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In the World Cup opener, England’s uncharacteristic batting innings was characterised by tentative shots more than full-blooded ones

Matt Roller06-Oct-2023As England’s players picked the bones out of the thrashing by New Zealand in their World Cup opener, Joe Root made a telling prediction. “I don’t think we’ll see guys getting caught mid-off or long-off check-driving anymore,” Root told the BBC. “They’ll be hitting it 20 rows back.”Root’s 77 was England’s top score and represented a welcome return to form for him after a quiet series against New Zealand last month. He was at the non-striker’s end for five of his team-mates’ dismissals and appeared to sense a pattern: with the exception of Harry Brook, England’s batters were not dismissed while trying to hit sixes.Take Jonny Bairstow. He fell looking to loft Mitchell Santner inside-out over extra cover, but with the ball angling straight in from around the wicket, rather than turning away, it hit the inner half of his bat and looped harmlessly towards wide long-off, where Daryl Mitchell took a good running catch to his left.Related

• Wood: 'A great trait of the group is resilience'

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• Ravindra comes of age with an innings for the dreamers

• Conway and Ravindra record NZ's highest WC partnership

• Buttler says England 'well below par', Root warns against panic

At the death, with England looking to accelerate, Liam Livingstone had faced four consecutive dot balls from Trent Boult when he shaped to work a knuckleball away into the gap between midwicket and long-on. Instead, his leading edge hung in the air, giving Matt Henry time to run in off the boundary to settle underneath it.Brook’s downfall came about in a fashion that would infuriate many, caught in the deep trying to hit a fourth consecutive boundary off Rachin Ravindra during an over of drag-downs. So did Moeen Ali’s, playing across the line to Glenn Phillips. While Root himself was yorked while attempting to reverse-sweep the same bowler.But England’s uncharacteristic batting innings, scraping to 282 for 9 thanks to a 30-run last-wicket stand, was characterised by tentative shots more than full-blooded ones. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, New Zealand attacked 28% of the balls they faced; England only 17%.Even Jos Buttler fell tamely. He made a clear attempt to target New Zealand’s change bowlers, hitting James Neesham and Ravindra for straight sixes. But when Henry returned, he pushed at a ball that shaped back in – “wobble-seam, trying to use the crease,” Henry explained – and was caught behind. He immediately threw his head back in frustration.England clearly tried to target New Zealand’s allrounders. With Lockie Ferguson (back) and Tim Southee (thumb) unavailable, and Ish Sodhi left out, Tom Latham had to rely on 20 overs split between Neesham, Ravindra and Phillips, who returned combined figures of 3 for 149.

“We’re not robots: sometimes you don’t play as well as you’d like. We’ll be better for the next one”Jos Buttler

But perhaps England were too deferential against New Zealand’s three main bowlers in Boult, Henry and Santner. Their combined figures were 6 for 133 in 30; Devon Conway and Ravindra showed no such caution against England’s frontline bowlers, taking down Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood.Eoin Morgan, Buttler’s predecessor, was scathing in his assessment of England’s intent at the break, suggesting that they had let slip an opportunity to apply pressure after hitting Boult’s first over for 12. “You’d say that England didn’t throw many punches,” he said on Sky Sports. “They didn’t go hard enough.”After the game, he added, “They were so far off the mark. If you listened to Jos Buttler throughout the back-end of our summer, he continued to reiterate the message that you have to be more aggressive, to be brave… You have to be able to compete to say you were outplayed; for a lot of the game this evening, England didn’t compete.”1:45

Did England miss Ben Stokes?

Root expects England to be jolted into gear by their defeat. “It reinforces what we are about as a team,” he said. “We can remember how good we are, remember how intimidating we are as a batting group and double-down on it, really put sides under pressure and get those massive scores that blow teams away.”England do not need to panic. Six wins from their next eight games is almost certain to get them through to the semi-finals, and even five could be enough. “It’s one loss at the start of a very long tournament,” Buttler said. “We’re not robots: sometimes you don’t play as well as you’d like. We’ll be better for the next one.”They flew to Dharamsala on Friday ahead of their next fixture against Bangladesh on Tuesday where conditions will be very different. The weather will be cooler, the ball will travel at altitude, and a 10.30am start should ensure more uniformity across 100 overs than on Thursday, when the ball came on to the bat much better under lights.But Buttler will be frustrated that after seeming to rediscover their groove and tempo in this format last month, his batters did not exert sustained pressure on New Zealand’s bowlers. If anything, New Zealand batted more like England than England did themselves.

What is it about India that always gets James Anderson on edge?

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2021James Anderson has more Test wickets against India than any other team. He has won two Man-of-the-Series awards against India at home and even has a Player-of-the-Match award in India, for the Nagpur Test in 2012. In fact, during that tour, MS Dhoni said Anderson was the difference between the two sides after England won the series 2-1. But behind all the wickets, Anderson also has a history of getting into verbal duels with India’s players, and the tension resurfaced at Lord’s in 2021.James Anderson was accused of shoving Ravindra Jadeja during India’s 2014 tour of England•Getty ImagesThe Jadeja tunnel incident, Trent Bridge, 2014
On the second day of the Trent Bridge Test in 2014, Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja had an altercation in the corridor on the way to the dressing rooms as they left the field for lunch. The Indian team management alleged Anderson had verbally abused and then pushed Jadeja. They made a complaint to the ICC, and Anderson was charged under Level 3 of the Code of Conduct, which meant that had he been found guilty, he would have been suspended for at least two Tests. England made a counter claim that it was Jadeja who had turned aggressively towards Anderson in the corridor and Anderson had only pushed him in self-defence.The incident caused a rift between the two teams, with India insisting Anderson needed to be punished for the offence while Alastair Cook, then England captain, said it was nothing more than a tactic from the visitors to unsettle his best bowler and try to get him suspended.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the absence of video evidence of the incident, it was one team’s word against the other’s, and the ICC found Jadeja guilty of a Level 1 offence and fined him 50% of his match fees, something Dhoni was not at all pleased with.There was further shock and dismay for India after Anderson was found not guilty, with Dhoni maintaining that he had witnessed Anderson abusing and pushing Jadeja and had no regrets about reporting it to the ICC. Eventually, Jadeja’s guilty verdict was repealed after India appealed it, but the incident was being talked about as late as September, when Anderson told Sky Sports that it was one of the most stressful periods of his career.ESPNcricinfo LtdDon’t talk about our captain, Mumbai, 2016
Anderson had dismissed Virat Kohli four times in eight innings when India toured England in 2014. By 2016, when England toured India, Kohli was captain. He had a mammoth series, scoring a century and a fifty in Visakhapatnam and another fifty in Mohali before a double-ton in Mumbai. With England on the brink of going 0-3 down, Anderson, who had not been able to dismiss Kohli in the series, was asked whether he thought Kohli had improved since 2014. He was reserved in his praise, saying that while Kohli was a good player, home pitches hid his flaws.ESPNcricinfo LtdR Ashwin thought Anderson was not being a gracious loser and decided to tell him so on the fifth day of the Mumbai Test, walking right up to Anderson when he came to the crease. Kohli had to step in to hold his offspinner back and while he found the exchange amusing, his opposite number, Cook, said it was a bit of a “sour end” to the match.1:28

Cook and Kohli on the Ashwin-Anderson chatter

Did you just bounce me? Lord’s, 2021
On the third evening of the 2021 Lord’s Test, with England nine down after having snatched a small lead, Jasprit Bumrah attacked Anderson’s body with the short ball, pinging him on the helmet once and on the gloves and arms a couple more times. Anderson seemed to take exception to the tactic and had words with Bumrah at the close of play. The tense atmosphere continued into the next day, when Anderson had words with Kohli while bowling to him, and on the last day, when England returned the favour, bowling short balls to Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Bumrah was antagonised by something in the morning session, and it led to a lot of verbals during England’s innings, with Kohli the main protagonist.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile the details of what was said to Bumrah and Shami are unknown, the stump microphone did pick up some unpleasant language from Kohli towards England’s batters on the fifth evening. After the game, Kohli made a point of mentioning that the verbals directed at Bumrah and Shami in the morning session gave his side extra motivation when they came out to bowl.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A hugely influential Aston Villa player is now believed to be close to signing a new contract at the club, in a significant new development.

Aston Villa fans banned from European game

The Villans return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Tottenham for a tough game, but a key update has emerged regarding the Europa League.

On Thursday, Villa’s official website released a statement confirming that supporters won’t be able to go to the home clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv next month, due to safety reasons.

“Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group.The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.

“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture. West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Away from safety issues and on-pitch matters, a huge update has now dropped regarding the future of one of the most popular players at Villa.

Aston Villa hero close to signing new contract

According to The Telegraph‘s John Percy, John McGinn is now “close” to signing a new deal at Aston Villa, also describing him as “one of the bargains of the decade” on X.

The 30-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of this season, but it looks as though his stay at Villa Park will now continue beyond 2026.

This has to be considered great news, considering the leadership, experience and quality that McGinn has flowing through him at this point in his career.

Granted, he may not be at the absolute peak of his powers now, which is no great shock at his age, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t still have a huge amount to offer.

McGinn has been a magnificent signing since arriving for only £2.5m from Hibernian in 2018, and as Percy alludes to, he has been an unbelievable bargain, and there is still plenty more to come.

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If the midfielder can help Villa win a trophy or two before his time at the club is up, he has every chance of departing as a genuine legend in the future.

Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League this week with an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday night, in a game that was underpinned by Daniel Farke’s structural changes.

The German head coach, who has typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation during his time at the club, opted to start with a 3-5-2 system against Enzo Maresca’s team.

It worked wonders for the Whites as they went on to claim all three points, thanks to goals from Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Why Leeds United's formation change worked so well

Changing from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 worked so well for the Whites because it allowed Jayden Bogle, who assisted the second goal, and Gabriel Gudmundsson to push higher up the pitch with three centre-backs providing enough cover defensively.

It also meant that the Whites could play with two strikers, instead of leaving one isolated on their own, and that led to Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha causing plenty of problems.

The two centre-forwards combined to win 13 duels against the Chelsea defenders and won four fouls, without committing any, per Sofascore, which shows that they were a nightmare to deal with throughout the game.

Nmecha, in particular, has benefitted from having Calvert-Lewin’s physicality alongside him. The German forward, who has scored four Premier League goals, has lost 69% of his ground duels this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggles with the physical side of leading the line on his own.

Having another, more physical, striker alongside him means that he can focus on making runs in behind and pressing opposition defenders, which is what makes it such an effective pairing, or at least what made it so effective against Chelsea.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Whilst Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin got the job done on Wednesday, Harry Gray could be perfect for the new role that Nmecha is now playing for Leeds.

Why Harry Gray should be unleashed in Lukas Nmecha's new role

Bringing young players into the first-team is difficult in any circumstance, but even more so in the Premier League with all that is at stake in a relegation battle.

Academy talents are not used to the physicality of professional football and may need time to adapt, particularly strikers, which is why this new role that Nmecha has could be perfect for Gray.

Farke must finally unleash the 17-year-old centre-forward for his Premier League debut in the coming weeks because playing alongside an experienced striker like Calvert-Lewin could be an ideal introduction to regular football at senior level.

Gray, who was described as the club’s “newest Wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his contributor Joe Blackburn, has scored a whopping ten goals in 11 games in all competitions for the academy this season, per Transfermarkt.

As you can see in the table above, the teenage forward has scored two goals in three EFL Trophy games, playing against League One and League Two sides, but has struggled with the aerial duels in those games.

This suggests that he would not be well-suited to playing as a lone striker in the Premier League for Leeds, as he would need to duel with towering top-flight centre-backs and hold the ball up under intense pressure, which is also where Nmecha struggled earlier this season.

Therefore, playing alongside Calvert-Lewin, who won six of his nine aerial duels against Chelsea (Sofascore), could be the perfect way for him to be introduced into the first-team this season.

Gray’s return of 14 goals in 20 U21s games and eight goals in 11 U18s matches for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, shows that he has the technical and goalscoring qualities to potentially make an impact for the Whites, but it is the physicality that is questionable.

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This change in formation from Farke, though, may alleviate those concerns because of how the two-striker system works, and that is why the manager should unleash the teen sensation in Nmecha’s role in the coming weeks.

West Ham United have now submitted an offer of around £20m for a “natural goalscorer”, with Nuno personally a big fan.

West Ham targeting new striker with Fullkrug heading for exit

It has recently been revealed that Niclas Fullkrug is heading for the exit door this winter, having struggled to find the back of the net consistently since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, scoring just three goals in 28 appearances for West Ham.

Callum Wilson has been the man leading the line as of late, and the Englishman has impressed, bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, but there are also question marks over his long-term future at the London Stadium.

Given that Wilson is set to turn 34 in February, and his contract expires at the end of the season, it would be a shrewd move to bring in a younger striker, and the Hammers are desperate to sign at least one new centre-forward in the upcoming window.

That is according to a report from Hammers News, which states West Ham have failed with an opening bid of £20m for Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo, with the Saudi Pro League side adamant they won’t sanction a departure.

However, the Irons may return to the negotiating table with another offer, such is their determination to get a deal done, with Nuno personally a big fan of the Brazilian, who was linked with a move to Nottingham Forest during the manager’s time in charge there.

Nuno has made bringing in a new striker the number one priority for the January transfer window, and if the Hammers were able to get a deal for the 22-year-old done, they would be signing a player in red-hot form.

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"Natural goalscorer" Leonardo on fire in Saudi Arabia

Indeed, the Al-Hilal star has been fantastic since the Club World Cup in the summer, scoring four goals in five matches in the new-look competition, and he has since impressed considerably domestically too.

The former Santos man also earned high praise from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of very impressive attacking numbers during his time in Brazil.

With Fullkrug heading for the exit door, West Ham undoubtedly need to bring in a new striker this winter, and Leonardo could be capable of leading the line for Nuno’s side for years to come.

Manchester United find themselves building something worthwhile under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to outstrip their rivals to sign Leicester City sensation Jeremy Monga.

While having to settle for a draw at the City Ground last Saturday may have been a frustrating outcome, there were plenty of positives on show as the Red Devils came from a goal down to claim a point at Nottingham Forest.

Four Premier League matches unbeaten may not have the same ring to it as five wins in a row. However, there is undeniable progress being made at Old Trafford, and Amorim’s side are starting to find consistency in time for the festive run of fixtures.

Still, the former Sporting boss is keen to seek more improvement, pointing out that his side suffered from lapses of concentration that ended their hopes of another victory on the road.

He said on Match of the Day: “If I think about game, we lost control for five minutes. I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation, going from 1-0 up to 2-1 down, we would’ve struggled so much more than we did today.

“My feeling is that we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we are full of energy, we are the better team. My players are giving everything but we have the potential to do better and sometimes we have these moments.”

There is a feeling that the best is still to come under Amorim. His reign has taken time to get off the ground, but the January window and beyond offers another chance to shape his team with key reinforcements.

With that in mind, the Red Devils are feeling some optimism that they could beat bitter rivals Manchester City to sign a top talent.

Man Utd looking to beat Man City to sign Leicester City star Jeremy Monga

According to Football Insider, Man Utd hold optimism that they can sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, and they could land him for as little as £2 million due to the fact the 16-year-old isn’t yet eligible to pen a professional deal at the Foxes until he turns 17.

Coming under the bracket of nominal compensation, the Red Devils’ target has registered a solitary strike and an assist in 12 appearances this campaign, breaking Jude Bellingham’s record as the Championship’s youngest ever goalscorer against Preston North End.

Compared to Ousmane Dembele by Ben Mattinson, he came close to joining Manchester City and Liverpool earlier in the year, and the Red Devils see Monga as the next in a line of poaching elite talent from other clubs following their additions of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin.

Manchester United are keen to back Amorim over the coming years, and securing prodigious stars who can potentially go on to become worth millions is an effective way of breeding squad improvement, factoring in financial limitations.

Man Utd are also preparing a big-money bid for a star from South America

That process will take time and effort, granted, though profiling players like Monga is the way to go if the Red Devils have designs on eventually rejoining the Premier League elite.

Eni Aluko has spoken out in support of Mary Earps after seeing the former England goalkeeper attract criticism for some of the comments made in her new book. Hannah Hampton, who helped the Lionesses to Euro 2025 glory, was among those to feature in Earps’ tales. Aluko claims the legendary shot-stopper has every right to share her side of a professional story and should not be “demonised” for doing so.

Earps' new book: How Lionesses legend caused controversy

Questions have been asked about why Earps, who announced her international retirement prior to the latest European Championship, felt the need to deliver a tell-all autobiography while still being a player herself. Many in that position wait until retirement before putting their story down on paper.

Two-time Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Earps claims in her publication – All In: Football, Life and Learning to be Unapologetically Me – that England boss Sarina Wiegman could be considered to have been “rewarding bad behaviour” when recalling Hampton, who had previously been dropped, to the Lionesses camp. Hampton went on to become a penalty shootout hero at the Euros.

Earps also accused Wiegman of displaying a “clear lack of care for me and my welfare” prior to losing her No.1 spot, with bridges seemingly being burned by a 32-year-old shot-stopper who has never been afraid to speak her mind.

AdvertisementGetty Images/GOALAluko defends Earps from 'mob culture' criticism

Ex-Lionesses star Aluko has told of Earps’ decision to go public at this stage of her career: “I do have some empathy for Mary because I have been in that situation before, where you come out and you say: ‘I didn’t like what happened there in this England environment’. And when you do that, sometimes you get demonised just for giving your perspective and saying I think that’s wrong.

“So Mary has written a book, she has given her perspective, and she is entitled to that perspective. I don’t really like this sense of sort of mob culture where you try to silence someone for just giving their perspective.

“I think the problem is that Hannah Hampton was absolutely brilliant in the summer. Sarina Wiegman, I’m a huge fan – she is one of, if not the best coach we have ever seen in England. I think the timing is the problem for Mary and maybe that is where she has been ill advised. A book is something that is evergreen and I’m not sure he had to come out now. But I do sympathise with Mary because I don’t want her to feel like there is a mob of people attacking her, because I have been there and it’s not nice.”

Bronze leaps to the defence of former team-mate

Earps’ former team-mate, Lucy Bronze, is another to have defended the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year from the criticism that has come her way on the back of releasing an explosive book.

The experienced Chelsea defender, who is a close friend of Earps, has told : “Female players are constantly under a magnifying glass. In a football team you have a group of 20-30 players – there’s no way everyone will think the same things. There are different personalities – and there is high pressure.

“Men are solely judged on their ability and their lifestyle to a certain extent, but only if it's a huge headline. Generally, for most of the popular female footballers, there’s a constant lens on what we’re doing – on and off the pitch.”

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Getty/GOALNo apologies: Earps has never been afraid to speak her mind

Earps has made no apologies for her statements and hopes that she can “draw a line” under any supposed tension with Wiegman at some point in the near future – with talks between the pair being planned.

She acknowledges that there will always be differences in opinion when it comes to elite sport, especially when it comes to those filling playing and coaching posts, and will happily explain herself to anyone that wants to ask questions – with Earps, who won Euro 2022 and finished on 53 caps for her country, currently plying her club trade in France for Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea have now opened talks to sign a “powerful” new forward who’s scored 15 goals this season, joining the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the race for his signature.

Blues open talks to sign new forward amid resurgent form

After a slow start to the campaign, there were a few questions asked about Enzo Maresca’s position as manager, but the Italian’s side have since returned to form, winning their last three matches on the spin in all competitions.

Most recently, the Blues picked up a 3-0 victory on the road against Nottingham Forest, which cost Ange Postecoglou his job, and Pedro Neto put in a very impressive display, chipping in with a goal and an assist, while also completing three dribbles.

Alejandro Garnacho’s performance, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as eye-catching, with the 21-year-old still yet to get off the mark in front of goal since arriving from Manchester United, and Jamie Gittens hasn’t exactly hit the ground running either.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is without a goal or an assist in his opening eight games this season, with the Englishman’s form likely to be a concern for Maresca.

That’s the risk clubs take when they decide to sign up-and-coming talents, rather than ready-made top players, and it is certainly a questionable approach from the west Londoners, who have the capabilities to attract some of the best wingers in the world.

However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have joined the race for a new youngster, having opened agent talks over a deal for Vasco da Gama starlet Rayan Vitor, who certainly isn’t short of potential suitors.

Barcelona, PSG, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are also named as interested parties, with the 19-year-old emerging as one of the best young talents to come out of Brazil in recent times, but a deal would be relatively expensive.

The teenager has a £35m release clause in his contract, although the Blues may be able to hash out a deal for closer to the £26m – £29m mark.

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"Powerful" Vitor could be a future star

Jamie Carragher has previously made it clear exactly what he thinks of Chelsea’s recruitment policy, saying: “The club hides behind a prolonged transitional period that keeps being extended, focusing on signing the same type of young players in every transfer window.”

In truth, the young Brazilian would probably fall into that category, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, having shown signs he could go on to become a future star.

The Vasco da Gama star has 15 goals to his name in 2025, and he has received plaudits from scout Ben Mattinson.

That said, having signed Garnacho, Gittens and Estevao in recent times, it would be a questionable decision to bring in yet another young winger, and signing a centre-back should be a priority, given that Maresca is light on options at the back.

After another disappointing start to the season, Manchester United and INEOS have reportedly joined the race against Atletico Madrid to sign a La Liga defender.

Ratcliffe reiterates patience in Amorim project

Despite failing to win back-to-back Premier League games once in almost 12 months and struggling to take the Red Devils into European football, Ruben Amorim still has the backing of INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The minority owner has reiterated the need for patience, drawing comparisons with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, who are now reaping the rewards for sticking with their man.

That suggests that even defeat against Sunderland would not have put Amorim’s job at risk and the former Sporting Club boss must now repay that faith.

The manager, himself, has remained just as stubborn in his decisions – refusing to change what many believe to be a broken system. He told reporters earlier this season: “So it’s not the system. It’s the small details, the way we play the game.

“And I understand what people think. ‘What would this team be in a different system?’ I don’t know. Maybe this team would win more games. But if we don’t change certain things, we are not going to win titles whether we change to 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.”

The task for INEOS in the face of Amorim’s stubborness is handing the United boss the reinforcements he needs to get his system going and that should make 2026 interesting. Reports are already suggesting that they could go for one La Liga star.

Man Utd join David Affengruber race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now battling Atletico Madrid to sign David Affengruber. The Elche centre-back has become an unexpected star in Spain’s top flight so far this season, helping his side rise to as high as seventh. Now, INEOS are reportedly fans of his ability and have eyed a 2026 move to secure his signature.

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The Man United owners could land a fairly cheap deal, too. Although Elche are set to demand over €25m (£22m) to sell their defender next year, their final price is unlikely to reach an absurd amount given their place in the football food chain.

League stats 25/26

David Affengruber

Matthijs de Ligt

Minutes

663

630

Progressive Passes

22

14

Ball Recoveries

49

23

Tackles Won

12

12

When compared to Matthijs de Ligt, Affengruber’s quality becomes even clearer. The 24-year-old has been excellent both in and out of possession this season and should represent a serious option for Man United if he continues his current form.

De Ligt, meanwhile, represents another big-money player who’s struggling to impress at Old Trafford and getting him back to his best form should be among Amorim’s top priorities.

Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has confirmed winger Daniel James’ ankle injury will rule him out for up to six weeks.

James, who has recently struggled with a core muscle injury which kept him out of last week’s home draw against Bournemouth, has turned an ankle in training and will be sidelined until November.

The Wales winger will miss Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Tottenham at Elland Road and both his country’s upcoming matches against England at Wembley and the World Cup qualifier against Belgium.

Farke said: “Daniel James will be out for a few weeks, he’s rolled his ankle sadly in training.

“The doctors say he’s likely out four to six weeks so realistically we expect him back just after the November international break.

“If he would be back before it would be a bonus and a surprise. It’s not great news.”

Gnonto and Gray could also miss Spurs

Farke, whose side currently sit 12th in the Premier League, also revealed Willy Gnonto has not yet recovered from a calf injury which has kept him out of the last two matches.

Teenager Harry Gray will also miss out against older brother Archie’s Tottenham after sustaining a hip flexor injury.

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On the plus side, goalkeeper Lucas Perri has returned to training following a thigh problem, although the Brazilian summer signing will not be included in Farke’s squad this weekend.

Tottenham made the long trip to the Arctic circle in the Champions League on Tuesday night, fighting back to draw 2-2 against Bodo/Glimt, but Farke does not think this will have a bearing on Saturday’s encounter at Elland Road.

The German added: “I don’t think so because nowadays you don’t travel with a bicycle or on a ship or a coach. They have their private jets, so it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable.

“It’s not like in my generation when the travel was horrendous. They have chefs around.

“But it could be tricky sometimes, say if it was a Wednesday night (match) and then early Saturday kick-off.

“From Tuesday, I wouldn’t expect anything (adverse) and I also expect he will bring some fresh legs on the pitch.”

Tottenham are fourth in the table having lost one of their eight league matches this season and head to Leeds after drawing their previous two, against Brighton and Wolves.