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Manchester United’s run of five games unbeaten in the Premier League is evidence that Ruben Amorim is certainly starting to get the best out of the current crop of players Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old’s stint in England has been nothing but plain sailing, as seen by his inability to lead the club to a respectable finish in 2024/25 – subsequently ending the year in 15th place.

However, the hierarchy have shown faith in the former Sporting CP boss, as seen by his £200m spending spree during the recent summer transfer window.

The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have all joined the Red Devils in the last few months, with the latter of the trio already scoring six combined goals in England’s top-flight.

Despite the mammoth investment within the attacking department, the manager is still craving a new central midfielder to help take his side to the next level in the years ahead.

Man United’s hunt for a new central midfielder in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Elliot Anderson has been the name on the lips of all United supporters, with rumours rapidly starting to circle over a move for his signature.

The Nottingham Forest star has risen to stardom over the last 12 months, with the 23-year-old featuring in every league game in 2025/26, even earning him a spot in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel.

It’s been reported in recent days that the Red Devils have already reached out to the Reds over a potential deal for the youngster, but have been quoted a fee in the region of £100m for his services.

However, Anderson isn’t the only midfielder currently in their sights, with the hierarchy also closely monitoring German star Angelo Stiller ahead of the upcoming window.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are preparing an offer in the region of €60m (£53m) for the Stuttgart star, with Real Madrid also interested in a move for his signature.

The report claims that his current employers don’t want to lose the 24-year-old in the near future, but they could be forced to if an acceptable offer is presented by the likes of United.

Why Stiller target would be their own Anderson

United fans have seen first-hand the talents that Anderson currently possesses, after the Forest star managed to run the show in the recent meeting between the sides at the City Ground.

He featured for the entirety of the contest and thrived in and out of possession, as Sean Dyche’s men secured a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils in the East Midlands.

The 23-year-old managed to create three chances for his teammates – offering a threatening option with the ball – whilst also making 14 recoveries and preventing Amorim’s men from extending their winning run.

Anderson’s ability to complete 100% of his dribbles and register 15 passes into the final third further showcases his phenomenal talents – with such a performance leaving the United fanbase demanding his signature.

However, English talents are always more expensive in the modern transfer market, as seen by the current £100m price tag that has been placed on his head at present.

Given the money spent in the summer, it’s unclear if the United hierarchy would splash such a sum, with a potential deal breaking their club-record transfer fee set by Paul Pogba in 2016.

As a result, a move for Stiller could prove to be a more realistic proposition, but that’s not to say he’s a lower quality talent than England international, Anderson.

The German has been labelled as a similar player to the 23-year-old by FBref in the Europa League this season, with the Stuttgart star even bettering him in numerous key areas to date.

Stiller, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more key passes per 90, whilst also making more passes into the opposition box per 90.

How Stiller & Anderson compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Stiller

Anderson

Games played

10

11

Goals & assists

4

2

Progressive carries

2.2

1.3

Pass accuracy

86%

83%

Key passes

2.1

1.3

Passes into opposition box

2.3

1.2

Interceptions made

1.1

0.9

Clearances made

1.4

0.8

Take-ons completed

73%

50%

Stats via FBref

Such numbers are no mean feat, especially considering Anderson’s talents in possession, subsequently showcasing the phenomenal talent that the Stuttgart talent currently possesses.

He’s also registered more progressive carries per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such figures highlighting his dominance over the Forest star with the ball at his feet.

Stiller has managed to provide key talents out of possession too, even bettering the Englishman in terms of interceptions and clearances made per 90 in 2025/26.

The aforementioned figures could certainly make the German the perfect number six in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which could finally end the club’s hunt for a new midfielder.

Anderson may remain as many supporters’ number one choice for the role, but ultimately, his current asking price is way above the range United would spend in January.

As a result, Stiller could offer a cheaper yet more effective option to the Red Devils, potentially helping the side make a top four push come the end of May.

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 12, 2025

Vitor Pereira had penned a new contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers back in September.

Yet, as we now enter November, the Portuguese boss is no longer occupying the Molineux hot-seat, with the Old Gold yet to collect a Premier League win this season from ten matches.

It is going to be a huge task for whoever takes on the reins after Pereira to try and turn around Wolves’ miserable season, with a surprise return for Gary O’Neil reportedly once on the cards.

However, despite allegedly entering talks about coming back to the top-flight’s basement club, the ex-Wolves manager pulled out of a shock reunion.

This could be a blessing in disguise in the West Midlands, with O’Neil enduring a tough end to his previous Old Gold spell…

Where things went wrong for O'Neil at Wolves

Going back in for a previous manager to try and turn around a sinking ship very rarely works out.

O’Neil did manage to keep Wolves up during his first campaign in charge during the 2022/23 season, as a depleted Old Gold side that no longer had the likes of Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez on their books soared to 14th in the league standings.

It’s the woeful start to his second campaign in charge that would likely have not made this an appointment to go down well with the already disgruntled Molineux masses.

Indeed, Wolves only managed to collect a dire two wins from 16 games before he was given his marching orders, having also conceded a calamitous 40 goals along the way.

Games managed

100

Wins

31

Draws

17

Losses

52

Goals scored

135

Goals conceded

178

Points accumulated

110

Therefore, expecting O’Neil to return and be a transformative appointment would have been viewed as far-fetched, with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi even admitting when he got rid of the 42-year-old that he had “cut ties too late.”

Thankfully, Pereira worked out in the short term. But, now, Wolves need another fresh set of ideas to get them out of a similar mess, as a former Old Gold player turned successful manager continues to be linked with the vacancy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Wolves' outstanding O'Neil alternative

Wolves have been linked with a whole host of different and unique names, with ex-Molineux goal machine Robbie Keane even throwing his hat into the ring.

But, it appears now that current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is high up on the priority list to replace Pereira, with talkSPORT naming Edwards as a ‘strong contender’ to get the job.

It’s noted that former Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, is also on their radar, although Edwards is currently ahead of the Dutchman to get the job.

The current Boro boss has a release clause in his contract at the Riverside and could soon make a return to the Premier League.

Immediately, with his previous connections to the club as a player and as a former U21 coach, it could be a good fit.

That’s before you even take into account the admirable job he did at Luton Town, who were rooted towards the foot of the Premier League division throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Against all the odds, the much-loved Edwards nearly kept Luton afloat in the Premier League, as the Boro boss made the Hatters a stern team to try and break down.

That led to the minnows picking up a 1-1 draw against Liverpool that season, and saw them compete with Arsenal all the way at Kenilworth Road in a 4-3 defeat. Remarkably, that is the last time the Gunners have shipped three goals in any game of football.

Mikel Arteta even commended Edwards for how “difficult” he had made Luton to beat, with Wolves in some dire need of the same grit and application to try and get them out of their horrible hole.

It wasn’t all just attritional performances, though, as Edwards also managed to turn Carlton Morris into an 11-goal hero in the top-flight. That will be music to the ears of a misfiring Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has only one league strike next to his name this season.

But, as can be seen watching the highlight reel above, the imposing Norwegian did manage to fire home 14 goals last campaign, as he attempts to become Edwards’ next focal point, if the ex-Luton manager is handed the reins.

Described as an opportunity that will be “hard for him to say no to” by journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see if Edwards does end up swapping a top-of-the-table position in the EFL for another basement battle in the league above.

With a bit between his teeth now at the Riverside Stadium, it could be time for Edwards to mount a Premier League return, having also previously been lauded as “one of English football’s brightest and best young coaches.”

Doesn’t that sound good, Wolves fans?

Robbie Keane in talks with Wolves as Steven Gerrard gives clarity on future

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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 4, 2025

India went from 294 for 4 in the 43rd over to 330 all out, a total that proved inadequate

Vishal Dikshit12-Oct-20253:54

Review: Healy’s 142 was Australia’s bedrock

India’s famed top five finally came to the party at the Women’s World Cup 2025 to put on a staggering total of 330 but such was their lower-order collapse, the flatness of the pitch, and the might of the Australians that India fell “30 to 40 runs” short.It was the first time any team had scored over 300 while batting first against Australia but India believe they could have got much more after they were placed at 294 for 4 in 42.5 overs. As it happened, they lost the next six wickets for 36 runs to be bowled out with seven balls to spare. After their openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal scored half-centuries, India’s middle-order batters got off to starts but they and the lower order couldn’t cash in on the promise.”The way we started we thought if we could have added more 30-40 runs on the board, we missed runs in the last six-seven overs,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur said at the presentation. “We kept losing wickets and that really cost us because today’s pitch was totally different. We knew it was a good batting wicket, but those last six overs where we were not able to capitalise really cost us.Related

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“Today the first 40 overs were really good and in the last 10 we were not executing well. In matches these things are going to happen, we are not going to be 100% all the time but it’s very important how you come back.”Head coach Amol Muzumdar concurred with his captain that India had to finish better to get over the line. He pointed to the defeat to South Africa, where they couldn’t defend 251 despite being in a strong position, to highlight that the team have issues with the ball as well.Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar felt India did not finish well with the ball•Getty Images

“Look, in my opinion, the finish is very important in a cricket game,” Muzumdar said at the press conference. “I always say, even in this dressing room, that yes, we need a good start, but we need a better finish. So, if you see the finish that we had in the South Africa game, as far as bowling is concerned in the last five overs, we ended up losing that game. And, even today, basically, if we would have got another 20 runs, maybe things would have been different. But, at the same time, it’s been a gradual progress for us. And there are a lot of learnings. I keep talking about positives and learnings. One of the things to learn is to finish well.”India have struggled to defend competitive totals in their last two games, losing both with seven and six balls remaining. They have played these games with only five bowlers in batting-friendly conditions. Their next match against England is in Indore, which tends to offer plenty of runs as well. Will India look to bolster their attack?”Obviously, after this game, we will have a look at it,” Muzumdar said. “I am sure the team management will have a proper discussion about this and then we will take a right call as we approach the next game. I am sure about that.”Harmanpreet, however, did not sound too keen to change India’s combination which has five frontline batters, a wicketkeeper-batter, three allrounders and two frontline bowlers.”We’ll sit and discuss [about five bowlers] because this combination has given us a lot of success in the past,” she said. “Two bad games are not going to make a big difference for us. Going forward there are a lot of things we need to sort it out and hopefully we’ll come up with the best approach.”One of the other issues for India, compared to teams that have been doing better, is their consumption of dot balls. It was a much larger issue in their first three games of the World Cup before they addressed it against Australia where five of their top seven had strike rates in excess of 100.”Well, to be honest, after the previous game, we had an elongated discussion about how we are going to approach the batting innings,” Muzumdar said. “That was one of the things that was discussed about the dot-ball percentage. So far, in the last year-and-a-half, we have been playing very aggressive cricket. I thought today was a good display. Yes, the dot-ball percentage has come down. But, we will have a closer look at it, I don’t know what the percentage is (48% against Australia), but we would like to get it down.”

Tahuhu’s two-for reduced Pakistan to 92 for 5 and leave their chances of progressing hanging by a thread

Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025

New Zealand’s fate will be decided by their games against England and India•Getty Images

No result Pakistan 92 for 5 (Riaz 28*, Tahuhu 2-20, Carson 1-7) vs New ZealandColombo handed a second washout in four days to Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup 2025, leaving their chances of progressing to the knockouts hanging by a thread. As Pakistan and New Zealand shared points, South Africa became the second team to progress to the semi-finals, after Australia, as even a finish on eight points in the league stage will take them through.If two or more teams finish on the same points, it will first be seen who has more wins, and South Africa will progress with four wins already from five games.With Saturday’s washout, Pakistan continue to remain winless in the tournament while New Zealand keep themselves in the running for the knockouts, still placed fifth with just one win and two abandoned games so far. Their next two matches, against India and England, will now decide their fate.Related

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A fired-up New Zealand side laid the foundation after winning the toss in overcast conditions on Saturday. While their experienced quick Lea Tahuhu returned to the XI to strike twice in her first spell, the Kerr sisters and Eden Carson picked up a wicket apiece to leave Pakistan reeling at 92 for 5 before the second rain break sealed the outcome of the match.Tahuhu was the first to strike and she did it in her first over when Omaima Sohail, who had crawled to 3 off 14, was trapped lbw before two sharp catches dented Pakistan further. Muneeba Ali had dispatched a few boundaries and had been handed a life on 8 when wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze put down a low chance off Jess Kerr. But when Muneeba pulled a short delivery off the same bowler on 22, Suzie Bates threw herself to her left at midwicket to take a stunner. No. 3 Sidra Amin then saw a similar effort from Carson at point when she scythed a short ball from Tahuhu, and Pakistan were 52 for 3. It had been drizzling then for a few minutes, and as soon as Amin walked back after 12.2 overs it got heavier for a break.Pakistan now have two washouts in five games•ICC/Getty ImagesPlay resumed after 95 minutes in what was shortened to a 46-overs-a-side contest as Natalia Pervaiz joined Aliya Riaz. The more experienced Riaz soon charged down to crash Tahuhu to the square-leg boundary even as Pervaiz lived dangerously against Melie Kerr’s variations. Pervaiz even got a life on 9 when Sophie Devine put down a sharp catch at slip off Melie Kerr but lasted only five more balls by holing out off Carson for the simplest of catches to Devine at long-on.Melie Kerr then foxed the new batter – captain Fatima Sana – with a wrong’un which rattled the stumps to leave Pakistan on 80 for 5. Rain interrupted again after five overs and the players walked off with the score on 92 for 5 after 25 overs.It stopped raining within an hour with some lightning also around, and the game was soon reduced to 36 overs per innings. But the drizzle soon returned, turned into a heavy shower to make the ground staff cover the whole field, and the game was eventually called off.

Young batter puts herself in Ashes frame with seamless move into the international ranks

Valkerie Baynes09-Jan-20251:51

Georgia Voll talks Women’s Ashes

“A little bit of nice backyard space – enough for a footy field.” It’s the sort of childhood home many budding sports stars dream of, and Georgia Voll made the most of it.As spring broke through the chill in Highfields on the outskirts of Toowoomba, two hours’ drive west of Brisbane, Voll and her brother would mow themselves a cricket pitch in the middle and rugby league gave way to cricket. Any big shots to hit the goalpost as it stood in situ through the summer would invariably break it, sparking a search for more pipe to fix it ahead of the next winter.For a long time, it was all about rugby league for Voll. But beyond the under-12 level, she wasn’t allowed to play in the boys’ team and a lack of opportunities for girls at the time meant she had to look elsewhere. And found cricket. She juggled both for a time when girls’ pathways opened up and she was selected in the Queensland Rugby League Under-18 Girls Performance Programme as a 16-year-old.Around the same time, Voll moved to Brisbane with her family and made her cricket debut for Queensland. Armed with her first state cricket contract by the time the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the choice was finally made.Related

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“I got a lot of questions asking, ‘what are you going to pick, how are you’re going to make the decision?’ But it sort of made itself for me when I moved to Brisbane in 2020,” Voll told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “I was fortunate enough to actually pick up a contract that year. Otherwise, I probably would’ve not really been sure what I would’ve done. That decision was made for me as the footy pathways got closed down and the cricket professional stuff hadn’t closed down.”The choice was almost as straightforward when Alyssa Healy suffered a knee injury ahead of Australia’s home ODI series against India in December. After scoring 98 off 84 balls for Queensland against Western Australia in the WNCL, Voll smashed 92 off just 55 and an unbeaten 97 off 56 for new WBBL team Sydney Thunder, whom she had just joined from Brisbane Heat.A powerful right-hander, Voll was picked to open for her country alongside fellow 21-year-old and Thunder team-mate Phoebe Litchfield. And, just like in the backyard at home, Voll made the most of it.An impressive 46 not out at nearly a run-a-ball on debut was followed by 101 off 87 in just her second game, and then 26 as Australia swept India 3-0.