The World Series goes through the National League. At least if you go by the top of the betting odds.
The top three teams in the MLB World Series betting odds currently reside in the NL, starting with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers at +230 on FanDuel Sportsbook. The NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are next on the odds at +850 each. Both teams made big swings at the deadline, adding bullpen help and, for the Phillies, Harrison Bader as well.
The New York Yankees are fourth on the oddsboard at +900. They added Pirates closer David Bednar at the deadline, but are waiting on MVP/All-Star/heart-and-soul-of-the-team Aaron Judge to come off the 10-day IL. They are also four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East and only 2.5 games ahead in the wild card standings.
The Detroit Tigers (+950), Houston Astros (+1200) and Blue Jays (+1400) are next on the oddsboard. All three are at least four games ahead in their respective division races and the Blue Jays made some moves at the deadline that suggest they’re all in on this season. They’re currently battling the Tigers for the best record in the NL while the Astros remain the Astros in a solid AL West.
The Padres are currently the hottest team in baseball, having won five straight, including a sweep of the visiting Mets. They also went all-in at the deadline, shoring up what is already the best bullpen in the league.
Here are the odds for every MLB team to win the World Series with odds coming from FanDuel.
2025 MLB World Series OddsLos Angeles Dodgers +230Philadelphia Phillies +850New York Mets +850New York Yankees +900Detroit Tigers +950Houston Astros +1200Toronto Blue Jays +1400Chicago Cubs +1400Seattle Mariners +1600Milwaukee Brewers +1600San Diego Padres +2500Boston Red Sox +2700Texas Rangers +3000Tampa Bay Rays +9000Cincinnati Reds +10000San Francisco Giants +13000Kansas City Royals +15000Cleveland Guardians +20000St. Louis Cardinals +25000Minnesota Twins +32000Arizona Diamondbacks +55000Los Angeles Angels +75000Washington Nationals +100000Atlanta Braves +100000Pittsburgh Pirates +100000Baltimore Orioles +100000Chicago White Sox +100000Miami Marlins +100000Athletics +100000
West Ham have emerged as contenders to sign Man United sensation Kobbie Mainoo as we slowly approach the January transfer window.
The 10-cap England international, who once burst on to the scene in impressive fashion at Old Trafford, has been starved of impactful minutes under Ruben Amorim.
With his contract still expiring in under two years, speculation understandably remains rife over his long-term future.
Mainoo was heavily linked with a summer window exit from United, with Chelsea previously named as one suitor to take the Stockport-born youngster off Amorim’s hands.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
The west Londoners were even quoted a £70 million asking price when they enquired back in January, according to The Athletic, but the price for a permanent deal dropped to as low as £45 million at the end of last summer.
Since United made the decision not to part company before deadline day on September 1, Mainoo is yet to start a single Premier League game, and it is believed he’s been clamoring for an exit.
According to Sky Sports news in August, Mainoo asked United to green-light a loan move away to gain valuable minutes elsewhere, but Amorim was adamant that he needs the academy graduate and urged him to fight for more game time.
Fast-forward to now, and the only start Mainoo has under his belt this season came during United’s dismal loss to Grimsby Town on penalties in the Carabao Cup.
The midfielder is far from satisfied, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that West Ham are proposing a way out for Mainoo.
West Ham's offer to Kobbie Mainoo with Man United star in 'advanced talks' to leave
Speaking on the Here We Go podcast this week, Romano said that West Ham are “offering guaranteed minutes” to Mainoo in a bid to tempt him down south, but they’re not alone.
Indeed, Serie A champions Napoli are also battling for his signature as Mainoo still aims to leave on a temporary deal.
On the Napoli front, there is a pretty immediate danger to West Ham’s chances of signing Mainoo, with Antonio Conte’s side believed to be in ‘advanced talks’, according to another media source.
West Ham are not completely out of the running yet, it would seem, and he’d certainly add a whole new dimension to Nuno Espírito Santo’s midfield.
It wasn’t too long ago when United legend Paul Scholes claimed that Mainoo was “10 times” the player he was at 19, and the youngster’s breakout 2023/2024 campaign briefly sparked suggestions that he could be England’s next big star.
Mainoo’s match-winning display against Man City in the 2024 FA Cup final was followed by a sublime Euros with England, where he registered an historic 96% passing accuracy at one stage and became the fifth-youngest player to ever feature in a major international final — behind Lamine Yamal, Pele, Giuseppe Bergomi and Renato Sanches.
Mainoo is a gem waiting to be plucked away from United’s bench, and his enthusiasm for minutes could seriously benefit West Ham as he yearns to showcase his true ability.
This wasn’t a day for the spinner, but it was certainly a day for India’s greatest spinner, with the bat, on his home ground
Alagappan Muthu19-Sep-20241:08
Why was Ashwin more comfortable than the top-order batters?
It’s lunch. The crowd is quiet. Maybe even bored. A bunch of them have come wearing Virat Kohli shirts. The silence when he fell is already in talks to get a guest spot on the next Quiet Place movie. Someone steps out of the Indian dressing room and begins walking on the field. That’s it. Just putting one foot in front of the other. People have been doing that since before the stone age. But it is enough to shoo the sombre straight off this morning.R Ashwin doesn’t need to do much to make this place come alive.
****
It’s nearly stumps. India’s score has been given a touch-up, from 34 for 3 to 329 for 6, and those same Kohli jerseys are up off their seats, swarming against the railings, phones out, horns blaring.Ashwin is on strike. Ninety-nine not out. He clips one of the easier balls he’s had to face for a single, in conditions that are, to put it mildly, not usual for the start of a new Test season in India. Fast bowlers have taken five of the six wickets that have fallen, and they have found sideways movement all through the 80 overs of play. This is not a day for the spinner. But it does become a day for India’s greatest spin-bowling pair. Ashwin punches Ravindra Jadeja’s gloves on his way to the other end as the applause flows uninterrupted.
****
India were 144 for 6 when Ashwin came in to bat. Bangladesh had let some of their good work slip in the morning session but weren’t quite so generous now. There was pressure from both ends. Hasan Mahmud’s skill at getting the red ball to nip both ways had catapulted him into rarefied space occupied only by Dale Steyn. From 2006, for almost two decades, the South African had been the only visiting seamer to pick up four or more wickets on the first day of a Test match in India. This was not a day for the spinner. Ashwin got on top of a 142kph Nahid Rana delivery and punched it hella smoothly in front of point to move from 1 to 5. This was already his day.Related
Ashwin: 'Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game'
Mahmud keeps it simple to stand out in Bangladesh's attack
Ashwin: In the last IPL, I felt like I needed to widen my game
There aren’t a lot of centuries by Indian batters from No. 8 and lower. Only 19. And of those, only two had faced worse odds. Harbhajan Singh made 115 after walking in with the score on 65 for 6 against New Zealand in 2010, and Ashwin himself made 106 after walking in with the score 106 for 6 against England in 2021. It is remarkable that he pulled off this rescue act while looking like he was having a net. He was in control of 86% of the balls he faced even while scoring over half his runs in boundaries. He just has this feel for conventional attacking shots.There were some chart-toppers here. One – an imperious, on-the-up cover drive off Mahmud – quickly erased the fact that he could’ve been dismissed the previous ball. Another – a cheeky little upper cut off Nahid Rana – had similar effect, supplanting any memory of how he couldn’t get out of the way of a previous bouncer from Taskin Ahmed. Two were shots that he had paid particular attention to in the week leading up to the game – sweeps. One went for six, the other for four. When the host broadcaster asked him about all this positivity, Ashwin said, “it helps that I’ve come off the back of a T20 tournament. Worked quite a bit on my batting and playing a few shots and of course, I’ve always been wafting my bat around outside off stump, not giving it a full monty, but on a surface like this with a bit of spice, if you’re going after the ball, might as well go after it really hard.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s lower-middle order has been the difference in several Test matches, helping them preserve an impeccable home record over the last 12 years. So the dressing room was pretty chill, none more so than the captain, Rohit Sharma who took in part of the action while lying down on the floor.It is learnt that neither the BCCI nor the team management had asked for seamer-friendly surfaces for this series, even though they are facing the prospect of five massive Tests in Australia at the end of the season. Still, the local officials were quite deliberate in preparing this pitch, hiding it from the heat which has reached levels never before seen in Chennai in the month of September. The only time it was exposed to the elements was when it was being watered. It seems they felt, really strongly, that India would be well served having recent experience of playing against a red ball that refused to stop jagging about. #KnowledgableChennaiGroundstaff.Ashwin couldn’t have been happier for the way he had been tested. “I think it’s the old Chennai surface with a bit of bounce and carry. The red-soil pitch allows you to play a few shots. If you’re willing to get in line and sort of, whenever there’s width, if you can give it a bit of a tonk, it really helps. I love playing when there is bounce and carry so yeah, really enjoyed myself today.”R Ashwin and Chepauk: a match made in heaven•BCCITwo partnerships took India to 339 for 6 and both of them stood out for how there was no thought of taking a backward step. Yashasvi Jaiswal represented that quite literally by walking at Mahmud – from a starting position well in front of his crease too – to force the bowler to shorten his length and deny him the movement he was so adept at getting. Rishabh Pant looked extraordinary for time he was out there. He was sent in ahead of KL Rahul to present Bangladesh with a new challenge, bowling at two left-handers after they had made short work of three right-handers. India were in strife but they were switched all the way on and that made a big difference.By the end, Ashwin and Jadeja were scoring at nearly a run a ball, feasting on the kind of bowling that was never going to trouble anybody on day one of this pitch – spin. India actually scored more than a third of their total (127) against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan even though they bowled a little more than one-fourth of the overs (29). Another example of their sharpness despite being under the pump.The Chennai crowd was ecstatic. At 38 years old, it is uncertain if Ashwin will play another Test in front of them. He had his family here. His friends were here. He saluted all of them when he reached his century – first the dressing room – and then to all corners. He averages 55.16 at this ground. His home ground. That’s not far off Sunil Gavaskar and way better than Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin. This was always going to be his day, two days after his birthday.
Vitória e Bahia se enfrentam pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Baiano, neste domingo (31), às 16h (de Brasília), no Estádio do Barradão. O jogo terá transmissão do SBT e por streaming no canal “Nosso Futebol”.
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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA VITÓRIA X BAHIA CAMPEONATO BAIANO – IDA (FINAL) Data e horário: sábado, 31 de março de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília); Local: Estádio do Barradão, em Salvador (BA); Onde assistir: SBT e por streaming no canal Nosso Futebol; Árbitro: Bruno Pereira Vasconcelos; VAR: Diego Pombo Lopez.
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES VITÓRIA (Técnico: Léo Condé) Vagner, Arnaldo, Rafael Vaz, Guilherme Matos e Diego Matos; Sousa, Marco Antônio e Patrick Allan; Luiz Paulo, Kauan Maranhão e Cléo Silva.
continua após a publicidade
BAHIA (Técnico: Rogério Ceni) Marcos Felipe; Arias (Gilberto), Kanu, Cuesta e Luciano Juba; Jean Lucas, Caio Alexandre e Everton Ribeiro; Biel, Everaldo (Estupiñan) e Thaciano.
In need of another central defender amid their disastrous run of form, Liverpool have now reportedly been told how much they’ll have to pay to sign Ezri Konsa.
It was another sobering evening for those at Anfield, who watched on as Crystal Palace defeated Arne Slot’s for the third consecutive time. The Eagles have simply clawed away at the Reds time and time again this season and a young Liverpool side never truly stood a chance.
Losing 3-0 courtesy of yet more goals from Ismaila Sarr and a late Yeremy Pino effort, the Premier League champions are now out of the Carabao Cup and have lost six of their last seven games. They are a team in crisis.
When asked about his side’s latest defeat, however, Slot was quick to point out that his squad is weaker than it seems, using Manchester City as a comparison.
The Dutchman told reporters: “I saw Manchester City’s starting eleven and they didn’t have one starter from the weekend but it felt like their best team. That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in. After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers.”
After spending over £400m in the summer and breaking their transfer record twice, Liverpool are unlikely to get the sympathy that Slot asked for when looking at his squad last night. The former Feyenoord boss didn’t name a single first-team player on the bench and was ultimately made to pay the price.
Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez particularly struggled and the fact that Robertson was forced to play at centre-back exposed the big problem that the Reds must solve. Whether Konsa is the answer to that problem remains to be seen, though.
Liverpool discover Ezri Konsa price
After coming within hours of signing Marc Guehi in the summer, which would have solved their centre-back problem, it’s been back to the drawing board for those at Anfield.
Now, according to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign Ezri Konsa, who Aston Villa are ready to sell for £40m-£45m amid continued PSR problems.
Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"
Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.
By
Angus Sinclair
Oct 30, 2025
The 28-year-old also has interest from Manchester City and Newcastle United, but it’s Liverpool who will need his arrival the most if they miss out on Guehi in the summer.
PL stats 25/26
Konsa
Guehi
Minutes
695
810
Progressive Passes
24
42
Tackles Won
2
12
Ball Recoveries
25
31
It’s tough to match the season that Guehi is having, but Konsa has also shown plenty of potential at Aston Villa, who are beginning to find their form in the current campaign.
Described as a “Rolls-Royce” by former manager Dean Smith, Konsa is represented by the same agent as Ibrahima Konate and could now use that link to get himself a summer switch to Anfield.
Highlights from the fourth round of group-stage matches, with Punjab’s title defence hanging by a thread
Shashank Kishore29-Nov-2024Brar turns hero as Punjab clinch Super-Over thrillerHaving conceded 176, a third loss in four games seemed all but certain when Punjab needed 24 off four balls in their Group A fixture against Mizoram. But Harpreet Brar did the unthinkable – hitting a four and three sixes. Along the way, Punjab also benefited from a wide to help force the game into a Super Over.Brar, who walked in at 151 for 6 with eight balls remaining, hit an unbeaten 23 off seven. Punjab then hit 15 in the one-over shootout to win by eight runs. The defending champions now have two wins in four games, and are currently fifth in their eight-team group with three games remaining. The top two from each group make the knockouts.Thakur delivers joint-most expensive spellIt’s been a tough week for Shardul Thakur. Having found no bidders at the IPL auction just a few days earlier, the India allrounder conceded the the joint-most expensive figures in SMAT history in Mumbai’s 43-run shellacking at the hands of Kerala.Shardul’s figures read 4-0-69-1 as Mumbai conceded 234 for 5 in 20 overs with opener Rohan Kunnummal hitting 87 and allrounder Salman Nizar 99. Nizar hit Thakur for a sequence of 6, 4, 6, 6 in his final over, which went for 28. Ajinkya Rahane responded with a 25-ball half-century to keep Mumbai briefly in the hunt. He finished with a 35-ball 68.Kerala are now second in Group E, with three wins in four games. Mumbai are fourth but have a game in hand.Hardik’s scintillating run continuesFour games in, Hardik Pandya tops the tournament six-hitting charts with 20. Shreyas Iyer comes next with 15. Hardik has married six-hitting with incredible consistency.His 231 runs have come at a strike rate of 211.92. After scores of 74*, 41* and 69, Pandya struck a 23-ball 47 on Friday to help Baroda beat Tripura and stay on top of Group B with four wins in four games.File photo – Ishan Kishan pummelled an unbeaten 77 off just 23 balls as Jharkhand chased down 94 in 4.3 overs•Associated PressDelhi use 11 different bowlersAll of Delhi’s starting XI turned their arm over during their win over Manipur at the Wankhede Stadium. Delhi won in the end by four wickets, chasing down 121 with nine balls to spare, but Ayush Badoni’s move divided opinion. On X, formerly Twitter, the former India seamer Dodda Ganesh termed it a “mockery of professional cricket.”Delhi are table-toppers in Group C with four wins in as many games, while Manipur are at the opposite end with no wins in four.Arunachal come under Kishan’s wheelIt isn’t just Manipur who are suffering. Arunachal Pradesh bore the brunt of Ishan Kishan’s incredible, unbeaten 77 off 23 balls. He opened the batting and hit five fours and nine sixes as Jharkhand chased down 94 in just 4.3 overs. This was Jharkhand’s third win in four games, and they are currently joint second with Uttar Pradesh in Group C.Shami ‘fine’ after brief injury scareEven as speculation builds over a late entry into India’s Test squad in Australia, Mohammed Shami gave the Bengal team management a few anxious moments during Friday’s game against Madhya Pradesh, when he lay on the ground clutching his back.It caused Nitin Patel, the head of the BCCI’s medical panel, who had been flown in to specifically keep track of Shami and update India’s team management on his progress, run into the field to attend to him. A member of the Bengal support staff group later told ESPNcricinfo that Shami was “fine.”For the record, Shami delivered four wicketless overs for 38 as Bengal failed to defend 189. It was their first loss in four games; MP meanwhile are unbeaten in four matches.Shami has so far been wicketless in two of his four games. He has picked up four wickets in all, with a best of 3 for 21 coming in a match-winning effort against Hyderabad. Prior to the SMAT, Shami picked up a match haul of seven wickets in a Ranji Trophy match against MP, his first competitive fixture since last year’s 50-overs World Cup final.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made contact with Xavi as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, with the 57-year-old being dismissed after the 3-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.
Pereira was given plenty of time to turn things around, but the loss against the Cottagers was the final straw for Fosun, with the Old Gold now eight points adrift of safety in the Premier League, having made a very poor start to the season.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was particularly critical of the performance after the match, describing it as “embarrassing.”
Wolves are still searching for their first top-flight victory, having collected just two points from their opening ten games, while they were also dumped out of the EFL Cup by Chelsea last Wednesday, with the Blues emerging as 4-3 winners at Molineux.
It is going to be a tall order for whoever replaces Pereira to dig the Wanderers out of trouble, but Fosun are now eyeing what has to be considered an ambitious move for Xavi…
Wolves make contact with Xavi to replace Pereira
That is according to a report from Spain, which states that is indeed not Gary O’Neil at the top of the wishlist. Wolves have now made contact with the former Barcelona manager, who they have identified as the main candidate to replace Pereira, given his experience of managing at an elite level.
Fosun see appointing the legendary midfielder as a golden opportunity, as they are admirers of his possession-based style of play, and believe the 45-year-old could restore confidence to the squad.
The Spaniard is the top target, but he is not the only manager on the shortlist for the Old Gold, who are working quickly to appoint a new manager, with Bologna boss Thiago Motta emerging as a potential alternative option, given the Italian side’s impressive start to the campaign.
It would no doubt be a major coup if Wolves were somehow able to tempt the former Al-Sadd manager into a move to Molineux, given that he is held in very high regard by Barca president Joan Laporta.
The Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies as a coach, across spells in Qatar and La Liga, most impressively lifting the Spanish title in the 2022-23 season.
Xavi has been out of work since being dismissed by Barcelona over 18 months ago, but in truth it is difficult to picture him moving to Molineux, given the mess Wolves currently find themselves in, sitting bottom of the Premier League, having shipped 22 goals, the highest number of any side.
Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as replacement for Pereira Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira
The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.
Raúl Jiménez did not hold back after Mexico’s scoreless draw with Uruguay, calling out the Torreón crowd for repeatedly booing goalkeeper Raúl “Tala” Rangel and the rest of the squad. The Fulham striker said the atmosphere left the team “sad,” underscoring the growing disconnect between El Tri and its supporters.
Getty Images SportA frustrating night on and off the pitch
Mexico’s friendly against Uruguay offered little excitement on the field, but the stands became the center of attention. From the opening minutes, fans at the TSM Corona booed goalkeeper Raul Rangel, upset that local hero Carlos Acevedo was not in the starting lineup. The tense atmosphere overshadowed the match itself, turning the night into a reflection of current struggle to reconnect with its supporters.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportJiménez lashes out at fans
After the final whistle, Jiménez spoke bluntly about the treatment his team received.
“What’s sad is playing at home and getting booed – the ‘Fuera Vasco’ chants, and people shouting insults at our keeper. That’s what hurts,” he told reporters. “Maybe that’s why they always take us to the U.S.”
His remarks underline a growing frustration within the squad over fan hostility.
Getty Images SportWider implications ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Beyond criticism, Jiménez urged the squad and supporters to move forward.
“We have to keep going, work hard,” he said.
The team now travels to Houston for a friendly against Paraguay, aiming for a calmer atmosphere and a chance to reset before competitive fixtures ramp up. Jiménez’s remarks also revive the broader discussion around fan behavior, coming as the Mexican Football Federation continues to face fines for discriminatory chants. With the World Cup set to begin in Mexico next year, the episode adds renewed scrutiny to supporter culture and matchday environments.
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The Mexican national team has arrived in San Antonio ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Paraguay at the Alamodome.
A week is a very long time in football, and West Ham United are the perfect example of that.
Heading into gameweek ten of the Premier League, there was little hope that the Hammers would be able to avoid relegation this year.
However, a thumping 3-1 win over Newcastle United, followed by a 3-2 win over Burnley seven days later, has rejuvenated Nuno Espírito Santo’s side and given the supporters a belief that something positive could still come out of this season.
With that said, it’ll still be a tough fight for the East Londoners, but fortunately, Nuno might have already found his new Morgan Gibbs-White, and no, it’s not Lucas Paqueta.
The West Ham players vital to Nuno's fight for survival
While it won’t be plain sailing to keep West Ham in the Premier League this season, Nuno does have a handful of players in his squad who should be good enough to help him to it.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
For example, while he made just his second start for the side on Saturday, Freddie Potts has already proven that he has what it takes to be a leader in the middle of the park.
Blessed with “supreme confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball,” per one analyst, the academy graduate is also just as happy and capable of getting stuck in with the less glamorous side of the game.
Moreover, with him playing deeper and mopping up opposition attacks, Paqueta should be able to focus more on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.
The Brazilian international has been inconsistent for some time now, but his quality is undeniable, and with a goal to go with two stellar performances in the last week, it looks like the manager knows how to get the best out of him.
Someone who’ll be hugely important to the manager’s fight for survival and a player the fans never have to worry about putting in a shift is Jarrod Bowen.
The England international is Mr West Ham, and with a sensational tally of 24 goal involvements last season and five already this year, the 28-year-old is arguably the most important player of all.
Finally, the pairing of Crysencio Summerville and El Hadji Malick Diouf gives the Hammers some real pace, power, and quality on the left, while ensuring that opposition teams cannot focus their attention solely on Bowen.
With all that said, there is another player, a summer signing, who could prove vital for West Ham this season, someone who could be Nuno’s new Gibbs-White.
Nuno's new Gibbs-White
When examining the West Ham squad, the player who appears most likely to become Nuno’s new Gibbs-White is Mateus Fernandes.
The former Southampton gem joined the club in the summer for around £40m, and while he’s had a slow start to life in the capital, he is now starting to show his immense quality.
For example, against the Clarets on Saturday, he was utterly sensational, plying three key passes, maintaining a passing accuracy of 98%, taking 74 touches, winning 100% of his tackles, making two interceptions and blocking a shot.
Minutes
97′
Expected Assists
0.28
Key Passes
3
Accurate Passes
52/53 (98%)
Long Balls
1/1
Touches
74
Tackles
3/3
Interceptions
2
Clearances
2
Blocked Shots
1
Recoveries
3
It was the sort of performance that shows, like Gibbs-White, the Portuguese star is not only capable of doing the dirty work in the middle of the park, but is also more than able to play a quick one-two with his teammates or play a defence-splitting pass at a moment’s notice.
However, his ability with the ball at his feet shouldn’t be a surprise, as during his time in Portugal, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted the fact that he could play “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.
Moreover, it was only in the summer, after his first season in England, that former Southampton captain Jo Tessem described the 21-year-old as someone who “is becoming an ultimate Premier League midfielder,” and, on a weekly basis “plays his heart out.”
It’s this combination of undeniable technical ability and tenacity that could help him become the manager’s new Gibbs-White.
After all, the Forest star is someone who leads his side through his raw skill and force of personality.
Ultimately, it’s going to be a long season for West Ham this year, but with the players at his disposal and a new Gibbs-White figure in Fernandes, Nuno should be able to avoid relegation.
AC Milan join Fullkrug race as agent makes damning West Ham admission
Barry Ferguson will always be inextricably linked with Rangers.
As a player, he made 422 appearances for the Gers across two spells, winning five Premiership titles as well as five Scottish Cups and five League Cups, leading the team out in Manchester for the 2008 UEFA Cup Final against Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Then, last season, following the sacking of Philippe Clement, Ferguson was appointed interim Rangers manager, winning only six of 15 matches in charge, but knocking Fenerbahçe out of the Europa League and enjoying a victory over Celtic at Parkhead.
He wanted the managerial role full-time but did not get it; he almost certainly would not have done a worse job than Russell Martin, had he been given the opportunity.
As a player, Ferguson boasted all the intangibles supporters love to see, determination, commitment, passion and a will to win, something Danny Röhl’s current squad certainly lacks, but is Rangers’ “best player” starting to show signs of replicating Ferguson?
James Tavernier's role at Rangers
Since joining the club, when they were still in the SPFL Championship, from Wigan Athletic in 2015, James Tavernier has now made 537 appearances for Rangers, scoring a staggering 136 goals and registering 145 assists.
He has won all three domestic honours, while also captaining the team in the Europa League Final in Seville in 2022, as Ferguson had done 14 years earlier, his most recent goal for the club coming at Hampden in defeat to Celtic in the League Cup semi-finals earlier this month.
Last season, for the very first time, Tavernier’s place in the Rangers side came under scrutiny, with some questioning, now 34 years old, if he is the force he once was.
During his brief interim period, Ferguson trialled the Englishman in various positions, right-back, right-wing-back and right-sided centre-back in a three, which was essentially foreshadowing what was to come once Röhl arrived.
The captain has started five of the six matches under the German, the sole exception coming at Easter Road, when he was introduced at half time.
Since Röhl has switched to a back three, Tavernier has most commonly been deployed as a wing-back, although not exclusively, starting as part of the back three against both Kilmarnock and Roma, which is more reflective of Rangers’ lack of high-quality centre-backs, as this role doesn’t get the best out of him.
Nevertheless, as Röhl continues to figure out how to best use his skipper, another of his stars has come to the fore in a way that is reminiscent of Ferguson.
Rangers' "best player" who is Barry Ferguson-esque
It may only be the middle of November, but Nicolas Raskin has already enjoyed, and endured, a roller coaster campaign.
At international level, he has started each of Belgium’s last three World Cup qualifiers, scoring against Kazakhstan in Brussels, establishing himself as a key figure in Rudi Garcia’s team ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
Meantime, back in Glasgow, Raskin remains a key figure for Rangers, starting all six matches since Röhl was appointed, heading home his second goal of the campaign at Dens on Sunday.
The statistics below emphasise the midfielder’s importance to this team.
Nicolas Raskin statistics 2025/26
Stats
Raskin
Rangers rank
Minutes
1,669
5th
Goals
2
5th
Assists
4
1st
Shots per 90
1.4
5th
Big chances created
2
4th
Key passes per 90
1.9
2nd
Tackles per 90
2.2
2nd
Interceptions per 90
0.8
5th
Average rating
7.39
1st
Stats via Transfermarkt & SofaScore
As the table documents, Raskin ranks highly for a wide variety of statistics this season.
He is the club’s leading player in terms of assists, while also second for key passes and tackles per 90, underlining that he is an all-round midfield player.
Following Sunday’s victory at Dundee, speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage, Kris Boyd believes that Raskin is starting to rediscover his “outstanding” form from last season since the appointment of Röhl, while Chris Sutton asserts that he remains Rangers’ “best player”.
So, while the Belgian is stylistically similar to Ferguson, both all-action midfielders, that is not where the similarities end.
In an interview last year, Ferguson revealed that he was informed he should leave Rangers in 2007 following a falling out with manager Paul Le Guen, told “you won’t play for Rangers again”, only for the Frenchman to be sacked soon after, brought straight back into the team under interim boss Ian Durrant.
Well, Raskin endured a near-identical situation, seemingly frozen out by Russell Martin, left on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, before being excluded from the matchday squad altogether for home games against Celtic and Hearts.
The Martin vs Raskin battle was when supporters really turned against the manager they never wanted in the first place, very much the beginning of the end for him.
Now back in the side, the Belgian has once again taken on a talismanic leadership role, so Rangers supporters will be hoping he can carry on this excellent form for many more months and years, even if he still requires 306 more appearances to match Ferguson’s legacy.
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