Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has been questioned for his side’s performance against Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White produced the perfect response to his England omission by helping Forest to their first Premier League win since the opening day of the season.

Gibbs-White was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next week’s World Cup qualifiers, but reminded the German of his talent with a decisive goal in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leeds.

The midfielder’s second-half header helped end Forest’s nine-game winless streak in the league as they secured three points for the first time under head coach Sean Dyche.

It was far from pretty as they had to come from behind, Ibrahim Sangare cancelling out Lukas Nmecha’s opener for Leeds.

Elliot Anderson’s late penalty sealed a vital triumph for Forest, who have now taken four points from their last two games and look to be heading in the right direction.

They are just two points behind Leeds, who have lost four out of their last five matches. Following their latest defeat, manager Farke has been called into question.

Farke should have made earlier changes against Forest

Since arriving at Leeds in 2023, Farke has sometimes been questioned for his decisions surrounding substitutes. Often, the German seems to bring new bodies into the game only after the majority of minutes have been played.

Against Nottingham, Leeds made no changes until the 74th minute. This is despite having lost their one-goal advantage, finding themselves 2-1 down and offering little threat to their hosts. Such a decision was noted by commentator Jon Newsome who at the time of United’s substitutions, as per BBC Sport West Yorkshire.

England midfielder Anderson killed the game from the spot in the 90th minute after the lively Hutchinson, introduced from the bench, was fouled by Jack Harrison, a natural wide midfielder who replaced left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson.

In attack, Leeds were bereft of inspiration. They had just four shots before the 70th minute and of the 10 they had across the game, as per SofaScore, only three were on target. Beren Cross of The Athletic commented on the fact that, despite Farke saying he had been in team training for a fortnight, Italian forward Willy Gnonto, who would offer a much-needed creative spark, was not in the squad against Forest.

With an international break ahead of them, Leeds will face a number of tough fixtures as they look for what will be a needed improvement in form. With four defeats within their past five Premier League games, questions may soon be asked of Farke’s future at Elland Road if such a run continues.

Leeds must unleash their "best finisher"

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been handed a positive injury update on new signing Benjamin Sesko after the Slovenia international hobbled off during their thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham. Amorim had expressed concerns for his striker after the match, but initial investigations have offered hope Sesko won't be sidelined for an extended spell.

• Worrying end to match for Sesko

  It was an afternoon of high drama in north London after United secured a vital point against Spurs. The visitors took the lead courtesy of Bryan Mbeumo's header in the 32nd minute, but the hosts staged a late comeback with goals from substitute Mathys Tel in the 84th minute and Richarlison in the first minute of stoppage time, which put them in front and, seemingly, on course to earn the hosts all three points. But the match ended in chaos, as United defender Matthijs de Ligt headed home an equaliser from a corner in the 96th minute, salvaging a draw for his side.

  The closing stages saw Sesko pick up an injury. He entered the match in the 58th minute but was forced off late with a knee problem, casting a shadow over United’s hard-fought draw. His performance featured a couple of missed chances and came before he was taken off following a robust challenge from Micky van de Ven. The forward has scored two goals in 12 appearances and has struggled for form and confidence.

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• Amorim fears for Sesko

  The United boss was asked after the match if he thought the injury was serious, he said: "I have no idea. Because it's the knee, we never know. I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee. We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with him."

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  Encouraging Sesko update offered from home country

  But in the hours after the match there was an update coming from Sesko's native Slovenia, where local media reports say the initial tests show that the injury was not serious and shouldn’t rule him out for a lengthy spell. There was the additional detail from , which says the full extent of the injury will only be revealed after an MRI scan, which will take place in the coming days. 

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  Missed opportunity for Red Devils

  Speaking after the match, Amorim offered a mixed review of his team's performance also revealed his plan for the players who aren’t heading off on international duty. 

  Amorim said: "In the end, I think if you see the game you feel that the three points were there to take home, but then with everything that happened – Harry (Maguire) has to come out, Casemiro has to come out, (so does) Ben. We suffered two goals again in a short period of time, but managed to score again, so it's a point. When you cannot win, you don’t lose and once again we managed to do that. If you look to the game and if you feel the environment, we have so much to grow as a team, because today was our day to win this game.

  "I think it's more we need to look at ourselves. We were not pressing with the same intensity, because we felt comfortable. We need to understand that but to feel also that if we have a little bit more bravery, we can kill this game. Sometimes it's like that: you have a first half better than the second."

  He added: "It’s a little bit frustrating but also a little bit pride of the response of the players after the second goal of Tottenham. Then to look at the team. I understand that this is just the tip of the iceberg. So we are just in the beginning of becoming a very strong team. We have a lot to do and we are going to work with the guys that are not going to the national team, and we are going to evaluate everything, trying to see also games from the kids. So try to use this space on evolution of our club, not just the first team."

Who will replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager?

Well, most supporters would like to see Ange Postecoglou return, having won five trophies during his two seasons in Glasgow, very much still, almost inarguably, the most popular Celtic boss of modern times.

However, according to widespread reports, the Aussie is highly unlikely to return to the club at this time, seeking time away from football following his ill-fated 39 days in charge of Nottingham Forest, failing to win any of his eight matches in the East Midlands.

Other names, including Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, Kjetil Knutsen and Nicky Hayen, appear to be high up on the board’s wish list, but getting them out of their current positions will not be easy, so should Celtic target a “box office” title-winning coach currently out of work, who could repeat Postecoglou’s success?

What made Ange Postecoglou a success at Celtic

Given that Celtic had been a total mess the season before, when Postecoglou was appointed manager in the summer of 2021, most, including all Rangers supporters, were laughing.

Well, they weren’t laughing for long because, after losing his first three Premiership away games, the Australian then oversaw a 38-match unbeaten streak in the league, winning 32 of these matches, departing having picked up two league titles, two League Cups and a Scottish Cup.

His charisma and personality completely won over a then-divided fan base, very much playing the role of a cult leader, while his now infamous Ange-ball high intensity, high-possession, relentless style of play was like nothing seen in Scottish football before or since.

Also, Postecoglou’s knowledge of lesser-known markers, specifically the Japanese league, helped him sign Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Kyōgo Furuhashi, while, in a cosmopolitan squad, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Matt O’Riley, Aaron Mooy, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Alistair Johnston and others from all across the globe thrived.

All of this culminated in creating, arguably, the most thrilling and unstoppable Celtic side anyone has enjoyed watching for a very long time, ending the 2022/23 season with 99 points, having scored 114 goals, the most the club have managed in a single league campaign since 1916.

However, it was Postecoglou’s cult of personality that instantaneously enamoured him with supporters from day one, which was crucial considering his lack of prior name recognition, so should Celtic now seek to appoint a coach who possesses similar characteristics?

Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou

According to a report by Sky Sports, seven names are under consideration for the vacant Celtic job, including the aforementioned Bellamy, Knutsen, McKenna and Hayen.

Manager Focus

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They also state that Damien Duff is ‘being assessed’, noting that he has ‘strong ties with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond’.

The Irishman began his coaching career as youth manager at Shamrock Rovers before joining Celtic, briefly working with the B team before serving as Neil Lennon’s assistant when he replaced Rodgers in February 2019.

After Lennon was sacked, he had a short stint on the Republic of Ireland’s coaching staff, before joining Shelbourne, where he truly made a name for himself.

In just over three seasons in charge of Shels, overseeing 151 games, Duff enjoyed unparalleled success, as the table below documents.

When Duff was appointed Shelbourne manager, they were a newly-promoted club, leading them to a first ​​​​​​​FAI Cup Final for 11 years at the end of his first season, ultimately beaten 4-0 by Derry City at the Aviva.

Nevertheless, this would prove to be the start of something special because, last year, the Reds were crowned League of Ireland champions for the first time in 18 years, pipping serial champions Shamrock Rovers on the final day by two points.

As a player, Duff won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and was part of the Fulham side that reached the Europa League Final, as well as accumulating 100 international caps, only six Irishmen have more.

Nevertheless, considering the Reds were 25/1 rank-outsiders before the season began, Duff described this as both the greatest achievement and the “pinnacle” of his career, adding that it was like something out of a Hollywood script.

Despite being a beloved figure among the Tolka Park faithful, Duff resigned as manager in June, following a sequence of five wins from 20 league matches, stepping away just days before the start of their Champions League qualifying campaign.

Still very popular in Drumcondra, Shelbourne technical director Luke Byrn described Duff as “box office”, while Miguel Delaney of the Independent asserted that his personality is ‘intensely captivating’ and ‘compelling’ to listen to, comparing him to José Mourinho, who was of course his manager at Stamford Bridge.

Meantime, Samuel Hutchinson of Total Football Analysis documents how Duff favours a style revolving around high possession and high intensity, very similar to that of Postecoglou.

Thus, Duff has both the personality and playing style to replicate Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Of course, his lack of elite-level coaching experience is a concern, but he has worked at Celtic before and, possibly most crucially of all, is available.

Postecoglou himself was not first-choice, the Celtic board spending months attempting to woo Eddie Howe before that fell through, so Duff could ultimately prove to be the right man at the right time.

O'Neill 2.0: Celtic chasing "one of the best coaches" as Ange alternative

Rather than Ange Postecoglou, should Celtic appoint “one of the best coaches” in the EFL who would repeat Martin O’Neill’s success from 2 decades ago?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 31, 2025

Victory by 89 runs sees Brave make it five from five, as Sophie Devine stars again

ECB Media18-Aug-2025

Southern Brave 161 for 6 (Wolvaardt 36, Bouchier 34, Franklin 2-28) beat Oval Invincibles 72 (Villiers 3-17) by 89 runs Southern Brave produced a devastating all-round performance to inflict a record-breaking 89-run defeat on Oval Invincibles at Utilita Bowl to maintain their 100 per cent record and move top of the table.Set 162 for victory, the Invincibles could only muster 72, never recovering from a two-wicket burst by Sophie Devine (2 for 15) in her opening set, the Kiwi castling Meg Lanning with a peach before sending Lauren Winfield-Hill on her way three balls later.When Lauren Bell (2 for 11) struck with consecutive deliveries, utilising the short ball to great effect to induce edges from Alice Capsey and Paige Scholfield, the visitors slumped to 28 for 4 and they were eventually skittled in 83 balls, Mady Villiers picking up 3 for 17 with her off-breaks.Earlier, England duo Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on an opening stand of 59 after Brave were asked to bat, Bouchier the main aggressor in her innings of 34 from 23 before picking out Scholfield at deep mid-wicket to give Tash Farrant the breakthrough.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wyatt-Hodge (26 from 24) was clean bowled by a Phoebe Franklin slower delivery but Laura Wolvaardt kept up the momentum, the South African cruising to a 19-ball 36 including a slog-swept six off Amanda-Jade Wellington but the Aussie leg-spinner had her revenge next ball when Lanning held on to a catch at extra-cover.Freya Kemp was involved in a mix-up which saw Devine run out for 19 but the England starlet made amends with a sparky cameo, smashing two sixes in her 11-ball 24 to post a target which was well beyond the Invincibles’ reach and set up a fifth straight victory for the 2023 champions.Meerkat Match Hero Sophie Devine, who picked up the award for a third game straight at Utilita Bowl, said: “I feel a bit embarrassed because today was a great team performance and there were so many people who should be standing here instead of me. Today was exceptional from this group and I’m really proud of everyone.”The great thing about this group is we’ve spoken at length about different plans and having the ability to be able to execute that is something I’ve found incredibly impressive. That should stand us in good stead come the important part of this tournament.”For us there’s a great focus on each and every game. We’ve got some tough games coming up but we’ll celebrate our success here today. It was a comprehensive win but we certainly know we’ve got a big job to finish off this competition strongly.”

Kate Cross has revealed that she is “struggling to get [her] head around” her “savage” omission from England’s squad for the 50-over World Cup in India.Cross, 33, has been a regular in England’s ODI side since the last World Cup and took her 100th career wicket in the format earlier this summer. But she was dropped during their series against India last month and was left out of the squad altogether on Thursday as a result of England’s decision to pick an extra spinner for subcontinent conditions.”It’s hard to take, because I don’t feel like I’ve done enough to deserve not being on that plane,” Cross said on , her podcast with Alex Hartley. “Everyone that is a current player who doesn’t get selected is going to disagree with selections and going to think that they should be there.Related

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“But what I’m really struggling to get my head around is it all feels like it’s happened so quickly that I’ve just clearly fallen out of favour with Lot [England coach Charlotte Edwards]. That’s a hard bit to get my head [around]. If I’d had 14-18 months of being pretty average at cricket and not performing in an England shirt, then I think I’d understand it a bit more.”I guess to an extent I have, because I didn’t have the best summer in an England shirt and I had a really tough winter and missed out a lot through the back injury. But I think leading into that, I definitely didn’t feel like I wouldn’t be on the plane. Being in the best XI [is] a different conversation, but [not even] being on the plane… It feels savage.”Cross was first left out by Edwards for a rain-reduced game against India at Lord’s – she is not involved in England’s T20I set-up – and did not regain her place for the series finale in Durham. “There’s so much for me to get my head around, and I haven’t processed it,” she said. “It’s still really raw.”England have only picked three frontline seamers for the World Cup in Em Arlott, Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer, with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt on track to recover from injury in time to offer another option.”It’s what you sign up for,” Cross said. “You don’t get to have those amazing highs without having these real lows, but it doesn’t make the lows any easier knowing that they’re going to be there. I probably had a good indication that I wasn’t going to be in this, or it would be tough to come back from being dropped in that last game… But it doesn’t make it any easier.”

Nervy three-wicket win over Phoenix concludes fourth-placed campaign

ECB Media27-Aug-2025Trent Rockets concluded their campaign with a third successive win, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s third half-century of the competition setting up a nervy three-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix to nudge her team up to fourth in the table.Sciver-Brunt finished as the leading run-scorer in last summer’s women’s competition and the England skipper’s thrilling innings of 52 from 29 balls at Trent Bridge moved her up to second place in this season’s batting charts, behind Meg Lanning of Oval Invincibles.After the Rockets had been set 124 for victory, Em Arlott clean bowled the dangerous Bryony Smith for 10 with a superb slower yorker but Sciver-Brunt was quickly into her stride, sharing a second-wicket stand of 46 with Grace Scrivens (16) before Scrivens holed out to Arlott off the impressive Phoebe Brett.Ash Gardner struck two quick boundaries before falling to Megan Schutt via a stunning catch in the deep by Ailsa Lister and the Rockets threatened to implode when Sciver-Brunt chipped to extra cover off Hannah Baker immediately after bringing up her fifty and Brett dismissed Heather Graham and Ellie Threlkeld in the space of four deliveries, the young left-arm spinner finishing with figures of 3-19 as the hosts slipped to 109-6.Alana King made a crucial 9 to settle the nerves a little and when she edged behind off Schutt (2-24), courtesy of a superb catch from Amy Jones, it was left to Jodi Grewcock to hit the winning boundary with three balls to spare, securing a first home win of the season for the Rockets.Earlier, Emma Lamb’s second half-century of the competition had steered the Phoenix to 123-6, the England opener batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 56 from 42.It was tough work at times for Lamb, who struck five boundaries, but she played judiciously as the Rockets’ high-class spin triumvirate of Kirstie Gordon (2-24), King (1-21) and Gardner (1-18) served up very few loose deliveries.Ellyse Perry (14), Marie Kelly (14) and Lister (12 off 6) played useful cameos to help push the visitors up to a competitive target but ultimately it wasn’t enough to prevent them slipping to a sixth defeat in eight.Sciver-Brunt, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I would have liked to be there at the end and made it a bit calmer for everybody but it wasn’t to be. In the three games I have made runs that’s not been the case, so that’s something to think about in future.”As a batting group, we’ve always said if we can get ahead of the game, try and stay ahead of the game. That was the tempo I wanted to go at. Getting out at that point, had we not been ahead of the game as we were, it probably would have been even more stressful.”It’s always nice to win at your home ground in front of your home fans and we haven’t been able to do that until today. The wicket is quite specific, it’s quite slow, and we probably didn’t adapt to that as quickly as we wanted to.”