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Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Thomas Frank amid the mounting pressure surrounding his position as Tottenham boss.

Thomas Frank facing sack calls after underwhelming Spurs start

The north Londoners have failed to impress under Frank lately and are winless across their last five games in all competitions.

Much has been made of their lack of creative spark going forward too, not to mention their dire home form.

Tottenham have lost 10 home games in the Premier League alone this calendar year, their joint-worst record in club history, with Spurs also losing 10 in 1994 and 2003 respectively.

Only bottom-side Wolves, who appear destined for relegation to the Championship, have a worse record on their own patch this season.

16. Burnley

2

1

4

7

-2

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

6

1

-11

Granted, their problems at home this year stretch back to Ange Postecoglou’s final half a season in charge, but the Australian notably had fewer options to play with during one of the worst injury crisis’ Spurs had ever seen.

Frank was backed with a £171 million transfer war chest in the summer window, including a deal for highly-rated young playmaker Xavi Simons, yet Tottenham’s head coach has relegated him to the bench in each of their last four outings.

Frank 'intent' on signing £70m forward as Tottenham dealt crushing Semenyo blow

The Dane needs attacking quality.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

Frank’s constant tinkering has also drawn criticism, with ex-Lilywhites defender Ramon Vega recently telling talkSPORT that this will be affecting the players’ rhythm.

Vega went on to suggest that Frank doesn’t have the bottle to manage a club like Spurs, while sections of the fanbase also call for his dismissal early doors.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has already been linked with the Tottenham job, but Romano has now provided his own update on Frank’s future at N17.

Fabrizio Romano shares Thomas Frank update out of Tottenham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Spurs are monitoring Frank closely amid the growing fan unrest, but there are no immediate plans to replace him as yet.

Frank is poised to take on former club Brentford this weekend, and nothing but a win will do at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to convince some supporters that he is indeed the right man for the job.

Spurs have another crucial home game just a few days later when they face off against Slavia Prague in the Champions League, two very winnable games that could seriously help to change the mood.

They also travel to Nottingham Forest on December 14 before their final match pre-Christmas against Liverpool in north London, with Frank hoping for a vital points swing to get them nearer the Champions League places.

January is right around the corner as well, and reports suggest that Tottenham are intent on signing a new attacker to provide that much-needed extra threat going forward.

INEOS splashed the cash in the summer transfer window to provide Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim with more quality at both ends of the pitch.

Senne Lammens was brought in from Royal Antwerp, to replace Andre Onana, and has prevented 1.51 xG across five appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore.

£62.5m was also spent on the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Brazil international scored his first goal for the club last month in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Bryan Mbeumo has arguably been the most successful addition to the squad. Since his £71m move from Brentford, the left-footed star has scored five goals and provided one assist in 11 Premier League games for the Red Devils.

Whilst Cunha and Mbeumo both arrived from other English clubs as known quantities, the club were also willing to splash the cash on more of a gamble, with Benjamin Sesko.

The Red Devils spent £66.4m to sign the Slovenia international from RB Leipzig in the summer to replace Rasmus Hojlund, and he has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford.

Why Man Utd need to sign another centre-forward

Sesko has scored two goals in 11 appearances in the Premier League since his big-money move from Germany, and both of those goals came in his first seven outings.

The 22-year-old marksman scored his first goal for the club against Brentford in September, before netting his second goal against Sunderland in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

Sesko scored 13 goals in 33 matches in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 campaign for Leipzig, per Sofascore, so it was always going to be a tough ask for the striker to hit the ground running as a goal machine in the Premier League.

The Slovenian forward, as shown in the graphic above, has missed more ‘big chances’ than he has managed goals scored, which suggests that he needs to improve his efficiency in front of goal if he wants to be the main number nine for Amorim.

Minutes

90

30

Shots

3

0

Goals

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Big chances created

0

0

Ground duels won

0/0

0/7

Aerial duels won

0/3

2/2

As you can see in the table above, Sesko struggled in his last two appearances for United before the international break, losing the majority of his physical duels without offering any significant threat in the final third.

The former Leipzig star’s mixed start to his career at Old Trafford may explain why the club are reportedly looking to add another player in his position in the winter market.

Man Utd chasing deal for another Bundesliga striker

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are one of a number of clubs chasing a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-forward Serhou

Guirassy.

The report claims that he has a release clause in his contract with the German side that will allow him to be sold for a fee of roughly £44m to a ‘select group of elite clubs’ in the January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It adds that Arsenal, Manchester United, and PSG are all in the race to sign the Guinea international, but it remains unclear if any of those three teams fall into the group of clubs that can activate that release clause.

CaughtOffside reports that the Red Devils are ones to watch in the race to land the Bundesliga centre-forward because Amorim wants more experienced options in his frontline.

Sesko, 22, is still in the early stages of his development and Guirassy could be viewed as an experienced number nine who could offer a huge upgrade in the immediate term.

Why Man Utd should sign Serhou Guirassy

At the age of 29, the Dortmund centre-forward would arrive at Old Trafford as the experienced striker that Amorim wants to bolster his squad with, as he would be ready to come in and make an instant impact.

It can sometimes be the case with young players that they have the technical qualities and potential to be an incredible player in the future, but they do not have a tight grasp of the nuances that come with delivering consistently at the top level.

Guirassy, being 29 and having been around the block, has tightened up his game and is focused on output, scoring and assisting goals, which is reflected in his statistics compared to Sesko’s over the past 365 days.

His statistics when it comes to scoring goals and creating goals are far more impressive than the young Slovenian’s, which is understandable given the difference in experience between the two players.

The Dortmund striker was even described by German legend Lothar Matthaus as “one of the best strikers in Europe” back in March, which speaks to how much he has impressed in German football.

Appearances

30

33

Goals

21

13

Minutes per goal

124

185

Big chances missed

21

10

Conversion rate

23%

19%

Big chances created

7

5

Assists

2

5

As you can see in the table above, the United transfer target scored eight more goals than Sesko in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, despite playing three fewer matches.

The experienced centre-forward has also scored seven goals in 15 appearances in all competitions during the current season, per Sofascore, whilst the Red Devils marksman has only scored twice since his move from Leipzig.

Therefore, United could immediately improve their starting line-up by bringing the Dortmund striker in to be a huge upgrade on Sesko, given that their respective performances over the past 18 months suggest that he would offer significantly more as a goalscorer.

Forget Anderson: Man Utd in talks to sign "world's most underrated footballer"

Manchester United appear to making huge moves in their pursuit for a new midfielder in January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025

This is why INEOS should push to beat Arsenal and PSG to the signing of the Bundesliga star to add more goals to the team for the second half of the season, whilst also providing Sesko with an experienced mentor to help him improve in the long term.

Middlesbrough have made a manager with “an impressive CV” a top target to replace Rob Edwards, and it would be a “significant coup” if they can get a deal done.

Edwards confirmed as Wolves boss as Middlesbrough receive £3m

Wolves confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new head coach on a three-and-a-half year deal on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old left the Riverside and agreed a contract until 2029 with Wanderers after they sacked Vitor Pereira earlier this month. It is reported Boro will receive around £3million in compensation after Edwards only joined them in June on a three-year contract.

Edwards, who managed Luton in the Premier League, begins a fourth spell at Wolves after making 111 appearances as a player as well as enjoying time as a coach and interim boss. He will be joined by assistant head coach Harry Watling after the pair worked together at Middlesbrough, with the rest of his backroom staff to be confirmed in the near future.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented.

“When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

“We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

For Boro, it is now about finding a swift replacement as they aim to continue their Championship promotion push without Edwards.

Middlesbrough make Steven Gerrard a top manager target

As reported by Rousing the Kop and journalist Graeme Bailey, Steven Gerrard is among the top targets for Middlesbrough to replace Edwards.

Steve Gibson is a long-term admirer of the former Rangers and Aston Villa boss, who is out of work after leaving Al-Ettifaq in January.

Gerrard almost returned to Ibrox last month and is open to a return to the dugout, with a move to the Riverside something that could appeal to him.

Gerrard has never managed in the Championship, with his most successful period as a manager coming in Scotland, winning the league title with Rangers.

Club

Games

Points per game

Rangers

192

2.15

Aston Villa

40

1.18

Al-Ettifaq

55

1.33

The 45-year-old primarily plays an attacking 4-3-3 system and is closing in on 300 games as a manager. Could that benchmark come at the Riverside?

“You are looking in great shape.”Prasidh Krishna didn’t know those words would unsettle Joe Root and play a key role in his dismissal for 29 in an eventful middle session on Friday, when England fell off the tracks and handed the controls of the Oval Test to India.Root had walked in with England in command at 129 for 2 after Zak Crawley fell attempting a pull off Prasidh, giving the tall fast bowler the first of his four wickets of the innings. Prasidh, along with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, had started to stem the run flow as the weather slides shifted from sunny in the morning to cloudy in the afternoon.The very first ball Root faced, a rising delivery from good length, he was rapped on the glove by Prasidh. Two balls later, a wobble-seam delivery straightened to beat Root’s defence. It was then, possibly, that Prasidh said those words to him.Related

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Next ball, Root hit a square-driven four and uncharacteristically sent verbals at Prasidh, forcing umpire Kumar Dharmasena to intervene and talk to Prasidh. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill joined the group as the umpire cautioned Prasidh for undue aggression in a chat that went for more than two minutes. For the next few overs, Dharmasena continued to follow Prasidh’s movements closely as the Indians and Root exchanged a few words.Prasidh conceded he was surprised at Root getting rattled. “I don’t know why Rooty [reacted],” he told the BBC’s . “I just said, ‘you’re looking in great shape’ and then it turned into a lot of abuse and all of that.”The plan to distract Root by engaging him in a verbal duel, Prasidh admitted, was hatched by the visitors ahead of the Oval Test. “That was the plan, but I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him,” he said at the media briefing.Prasidh said he enjoyed being “aggressive” and it was just the “competitive edge” that had caused what he described as “banter” between Root and him.”That’s just who I am when I’m bowling, when I’m enjoying [my game],” he said. “If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter… and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them. But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment.”England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick did not want to read too much into India’s plan to rattle Root, who has been England’s highest run-maker this series.”I think they made a comment, didn’t they?” Trescothick said after the day’s play. “He [Prasidh] obviously tried to get after him [Root] and spark him up a little bit. Maybe they have seen him play so well over the last couple of games that India tried a different approach, and Joe bit back, as sometimes he does. Normally, he is the sort of guy who just laughs and giggles and allows things to happen, but today he just chose a different route. Everyone has their own method of dealing with that sort of approach, and today Joe bit back.”1:44

‘Disappointed, but it is what it is’ – Trescothick on dropped catches

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series has been a neck-and-neck tussle with the teams going at each other and, consequently, there have been a fair few volatile exchanges between the players.While at Lord’s, Gill took notice of England’s openers Crawley and Ben Duckett walking out to the middle 90 seconds late at the start of the hosts’ second innings, England captain Ben Stokes sparked a controversy at Old Trafford by questioning the decision of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to continue batting for their centuries in the final hour of the final session despite the match headed for a draw.On Friday, there was another incident that could have sparked something bigger had Duckett decided to react aggressively after Akash Deep put his arm around the opener after dismissing him. It was a “strange” move, Trescothick said, on Akash Deep’s part.”He didn’t really say too much. Strange, really. I don’t think you really need to be putting your arm around someone, but nothing was really said, was it? You just don’t really see it. We were chatting on the balcony there and I know many good people playing in county cricket would have said something or dug the elbow in, or something like that.”

South Africa will play two matches in Colombo, first against Sri Lanka and then against Pakistan

Madushka Balasuriya16-Oct-2025For the first time this World Cup, South Africa will be playing in Colombo. While this is going to be a fairly significant change in conditions as far as batters are concerned with the pitches at the Khettarama having shown to be tougher to score on, South Africa are banking on the knowledge gained on their recent tour of Sri Lanka to help them manage.”I think now we as a team, we kind of know the players, especially me as a bowler. I know there are ways to bowl, their strengths and their weaknesses,” stated Nonkululeko Mlaba on the eve of their match against Sri Lanka. “So yeah, it was very important for me to actually read and to know the players.”Mlaba is likely going to play a crucial role if South Africa are to come away victorious, with the left-arm spinner having picked up eight wickets across the first four games of the tournament. With those wickets coming in India, she would have been forgiven for being excited by the prospect of bowling on the spin-friendly surfaces in Colombo, however she’s happy to focus on keeping things simple. After Sri Lanka, South Africa will face Pakistan in Colombo on Monday, before moving to Indore to meet Australia.Related

Rain, redemption and a race for the semis: SL face SA in crucial Colombo clash

“I think it’s my second time playing here. Because we had a tri-series against Sri Lanka and India, and yeah, it’s always good to come back here and hopefully this time around I’ll just do well for the team.”One thing that I normally do best is just sticking to my good lines and lengths, and the rest will take care of itself.”South Africa have faced some tough challenges already across this tournament, most notably in their heavy opening game loss to England. But even in their three wins, they have been forced to work hard for the results.Against India and Bangladesh, it was a strong rearguard that saw home two tricky chases, while it was only against New Zealand where the win was relatively comfortable. Mlaba believes there are no easy games in this tournament

“As a team we don’t underestimate any team, we just play our own game and try our best to win the game.”Mlaba on playing against Sri Lanka

“I just feel like each and every team is very hard to play against because we played against Sri Lanka in a tri-series and also played against them at home, and they beat us in a few games.”They definitely have a good team – the spinners, they’re very good. And [Chamari] Athapaththu herself, she’s quality. So as a team we don’t underestimate any team, we just play our own game and try our best to win the game.”One running theme across South Africa’s matches this tournament has been a tendency to allow teams back into the contest from a position of strength, most recently when Bangladesh fought back from 78 for 5 to post a total of 232. Mlaba, however, is not unduly concerned.”That’s obviously part of the game,” she said. “You know we as a team, you start off well and then sometimes you just lack here and there, but then it’s just a matter of trying to bring the team together and just try and focus and do well in that certain period.”I’ve watched a lot of games and a lot of teams, they’ve also been going through the same as us. So, it’s just part of the game, it’s cricket.”

Chelsea have now entered negotiations over a deal to sign a rapid new centre-back, and an opening offer is set to be made within weeks.

Blues looking to sign new centre-back despite Cahill comments

With Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury back in August, the Blues’ offer centre-back options have had to step up to the plate this season, and Gary Cahill has been very impressed with their performances, so much so that he believes his former club don’t need to sign a new defender.

Cahill said: “There has been a lot of noise around this for a long time, but I think the lads that are there are doing a very good job of proving that they don’t need to add to this position,”

“I’ve been very impressed with Wesley Fofana since he’s come back. Touch wood that he stays fit.

“Trevoh Chalobah: look at the job he’s been doing – he’s a bit of an unsung hero. Trevoh is probably the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.

However, while a senior centre-back may not be required, BlueCo are always keen to bring in exciting up-and-coming prospects, and they have now entered negotiations over a deal for Gremio defender Luis Eduardo.

That is according to a report from AS (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have now entered talks to sign Eduardo, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, with opening offers set to be made in the coming weeks.

The Blues are now trying to ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of the centre-back, given that scouts have been left impressed with his performances, with the 17-year-old well-known for his pace, having reached 38 km/h for Gremio earlier this year.

The speedster has a €60m (£53m) release clause included in his contract with the Brazilian club, although it is unclear whether BlueCo would be willing to shell out such a big fee on a very young player.

Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker

The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025 Luis Eduardo impressing at youth level

The teenager is yet to establish himself as a regular starter for Gremio, having made just one appearance for the senior team, but he has put in some eye-catching performances for both club and country at youth level.

Despite being a centre-back, the Corrente-born ace managed to score two goals in seven appearances for Gremio U20s in 2025, while he has also netted three goals in 13 appearances for Brazil U17s.

Eduardo could be one for the future, but Cahill is correct in his assessment that Chelsea don’t need to worry about bringing in a new centre-back anytime soon, given Chalobah’s recent form, most recently netting the opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca also has Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile at his disposal as back-up options, and with Colwill still to return, the manager is well-stocked at centre-back.

Manchester City closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League to just two points after they beat Sunderland 3-0 at The Etihad on Saturday.

A screamer from Ruben Dias set the Cityzens on their way before Rayan Cherki provided a genius rabona assist for Phil Foden to seal all three points with the third goal.

Despite a run of five wins in their last six matches in the Premier League, there is always room for improvement at Manchester City for Pep Guardiola, which means that they could be active in the upcoming January transfer window.

Man City scouting Bundesliga star

One thing that the Cityzens do not have in abundance is players with real speed who can run off the last line, but they are now looking at a star who could provide that.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a potential swoop to sign RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League side have sent scouts to watch the Ivorian talent in action in the Bundesliga this season, ahead of a possible move for him next month or next summer.

It adds, though, that Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool have also been watching the 19-year-old starlet, which suggests that there could be plenty of competition for his signature.

CaughtOffside reveals that insiders believe that his value could rise as high as £87m amid interest from a host of top European clubs, whilst his contract does not expire until 2030.

Why Man City should sign Yan Diomande

The Cityzens should push to win the race for the teenage whiz’s signature because he could be Guardiola’s new Sterling, as a rapid right-footed right winger who can provide a real threat in behind.

In Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Rayan Cherki, City have a collection of right-sided attackers who are at their best dropping into play to take the ball with their back to goal or on the half-turn, but they do not have a natural right winger who wants to run in behind.

U23 scout Antonio Mango described Diomande, meanwhile, as a “crazy speedster” who has become a “weapon” in the final third by adding goals and assists to go along with his electric pace.

The Ivorian star scored a hat-trick against Frankfurt in a 6-0 win for Leipzig at the weekend, taking his tally for the season to seven goals in 15 appearances for the German side.

Diomande has scored six goals from 3.03 xG and registered two assists from two ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore, in the Bundesliga for his club, whilst he has also completed 2.8 dribbles per game, which speaks to how direct and purposeful his play is.

Sergio Aguero (260)

Kevin De Bruyne (177)

Joe Hayes (146)

David Silva (136)

Eric Brook (145)

Raheem Sterling (86)

Erling Haaland (144)

Bernardo Silva (75)

Colin Bell (149)

Phil Foden (65)

Francis Lee (138)

Sergio Aguero (65)

Raheem Sterling (131)

Riyad Mahrez (59)

As you can see in the table above, Sterling was also a player who provided quality in the final third to go along with the pace that he used to run in behind opposition defenders.

The fact that the England international and Sergio Aguero are the only two players who feature in the top seven for both goals and assists speaks to how effective he was for Guardiola on the right wing as both a scorer and a creator.

Diomande is a talented young player who has the potential to follow in Sterling’s footsteps, because he has already shown that he can provide quality on a regular basis in the Bundesliga with Leipzig this term, with eight goal contributions so far.

Like Sterling, the 19-year-old winger is a dynamic forward who can go down the line or run in behind on his right foot, but he can also drop deep and come inside onto his weaker foot, having scored four goals with his left foot and two with his right, per Sofascore.

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The Gunners have responded.

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This is why City should be pushing to get a deal done for the youngster when the January transfer window opens, because Diomande could provide Guardiola with a right-sided option that he has not had since Sterling left the club.

Manchester United have now joined the race to sign a “phenomenal” midfielder, who recently put in an impressive performance at Old Trafford.

Man Utd stepping up pursuit of new midfielder

Man United have set out to sign a new central midfielder in the January transfer window, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is the object of their desires, with it recently being revealed the 24-year-old has said ‘yes’ to a move to Old Trafford.

INEOS are now working on a deal for the Wolves star, with David Ornstein revealing the Old Gold may choose to cash-in during the January transfer window, as his value may decrease if they are a Championship club by the time summer comes around.

The need to bring in a new central midfielder may also be exacerbated if Kobbie Mainoo moves on, with it now emerging that talks over the 20-year-old signing a contract extension have been put on hold, amid interest from reigning Serie A champions Napoli.

However, it would be understandable if Wolves were unwilling to sell Gomes, given that he has been one of their key players this season and remains contracted until 2030, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a potential alternative.

That is according to a report from talkSPORT, which names Man United as potential suitors for Everton midfielder James Garner, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

The Toffees have little interest in sanctioning a departure, however, and have recently stepped up talks over a new contract, with Garner’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

David Moyes is personally keen to keep hold of the central midfielder, and it is no surprise, given that he recently played an instrumental role in his side’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

Garner impresses in shock Everton win at Old Trafford

After Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card for an altercation with teammate Michael Keane on Monday night, United would’ve been expecting to take all three points, but they were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the only goal of the game just before the half-an-hour mark, with Garner grabbing the assist, while also making three interceptions and one clearance to keep Ruben Amorim’s side at bay.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 25, 2025

Hailed as “phenomenal” by pundit Trevor Sinclair, a deal for the Englishman wouldn’t break the bank at £20m+, and he has outperformed Gomes across some key defensive statistics over the past year.

Key defensive statistics per 90 (past year)	James Garner	Joao Gomes
Interceptions	1.41 (85th percentile)	0.81 (34th percentile)
Blocks	1.41 (77th percentile)	1.31 (68th percentile)
Clearances	2.19 (80th percentile)	1.37 (40th percentile)

That said, both Garner and Gomes aren’t experienced at the highest level, and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni would perhaps be a more exciting addition to the squad, with the Spanish side’s asking price recently being revealed.

ACE, the parent company of MLC, said “USAC is hypocritically alleging contractual noncompliance”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2025

The Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, has hosted games in all three seasons of MLC so far•Sportzpics

USA Cricket (USAC) has terminated their commercial agreement with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the parent company of Major League Cricket (MLC), which is three seasons old. ACE, in reply, called the termination “unlawful” and “wrongful”. ACE further said it has “fully complied” with their contractual obligations under the agreement with USAC, who have “no grounds to terminate the agreement”.USAC cited multiple material breaches of the agreement signed between them in May 2019, and said in a media release issued on August 21 that ACE failed to “fulfill its contractual and fiduciary obligations” despite “extensive dialogue, the issuance of formal breach notices, and repeated opportunities to cure defaults.””The breaches span critical areas, including financial commitments, infrastructure development, organizational structural, and governance responsibilities,” the release said.Venu Pisike, USAC Board chairman, further said: “USA Cricket entered into this partnership with ACE in good faith, with the shared vision of building sustainable infrastructure, providing competitive opportunities for our athletes, and creating commercial growth for the sport in America. We are supportive for the growth and success of Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket. But, when it comes to USA Cricket, ACE has consistently failed to meet its obligations under the agreement, which has jeopardized the broader development of cricket in United States. After years of engagement and repeated breach notices, USA Cricket has no choice but to terminate this agreement to protect the best interests of the sport and its stakeholders. Additionally, we also raised concerns around the circumstances under which ACE was given the contract and the usage of USA Cricket intellectual property.”USA Cricket is resolute in ensuring that American cricket has a strong, sustainable future. We will continue to work closely with the International Cricket Council, domestic stakeholders, and partners to deliver on this vision.”The release further said USAC is open to “renewed discussions” with ACE for new terms and conditions that ensure “full alignment with the organization’s vision and long-term development objectives, including support for national team programs, player development, and grassroots initiatives.”ACE issued a statement in reply to say: “ACE is disappointed that USAC has selfishly chosen, on the eve of the 2025 MiLC (Minor League Cricket) season, to wrongfully terminate its agreement with ACE. USAC’s conduct undermines the hard work and dedication of all players, staff and team personnel involved in U.S. cricket, and the continued development of the sport in this country. It also jeopardizes MiLC, men’s, women’s and youth national team activities, and preparations for upcoming ICC events and the LA28 Olympics.”Indeed, based on information that has come to light, USAC may have been advised against terminating the agreement. Despite what has been stated about ACE’s performance, ACE has exceeded its financial obligations under the agreement. ACE has not only provided USAC with direct payments in full compliance with its obligations, but has also repeatedly provided USAC with additional discretionary funding and financial support to help USAC achieve its objectives and purposes. ACE recently made advanced payments, at USAC’s request, so that USAC could meet its staff salary obligations. ACE has also complied with its infrastructure obligations. In fact, USAC has recognized and relied upon ACE’s high-performance facilities for national team events, training and workshops.”USAC is hypocritically alleging contractual noncompliance while requesting that ACE immediately negotiate a new agreement. ACE views USAC’s improper conduct as nothing more than a cynical attempt to serve personal and political agendas, at the expense of the U.S. cricket community.”Consistent with previous ICC and USOPC recommendations, ACE urges the USAC board to resign immediately and allow professional independent board members selected by the ICC and USOPC to steer USA Cricket forward.”Nonetheless, ACE will not allow USAC’s tactics to undermine its continued development of a thriving, elite cricket ecosystem. ACE remains focused on advancing U.S. cricket and serving the best interests of the cricket community.”ACE is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect its stakeholders, safeguard the progress it has made over the last seven years, and ensure the long-term success of cricket in the U.S.”Last month, the ICC had proposed the USAC Board resign as part of roadmap for Olympics certification in the lead up to the 2028 Olympics that are to be held in Los Angeles. The ICC had initiated steps to “reset” and overhaul the leadership and governance structure at USAC at the behest of US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).USAC and ACE had launched the MLC in the USA with six teams in 2023, three of which are owned by IPL team owners, and another owned by an investor group that includes the owners of Delhi Capitals. The first two seasons were played across two grounds, in Morrisville (North Carolina) and Dallas (Texas), before the tournament expanded to Lauderhill (Florida) and Oakland (California).

The fast bowler hasn’t played much Test cricket for New Zealand, but he’s making 2024 his best year in the format

Ashish Pant17-Oct-20244:49

46 all out: decoding India’s batting collapse

Matt Henry paused for a moment right after taking his first wicket against India in Bengaluru. As his team-mates rushed to congratulate Devon Conway for taking a one-handed screamer at mid-off to dismiss Sarfaraz Khan, Henry looked down, hands on his knees, and laughed. His luckless morning had ended.Before that wicket, Henry had bowled 27 balls, off which he induced 14 false shots from India’s batters and beat them five times. He had an extremely close lbw appeal turned down against Rohit Sharma, who survived the review because of the umpire’s call.At the other end, he had watched Tim Southee bowl Rohit between bat and pad with a wobble-seam delivery and William O’Rourke strike with his sixth ball on Indian soil. So when the ball nestled in Conway’s outstretched right hand, it was a well-deserved reward for a bowler who had conceded only six runs in 4.3 overs before then.While Henry has impressed in different conditions, he is most effective when it’s gloomy overhead and the ball nips around. Overcast skies. India. Henry. Remember Manchester 2019?Related

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But unlike the limited-overs formats, Henry doesn’t play much Test cricket for New Zealand. This is only his 26th appearance since his debut in 2015. He hasn’t played a Test since the second week of March this year, but he showed no signs of rust in Bengaluru.His first delivery was on a good length outside off and beat Rohit’s uncertain poke. A few balls later Henry squared him up, and then was visibly frustrated at the lbw appeal not going his way in the fourth over. He beat Yashasvi Jaiswal frequently too, with movement away from the left-hander. And even though he didn’t get either opener, Henry was eventually rewarded five times over.Henry is New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker this year: 28 at an average of 14.46 in nine innings. Trent Boult giving up his central contract has given Henry more chances recently and 2024 is his best year in Test cricket by a distance, even though he missed New Zealand’s previous series in Sri Lanka because they played only two specialist quicks – Southee and O’Rourke.It took Henry 28 balls to strike in Bengaluru, and he returned later to ensure there was no lower-middle-order revival from India that has been the bane of so many visiting teams in recent years. Extra bounce had Ravindra Jadeja lobbing a leading edge to point last ball before lunch. R Ashwin nicked one that nipped away to gully first ball after lunch. Three deliveries later Rishabh Pant edged one that moved away from him to slip. Seam, swing, and control at a brisk pace – Henry’s bread and butter – sent India crashing towards their lowest total at home in Test cricket.Matt Henry picked up his fourth five-wicket haul, and his 100th Test wicket•AFP/Getty Images”The conditions this morning, we talked about being relentless with the ball, and being patient, and I think that was probably something that we looked to do, and thankfully it came off,” Henry said after the second day’s play.He and O’Rourke were level on four wickets each with India nine down, and it was Henry who finished with a five-for to complete 100 wickets in Test cricket – joint-second fastest to the milestone for New Zealand.”It’s a pretty special achievement to get a five-for in India, they’re pretty tough to get, but I think more importantly we’ve put our team in a good position leading into the Test match,” Henry said after finishing with figures of 13.2-3-15-5.As Henry led New Zealand off the field, with the ball held high, he was followed by his Canterbury team-mate O’Rourke, whose 4 for 22 included the wickets of Virat Kohli, Jaiswal, and KL Rahul. At 6’4″, 23-year-old O’Rourke has had a rousing start to his career: 23 wickets in eight innings with two five-fors and two four-wicket hauls. On Thursday, he rattled India with his ability to extract extra bounce from the Bengaluru pitch.”His height’s the X-factor right there, isn’t it?” Henry said. “He gets a lot of bounce, he’s very tall and he uses that height at the crease as well, so as you see, he gets a lot of steep bounce off quite a full length as well, making it really uncomfortable, especially with the ball coming into the right-handers.”I think something that is great about William O’Rourke is that he keeps his pace up as well, he keeps coming in for the team, and he’s done that for Canterbury, and there’s no surprise that he’ll do the same when he came up to New Zealand, and he’s just had a fantastic start, and I’m absolutely stoked for him.”By the time the play ended, with India dismantled for 46 and New Zealand 134 ahead with seven wickets in hand, Henry’s smile had grown into the broadest of beams, having played the starring role in one of their best days in recent memory.