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The 21-year-old striker's Newcastle career may be in the past, but Ohio State has provided a chance for a fresh start

In November 2023, Michael Ndiweni had achieved his childhood dream. He jogged onto the grass at St. James Park, wearing the signature black and white stripes of his boyhood Newcastle. And, with his first touch as a professional footballer, he nutmegged Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. 

A year later, he was at rock bottom, training sparingly and watching a professional career fade further into the distance. 

Ndiweni knew his time was up in England. A Geordie by birth, he had been released by his boyhood club, and was running on fumes to keep his soccer career alive. 

The routine was mind-numbing: train with his non-league team three days per week, coach in between, babysit his sister during the day. There he was, in his early 20s, stuck in an unforgiving position so many would-be pros eventually confront. 

One day, after extensive conversations with his best friend – a swimmer at a college in Florida – Ndiweni opened his laptop and emailed every college soccer coach he could find, essentially pitching himself. Only one responded: Brian Maisonneuve at Ohio State University. 

There began the most unlikely of journeys, one from the Premier League – and that megging of Cucurella with his first touch – to the American midwest. Now, Ndiweni is at the end of his first season playing collegiately in Columbus. And there is a sense that this Geordie boy still has a chance at professional soccer. 

“The goal is still to make it pro, at any level,” he told GOAL.

Getty'Oh, he used to play for Newcastle'

Ndiweni doesn’t have a thick Geordie accent – famously one of England’s hardest to understand. Well, not at first, anyway. Talk to him, and his accent is hard to place, a run of the mill pattern of speech from the UK. Listen hard and there’s a northern twang in there. 

But ask him about soccer, and the Newcastle in him comes out. Ndiweni spent eight years of his life in the Newcastle academy, to some success. He made his Premier League debut in 2023. He was on the bench for a Champions League fixture last season. 

“When I was in non-league, it wasn’t really a big thing, but it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy's been at the top. Now he's, like, playing step five football,” Ndiweni said. “And like, people on the pitch would be like, ‘Oh, he used to play for Newcastle.’”

And now, he’s in the American heartland. Life has changed drastically in the last 18 months. At one point, Ndiweni had a burgeoning professional career ahead of him – perhaps, even, at his beloved Newcastle. But now, things look different. 

He is, instead, a college soccer player, who trains and plays like he would back home – and also attends classes every week. Yet his childhood dream still remains alive, no matter how far from home he is.

AdvertisementGettyOne of their own

It was, in fact, almost a reality. He’s replayed the moment in his head thousands of times, and Ndiweni still isn’t sure if he megged Cucurella. It was the 93rd minute of Newcastle’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea. He was a garbage time substitute, thrown on by manager Eddie Howe to get the slightest taste of Premier League football. 

Ndiweni remembers his first touch clearly. It was probably a bad one. He cushioned it a bit too heavily, and as Spanish left-back Cucurella charged, it ricocheted through his legs. Ndiweni, in shock, latched onto the loose ball and passed it off to a teammate. The St. James Park crowd applauded warmly. 

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so surreal.’” Ndiweni said. 

Had he really just nutmegged an eventual European Championship-winning defender with his first touch in professional soccer? To this day, he doesn’t fully recall. But that was supposed to be his arrival. It’s the kind of thing you hear over and over in European soccer. Ndiweni held his own, albeit for about three minutes. From there, he was supposed to work his way into the side, minute by minute. 

There would be cup appearances, valuable moments off the bench – the local lad embraced by the home support. Michael Ndiweni, surely, would be one of their own.

Getty'I had the drive, but no structure'

Yet it didn’t quite work out that way. Newcastle released Ndiweni in June 2024. He was never going to break into the team with Alexander Isak starting up front. Before long, he was playing non-league football. It was immensely tedious. Professional footballers can’t overwork their bodies. 

So, Ndiweni was pushing himself as far as he could, without damaging anything. A routine was soon established of gym sessions, ball work, and then two practices per week with a local non-league side. 

“I didn't have, like, a full-time schedule. I had the drive, but I had no structure. It was very difficult,” he said. “Sometimes your days are filled with nothing.” 

In between, he coached kids. 

“Every professional player who goes out of the professional game goes into coaching,” Ndiweni explained. 

He looked after his sister and took her to and from school. Outside of that he “just chilled.” There were some special moments. He flirted, briefly, with the Baller League, a small-sided competition that is growing in prominence in the U.K. To some, it’s a bit of a laugh. Ndiweni insists that it has to be taken seriously. 

“I honestly thought it'd just be a bit of a farce when I first did it,” he said. “But it's becoming a big thing, and people are taking it seriously. It's good for players who are on the cusp of being pro, potentially, to get, like, a good profile.” 

Plus, hanging out with YouTubers and streamers is admittedly cool. 

“They were so nice. Even though the managers are characters, they treat their players very, very well,” Ndiweni said.

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Ohio State University Navigating NCAA eligibility process

America had always been an option for Ndiweni. A lot of English footballers, these days, keep it in the back of their minds. If the whole professional thing didn’t work out immediately, he told himself, then he could go to university in the U.S., get a degree, and play football. And maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance for another crack at the professional game. 

Even if it seemed a last resort, the emails were blasted off to pretty much every top collegiate program. Ohio State showed some interest. And that’s when the real work started. Ndiweni knew he wanted to come to the U.S. to play football. What he didn’t quite know was how tricky it would be to get there, especially sorting his eligibility. 

“I had to fill in loads of forms with the NCAA. They asked for everything, like bank statements,” he recalled. “They dug deep into everything, contracts and stuff, and then they ended up coming up with the decision that I was able to play.” 

In the end, an agency helped facilitate it all. He knew for about a year that he was going to be playing soccer in the Big Ten Conference, week-in, week-out. Still, the paperwork took months. He was preliminarily accepted in January. The confirmation that permitted his move to Ohio came through about a month before the college season was due to start.

Team-mates BJ Watling and Jimmy Neesham recall their roles in a moment of NZ history

Vithushan Ehantharajah04-Dec-2024The Basin Reserve has a claim to being one of the best grounds in international cricket. But its immediate surroundings might be the most treacherous.Wellington’s topography, exacerbated by its famous earthquake of 1855, means vehicles basically sling-shot around the ground out of Sussex Street into Buckle Street, which wraps around its highest quarter. It is devilish to navigate both on wheels and foot, and at its most nefarious when the ground is closed to the public, as it was on Wednesday when England and New Zealand trained ahead of the second Test, which begins on Friday.But when the cricket is on, and that same public is enticed in while road users are discouraged, it is at its safest. On February 18, 2014, it was a haven.Related

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The foyer of the Cricket Wellington building at the entrance to the ground houses a basic collage of that day: wooden frame, photos, cutouts, captions and headlines like “The game that stopped a nation”. Fitting for day when the traffic was non-existent, but low-key for New Zealand’s first Test triple century – one that had spectators queueing right around the ground, dominating the roads outright.This year marks a decade since England’s Test head coach Brendon McCullum became the first Black Cap to breach three hundred. All of his numbers are remarkable in their own right; 302 runs off 559 balls, and 775 minutes spent at the crease. He arrived when New Zealand were 52 for 3 in their second innings, after India had posted 438 to take a 246-run lead. They would emerge 242 ahead, eventually into a draw for a memorable series victory (McCullum had helped win the first Test with 224). As captain, no less.

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“Is it bad that I remember him getting dropped by Virat?” Jimmy Neesham recalls to ESPNcricinfo.On nine (from 32 deliveries), McCullum mis-timed a drive that was shelled by Virat Kohli at short mid-on. That would have made it 78 for 4, and an epic would have been terminated before conception. “And then I had the pads on for a day and a half.”Neesham, on debut, was carded at No. 8. And when Tom Latham and Corey Anderson fell either side of lunch, he was ready to go for his second innings. Then came an eight-and-a-half-hour wait as the next man in. For that, he has BJ Watling to thank.Watling, after a duck in the first innings, and 1 and 11 in the first Test, offered McCullum invaluable resistance. The pair shared 741 deliveries, eventually putting on 352. At the time it was a record for the sixth wicket.”The situation was really quite simple,” says Watling, with the matter-of-fact attitude that helps to explain how he was able to better it with a stand of 365 with Kane Williamson at the same ground a year later.”It was just a chance to dig in and ultimately see where that ends up. The fact that Baz kept going and going as well, you start to gain that confidence. You’re literally just going through each ball over time, each over, each session and seeing what unfolds.”When Watling arrived at the crease at 94 for 5 – India still 152 ahead – McCullum had already faced 72 deliveries for 19. He had also taken enough painkillers to down a rhino.McCullum greets fans at the Basin Reserve after his triple-century•AFPThe creaking back – it had been for some time – and a dodgy knee were now accompanied by a dicky left shoulder.”I think there might have been a hamstring strain, you know,” says Watling. “From Eden Park (first Test), chasing one of those balls to the boundary and flying over the rope, as Baz does. He certainly had a few niggles going on, but he certainly wasn’t one to make you terribly aware of it.”There was no tell of any impediment to McCullum. He ticked deliveries over, starting day three’s evening session on 44 from 138 deliveries. he was on 72 from 177 when the new ball arrived, and moved to his first hundred – sealed with a straight six off Ishant Sharma – just 20 deliveries later.The following day – New Zealand effectively resuming on 6 for 5 – McCullum and Watling kept at it, wearing maidens, striking the odd boundary, before somehow dealing in singles – and even the odd three. Watling eventually moved to his third Test century.”I made a slight adjustment for that Test match and bringing back a little pre-movement shuffle, to counter the bounce of Sharma,” he recalls. “I definitely wasn’t feeling comfortable.”But Baz’s nature is to play that attacking brand. He went up and down in tempo throughout. And the way he strikes it, the second new ball gets blunted, which allows us in 15 overs’ time to not having it swinging, bouncing or nipping as much. That makes my life easier.”If McCullum’s approach out in the middle belied the gravity and pressure of the situation, which he was slowly easing, so did the manner in which he carried himself at the intervals. In contrast to Watling.

“Coming in that day, everyone was there at 9am, lines out all around. I certainly haven’t seen that in my time. I’d hate to know the pressure Baz was under.”BJ Watling recalls the buzz around the Basin on the morning of the triple

“We’d come in at tea and lunch and, well, Baz ate a lot, but I certainly didn’t. I’d have a coffee and try and switch off before heading back out there. I’d have a little bit when keeping, but not much if I was going to be batting. Not great, I know – the nutritionist would have a heart attack.”One man who did not have that problem was Neesham: “I’ve never struggled eating. I think if you put me and BJ next to each other, you can probably guess which one doesn’t eat. I had a couple of ham-and-cheese toasties and whatnot up there.”Even though he hadn’t yet made it out to the middle, Neesham was still burning energy. “At the Basin, you have to go along underneath the stand and up through the staircase to the viewing area.”I’m trying to think how many times I must’ve made that walk, because you go downstairs to go to the toilet or whatever, and in sessions you go back down to the change-room and have tea or have lunch and go back up again. So I must’ve gone up and down those stairs about 15 times, with my pads on.”There was a fair bit of nervous energy as well. McCullum and Watling were easing Kiwi nerves with their stand, but Neesham remained on edge.”You don’t enjoy it when you’re next, and I don’t think there’s any batter in world cricket that would say that they enjoy being next in. I think it’s the worst situation in cricket. Imagine having that for a hundred (123) overs?!”Neesham’s anxiety has undimmed over time, it seems, especially when recalling the match situation when he arrived to the crease upon Watling’s dismissal for 124, after tea on day four.”We were about fifty or a hundred behind, so still a bit of work to do.” New Zealand were actually 200 in front. “Were we?” Yes. “Didn’t have any work to do then!”

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And so we come to February 18, 2014. McCullum resumed on 281, and a ground that had been predominantly Indian on day three was now far more skewed towards the Black Caps.”The Basin is a beautiful place to play on a good day,” says Watling. “Coming in that day, everyone was there at 9am, lines out all around. I certainly haven’t seen that in my time. I’d hate to know the pressure Baz was under.”New Zealand’s previous highest Test score was an agonising 299 by Martin Crowe, against Sri Lanka at the same ground 23 years earlier, and Neesham, on 67 not out at the start of that final day, had gauged the interest overnight. “It had become an event in New Zealand. Baz getting to 300 had sort of gone beyond cricket.” Fans of all ages wanted to be a part of it. A 14-year-old Rachin Ravindra was one of the lucky school kids to make it through the turnstiles.By that morning, McCullum was exhausted. Even his kit was starting to wear out.”He had this dumb superstition that he wouldn’t change his grip while he was batting,” says Neesham. “So there’s holes in his grip where it’s split where his fingers are. And he is just taping up these holes, so his bat grip is just cooked. God knows why he didn’t change it.”His old man (Stuart) was in Wellington, too, so they were having a couple of beers each night after the day’s play. And he probably wasn’t getting as much REM sleep as he should have been.”BJ Watling’s third Test hundred, against India in Wellington, was the longest innings by a New Zealand wicketkeeper•Getty ImagesBy the time play had resumed, there were still people lining up along the road to get in. Many were still trying when, midway through the eighth over, McCullum edged Ishant just short of MS Dhoni.”The hush,” starts Neesham, “I still remember that. That was when people realised that he’s not definitely going to get there. It was a celebration of him, that day, of him getting to 300… and then people realised like ‘oh, he actually has to score the runs’.”He did, an over after Neesham reached his maiden Test century: “I could sit back and watch …”Zaheer Khan offered width, McCullum opened the face with a flourish for a 36th and final boundary, and up to 302 he went.McCullum jogged to the other end, raising his arms before taking his helmet off and saluting all corners. There was no real emotion, no tear in the eye. Not even from father Stu, even as he beamed with pride and applauded. He was out two balls later.”It was pretty cool,” says Neesham, 137 not out in the end, and with a front row seat to history. “Pretty cool for your first Test experience.”New Zealand declared on 680 for 8, leaving a nominal target of 435. India ended up hanging on, with Kohli nabbing a consolation century after being given not out on 15, despite an edge to the keeper that would have made it 31 for 3.”The home changing-rooms are really big and you’ve got your own space, and so a great place to sit down after a Test match and reflect,” says Watling. “And there’s a lot of history at the ground, too, and Baz was now part of it. But he didn’t make too much of a fuss about it to be honest. The team had beaten India in a Test series, and that was the biggest celebration in the sheds that night.”Also, I don’t think he could really register what he had just done.”

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Perhaps one of the most telling quotes in the immediate aftermath of McCullum’s 302 came from the man himself: “I feel a little bit embarrassed because I’m not anywhere near the calibre of players that those two in particular are.”Crowe and Stephen Fleming were, in McCullum’s eyes, the top two of New Zealand cricket. They were the ones who were truly worthy of such an honour.There is an element of self-recognition at play there, and foresight. McCullum remains a outlier in New Zealand sport. One of their own, yet belonging to everyone else – to India in perpetuity for his impact on the IPL, and now to England.”You certainly cherish those times with Baz, as a player,” Watling says. “And it looks like England are benefitting from that right now.”He is a maverick who grabbed headlines, yet is still regarded by many as the establishment, particularly after the captaincy farrago involving Ross Taylor in 2012. A certified renegade who now occupies a quiet hinterland in the sporting conscience.”It’s interesting,” says Neesham, when asked about McCullum and validation with his 302. “Is Jayson Tatum a better basketballer than Luka Doncic because he’s won a championship?”There’s talk of it in the current era. But in New Zealand cricket, there’s only a few guys that’ll carry a legacy post-playing. And Baz is one of them.”With time, humility dilutes and perspective improves. And it is not about McCullum needing to be great to have a triple-century. Quite the opposite.Of all the batting accolades he possesses, including the fastest Test century in his final match, this is the one that grants greatness. Breaking new ground for his country, showing the world he could produce something that echoed throughout history, and setting himself apart from those he deems more worthy.And for one day, bringing a country still split on his legend together on a roundabout in Wellington.

India are expecting their T20I captain to be back for the Asia Cup in September

Shashank Kishore04-Aug-2025Suryakumar Yadav, the India T20I captain, had his first batting session at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru late last week following a surgery for sports hernia in Germany in July.Suryakumar is currently under the supervision of BCCI’s medical staff as he recovers from surgery on his lower right abdomen. His workload will be increased progressively over the next few weeks and he’s believed to be on track for the Asia Cup beginning on September 9 in UAE.ESPNcricinfo understands his rehabilitation was planned with a likely return for the T20I leg of the Bangladesh tour in late August – a series that was deferred to 2026.Suryakumar’s most recent outing was for Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the Mumbai T20 League in June, soon after the completion of IPL 2025. He hit 122 runs in four innings. He was also in consideration to be named in the West Zone squad for Duleep Trophy but will probably miss that tournament.India’s squad is likely to fly to the UAE in the first week of September for the Asia Cup, and West Zone don’t play until September 4 after being given a direct entry to the semi-finals. As part of his build-up to the tournament, Suryakumar might play a few practice matches and undergo simulation exercises organised by the CoE in the final week of his rehab.The Asia Cup marks the start of India’s runway to next year’s T20 World Cup, which they co-host with Sri Lanka. If he plays, it will be Suryakumar’s first multi-nation tournament as T20I captain since taking over the leadership in the shortest format from Rohit Sharma following their T20 World Cup win in 2024.

Manchester United drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime. It took a late Matthijs de Ligt goal to secure a point, after being 1-0 up at half-time. Not only did United let the three points slip out of their grasp, but striker Benjamin Sesko picked up an injury.

The Slovenian didn’t start the game in North London, coming on in the second half. He suffered a knee problem late in the clash after a tackle by Mickey van de Ven prevented him from getting a shot off.

Ruben Amorim said after the game that he is “concerned” about the striker’s issue.

It is currently unclear how long the 22-year-old will be out injured for, but Amorim has three different options to replace him.

1 The logical option

There is only one other number 9 in the United squad: Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman is a superb technical player who is brilliant at bringing his teammates into the game with holdup play and silky footwork.

He ended his debut campaign at United strongly, with ten goals and assists, including a crucial header in the Europa League away from home against Lyon. However, he’s fallen out of favour under the Portuguese manager this term.

It certainly hasn’t been easy for the Dutchman in 2025/26. He’s only made five appearances across all competitions, playing 90 minutes in total and not starting a game. He hasn’t even had a chance to prove himself this term.

However, with his ability to link play together and facilitate the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, the 24-year-old could be a game-changer for United. He’s their only other senior number striker and has shown great promise when given a chance.

2 The wildcard option

The suggested wildcard shout is, ironically, something Amorim has done more often this season than the logical option. That consists of bringing Mason Mount into the starting lineup and playing a flexible front three consisting of the Englishman, Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Although he has been struck down with injury a lot for United, the 26-year-old clearly has an abundance of quality. When fit, he has been a trusted lieutenant under Amorim, playing 29 games for the Red Devils boss, scoring four times and assisting one.

In fact, those strikes certainly highlight the quality the number seven brings to United’s side. Look at his finish against Athletic Club in the Europa League last season, taking the ball on the half turn and curling his effort home. That is classic Mount.

This solution would offer Amorim lots of energy up front, with all three players excellent pressers. United fans would also witness fluid rotations in possession, although the lack of a natural number 9 might make them less of a threat in the box.

3 The academy option

Using players from the academy has always been a huge part of the DNA at Old Trafford. Well, in light of Sesko’s injury, Amorim could turn to 17-year-old Chido Obi to help fill the void left at centre-forward.

The former Arsenal youngster has played first-team football in the red of United since his move to Manchester last summer. He’s featured eight times under Amorim, even starting away to Brentford in the Premier League.

It is at academy level that the former Gunners star has made a real impression. Obi has scored six goals for United’s U21 side and has bagged 12 times in ten games for the U18s. It is no surprise that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta previously described him as a “massive goal threat.” Gunners podcaster Will Balsam once even described the prodigy as a “homegrown Osimhen”.

Obi has played against senior sides in the EFL Trophy this season and has made a real impression, grabbing three goal involvements in as many games. Against Barnsley, he got a goal and an assist, having two shots on target, creating one chance and winning three duels.

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Picking the Denmark U20 striker to replace Sesko could be seen as a risk from Amorim. Yet, the Red Devils boss clearly trusts and rates the striker, having given him regular minutes in the top flight last season.

There are a few options for the United boss, and it will be fascinating to see which route he takes if Sesko is sidelined for a long period.

Forget Mbeumo: "Phenomenal" Man Utd star was the real player of the month

Bryan Mbeumo has won the Premier League Player of the Month, but one other Manchester United star may feel hard done by.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 7, 2025

Manchester United are now reportedly racing Arsenal to sign Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund amid rumours that he has a release clause worth just £45m for selected clubs.

The Reds Devils successfully overhauled their frontline last summer, but could now be aiming to add that extra bit of quality now that Ruben Amorim’s side have found form. Before the international break, they stretched their unbeaten run to five games and will be desperate to continue that run when they play host to David Moyes and Everton on Monday night.

Despite their cost-cutting measures elsewhere, INEOS have shown a willingness to spend big on improving Amorim’s side and 2026 is unlikely to be any different. Those at Old Trafford are already reportedly eyeing a move to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and after his recent rise, no one’s doubting that he’d be an excellent addition.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has also been full of praise for the Man United target during the November international break, telling reporters: “Anderson is a key player for us at the moment. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – that’s why he is with us and starting for us.

“He deserves it because he has been nothing but impressive. He has to keep on going now though. He is a very complete and mobile midfielder, and that’s what he keeps showing me.”

It would be an incredibly positive sign if United managed to welcome such a promising player next year, before then potentially shifting their focus towards signing yet another attacker. Having already welcomed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig and the Bundesliga last year, reports are claiming that INEOS could be heading back to Germany.

Man Utd racing to sign Guirassy

As reported by Caught Offside, Man United are now racing to sign Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund alongside PSG and Premier League rivals Arsenal. The forward has been a late bloomer, but is now one of Europe’s most clinical strikers. And with reports claiming that his release clause is worth just €50m (£45m) to a selection of clubs, the Red Devils should go all out.

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Although Sesko is very much the future of United’s attack, Guirassy could quickly ease the pressure on the forward’s shoulders in 2026. The 29-year-old could guarantee Amorim goals in the here and now, with five to his name already in the Bundesliga this season.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

Just how stubborn Dortmund will be amid interest in Guirassy is the question. Former German international went as far as to dub the forward one of the “most complete” he’s ever seen in incredibly high praise. For Dortmund to lose that would be a major blow, but as January approaches their star man could be one to watch.

Man Utd now considering January Antoine Semenyo move as release clause emerges

Ruben Amorim complained earlier this season that his 3-4-3 formation is always to blame whenever Manchester United lose but on the rare occasion they win, his tactics are not credited. The coach's system has been the No. 1 talking point since he took charge of the Red Devils, with many believing it cannot work in the Premier League. But Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is proving otherwise.

Glasner has been playing the same formation as Amorim since he succeeded the beloved Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park in February 2024, with the team sitting 15th in the Premier League. But rather than being the straitjacket that it often seems to be for Amorim's United, the 3-4-3 shape has led to Palace enjoying one of the club's greatest ever spells.

In less than two years in charge he has led Palace to win the FA Cup (their first major trophy), consequentially taking them into Europe for the first time. He has also overseen the club's longest ever unbeaten run, spanning 19 games in all competitions and six months, and won this season's Community Shield. Palace are currently fifth in the Premier League, enjoying their best run in the division and their best season since finishing third in the old First Division in 1990, when they also reached the FA Cup final.

It is quite a different story for Amorim, who last season oversaw United's lowest league finish in 51 years and whose team were incapable of beating 10-man Everton in their last game despite having a one-man advantage for 77 minutes. As United head to south London to face Palace on Sunday, GOAL looks at six things Amorim could learn from Glasner in his long quest to make his formation finally work…

Getty Images SportPick formation based on players

Amorim and Glasner may be the two most famous exponents of 3-4-3 in the modern game but only one of them has made it their hallmark. While Amorim began playing the formation as early as his fourth game in charge of semi-professional side Casa Pia, his very first job, Glasner only started adopting it when he became Eintracht Frankfurt coach as it had worked for his predecessor.

"In my career, I have used every single system," Glasner told . "I got promoted in Austria with a 4-4-2, then we switched to a 3-4-3. In Wolfsburg, we reached the Champions League with a 4-2-3-1. In Frankfurt, they played with three at the back before and it fit the squad. I always look at what system might suit the players we have best. My favourite system is 4-4-2, but do we have the right players for this?"

Amorim's mistake was to land at Old Trafford hell-bent on playing his formation even though the squad he inherited was stacked with traditional wingers and shorn of good full-backs who could become effective wing-backs. Against Everton he stuck with the formation even when the circumstances demanded a tactical tweak, showing a concerning rigidity contrasting with Glasner's pragmatism.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFocus less on possession

Pep Guardiola's Barcelona made every team obsessed with having lots of possession but the game has shifted back towards a more equal balance in recent years. United's defeat against Everton was the most flagrant example that dominating the ball does not always win you games: they had 70 percent of the ball overall and 75% in the second half. 

Palace are showing just what you can do with less of the ball. They rank third-bottom in the Premier League for possession but are fifth in the table. United are ranked eighth for possession but are 10th in the table. Indeed, throughout this season United have tended to get better results when having less of the ball. 

They beat Liverpool with 36.5% possession and also had less of the ball when they beat Brighton and Chelsea, remarkably only having 41% of the ball against the Blues despite having a man advantage for most of the first half. The only game they have won while dominating the ball was against Burnley, who have the lowest possession count in the league, while they had marginally more possession when they beat Sunderland (50.2%).

When Amorim's Sporting CP thrashed Manchester City after he had accepted the United job, the coach warned: "United cannot play the way we play, they cannot be so defensive." But that is not the case any more. What United fans want right now is results and to climb up the table. When long-suffering supporters were celebrating their first win at Anfield in a decade, no one in the away end was grumbling about their lack of possession.

Getty Images SportHave a reliable centre-forward

The last time United played Crystal Palace, Jean-Phillipe Mateta gave a clinic in centre-forward play which was juxtaposed by the absurdity of Kobbie Mainoo starting as a false-nine for the Red Devils. It was a game which underlined the importance of having a streetwise, Premier League-tested centre-forward leading the line. But United did not learn any lessons from it. 

While Mateta was being touted as a smart option for United in the summer, they instead paid £74m ($98m) for Benjamin Sesko, despite him having the same flaws as Rasmus Hojlund, the player he was replacing after the Dane proved ill-equipped to cope with the demands of the Premier League and the pressure of playing for United. Sesko, who is in the middle of an expected six-week lay off with a knee injury, has scored two goals so far and it says a lot that Amorim opted against starting him against Liverpool and Tottenham, playing Matheus Cunha as a false nine instead. Joshua Zirkzee got his big opportunity against Everton but failed to take it.

Mateta, meanwhile, has scored six goals this season, making him the joint-fourth top scorer in the league. In the last two campaigns he scored a combined 30 goals. No one in United's squad came close to those numbers. Mateta is still not an elite-level striker and it should not be forgotten that in his second season at Palace he started only six league matches, being Hodgson's second-choice behind Odsonne Édouard. He has steadily learned the trade of what it takes to be a Premier League forward and even when he doesn't score he gives his team a clear focal point, something United clearly lack despite spending close to £184m on three strikers since 2023.

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Getty Images SportPlay wing-backs on correct wings

Wing-backs are utterly essential to a 3-4-3 system and Amorim has struggled to get a tune out of the men he has chosen to perform the role. Amad Diallo is the one exception as he has been one of the few players to continue to shine over the last year although playing at wing-back does not really suit his strengths.

While Amad has been able to demonstrate his attacking quality as an inverted wing-back and has struck up a promising partnership with Bryan Mbeumo, playing further back than his natural role as a right winger has its pitfalls. His defensive shortcomings were exposed against Nottingham Forest and he is not helped by being forced to defend on his weaker right side. 

The same is true of Diogo Dalot although for different reasons. Dalot is naturally right-footed but is often deployed as left-wing-back, meaning he struggles to cause damage going outside defenders and routine goes inside, making it easier to defend against. Gary Neville was furious with Amorim for bringing Dalot on against Everton to replace Patrick Dorgu, while Jamie Carragher previously said of the Portugal international in this position: "He can't beat a man. He's not going to play a clever pass, he's not going to get a cross in."

Glasner has gone for a simpler approach, playing the right-footed Daniel Munoz at right-wing-back and the left-footed Tyrick Mitchell on the opposite flank. Munoz has contributed to 17 Premier League goals since joining Palace in January 2024. Mitchell has 11 goal contributions since the start of the 2023-24 campaign. 

The numbers only tell half of the story though: the wing-backs' legs and lungs are a big reason why Glasner's team are so dangerous going forward on the break. Mitchell and Munoz both currently rank in the top five in the Premier League for distance covered, according to OPTA.

India lost both their overnight batters, Rahul and Gill, and still trail by 88

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2025

Shubman Gill celebrates his fourth century of the series•AFP/Getty Images

Lunch England took a huge step towards a series-clinching win just before lunch on the fifth day in Manchester when Jofra Archer finally dislodged Shubman Gill after 87 overs of resistance.When Gill walked out to face a hat-trick ball in the first over of India’s second innings, his team trailed by 311 runs and looked certain to lose within four days. But a doughty, defiant century – the fourth in his first series as India captain – kept the match and the series alive, trimming the deficit to under 100 and slowly wearing England’s bowlers down.Gill was given a life early on the fifth day when Ollie Pope failed to hold onto a stinging chance at short cover, and was hit on the glove and helmet as Ben Stokes broke through the pain barrier to bowl an eight-over spell from the James Anderson End. Stokes did not bowl on the fourth day due to cramp and grimaced after every ball due to a shoulder niggle.But he was the man that gave England their first breakthrough, pinning KL Rahul on the back pad to trap him lbw and break a partnership worth 188 with Gill. Stokes exploited the variable bounce on offer throughout his spell, with some balls shooting through low and others – like the brute that struck Gill – leaping unexpectedly.Chris Woakes took the new ball alongside Archer and occasionally beat the bat, with Gill surviving an incredibly tight leave soon after a celebratory yelp on reaching three figures. But he played away from his body to a back-of-a-length ball from Archer shortly before lunch, and edged through to Jamie Smith to make England clear favourites.

His double-century in Multan give him 1000-plus Test runs in a calendar year for the third time since 2021. Now, the question is, can he catch Tendulkar?

Graphics by Ashwini Adole10-Oct-2024At the end of 2020, Joe Root saw his average dip below 48.00. He had averaged less than 40 between 2018 and 2020, scoring just four centuries in 60 innings. There were questions about whether he still belonged in the Fab Four along with Steven Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson. But since the start of 2021, Root has outperformed those three by a significant margin.ESPNcricinfo LtdA ton every five innings
Root began 2021 with a mammoth double-ton in Galle and followed it up with a daddy hundred in the next Galle Test and then hit 218 in Chennai. Overall, since 2021, Root has 18 centuries in 91 innings. Smith (6), Kohli (2) and Williamson (9) have 17 combined in that period.ESPNcricinfo LtdTwice as good as the pack
Root’s closest competition in the past four years has actually come from outside the Fab Four, but even the next highest run-getters of the period have just over half the runs Root has scored in this time.ESPNcricinfo LtdBack to the 50-plus group
While you could put the volume of Root’s runs down to how many Tests England play – he has played 50 in the past four years, 16 more than Smith and Labuschagne and 30 more than Williamson – he has got those runs at an ever-increasing average. While he was below 48.00 at the start of 2021, he went past the 50-mark in the same year, and with his 262 in Multan, has gone past 51.00 for the first time since 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1000-plus in a year, five times
Root’s 262 in Multan also took him past 1000 runs in 2024. This is the third time in the past four years he has scored 1000 in the year and the fifth time overall. Only Sachin Tendulkar has more 1000-run years in Tests, with six. Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Matthew Hayden, Alastair Cook, Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis have also done it five times.ESPNcricinfo LtdChasing Yousuf?
Root now has 1248 runs in 2024 and still has, potentially, five Tests to play: two more in Pakistan and three in New Zealand. If he bats at his 2024 average of 65.68, he will need nine more innings to overtake Mohammad Yousuf’s record of 1788 Test runs in a calendar year.ESPNcricinfo LtdTendulkar in Root’s sights
Having outstripped his contemporaries in the past four years, Root is now chasing all-time records. He is now fifth on the Test run-getters list and sixth on the centuries list. If he maintains the average he has scored at in the past four years, Root will need 56 more Test innings to pass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 Test runs. At the rate England play Tests, Root could get there within three years, before he turns 37. Oddsmakers are already giving Root as good as a 33% chance to haul down Tendulkar’s tally.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdHammond’s doubles being run down
Root had already gone past Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading run-getter in Tests on day three of the Multan Test. On day four, he made his century a double, his sixth in Tests. Only Wally Hammond has more doubles for England, with seven. This was Root’s third Test double-century in Asia, making him the first visiting batter to achieve this feat.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo Ltd