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Celtic will be looking to replicate this season’s Premiership success once the 2022/23 campaign gets underway at the end of July.

In addition, Ange Postecoglou will undoubtedly want to see his team win the domestic cups and go as far in Europe as they can.

Before the new season kicks off, the Bhoys will have the chance to improve their squad during the upcoming summer transfer window to put themselves in the best shape for domestic and European success.

As things stand, it seems as though the Parkhead club have one transfer in their sights which would surely have the Celtic fans jumping for joy.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from A Bola (via Sport Witness) Celtic’s on-loan winger Jota is likely to sign a permanent deal with the Hoops in the coming weeks.

During his season on loan in Scotland from Portuguese club Benfica, the winger made 40 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and delivering 14 assists in the process.

With 10 of those goals and 11 of those assists coming in his 29 league appearances, it’s safe to say that he played a big part in Celtic’s title-winning campaign.

To further highlight his attacking talent, only Liel Abada (81) at Parkhead ended the season with more shots than the 23-year-old (76).

His overall performances earned him a season rating of 7.53/10, making him the second-highest rated player currently in Celtic’s squad behind David Turnbull according to WhoScored.

Labelled a “striker’s dream” by BBC Scotland pundit Marvin Bartley, Jota has shown how much of a dangerous attacking threat he can be for the Hoops and why it would be such a great deal for them to sign him on a permanent basis.

Having also had his performances for the Hoops described as “unbelievable” by Postecoglou, it’s safe to say that the 56-year-old would be over the moon to have the winger in his squad for the foreseeable future.

If Celtic can announce a permanent transfer for the £18.5k-per-week star as their first completed deal for the summer, this will surely get Hoops supporters buzzing and put the club in a good place to move on to other deals that they may want to get done.

In other news – Signed for £4.5m, now worth 70% less: Celtic had a huge howler on £9k-p/w “disaster”

It is becoming a habit, but their coach Lewis believes other factors – like training patterns and unfamiliar playing spaces – are also playing a role

Vishal Dikshit08-Mar-20245:42

Warriorz coach Lewis defends Healy’s batting form

When Saima Thakor of UP Warriorz nailed a direct hit against Gujarat Giants a week ago to find Phoebe Litchfield short in the death overs, it proved to be a vital wicket. It kept the Giants down to 142 and the Warriorz chased it down easily. But they haven’t won a game since, and have slipped to second from bottom on the points table.Since that inspiring Thakor effort, her team-mates have taken six catches but also put down four, of which two have been regulation chances. With such a catching conversion rate, Warriorz are going to find it very difficult to finish in the top three for the knockouts.The first of those two regulation chances was of Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Smriti Mandhana who got a life on 28 and finished on a match-winning 50-ball 80 to power her team to 198.On Thursday, of their three dropped chances they put down against Mumbai Indians, two were hard to grab. Grace Harris could not hold on to a blazing return catch from Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was then on 4 and finished on a breezy 45 off 31. The second was when Alyssa Healy couldn’t pouch an edge from Amelia Kerr off a flat delivery from offspinner Chamari Athapaththu.But the regulation chance Warriorz will rue is when Sophie Ecclestone gave Kerr another life, in the 19th over, after the ball was struck straight to her at extra cover. They also had misfields which offered extra runs, with Shweta Sehrawat and Harris letting the ball slip in the circle and at the boundary rope respectively to leak boundaries.According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, Warriorz have shelled 13 catches this WPL season of which five have been regulation, both more than any other team. They have also leaked overthrows and have misfielded in other matches, and their uncapped Indians Poonam Khemnar and Dinesh Vrinda have also given opposition batters second lives. Warriorz head coach Jon Lewis had a straightforward explanation for the uncapped or inexperienced Indian players shelling chances.”I think primarily it’s the local Indian domestic players that are dropping balls under the lights and I think it’s probably they’re not used to the ball coming as fast as it does,” Lewis had said after their loss to RCB earlier this week. “It’s very hard to perceive depth when the ball is coming out of the sky especially if they go high and the ball comes a little quicker than you expect it under the lights, and I think it’s just a little bit of inexperience in terms of playing in the conditions that we are.”What I would say is that international cricketers hit the ball a lot harder than domestic cricketers do. Therefore, the fielders are under a lot more pressure. And the crowd, don’t forget the crowd [in Bengaluru]. That’s something the players are not used to as well.”UP Warriorz are now second from bottom•PTI To rectify the issue of catching under lights, the players are unable to replicate that in training because there are matches every evening at the same ground. This year’s WPL had 11 games daily at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and is now seeing nine non-stop league matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. As a result, the teams have had to train at other smaller grounds and have not always had the chance to train with floodlights.”There aren’t many opportunities for us to practice during this tournament,” Lewis had said. “We had one practice session here before the tournament started, so it’s very hard for us to get facilities to practice under lights here in Bangalore with the regularity of our games. So it’s quite a tricky thing to practice and I think over time those players will get used to it.”For the chances going down by the international players, Lewis, who is also the head coach of England, offered a different reason.”That’s a catch I would have expected her to take,” he said of the straightforward chance put down by Ecclestone on Thursday. “Again, she said she didn’t quite see off the background in the lights somewhere. She didn’t pick the ball up. What you also find I think is when you play franchise cricket, a lot of the time the international players will field in different positions than they would normally field when playing for their country. So sometimes they get a little bit surprised by the pace of the ball that comes to them. So Sophie wouldn’t normally be at extra cover for us (England), she’d be in a different position.But she would expect to catch that ball and I would expect her to catch that ball as a coach for UP and for England as well. But yeah, it seems like a bit of a trend in the tournament. There’s a lot of balls going down but that’s, I suppose, a little bit of lack of experience for a lot of players and especially under the lights.”The team to drop the most catches after Warriorz this WPL is Mumbai, with a total count of 11 of which four have been regulation. Jhulan Goswami, their bowling coach and mentor, however, didn’t cite playing under lights as the reason when she was asked about it after their loss to Delhi Capitals, in which Saika Ishaque and Kerr had let catches slip.”Sometimes these things happen, I’m not going to give you any excuse because of light and all, but sometimes a different venue…girls are not used to it playing in different venues so quickly,” she had said. “Overnight you’re playing in a different venue, so this is a new thing. They’ll probably learn from these things in the coming season because last year we played in one (two) venue and this year within 24 hours we are playing in a different venue.”Goswami did concur with Lewis’ theory of teams not getting to practice for fielding on the same grounds where matches were being played.”So give them a little bit extra time and probably in the coming days they will improve because sometimes the ground dimension is also different and understanding the angles takes you time because you don’t even have the time to practice [at that ground],” she had said. “They just practice before the match for 45 minutes, that’s all. But if we were getting the chance to practice at this ground a day before the game, get used to the angles and dimensions then maybe the runs being leaked and catches going down would be reduced. These things happen in the cricket field and whichever team practices and does it best will be in the best position to win the tournament.”

In conditions best-suited to the defending champions, Sri Lanka were so switched on it did not matter

Shashank Kishore26-Oct-20231:31

Maharoof: Mathews was ‘in the game’ from the first ball

The entire Sri Lankan team stood together, their collective gaze fixed on the giant screen. The next moment, as the magic word “out” flashed, euphoria broke out. Sadeera Samarawickrama broke out of the huddle and did his own imitation of the Imran Tahir sprint.Before his team-mates could catch him, Samarawickrama had run some 25 yards, towards the cover boundary, punching the air in jubilation. He was so overjoyed he suddenly changed directions. He was so ecstatic that he didn’t know where to run or how to celebrate. His mates eventually caught up with him, giving him sweaty bear hugs.It was a marginal call and it went in his favour for a brilliant catch and, just like that, we’d had another Peak Sri Lanka moment. One where they make scarcely believable stuff seem like child’s play. This episode involved putting the modern-day ODI behemoths in a tailspin in conditions England’s game was best suited to.Related

• Kumara out with thigh injury, Chameera comes in as replacement

• Kumara goes from back-up to frontman

• Report – England's title defence suffers another crushing blow

• Are defending champions England out of the World Cup?

• 'Keep calm and do the right thing' – Mathews is back and raring to go

Come on. If not in Bengaluru, where else could England have potentially Bazballed their way into the World Cup, albeit belatedly? This was right up their alley. Flat deck, small ground, cooler air. All served up on a platter. What’s more, they even won the toss. Jos Buttler didn’t conceal his glee when he said “bat first”.The rub of the green was with them. How else could you explain Sri Lanka bailing out of a review they seemed dead sure about? It was the first ball of the match. Dilshan Madushanka had bowled the perfect inswinger, the late tail in so lethal that it sent Jonny Bairstow stumbling inside the crease as he tried to get bat to it. After a mid-pitch conference that made 15 seconds seem more like 15 minutes, Sri Lanka collectively decided against it.Maybe they did not want to let the excitement and adrenaline get to them this early. They went back to their places half-heartedly. And then they saw, after the next ball, replays on the giant screen that laid bare a potentially costly mistake. The collective groan of “ayyyyo” told you a story. They had been so near to a perfect start. Instead England were 3 for 0.At mid-off, Angelo Mathews shook his head in disbelief. Maybe he was thinking the sprint he’d just made, chasing after the ball all the way to the long-on boundary, would’ve been worth it had they reviewed (Bairstow got a good chunk on the ball, but it was pad first). He didn’t just sprint, he even put in a dive after a few moments of “should I, shouldn’t I?”Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis combined to run out Joe Root•Getty ImagesAt 36, he’d just sauntered into his fourth World Cup. Barely believable considering he was at home 10 days ago, having made peace with his exclusion. This was another moment of Peak Sri Lanka. Out in the cold one day, but right back in contention the next. You’re never really out.Ridiculous things continue to happen. Mathews last took an ODI wicket in March 2020. He hadn’t played too many ODIs over the past three years. He’d cheekily said he was ready to do anything, literally anything, the team needed. Surely that didn’t mean being summoned to bowl the seventh over?What do we know? He comes on and strikes immediately, dismissing Dawid Malan with a beauty. The ball cuts sharply off the deck, cramps the batter for room and flicks the edge. Mathews extends both palms, exuding the “I’m back” look. You can’t keep him away.You think surely that’s as eventful as it can get for Mathews. Nope, there’s more coming. He’s everywhere now. He’s beside the captain Kusal Mendis, imploring him to have a slip in place for the fast bowlers, offering words of advice to Kasun Rajitha, lurking at point like a hawk. And suddenly when Joe Root hits one his way, he swoops in quickly to fire a rocket throw to Mendis. The pressure had been creeping up on Root. He’s in a daze, the dive can’t save him, he’s gone. Mathews has woven magic again.Breakthrough provided, run-out effected, spell completed. Or so you think. Surely that’s three overs more than he expected to bowl anyway. But England are just beginning to build an inkling of a partnership. Moeen Ali has just cut loose, Ben Stokes has reined himself in all this while waiting seemingly to explode a bit later. The scorecard seems less dire than it did at 85 for 5. Enter Mathews again.He trundles in casually. Floats up a length ball. Moeen has decided he’s giving this a whack. But there’s no pace on it, instead he now looks to steer it square. The ball gets big on him just a touch. Boom. Kusal Perara has gobbled it up at point. Mathews has his man. At 122 for 6, England have been slam dunked. Mathews has struck once again as soon as he’s brought on.Sri Lanka were all pumped up in Bengaluru•Associated PressSri Lanka are switched on. So switched on that you wonder what’s changed in a week’s time. The chirp is back. There’s energy stemming from having the world champions on the rack. This wasn’t how it was supposed to pan out. Surely there was another “you cannot do that, Ben Stokes moment” waiting to unfold. He has been simmering underneath his helmet, waiting to burst open.Until he picks out deep midwicket on 43 with 20 overs left. Dushan Hemantha, the substitute, took the catch with his palms facing upwards. Stokes throws his bat up as he walks off. This is a dream unfolding for Sri Lanka. And there’s one more moment of Peak Sri Lanka magic to unfold: the run-out of Adil Rashid.There is a book called by the Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell. It is made up of anecdotes and psychological case studies on impulsive decision-making. What Mendis did to produce this wicket for Sri Lanka will fit very neatly in that book. He collected a delivery down leg and looked like he was about to just toss the ball back to the bowler and then he saw Rashid wandering out of the crease at the non-striker’s end. In a split-second, he took aim and hit the bull’s eye. Gone.It summed up England’s day of horrors. Sri Lanka were now in a position to Bazball England out of the World Cup – or something close enough to that. It all seemed straight out of a fairy tale. Except it wasn’t. It was Sri Lanka doing Peak Sri Lanka things.

There are few joys in life greater than the first trip back to the ballpark at the start of baseball season.

The sights and sounds of the ballpark have the ability to immediately bring you back to summers long gone by. The crack of the bat. The taste of that first hot dog. The seventh inning stretch. The emotional support bunny.

Okay, that last one might not be a staple for all baseball fans, but it sure was for those in attendance in San Francisco over the weekend when the Giants hosted the Seattle Mariners.

Early in the game, cameras showed one fan in the stands holding what was described as an emotional support rabbit. It was a very big rabbit.

“Don’t you just want to give it a hug?” asked commentator Mike Krukow. “What’s softer than rabbit fur?”

To answer your questions in order Mike, 1) yes, 2) nothing.

Krukow’s delight with the rabbit did not stop there, and was wholesomely endearing.

"Whoever discovered the beauty of the therapy animal is—a special place in Heaven for,” he said. “It is remarkable what animals can do to relieve anxiety and depression."

Right again, Kruk.

For those not in the know (I certainly wasn’t), the rabbit in question is named Alex the Great, and is something of a cultural icon in the Bay Area.

As one fan posted on social media, “We loveeee Alex the therapy rabbit.”

It wasn’t even the first time Alex the Great had delighted fans at Oracle Park, having become a similar sensation back in 2021.

More bunnies at baseball games, please.

Karim Adeyemi has reportedly made his choice between Manchester United and Arsenal as the Borussia Dortmund star is tipped to leave the Bundesliga next summer. The 23-year-old, whose contract runs until 2027, has stalled on extension talks with Dortmund and has privately accepted that a fresh challenge awaits him.

• United’s hopes fade despite early contact

  According to United have been tracking Adeyemi closely for months, even speaking to his agent Jorge Mendes to gauge his appetite for a Premier League switch. But optimism quickly evaporated once it became clear that the forward favours Arsenal’s project. Moreover, the German club have set a £75 million ($98m) valuation, significantly higher than what United were prepared to pay, and Adeyemi has already told intermediaries that a move to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is his first choice. His preference leaves United searching for alternatives and further highlights the challenge Amorim faces in persuading top-tier forwards to join a rebuilding side.

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  Weapons scandal looms Over Adeyemi

  Adeyemi issued a public apology following a €450,000 fine for possessing prohibited weapons, a knuckleduster and a taser, which he had received unknowingly as part of an online “mystery box”.

  In a candid Instagram statement, he explained: "You have probably seen the headlines about me in the last few days. It is not easy for me to talk about this. At the beginning of 2024, out of carelessness and without really thinking about what I was doing, I ordered a so-called ‘mystery box’ on the internet. It contained items that are not permitted under weapons legislation. Many months later, the package was delivered and ended up unopened at the police station.

  "Nevertheless, it was a huge mistake. One that I am very sorry about, that cost me dearly and that I deeply regret. I know that I am in the public eye and have a role model function. I did not live up to that. That is precisely why it hurts me all the more that I acted so recklessly. I have learned more from this than I can put into words. And I promise you that I will avoid such mistakes in the future. Thank you to everyone who still trusts and supports me."

• No penalty imposed by Dortmund

  The case could have resulted in up to three years in prison under German weapons law, or ten if brass knuckles were involved, but Adeyemi escaped with a financial penalty. The fine was calculated based on his income, leaving him with an entry in the federal register but not a criminal record.

  Dortmund have opted against further sanctions. Manager Niko Kovac made that clear: "It is no reason for me to ban him for the next few weeks. I am not his father, but his coach. People should put things into proper perspective. Everything has now been said about it. The focus is clearly on the Bundesliga. He will get our full support for that.”

  Managing director Lars Ricken also defended the player’s character, emphasising his remorse and their belief in his promise to avoid future lapses.

  "We naturally took the matter very seriously and have since been able to speak with Karim Adeyemi at length and clearly about his behaviour," Ricken told Sky Sport. "He deeply regrets his mistake. However, it must also be taken into account that he had to pay a hefty fine, no one was harmed, and the player continues to be considered to have no criminal record. Karim Adeyemi has firmly promised us that he will not make such a mistake again. We trust him to keep his word."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  German federation also weighs in

  DFB sporting director Rudi Voller admitted to being blindsided by the situation but urged perspective: "Yes, of course we didn't know [about Adeyemi illegally possessing weapons]. The day after the game in Luxembourg, Lars Ricken called me and told me. He didn't know everything either. Then Julian [Nagelsmann] and I grabbed Karim. We wanted to hear his side of the story. He then tried to explain it to us, more or less.

  “We still have the feeling that the lad is developing exceptionally well in the national team. We also live a bit in a time of outrage culture here in Germany…Everyone is always quick to complain, not that I want to sugarcoat it. It's naive or stupid, no matter what you call it."

  With contract renewal talks effectively dead, Dortmund now expect a summer sale, and hope the £75m price tag will hold. Arsenal believe he could be a long-term solution for their wide forward positions, especially with Mikel Arteta keen to add pace and penetration to his attack. For United, frustration is familiar. They have pushed hard to identify a forward who can grow alongside Rasmus Hojlund, yet Adeyemi has chosen the red of London instead of Manchester.

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle among favourites to sign £100m star

Newcastle need to add some more quality to Eddie Howe’s side in 2026.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 18, 2025

Major League Baseball's free agent frenzy is in full swing, and we all know who the top targets are. With Juan Soto, Max Fried, Blake Snell and other big names already off the board, most teams have turned to digging into the next tier of available players.

There are plenty of hidden gems in this free-agent class. What follows is a look at five of the most underrated players still available.

Joc Pederson, OF/DH (No. 30, SI Big Board)

Pederson finished his 2024 campaign by slashing .275/.393/.515, with 23 home runs, 64 RBIs and a wRC+ of 151 in 132 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He produced 2.9 WAR, which was his best since 2019, and his .908 OPS was a career high. So why isn't he getting more attention on the free agent market? Pederson is almost exclusively a designated hitter at this point in his career, and most teams prefer to rotate at the position.

Still, Pederson continued to reinvent himself in 2024, which bodes well for his future. He slugged a career-best .636 against fastballs and continued to crush right-handed pitching. He finished the season slashing .281/.392/.531 with an OPS of .923 in 335 at-bats against righties, and racked up 22 home runs in the process. The problem is, he still struggles against lefties, and hit .219 against them with one home run.

The 32-year-old Pederson will find a job but it'll take a while for the market to clear enough for him to get his shot.

Walker Buehler, SP (No. 25)

Liverpool’s attacking puzzle under Arne Slot has taken a new twist as Dwight Yorke claims £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz is blocking the club’s best tactical solution. The Manchester United legend believes Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike can replicate his iconic partnership with Andy Cole — but only if Slot is brave enough to play them together.

• Liverpool struggling for consistency with new look side

  Liverpool’s summer rebuild has created a fascinating but complicated tactical dilemma for Slot, with three major attacking signings all vying for prominence. Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz arrived with enormous expectations, but their profiles overlap in ways that have made it difficult for Slot to assemble a cohesive forward line. While Ekitike has adapted quickly, and Isak is still integrating following a disrupted pre-season, Wirtz has struggled to find a consistent rhythm in the Premier League.

  The German international has shown flashes of creativity but has also slowed the tempo in key moments, making Liverpool’s attack feel disjointed when all three are on the pitch together. Slot has rotated heavily to avoid overloading certain zones, but the lack of a settled attacking structure has raised questions about how the manager plans to get the most from his forwards. With Liverpool still adjusting to life under a new system, the debate around finding balance in the final third has intensified.

  The issue has become even more prominent due to injuries elsewhere in the squad, which have forced Slot to struggle for stability. As a result, the pressure to find a sustainable solution has grown rapidly. Yorke believes the answer is obvious and that Liverpool already possesses the personnel to fix the issue if Slot is willing to take a risk.

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  Isak and Ekitike could mirror Yorke and Cole's partnership

  Yorke believes Liverpool could unlock a devastating partnership if Isak and Ekitike are played together, directly comparing their potential to the legendary duo he formed with Cole. In his exclusive interview with Snabbare, he explained that the key lies in creating the right competitive dynamic within the squad. Yorke said: "You have got to create a healthy atmosphere around the place. If you create a competitive spirit where you feel like you’re competing with friends all on the same team then there’s no hatred or bad feeling there. That’s the first thing."

  Yorke went on to discuss how his own rivalry with Cole fuelled their success, adding: "Coley wasn’t hateful of me coming to United. I was coming to challenge him for his position at first because I was the new signing, the new kid on the block, but he accepted that challenge. He didn’t accept that I was a better player than him. He had to believe in his own ability. He was willing to fight, and don’t forget that Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were there as well. The competition was even greater. Coley could have taken the easy option and left the club. He didn’t because he trusted his ability. That’s the second thing."

• Yorke says Wirtz is a 'problem' for Liverpool and Slot

  Yorke also highlighted how tactical balance naturally emerged once he and Cole began to show complementary traits, saying: "On the flip side, I was the expensive new signing but that didn’t guarantee me anything. I had to go and show what I was capable of doing. I think the gaffer got lucky because I wasn’t really a nine. I can play nine but I was more of a link player, I liked to get involved in the play, so it sorted itself out. We had two flying wingers and I could jump into pockets and Coley played as the nine. Liverpool’s players can find a solution for themselves too. That’s the third thing."

  Yorke concluded by insisting the partnership could flourish if Slot is willing to try it: "Isak could be the nine. Ekitike can play wide. But you won’t know until Slot is forced into trying it. He might go that way like how Sir Alex fell into what worked for me and Coley." But he also warned of a major obstacle at Anfield, declaring: "The problem Liverpool have got is Florian Wirtz. That might cause a little bit of an issue because of the money he has come in on too. But Slot has to trust himself and trust his instincts on whether Ekitike and Isak can score goals together because they can both score goals as individuals. You’d think together they are only going to be a bigger threat for their opposition."

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  How will Slot handle his three-pronged situation?

  Liverpool face a crucial period in the coming months as Slot continues searching for the most effective structure for his revamped frontline. The manager has shown willingness to experiment but has not yet paired Isak and Ekitike consistently in a system built specifically for two forwards. As pressure grows, Yorke’s comments may amplify calls for Slot to trial the partnership before the season reaches a decisive phase.

  Florian Wirtz will remain central to the tactical debate as the German attempts to sharpen his consistency and adapt to the Premier League’s tempo. Liverpool’s staff remain confident that Wirtz will click, but patience will be tested if results fluctuate. For now, Slot must find a way to extract the best from all three players while keeping the squad balanced, competitive and aligned with his long-term tactical vision.

Every West Bromwich Albion manager who has taken on the reins since Carlos Corberan’s exit in late 2024 is undoubtedly trying to achieve success with the Spaniard’s legacy weighing heavily on them.

Corberan would turn the Baggies into regular promotion contenders in the Championship, which made his departure to Valencia last year very much sting.

To make matters worse, the wheels would come off West Brom’s 2024/25 season at a worryingly quick pace after he moved on to La Liga, with his successor in Tony Mowbray only managing to collect a paltry five victories from 17 matches before being dismissed.

Now, the pressure is on Ryan Mason’s shoulders to deliver, and the strain is already beginning to show, with two recent Championship defeats on the spin for the perpetual promotion nearly-men even seeing some Baggies natives begin to grow restless with their new 34-year-old boss.

It hasn’t been completely bleak since Corberan returned to Spain, however, with a lot of star quality still on display from some new signings.

West Brom's mixed recruitment since Corberan left

In the direct aftermath of Corberan leaving, though, there were some underwhelming flops to stomach.

Namely, Adam Armstrong would relocate to the Hawthorns on loan and fail to live up to this well-known image of him being a prolific performer in the EFL’s top league, with just a forgettable three goals falling into his lap from 16 outings in the West Midlands.

Tammer Bany, who was purchased this January for a whopping £3.3m, has also failed to get up and running in England as a post-Corberan purchase.

But, there have been some success stories to hold onto.

Isaac Price is very much the first name that springs to mind in this regard, having signed for the Championship outfit a matter of days after Mowbray was unveiled.

While he was a Mowbray capture, he has very much come into his own this season under the fresh methods of Mason, with a stunning five goals and two assists next to his name in all competitions.

Other members of Mason’s first team are also in with a shout to be the best buy since Corberan moved on, with Chris Mepham one worthy candidate, as the Welsh centre-back has become an everpresent member of his new manager’s defence to soften the blow of Torbjørn Heggem exiting for Bologna.

But, it’s a different defensive monster who could be well handed the honour…

West Brom's best signing post-Corberan

While Price has dominated a lot of West Brom conversations this campaign with his goal and assist output, he has also been prone to a quiet day at the office, frustratingly.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would go the entirety of September without collecting a single goal or assist.

During this same month, it could be argued that Nathaniel Phillips was very much settling into his new Hawthorns environment, on the contrary, with the decision to bring in the Premier League-experienced defender for just £3m already looking to be an ingenious move.

The 28-year-old is yet to miss a Championship game this season, and for good reason, with the 6-foot-3 colossus very much living up to his billing as a “lion”, as he was lauded by his former Anfield coach in Pepijn Lijnders.

Indeed, in West Brom blue and white so far, Phillips has won a commanding 5.5 duels on average across his 12 league clashes to date.

Looking at the table above in greater detail only further reinforces how much of a sterling purchase Phillips has already been, with his brute strength when rising up for duels also gifting him one goal at his new club, already, away from also cutting an assured presence on the ball with 56.6 accurate passes averaged per tense match.

EFL pundit Sam Parkin would likely agree with Phillips being one of West Brom’s best signings in recent memory, with him labelling the former Derby County loanee as “absolutely sensational” after he collected a clean sheet versus promotion rivals Stoke City.

Mason will need both Price and Phillips performing to their maximum to try and get his side out of their current sticky patch of form.

But, while the first of those named has shone in spurts and looks a top talent for the future, Phillips has been the real deal from minute one of his West Brom journey, with 19 Premier League appearances also under his belt, standing the Baggies in good stead if they can finally break their second-tier hoodoo.

West Brom have signed "explosive" star who is a bigger talent than Fellows

West Bromwich Albion have signed a new explosive star who is an even bigger talent than Tom Fellows.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 29, 2025

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was off to a hot start in Sunday's Game 2 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Tatis started off by crushing a 387-foot home run in the first inning to put the Padres on the board early. In the third inning, he hit a double. He was later brought in for a run in the sixth inning.

The right fielder was shining defensively, too. He caught what appeared to be an uncatchable ball from Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning. As he stood in the outfield after pulling down the deep line drive, Dodgers fans began booing Tatis. Instead of letting their jeers bother him, Tatis fully embraced the boos, and he even egged them on to get louder and keep going.

He wanted the Dodgers fans to know the noise didn't bother him.

Tatis was one of the players Dodgers fans were most worried about facing. Before Sunday's game, Tatis was averaging .600/.692/1.000 through the first three Padres postseason games.