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Tottenham Hotspur almost fell by the wayside last season, but Ange Postecoglou picked them up and propelled them forward in the dying embers.

Despite the London club’s woes in the Premier League, slumping to a 17th-place finish after a catastrophic failure in Postecoglou’s system, the Australian tactician still managed to walk where so many predecessors got lost before him, rallying his troops on the continental stage and winning the Europa League.

That triumph, ending a 17-year wait for a major trophy, also opened up a whole new world of possibilities down N17, for Spurs will now compete in next year’s Champions League.

It wasn’t enough to save Ange, as we all know, but Thomas Frank is a fantastic replacement in the dugout, and he’s looking to rewrite the coding within Tottenham’s attacking line.

The latest on Spurs' search for forwards

Tottenham have endured a somewhat frustrating start to the transfer window. Poaching Brentford’s boss led some to believe that the chances of signing Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo were heightened, but the goalscorer has since reportedly doubled down on his desire to sign for Manchester United.

Antoine Semenyo emerged as another top target, but Bournemouth’s £70m price tag put off suitors from every which way. He has since penned a new deal at the Vitality Stadium. A deal for Mohammed Kudus, at least, appears to be moving forward.

Kudus wants to join Spurs and has been the subject of a rejected £50m bid already. He’s a menacing winger, an elite talent, but the 24-year-old doesn’t quite address the need for a goalscoring wide forward.

Well, Mbeumo and Semenyo might be off the cards, but Tottenham could yet sign Evann Guessand from OGC Nice, with Football Insider reporting that Tottenham have entered the race for the versatile forward.

Guessand, 24, is also attracting attention from Brighton and Wolves in the Premier League, with Fenerbahce overseas also keen, but Daniel Levy believes his outfit is well placed to win the race.

Nice would be looking for a £25m to part with their star, and this is certainly within Tottenham’s means.

What Evann Guessand would bring to Spurs

Guessand’s versatility is his strength. Blessed with “electric” pace, as has been noted by journalist Antonio Mango, and a natural eye for goal, the Ivorian is perfect for Tottenham.

Centre-forward

68

14

9

Right winger

38

12

7

Left winger

13

3

4

Last season, he covered a lot of ground for his French side, playing across each of those offensive positions and to a great effect, posting 13 goals and ten assists across 42 fixtures in all competitions.

Creative and with a sharp eye for goal, Guessand certainly fits the bill. Frank’s efforts to sign Mbeumo and Semenyo have fallen through, and while a bid for Kudus is in the works, he’s indeed not the free-scoring type.

Guessand, however, would add a clinical shine to the Frank engine, hailed for his “crazy” ability by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

His quality speaks for itself, and he’s even been described by data-led site FBref as bearing a similar profile to Bournemouth’s Semenyo, who has been profiled so extensively by the Lilywhites.

Goals

0.40

0.31

Assists

0.25

0.14

Shots taken

2.23

3.51

Shot-creating actions

3.16

3.71

Pass completion

72.4%

73.4%

Progressive passes

2.67

3.06

Progressive carries

2.98

3.93

Successful take-ons

1.83

1.94

Ball recoveries

3.88

4.44

Touches (att pen)

4.99

5.37

Both players bear similarities, for sure. Semenyo might carry the ball forward a bit more frequently, but Guessand has still shown himself to be an effective, pacy dribbler.

Of course, the Premier League brings a higher level of competition, and no mistake. But even so, Guessand has the quality to provide a similar kind of presence for the Lilywhites, and he’s far cheaper at that.

Semenyo’s haul of 13 goals and seven assists for the Cherries last term highlights his growing prolificness, and his ability to maintain clinical levels in the Premier League, but he also won a whopping 6.1 duels per game, as per Sofascore, emphasising his tenacity and dynamic nature as he shifted from right wing to left.

Guessand could emulate this. Or, at least, provide Frank with the type of profile he so craves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Ivory Coast international recorded an average of 5.5 duels and 1.3 tackles per Ligue 1 match in 2024/25.

Given that Levy and Spurs’ data analysts have invested so much time into profiling a wide forward of Mbeumo or Semenyo’s nature, does it not make sense to forge ahead with a move for Guessand? If Football Insider are to be believed, the Londoners are now poised to complete the deal, should they wish to pursue it.

Look, there’s no denying that Semenyo is a real talent, but £70m? No chance. Premier League tax has been well and truly levied there.

When Guessand’s there, available and much cheaper besides, it’s surely a no-brainer for a manager such as Frank, who has proved time and time again at the Gtech Stadium his aptitude for shopping in the transfer market.

Spurs' answer to Gyokeres: £65m star is Frank's "top target" this summer

Spurs could seal their own game-changing signing this summer.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 7, 2025

West Ham United have an exciting teenager who club insiders "really rate", and manager David Moyes could begin to unleash him over the next few weeks.

Burnley 1-2 West Ham

The Irons have now won four out of their last five matches in all competitions, easing the pressure on Moyes and putting them in good shape for contests against Backa Topola and Crystal Palace.

Their latest win, a 2-1 victory away to Burnley at Turf Moor, is particularly important given West Ham recently lost both Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to injury.

Moyes was forced to start Danny Ings – a player he's hardly selected this season – up front as the east Londoners' shortage of striker options was laid bare. The Englishman was taken off and replaced by promising youngster Divin Mubama, who is at the centre of rumours linking him with being offered a new West Ham deal.

Mubama played a very big role in clinching West Ham the three points, forcing defender Dara O'Shea into an own goal before Tomas Soucek's added time volley put Moyes' side 2-1 ahead.

The teenager could be West Ham's next big talent, and it will be interesting to see how Mubama fairs in Moyes' plans before the manager potentially leaves this summer.

West Ham insiders "really rate" Mubama

According to journalist Paul Brown, speaking to GiveMeSport, West Ham insiders "really rate" Mubama as a player and they're excited by his potential in claret and blue.

Moyes could use the 19-year-old "sparingly" over the next few weeks as well, as the Scotsman weighs up whether Mubama can stay consistent and play at a high level.

"Knowing Moyes like I do, and how much of a captain cautious manager he is, I would be surprised if he gives me Mubama a run of starts now," said Brown.

"There's an argument for doing so and I know that people inside the club really rate this kid very highly. He looks like he's got something about him. There's clearly some talent there and they hope he'll progress into a really good player, but it would be out of character for Moyes to expect so much so quickly from someone who's just coming into the team.

"So I suspect that he will be used a bit more sparingly off the bench over the next few weeks to see if he really does have it and whether he can stay consistent."

Moyes, speaking to the press recently, heaped praise on the Englishman for working very hard behind-the-scenes.

“We want to play Divin but he has quite a lot of competition,” said Moyes (via The Athletic). “I don’t know how many 19-year-old centre-forwards are playing in the Premier League. It’s something which is getting harder because it’s such a difficult role. The level of competition to be a centre-forward is really high at most clubs.

“But Divin is different from the rest. He has a mentality and an attitude that is as good as any top player."

Aston Villa were brought back down to earth by Nottingham Forest last weekend as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat that ended a six-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

Unai Emery has built a side which can realistically challenge for the top six spot in the Premier League table this season and winning a trophy of some sort this term can’t be ruled out.

With progress in the Europa Conference League going smoothly so far, this Villa side can certainly go far and Emery has them well-drilled.

The Spaniard will still be looking to strengthen his team though and the January transfer window is fast approaching.

Having enjoyed success during the summer window, bringing in players such as Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Pau Torres, the former Arsenal coach appears to favour a quality-over-quantity approach and this is working well so far.

With this in mind, he could delve back into the market to bolster his squad in the coming months, especially as he seems to be light in a few areas, most notably at centre-forward.

Aston Villa transfer news

According to a recent report by Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb, Villa are reportedly keen on signing AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham next year.

The Englishman spent a season on loan at the Villa Park side during the 2018/19 season and he scored 26 goals and registered three assists across 40 matches as he helped the club secure promotion back to the Premier League following a three-year absence.

The former Chelsea frontman has a contract that doesn’t expire until 2026 and this could mean Jose Mourinho will place a big price tag on his head regarding any potential transfer.

According to Football Transfers, Abraham is currently valued at €39m (£34m) and with a few years left on his contract, Emery may need to make a bid nearer the £50m mark in order to secure his signature.

The club could face stiff competition for the 26-year-old however, as West Ham United and Fulham are also interested in luring him back to the Premier League according to the report and with Roma signing Romelu Lukaku on loan for the current season, it looks like Abraham could soon be on the move.

The question is, who will be best placed to sign him either in January or next summer? Emery will be hoping their current form and progress in Europe will tempt him back to the Midlands.

Tammy Abraham’s statistics for Roma

Having won the Champions League with Chelsea, the striker decided to move abroad and joined Roma in 2021, becoming an instant hit under Mourinho.

He netted 27 goals across all competitions during his maiden season in Italy and won another European trophy, this time the Europa Conference League.

The goals dried up slightly last term as he managed to score just nine times, yet he displayed his selfless side by grabbing seven assists as the Serie A side finished runners-up to Sevilla in the Europa League final.

A cruciate ligament injury has ruled him out until January at the earliest and this could mean Emery may have to wait until the summer in order to complete a potential swoop for the player.

The Spaniard has been too over-reliant on Ollie Watkins this season however, as the former Brentford forward has featured in every single match so far this term, scoring nine goals in the process and signing someone like Abraham would not only give him some competition, but he would also be an upgrade on Jhon Duran.

Jhon Duran's stats for Aston Villa

The 19-year-old has only been at the club for ten months, joining back in January from Chicago Fire, and it was clear he had bags of potential, having scored eight MLS goals.

Across 12 matches for Villa, however, he failed to get on the scoresheet, proving that the jump from American to England was perhaps tougher than anticipated.

Goals

0

2

Assists

0

0

Shots on target per game

0.2

0.5

Big chances created

0

0

Successful dribbles per game

0.1

0.2

Stats via Sofascore

The Englishman could be an instant upgrade on the Colombian youngster, however. According to FBref, Abraham registered a higher percentage of shots on target (45.2% vs 28.6%) while also registering more goal-creating actions per 90 (0.37 vs 0) and winning a higher percentage of aerial duels per 90 (51.9% vs 41.2%), indicating that he could be a more effective option to lead the line.

Abraham also created more big chances (nine vs two) than Duran during his more productive stint at Chicago Fire, while also averaging more key passes per game (0.9 vs 0.3) and succeeding with more successful dribbles per match (0.6 vs 0.4), further evidence of how impressive Abraham was when compared to the youngster.

The former Chelsea gem could add further firepower to the Villa squad and would allow Emery to give Watkins a much-needed rest when required.

Former professional Stephen Elliot hailed Abraham as a “goal machine” back during his spell with the London side and his spell abroad has certainly improved his game.

His ability to create chances for others, evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 5% when compared to his positional peers for assists per 90 (0.29), could be a big advantage for Emery, as he will be able to link up well with others and form a partnership alongside Watkins if required.

The striker also ranks in the top 15% when compared to peers for aerials won per 90 (4.3) and his physical presence and aerial ability would also allow him to thrive in the Premier League once again.

Duran is still young and has lots of raw potential, but Emery will be looking for a more experienced player if he is looking for someone who can come in and settle into life at Villa Park easily.

Abraham has spent a season in the Midlands before and this could be what makes the club stand out from the others who are keen on him with regard to a potential move away from the hustle and bustle of Rome.

Rangers have held talks with a "successful" Frank Lampard alternative in Glasgow this week, as the search for Michael Beale's replacement intensifies.

Who could replace Michael Beale at Rangers?

After a poor start to the Scottish Premiership campaign, one which has seen the squad booed off on multiple occasions, Rangers made a big decision to relieve Beale of his duties after just 10 months in charge following the previous sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The Glasgow giants are seven points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic already, with their title hopes in some doubt as a result. Beale was brought in from QPR to succeed Giovanni van Bronckhorst midway through last term, but it's now back to the drawing board for Rangers as they scour the market for another new manager in the space of a year.

Losing three out of a possible seven games was, quite frankly, unacceptable for one of Scotland's biggest clubs, and their Europa League group campaign took a bit of knock following their 2-1 loss to Cypriot first division side Aris Limassol in midweek. There have been many names mentioned by sections of the media as candidates to replace Beale, with reports suggesting Rangers have been considering the likes of Frank Lampard, Oliver Glasner and Kevin Muscat for the manager's job.

Initial talks were apparently held with Lampard over the vacant Rangers role, but reliable media sources have claimed that he is now out of the running to succeed Beale at Ibrox. However, the likes of Muscat and former AS Monaco boss Philippe Clement could still be hired by Rangers.

Will Rangers appoint Philippe Clement?

The latter coach, who has been praised for some of his successes in past seasons, has won four Belgian league titles across spells at Club Brugge and Genk. Clement would come as quite the decorated appointment, at least from Belgium, with Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell once calling him "one of the most prominent and successful coaches in Europe in recent years."

Jupiler Pro League

4

Belgian Super Cup

2

Belgian Cup

1

"His profile as a modern coach, with his teams playing with great intensity and [is] daring, including on the continental stage," claimed Mitchell.

"His ability to combine titles and the development of young players have made him one of the most prominent and successful coaches in Europe in recent years."

A report from Voetbal Nieuws has shared an update on the prospect of his hire at Rangers, with Clement travelling to Glasgow this week for a meeting with Gers chiefs. The 49-year-old is apparently seen as a "great candidate" for the job, with both Clement and Rangers putting forward their visions for success during this apparent sit-down. However, it is by no means a done deal just yet, as clubs from Saudi Arabia are also after Clement. While the coach will have to convince Rangers he is the right man, Voetbal Nieuws claims the feeling is mutual on Clement's side.

If Rangers were to decide he is the top target, you can fully understand why.

The 2019 World Cup may be almost on the horizon, but Mark Wood is not giving up on his dream of playing Test cricket

George Dobell10-Jul-2018The 2019 World Cup may be almost on the horizon, but Mark Wood is not giving up on his dream of playing Test cricket.Bearing in mind how much has been invested in England winning the tournament next year – 50-over cricket has, since the 2015 World Cup, arguably become England’s priority for the first time – you could understand it if Wood or the England team management decided he should, for now at least, give up red-ball cricket. Adil Rashid and Alex Hales have already made that choice, after all. It would be understandable if a fast bowler went the same way.Equally, given the potential riches on offer for embracing life as a T20 specialist – and the risks to that living that attempting to play red-ball cricket might present – you could understand it if Wood were to reflect on the dozen Tests he has played (a sequence that includes taking the wicket that clinched the Ashes in 2015) and conclude it was time to call it a day.The reality of Wood’s speeds doesn’t always meet the reputation. But there are moments when it clicks and he offers England something different and dangerous. The most obvious example came in an important 2017 Champions Trophy match in Cardiff in which a set Kane Williamson seemed to be leading New Zealand to victory. While the rest of the attack were played with apparent ease, Wood suddenly persuaded a cross-seam delivery to burst off the surface, surprise Williamson with its pace and bounce and brush his glove on its way to the keeper.It was a decisive moment in a game that secured England’s place in the semi-finals. Wood still describes it as “probably my favourite” international wicket.But, put simply, it seems Wood’s relatively slight frame – and his left ankle, in particular – struggles to withstand the rigours of life as a fast bowler. So while his skills, and his ability to find life from a surface that looks flat for his team-mates, render him attractive to selectors for all formats, there is a danger of diminishing returns if Wood continues to try to play all three formats. And, given his importance to the World Cup dream, it could prove costly if he is below his best for the tournament.But Wood is having none of it. Whatever the logic, whatever the temptations, Wood remains committed to the goal of playing more Test cricket.”Test cricket is still the pinnacle for me to play and the moment I let that dream go I might not be the same cricketer,” he said. “In the garden, I always played Tests. I always watched Tests on the telly. I’m not saying there aren’t good players playing white-ball cricket but, if you’re regarded as a top, top player, it’s often through your Test performances. I want to play Test match cricket.”It was that commitment to playing Test cricket that persuaded him to leave the IPL early. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad that won the tournament – albeit, he only played one game – but, knowing his selection for the Test series against Pakistan hung in the balance, he asked to return to England early in order to play Championship cricket and impress with a red ball.”I came back early from Chennai because I wasn’t playing there and it made sense for me to come back early and push for Test career,” he said. “I’d just been in the New Zealand Test. With me not playing, Chennai were really understanding and said ‘yes, we understand you want to play Test cricket’ and allowed me to leave and come home. Then I managed to do well in that game for Durham and keep my Test spot.”Unfortunately I didn’t keep it for the Headingley game but I’m raring to get back for at least one of the India games.”Mark Wood claimed England’s first wicket of the second morning•Getty Images

That experience in the IPL – while brief – left an impression. Certainly he speaks with something approaching awe of MS Dhoni’s knowledge and charisma.”I always thought he seemed so cool, calm and collected on TV,” Wood said, “and he literally is that guy: he’s so cool.”His knowledge of the game is incredible. There would be times when we were watching and he would predict not just the next ball but the next three balls! There was a game we played at home and he said: right, look at the field here; that means the bowler is going to go yorker, but he will not nail it, so next ball he will go for a slower ball and then he will try the yorker again. He went four, six, four from those three balls and they were exactly what he had said they would be. Incredible.”There would be times when we needed 70 off five overs and he would like nurdle one and we would be thinking ‘what are you doing?’ We would be trying to flay it out of the park.”But his thing is to take it deep. And the longer the game goes, the more nervous the bowlers get. And when they miss, he will hit it for six. Imagine having the confidence to say that?”He leaves it until people think he’s left it far too late. But nine times out of ten he knows that he will win in that situation. He is so calm.”Despite the talk of wanting to play in all formats, Wood admitted he is at his best when fresh. And he comes into the ODI series against India well-refreshed having been rested for the T20 games.”I’m sick of saying it but, as a fast bowler, you’re never going to be 100% fit,” he said. “But it’s true. I’ve been pretty good. My ankle has been fine. I’ve just been managing my body. It’s nice to say to people ‘I’ve been all right’ rather than people asking and me saying ‘yeah, I’m all right’ when really you think ‘I’m not all right’. But I actually AM all right.”I’ve played a lot since November. So I’ve never been 100% fresh. In the past, I’ve had period of injury and then come back flying because I was fresh.”England will anxiously hope that he is in such good shape going into the World Cup.Royal London, proud sponsors of one-day cricket, is celebrating unconventional greatness in the game by championing the independent spirit of players and fans

The batsman has been handed South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga which recognises achievements of those in the fields of arts‚ culture‚ literature‚ music‚ journalism and sport

Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2018

A crisp Hashim Amla cover drive•Associated Press

Hashim Amla has become the first cricketer in 10 years to receive South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga, a national award given out to recognise achievements of those in the fields of arts‚ culture‚ literature‚ music‚ journalism and sport.Amla was named as a silver award recipient by the Chancellor of National Orders, Dr Cassius Lubisi, who explained Amla is being honoured, “for his contribution to the sport of cricket. He has brought pride to our country with his many batting firsts in the international cricket arena and remains one of the leading batsmen of our time.”Amla is the only South African to have scored a triple-century in Test cricket, is their second-highest century-maker in Test cricket with 28 hundreds and the country’s leading ODI century-maker with 26 to his name. He is currently ranked 11th on the ICC Test rankings and 12th in ODIs and has captained South Africa in all formats.Prior to Amla receiving the award, Shaun Pollock, South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker, and Makhaya Ntini, the first black African to play Test cricket for South Africa, were named as Order of Ikhamanga recipients in 2008. The trio are the only cricketers to be named for the order during their playing days.Basil D’Oliveira received the award in 2003, when it was first established. Also that year, Eric Majola and Goolam Abed, who were selected for both cricket and rugby for black South African teams during the Apartheid era, were recognised. In 2004, Hassan Howa, after whom the Howa bowl, a cricket tournament for non-white players which ran from the early 1970s until unity in 1991 was named, was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga.

Taylor Rogers reportedly will no longer share a bullpen with his twin brother Tyler.

's Robert Murray reported Wednesday that the San Francisco Giants traded Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for right-handed pitcher Braxton Roxby.

Rogers was due $12 million in 2025, the last season of his three-year deal he signed with the Giants in 2023.

Over nine seasons in the big leagues, Rogers has logged a 28–34 record, 3.34 ERA and 83 saves as one of the game's better left-handed relievers. He made the 2021 All-Star Game in his last season with the Minnesota Twins, who selected him in the 11th round of the 2012 MLB draft.

After one year split between the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers in 2022, Rogers joined his twin brother, Tyler Rogers, in the Giants' bullpen. In 64 games last year, Rogers logged a 2.40 ERA and 9.6 K/9.

Rogers now joins the Reds' bullpen as another late-game option alongside Alexis Diaz and Emilio Pagan for manager Terry Francona to utilize.

Roxby, 25, has yet to make his MLB debut. The right-hander registered a 5.21 ERA and struck out 65 batters in 48 1/3 innings at Double-A last year.

The ICC’s new vice-president is a man who is careful to think before he speaks and won’t shy away from being described as a pragmatist

David Leggat10-Aug-2010Alan Isaac is used to cricket challenges. In his playing days, the man slated as heir apparent to the ICC presidency, was a well-respected left-hand batsman in Wellington senior club cricket. He was good enough to captain the province’s B team for three seasons, but that was as good as it got. Finding a place in the senior Wellington side in those days wasn’t easy. Wellington’s batting was strong in the 1980s. Bruce Edgar, Robert Vance, John Morrison, Jeremy Coney and Evan Gray, all Test players, had a lock on batting spots. It was, needless to say, a pretty strong outfit.Those in the know remember the man they call “Zac” as a solid, dependable batsman who knew his limitations and sold his wicket dearly. He had made age-group representative teams, and played senior rugby for three Wellington clubs, mainly at fullback.Isaac was made a partner of accounting firm KPMG at 24, and became treasurer of the Wellington Cricket Association around the same time. Fourteen years ago, he was made chairman of partners at KPMG and retained the job until stepping away in 2006. The 58-year-old businessman faces another set of stiff challenges in the years to come, assuming his path to the presidency, around June 2012, proceeds smoothly.These are testing times for the game. Isaac will serve as Sharad Pawar’s deputy for two years, learning the ropes before stepping up. He sits on a range of boards, including the high-profile Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd board, overseeing the biggest sports event in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games – next year’s Rugby World Cup – and is well regarded as a seasoned, astute operator.He makes no bones about his disappointment that Sir John Anderson, his predecessor as New Zealand Cricket chairman, could not accept the Australasian nomination for ICC president at the second time of asking.Anderson was New Zealand’s nomination, alongside former Australian prime minister John Howard, when the two bodies first got together to finalise their choice. With the panel of five charged with settling on the candidate comprising three Australians and two New Zealanders, it was no surprise Howard got the nod. This despite Anderson’s long, credentialled career as a cricket administrator versus Howard’s zero experience, allied to Australia’s inability to come up with a cricket person.

“The realities are that when the ICC sells its commercial rights, a large proportion of that value comes from the Indian market. In my 22 months at the ICC table, I’ve had no problems dealing with the Indians or any other countries”Isaac doesn’t believe India’s clout is a problem

When Howard was deemed unacceptable to six of the ICC full members, it was time for Plan B. However, Anderson rejected overtures to put his name up again. Isaac was disappointed when Anderson gave him the news but he was encouraged to put his hat in the ring. Australia, though stubborn in defence of their first choice, have backed Isaac. But if it seems Isaac, New Zealand Cricket’s chairman for the last couple of years, got in as other preferred choices fell away, it doesn’t worry the man himself. ”I don’t feel like I’m second or third pick. I was encouraged through the process to be available by several people,” he said.So what will the ICC get? A chartered accountant who is careful to think before he speaks and who won’t shy away from being described as a pragmatist.Isaac knows the ICC’s reputation is not as good as it should be for a sport’s governing body. Polishing that reputation is among the goals he wants to achieve in the next four years. He defends the ICC against charges that it gets things wrong too often: “Often no one has the right answer, so people who have the responsibility have to get on and make the best of all the information they’ve got. When you’re sitting on the outside and haven’t got all the facts, or have a particular reason for having a different decision made, you are always going to be criticised. Often there have to be compromises as part of getting a more important decision agreed. That’s just life. It’s about being pragmatic.”He is a strong believer in treating others as you would want to be treated. ”It’s about trust and respect. If you don’t have that, you are going to struggle. “My priority is to get that trust and respect and then at the end of the day we can build a better reputation for the ICC.”The ICC will find they have a man who is unequivocal that the international game must remain top of the heap. Isaac cites other sports – rugby, rugby league, football – where club or privately owned franchises have pushed for top billing.In his mind, when it comes to priorities, the question of international versus domestic or privately owned franchised-based cricket is a no-brainer. He supports the idea of some form of Test championship, and in an age where India is singled out for criticism as having too much say in how the game is organised and wielding too heavy a wallet, Isaac takes a practical view. “The realities are that when the ICC sells its commercial rights, a large proportion of that value comes from the Indian market. In my 22 months at the ICC table, I’ve had no problems dealing with the Indians or any other countries.”If a Test championship can be worked into shape, he’ll be happy. “Market research, and the view of administrators and players, is that it would be better if there was some context, but we’re under pressure because of the volume and competing interests.”And those who suspect Isaac might push New Zealand’s barrow with a shade too much energy might be surprised. “The role of the ICC is to act in the best interests of cricket. If I’m elected, that is an honour for New Zealand, but clearly the responsibility is to act in the best interests of world cricket.”

In a five-part preview series, Cricinfo profiles the Super League teams

Cricinfo staff31-Oct-2008

	You can trust the in-form Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina to put up the big scores for Uttar Pradesh © Cricinfo Ltd.

Uttar Pradesh

The enigma boys are at it again. Champions one season, just about avoiding the relegation the next, and almost winning the Ranji Trophy in the next. It took a superlative rearguard from Delhi to deny Uttar Pradesh the title last year, but it will take a few more consistent seasons for UP to genuinely make a transition from being backwaters to powerhouses.Their contribution to the national teams – RP Singh, Suresh Raina, Praveen Kumar and RP Singh – is an endorsement to the cricketing revolution in the state, and despite the state. Their captain, Mohammad Kaif, too, has been a close outsider to the Indian team. Like Delhi, they have a coach who has just retired as a player – Gyanendra Pandey.They would want to start off with a big win in their first game, against Andhra in Meerut, because after that their star players will be available to them sporadically, as this season clashes with big international matches – the England one-dayers start from November 14.As the case has been for the last three years, no one knows what to expect from them. In those widely varied results, the personnel had not changed drastically.What they did last season
Their last season was not dissimilar to their championship season. In 2005-06, they had four points from four matches, and were sitting pretty at the bottom of the table. Last season, they had eight from four, and again they were at the bottom of the table. Like in 2005-06, three big wins followed, and they were through to the semi-finals.In the semi-final, they got a green top in Vadodara, which worked to their favour. Sudeep Tyagi, their new pace sensation, and Praveen Kumar, their seasoned pro, combined well to shot Saurashtra out for 127 and 113. Kaif helped them to marginally more than that.They had a superb start to their final, too, at the Wankhede. After having scored 342, they had Delhi down to 36 for 4. Delhi recovered, but UP still managed a 52-run lead, only to squander it through some irresponsible batting in the second innings. A Gautam Gambhir special followed in a chase of 230 runs to stop the dramatic turnaround at its last step.Kaif was their leading run-getter with 687 at 57.25, followed by Raina with 683. They were Nos 4 and 5 on the overall run-getters’ list. But it was Tyagi who made the main difference, with 41 wickets at 21.63, in his debut season. Praveen, who was available for only six matches, made his contribution with 36 wickets at 16 apiece.Men to watch
As usual there are lots to watch out for, depending on their availability and form. Tyagi is one of the lesser known ones: after a promising debut season, when it came to taking himself to the next level – the zonal games, or the IPL money and fame, he got injured. He played a match against Australia A, which might suggest he is fit again, but it will be interesting to see if he finds the form that form that made him such a success last year.RP Singh, who has now become a frequent flier with the Indian team, might not be available for long. Raina would want to make Test claims, Chawla would want his place in the ODI side back, and Praveen would look to cement his place in the ODI side.

Punjab

Punjab clearly are yet to recover from the ICL exodus that saw 12 players defect to the unofficial league as they just about managed to avoid the relegation to Plate with an outright victory in their final league encounter. And to think they were the runners-up only three years back. Inthikab Alam was the coach then but subsequently, though, Punjab have had two more coaches. Arun Kumar, former Punjab wicket-keeper, will be the third coach in as many years and he replaces Gurcharan Singh who failed to provide any sort of impetus to a weakened team.Kumar’s familiarity with the players was the main reason behind his appointment, which probably might help in the team bonding. That and the presence of Yuvraj Singh, who is part of the squad for the first two games at least, should help Punjab start on a positive note in a tough season where they play a solitary home game.What they did last season
Despite having home advantage in five games Punjab won just one game in a must-win situation against Orissa. Uday Kaul’s two fighting centuries in the initial half of the season had gained first-innings points against Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Against UP, VRV Singh played a pivotal role with a seven-wicket haul in the first innings, which denied the visitors the lead. But even if the batsmen managed decent, if not huge, totals Punjab’s bowling failed to show any consistency. VRV only played four games and peaked in two of them; Manpreet Gony was more of harmless trundler and Gagandeep Singh toiled hard but sometimes without much luck. The bowling clicked against Orissa, reducing them to 50 for 4, but the batsmen failed miserably to hand over the advantage. However, VRV snatched it right back with a superb five-wicket haul to set up an easy target to chase.As for the performers Uday Kaul was the only batsman to cross the 500-mark (503). VRV Singh, in and out due to his injury concerns, managed to still bag the maximum wickets, 15, with Gagandeep and Manpreet sharing the second spot with 13.Men to watch
With VRV still recuperating from his ankle injury and not expected to play at least in the first half Gagandeep and Gony will be the strike bowlers. Not to forget Siddarth Kaul, who even if green, has a good enough pace to trouble the bat. He showed that during the Under-19 World Cup final against South Africa. India needed two wickets, their opponent needed 16 runs off the last over and Kaul cleaned them up without much trouble.

Andhra

A sixth place last year despite the loss of Venugopal Rao and Syed Sahabuddin
showed Andhra are no pushovers. They have gone in for more new blood this season: four new players and a new coach in MV Narasimha Rao have been recruited. And Rao is confident that his young bunch can do more damage this season.”We have many guys from Under-22 division, our fast bowling looks good with P Vijaykumar, Kalyankrishna, Israel Raju and Sharat Babu. Our batting too is in good hands with Hemal Watekar and the two young talent in AG Pradeep, and B Sumanth.” They have a tough start against Uttar Pradesh but as Rao says, and as the recent history shows, Andhra could give a good fight to any team on their day. The spin department is a worry, though, as Andhra have lost the services of Shankara Rao, the left-arm orthodox who picked 20 wickets last year, this season due to a accident. They will look to M Suresh, the legspinning allrounder to do the job.What they did last season
Watekar, the opener, hit two hundreds to get Andhra off to a comfortable draw against Punjab and his opening partner Prasad Reddy reprised that effort to earn another draw against Uttar Pradesh. They won their next game against Orissa but suffered heartbreak against Hyderabad in a
low-scoring thriller . They went on to draw against Baroda and beat Bengal but that loss against Hyderabad proved crucial in the final-four ranking.Men to watch
Watch out for the openers, Watekar and Reddy, who amassed 909 runs between themselves last season. Kalyankrishna and Vijaykumar, who grabbed 20 and 21 wickets respectively, will lead the bowling attack.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is reported to be a real admirer of another England international, who’s made his way on to the Dane’s summer transfer shortlist amid all the drama surrounding Morgan Gibbs-White’s potential move to north London.

£43m star "clear" he wants to join Tottenham in talks with club chairman

He’s expressed his desire to seal a Spurs switch.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 15, 2025

Spurs are ready to back Frank with more new signings before deadline day on September 1, after already sealing deals for Mohammed Kudus, Kota Takai and Mathys Tel for a combined fee of around £90 million.

By all accounts, their total expenditure should be around £150 million right now, and it would be if not for the bizarre situation with Gibbs-White.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

After a round of quick-fire talks late last week, Tottenham were ready to trigger the 25-year-old’s £60 million release clause, and his transfer to N17 was so advanced that Spurs booked medical tests for Gibbs-White on Friday.

However, in a stunning twist, Forest then unexpectedly blocked his move, amid a complaint to the Premier League, with Evangelos Marinakis and co believing Tottenham tapped up Gibbs-White and obtained knowledge of his release clause illegally (Ben Jacobs).

Now, Forest are adamant that Gibbs-White isn’t going anywhere (Sky Sports), but Spurs still remain hopeful of eventually getting a deal done.

As Frank waits for further clarification on whether the Lilywhites can indeed get Gibbs-White over the line, with Forest digging their heels in, reports suggest that Tottenham also want to add a new traditional central midfielder to their ranks.

Thomas Frank wants to sign Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton

According to GiveMeSport, a ‘leading target’ for Frank in that position is Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton.

The England international’s 2024 performances earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the Euros, and even though his latest campaign was hampered somewhat by injury, Wharton is still regarded as one of the country’s best rising stars.

GMS reports that Frank has personally identified Wharton as a potential Tottenham signing, and what’s more, they might not be deterred by the 21-year-old’s seismic £100 million price tag.

Palace are using Declan Rice’s £105 million move to Arsenal in 2023 as a yardstick for Wharton’s valuation, as they hold the player in similar regard, but this hasn’t completely turned Spurs away. They could yet still open talks for the ex-Blackburn Rovers starlet in an “ambitious” move, even if Daniel Levy would have to completely shatter Tottenham’s transfer record.

In their published set of financial accounts, Levy stated that Spurs ‘cannot spend what they do not have’, but the club’s summer spree thus far has sparked claims of both a cash injection from ENIC and a potential stadium naming rights deal on the horizon (The Telegraph).