The Pittsburgh Pirates are parting ways with longtime third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, having reportedly agreed to trade him to the Cincinnati Reds, per a report from ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan.

Hayes, 28, is in his sixth MLB season, having played his entire career with the Pirates. He's emerged as one of the best defensive players in all of baseball and won a Gold Glove at third base in 2023. His hitting leaves plenty to be desired, however. In 2025, Hayes is logging a career-low .569 OPS with two home runs, 36 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Per Passan, heading to the Pirates as part of the trade will be shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, as well as veteran left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers. Stafura, 20, is ranked as the No. 9 prospect in Cincinnati's farm system by MLB Pipeline and is currently playing at Single A.

Rogers, who could potentially be dealt again by tomorrow afternoon, owns a 2.45 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 33 innings in relief this season.

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

5

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 31, 2025

In an early boost for Celtic, Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen is reportedly open to replacing Brendan Rodgers in Scotland as the Bhoys step up their chase for their next manager.

Those in Glasgow were thrown into chaos when Rodgers resigned and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond had his say in brutal fashion on Monday night. Since then, a number of potential candidates have already been mentioned and veteran manager Martin O’Neill has enjoyed his first win as interim boss.

After thrashing Falkirk 4-0 to get back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership, O’Neill told reporters: “I’m really pleased to win the game in the manner we did, and we played some delightful stuff. Could have scored a couple of more goals, too.

“I’m hoping some of the players have played today are old enough to know who I am, some of the younger lads I wouldn’t be totally sure. They see this man stepping into the dressing room and think ‘what’s happening here?’.

“I’m delighted, satisfied in the sense I thought we played very well. My anxiety has calmed somewhat, and it was really nice to win. When you get a few goals in front you can perhaps enjoy the last 10 or 15 minutes, and it kind of brought me back.”

Alas, the Northern Irishman will know more than most that the true test awaits this weekend when Celtic square off against Rangers in the Old Firm derby. With a place in the Scottish League Cup final up for grabs, the Bhoys should be desperate to get one over on their rivals.

Meanwhile, as the action continues on the pitch so does Celtic’s managerial search. So far, Parkhead chiefs have drawn up a shortlist which includes Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane and Club Brugge boss Hayen among others.

Nicky Hayen now open to becoming Celtic manager

As reported by Belgian newspaper Nieuwslabd, Celtic now have concrete interest in Hayen and have got serious about the Brugge manager, who is also open to a move elsewhere.

Rodgers upgrade: Celtic have "kamikaze" title-winning manager on the radar

Celtic have a manager on their radar who could come in as a big upgrade on Brendan Rodgers.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 29, 2025

The report claims that the Bhoys would have to pay a hefty compensation fee if they did go all in on the 45-year-old, but he may prove to be worth every penny.

Having held Celtic to a 1-1 draw in the Champions League last year before thrashing Rangers 9-1 over two legs in the qualifiers back in August, Glasgow should already know all about Hayen’s quality.

Whether Celtic decide to push on and secure his arrival remains to be seen, however. He is certainly a strong candidate for the job, but is far from the only name in the running to replace Rodgers.

One Celtic star has just made himself undroppable

Sussex 288 for 7 (Carter 68, Carson 50*, Cohen 4-65) beat Kent 287 for 9 (52 Evison, Hudson-Prentice 3-65) by 3 wickets A remarkable and unbroken eighth wicket stand of 88 in 11 overs between Jack Carson and Archie Lenham saw Sussex to an unlikely three-wicket win over Kent with ten balls to spare in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Arundel.Kent looked home and dry in their opening game when they had Sussex 200 for 7 in the 38th over. They had weathered a fifth wicket stand of 90 between Oli Carter (68) and John Simpson (50) and then dismissed the dangerous Danny Lamb for 16.But Carson struck his maiden List A fifty off 43 balls, with five fours and a six. And Lenham made 45 off 38 with six fours and a six. The match was still in doubt with 22 needed off the last three overs. And it was leg-spinner Lenham who settled the argument when he hit Michael Cohen for 14 off three balls, an on-drive for six, a square slash for four and an off-drive for another boundary.That left Sussex needing five from the last two overs and Carson hit the first two deliveries from Fred Klassen for four.Earlier, Cohen, a South African-born left-arm seamer who is qualified to play for France, looked set to be the hero of the day. He had made a memorable first appearance for Kent when he took three wickets in his opening spell before returning to dismiss danger man Carter.Cohen, whose debut had been delayed by injury, struck with his second ball when he had Danial Ibrahim lbw and broke through again with the first ball of his second over when he bowled one across the left-handed Tom Haines to have the batsman caught behind.Fynn Hudson-Prentice looked anxious to dispel local concerns that he was batting too high in the order at No 4 when he flicked Cohen for two leg-side fours before driving him for two more. But Sussex kept losing wickets. Tom Clark had his middle stump knocked back by Klaassen as he went for an extravagant off-side stroke to make it 50 for three and in the next over the dangerous Hudson-Prentice was caught at backward square-leg.Sussex, who had lost their opening game against Durham, decided to bowl first on a slow pitch and made a good start. Jaydn Denly, driving, was well caught by Henry Crocombe at backward point off the last delivery of the first over and opening partner Ben Compton was caught behind off Ari Karvelas to make it 27 for 2 in the sixth over.Kent rebuilt through Joey Evison and and Chris Benjamin, who added 81 in 14 overs before both were dismissed by exceptional pieces of fielding. Lamb came on to bowl the 20th over and off his first delivery he produced an outstanding one-handed catch, flinging himself to his left, to dismiss the bewildered Benjamin. And in the next over Carter held on to a stinging catch at short midwicket to end Evison’s innings, a 54-ball 52 which included ten fours.For the second time Kent, winners of the competition in 2022, regrouped again, first through captain Harry Finch – a former Sussex player – and the Orpington-born Ekansh Singh, a recent century maker for the England Under-19 side, who put on 89 in 17 overs, and then again through Jack Leaning and Mo Rizvi, making his debut in the competition. They put on 75 before the innings ended as it had started, with a flurry of wickets.

West Ham United are now willing to make a January offer for Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, following a request from Nuno.

West Ham’s defensive record in the Premier League this season is likely to be a cause for concern for Nuno, having already shipped 21 goals, the second-highest total in the top flight, but the performance against Newcastle United was much-improved.

Although the Hammers were unable to pick up a clean sheet, they were largely solid at the back against the Magpies, limiting their opponents to an xG of just 0.53, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo looking particularly impressive.

Having picked up just their second win of the season, and the first of the Nuno era, the Irons are now three points from safety, and they will have the opportunity to overtake Burnley next weekend, as the Clarets are set to travel to the London Stadium on Saturday.

With the new manager getting a maiden victory on the board, things are starting to look up for West Ham, but they remain keen on bolstering their squad in January to strengthen their chances of avoiding the drop…

West Ham willing to make offer for Oscar Mingueza

According to a report from Spain, West Ham are now willing to make a €8m (£7m) offer to sign Celta Vigo defender Mingueza in January, having identified him as a perfect fit for their system.

Nuno has personally requested urgent reinforcements in defence, and the 26-year-old, who is capable of playing at both right-back and centre-back, has now emerged as one of the Hammers’ top targets, although there could be competition from Atalanta.

The La Liga club are willing to listen to offers for the versatile defender this winter, given that the January transfer window will be their last chance to cash-in, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

West Ham are determined to sign the Spain international, and it is clear to see why, having impressed considerably for Celta Vigo, with scout Ben Mattinson hailing his ability to play in multiple positions.

The former Barcelona man also poses a real threat on the front foot, chipping in with four goals and six assists in 34 La Liga appearances last season.

Mingueza clearly has the quality to be a success at the London Stadium, and his potential availability for a very low fee is an added bonus for West Ham, who should undoubtedly pursue a January move.

West Ham eyeing move for Angelo Stiller to replace first-team star Related West Ham eyeing January move for Angelo Stiller to replace £75k-a-week star

The Hammers are looking to make a splash in the January transfer window.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-20249.1, Rishad Hossain to Samson, no run
Good length, no turn, beats his slog, hits the pad, but headed down leg9.2, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Too full as he often was last match. Samson clears the front leg, and eases him back over his head for another nonchalant-looking six9.3, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
He is having his way with Hossain. Again, right in the drop zone. This is poor spin bowling. You can’t bowl so full that a batter can hit you down the ground without using his feet. Goes over long-off this time9.4, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Dead straight, lower in trajectory, but a third straight six. Again Samson doesn’t even have to stretch himself. Not a half-volley but this is a true pitch9.5, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Goes slower in the air, but gives him another half-volley. This is just average bowling. He clears the front leg, and goes over long-on for the fourth six in a rowAround the wicket.9.6, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
That is five sixes in a row. Not a bad ball, but Samson goes deep in the crease to manage to pull it with a vertical bat, and goes over deep midwicket for a small six. Does that matter when it is the fifth in the over? Samson into the 90s

A primer on Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana

Hemant Brar20-Nov-20242:21

Manjrekar’s XI: Abhimanyu to open, Jurel at No.3

Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal got column inches in Hindi and Punjabi in Australian newspapers. But what about some of the lesser-known players in the Indian side? Here is a primer on four of them who could feature in the first Test in Perth.Devdutt PadikkalPadikkal, 24, is a tall left-hand batter who plays for Karnataka in domestic cricket. He was not part of the original squad but a thumb injury to Shubman Gill has opened the door for him. He made his Test debut against England in Dharamsala in March and scored 65 from No. 4 in India’s only innings. He is yet to play another Test but has plenty of domestic experience. He has played 40 first-class games and scored 2677 runs at an average of 42.49. While he has batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 6, his best has come at No. 3: 1247 runs at 51.95 and four of his six hundreds. It bodes well for India as he is likely to bat one-down if Gill is unavailable.Related

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India's likely XI: Rahul set to open, Padikkal No. 3, and Jurel in the middle order

Morkel: Keep your eye on Nitish Kumar Reddy in the series

Perth pitch prep: 'Big-snake cracks' unlikely after unseasonal rain

Recent form: In September, Padikkal struck three half-centuries in three Duleep Trophy games with a best of 92. However, in the other three innings, he was dismissed for single-digit scores. More recently, he was India A’s highest run-getter against Australia A. He scored 151 runs in four innings, a patient 88 in the second innings in Mackay being the standout knock.Training watch: Padikkal spent considerable time in the nets on Tuesday and Wednesday. He looked good, in particular, when he had a chance to go on the front foot and play check-drives. During the fielding drills, he was part of the slip cordon.Dhruv Jurel is a frontrunner for the No. 6 spot in Perth•AFPDhruv JurelLike his father, Jurel wanted to join the army before he fell in love with cricket. He first made headlines by scoring 249 for Uttar Pradesh against Nagaland in Ranji Trophy 2022-23. But it was his exploits as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 that put him in the reckoning for the national team. Earlier this year, in only his second Test, he scored 90 and 39 not out against England in Ranchi and bagged the Player-of-the-Match award. In all, he has played 21 first-class games and scored 1223 runs at an average of 48.92.Recent form: In the only Duleep Trophy game he played, Jurel scored 2 and 0 but was impressive behind the stumps, taking eight catches across two innings. He then made 93 against Mumbai in the Irani Cup. But it was his performance against Australia A that helped him jump the queue. He looked the best batter across both sides during his 80 and 68 in the second unofficial Test in Melbourne. Supposed to be a back-up for Rishabh Pant, he is now being considered as a pure batter in the lower middle order ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.Training watch: Like Padikkal, Jurel too practised with the first set of batters on Tuesday and stood either in slips or at gully while fielding. He had another long stint with the bat on Wednesday, which was centred around playing close to the body and dulling the threat of back-of-a-length bowling.Nitish Kumar Reddy has got the backing of the team management•Getty ImagesNitish Kumar ReddyAt 21, Reddy is the youngest member of India’s squad. A seam-bowling allrounder from Andhra Pradesh, Reddy made his first-class debut in 2019-20 but his numbers in the format do not exude much confidence. After 23 games, he has 779 runs at an average of 21.05 and 56 wickets at 26.98. He is in the side because of his potential and T20 performances. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, he scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and took three wickets. It resulted in a T20I debut for India in October. In his second T20I, he smashed 74 off 34 balls and took 2 for 23. Can he translate that into red-ball cricket?Recent form: The signs have not been great. In three of the four innings against Australia A, he was bounced out three times. With the ball, he took just one wicket from 31 overs. But he has the backing of the team management. On Wednesday, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said he could hold one end up as a fourth seamer with his wicket-to-wicket bowling.Training watch: Reddy bowled a lot on Tuesday, something he may have to do if he debuts during this tour. On Wednesday, his ramp shot was a chef’s kiss.Will Harshit Rana get a chance?•Getty ImagesHarshit RanaUncapped Rana, who will turn 23 next month, is another seam-bowling allrounder in the Indian side. If Reddy’s stronger suit is batting, Rana’s is bowling. He can bowl fast, hit the deck hard, and has pace variations. His IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, identified his talent before his domestic side, Delhi. He was the joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 and played a key role in KKR lifting the trophy. In ten first-class games, he has 43 wickets at 24.00 and 469 runs at 42.63. He has also scored a hundred in the format – an unbeaten 122 off just 86 balls that included nine sixes, albeit it came against a weak North-East Zone side.Recent form: He picked up two four-wicket hauls in two games in the Duleep Trophy and followed it with a fifty and a five-for against Assam in the Ranji Trophy. He was not part of the red-ball series against Australia A but, in his own words, the attitude he plays with is “similar to Australia’s”.Training watch: Rana did not bowl much on Tuesday but was a lot more involved on Wednesday. It is easy to see the logic behind India having him here. He puts a lot of effort behind the ball and, on a responsive pitch, is likely to get a lot of it back.

The never-ending saga that is the Rafael Devers trade from the Red Sox to the Giants has taken yet another turn.

After Red Sox play-by-play announcer Will Flemming revealed earlier this week that Devers stood up Giants legend Will Clark for a workout at first base last month, Clark—who didn't take offense to the DH's decision to no-show—has responded.

On his podcast with Eric Byrnes, Clark shed some light on the conversation he had with Flemming during the Sox's road trip to San Francisco. Spoiler alert: he doesn't sound too thrilled about how the story got out.

"I'm standing out there," Clark began. "[And Giants announcer] Dave Flemming actually introduces me to his brother, Will Flemming, who is one of the Red Sox radio/TV guys, I guess. And so now he goes on some podcast … and blows this thing out of f— proportion … and here we go."

"I just gotta tell you right now, this is a bunch of bulls—," he continued. "That's first off. Second off … me and Raffy are fine, I'm gonna work with him whenever I get around to first base and all that. And Will Flemming? You can go f— off, mother f—er. You wanna go take a conversation that we're having and then blow it out of proportion because you're a f—ing East Coast piece of s— reporter? F— off. And so other than that, I'm cool!"

Noted.

Devers was traded to San Francisco in mid-June in exchange for pitchers Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, Jose Bello and outfielder James Tibbs III.

In 22 games since joining the Giants, the three-time All-Star—who has still only DH'd in The Bay—is slashing .225/.344/.363 with just two home runs and 9 RBIs, and has struck out 31 times.

Maybe one day he and Clark will get to take grounders together at first base.

The Herons might miss the Uruguayan when they take on Nashville Saturday night, yet his absence could offer some answers as to how they function going forward

Luis Suarez just had to do it again. In fairness, this is what Luis Suarez does: mayhem, chaos, rule-breaking – and often in rather nasty ways.

His latest act? Kicking Nashville’s Andy Najar in the groin during the second half of Inter Miami’s playoff clash. It was the kind of thing Suarez has probably gotten away with countless times – a ball about to enter the box, Najar holding him, Suarez pushing off and flicking his leg with a quick, snapping motion.

Whether he intended to plant his studs in the defender’s groin isn’t clear – that would require a frightening degree of accuracy, a no-look shot for the ages. But the broader point holds: Suarez made a deliberate act to injure an opponent. Few caught it in real time, and there was no punishment on the pitch, but MLS reviewed the play afterward and handed him a one-match suspension. He’ll now miss Saturday’s elimination game against Nashville – if Miami lose, their season ends, and Suarez won’t be on the pitch to help them.

Perhaps more importantly, though, this is a test for the Herons. They have survived without Suarez in the past. They have, arguably, looked better without him at times. And so, it becomes a strange balancing act. Suarez is a key player, to be sure. But they have shown previously that his absence isn't necessarily damning. And this game – win or lose – might just offer an idea of how a post-Suarez Inter Miami could function, not just in the next few weeks, but also for years to come. 

• Imagn
  

  Sticking to a brand

  Of course, this was bound to happen. Every few months, Suarez reminds the footballing world why he’s one of the game’s great villains – an immense talent, but a truly unlikeable one. This is the Suarez brand: brilliance wrapped in chaos. The contradiction is that what makes him great – the tenacity and relentlessness – also fuels the misdemeanors. In a twisted way, good and evil Suarez must coexist for elite Suarez to thrive.

  At his best, Suarez remains an unrelenting pest of a forward, even in his twilight years. He keeps running, shouting, and scrapping long after his body tells him not to. Everything about his 38-year-old frame – the worn knees, the heavy legs – suggests his career should be over. Yet somehow, he’s still fighting on. That persistence doesn’t justify the occasional kick or outburst; it’s simply part of who he is (and still shouldn’t be condoned).

  These incidents are forgivable when Suarez is fit and firing. But when he's off color? Then they start to seem a real issue. He has already been suspended once this season, that time for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staff member after losing the Leagues Cup final. He was banned for three games and should have been out for longer. And now, Suarez is out again.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Messi at false nine the solution?

  The immediate issue here – beyond that, of course, of having an aging superstar with serious anger issues – is how Miami approach Game 3. Suarez is having a poor season by his standards, with 10 goals and 10 assists in MLS. He is not the goalscoring threat he once was, but remains an influential part of the Miami attack. It's a footballing cliche of sorts, but Suarez makes all of the intelligent runs and occupies all of the right spaces. Strikers of his age are supposed to conserve energy and only move when they absolutely have to. Suarez is hardly ever static. Even when he is less effective in front of goal or slower getting to his spots on the pitch, he remains a nightmare for defenders. 

  Miami don't have the personnel to replace him or his impact. What they will have to do, then, is some tactical tweaking. The silver lining to having a player who gets suspended a lot is that you tend to learn how to operate without him when needed. And Miami have done so on a couple of occasions this season. The most obvious solution is a tried and tested formula that has worked for 15 years: play Lionel Messi as a false nine. It worked wonders for Barcelona, and Argentina have done a similar thing for years.

  That might, in fact, be the only option for. Young striker Allen Obando has hardly played all season. Tadeo Allende is a peripheral option. Messi, who is the team's best attacking player and playmaker, appears to be the most logical choice. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Addressing tactical deficiencies

  But there will undoubtedly be a bit of a knock-on effect – at both ends of the pitch. Although they started the season in a 4-3-3, recently, Miami have played in a more recognizable 4-4-2. Suarez operates as a central striker of sorts, with Messi able to roam around in a free role just behind him. That makes perfect sense from an attacking point of view. It allows the outside players to get forward and scamper into good crossing positions, which then opens some space for Messi in the middle. This isn't tactically revolutionary as much as basic soccer.

  When you don't have a central striker, though, things change. The concept of the false nine is inherently reliant on having two attacking outside players who pour forward and sacrifice a little bit defensively. It's almost counterintuitive, but playing without a natural forward tends to be far more offensive of a setup – mostly because it can leave teams frighteningly exposed when they don't have the ball.

  Anyone who has watched Miami at any point this season would tell you that is not a very good idea. They're a pretty simple team to cut through, offering far too much space in the middle of the pitch, and limited pressure on the ball when they don't have it. The appeal of a 4-4-2, rather than a 4-3-3, is that it offers a more reliable defensive structure that is harder to play against. Effectively, then, in losing Suarez, Miami will be forced to leave themselves a little more open going the other way. 

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• Getty
  

  Planning for the future

  Suarez is a real pain, but his presence alone makes Miami better – at least in theory. Without him in August, they were mixed: narrow wins over Seattle and D.C. United, but a 3-0 thrashing by Charlotte that exposed their flaws.

  That game was perhaps more indicative of how Miami can be attacked than the two wins. Charlotte had far less of the ball, and were comfortable in their defensive shape. They kept Messi quiet, and were incredibly direct and opportunistic when they had the ball. They managed four shots on target, and three ended up in the back of the net. That is, perhaps, a bit of a statistical anomaly. But it is indicative of how Miami can be hit when they're without Suarez. That could easily happen against Nashville Saturday night. 

  More broadly, it could offer some indications about Miami's future. Messi’s under contract for multiple years, but Suarez’s deal ends after this season. Despite Jorge Mas’ hints that the Uruguayan could stay, there’s been no public indication of renewal. There is every chance that he has played his last game for Miami. Now, the Herons have to figure out how to move forward without him. 

Middlesex battle back from the brink to haul themselves into knock-outs in epic tussle

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025

Middlesex 292 for 9 (Fernandes 92, Morgan 61, de Caires 50, Singh 4-27) beat Lancashire 291 for 8 (Harris 64, Blatherwick 48*, Hollman 2-30, Brookes 2-57) by one wicket Nathan Fernandes’ brilliant 92 off 79 balls helped Middlesex conjure an extraordinary one-wicket over Lancashire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, a result that also ensures the visitors qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition.But the bland facts tell only half the story. Coming to the wicket with his side in the toils on 105 for five and needing another 186 runs, Fernandes put on 126 for the seventh wicket with Seb Morgan and despite being caught on the boundary in the final over, went on watch Noah Cornwell clinch the victory on an evening that recalled the great limited-overs matches on this ground.Part-time off-spinner Harry Singh had earlier taken a career-best four for 27 and it seemed the visitors’ chances were gone when they were 127 for six, despite Josh de Caires 50. But their hopes were raised in dramatic fashion late in the game by Fernandes and Morgan, whose fearless batting inspired a quite wonderful victory for their team.Having reached his maiden List A fifty, Morgan was eventually caught on the boundary off George Balderson for 61, but Fernandes went on to make his best List A score and the tailenders did the rest.Lancashire skipper Marcus Harris made 64 for the home side but the main acceleration towards a defendable total had come late in the innings from youngsters Arav Shetty and Joe Moores before Jack Blatherwick clubbed an alarmingly violent 48 in 20 balls.Lancashire’s innings had begun poorly when George Bell was caught behind by Joe Cracknell off Cornwell for a first-ball duck in the day’s opening over. Michael Jones and Harris then oversaw a recovery with a partnership of 61 in eleven overs before Jones, who had hit earlier hit two big leg-side sixes was caught by Jack Davies at deep square leg off Morgan for 42 when trying to repeat the trick.For the next 20 overs Lancashire’s batsmen struggled to score fluently on a stodgy pitch against an accurate Middlesex attack. Josh Bohannon made 24 off 33 balls but perished when he skied Luke Hollman to Morgan at mid-off. Hollman was clearly the pick of the visitors’ attack, bowling his ten overs for 30 runs, and in his penultimate over he took the prize wicket of Harris when the Lancashire skipper was lbw for 64 when trying to reverse sweep.It was left to the home side’s youngsters to supply some much-needed acceleration. Shetty made 30 off 23 balls and put on 50 with Singh, thereby hoisting the total to 192. And after Shetty and Balderson had fallen to successive balls from Henry Brookes, Moores clubbed two sixes in his 21-ball 35 before he top-edged de Caires to Noah Cornwell at deep square leg.Put under pressure, the Middlesex attack crumbled a little. Blatherwick maintained the tempo, whacking two sixes off a Cornwell over that cost 21 runs and a remarkable 99 runs were scored off the final nine overs, Blatherwick thrashing four sixes and four fours in an unbeaten innings that changed the shape of the game. Singh was dismissed in the penultimate over caught at mid-off by Ben Geddes off Gilchrist for a 116-ball 38. Apart from Hollman, Brookes was the most successful Middlesex bowler with two for 57.Middlesex’s pursuit began badly when Joe Cracknell was pinned on the back foot by Tom Bailey for ten and their intent to score quickly was constantly hampered by the regular fall of wickets.Sam Robson was bowled via bat, pad and foot by Singh for 31; Geddes lost his stumps in more conventional fashion to the same bowler for eight; Davies shovelled Balderson to Singh at midwicket when her had made only nine; and when Bailey ran across from deep mid-off to catch Hollman without scoring Middlesex were in deep trouble on 108 for five with almost half their overs gone.Seven overs later, de Caires holed out on the deep square leg boundary, Moores taking the catch to give Singh his fourth wicket but the rest of the day belonged to Fernandes and Morgan, whose partnership seems certain to become part of Middlesex folklore.