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This is the earliest they have ever gone out of the competition, triggered by defeats to USA and India

Danyal Rasool14-Jun-2024Pakistan have been eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2024 after inclement weather in Lauderhill meant points were split between Ireland and USA. USA have qualified for the Super Eight alongside India from Group A, also sealing their berth in the 2026 T20 World Cup.For Pakistan, though, a torrid tournament culminated in a hasty exit under gloomy skies that epitomised the grim nature of their World Cup campaign. They arrived in the USA with no warm-up games scheduled, and most of their practice sessions were cancelled due to rain. Their unfamiliarity was punished by the home team in their opening fixture as USA pipped them in the Super Over, before Pakistan fell apart chasing 120 against India, losing by six runs.Related

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That left them depending on other results, most significantly the outcome of this particular game in Lauderhill between USA and Ireland. An Irish win would have kept Pakistan alive, with any other outcome giving USA an unassailable lead over Pakistan in the points tally.Pakistan’s only win so far has been a seven-wicket triumph over Canada. They still have one game left as they play Ireland – who were also eliminated as a result of this washout – on Sunday.However, this does not mean they will have to play the qualifiers to secure a place at the next T20 World Cup, with their current T20I ranking – seventh – sufficient to guarantee a spot at the tournament in 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.This is the earliest Pakistan have ever been knocked out of a T20 World Cup, having played just three games before their fate was sealed. They also suffered group-stage eliminations in 2014 and 2016, but reached at least the semi-finals on every other occasion. No side has reached more finals than Pakistan (England are joint-top with three), and Pakistan won the title in 2009.

You have to wonder whether Manchester United’s decision to keep hold of Erik ten Hag after winning the 2023/24 FA Cup played into Daniel Levy’s decision to sack Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.

Added to the long list of managers at the Tottenham helm since Levy assumed ownership of the club in 2001, Postecoglou would be forgiven for feeling aggrieved after winning the Europa League last month, ending 17 years of searching for silverware.

But he has paid the price for the year-long suffering in the Premier League, the injury-hit Londoners slumping to a 17th-place finish, one above relegated Leicester City.

Ange Postecoglou

Jul 23 – Jun 25

101

1.53

Antonio Conte

Nov 21 – Mar 23

76

1.78

Nuno Espirito Santo

Jul 21 – Nov 21

17

1.65

Jose Mourinho

Nov 19 – Apr 21

86

1.77

Mauricio Pochettino

Jul 14 – Nov 19

293

1.84

Tim Sherwood

Dec 13 – May 14

26

1.65

Andre Villas-Boas

Jul 12 – Dec 13

80

1.91

Harry Redknapp

Oct 08 – Jun 12

198

1.73

Juande Ramos

Oct 07 – Oct 08

54

1.35

Martin Jol

Nov 04 – Oct 07

147

1.62

Jacques Santini

Aug 04 – Nov 04

13

1.46

Glenn Hoddle

Apr 01 – Sep 03

102

1.35

There’s no question Tottenham’s trophy-winning European campaign has been at variance with their wretched top-flight term, but given the schism that has been created through Levy’s latest dismissal, it’s crucial that they get the next appointment right.

And you’d have to say, Thomas Frank would be a brilliant signing.

Why Spurs want Thomas Frank

Emerging as the clear frontrunner in the bid to replace Postecoglou at Tottenham, Brentford boss Frank is being pursued, although official contacts with the Bees have yet to take place.

Taking Brentford into the Premier League and establishing them as a solid unit with an attractive brand of football, the Danish tactician has proved his durability, adaptability and flexibility during his time in London, hailed for creating an “extraordinary team” by Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.

Frank’s nuanced tactical approach is perhaps the definitive factor behind Levy’s desire to get the deal done, with Postecoglou, for all his exciting attacking play, perhaps a little one-dimensional at times.

However, there’s no certainty that Tottenham will make the appointment. Indeed, an alternative approach for Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi underscores that point.

And Lilywhites chairman Levy may even be ready to sign an alternative.

Spurs line up Frank alternative

According to BBC Sport, Frank might be the favourite for the vacant manager position at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is also in the frame.

Iraola has been a revelation since joining the South Coast club in July 2023, and he’s since led the Cherries to their two biggest points hauls in Premier League history (48 in 2023/24 and a whopping 56 last season).

With Frank holding a sizeable release clause in his Brentford contract, Iraola might be a fantastic alternative to turn to, not least because his Bournemouth side finished a place above Frank’s in the top flight.

What Andoni Iraola would bring to Spurs

Iraola has shaped Bournemouth into one of the easiest-on-the-eye teams in English football, with former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha commenting on the “incredibly impressive” start to life at the Vitality Stadium, instilling a clear identity.

The 42-year-old’s typical 4-2-3-1 formation is also something that would suit Spurs’ current crop well, retaining the attacking style Postecoglou will leave embedded but taking it and shaping it into something more fluent and organised.

Iraola’s success could even see him prove a better fit for Tottenham than Frank, who has been described as “one of the best in the league” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

His ability to transform Bournemouth from a pragmatic outfit expected to fight to stave off relegation into a slick team capable of knocking on the European door showcases how he could improve Tottenham, who will need some transformative coaching after their wretched domestic campaign.

Raising the ceiling is something both Frank and Iraola have proved themselves capable of doing since taking their respective posts in England, but Iraola may also help a more seamless transition away from Ange’s high-line, big-risk, high-intensity possession-based game.

Indeed, as per FBref, Bournemouth only averaged 48.5% of possession in the Premier League last year (putting them 11th), but Brentford were even less active on the ball, 15th with a 47.9% average.

This may feel like something of a regression in tactical expansion, but it would actually be a move rooted in progressive pragmatism, scaling back from the high-stakes gambling played by Postecoglou.

Moreover, Iraola’s teams have earned praise for their organisation and togetherness when out of possession, further highlighting the issues Tottenham have been beset by and how they could fix this.

Still, the two managers aren’t diametrically opposed, and Iraola’s intense physical demands would allow him to dovetail into the Tottenham milieu.

While Frank is a proven manager in the Premier League, Iraola is also showing himself to be a nuanced and dynamic tactician, and could be the right man for the job.

Fans will understandably be concerned that Tottenham are stuck in something of a circular motion, winning some silverware, yes, but continuing to churn through managers.

Manager Focus

Such back-and-forth threatens to isolate the success, leaving it as a flash in the pan. However, Iraola is a fantastic and intelligent manager, and if given several years to inculcate his teachings onto the north London squad, this could be a real corner for Tottenham.

He's another Bergvall: Spurs enter race to sign "extraordinary" wonderkid

The promising youngster could be a star at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 7, 2025

Chelsea booked their place in the Europa Conference League final last night with a routine 1-0 victory over Swedish outfit Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half strike was enough to secure a 5-1 aggregate win, with Enzo Maresca’s side facing Real Betis in the final at the end of the month.

The Blues have reached their eighth major European final, looking to add to their two Champions League and two Europa League triumphs in previous years.

Given their form in the competition, it would be a surprise to no one that Maresca’s men are the favourites to go all the way – topping off a superb first year in the role for the Italian.

Numerous players impressed during the second leg victory, potentially handing the manager a selection headache ahead of the remaining Premier League fixtures.

Chelsea’s star performers against Djurgarden

Alongside scoring the goal that clinched another win, midfielder Dewsbury-Hall enjoyed an evening to remember, producing numerous impressive figures throughout.

The 26-year-old created three chances – the most of any player in the match – whilst also completing 100% of the dribbles he attempted, showcasing the threat he carried in attacking areas.

He wasn’t the only star to impress at the Bridge last night, with 16-year-old academy graduate Reggie Walsh getting the opportunity to start from the off after his cameo last week.

The teenager impressed with the opportunity, completing 91% of the passes he attempted, whilst winning four fouls and posing a serious threat to the opposition despite his tender age.

However, despite the showings by the aforementioned duo, one other Blues star managed to impress, with the boss simply unable to drop him from the side after such a positive showing.

The Chelsea star who now looks undroppable after Djurgarden

The Europa Conference League run has been extremely beneficial for Maresca over the last few months, handing the manager the opportunity to fully evaluate the players at his disposal.

Many players, like Walsh, have taken the chance handed to them with both hands, but the same can’t be said for others, with departures likely over the summer window.

That being said, investment is also to be expected in West London as the club looks to push towards the summit of the Premier League during the 2025/26 campaign.

However, such events shouldn’t affect youngster Josh Acheampong, who’s managed to go from strength to strength after originally being frozen out during the early stages of the Maresca reign.

The 19-year-old featured for the entirety of the clash once again last night, thriving in the side as the Blues booked their place in the final of yet another final.

He registered a staggering 122 touches on the ball, completing 85 passes at a completion rate of 91% – not looking out of place in the first-team ranks despite his youthful years.

Acheampong also managed to make 10 passes into the final third and won two tackles, having a huge impact at both ends of the pitch during the triumph – leading to journalist Nizaar Kinsella labelling him as “Chelsea’s best player”.

Minutes played

90

Touches

122

Passes completed

85/93 (91%)

Passes into final third

10

Tackles won

2

Fouls won

4

Duels won

9

To top off his magnificent showing, the teenager was handed a 7/10 match rating by The Express’ Dom Smith, highlighting how impressive he was during the meeting at the Bridge.

After such a display, Maresca can’t drop the academy gem, handing him a selection headache ahead of the weekend’s huge clash with Newcastle United.

The Blues need an excellent end to the campaign if they are to secure Champions League football for next season, with Acheampong deserving of the opportunity to help the club in their quest.

He's better than Gittens: Chelsea in talks to sign "world-class" £64m star

Chelsea are making moves over a deal to land new attacking stars ahead of the summer transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb May 8, 2025

Everton responded well at the weekend, clawing back to draw against Arsenal after losing the Merseyside derby at Anfield, a result which ended David Moyes’ nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Things have changed at Goodison Park, which is preparing for its emotional swansong not in the throes of a relegation battle but instead playing with a freedom that has come from Moyes’ return to the dugout and the consequent tactical and mental improvements.

However, Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, know that a range of signings are needed this summer, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and loanee Armando Broja both set to leave in a few months, bagging a striker has got to be the first port of call.

Everton join race for coveted striker

It’s an ambitious one, but TEAMtalk have revealed that Everton have joined the race for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, with neighbours Liverpool also keen, along with many more top-flight sides.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, both the Toffees – and Brighton and Hove Albion – are said to have gathered ‘updated information’ on the youngster in recent days, with the two clubs keeping ‘close tabs’ on his situation.

Delap has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season despite his team’s woes. That plays into the forward’s suitors’ favour, though, for his £40m release clause activates upon the Tractor Boys’ relegation.

And Ipswich will be relegated. Valiant fight, but the gulf in quality between England’s top two tiers continues to yawn wider, and now a team like Everton could strengthen further at their rival’s expense by stocking up with a young striker, 22, who’s demonstrated his high-ceilinged potential superbly this year.

Why Everton want Liam Delap

Tussling with such high-profile competition, you’d be forgiven for taking the news that Everton are interested in Delap with a pinch of salt.

Ipswich have played well in the Premier League this season, competitive after back-to-back promotions, but it has proved a step too far for Kieran McKenna’s men, whose defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday has stretched the gap from safety to 12 points.

Delap, of course, got his name on the scoresheet in that 2-1 loss, and it was a fine goal at that. The 6 foot 1 striker is powerful and athletic, ranking among the top 17% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Is it any surprise that the Manchester City youth product has been described as a “wrecking ball” by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones? These talents highlight exactly why the Toffees should make a concerted push for his signature, especially since FBref have suggested that Moise Kean is among his most tactically similar players.

Kean flopped hard during his stint on Merseyside but has built himself back up in Italy, thriving for Fiorentina. He’s scored 22 goals and provided five assists for La Viola this season, also hailed for his “remarkable” hold-up play by Serie A reporter Marco Messina.

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

30 (29)

Goals

17

12

Assists

3

2

Shots (on target)*

3.1 (1.4)

2.0 (1.0)

Big chances missed

14

10

Pass completion

72%

62%

Big chances created

4

3

Dribbles*

1.4

1.2

Duels won*

4.8

4.7

Above, you can see Kean and Delap’s statistics across respective league campaigns this year. Both rank similarly across clinical, ball-carrying and duelling metrics.

It’s also important to note that Delap is competing within the Premier League, an ostensibly tougher division, for imperilled Ipswich, whereas Kean’s Fiorentina are eighth, fighting for European qualification.

Delap boasts a profile that seems perfect for Moyes’ dynamic but gritty system, and if TFG manage to pull this off, it might just go down as one of the biggest coups in Everton’s modern history.

Everton struck gold on “constant threat” who’s worth more than Longstaff

Everton made a good investment with the signing

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 7, 2025

Tough love, a strong identity and an authentically Pakistani way to play – these are the things on the agenda for Pakistan’s new red-ball coach

Danyal Rasool25-Jul-2024″In Pakistan cricket,” Jason Gillespie, the side’s new Test coach, begins, weighing his words carefully even though what he’s about to say is undeniable, “I know there’s been a lot of change in all facets. Gary [Kirsten, Pakistan’s new white-ball coach] and I both get that. We’ve had some really good conversations and good discussions with the PCB about how we can put structures and systems in place so that while we’re moving in the right direction short term, in the medium and long term, Pakistan cricket is going to be healthier.”Gillespie could scarcely have described the last few years in Pakistan cricket more pithily. Since December 2022, the PCB has had five chairmen. In that period, Saqlain Mushtaq, Grant Bradburn, Mickey Arthur, Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Mahmood all served as either team director or head coach. Batting and bowling coaches came and went, and half a dozen chief selectors picked at least one squad each.The results in Test cricket have taken the sharpest nose dive; since the start of 2022, Pakistan have won just three and lost eight of 15, with all three wins coming against Sri Lanka. They have not won a home Test in more than three years.Related

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“You want to get systems in place,” Gillespie says. “To get the right players, you need the right people around the organisation, and you need the pathway. That’s when you’re moving forward. It’s very easy when you’re coming into jobs; you’ve got a two-year contract or a one-year contract. You make short-term decisions to look after your own back. But that doesn’t help anyone, because if everyone has that approach, nothing long-term gets done.”Pakistan fans might be excused for sighing wearily at this point. That is no fault of Gillespie’s, of course, but various chairmen and coaches have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to make positive changes to the national team and its infrastructure. Under Ehsan Mani, Pakistan adopted a domestic first-class structure that did away with bloated departmental teams; those sides are now back and Mani is long gone. During Mickey Arthur’s first stint as head coach, he and Steve Rixon successfully transformed Pakistan’s fielding and fitness standards, but the days of Pakistan having suddenly emerged as an elite fielding unit now almost seem illusory.

****

Gillespie is on his way to the National Stadium, in a bulletproof van flanked by an armed police escort, charging through Karachi’s bustling evening traffic. Pakistan Shaheens are to be put through their paces for four days at a training camp in preparation for their (currently ongoing) tour of Darwin, Australia, where they play a pair of practice games against a Bangladesh A side ahead of the Bangladesh senior squad’s visit to Pakistan for two Test matches in August.Gillespie sat contemplatively in the back of the vehicle. He may not have been surprised at the security; he’d been told by fellow Australians who previously worked in Pakistan cricket that he’d be extremely well looked after.His job here is rather different from the ones he quit a year early to accept: a nine-year stint with Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, and four years with the state team, South Australia. That state’s population is over ten times smaller than the city whose roads he now speeds along, the scale and nature of media attention in a single-sport country like Pakistan rendering the two roles barely comparable.6:12

‘I’d ask the players how they want to be seen in the cricket world’

“It was a pretty simple decision in the end,” Gillespie says. We meet at the Marriott, where he is staying. He only got back to Karachi from Lahore in the small hours of the morning, after an unscheduled emergency meeting with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi necessitated a last-minute hop over to Lahore. Having taken the flight over from Lahore myself the previous day, I note we could have met in Lahore after all. He appreciates making the effort to conduct the interview in person. “It’s so much better than Zoom,” he says.His family was excited when he was offered the role – his kids were “just in wonder”, he says. His 18-year-old son Jackson, a 6’6″ fast bowler for the South Australia Under-19 side and a “mad cricketer”, thought it was brilliant. There was a more measured conversation with his wife and the rest of his family, who are back in Australia. Though Gillespie won’t be in Pakistan full time, the busy upcoming schedule means he will be away from home for long stretches. But his heart was set on this assignment.”Pakistan is an exciting cricket team and has a passionate fan base,” he says. “And this is an opportunity to be involved in international cricket and work with the best players. Having not been on the international circuit for a while since I finished playing, it’s going to be a new experience and a new challenge, which I’m really excited about.”It wasn’t as straightforward a decision for Pakistan, though. Having agonised and deliberated over coaching appointments, they sounded out Shane Watson and Daren Sammy, among others, before finally agreeing terms with Gillespie and Kirsten. This is the first time Pakistan have trialled split-format coaching.Gillespie has never coached an international side full-time before. He’s from the right country, of course – Pakistan’s predilection for Australians in leadership positions is legendary by now. And he has only ever spent extended periods of time with a side – he has never served as a full-time coach of a team for fewer than two seasons; that appears to have shaped his views on how coaching success is defined.According to Gillespie, while infrastructure and coaching diktats are reversible, identity cannot so easily be dispensed with. He suggests England’s mentality shift in white-ball cricket in 2015, and eventually Test cricket with the arrival of Brendon McCullum, are not as dependent on individual talents, and therefore stand a chance of surviving long after their original architects have moved on. While he might in part have the job because Pakistan long for that fabled Australian winning mentality, he wants to find out how to play a style of cricket that is “authentic to Pakistan”.”I’m happy to admit I don’t have the answer to what that is,” he says. “I just got here. I want to engage the players and the coaches around and get as much information as I can. We see other countries around the world and it’s very clear how they want to go about their play. Whether they’re successful or not, at least you know their identity exists.”If being honest is telling a player something they might not want to hear, well, then I’m willing to do that”•AFP via Getty Images”So that’s what I want us to ask – how do you want to play and how does it fit in with our squad and our team – and go from there. Then, if you have buy-in from all the players and if players and coaches and the PCB are on the same page and moving together as one, surely that will give us more chance of having progression and success.”I want both the Pakistan public and the media to be able to watch us play and go, ‘Yes, this is the style of cricket Pakistan are playing.'”The simple example is England. No one’s left in any doubt how England will play. Everyone’s pretty clear how Australia go about their work. That’s all I’m looking for from our team. I think it’s really important that, as a coach, I don’t just come in and say, ‘This is how we are going to play.’ It’s got to come from the players. My role is to support that and how I can help us go about that in the best and most effective way.”Famously his own man in what was viewed as a fiercely tribal Australian team, Gillespie makes no secret of his wish to prioritise identity and style over context-free win-loss records as a catch-all measure for success.He cultivates a wide range of interests that extend beyond the game of cricket, and – as a practising vegan – could just as easily have a nuanced discussion on the ethics of industrial meat and dairy consumption as on the intricacies of what makes a Dukes cricket ball move sideways. It’s a outlook that has marked the course of his coaching career.Gillespie’s stint with Yorkshire remains his biggest success, when he took over a second-division side and coached them to two successive first-division titles, in 2014 and 2015. He was, at the time, a leading candidate for the England head coach job. But even in times of relative famine, like in his recent stint with South Australia – he termed it his “dream job” – where the side finished in the bottom half during each of his four seasons in charge, he feels comfortable he left the team “in a much better place” than he found it.Gillespie coached Yorkshire to two successive County Championship trophies, and was instrumental in their promotion to Division One•Sarah Ansell/Getty ImagesHe takes particular pride in having helped groom elite players for the Australian national side – Travis Head, Alex Carey and Jake Fraser-McGurk were all nurtured at South Australia and have seen their international fortunes soar over the past four years.”We played some really good cricket [at South Australia],” Gillespie says. “Last year we played ten first-class games and had nine results. More results didn’t go our way [three wins, six losses], but if you actually looked at the games, there were some very close contests. There were games within a couple of wickets or a couple of runs. The numbers could have been the exact opposite; it was just those key moments in games. The positives were that we were playing result [oriented] cricket.”While there was disappointment in one sense, there was a lot of pride because we got opportunities at the highest level for some players. I’m not sure you can judge a domestic coach on just the win-losses.”Gillespie feels confident the PCB chairman and the board share his and Kirsten’s vision for the team, and there are already signs of a shift in tone and substance. When told Shaheen Shah Afridi was slated to play the Global T20 in Canada just days before the two-Test match series in Bangladesh started, his response was suggestive: “Is he? Are you sure about that?”A few days later it was announced the PCB had decided against issuing NOCs to Naseem Shah for the Hundred, and to Shaheen, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the GT20. It is a process he admits needs careful navigation, but Gillespie is crystal clear on the primacy of the international side.”Players are centrally contracted and getting compensated really well. We have the right to be able to say, ‘Look, in this situation, we need you to rest or have some downtime to give your body and mind a break, be ready for the next challenge for Pakistan.’In his time with South Australia, Gillespie oversaw the development of future Australia stalwarts like Travis Head•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”We want players to go and play in these leagues and have these great experiences. But if we believe it’s going to be to the detriment of representing Pakistan in an upcoming series, then we’ll have a discussion and have a decision to make.”These are honest and difficult conversations. Ultimately, we’re tasked with doing what’s right by Pakistan cricket.”In times such as these, when the bond between the national team and its supporters appears to be fraying, the idea that the team needs a hard-nosed strongman to control the players with an iron fist often gains traction in Pakistan. And while Arthur, Pakistan’s longest-serving overseas head coach over the past decade, managed to form a particularly close bond with the core of the side, he also possessed a schoolmasterly streak he could always draw on. It played well in front of the television cameras, which appeared to take an almost prurient interest in his emotions when Pakistan were struggling.Gillespie, though, is far removed from that style of coaching, emphasising the need to build relationships that enable tough, honest conversations. “If being honest is telling a player something they might not want to hear, well, then I’m willing to do that. I want to help them be the best player and person they can be.”Gillespie recalls the days he played against Pakistan, and the sense of joy and fun he felt Pakistan took in their cricket. “I remember this training kit the Pakistan boys had. They had all the logos on, and on the back, it said ‘Proud to be Pakistani’. Do you remember those shirts? That stuck in my head. That was 20 years ago! And for me, that really resonated. I thought, ‘That’s cool.'”That pride is how I felt representing my country, putting on that cap and wearing the shirt with the Australian coat of arms. It meant the world to me. Playing for your country is the best thing in the world – it’s awesome.”It’s an honour and a privilege for me to coach Pakistan, and it’s an honour and a privilege for each and every player to represent Pakistan. That for me, is something that’s always stood out. I know when I played against Pakistan, that came through.”