I played in all those years, the count could have been 70-80 Tests.”I can’t roll back that lost time but I can manage my workload to extend my career as much as I can. With every passing day I’m getting older and I know fans want me to play. But if you look rationally I’m human and not an iron man. My passion is still there and I want to be there for fans, serving the country for a long time. I have played 30 Tests so far. I think in the next few years I might miss a few and possibly I might end up with 50 Tests.1:58

Ban to burnout?

“I came to agreement with Mickey and with so much cricket we need to follow a rotation policy so that everyone is fresh and fully fit for the country. His planning ahead of the 2019 World Cup is working very well. I didn’t say I don’t want to play Test cricket but that I want to weave myself in, resting for a few and playing the important games. This is being done by Australia and England, so why not us? We have so many potential bowlers around and all need to be played … it’s not like I will stay forever but whatever time I have I would rather stay with greater impact.”Amir has been fairly fortunate in avoiding major injuries in international cricket, though during his Under-19 days he did suffer a major stress fracture of the back. Since his return he has injured his shin – midway through a Test against Sri Lanka last year – and sustained a side strain during the PSL this season. He was rested by the management during the 2016-17 home series against West Indies and also missed the World XI series in Lahore last year after becoming a father.Rumours had floated last year that Amir was considering giving up Tests altogether, rumours which he denied.”At the end of the day it all comes down to you individually,” he said. “You know your body very well and you know how much your body can sustain.”Sometimes people don’t realise that bowlers need rest and when you go out with injury, if it’s a serious one then you have no future. You fade away and people forget. I have seen many examples in our system, of players who have come and gone.”With so much cricket going on I have be very careful with my body. I have lost enough in my life and this is my profession, I need to be very careful going forward. Fitness is everything and for a fast bowler it’s really tough for me to play everything. A good impactful performance comes with a fitter body and with a fresh state of mind.”

Bangladesh women bowled out for their second sub-100 score as they go 3-0 down in the five-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018
ScorecardGetty Images and Cricket AustraliaBangladesh women are yet to bat out 50 overs on tour in South Africa. On Wednesday, they were bowled out for their second sub-100 score after which the dominant hosts, riding on an unbeaten 51-ball 44 from Lizelle Lee, cruised past the target of 72 in just 14.4 overs. The victory gave South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-ODI series.Barring Nigar Sultana, who occupied the crease for 122 minutes to make an unbeaten 97-ball 33, none of the other Bangladesh batsmen made much of an impression. Panna Ghosh’s 12 at No. 8 was the second-highest score of the innings that lasted 36.5 overs.The top four were blown away inside four overs by the new-ball pair of Ayabonga Khaka and Marizanne Kapp, who picked up two wickets apiece in their first spell. The 23-run stand that followed between Jannatul Ferdus and Sultana was the highest of the innings.Khaka, who was in line to record her ODI best, finished with her second successive three-for, while Kapp didn’t add to her first-spell tally. There was a wicket apiece for Masabata Klaas, Chloe Tryon, debutant Zintle Mali and Raisibe Ntozakhe.Bangladesh struck in the seventh over of the chase when left-arm spinner Nahida Akhter removed Andrie Steyn, but that would be their only consolation on the field. Trisha Chetty finished 15 not out to Lee’s 44, which contained five fours and a six.The fourth ODI will also be played in Kimberley on Saturday.

It is almost three months to the day that Ruben Amorim oversaw his first game in charge of Manchester United, with it taking just 81 seconds for Marcus Rashford – remember him? – to open the scoring in that eventual 1-1 draw away to Ipswich Town.

That largely sticky showing at Portman Road set the tone for what has been a turbulent 12 weeks since then for the Portuguese head coach, with Wednesday’s 3-2 win against the Tractor Boys proving a rare triumph in the 40-year-old’s early United tenure.

Like in that meeting with Kieran McKenna’s men back in the Autumn, there was another fast start this time around, albeit with the Suffolk side taking the lead, courtesy of a calamitous mix-up from Patrick Dorgu and the error-stricken Andre Onana.

To their credit, the Red Devils fought back through a Sam Morsy own goal and a Matthijs de Ligt strike to regain control, only for a Dorgu red card – and a second for Jaden Philogene – just before the break marking a dismal end to the opening 45.

The clouds had gathered over Old Trafford, yet after Harry Maguire powered home from Bruno Fernandes’ corner, the hosts held firm to pick up a vital three points, in turn moving to the heady heights of 14th in the Premier League table.

Stat

Player

Most touches

Bruno Fernandes (81)

Most key passes

Bruno Fernandes (4)

Most accurate passes

Dara O’Shea (54)

Most successful crosses

Bruno Fernandes (4)

Most duels won

Harry Maguire (8)

Most successful dribbles

Diogo Dalot (3)

Highest xG

Jaden Philogene (1.04)

Dribbled past

Jaden Philogene (2x)

Quite what Amorim was able to learn from his chaotic side following that breathless encounter remains to be seen, with it having been a real mixed bag of performances.

Man Utd's best performers vs Ipswich

Let’s begin with the man who proved the matchwinner, with Maguire – who scored a last-gasp FA Cup winner just a few weeks ago – getting in on the act again after meeting Fernandes’ outswinger to expertly header home.

Fresh off the back of a rough ride at Goodison Park, in which he notably failed to deal with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header, the 31-year-old was far more dominant up against the lively Liam Delap, having relished the battle up with the reported United target.

Elsewhere, from the man who once wore the armband to its current incumbent, with Fernandes steering his side over the line following a “talismanic” midfield showing, as hailed by journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Involved in all three goals following a trio of delightful set-piece deliveries, the Portuguese magician produced a real captain’s performance when United needed it most, a fact epitomised by his surging forward run down the left flank late in the day, with his inventive pull-back only narrowingly missing the sliding Noussair Mazraoui.

It has been said time and again but it is impossible to imagine just where the Red Devils would be without their midfield maestro, with Fernandes having again pulled the strings beautifully after registering four key passes in total, while also winning five of his seven total duels.

Like Maguire, the 30-year-old was right at the heart of the action at both ends of the pitch. The same, sadly, can’t be said for everyone…

Man Utd's "anonymous" figure vs Ipswich

As De Ligt prodded home for his second league goal of the season, it may have been overlooked that the Dutchman is actually now level with a certain Rasmus Hojlund for top-flight goals in 2024/25. Two in 22 for any striker worth their salt is grim reading indeed.

Chalkboard

Signed for an initial £64m back in the summer of 2023 – a figure which eclipses the fees dished out by Manchester City and Newcastle United for Erling Haaland (£51.2m) and Alexander Isak (£63m), no less – the 22-year-old Dane simply can’t buy a goal right now, having again been off the boil at Old Trafford.

There may be an argument that Hojlund simply does not get the service, having actually only missed three big chances this term, yet Wednesday night showed that even when openings do present themself, he is just not able to capitalise.

That was most apparent early in the second half, with the former Atalanta starlet opting to dummy Leny Yoro’s pullback after fine work from the Frenchman, rather than attempting to lash home himself with his stronger left foot.

As journalist Sam Pilger stated, the “anonymous” forward is now simply “sad to witness”, while his “confidence is on the floor”. As Luckhurst noted in his post-match player ratings for the Manchester Evening News, Hojlund was ‘not in the game at all in the first half and should have been the one to go off for Noussair Mazraoui.’

The issue is that it’s not even just in front of goal where the 4/10 man is found wanting, with his all-round contribution also under the microscope having failed to win a single duel on the night, while also being restricted to just 12 touches in all, fewer than fellow underperformer Onana who had 29.

The United number nine did enjoy a 100% pass accuracy rate, yet it was another game that largely passed him by, with it looking as if he could now be on borrowed time amid the looming presence of young Chido Obi.

As Hojlund showed last season, after ending as the club’s top goalscorer, there is a player in there somewhere.

At a club like United, however, if you don’t kick on, you’ll quickly find yourself being kicked out.

Amorim must finally drop Hojlund and unleash Man Utd’s "homegrown Osimhen"

Man Utd need a new source of goals and they could do so by dropping Rasmus Hojlund.

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 26, 2025

Fidel Edwards made short shrift of Worcestershire after being awarded his Hampshire county cap

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-20181:51

Gurney and Ball run amok at Old Trafford

ScorecardFidel Edwards crushed the Worcestershire batting line-up as Hampshire skittled their newly promoted rivals out for 127 to win the opening Specsavers County Championship fixture of the season by 196 runs.West Indian fast bowler Edwards was handed his county cap before the start of play before taking 3 for 33, including two wickets in two balls, in a whirlwind morning spell.Gareth Berg, Brad Wheal, Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott – the latter returning 4 for 45 – also took a wicket each on the final morning to send Hampshire to the top of the Division One table.Joe Leach, Worcestershire’s captain insisted that despite the heavy defeat Worcestershire had proved that they deserved to be in Division One company.”We have competed in a lot of the game and been on top in certain periods,” he said. “Ultimately it wasn’t good enough but we live and learn. I have said to this group – and this might seem a bizarre thing to say after a loss [by this margin] – but this game reaffirmed to me that we deserve to be here and mix it in this division with these types of teams.”The day had begun with Hampshire needing seven wickets and Worcestershire requiring 264 runs.The visitors, who had lost three wickets all to Abbott on the previous day, had what they would have thought was a trump card at the crease in Daryl Mitchell.Mitchell boasted an average just under 70 against Hampshire, including a double century, and had batted serenely on day three to reach 34.At the other end Josh Tongue had been dispatched as a nightwatchman for the second time in the match, and while he had done his job in the day three gloom, he lasted just three overs in the morning. Gareth Berg set a trap with a catching fielder at midwicket, and bowled a straight delivery which Tongue clipped straight to Brad Wheal. Mitchell only managed a single before he departed, pinned on the crease by Abbott.George Rhodes’ innings typified the tricky conditions by taking 35 balls to get off the mark. Scoring a run proved Rhodes’ demise though, as he then edged Edwards to Hashim Amla at first slip.Ben Cox was the next to depart when Brad Wheal slammed into his off stump to send it cartwheeling.Edwards cleaned up the tail when he had Ed Barnard on the pads in front before find the edge of Worcestershire captain Joe Leach’s bat next ball.Australian overseas Travis Head, who blocked out the hat-trick ball at the start of the next over, provided the only real barrier to a Hampshire rout with a well-made 45. But Hampshire completed their win when Steve Magoffin poked Dawson to James Vince at short midwicket.