Overton top-scores with 74 before claiming 3-24 as visitors hold 165-run lead at close of second day
ECB Reporters Network07-May-2021A Craig Overton-inspired Somerset assumed full control against Hampshire as the visitors dominated the second day at the Ageas Bowl.Overton – the leading wicket-taker in the LV=County Championship – demonstrated his batting credentials by top-scoring with 74, then starred with the ball as his side opened up a 165-run lead, Hampshire closing on 92 for 3 in their second innings.Overton struck 10 fours on the way to his 13th first-class fifty, before he removed opener Ian Holland, Tom Alsop and nightwatchman Kyle Abbott during a hostile spell of bowling late in the final session.Alsop and Weatherley had dug in admirably in a 56-run stand before Alsop fell for 32 five overs from the close when he lobbed an easy catch to Josh Davey.Overton struck again in the penultimate over of the evening when he trapped Abbot lbw for a duck for his 30th wicket of the campaign.Weatherley was unbeaten on 31 alongside new batter Sam Northeast, with the pair to resume their innings at some stage on Saturday with heavy rain forecast in Southampton.Somerset started the day on 142 for 5 and added another 47 before skipper Tom Abell’s stubborn innings was ended on 62 by a ball that nipped back into the top of his off-stump from Abbott.Nightwatchman Jack Leach, dropped when on three in the final over of the first day, made the hosts pay for that mistake with an entertaining 34. But the England spinner perished after trying to lift Keith Barker over the slips cordon only to find the hands of Liam Dawson.Somerset’s deep batting line-up then proved its worth as 143 runs were put on for the last three wickets, spearheaded by Overton. He was ably supported by Steve Davies and Lewis Gregory, who each scored 33, as Somerset, who sit in second spot in Group Two, one place above Hampshire, built up a handsome 257-run lead after recovering from 36 for 3 to be 336 all out.Left-arm veteran Barker was the pick of the home bowlers finishing with 4 for 67 alongside South African quick Abbott who took three wickets.
England and India served up a treat at Lord’s, leaving the series delicately poised. Alan Gardner was joined by Sid Monga and Vish Ehantharajah to discuss what went down
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025England and India served up a Test match for the ages at Lord’s, one that was eventually won by 22 runs deep into the final day as the hosts took a 2-1 lead with two to play. With the dust still settling on the closest contest of the series, Alan Gardner was joined by Sidharth Monga and Vithushan Ehantharajah to pick through all the goodness – from honours board appearances for Joe Root, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, to Jofra Archer’s comeback, Ravindra Jadeja’s herocis, Ben Stokes’ juju and the welcome return of on-field needle as the tour reaches its pointy end.
Rawal, Harleen miss nailing down their spots as India build towards a home World Cup this September
Shashank Kishore24-Jul-2025Kranti Goud – the breakout starIt’s hard to believe now, but the 21-year-old seamer from Madhya Pradesh, Kranti Goud, wasn’t in contention for the national team even as recently as April 2025. She wasn’t part of the ODI squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka until an injury forced seam-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam out. Goud debuted in the final, where she ended with 0 for 22 in five overs.Then, when the preliminary squad for the England tour was selected, Goud’s name was missing from the original longlist of around 30, who were asked to submit their passports for the UK visa. But when she impressed at the specialised skills camp in Bengaluru, she was a belated addition.Related
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Harmanpreet ton, Goud six-for seal 2-1 series win for India
With Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu injured, Goud came into the ODI series in England knowing she would potentially have to tussle for one bowling spot with Arundhati Reddy, since India had made it clear they were going to go spin-heavy, with Amanjot Kaur the other seamer in the mix.On Tuesday in Chester-Le-Street, Goud became the youngest India player, at 21 years and 345 days, to take a five-for in a women’s ODI, surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s record. Goud’s nip-backers and the ability to hustle batters made her a challenge for England’s batters. Goud’s use of slower deliveries and yorkers – like the one she bowled to dismiss Lauren Filer first ball – with England’s lower order looking to jailbreak were equally impressive.Her match haul of 6 for 52, which included a sensational inswinger that cleaned up Tammy Beaumont in the first over, didn’t win her the Player-of-the-Match award. That her captain Harmanpreet Kaur dedicated her award to Goud, while handing over a signed match ball with her bowling figures jotted down on it, showed how special the performance was. In a video posted by BCCI, Harmanpreet said: “It’s a great achievement for a bowler. We’ve been dying for a fast bowler like you. Well done, Kranti, you deserve it.”Like her statemate Pooja Vastrakar, Goud has shown all the attributes to be categorised as “fast”. Her dismissal of Richa Ghosh at the senior women’s one-day final on December 30, 2024 – a game where she picked up four wickets in a match-winning spell – got her noticed. Then when she sent back Meg Lanning at the WPL, Goud truly marked her arrival on the big stage. Four months on, he might have won her ticket to the World Cup.Harleen Deol (and Pratika Rawal) didn’t have that one standout performance that would cement their places in the side•Getty ImagesRawal vs Deol: No clear winnerPratika Rawal’s solidity at the top of the order helped stitch opening stands of 48 and 64 in the first and third ODIs with Smriti Mandhana, but there was a sense that she missed out on both occasions. Rawal’s own scores in the series read: 36, 3 and 26. At a strike rate of nearly 70. Middling, not eye-catching. Rawal’s manner of run-accumulation – steady to start with and playing catch-up later on – worked against slightly weaker attacks like Ireland and West Indies. It didn’t in England.The pattern was somewhat similar with Harleen Deol, India’s No. 3, who made scores of 27, 16 and 45 at a strike rate of 66.16. Deol’s string of dots may have also led to Mandhana taking extra risks in the third ODI – she eventually perished in search of a boundary after making 45 in the series decider.There’s the obvious temptation to look at Shafali Verma, for her explosive style of play. While she hasn’t been in the ODI mix since October 2024, she is a part of the conversations. If the idea is to have one of Rawal or Deol bat at three, it’s likely they will trial there when India play Australia in three ODIs next month, their last set of games before the World Cup.However, if they are both going to hold on to their current spots, perhaps a conversation on their scoring rate needs to be had.Harmanpreet Kaur got to her century in just 82 balls in the final ODI•Getty ImagesHarmanpreet Kaur is back!All through the ODI series against Ireland, while the rest of the top order piled on the runs, Harmanpreet was out nursing a niggle. Prior to that, against West Indies, she made three quick starts, but couldn’t convert any of them. All told, she hadn’t hit an ODI half-century since October 2024, and had averaged 29 in 13 innings coming into the final ODI against England.On the surface, this wasn’t a real concern since the top order was delivering.But after scores of 17 and 7 in the first two ODIs, the captain needed to step up, and step up she did. Harmanpreet took till her 11th delivery to get off the mark, but looked mostly in control with her shot selection and timing. She even shelved the sweep until after she had passed fifty, and took the attack to the cleaners in typical style – tonking spin, hitting pace down the ground.Harmanpreet helped overcome the quick dismissal of the openers, steadied the innings with Jemimah Rodrigues, and made up for the middle-overs slowdown. Having underscored the importance of topping 300 in every innings, Harmanpreet had walked the talk in giving their four-pronged spin attack the cushion to choke England.”It was a very important match for us and I want to dedicate this to my dad, he has been waiting for this kind of knock,” she said after the game. “I was a little under pressure and wanted to do well for the team, and when you work hard the right time will come to deliver. Today was the right platform to deliver.”
Italian heavyweights AC Milan want to reward Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders' impressive performances with a wage increment and secure his future.
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Milan ready to double Reijnders' wagesDutchman impressive for Serie A giantsHas garnered interest from the Premier LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Since arriving at the club in 2023, Reijnders has established himself as one of the pillars of an AC Milan side in transition. To reward his performances and growing importance within the team, the Rossoneri are planning to offer him a contract renewal with a pay rise, according to Calciomercato.
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Reijnders further rubber-stamped his credentials as a man with growing reputation in Europe with an emphatic display in Milan's 3-1 drubbing of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu earlier this week.
His displays for Milan will only strengthen the interest he has attracted from Premier League outfits Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. The club, however, do not want to lose Reijnders, and as such are going to offer him a renewal which will see the Dutchman's wages double from €1.7 million to €3.5 million until 2030.
Frank Rijkaard, the Dutch legend who was part of one of the greatest Milan sides in history, has in particular lavished his fellow countryman with immense praise.
WHAT FRANK RIJKAARD SAID
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato), Rijkaard said: "I hope Reijnders becomes one of the best midfielders in the world, but I sincerely believe he is already on the right path. I really like the way he plays. As time goes by he is becoming more and more important for Milan.
"In the middle of the pitch he can cover all the roles and is showing his generosity; he never holds back a run for the team and always gives his all. With the quality he has, he is very good at creating dangerous moves for his teammates.
"His growth also in terms of goalscoring confirms that Reijnders is a key player for the team. Thanks to his progress, Milan is becoming stronger and stronger. I wish him that. The stronger the team becomes, the more chances he has to experience fantastic moments with Milan."
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?
Coming on the back of a potentially season-altering win over Real Madrid in the Champions League, Paulo Fonseca and Co. will be aiming to spark a revival of their Serie A campaign when they take on Cagliari on Saturday, November 9, at San Siro.
“I am a small guy in stature but a big guy when it comes to standing up and being the representer”
Firdose Moonda24-Jun-2021There are two ways to lead a team, according to South Africa’s new Test captain Dean Elgar: “You can take it to your head or you can take it to your heart.”And he has decided on the latter. “I like to think I have taken it to my heart,” he said. “I am not a ‘me’ guy; I am a ‘we’ guy. For me, it’s about the team.”The two-match away-from-home Test series against West Indies was Elgar’s first series as captain and he said he already feels like he is natural fit.”It’s something I’ve always thought I have been born with. I have always been a leader, at school, club cricket through franchise cricket. I always like to think I’ve led from the front,” he said. “I am a small guy in stature but a big guy when it comes to standing up and being the representer. It’s a massive honour. I don’t shy away from that responsibility, and I don’t shy away from saying that.”Related
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Elgar’s straight-talk has been one of the standout features of his time in charge so far, perhaps because it sits in such stark contrast to what came in the series before him. Quinton de Kock’s elevation to the Test captaincy was a failed experiment, detrimental to both de Kock and the direction the South African team were going in. Even Faf du Plessis, who led with aplomb under Russell Domingo and Ottis Gibson, had a tough final series as captain, steeped in racial controversy after his “we don’t see colour” comment and questions over his own form. Elgar has faced both, but has so far found ways to deal with them.One of the first questions Elgar was asked as the team geared up to take on West Indies was whether South Africa would join their hosts in taking a knee to show solidarity with the anti-racist cause, a potentially prickly subject because South Africa had not done so as a national team before. Others who have been asked the same over the last year have been defensive and, on one occasion, even stopped from engaging from the topic, but Elgar welcomed it.He thanked the reporter who made the inquiry and had an answer prepared. After a year of soul-searching South Africa had decided to give their players a choice of taking a knee, raising a fist or standing to attention. Most of the squad took a knee, Elgar and a few others, chose the middle option, and two players stood. In a country where the schisms and scars of racial discrimination are fresh, all of them are likely to be criticised in some way and while it won’t be easy, Elgar was made to deal with that. He is known for having a thick skin, an essential for an opening batter, and he seems to be demanding the same of his team-mates.Though Elgar had a lot of good things to say about South Africa’s performance in the West Indies, he acknowledged that the batting still has work to do. At one point, South Africa teetered on 73 for 7 in the second Test and their skills against the seaming ball were in the spotlight. “We’ve struggled and it’s not fine for us that we’ve struggled. We’ve addressed that and we’ve been trying to work on it,” he said. “The biggest thing is to attack your weaknesses to try to make them strengths.”Dean Elgar and his predecessor, Quinton de Kock, lead South Africa off the field after their series win over West Indies•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty ImagesHe was particularly hard on one batter, in what seems like an attempt at tough-love to bring out his best. “In my opinion, KG has let himself down when it comes to batting,” Elgar said of Kagiso Rabada, whose career-best 40 and 70-run eighth-wicket stand with Rassie van der Dussen helped South Africa set West Indies a target of over 300 in the second Test. “He is a lot more talented than what he thinks he is. It’s a conversation we had prior to leaving for the series – that he needs to work on his batting. So it was great to see him take ownership in that department.”But Elgar was full of praise for Rabada and the rest of his attack in one of the other primary disciplines – bowling. “KG, Anna (Anrich Nortje) and Lungi (Ngidi) are a formidable threesome. They put the fear of God in batters’ eyes. They are a machine,” he said. “Their roles are so different and their roles are so big. Each guy is different in their own right. They complement each other so well.”Although Rabada finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker, he didn’t hog the final headlines because left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took his seventh five-for which included South Africa’s second Test hat-trick and emerged as the unlikely hero of a contest billed as a battle of the pace packs.”Kesh is a massive player for the Proteas. What he does goes so unnoticed. He needs to get more respect,” Elgar said. “He got a Test five-for on a wicket that wasn’t turning against West Indies, away from home. That’s huge. He is a big player. He is going to become a better player going forward. He is not going to stop there. He doesn’t sound like being second best.”Neither does Elgar, who has been a constant in South Africa’s changing Test landscape over most of the last nine years. While there are no players left from the team now that traveled to England in 2012, where South Africa became No.1, Elgar made his Test debut in the series after that, in Australia. He has since tasted the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows and has been waiting for his chance to have a say in the next stage of South African cricket’s development. While he calls this series win “massive,” he recognises that it is just a small step and that bigger strides can only be made several months from now.South Africa do not have any Tests scheduled for the rest of the year but are expecting to host India over the festive season. Between now and then, their focus will shift to the shortest format, which Elgar is not part of. So he will return home, to rest, to play in the revamped domestic set-up once the summer starts, and to reflect and reformulate plans to ensure South Africa do not slip up when they return to the Test area.”It’s a good time to analyse and reset and find ways to improve so you can become better. December is far away but it’s not too far away,” he said. “Against India, it’s going to be extremely tough. This period is going to be good for me to dissect and analyse.”
Arsenal could outbid a major European club in the race for a highly-rated £42 million defender, who may well replace the potentially exit-bound Jakub Kiwior.
Edu looking at signing new centre-back for Arteta
According to various reports in the last few weeks, sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta have been tipped to bring in a new central defensive option ahead of a likely Premier League title challenge with Man City next season.
24-year-old now reaches agreement to leave Arsenal for La Liga giants
The Spaniards are now looking to shake hands on a deal with Edu.
ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2024
Arteta is looking to make it third-time-lucky in his pursuit of the title, having lost out to City in each of their two previous challenges since 2022. The Gunners pushed Pep Guardiola's side to the final day, accumulating 89 points and scoring 91 goals, but their rivals have set an incredibly high standard to beat in recent years.
To take the squad that bit further, Edu has been targeting a new striker for Arsenal, as well as a potential new midfielder to replace the exit-bound Thomas Partey. Arsenal are believed to hold an interest in Amadou Onana, among others, with Partey attracting serious interest from the Middle East and Turkey.
However, it has also been reported that Arteta wishes to acquire an alternative to star central defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. Arsenal conceded the fewest Premier League goals of any top-flight side last season, with Gabriel and Saliba being a factor in this.
Arsenal
29
Man City
34
Liverpool
41
Everton
51
Man United/Crystal Palace
58
You could make a case that there are few options to come in if either of the pair were to be absent, though, which has led to interest in a variety of central defensive options. Arsenal have been considering a bid for Marc Guehi, with the Crystal Palace ace currently impressing for England at Euro 2024.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest star Murillo and Barcelona star Jules Kounde are other reported targets for Edu. A highly rated defender in Serie A who has also turned heads with some excellent displays for Italy at the Euros is Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori.
The 22-year-old was even hailed by World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta for his "extraordinary" performance against Albania in their opening group game.
“He played an extraordinary game, like the whole team in the first 60 minutes,” said Zambrotta.
"He played with personality, without fear, perhaps the only flaw was on the long ball where we took a risk with Donnarumma’s exit. But he showed some beautiful things.”
His performances on the biggest stage will only increase his price tag, which is already rumoured to be somewhere around the £42 million mark.
Arsenal could outbid Juventus to replace Kiwior with Calafiori
According to Tutto Juve, the Gunners present a very real danger to Juventus in the race to sign Calafiori this summer.
It is believed Arsenal see Calafiori as an ideal option to replace Kiwior, who Tutto Juve states could well leave. It is also thought that they can offer more money than Juventus and potentially outbid the Old Lady, who are counting on Calafiori's preference to remain in Italy.
Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori
The centre-back was a star under Thiago Motta at Bologna last term, with the tactician now looking to prise him away to Juventus after choosing to replace Massimiliano Allegri.
Calafiori made 30 Serie A appearances for Bologna over 2023/24, managing two goals and five assists in that time.
Toni Kroos insists that the Ballon d'Or has "no place" in football after Vinicius Junior opted to snub the ceremony, with Rodri poised to win.
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Kroos hits out at Ballon d'OrBelieves Rodri will winVinicius skips ceremonyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Vinicius has skipped the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with Rodri poised to win the award after his superb season for both Manchester City and Spain. Vinicius scored 24 goals and registered 11 assists for Los Blancos as Real won La Liga and the Champions League, as well as the Supercopa de Espana, but clearly did not do enough to win the biggest individual prize in the sport. Rodri won the Premier League with City and Euro 2024 with Spain.
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Kroos maintains that the prize is redundant in a team sport, although that may be a view informed by the fact his team-mate has tasted disappointment. His old midfield partner, Luka Modric, was the last midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or. Kroos finished ninth in this year's voting.
WHAT KROOS SAID
Kroos said: “Rodri will win the Ballon d’Or. I’ve never seen the importance of these individual awards in football, they have no place”.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Real Madrid play Valencia on November 2, before taking on AC Milan in the Champions League. Vinicius will be out to prove the awards panel wrong.
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2016Australia required 131 at the start of the final day. Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja took them closer with a solid stand•Getty ImagesTim Southee removed Usman Khawaja for 45, caught by McCullum at first slip.•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesSteven Smith, however, ensured that Australia coasted towards the target with a brisk fifty•Getty ImagesJust before lunch, Smith asked for the extra 15 minutes to finish the match. In the search for quick runs, Burns lost his wicket after a patient 65•Getty ImagesAustralia cruised to a seven-wicket win, and in the process, became the No. 1 ranked Test side after winning the series 2-0•Getty ImagesMcCullum signed off his international career with his final presentation ceremony. “Thanks for buying in, and accepting we have to play the game differently.”•Getty Images
Rob Yates makes century but time running out to force status-preserving victory
ECB Reporters Network27-Sep-2022Rob Yates completed his seventh first-class century but Warwickshire and Hampshire were again kept largely inactive on the second day of their crucial LV=Insurance County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.It was a deeply frustrating day for Warwickshire, who must win to have any chance of avoiding relegation, and equally so for the spectators. They saw a dearth of cricket in the day, just 32.1 overs, while both lunch and tea intervals were taken in dry weather and then the last ‘session’ was ended prematurely for bad light…with the sun shining!Warwickshire declared on 272 for four, Yates having made 104 (185 balls) and Ian Holland taking three for 85, before the visitors replied with four without loss in 19 balls before the close.With Yorkshire in jeopardy on a turning track at Bristol, the escape hatch is still ajar for the champions. They have enough bonus points to overhaul Yorkshire (assuming they lose) but the Bears still need to win this match.Taking 20 wickets with an injured-ravaged bowling attack on a good batting pitch, with likely further interference from the weather, is unlikely. Their hopes of a status-salvaging victory may lie in collusion as Hampshire need five points to be sure of fending off Lancashire’s challenge for runners-up spot.After the loss of 55 overs on the first day, Warwickshire resumed on 138 for two but rain and bad light soon made a nuisance of themselves. The first three fragments of cricket brought 66, 37 and 16 balls respectively.Yates, 77 not out overnight, advanced to his century from 179 balls with 19 fours and added 85 in 23 overs with Sam Hain before both fell in four balls. Yates was bowled by Holland’s first ball after an interruption and Hain (44, 76) edged a fine delivery from Fuller to wicketkeeper Aneurin Donald.Hampshire’s seamers got a few past the bat but the pitch is good for batting and Will Rhodes (28, 23) and Dan Mousley (27, 29) added an unbroken 58 in 51 balls before yet another interruption.That triggered the declaration as Warwickshire sought to move the game on. Hampshire avoided damage in the awkward little session though Felix Organ should have gone in the first over when he edged Olly Hannon-Dalby but Hain grassed the chance at second slip.Then the players were taken off for bad light and, though the sun came out immediately, there was no getting them back out. Sometimes, county cricket shouldn’t be allowed out.
Julen Lopetegui seems to be on the brink of losing his job at West Ham, having only won once in their last five games, including their most recent 3-1 loss to Leicester City.
Whilst the Hammers have improved in certain metrics this season, holding more of the ball (46.4% possession), taking more shots (14.7 per match), and conceding fewer shots (15.8 per game), the results have not followed, as they sit 14th in the Premier League.
This has led to the owners drawing up a shortlist of potential managers who could take over if they do pull the trigger and sack Lopetegui, and two favourites seem to have emerged.
West Ham's managerial shortlist
Three main names have emerged on the West Ham shortlist according to journalist Ben Jacobs, with Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao and Edin Terzić.
Terzic, who made his way to the Champions League final with Dortmund last season, losing 2-0 at the final hurdle against Real Madrid, is said to be on the list, but the other two names seem to be gathering more traction in the media.
Potter, whose last job was with Chelsea in the 2022/23 season, has taken his time off to assess, and wait for the right opportunity to get back into management. In his time at Chelsea, they held the fifth most possession in the division (58.8%), took the eighth most shots per game (12.7), and conceded the seventh fewest shots per match (11.5).
There are many coaching qualities to like about Potter. He is an adaptable manager who will change things in order to give his side the tactical edge, and he has proven himself in the league already, mainly in his time at Brighton.
However, one thing to consider would be his time out of management, and how he struggled with the pressure at Chelsea, and this West Ham job wouldn’t be an easy one to come into with the state it is currently in.
Conceicao, on the other hand, was in a job at Porto from 2017-2024, only leaving the Portuguese giants this summer, after delivering the Portuguese Cup for a third time. In his final season at the club (2023/24), Porto averaged the highest amount of possession in the division (63.6%), averaged the second most shots per game (16.8), and conceded the second-fewest shots per match (8.3).
All of these metrics show how Conceicao would be a brilliant appointment, with an ability to deploy a good defensive strategy, keeping opposition shot totals low (something the Hammers have really struggled to do this season). However, the Portuguese coach has never managed in England, and the risk would be implementing his style at speed in another country, in order to turn things around quickly at the club.
Football manager Sergio Conceicao
That leads us to possibly the best option for the Hammers, someone not even on this list, and instead an ex-player, who is now showing his class in management, generating the highest xG in the Championship so far this season, with 33.1 in 18 games played.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
West Ham's best option to replace Lopetegui
Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough side have been rampant in the Championship this season, currently sitting fifth in the league on 30 points, just eight points off 1st placed Sheffield United. Carrick’s side have scored the second most goals in the Championship, with 32, and are averaging the second most shots per game, with 16.1.
The 43-year-old coach played for West Ham, Tottenham and, of course, Manchester United in his playing days, before starting his coaching journey as the Manchester United assistant manager back in 2018, keeping that role until 2021. He then took over as caretaker manager for three games, winning two of the three, before Erik ten Hag took the reins, leaving Carrick out of a job.
Middlesbrough managerMichaelCarrick
But in 2022, Middlesbrough hired the ex-midfielder, and since then, he has taken charge of 107 matches, averaging a points per match of 1.67, and brandishing a lovely style of play that mirrors that of the elites. This is the type of football West Ham want to play, and Carrick could be the perfect appointment to bring that to the club, whilst also connecting with the fans.
Carrick sets his team up in a 4-2-3-1 from the start, often adopting that familiar 3-2-5 shape in possession, and adjusting how he forms that shape on the ball, depending on which players he has on the pitch. The most common rotation includes the left-back providing width, with the left-winger drifting inside, to become that second number ten behind the striker.
And it’s the formation of this exciting attacking triangle (left-winger, number ten, striker) that has seen Carrick’s Middlesbrough side blow teams away this season, so who could fit the bill in these roles for him at West Ham?
The West Ham players who would thrive under Carrick
West Ham’s two key men last season, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, would both thrive in this system, allowing them to get into these central pockets of space closer to goal, and create chances for themselves and one another.
Instead of seeing the left-back overlap to provide width, West Ham could deploy the right-back in this fashion, allowing Bowen to drift infield from the right wing, whilst Kudus could then start at number 10. This would form a triangle of Bowen, Kudus and a striker, which could improve the Hammers’ ability to score goals, getting their best players into dangerous areas.
Goals
0.31
0.23
Assists
0.19
0.12
xG
0.20
0.37
Progressive Carries
3.72
4.63
Progressive Passes
3.80
3.17
Shots Total
2.84
3.60
Key Passes
2.34
1.10
Shot-Creating Actions
4.45
4.02
Carries into Pen Area
1.68
2.07
Touches in Pen Area
4.45
5.61
By getting these higher shot-volume players into these central areas, and allowing them to be the difference makers, it would undoubtedly see an increase in attacking output for the Hammers. Something Carrick has done well with Middlesbrough is platform his best players, in order to get the best from them, which has an overall positive effect on the team.
Not only would Carrick be a young and exciting manager for the fans to get behind, but he is also well-known in England, has managed in the country before, and plays a style which is guaranteed to translate to the Premier League, which could be exactly what the Irons need to get back on track.
Better than Potter: West Ham eyeing up 3x title winner to replace Lopetegui
Lopetegui’s time at West Ham could be up with an appointment even better than Potter