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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.”

The Bangladesh batter opens up about playing multiple formats, understanding the game better, the famous win in New Zealand, and more

Mohammad Isam22-Feb-2022There is a bit of swagger about Litton Das. It is there in the way he walks to the crease, tucks up his sleeves and plays some of his shots effortlessly. It is there in his fluent wicketkeeping, too. Litton always seem to have a bit of time in hand. He has carried himself gracefully off the field, mostly staying out of the limelight. However, some see all of this differently. The swagger is often misinterpreted as pride. Which is why Litton’s lean patches come under a lot of scrutiny.Regarded arguably as the best batter of his generation in Bangladesh, he is also highly rated by the seniors in the side. But Litton spent the first two years of his career promising a big knock. That came in his second coming in the Bangladesh team, and only recently, in the last 12 months, has he shown real signs of consistency, as he was Bangladesh’s leading run-getter in Tests in 2021.Related

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There was a lull in his form last year when Bangladesh focused too much on spinning tracks at home, resulting in his poor T20 World Cup. Litton was dropped as punishment during the T20I series against Pakistan, but he has come back strongly. He got a maiden century in the Tests at home, before playing a crucial match-winning knock in the Mount Maunganui Test last month. He also scored a century in the second Test in Christchurch, before helping Comilla Victorians to their third BPL title last week.His next assignment is the ODI series against Afghanistan that begins in Chattogram on Tuesday.When you talk to Litton, rather than the swagger, his clarity of thought comes through. He believes that opening the batting in ODIs requires a level of self-assessment rather than planning too far ahead.”The bigger challenge in ODIs is preparing yourself,” Litton told ESPNcricinfo. “You can dominate the bowling once you get set. You know what you are going to get batting in the top order in ODIs. Every bowler wants to hit the top of off-stump. They have a slip and a gully. They want to get you bowled, nick off or lbw. The bigger challenge is in Test cricket where you can’t play a big shot if you just wanted to. You have to survive certain phases and get out of it.”Liton however has to constantly adjust to the three formats, being one of the few Bangladeshi cricketers now who plays all the formats. With the pressure of performing, he has had to figure out exactly how to slip from one format to the next. Litton said one must understand his or her role and be prepared for every situation.”It depends on what my role is. I am a wicketkeeper who bats at No. 7 in Tests. I play predominantly as a top-order batter in ODIs. I don’t usually keep wickets, so I have to field well. I have a similar role in T20Is. There are times when I suddenly have to keep wickets, maybe after break of few months. One has to adjust very quickly.”Even the best players are faced with challenging phases in international cricket. A lot depends on how much of a comfort zone you have been able to create for yourself. If you are scoring runs continually, things are easy for you. When you are off form, international cricket can be a tough place. You will find it hard to cover such times at that level.”Liton on the victory against New Zealand last month: “We never thought we’d win in such a dominating manner”•Getty ImagesLitton is one of the three Bangladeshi cricketers who have played more than 100 international matches in the last four years. Certainly the senior quartet are in their mid-thirties, meaning the likes of Mominul Haque and Litton are having to step up from time to time in leadership positions. Mominul is the Test captain while Litton’s regularity as the wicketkeeper shows glimpses of a future full of responsibility.But Litton insists that he has always been the type who offers his advice to the captain, whether it was his debut game or now.”Didn’t I have responsibility before? I believe that there was responsibility on me when I made my debut. Even at that time, I tried to give my input from whatever knowledge I had. It is the same thing now. Some want to take on the responsibility, some don’t. It depends from person to person, but I always had responsibility.”It showed during the Test win against New Zealand in January. Litton changed the mood of the game on the third day with his stroke-filled 86. His four-hour stay at the crease took Bangladesh to the lead, but more than that, his shots started Bangladesh’s domination. Litton said that they never really thought that they could beat New Zealand, but could certainly push them all the way to the end.”It was great to start the year with such a massive achievement. We celebrated on the day we won, and now it is in the past. But I wouldn’t call it a bizarre result, but certainly we never thought we’d win against New Zealand in a dominating manner.”Our motive was to take the Test to the fifth day, since we usually lose Tests in three or three and a half days in New Zealand. We are talking about the No. 1 team in the world in their home ground, so that was always something we considered.”At this juncture of his international career, Litton doesn’t want to make any tall claims. The last seven years have made Litton realise that, despite taking a bit of time, he has improved in his understanding of cricket, particularly Tests. For now he is happy with this bit of critical progress.”I won’t say that I have reached any new levels, but I have realised that a player needs 15 to 20 Test matches to grow into the game. Maybe someone with more talent needs fewer games but I needed a bit of time to know what Test cricket truly is. A lot of situations vary. I feel I am getting better at understanding Test cricket, which I think this is the big change.”

There are six weeks left in the 2025 MLB season, and nothing has been decided.

Four division leaders are within five games of second place, and the wild-card picture in both leagues is a muddled mess. Everything is still to play for over the next month and a half, and it should be as exciting a finish as we have seen in years.

We’ve broken down each division race, ranking them based on how interesting they’ll be down the stretch.

1. NL West

The best rivalry in baseball is back in focus. The Padres and Dodgers are locked in a battle atop the division and are set to duke it out for NL West supremacy over the next few weeks. San Diego jumped into first place Wednesday night, and the teams will play six times in the next 10 days. Those games should be electric and could get a little chaotic, given the history here.

This is the latest in the season the Padres have held sole possession of first place in the NL West since 2010. They have been on fire, winning 14 of their past 17 games and getting excellent performances across the board. The team’s trade deadline acquisitions have all contributed, but while Mason Miller was the biggest name the Padres landed, left fielder Ramon Laureano (.333/.400/.600) and catcher Freddy Fermin (.355/.394/.484) have provided the most significant upgrades. The Friars are playing their best baseball of the season and peaking at the right time.

The Dodgers have stumbled, but should never be counted out. Shohei Ohtani is cruising to another MVP award and is starting to go deeper into games on the mound. The team’s loaded starting rotation is finally healthy, and there’s no doubting L.A. has the best roster in baseball. The defending champs won’t go down without a fight. Over the past few years, every time San Diego gets close, Dave Roberts’s squad seems to turn it on. The Padres have been Charlie Brown, and the Dodgers are Lucy with a football. Will that happen again this season?

Though L.A. and San Diego only play six times before the end of the season, it feels like they’re destined to see each other again in the playoffs. That would mark the fourth time in six seasons they have squared off in the postseason.

Major League Baseball has to be salivating at the prospect.

2. AL East

The Blue Jays have a five-game lead in the division and the American League’s best record, but the Red Sox and Yankees are both still within striking distance. Boston and New York hold the two final wild-card spots as well, so the next few weeks have the potential to get tense.

The Yankees host the Red Sox for four games next week, then the teams square off at Fenway Park for three games the second weekend of September. Meanwhile, Toronto travels to Yankee Stadium for three games the first weekend in September and gets Boston at home for three during the season’s final week. Those series could decide the division.

What the Blue Jays have done this season is remarkable, and their success is almost as shocking as the Orioles’ failures. The Yankees were expected to run away with the division and now look like they'll be fighting for a spot in the playoffs until Game 162. Meanwhile, Boston traded its best hitter and somehow got better. Baseball is funny like that.

Toronto has the inside track to win this thing, but all three teams have a chance, and there’s a decent shot they'll all be in the postseason.

3. AL West

The Astros have won the AL West in each of the past seven full seasons (the Athletics won during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign), and lead the division this year. But this might be the fiercest battle they've had in those years.

The Mariners are hot on Houston’s heels, trailing by 1.5 games heading into the weekend. Seattle went all-in at the trade deadline, acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suárez, first baseman Josh Naylor and lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson. They splurged to add punch to their offense alongside MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, who continues his historic offensive pace. Given their rotation, they should stay in the race until the very end.

Houston didn't stand pat at the deadline, as they brought back former franchise cornerstone Carlos Correa. The results of the reunion have been excellent so far, as the 30-year-old boasts a .974 OPS in his 11 games back with the team. Fellow deadline acquisitions Ramón Urias and Jesús Sánchez haven’t provided the same punch yet, but stay tuned.

The Astros will host the Mariners for three games from September 19 to 21, and those matchups could determine who wins the division. Houston may be doing it without star closer Josh Hader, who just hit the IL with a shoulder strain.

It’s worth noting that while the Rangers have fallen off the pace a bit, they’re only 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot. The division may be out of reach at 7.5 games off the pace, but given the team’s dominant starting staff led by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, Texas can’t be counted out.

4. NL Central

Raise your hand if you thought the Brewers would be the best team in baseball by mid-August. Anyone with their hand up needs to put it down. Somehow, that’s precisely what has happened.

Milwaukee has reeled off 12 consecutive wins and now has the best record in baseball by six games. The Brewers also boast the best run differential in the game at +159, 44 runs more than their nearest competition (more on that later). They lead the Padres by 7.5 for the best record in the National League, so they’ve all but sewn up the top seed at this point.

The Cubs picked the wrong season to go all-in because no matter how good they’ve been, Milwaukee has been that much better. Chicago is now eight games back of the Brewers in the NL Central despite boasting the second-best run differential in MLB at +115. The Northsiders own the top wild-card spot by 4.5 games over the Dodgers and look like a postseason lock. If the Cubs want to top Milwaukee, it’s looking like they’ll have to wait for the playoffs.

The Central’s playoff intrigue doesn’t end with the top two. The Reds are still in the postseason hunt thanks to the Mets’ big-time collapse. Cincinnati is a half-game behind New York for the final wild-card spot, and Fangraphs gives them a 20% chance to make the playoffs. That’s not insignificant. The addition of Miguel Andujar at the trade deadline has been tremendous. In 10 games, the 30-year-old has three home runs, is slugging .778 and has an OPS of 1.247. The Reds are having a fantastic season and, like the Brewers, no one saw this coming. They could be dangerous down the stretch.

5. NL East

The slumping Mets have allowed the Phillies to build a five-game lead in the NL East as we enter the weekend. It’s unlikely Philadelphia will surrender that advantage.

Though the Nationals just swept them, no one should be worrying about the Phillies. They boast a dominant starting rotation with two Cy Young contenders in Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler, plus Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo and a now-healthy Aaron Nola. Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber is having a career year to pace an offense that has even more juice than it has shown. Philly addressed its bullpen woes at the trade deadline and looks like a far more complete team than we saw a few weeks ago.

The Mets, well … the Mets have had a rough go of it. They have lost 13 of their past 15 games, and the offense has gone in the tank. Francisco Lindor has been emblematic of the team’s struggles, as he’s hitting .181 with a .538 OPS over the past 25 games. New York is now barely hanging on to the final wild-card spot, opening the weekend a half-game ahead of the Reds.

The Mets host the Phillies for three games starting on Aug. 25, then travel to Philadelphia for four beginning on Sept. 8. Just before that, they go to Cincinnati to face the Reds. There are plenty of opportunities for Juan Soto & Co. to make up ground, but they need to get it together.

If the Mets bounce back, this could get interesting down the stretch. As of now, expect to watch them battle for a wild-card spot while the Phillies roll to their second consecutive division title.

6. AL Central

The Tigers have had a stranglehold on the AL Central for months, though their grip has loosened recently. Detroit led the division by 14 games on July 7, and Cleveland was in fourth, 15.5 games back. Now, the Guardians sit 6.5 games back and are closing hard.

It’s unlikely the Tigers will give up the lead, but things could get dicey if they don’t find more consistency. Detroit hosts Cleveland from Sept. 16 to 18, and goes to Progressive Field for three games starting on Sept. 23. So six of the season’s final 12 games will see the division’s top two teams facing off.

If you want intrigue, tune in to watch Tarik Skubal do Tarik Skubal things. He’s baseball’s best pitcher by a solid stretch right now, and he's leading the Tigers from the front. Detroit's offense is also excellent, ranking eighth in MLB with 588 runs scored and an OPS of .737. Despite that, the Tigers haven't locked this thing up quite yet.

As for the Guardians, their late-season magic is more than improbable. A few weeks ago, they were looking to sell at the deadline and even traded franchise mainstay Shane Bieber. On top of that, they had their All-Star closer and a starting pitcher put on leave amid a gambling investigation, and they only have two hitters in the lineup with a WAR higher than 1.6. Your guess for their success is as good as mine.

Cleveland is a half-game behind the Yankees for the American League’s final wild card slot, and it would be foolish to count them out at this point.

The England quick bowled two four-over spells before leaving the field at Lilac Hill

Tristan Lavalette13-Nov-2025

Mark Wood in his delivery stride•Getty Images

England have received a major injury scare ahead of the Ashes after quick Mark Wood experienced stiffness in his left hamstring during their only warm-up match in Perth.Wood had bowled two four-over spells against the Lions at Lilac Hill in his first competitive match in nine months since surgery on his left knee. He left the field after his second four-over spell midway through the second session.Related

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“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” an ECB statement said. “He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow.”He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”England have taken a cautious approach with Wood’s rehabilitation from the knee injury that he sustained at the Champions Trophy in February. He had initially hoped to feature in the final Test of their summer series against India, but a setback in training ended up ruling him out of the entire home season.Wood had bowled several lively deliveries on a relatively sedate surface, conditions far different to what is expected in the first Test at Optus Stadium. He is part of an all-out England pace attack against the Lions, with offspinner Shoaib Bashir not selected in the main XI.”That’s not ideal, but that’s part of being an extremely fast bowler,” Harry Brook said after the day’s play. “I haven’t seen him yet and spoken to him, so I don’t know his current situation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”There was further frustration for England’s pace attack with Brydon Carse unavailable on the first day of the warm-up match due to illness, prompting him to stay at the team’s hotel.Captain Ben Stokes had been the standout bowler, with four of the five wickets to fall before tea in an encouraging return in his first match since late July.The development comes just a day after Australia quick Josh Hazlewood was cleared of a hamstring injury. But fellow Ashes Test squad member Sean Abbott was withdrawn from the squad after scans on his left hamstring confirmed a moderate grade strain.

SA’s spin trio of Muthusamy, Harmer and Subrayen took 4 for 248 on a Lahore pitch already showing signs of turn

Firdose Moonda12-Oct-2025A 161-run second-wicket stand between Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood, and an undefeated 114-run sixth-wicket partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha bookended a strong opening day for Pakistan against South Africa, the World Test Champions. All four of Imam, Masood, Rizwan and Agha recorded fifties, with Imam falling seven short of what would have been a fourth Test hundred.On a Lahore surface that showed signs of deterioration as early as the third session of the opening day, first-innings runs are considered crucial, and South Africa will be concerned by how many they conceded. Though they took three wickets for no run either side of the tea interval as Pakistan went from 199 for 2 to 199 for 5, South Africa could neither contain Pakistan for any length of time nor close things out. They also put down four catches which changed the complexion of the day.Knowing conditions would be challenging and unfamiliar, South Africa opted for three spinners and two seamers in their bowling attack but it lacked international experience. Between them, the spin trio of Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen have played just 16 Tests, but they have 422 first-class wickets, and were made to do the bulk of the work. They combined to bowl 74 overs, and took 4 for 248; enough of their deliveries gripped and turned to suggest batting will become difficult later on.After choosing to bat, Pakistan were rocked immediately when Kagiso Rabada’s third delivery beat Abdullah Shafique’s inside edge and hit him on the back pad. Stand-in captain Aiden Markram reviewed successfully to hand the visitors their first wicket. South Africa had barely finished celebrating when Masood hit Rabada for back-to-back boundaries. Wiaan Mulder bowled just two overs before South Africa turned to spin, and Pakistan’s plan was clear. Masood hit Subrayen over his head for six to assert himself immediately.Senuran Muthusamy struck back-to-back just before tea•Getty ImagesImam had latched on to anything too full or wide early on, used his wrists well, and played the ball late to become the dominant partner in his stand with Masood. He reached fifty off 65 balls and blunted the spin threat, especially as Harmer found turn and bounce, while also surviving a pre-lunch lbw appeal in Rabada’s second spell. Markram had reviewed again, but the impact was outside the line. Pakistan went to the break on 107 for 1.Masood’s half-century came after lunch when he drove Harmer through mid-on, and though he was untroubled to that point, South Africa started to create chances. Masood was on 61 when Subrayen drew him forward and he inside-edged the ball on to his pad. It popped up for Tony de Zorzi at short leg, who went one-handed to his left and could not hold on. In Subrayen’s next over, Imam charged down the track and hit him aerially to mid-off, where Mulder moved to his left first and then had to readjust to his right but spilled the chance.Subrayen was eventually rewarded, four overs later, when he beat Masood’s inside edge with a ball that didn’t turn and had him out lbw.The Pakistan captain left to huge cheers. None of it was for his 76 though. The home crowd was celebrating the arrival of Babar Azam to the crease. But they were soon stunned into silence when Babar was given out caught behind to Muthusamy, who turned the ball just past his outside edge. Babar reviewed immediately, and with no spikes on UltraEdge, the decision had to be overturned. Babar went on to inside edge Muthusamy past Kyle Verreynne for his first runs, but then found his touch with back-to-back boundaries through midwicket. He raced to 21 off his first 22 balls.But South Africa were able to pull him back and then strike twice to end the middle session on a high. Imam inside-edged Muthusamy to de Zorzi at short leg. Saud Shakeel gave South Africa a bonus wicket when he popped a leading edge back to the bowler and leave Muthusamy on a hat-trick at the break. He didn’t complete it, but South Africa picked up a third wicket 14 balls after tea, when Harmer pinned Babar on the pad, Markram reviewed, and ball-tracking showed it would have gone to hit leg stump.Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha walked back after an unbeaten 114-run stand•AFP/Getty ImagesHarmer had a strong appeal for lbw against Rizwan later in the over as the ball ripped and spun in sharply, but the impact could have been outside the line. Rizwan counterattacked well, hit Muthusamy for six over long-on, and Harmer for fours through midwicket and cover. Agha seemed happy to hold his end, and was on 8 off 13 balls when he reverse-swept Harmer and the ball ended up in Verreynne’s hands, deflected in off his boots. The umpires checked for a catch, but one angle showed it had bounced off the bat and on to the turf before it made contact with Verreynne.The chances kept coming as Rizwan, on 26, edged Muthusamy to Markram at slip. But Markram wasn’t sure whether he had taken a clean catch, and replays showed the ball died on him and bounced in front. Then, Rizwan was on 28 when he was given out lbw to Subrayen but a review showed it was missing leg stump.Rizwan kept accumulating as South Africa wound down to the second new ball, and Markram gave himself an over before it arrived. He thought he had Rizwan, on 47, caught at leg slip but the ball had come off the batter’s arm.Rizwan’s fifty came off the first delivery with the second new ball, which Rabada shared with Muthusamy. The new ball almost brought a breakthrough when Agha edged Muthusamy, but Verreynne initially going for the chance may have distracted Markarm at slip, who put down a simple chance.South Africa’s day got longer when Rizwan swept Harmer powerfully to short leg, but the ball was hit so hard that it did some damage to de Zorzi’s hand as he tried to hold onto the catch. Agha’s fifty came just after that, and he took Pakistan to the close with plenty to be pleased about.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was pictured holding up a shirt with Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell little more than a month ago, and now he is the only one of those three men remaining at Ibrox.

The Light Blues announced on Monday that they have parted ways with their sporting director and CEO after the club’s dismal start to the season, and the failure of Russell Martin’s appointment.

Despite coming in after Martin won five of his 17 matches in all competitions, Rohl has won all four of his Scottish Premiership matches in the dugout so far, which is no mean feat.

The Gers had only won one league game before the German’s arrival at Ibrox, and goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande against Livingston claimed a fourth straight victory for Rohl on Saturday.

Despite those four wins in four games for the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, there is still plenty of work for the tactician to do to make sure that the Light Blues are competing for silverware moving forward.

For example, summer signing Oliver Antman failed to deliver once again in the win over Livingston and should be dropped from the starting line-up.

Why Danny Rohl must drop Oliver Antman for Rangers

Thelwell swooped to sign the Finland international for a fee of up to £4m from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer in an attempt to bolster Martin’s options on the flanks.

Unfortunately, the 24-year-old flanker has failed to deliver much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch since his move to Ibrox in the summer, with no goals and three assists in 18 matches, per Transfermarkt.

In fact, Antman has no goals and one assist in 17 games since his two assists on his debut against Viktoria Plzen, which illustrates just how much he has struggled in front of goal in recent weeks and months.

The Finnish forward, as shown in the graphic above, scored for his country during the recent international break, to go along with an assist, which means that he has been more productive for his national side than for Rangers this season.

Rohl provided the former Eredivisie star with a chance to shine from the start on the right wing against Livingston on Saturday, possibly due to his international form, but he did not reward the manager with a strong performance to justify his inclusion.

Vs Livingston

Oliver Antman

Minutes

64

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Crosses completed

0/3

Dribbles completed

3/7

Duels won

5/13

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Antman made little impact at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues, whilst he was also dominated by the Livingston defenders in physical contests.

With games against Braga in the Europa League and Falkirk in the Premiership coming up this week, Rohl must ruthlessly ditch the Finland international from the starting line-up to provide other players with an opportunity to impress.

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Antman has simply not done enough in the final third to suggest that he deserves a continued run of games in the team, as he has gone seven matches without a goal contribution in all competitions for the Gers.

With this in mind, the German head coach should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami from the start against Falkirk at the weekend, whilst he is unable to feature against Braga because Martin did not add him to the Europa League squad list.

Why Danny Rohl should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami for Rangers

Former sporting director Thelwell attempted to bolster the club’s options at the top end of the pitch with the signings of Djeidi Gassama, Thelo Aasgaard, Antman, Youssef Chermiti, Mikey Moore, and Bojan Miovski in the summer.

This shows that he attempted to replace Bajrami, who played in the attacking midfield and wide areas for Philippe Clement, as four of those players play in the Albania international’s main positions.

Per Transfermarkt, the £3.5m signing from Sassuolo has only played 196 minutes in all competitions. 24 players have played more minutes for the club, including players like Jeft and Cyriel Dessers, who left in the summer.

Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, which now perfectly sums up his situation at Ibrox this season, as he has been so rarely used.

Now, though, Rohl should unleash the Albanian flop from the start in the Premiership because he has the potential to be an upgrade on Antman at the top end of the pitch, based on his form at times for Clement last season.

Whilst it would be disingenuous to suggest that Bajrami had an amazing debut campaign with Rangers, there were some promising signs in his performances domestically and in Europe that suggest that he has more to offer to the team.

Bajrami – 24/25

Premiership

Europa League

Starts

15

8

Goals

2

1

Big chances missed

2

0

Key passes per game

1.0

1.3

Big chances created

4

6

Assists

1

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the versatile attacker was not fairly rewarded for his creativity in the 2024/25 campaign, as his teammates only scored one of the ten ‘big chances’ that he created.

This season, Antman has only created two ‘big chances’ and delivered one assist in 12 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League combined, per Sofascore, which suggests that Bajrami could provide more creativity than the Finnish flop.

Thelwell attempted to replace the former Serie B playmaker in the summer with a host of new signings, but these statistics suggest that the former Rangers chief failed to do so successfully.

This is why Rohl should ditch Antman to unleash Bajrami, who could offer more quality in the final third, when the Gers face Falkirk in the Premiership on Sunday, to see if he can ignite his Ibrox career under the German boss.

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West Ham United have a proud history of developing and promoting some brilliant youngsters from their academy system.

The most recent one to really make his mark on the team and then be sold on for a massive fee was Declan Rice.

Freddie Potts looks like he could be the Hammers’ next homegrown superstar after his sensational Premier League displays before the international break.

However, while the club try their best to keep hold of their most promising talents, they aren’t always able to, and one youngster they may rue losing more than any other looks like he could be a bigger prospect than Potts and a future England star.

West Ham's next academy star

While Potts is the current academy product getting the attention and adulation from fans and pundits alike – justifiably so – he could soon be joined in the first team by another of Rush Green’s best: George Earthy.

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Now, the 21-year-old has made four appearances for the first team and even scored a brilliant goal against Luton Town in the Premier League a couple of years ago, but due to loan moves and injury, those four appearances have amounted to only 36 minutes.

In other words, most fans aren’t really thinking about the youngster, and those that occasionally do aren’t sure what sort of player they’ll be getting when he returns from his hamstring injury.

Well, firstly, even though his primary position is attacking midfield, the Havering-born gem has and can play in several positions across the pitch.

Second, he’s as comfortable scoring goals as he is providing assists, and has a seriously impressive record from his time in the academy.

For example, in 60 appearances for the u18s, totalling 4804 minutes, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.

Appearances

60

55

Minutes

4804′

3618′

Goals

25

18

Assists

18

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

111.72′

113.06′

Then, during his time with the u21s, he scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3618 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 113.06 minutes.

Finally, while he’s not played much for the Hammers, he has gained a decent amount of first-team experience from his time on loan with Bristol City last season, where he was named Young Player of the Season.

In all, so long as he can remain fit, West Ham have another superb homegrown talent on their hands in Earthy, which should help make up for them losing another, arguably more promising talent last year.

The Academy gem West Ham will rue losing

One of the most exciting talents to come through West Ham’s academy in the last five years or so was undoubtedly Divin Mubama.

During his time in West London, the Englishman was utterly unstoppable for the junior sides, racking up a staggering tally of 40 goals and five assists for the u18s and then 18 goals and two assists for the u21s.

This brilliant output saw him get a chance with the first team, and over the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons, he made 18 senior appearances, totalling 431 minutes.

West Ham

18

1

1

WH U21s

34

18

2

WH U18s

57

40

5

Man City

2

1

0

Man City U21s

9

8

4

Stoke City

15

5

1

However, in August 2024, then Premier League champions Manchester City came knocking, and despite their best efforts to keep him, Julen Lopetegui and Co had to make do with a measly £1.2m as he joined the Citizens.

To nobody’s surprise, the goalscoring machine continued his fine form in the North West, and ended the 24/25 campaign with 16 goals and four assists in 14 appearances for City’s u21s.

Moreover, Pep Guardiola gave him two run-outsrun-outs in the first team, and on his debut in an FA Cup game against Salford, he scored his first senior goal for the club.

Coming into this season, it was crystal clear that the 21-year-old is too good to play in the youth sides, and so he was sent out on loan to Stoke City in the Championship, where he has done a reasonable enough job.

For example, even though it’s his first season of regular first-team football, the “powerful” strike, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored five goals and provided one assist in 15 appearances.

In addition to making his way in the club game, the Newham-born monster has also been in incredible form for England’s u21s.

In five caps, the game-changing marksman has already scored five goals and provided one assist.

Ultimately, it’s not West Ham’s fault, but if Mubama continues to develop in the way he has over the last year or so, they could really come to rue losing him.

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