Stars’ season ended on Tuesday night at the WACA with four straight losses

AAP09-Dec-2025Perth Scorchers rallied superbly to kill off the Melbourne Stars’ run chase and convincingly win their WBBL knockout final by 28 runs.After briefly holding top spot, Stars’ season ended on Tuesday night at the WACA ground with four straight losses, while Scorchers have won five of their last six.Scorchers will now head to Sydney to play Sixers in the Challenger final, and the winner will face top side Hobart Hurricanes in Saturday night’s title decider.Related

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Perry stars with 111 as Sixers enter WBBL finals with thrilling win

Stars needed a record WBBL finals run chase to win after the home side made 5-173, but reached 1-86 at halfway and looked capable. They then lost 8-59, including the crucial wicket of Meg Lanning, and ended on 9-145.Stars’ chase had a disastrous start when Rhys McKenna was run out for seven. Lanning only scored three from her first 13 deliveries as Chloe Ainsworth had an excellent opening spell.Lanning had made 11 when she tried to sweep Alana King and was nearly out stumped, with the ball rebounding off ‘keeper Beth Mooney and just missing the stumps. But steadily, Lanning and Amy Jones put the pressure back on Scorchers. They combined for an 87-run stand that took them to 1-101 in the 13th.Scorchers did not panic, rallying after halfway as spinners Amy Edgar and Ruby Strange in particular bowled tightly. Eventually the pressure told and King had Jones stumped for 43 from 33 balls.Lilly Mills then took two wickets in an over as the momentum swung back to Scorchers.Amy Jones and Meg Lanning put up a strong stand•Getty ImagesAs long as Lanning was in, Stars were a chance and Ainsworth dropped a straightforward chance off her when she had made 41. But Ainsworth had the perfect response at the start of the next over, having Lanning caught behind to leave Stars’ chances shot at 6-126. Lanning top-scored with 49 from 45 balls, while King, Sophie Devine and Mills took two wickets apiece.After Scorchers won the toss, openers Katie Mack and Mooney posted the Scorchers’ highest partnership of the season. Their 107-run stand threatened to take the match away from Stars, before Rhys McKenna made the breakthrough in the 13th over. She dismissed Mack, caught by Maisy Gibson, for a top score of 52 from 39 balls.Mooney, who looked set for another big score, fell in the next over for 45 when Gibson also caught her off Kim Garth.Stars were right back into the game, especially when danger player Sophie Devine came in at No.3 and only managed one before McKenna claimed her second wicket. That left Scorchers 3-128 in the 16th over.But Freya Kemp made the most of two dropped catches from Georgia Prestwidge. She belted 35 from 19 balls, with three fours and two sixes, in a crucial knock.Gibson took her third catch of the innings as Stars captain Annabel Sutherland dismissed Kemp for her 100th WBBL wicket.Gibson also snared 1-15 from two overs and McKenna was the pick of the Stars bowlers, claiming 2-26 off three overs.

Liverpool have turned a corner, now five matches unbeaten in all competitions and with two wins on the trot after dispatching Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s team have climbed up to sixth place in the Premier League, still a distance behind table-toppers Arsenal, who sit ten points ahead of the champions, whose brace of own goals against Wolves later in the day retightened their grip on top spot. .

Some would say that that is an unassailable lead over the Merseysiders, but Liverpool do have a squad capable of competing and beating Mikel Arteta’s side – again – with the trip to the Emirates in less than a month one to watch, for sure.

Of course, after such abject results and performances, Slot’s side have so much work still to do, and if Saturday’s win told us anything, it’s that they would be worse off if they were to lose Mohamed Salah after the African Cup of Nations.

Salah's return to Liverpool action

To say it’s been a turbulent week for Salah at Liverpool would be an understatement. Last weekend, the Egyptian’s inflammatory outburst at Elland Road cast his future at the club into doubt.

The 33-year-old had been dropped to the bench for three successive matches, and after being kept on the sidelines as Liverpool capitulated against Leeds United, he paused at the mixer and unleashed an incredible series of comments concerning a broken relationship with the head coach.

He was dropped from the squad that beat Inter Milan entirely, and he started from the bench once again at Anfield, coming into the fray before half an hour against the Seagulls and whipping in the corner that Hugo Ekitike headed home for his second brace in a row.

This has created an intense air of doubt over Salah’s future at the club, with suitors from the Saudi Pro League circling.

But Liverpool simply cannot let their talisman leave. Even though he’s been so far out of sorts, Salah has still maintained a degree of prolificness in the final third, only trumped by Ekitike.

Hugo Ekitike

23

10 (1)

Mohamed Salah

20

5 (4)

Cody Gakpo

21

5 (4)

Federico Chiesa

16

2 (3)

Alexander Isak

15

2 (1)

Florian Wirtz

21

0 (5)

Rio Ngumoha

8

1 (0)

That’s a marker of Liverpool’s woes, the lack of balance and fluency across Slot’s frontline, but it also shows how important it is that the legendary winger is not cast aside at the campaign’s midpoint.

However, whether that is the same for another attacker is another question.

Liverpool's fringe forward must be pushing to leave

barring Ekitike, Liverpool’s new forwards have struggled to gel together this season. Salah too. However, who can argue against Federico Chiesa’s impact and tenacity when brought off the bench throughout the campaign?

The 27-year-old forward has yet to start in the Premier League or the Champions League this season, but he scored the winner in his side’s season opener against Bournemouth and scoring and assisting again in defeats against Crystal Palace and Manchester United. In the Carabao Cup, he claimed two assists against Southampton in a Man of the Match display.

But the £150k-per-week star must be reaching the end of his tether, having been used sparingly right since joining the Anfield side from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m deal in August 2024.

Like Salah, the Italy international may be looking for the exit door, and it would be hard to blame him if it were so. Though Salah’s own case – and confirmed absence over the next month due to AFCON – suggests Chiesa will earn further chances to showcase his skills, Jeremie Frimpong is soon to return from injury, Liverpool may well be active in the transfer market.

One side of the argument would draw attention to Salah’s potential departure in January, or maybe at the end of the season. Regardless, the £400k-per-week superstar is playing through his penultimate year on Merseyside at the latest.

However, FSG have a vested interest in Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, and his arrival would only knock Chiesa further down the pecking order.

On one side of the fence, Chiesa’s mentality and attitude have been impeccable despite his limited match action this season, but Chiesa surely can’t brook many more oversights from Slot. He needs to play, and with the January transfer window right around the corner, the Italian might just look for an exit.

He'd revive Van Dijk: "World-class" talent wants to join Liverpool

Liverpool may need to make a winter signing or two as Arne Slot’s side struggle through the 2025/26 campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair 3 days ago

Said the day one pitch, on which 19 wickets fell on the opening day of the Ashes, was “s***”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025Usman Khawaja is confident of being fit for the second Test in Brisbane but could have landed himself in hot water after describing the Perth pitch on day one of the first Ashes encounter as “s***”.Khawaja was unable to open in either innings of the opening Test having initially been caught out by England’s rapid collapse on the first afternoon and then suffering a recurrence after jumping for an attempted catch in the slips on the second day.With his time off the field having not elapsed when Australia began their first innings, Marnus Labuschagne went in alongside debutant Jake Weatherald with Steven Smith then forced to move to No. 3.Related

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Khawaja then came out at No. 4 but could only make two runs before edging a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. He was one of 19 wickets to fall on the opening day, which followed 17 on the first day of the corresponding Test against India last year, but the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the surface “very good”.”Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket – that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation, a charity which helps support children from diverse, rural and low socio-economic backgrounds.”The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it’s just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow, he’s getting hit.””You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest – sideways is a little bit easier but up and down your hands can’t catch up. So day one wicket at [Perth] is a piece of s***, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year, it was this year.”They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up.”Usman Khawaja ahead of what could be his final Test series•Getty Images

Quite what conditions will be served up for the day-night Test at the Gabba remain to be seen, but Khawaja was confident he would be able to take his place in the XI although Travis Head’s spectacular 123 in his absence has sparked a debate about which way Australia should go.”I feel good,” he said. “I’d never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s been quite new for me. I’ve been quite lucky. I’m 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me – she’s been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I’ve really been taking advantage of it. I should be right.”Recounting the events of the opening day in Perth, which at one stage saw Smith frantically waving to the dug out, Khawaja said he was trying all he could to be available to open.”I went off knowing I still wanted to open; I don’t want to bat anywhere else,” Khawaja said. “I went off, and I think they [England] were six down, and we just went bang, bang, wicket.”I rushed back on, and then we take the next two wickets. That was the frustrating part for me, but I had no other option. I had anti-inflammatories, really strong ones. I had real strong painkillers all through that time – even in the morning – and got myself to a place where I could actually field again.”Khawaja revealed the lengths he was ready to go to in case he was needed to bat during the chase, but Head’s onslaught made it a moot point. “I’m really glad that we got [the match] done that night, because the next day, I already had the radiology booked,” he said. “I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. I had it booked in, ready to go, so if the team needed me, I was there again.”

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O Santos acompanha com atenção a tragédia no Rio Grande do Sul, que acontece em decorrência das intensas chuvas na região. O clube promoveu ações para ajudar a população gaúcha e entende que, com o futebol acontecendo, é possível impulsionar ainda mais iniciativas humanitárias.

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➡️O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

Jogando a Série B, que não teve rodadas adiadas, o Peixe não seria favorável à paralisação ou adiamento das competições da CBF, embora isso não seja um consenso interno. Mesmo assim, analisa que as decisões da instituição e dos clubes envolvidos deve ser respeitada.

Atualmente, o Santos disputa apenas a Série B e não está na Copa do Brasil ou alguma competição continental, organizada pela Conmebol. Na segunda divisão da elite nacional não há clubes gaúchos. Essa é outra razão para o Peixe nunca ter visto a necessidade de uma paralisação da Série B.

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Apesar de não ser favorável, antes do adiamento oficial de duas rodadas da Série A, o Alvinegro também entendia que uma paralisação geral de todas as competições seria um ato simbólico e compreensível.

O Santos é integrante da Libra, organização de liga que conta com times da primeira divisão (Atlético-MG, Bahia, Vitória, Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Bragantino e Grêmio). Palmeiras, São Paulo e Flamengo foram contra o adiamento de rodadas na Série A, enquanto outros se posicionaram favoravelmente. Apesar de ter uma opinião influente dentro do grupo e em discussões na CBF, o Peixe não quis se posicionar e entrar no debate.

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AÇÃO EM PROL DAS VÍTIMAS

O Santos obteve autorização do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) recebeu torcida na partida contra o Brusque, no dia 19 de maio, pela sexta rodada da Série B. O clube destinou toda a renda do duelo ao Rio Grande do Sul.

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India’s failure to capitalise on their chances sent them tumbling to a 2-0 series defeat against South Africa, according to their stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.”They [South Africa] definitely played better cricket, but at the same time, in cricket you can’t take anything for granted,” Pant said at the post-match presentation. “You can play at home or away, but at the same time, cricket demands that determination and that extra.”There are moments in the game where you need to capitalise [on] it as a team, as a batting unit. But as a team, we didn’t capitalise on those enough for a longer period of time, and that cost us the whole series.”In the second Test in Guwahati, where Pant took over captaincy from the injured Shubman Gill, India let South Africa get away and post 489 after they had the visitors at 246 for 6 at one point.South Africa went on to bat India out of the Test, setting them an improbable 549. On the final day, India’s batters had their chances – both B Sai Sudharsan and nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav were reprieved – but they eventually folded for 140, suffering a 408-run loss, theirbiggest ever in Test cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This was India’s second series defeat in their previous three home series. Last year, they suffered an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, which ended a proud run of 17 straight home-series wins over a 12-year period. Pant called on India to stick together and find a way past this rut.”Definitely it’s a little disappointing, but as a team we need to get better,” Pant said. “And you’ve got to give credit to the opposition that they played better cricket than us,” Pant said. “Because, in series like this, which has already been tough, if we dwell too much… you’ve got to take the learning and stick as a team.”

AC Milan are planning to use Croatia legend Luka Modric to help land his former Real Madrid team-mate Andriy Lunin in case their star goalkeeper Mike Maignan exits the club as a free agent. Maignan, a France international, looks set to leave the Italian club at the end of the season, with no new contract talks scheduled with the Serie A giants.

• Maignan set to leave AC Milan

  With his contract expiring at the end of this season, Maignan can begin negotiations with other clubs as early as January, raising the possibility of leaving Milan on a free transfer next summer. The Rossoneri had reportedly offered an extension until 2028, increasing his salary from €2.8 million to €5.5m per year, but he has not been convinced to sign on the dotted line with reporting that no further talks are scheduled between the goalkeeper and club. 

  Maignan is reportedly demanding a fee in the region of €8m, which is significantly higher than what the Italian giants are offering. Juventus have emerged as serious contenders for Maignan's signature, while top European clubs like Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the race. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Milan want Madrid's Lunin

  With Maignan unlikely to stay back, AC Milan have started their search for a new No.9 at San Siro and reports that they have included Real Madrid's Ukrainian custodian Lunin. further claims that Los Blancos value the Ukraine international in the region of €25m. 

  Lunin is represented by famous football agent Jordge Mendez, a representative with whom Milan have worked in the past. Mendez also represents former Milan star Joao Felix and Pervis Estupinan and Rafael Leao. The report also adds that the Italian giants are hoping that Modric, who joined them from Madrid, would play a key role in the club's negotiation with Lunin and convince him to move to Milan. 

• Why do top European clubs want Maignan?

  The French goalkeeper has established himself as one of the best in his position in Europe during his time in Milan. He's also the No.1 for France and wore the captain's armband back in October in the absence of injured skipper Kylian Mbappe. France boss Didier Deschamps explained why he went with his goalkeeper, as he said: "Mike is a leader. Against Azerbaijan, when Kylian came off, Mike took over the armband. The fact that he has been able to play so many matches means that he is solid. He is a great competitor, even in training. He is a workaholic, sometimes a little too much in my opinion. But that's how he is." 

  The stopper also does not lack confidence. When asked if he is the best goalkeeper in the world, he told : "I’m not going to say, no. There are a lot of great goalkeepers around. I only focus on myself. I know my potential. I believe in myself. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am. I don’t feel I’m a spectacular keeper. I try to do things in the simplest way possible.”

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• How is it going for Modric at Milan?

  After spending more than a decade at Santiago Bernabeu, where he established himself as an all-time great in world football, Modric finally left Madrid this summer to join AC Milan on a free transfer. The veteran midfielder has appeared in 15 matches for the club thus far in all competitions, where he has scored one goal and provided two assists.

  When asked why he chose to move to Italy, Modrid had earlier said: "After Real, I've always said it, wherever you go it's a step down. There is no doubt about this and all players can confirm it. But I think I arrived at a club that is very close to Real Madrid in terms of reputation and history: for me it is the most ideal situation that could have happened to me. Especially because I love Milan and as a child I grew up with Italian football. Milan was the club I adored the most. When Milan's option presented itself, it was the right one for me."

  He added: "The city is wonderful. People welcomed me phenomenally, both inside and outside the club. The teammates, the coach, the fans, everything is really high-level. You can see that Milan is a great historic club, one of the biggest in the world. You can feel it at every step, so I'm really happy and I'm enjoying all of this."

Thierry Henry says the USMNT benefits when its players test themselves in Europe, but he also cautioned against using national-team selections as the sole measure of Major League Soccer’s growth. The French legend believes overseas experience helps American players – even as MLS continues to play an important role in their development.

Getty Images SportEuropean experience broadens player development

Henry stressed he views international club experience as a positive factor that contributes to both personal growth and team cohesion.

“I don't know if it's a progress or not, about, you know, the MLS or not,” Henry said on . “I've seen American players coming and playing in leagues before. On a personal point of view, and I will go back to that, I think it's always going to be a plus when you go abroad to find out what type of player you are, learn another style of play.

“So that means when you come back, and you play against those guys, or you talk to the guys that never left, you say, ‘Oh, in Italy it is like this,’ or, ‘In England it is like this,’ or, ‘In Spain it is like that.’ And you come back and you learn as a player yourself. So I see it as a positive thing. Wherever you go, you still, you're still French at the end of the day and play, and play your own way." 

AdvertisementHenry believes MLS progress is multifaceted

While Henry acknowledged the value of European experience, he cautioned against reducing MLS’s development to the number of players called into the national team. He noted that MLS is a complex environment with its own challenges and dynamics that deserve deeper evaluation. Still, he made clear he would encourage players to test themselves abroad.

“To go back to the national team, yes, it is very important, I do think for the U.S. to have American players playing abroad so they can bring the experience,” Henry said. 

GettyNational team success depends on development strategies

Henry stressed that the true indicator of progress lies in the national team’s overall performance and development rather than the professional leagues where players compete. 

“Okay, so now let's go back to the national team. If we go back to the national team, I do think that regardless of what it is, don't judge whoever is playing where and being starters or not on what the game is doing there,” Henry explained. “Judge what the national team is doing and how they're going about it. So what are you doing also with grassroots? Are you talking to the MLS? Are you end-to-end with it?

“Are you trying to develop players in the neighborhoods of the country? And yes, it is important to have players in Europe. Yes. But that doesn't mean you're gonna have a better national team.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for U.S. soccer

The U.S. just announced a new friendly against Senegal in Charlotte, which will be played on May 31. 

The Buss family reportedly is entering an agreement to sell the majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter at a valuation at approximately $10 billion, Shams Charania reported on Wednesday. This marks the largest sale of a sports franchise in American history, and a sale that values the team at nearly $4 billion more than any other American sports team.

Though Jeanie Buss will remain the Lakers' governor and run the team for several years, the future of the Lakers lies in Walter's hands.

So, who is Mark Walter? Here is what to know about the new Lakers owner.

How Mark Walter Acquired the Team

Walter initially purchased a minority share of the Lakers in 2021, buying Phil Anschutz's 26% stake, per Ramona Shelburne. With this stake, Walter was also granted the first right of refusal if the Buss family were to sell their 66% stake in the franchise, helping put him in position to eventually purchase the majority stake in the Lakers. About four years later, Walter is now taking majority ownership of the franchise.

The Background and Wealth of Mark Walter

Walter was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spending his childhood in the Midwest and as a fan of the Chicago Cubs. He would remain in the Midwest through college, going on to get his Bachelor's degree in business at Creighton University and then earn a law degree at Northwestern University in 1985.

After graduating from law school, Walter worked at a law firm and then for First Chicago Capital Markets, but eventually left to become a co-founder of the Liberty Hampshire Company, an investment management and personal financing company.

During that time, Walter met J. Todd Morley, who introduced him to Peter Lawson-Johnston II, a descendant of the Guggenheim family. The three would go on to start Guggenheim Partners, which now has more than an estimated $330 billion of assets under their management. The Guggenheim Partners later found diversified holding company TWG Global, which Walter owns a 21% stake in and is the CEO of.

Walter has kept private and is known for being lowkey, but an insider with knowledge of the businesses told in 2012 that Walter is "one of the great financial minds of our time."

What Is Mark Walter's Net Worth?

There are varying estimates of Mark Walter's net worth. Forbes listed Walter's net worth this year at $6.1 billion, while Bloomberg has his net worth estimate at more than double that figure at $12.5 billion.

Full Portfolio of Mark Walter's Sports Ownership

Along with his portfolio in finance and business, Mark Walter has invested greatly in professional sports. Walter is most well-known as the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, leading Guggenheim Baseball Management to purchase the team for a then-record $2.15 billion in 2012. Walter owns 27% of the team, and has mostly taken a hands-off approach to his ownership. Since 2013, the Dodgers have made the postseason in every season, won two World Series, and accrued many big-name talents including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.

Outside of baseball, Walter has made great investment into women's sports. He owns a sixth of the Los Angeles Sparks as part of the team's six-person ownership group. He is also the owner of the Professional Women's Hockey League, and the winning team each year receives a trophy named after him, the Walter Cup.

Beyond these sporting investments, Walter additionally holds ownership stakes in Chelsea FC and the Cadillac Formula 1 team.

The pitch was difficult for batting once again but Bangladesh’s openers overcame the challenge to help win the series decider

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2025A failing batting line-up and a long run of poor results in ODIs prompted Bangladesh to throw up their version of the Hail Mary this series: a dark, cracked pitch in Mirpur, where the ball spins, spits and makes run-scoring difficult. The highest total in the first two matches was only 213, and Bangladesh and West Indies set a new world record by bowling 92 overs of spin in the second ODI.So when Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar walked out to open the innings in the series decider, the focus was on how they would cope with the surface. Bangladesh hadn’t won an ODI series for 18 months, which is a bad place for a team targeting direct qualification to the 2027 World Cup.It was the batting that had consistently let Bangladesh down, so the pressure was on once again. But over the next 25 overs, Saif and Soumya gave their team hope.They added 176 runs in 25.2 overs for the first wicket; Saif scoring 80 off 72 balls and Soumya 91 off 86. Their attacking approach was in contrast to the struggle of batters in the previous two games, and none of the batters that came after them from either side managed to emulate their success.The partnership helped Bangladesh score 296 for 8, a total that was 179 runs too many for West Indies. Daren Sammy, the West Indies coach, praised the mentality Saif and Soumya had shown in such conditions.Related

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“I think it’s a mindset,” Sammy said after the game. “You know, for us, when we explain in the dressing room what this game means, you know, we’re looking for automatic qualification [for the World Cup]. We have got two teams fighting for that last spot before the cut-off period, and then you have a series decider on the line. Your mindset must be I’m the one to do that. You saw the mindset of the [Bangladesh] batters.”They were like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna be brave on that wicket, I’m gonna set the tone’. The score didn’t reflect what the wicket was. The batsmen came in, decided to be brave in the powerplay, and that put us under pressure. And then we, we just took so long to answer. We were not consistent enough in the areas that would challenge the batters and then we paid heavily for it.”Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said the Saif-Soumya partnership was a long time coming. “The start is very important for a team. We haven’t had such a partnership from the top order for a long time. The team mentality changes when you get such a start from the top order.”We have to give credit to Saif and Soumya for the way they batted today. They batted aggressively on this wicket, which made it easy for the rest of the team.”Mehidy said he liked how Soumya and Saif went for their favoured shots whenever presented with the opportunity. “It feels good. We have been struggling with our batting for a long time. We however believed that we could make a comeback any time. We have to give them some time.”This wasn’t an easy wicket but they played their go-to shots. Soumya Sarkar played reverse sweeps against their spinners. Saif Hassan attacked their right-handed bowlers. They played with calculative risks.”A batter will do well in three out of five innings. The team will benefit if those three knocks are substantial. It becomes difficult if the batter falls in the thirties after getting set. We have to be more patient with these batters. A good top-order partnership usually helps the batting line-up.”For now, the Saif-Soumya stand is a one-off event. It was Bangladesh’s first 100-plus opening stand in two years. After their dismissals, the rest struggled to maintain the tempo. But Saif and Soumya provided an example of how a bit of courage can overcome the most difficult of batting conditions.

It’s never easy being manager of Tottenham Hotspur, is it? Just ask Ange Postecoglou.

The Aussie won an elusive European trophy for Spurs but after a dismal domestic campaign where the Lilywhites finished 17th, he was given his marching orders.

League proceedings threatened to get better during the early stages of Thomas Frank’s reign. Spurs were more organised and looked compact at the back.

How quickly things change. Last weekend, Frank’s side ended a run of five straight games in all competitions without winning by defeating Brentford. They won again in the Champions League in midweek but were brought back down to earth when they visited Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Spurs were pulled this way and that by Postecoglou’s former employers. With Sean Dyche now at the helm, he more than got the better of Frank who saw his side slip to a dire 3-0 loss.

What went wrong for Spurs at Forest

During the first few weeks of the new regime at Spurs, they looked far better at the back but that solidity appears to have alluded them in recent weeks. They have kept just two Premier League clean sheets in their last eight games to really hammer home the pressure on Frank.

At the City Ground, things didn’t get much better and they had Guglielmo Vicario to blame.

The Italian has made a number of crucial interventions in Spurs colours this season but arguably turned in one of his worst performances for the club in Nottingham at the weekend.

For the opener, Vicario played a very sketchy ball into the path of Archie Gray who was under pressure. He was ultimately caught in possession and Forest ended up finding the net.

Then, for the second, Hudson Odoi appeared to aim a cross into the area but it ended up goalbound and soared over Vicario whose positioning was all wrong.

While the goalkeeper did not help matters, even when Spurs had the ball in the final third they did not do an awful lot with it.

Striker Richarlison managed just two shots, none of which were on target. He also completed a dismal two passes during the game.

As for Mohammed Kudus, he could only carve out one key pass and didn’t manage a shot on target either.

Truth be told, Frank looks out of his depth. His tactics are limited and it may well be time for a change in the dugout.

The man to replace Thomas Frank at Spurs

The Dane may well have only been in charge since the summer but it’s time for a replacement. Frank did a wonderful job at Brentford but for a club that wants to be challenging for honours, they need someone progressive, someone with a better style of football.

Manager Focus

Enter Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. Daniel Levy allegedly interviewed the Spaniard at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, as per TalkSPORT, who confirmed a few weeks ago that he has his sights set on a move up the Premier League, although with the caveat that he wants to see out the season.

Well, if Spurs play their cards right, that time could be now. Hailed as “the best coach in the Premier League” by European football expert James Horncastle for his exploits on the South Coast, the Cherries manager looks ready to be an elite name in the sport.

Since taking over at Bournemouth, he has turned them into a top-half club. They finished ninth in the table last season, just nine points off a European spot.

It was a brilliant accomplishment for such a small club, but like Iraola, they are growing in stature with the Basque-born coach in charge.

Frank has been accused of playing rather boring football since moving to Spurs. It’s the opposite of Postecoglou’s reign. That’s a positive for sure, yet there also has to be a level of ambition to their play. That’s where Iraola could come in.

Bournemouth writer, Sam Davis, once noted that ‘we were told that we would see “rock and roll” football and “organised chaos” when the new boss joined the ranks at Vitality Stadium – they weren’t kidding!’

On that evidence, he could well be the perfect hybrid between Ange and Frank. Structure and organisation to the defence but crucially, a desire and ambition to attack and play free-flowing football.

Spurs must look away from Frank and roll their dice on Iraola; it could be a match made in heaven.

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