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The MLS SuperDraft might not be as valued as it used to be, but there are diamonds in the rough every year

The MLS SuperDraft has become something of a unwanted relic from the league's formative years – comparable in some ways to the 35-yard shootouts of the 1990s or the league’s original logo.

At its height, the SuperDraft produced franchise-altering talent similar to the drafts in the NBA and NFL. Players such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron, and Graham Zusi emerged from its ranks. All but Zusi went on to make significant impacts in Europe after starting their careers in MLS.

However, the rise of MLS academies and ever-expanding rules incentivizing clubs to sign young foreign players have diminished the draft's importance over the past two decades. MLS Commissioner Don Garber openly acknowledged this during his annual state of the league address.

“We’ve been de-emphasizing the SuperDraft since the early days,” he said. “I think you’ll continue to see a de-emphasis on a specific draft. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to draft players when they come out of college. But for us, we’ll still have some form of a SuperDraft, but the majority of our players will come from our academies and from different discovery mechanisms."

Despite its reduced value, the SuperDraft still serves as a vital player acquisition method for MLS and most of it 30 clubs – for good reason. Each draft uncovers hidden gems who become significant contributors to their teams. Moreover, there are tangible benefits to drafting well, including the potential to sell those players for profit.

For instance, the Colorado Rapids sold 2023 No. 3 pick Moise Bombito in a deal that could rise to $10.7 million. Similarly, No. 6 pick Duncan McGuire came close to a $4 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers from Orlando City SC, only for the move to fall through due to botched paperwork. Here is a look back at the best selections since 2010.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images Sport5Darlington Nagbe: No. 2, 2011 SuperDraft

Four MLS Cups. More than 400 appearances and 38 goals. One Leagues Cup. Nagbe is a serial winner, even going back to his college days where he won in 2010 with Akron, and the epitome of a strong MLS draft pick.

Nagbe never gained much traction in moving abroad, but then again, he created a legacy that few players who have graced the league can compare with. He's a Hall of Famer, even without major national team credentials or testing himself in Europe.

Even more incredible is the now-34-year-old's continual evolution in the North American top flight. He came into the league as an attacking winger/midfielder and now plays in a deep-lying playmaking role at the Columbus Crew due to his high IQ. No wonder Atlanta went all out to sign him in free agency in 2017.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport4Miles Robinson: No. 2, 2017 SuperDraft

Although Robinson’s career has seemed to plateau recently – particularly following his move to FC Cincinnati – his selection in the SuperDraft highlights the draft’s potential value in uncovering USMNT-caliber talent.

Make no mistake: Robinson is a European-quality center back. He’s tall, quick, and possesses an exceptional ability to read the game, making him a formidable defender. His peak came in 2019, a year after Atlanta United’s 2018 MLS Cup win, when he made 34 league appearances.

While injuries and inconsistency have since dimmed his star somewhat, Robinson remains, when healthy, arguably one of the top five defenders in MLS. That alone underscores the strength of his selection.

Getty Images Sport3Walker Zimmerman: No. 7, 2013 SuperDraft

Zimmerman doesn't have the natural talent of Robinson, but he's been more consistent – in part due to being relatively heathy throughout his career. He has largely been a rock in the backline for two MLS franchises – FC Dallas and Nashville SC. He's made 266 MLS appearances. And as a result, he's been in the U.S. national team fold – starting for the team in the 2022 World Cup and also featuring in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

While 2024 wasn't Zimmerman's best in MLS, he remains one of the faces of the Nashville franchise.

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Getty Images Sport2Jack Harrison: No. 1, 2016 SuperDraft

Harrison is one of the best stories of both college soccer and the MLS SuperDraft. Realizing he wasn't going to make the grade at Manchester United as a academy player, he aimed to utilize his training and skill to get an education at Wake Forest on a scholarship.

In short, he put on a show for Demon Deacons, dropping 11 assists and eight goals in just 22 appearance. That would catapult him to the most coveted pick for that year's draft and a player who NYCFC had tracked for years.

The club would trade the No. 4 pick and cash to acquire him and he didn't disappoint. On a star-studded NYCFC team that featured David Villa, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo among others, Harrison was arguably the Pigeons' second-best player during his two seasons at the club.

He also became one of the most sought after young stars in the league – eventually earning a move to Leeds after a convoluted transfer-loan deal with NYCFC's affiliate Manchester City. Harrison is still a regular starter in the Premier League , featuring for Everton.

Tottenham are set to begin work on a potential new signing for Ange Postecoglou in the transfer windows to come, it has been reported, as they look to get a headstart on the competition for his services.

Spurs suffer mixed start to the Premier League

In 2023/24, Ange Postecoglou's new-look Tottenham side set Premier League records, with eight wins and two draws in their opening 10 games seeing them take home 26 points, the most of any manager in their first 10 matches in the competition's history. This time around, expectations are higher and they are yet to truly impress in the same way that they did this time 12 months ago.

They sit 10th in the Premier League over the first international break, having lost to Newcastle United at St James' Park to leave them sat on four points from their opening three games, with a draw at Leicester City on the opening day being followed with a win over Everton.

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There are concerns over squad depth too, with Spurs having seen a whole host of players leave over the summer and now looking light in some areas beyond the first XI. This is especially true of the defence, where all four of Tottenham's regular starters missed games last season; Radu Dragusin was recruited in January from Genoa, while Djed Spence's return is likely to counteract Emerson Royal's departure for AC Milan.

But left-back remains a concern, with no obvious replacement for Destiny Udogie in the Lilywhites squad and the Italian international having missed 10 games last season through injury and suspension, with Sergio Reguilon deemed surplus to requirements. Now, Spurs are moving to deal with that.

Spurs working to sign "Udogie 2.0"

That comes as Sport Witness relay claims in Italy suggesting that Spurs are "ready to launch an attack" to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce this season. The 19-year-old defender was on the Lilywhites radar over the summer as well as Chelsea's, and has enjoyed a strong start to the season for both club and country.

He scored less than a minute into his Denmark debut to help them secure a 2-0 win over Switzerland, before being offered another chance off the bench against Serbia.

Now, the report claims that it could well be "too late" if Tottenham or any other interested club to wait until the end of the campaign to try and sign the defender, and as a result they are ready to start contacts now to try and secure a deal early for a future transfer window, similar to how they negotiated the deal to sign Udogie.

Indeed, Dorgu isn't too different from the Italian defender, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him "Destiny Udogie 2.0" on X and adding that he is "the modern full-back dream" as he "oozes calmness and composure when on the ball".

If Tottenham are serious about their interest, they will have to stump up a hefty fee, with Lecce reportedly holding out for offers in excess of 30m euros (£25m), which is a similar fee to that commanded by Udogie when he was signed. But if Postecoglou's side could pull off the deal, they could well have their left-back role sorted for the next decade.

Head coach will trial Sohaib Maqsood and Azam Khan for middle-order slots in T20I side

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2021Pakistan’s head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes the team is a couple of positions away from their best T20 side, as they begin the final stage of their preparations for this year’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan have as good a run-in to the tournament, to be held in the UAE from October, as could be hoped for: eight T20Is in the next couple of months against the two finalists from 2016, as well as the two favourites for the next edition – England and West indies.Pakistan landed in England a couple of days ago and will begin training from Monday. A sixth summer trip to England since 2016 means they are in very familiar territory as they begin the tour with three ODIs. But it is the three T20Is that follow that will remain the focus of attention.Related

Misbah-ul-Haq admits Pakistan have 'same problems' with middle order

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Sohaib Maqsood: 'If I start on the top, you will see a big fat strike rate'

Pakistan are aflush with top-order T20 batters but it is the more difficult middle-order slots at five and six they have struggled to fill. Since Misbah took over as coach in September 2019 (and was, for a while, chief selector too) Pakistan have used 14 different players across those two positions and, in Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood, will be trialling two more on this tour.”The PSL made a few things clear,” Misbah said. “I think it is that one slot we are trying to fill, at no.5 and no.6, that we’ve had issues with. We have Azam Khan now and Sohaib Maqsood with us to see if they can, and what combination we can make with them. Overall, the bowling we know we have pretty much our attack. At the top of the order we have our four pretty much and their replacements. So, we know our side more or less but a couple of positions that we need to focus on over the next two series.”Neither Azam nor Maqsood come issue-free, though. Azam’s form in the second half of the PSL in Abu Dhabi dipped in a struggling Quetta Gladiators side. Maqsood was central to Multan Sultan’s title win and has been Pakistan’s form white-ball batter domestically, but has already insisted he wants to bat in the top order. That would mean breaking into a top order that Misbah feels is well-set, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opening, and Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez to follow.Azam, however, will attract most of the attention. There have been questions around his fitness and weight almost since he emerged and now, with national selection, murmurs about the merit in picking the son of Moin Khan, coach of the Gladiators.”We try that whatever players we have here are fully prepared and that we show confidence in them so they go out there and perform,” Misbah said. “Azam no doubt is talented although he is a little out of form recently. But everyone knows that in modern T20 cricket, the power you need at five or six, the strike rate you need, he has the potential for that. So, looking forward to seeing him, we just have to see what combination we want to go with.”Travel requirements being what they are at the moment, Pakistan’s selection for this tour was hamstrung by having to be made before the resumption of the PSL. Haider Ali’s withdrawal for a bio-bubble breach has allowed Pakistan to consider PSL form and pick Maqsood, but there were other performances that may well have been rewarded had the timing been right, not least Shahnawaz Dahani.Misbah on Azam Khan – “Everyone knows that in modern T20 cricket, the power you need at five or six, the strike rate you need, he has the potential for that”•PCB/PSLDahani was the season’s leading wicket-taker and was part of the Test team to Zimbabwe earlier, but is not part of the white-ball squad currently, though Misbah did acknowledge that may change in the West Indies.The flipside has been selected players, like Azam, who did not have a great PSL, such as Shadab Khan or Mohammad Hafeez, or even Haris Rauf whose last three games yielded figures of 12-0-136-1.”It’s always a good thing that the maximum number of players are in good form and in a good frame of mind,” Misbah said. “But you learn from cricket that it doesn’t matter when you have good form and runs and you still don’t perform. And sometimes you’re not in good form but you come with more focus, you try harder to recapture that form.”One good thing is we have time. We have ODIs first, so we can utilise that time and then be properly prepared as we go into the T20s. Form is not something that sticks with you permanently or goes away permanently. As coaching staff and players you try and get that back and we have enough time to do it.”Pakistan will be one short in that backroom staff with the abrupt departure of batting coach Younis Khan. Reports have since emerged of a run-in with a player on the tour to Zimbabwe as one of the factors but Misbah, predictably, wanted to move on.”I don’t want to comment on that. His experience was always good for these young players. But that is something which is between the PCB and coaches. Now we have to live with that and whatever resources we have.”

Russell Martin won’t be impressed whatsoever by Southampton’s slow start out of the blocks to Premier League life, with four defeats on the spin now in the top flight.

To further pile on the misery, the Saints have only scored once across that bleak span of defeats, with more blanks fired last time out against Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.

The Red Devils would end up coasting to a 3-0 victory, but the story of the game could well have been different if Cameron Archer had tucked away a penalty when the game was at 0-0, on what was a torrid day for the former Aston Villa striker up top.

Archer's performance vs Man United

It would have been a surprise to the home contingent packed into St. Mary’s that Archer was given the nod to lead the line on Saturday, with this being his first Premier League start for his new employers since his summer move from Villa.

Archer will know now it’s very unlikely he will make it two starts in a row travelling to Goodison Park, with his performance very underwhelming last time out away from just his tame spot-kick miss.

Andre Onana would comfortably save his effort from the spot in a game that passed Archer by away from this incident, with the 22-year-old only managing 16 touches of the ball and nine accurate passes before being hooked off the pitch just after the hour mark.

That would even be fewer touches than Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who amassed 47 in contrast, with the ex-Arsenal shot-stopper ensuring his new employers weren’t on the receiving end of a more comprehensive drubbing by also making seven saves.

Archer only winning one of his six duels in the contest also allowed the likes of Matthijs de Ligt to grow in confidence at the back, who would end up opening the scoring for the visitors after Archer’s dire penalty, before Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho then made sure of the three points.

It will be up to Martin now to decide who he starts in the underperforming Saints man’s place tonight, despite the fact Archer did fire home two goals the last time Southampton played in the competition last month, beating Cardiff City 5-3 in the process.

But, after such a poor display against Man United, alternatives to Archer will likely now be on his mind ahead of a clash with Everton.

Players who could replace Archer

Martin will be scrambling in his head who to start against the Toffees up top, knowing that Sean Dyche’s men are also in dire need of a win on Tuesday evening.

Therefore, the side might not be as weak as the one that was fielded against the Bluebirds in the last round, with the likes of Adam Armstrong and others in with a shout of taking Archer’s place.

Player

Career games

Goals scored

Armstrong

430

139

Brereton-Diaz

277

64

Ross Stewart

244

93

Armstrong could well get the nod owing to the fact he is still held in the Saints’ good books for his heroics last campaign – having helped himself to 24 strikes on the way to promotion being sealed – and this tie at Goodison Park might well see him break his unwanted duck for the season.

Ben Brereton-Diaz will also be in with a shout to move into the striker position, having started against Man United, whilst Ross Stewart also stands a chance as the injury-prone striker did replace Archer over the weekend.

Whoever is chosen to start this mid-week will want to stake a claim for a starting spot moving forward in Martin’s main XI, with Archer not exactly banging down the door for a consistent starting spot after his Red Devils horror show.

Southampton's latest teenager out of Staplewood is the "next big thing"

He impressed even in defeat.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 14, 2024

Batter free to resume career in wake of incident in Powys in 2020

George Dobell15-Jul-2021Joe Clarke will be free to resume his career after a charge of affray was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.Clarke, the Nottinghamshire top-order batter, appeared at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court in June charged with affray following an incident in Powys last year.He maintained his innocence throughout, however and, after a review of the evidence conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service, the charges against him have been dropped.Clarke is arguably England’s best uncapped T20 player. He is averaging more than 35 with a strike rate of almost 200 in this year’s Vitality Blast and would surely, had the case not been hanging over him, have been pressing for inclusion in England’s limited-overs squad. Aged only 25, there is no reason to think he cannot now push on to play international cricket.”A number of media outlets reported that, following an incident in July last year, Joe Clarke had been charged with affray,” a statement released by Phoenix, the management company that look after his interests, said. “Joe maintained his innocence throughout and cooperated fully with police in providing an account of the incident. Appearing before Welshpool Magistrates Court in June, Joe entered a not-guilty plea.”We are pleased to advise that after a review of the evidence conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service following Joe’s first appearance, they have concluded that there was insufficient evidence and the case against Joe has been formally discontinued.”

Robinson has been named U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year, with USMNT legend Howard surprising him with news of the award

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Robinson wins U.S. Soccer Male Player of the YearSecond defender to win award since 1995Currently third in Premier League in assistsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

On NBC's Premier League Mornings show Sunday, Tim Howard surprised Antonee Robinson by informing him that he had been named U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year. Robinson has been told he'd be doing a standard interview with Howard, only to be surprised with the revelation that he'd won the award.

Robinson beat out a list of nominees including Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Tim Ream, earning 55 percent of the weighted vote total. The Fulham star is the first defender to win the award this century, with Oguchi Onyewu as the only other. The last defender to win prior to Onyewu was Alexi Lalas, who claimed the award in 1995.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty Images SportWHAT ROBINSON SAID

“It’s an incredible honor,” said Robinson. “Representing our country isn’t something you do for individual accolades. It’s always about putting the team first and trying to do my best for the boys and for the country, so do be rewarded for that is an amazing feeling.”

"I probably looked a little silly because I was shocked! I thought it was just a random interview with Tim about how the season was going, so when he told me I’d won I was just in disbelief because it was the last thing I expected. Obviously, Tim had an incredible career with the national team and throughout his club football so it was a thrill to have that news delivered by him.”

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Robinson's win comes as a result of a fantastic 2024 run which saw him shine for both club and country.

On the club level, Robinson has proven to be one of the Premier League's best fullbacks, if not the best, so far this season. He's tied for third in the league in assists, trailing only superstars Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka, and was named Fulham's Player of the Season for his contributions during the 2023-24 campaign. Robinson is the third current or former Fulham player to win the award, joining Clint Dempsey and Kasey Keller.

For the national team, Robinson featured 11 times in 2024, helping preserve four clean sheets. In addition, he provided a massive assist in the USMNT's win over Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal. In total in 2024, Robinson played the second-most minutes and second-most matches in a calendar year since making his USMNT debut back in 2018.

It is now four home defeats in five for the Red Devils after another disappointing defensive performance

Manchester United got away with it in their previous outing against Southampton, but Brighton were not so charitable and gave the Red Devils exactly what they deserved on Sunday: a punishing 3-1 defeat and their sixth loss of the season at Old Trafford.

United conceded the opening goal for the fifth game in a row at home when Kaoru Mitoma took advantage of lax defending to latch on to a high ball and squared for Yankuba Minteh to tap home in the fifth minute.

Ruben Amorim's side toiled thereafter, but following some half-hearted attempts on goal, they were handed a golden opportunity when Carlos Baleba pulled a wrestling move on Joshua Zirkzee, grabbing the Dutch forward by the neck. Bruno Fernandes nonchalantly slotted home the resulting penalty, but the equaliser barely lifted United's spirits and they continued to play without conviction or clarity.

They instead contrived to conceive another atrocious goal to Joao Pedro early in the second half, but were given a reprieve by VAR for a foul by Jan Paul van Hecke on Diogo Dalot. But they continued to play poorly, giving Brighton too much room down the flanks and were eventually punished when Minteh returned the favour to Mitoma, who stabbed home at the back post.

United's misery was compounded by an astounding gaffe, even by his standards, from Andre Onana, who attempted to catch a low cross but instead pushed it right into the path of Georginio Rutter to score the third. The defeats leaves United 13th in the Premier League table, but on this evidence they deserve to be even lower.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (3/10):

His abysmal error turned a bad display into a terrible one. His delays in releasing the ball also infuriated the fans.

Matthijs de Ligt (5/10):

Made a good block late in the first half but overall was too passive

Harry Maguire (5/10):

Didn't make any glaring errors but looked shaky and slow, nothing like the commanding figure at Arsenal and Liverpool.

Leny Yoro (4/10):

Couldnt keep track of Minteh for the opening goal and had a total lack of authority.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Diogo Dalot (6/10):

His double-block prevented Welbeck from scoring before half-time. Worked hard getting up and down the flank, but his team-mates didn't pick him out.

Kobbie Mainoo (5/10):

Better than against Southampton, but by no means good.

Manuel Ugarte (4/10):

Too slow to make tackles and easily beaten in the build-up to the second Brighton goal.

Noussair Mazraoui (3/10):

Was tortured by Mitoma for the opening goal and then put up no resistance to the Japan international as he nudged in the second. Also easily beaten down the flank before Rutter struck the third.

Getty Images SportAttack

Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

His performance was summed up by a miscued attempt which went wide. Took the penalty well, but otherwise was unable to produce any memorable moments.

Joshua Zirkzee (6/10):

Bizarrely United's best performer, displaying impressive hold-up play and winning the penalty with his brute power.

Amad Diallo (6/10):

Put in his usual shift and was the best hope of United getting back into the game, but he cannot bail the team out every week.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Alejandro Garnacho (5/10):

Couldn't conjure anything.

Toby Collyer (5/10):

Tried to bring more energy to the midfield but it didn't work.

Antony (N/A):

A suitable ropey cameo display in what could be his last appearance for the club.

Rasmus Hojlund (N/A):

Looked lost and isolated up front once more.

Ruben Amorim (4/10):

It's now four defeats in his six Premier League games at Old Trafford and he has to take responsibility for all the feeble home displays.

Things are going to start shifting at Everton. Sean Dyche knows this and has expressed that he wants to lead the Merseysiders forward as they leave Goodison Park and move into their highly-anticipated new stadium in 2025.

Dyche will also know that his team’s abject run of form to start the season off needs to change – fast. Crystal Palace head to Liverpool tomorrow afternoon in a contest between two outfits seeking their first Premier League victory of the year. If Everton fail to win, the 53-year-old manager will be sweating over his future in the dugout.

But let’s be pragmatic for a moment – is Dyche really the man to take the club forward, even if he lifts the Toffees away from danger this year?

There’s a case for the negative.

Why Everton should sack Sean Dyche

Sources close to Everton suggest that the club’s stance on Dyche’s role in the dugout remains resolute, even though The Friedkin Group are on the cusp of completing a purchase of Farhad Moshiri’s majority shares.

Dyche is regarded as a manager who enforces an unfashionable and counter-possession style of football, and while this is certainly the case – Everton’s 37% average possession this year is the lowest in the Premier League – his side does like to drive forward.

A lack of possession does not necessarily translate to ‘defensive’ football: Arsenal rank 16th for possession held in the top flight this term with a 41% average.

Further to the point, Everton have created nine big chances in the league this year, ranking joint ninth among a host of divisional rivals. Last year, they ranked 11th with 63 big chances created, more than Manchester United.

So, you see, Everton have a way of working, Dyche has a way of doing things, but that’s not to say at all that he’s not effective, not assured in his system and its parts. Let’s not forget, without the imposed eight-point deduction, the Goodison Park side would have clocked in at a joint-11th-placed finish.

Of course, we’re dancing away from the point that Everton have been in dismal showing this season, and though they’ve managed to showcase some attacking intent in recent matches, taking the lead in each of their past three, the Blues lost against Bournemouth and Aston Villa despite holding two-goal leads and drew at Leicester City after scoring first.

The team clearly has offensive skills to offer, but Dyche’s well-known defensive solidity has slipped and melted into weak and porous. It’s time for change, and West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan could be the man for the job.

Carlos Corberan would be the dream Dyche replacement

Corberan implements an attractive and high-energy style of football that would certainly bring about a sense of change at Everton, with the promising coach previously touted as a target following Frank Lampard’s dismissal back in January 2023.

Sky Sports commentator Don Goodman has previously said that the Spaniard’s Baggies are “horrible to play against”, with his 4-2-3-1 formation succeeding in shaping his heavy-metal brand.

Having cut his teeth under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, the 41-year-old brings a style carrying a semblance to that of the Argentine, playing fluid and fast football.

His innate tactical understanding and easy-on-the-eye football could see him emerge as Everton’s top target and receive attention beyond that of former Blues gaffer David Moyes and Gareth Southgate, two names that have been linked with the job amid growing questions about Dyche’s leadership.

It could also unlock new signing Iliman Ndiaye, who has been one of Everton’s brightest sparks this season but has a skillset that could perhaps benefit from a shift in manager.

Ndiaye was signed from Marseille for a fee in the region of £15m this summer and he has indeed impressed so far, scoring twice, including against the Foxes last time out to earn Everton their first point of the term.

A technically impressive player, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, emphasising that point.

Matches (starts)

5 (3)

Goals

1

Shots (on target)*

1.2 (0.6)

Accurate passes

81%

Key passes*

0.8

Dribbles completed*

1.8

Ball recoveries

5.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

Total duels won

4.6

An athletic and fleet-footed player, the versatile forward could be perfect in a more attack-focused system, with the roundedness and combative sheen to make it all tick – he might even become Corberan’s main man down the line, as he continues to adapt.

Once described as a “genius” by former Leeds player Romario Vieira, Corberan must be the man to target if Dyche fails to turn things around – Southgate’s tactics didn’t exactly go down a treat for the Three Lions this summer even if willpower dragged them through to the final, while Moyes’ tenure at West Ham came to an end with fans crying out for something new, given his pragmatic approach.

Although Corberan will be immensely proud of the work he has done at the Hawthorns, with West Brom indeed perched in pole position after seven fixtures in 2024/25, he will know that solidified Everton interest could prove to be an opportunity not worth passing up on.

TFG, whisper it quietly, could establish the infrastructure for a brand new world on the blue half of Merseyside – they need to make it happen.

Branthwaite will love him: Everton could appoint "genius" Dyche replacement

He’d be a breath of fresh air for the Merseysiders…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 27, 2024

New Zealand were bowled out for 60 as Bangladesh won the series opener in Dhaka by seven wickets

Shashank Kishore01-Sep-2021For New Zealand, it was the stuff nightmares are made of. They crashed and burned to 60 all out on a challenging Mirpur surface, failing to utilise their full complement of overs. While they made a good fist of it with the ball, applying the spin choke, they just didn’t have the runs on the board to give Bangladesh the jitters. The hosts overhauled the target with seven wickets in hand and five overs to spare.There was sharp turn on offer for spinners from both sides, but the conditions weren’t unplayable. The New Zealand batters looked rusty against spin and lost so much ground early that they couldn’t make much of a mark against the pacers either.This was Bangladesh’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in T20Is, one that helped carry forward their impressive string of home performances from last month where they beat Australia 4-1 in the T20Is.Nasum, Mahedi spin a web
Rachin Ravindra, on T20I debut, returned to the scene of his maiden Under-19 World Cup campaign from five years ago, looking to give New Zealand a headstart against Bangladesh’s plethora of spin options. Having played every summer in India for a better part of the past five years on raging turners, he was placed well to do so, too.However, the pressure of an international debut can do strange things as he found out, chipping a return catch to Mahedi Hasan off the very first ball to fall for a golden duck. It was the start of a procession of wickets. Barring Colin de Grandhomme’s dismissal to a slog sweep, batter after batter failed to either pick the length or being done in sharp turn or skid off the pitch.Will Young was bowled looking to cut Shakib Al Hasan to one that kept low, while Tom Blundell played for turn, only to beaten by an in-drifter that crashed into the stumps. New Zealand were under the pump at 9 for 4.Related

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Shakib: 'The wicket was more difficult than the Australia series'

Stats – New Zealand fall to their joint-lowest T20I total

Latham on Bangladesh T20Is: 'Things won't be easy over here'

Latham, Nicholls provide a batting blueprint
As long as they were there, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls showed the top order just how they should have approached their innings. They were decisive in their footwork against spin – going either fully forward or playing right back and playing late. Latham, in particular, used his feet well to smother turn and milk the singles. The pair put together 34, the highest partnership of the innings, before Latham fell.Having thwarted the spinners, Latham fell to a long hop, failing to control a pull that he hit straight to fine leg to give Mohammad Saifuddin his first wicket. Five balls later, New Zealand’s second debutant of the day – Cole McConchie – also fell for a duck when he chipped a tame catch to short midwicket off Shakib.Realising he was running out of partners, Nicholls then looked to launch one down the ground off Saifuddin, only to be beaten by the slowness of the surface as he dragged one to long-on for 18. New Zealand had slumped to 49 for 7 in 13 overs. It didn’t take Mustafizur Rahman long to then clean up the lower order and finish with 3 for 13.Bangladesh slow but steady
It was by no means a cakewalk for the hosts, but hours of training and playing on such decks meant they knew how to approach the innings. Not even two early wickets and five quiet overs had them press the panic button, especially after Ajaz Patel kept them quiet with his ripping left-arm spin, finishing his four overs with 1 for 7.Mohammad Naim chipped one to short midwicket as offspinner McConchie struck with his first ball on T20I debut. In the next over, Liton Das was sucked into a drive, only to be beautifully deceived in flight as Latham effected a stumping to leave them 7 for 2.Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim used their strong spin game to play the sweeps and paddles to pick off runs. Shakib cruised through to 25 before giving Ravindra his maiden international wicket when he top-edged a cut to Latham. Mahmudullah, the captain, and Mushfiqur then saw off the chase without any further hassles.

Only a matter of days ago Arsenal swept PSG aside with a comfortable win inside the Emirates Stadium.

It wasn’t easy, per se, but the confidence with which Mikel Arteta’s men brushed aside one of Europe’s elite clubs 2-0 was impressive.

Therefore, it makes their matches against Leicester City and Southampton which sandwiched that Champions League tie rather more perplexing.

Arsenal were coasting at half-time last week only to be undone by two James Justin goals from nowhere. The Gunners did end up winning the game but they did so in dramatic last-gasp fashion.

Late heroics weren’t needed against Southampton but they were given a scare on Saturday. Cameron Archer opened the scoring against the run of play but the Gunners fought back in deadly style.

Almost single-handedly Kai Havertz decided to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and once his equaliser went in, Arteta rang the changes. Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho were all off. On came Gabriel Martinelli – scorer of Arsenal’s second on the day – Leandro Trossard and new signing Mikel Merino. Boy did they make an impact?

By the time the whistle went at the end of 99 long minutes of play, it was 3-1 as Bukayo Saka capped off a fine individual afternoon. We want to talk about Havertz first, though.

Kai Havertz's performance in numbers

This time last year the German had just been gifted a charity penalty. Let’s be honest, that’s what it was.

Arsenal were in a comfortable position away at Bournemouth and Saka was about to put the ball down on the spotkick. Over came captain Martin Odegaard who whispered in the Englishman’s ear before presenting the opportunity to Havertz. He duly obliged and the £65m signing was finally off and running in Arsenal colours.

Since that moment at the Vitality Stadium, the former Chelsea man has only gone from strength to strength. In fact, he’s now one of the club’s most important players. Gabriel Jesus, who?

Arteta trialled him as a no.8 following the departure of Granit Xhaka but the Germany international offers so much more up top. He’s painted out as a false 9 but he’s now blossoming into an elite centre forward.

Havertz now has seven goals in seven straight home games and as a striker for Arsenal in Premier League action, he has registered 20 goal involvements in 20 games (12 goals and 8 assists), averaging one every 83 minutes.

Against Southampton, he proved exactly why he’s so valuable. The way he took his goal was Robin van Persie-esque. The 25-year-old burst forward, took a few touches to get the ball into a commanding position before hammering it home via the post.

If that didn’t sum up his display then a display of duel-winning right near the end of the contest did. Havertz entered a duel about 25 yards from goal in a central area and hustled and harried the visiting team into ceding possession, eventually winning it on the touchline and setting up another Arsenal attack.

In total, he won seven duels which was perhaps every bit as important as his rasping equaliser on 58 minutes.

Touches

53

Accurate passes

27/32 (84%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

0/2

Shots on target

2

Shots off target

4

Shots blocked

1

Dribbles

2/4

Aerial duels won

3/6

Ground duels won

4/7

Tackles & interceptions

2

It was a phenomenal performance but there was one that caught the eye even further.

Bukayo Saka's performance in numbers

There’s always discourse surrounding Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Saka. Last weekend it was Palmer’s opportunity to showcase just how much of a threat he is. The Chelsea star did so emphatically, scoring a ridiculous four times against Brighton.

A week later it was Saka who proved why he could be the most special of the trio, picking up two assists and scoring the final goal against Russel Martin’s Saints.

Like Havertz, the 23-year-old put in a remarkable attacking performance and is now proving himself to be one of the game’s elite creators.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Before last week’s match with the Foxes, no player on record had managed seven shots and seven chances created in a single Premier League game. Well, Saka did so against Leicester and on Saturday when Southampton came to town, he did the same again.

Yes, he may well be on corners, but this weekend both of his assists came from open play. The second was a peach, curling the ball to the back post where Martinelli was left with a simple finish from close range.

For the season, he now has seven assists in seven top-flight games and has created 27 goal-scoring chances, at least four more than any other player.

In intriguing circumstances, it seems as though Arsenal may have just unearthed the heir to Mesut Ozil’s crown.

Saka certainly has a bit more energy and drive to his play but Ozil, lest we forget, is one of the best playmakers of the 21st century.

In Arsenal colours, the German registered a whopping 75 assists in 254 games, 19 of which came in the same 2015/16 season as he came ever so close to matching Thierry Henry’s record for a Premier League campaign of 20.

Saka could well be in contention to match or beat that come the end of the term. He certainly will do if he continues at his current rate.

It’s crazy to think that the England international only registered nine in the entire league campaign last time out. At the age of just 23, the Arsenal star is getting even better. Scary times indeed for Premier League left-backs.

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 5, 2024