Rod Marsh has stood down from Australia’s selection panel, effective immediately
Daniel Brettig16-Nov-2016Australia’s selection chairman Rod Marsh has become the first notable figure to quit amidst the plummeting fortunes of the national team, forcing an extraordinary board meeting later on Wednesday to decide on his replacement.Marsh and fellow selectors Trevor Hohns and Mark Waugh met in Hobart during the course of Australia’s innings defeat to South Africa, before the 69-year-old passed on his decision to resign immediately to Cricket Australia. He had previously flagged his intention not to continue after his contract expires in June next year.”This is my own decision and no one within Cricket Australia has pressured me or even suggested that I should do this,” Marsh said. “Clearly, though, it is time for some fresh thinking, just as it is for our Test team to welcome some new faces as we build for the future.”I have always had the best interests of Australian cricket foremost in my heart, and that’s why I have made this decision.”I have thoroughly enjoyed the role and want to thank the coach, the staff, my co-selectors and all the players for their support and honesty over the past two and a half years. It was a thrill for me to be involved in many successes, including the World Cup win in 2015.”I wish the captain, coach and the team all the best going forward. We will be great again.”The CA chairman David Peever spoke of Marsh’s contribution to Australian cricket. “Rod has played a pivotal role during a time of change in Australian cricket, which has seen the team hold the top positions in both Test and one-day rankings as well as secure an ICC Cricket World Cup victory,” he said.”We understand this decision has not come easily for Rod and on behalf of Australian cricket we thank him for his leadership and the integrity and insight he brought to the role throughout his tenure as the national selector and the lifelong commitment he has given to our sport. Above all else, Rod is an outstanding person.”Having served Australia with distinction as a wicketkeeper before successfully helming the national academies of both Australia and England, Marsh joined the selection panel in 2011 following the release of the Argus review, and replaced John Inverarity as chairman in May 2014.His tenure featured home series wins over India, New Zealand and the West Indies plus the 2015 World Cup victory also at home. However the team also lost badly away from home to Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka, before the current humiliating results to South Africa that hastened his exit.Earlier on Wednesday, the CA chief executive James Sutherland had not given any indication of Marsh’s intention to quit. “Rod’s in the job and he’s doing clearly, like everyone else, they are doing the best job they can and working very hard at it,” Sutherland had said. “He will finish up, or he’s said that he’s going to finish up in June and we’ll make decisions about that and how we transition that in the future.”
Aston Villa are set to look towards the summer transfer window, following the close of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
The Villans couldn’t have imagined the success the campaign would bring, with them experiencing relegation form at the start of the term, to ending it with a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League and a seventh-place finish.
Villa’s key to success has undoubtedly been the arrival of Unai Emery, who has fired the Midlands side up the table in less than a full season in charge.
Despite the campaign being a memorable one, the heights of the Spaniard’s success is set to go far beyond his first year at Villa Park with part of the process being recruitment in the transfer window.
A host of talent throughout Europe has been linked with a move to the Midlands already this summer, with Emery’s pull being significant due to his career triumphs and the magnitude of talent he has moulded.
The latest reports link a young prospect to the Premier League, and one that could bolster the Spaniard’s midfield.
What’s the latest on Ibrahima Bamba to Aston Villa?
As reported by Fabrizio Romano last week, Vitoria SC midfielder Ibrahima Bamba could make the switch to Villa Park this summer.
As per the report, it’s claimed that Villa have been “tracking” the player for a long time, with the 21-year-old expected to be on the move from the Portuguese side – reportedly valued around the €30m (£26m) mark.
Romano states that nothing has been agreed yet, and that many clubs are monitoring the youngsters' movements ahead of the window.
What could Ibrahima Bamba bring to Aston Villa?
Hailed as being a “special talent” by journalist Zach Lowy, Bamba has established himself as one of the continent's most talked about young players after a solid season in Liga Portugal.
Maintaining a Sofascore average match rating of 7.00 over 28 appearances highlights the consistency of the defensive-minded ace, which is supported by his season averages.
As per Sofascore, the Italy international wins 60% of his total duels averaging 5.0 per game this season in the league.
Soccer Football – Primeira Liga – Vitoria Guimaraes v Benfica – Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimaraes, Portugal – October 1, 2022 Benfica’s Rafa Silva in action with Vitoria Guimaraes’ Ibrahima Bamba REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
The youngster’s versatility in the defensive zones is one thing that makes him so highly regarded ahead of the transfer window, being equipped to play as both a centre-back and a defensive midfielder.
Lauded by U23 scout Antonio Mango as having it “all”, the scout expressed that it is “extremely difficult” for players to break through Bamba, as reinforced through him being dribbled past just 0.4 per game this season – as per Sofascore.
To put the numbers in comparison to what he could bring to Villa, midfield maestro Douglas Luiz is dribbled past 0.9 times on average per game, showing the immense level the starlet is playing at.
In the absence of Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn has dropped back to partner Luiz in defensive midfield, however signing Bamba could prove to be a vast upgrade on the Scotsman in adding depth to the middle of the park.
The 28-year-old averages 1.9 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game, with the Italian excelling in his efforts by making 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game to showcase his "aggressive" presence in defensive areas.
Emery could relieve McGinn of his deep midfield duties in signing Bamba, who would be a formidable figure for any side to have in their arsenal this summer.
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is within one century of Harold Gimblett•Getty Images
Middlesex will anticipate the final day of four at Taunton and reflect that on such days are Championships won and lost. With Warwickshire getting little change from the bottom club Hampshire, there is a chance to extend their lead at the top, but Somerset’s lead of 203 with four wickets remaining makes victory in the balance. A tense day lies in prospect.When Middlesex took a first-innings lead of 145 and then removed four Somerset wickets before conceding the lead, their hopes must have been high that they could be well on the way to their third win of the season which would be quite an achievement for an attack lacking Toby Roland-Jones, Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh: 76 wickets between them.Instead, they ran aground on both sides of tea against familiar foes as centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego lifted Taunton spirits. For 40 overs, as they crashed and carved 181 runs, West Country cricket had a smile on its face again. Middlesex’s stand-in seamers have much to commend them, but they deteriorated under pressure and as a green pitch became firm and true their hold over the match weakened.Here are two fine servants of Somerset cricket: the gentle roll of Trescothick, ambling around the crease with the contentment of a jolly sailor reaching dry land after a satisfying day’s fishing in the Bristol Channel, and the piratical figure of Trego, who is more likely to dock with cutlass and eye patch. They offer fine entertainment, even on a day when a chill wind is whistling around the Quantocks.Trescothick’s 48th first-class century for Somerset takes him second in the county’s all-time list, his innings coming to grief on 124 when James Harris had him caught at the wicket with a delivery of tight line. His latest landmark leaves him just one century behind the great Harold Gimblett, a batsman from five centuries of Quantocks farming stock.
Jayawardene stays on
Mahela Jayawardene will now be available to play in the remaining matches in Somerset’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign. Originally the Sri Lankan batsman had only signed for the NatWest T20 Blast campaign but this has now been extended to the 50 over competition.
Trego, the great entertainer, only averages about one hundred a year – destructive 40s and 60s are more his metier – but he played with great certainty and remained 115 not out at the close. To reach his first century of the season, he needed a let-off by John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, on 81, a chance high to his right off James Fuller.Trego said; “It was my 200th game and I never thought I would get to this point. But having been around for such a long time, I have had to make sure that my game has evolved. I needed to dig in for the team and I felt I did that today.”Tres and I have got a great rapport, but a lot of our better partnership[s have been in one day cricket. With Marcus not playing one day games anymore, we don’t often get the chance to bat together. So, yes, it was enjoyable.”Fuller, resuming on 84, had failed to achieve his maiden Championship hundred before lunch, falling nine short when he edged Tim Groenewald to first slip. James Harris fell in identical fashion, their ninth-wicket stand stretched to 162 in 46 overs, and the match in Middlesex’s grasp.Peter Trego shows delight at his century•Getty Images
There was talk of a three-day win as Middlesex, led by three wickets for Harry Podmore, worked through Somerset’s second innings. No batsman likes to lose his middle stump because of a leave alone, but Johann Myburgh could at last reflect that he was beaten by a ball that came back sharply and which he might have felt he could fairly leave on length alone.Chris Rogers – the captain who had risked a greentop, knowing that Somerset would have to have first bat on it – had reason to be doubly frustrated about his duck, guiding Podmore to his former Australian team-mate George Bailey at point. Spin has played a minor role on this pitch, but Ollie Raynor chipped in with the wicket of James Hildreth thanks to a sharp catch at slip from James Franklin.Trescothick, as he has so often, welcomed each new partner with equanimity, a figure of certainty while change happened all around hm. Jim Allenby first provided support until he pulled Podmore to mind-on. Then came Trego and Taunton put its gripes and grievances aside and soaked up the entertainment.
Australia have now chased 200-plus targets most number of times in T20Is
Sampath Bandarupalli26-Jul-20256 Instances of Australia successfully chasing down a target of 200 and more in T20Is, the most by any team in the format. India and South Africa have five successful chases of 200-plus targets.West Indies have now lost six times while defending a 200-plus target, which is a T20I record. They went ahead of South Africa, who have failed to defend a target of 200-plus runs on five occasions.37 Number of balls Tim David needed to bring up his century in the third T20I against West Indies, the fastest in T20Is for Australia, bettering Josh Inglis’ 43-ball ton against Scotland last year.David’s fifty came in only 16 balls, which is also an Australian record. The previous fastest was off 17 balls, by Marcus Stoinis against Sri Lanka in 2022 and Travis Head against Scotland in 2024.ESPNcricinfo Ltd11 Number of sixes David struck during his unbeaten 37-ball 102. Only Aaron Finch hit more sixes in a T20I innings for Australia – 14 against England during his 156 in 2013 at Southampton. David had hit ten sixes in his first 26 balls; only three other batters in all T20s have hit ten or more in their first 26 balls.128* Partnership between David and Mitchell Owen for the fifth wicket during the chase. It is the highest stand for Australia for the fifth or a lower wicket in men’s T20Is. It is also the highest by any pair for the fifth or a lower wicket in a T20I chase.Related
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1 David also became the first Australian batter to score a hundred while batting at No. 5 or lower. All the previous 11 hundreds for Australia in men’s T20Is have come while batting in the top four.He is only the second batter to score a hundred in a successful chase while batting at No. 5 or lower, after Mark Chapman, who made 104* against Pakistan in 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16.1 Overs that Australia needed to complete the 215-run chase against West Indies. It is the fourth-fastest 200-plus target chase in terms of overs taken in T20Is. All three quicker chases than Australia have come in 2025 only.146 Numbers of runs Australia scored in the middle overs (7-16) during the chase, the most they have scored in that phase in T20Is. It is also the sixth-most runs scored by any team in the middle overs in men’s T20Is. David alone scored 94 of those 146 runs, the third-most by any batter in a men’s T20I. (where ball-by-ball data is available)1 Australia registered their maiden T20I series win in West Indies by going 3-0 up in the five-match series. Australia previously played three T20I series in the Caribbean and won only two of the eight matches across those series.2 Number of players with centuries in all three formats in international cricket for West Indies. Shai Hope joined Chris Gayle in the elite list, following his maiden T20I ton on Friday against Australia.102* Hope’s score against Australia on Friday. He is the first wicketkeeper-captain to score a hundred in T20Is. Scott Edwards’ 99 against Oman in 2024 was the previous highest score by a keeper-captain.
Amrit Mathur’s book offers rare behind-the-scenes glimpses at the highs and lows of three decades of the game through his time as journalist, administrator and team manager
Debayan Sen01-Sep-2023If you’ve ever wondered what pre-match routines Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly typically went through, or how chaotic the initial years of the IPL were, or how cannily the best cricket administrators work out the arithmetic during BCCI elections, you will get a lot of insights in Amrit Mathur’s Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket. Mathur is the ultimate Indian cricket insider, having spent time in the system as administrator, journalist, manager on several historic tours, as a member of organising committees in World Cups, and advisor to IPL teams. He has also held several posts in the BCCI.By his own admission, he was fortunate to be handpicked – “I think of myself as a concussion sub, someone not supposed to play but unexpectedly pushed into the middle” – first by erstwhile BCCI president Madhavrao Scindia, and then several others, as a young bureaucrat with Indian Railways.The good thing about Pitchside is that Mathur stays true to the title and presents us with an objective view of what he saw and heard. There are great anecdotes from some historic India campaigns that fans will lap up – the tour of South Africa in 1992, the 2003 World Cup, the 2004 tour to Pakistan (including the political ambivalence right up until Sourav Ganguly’s team set off, with then board president Jagmohan Dalmiya standing up to an unnamed senior minister and refusing to pull the plug on the tour on the government’s behalf), and also from his time with Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in the IPL.In Mathur’s telling of his early days in the game, of his all-star St Stephen’s College team-mates (Arun Lal, Piyush Pandey, Rajinder Amarnath, Ramchandra Guha) and Delhi University colleagues (Kirti Azad, Sunil Valson, Randhir Singh), I found parallels in my own life. When I went to the same college two decades later, any inter-departmental cricket game pitted you against Ranji Trophy players from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab. Hindu College, rivals from across the road, acquired the services of Gautam Gambhir during my final year there.This star cast also makes routine appearances in his stories. The writing style is informal, with the private thoughts of titans of the sport, gleaned in conversation, appearing as bullet points at the end of several sections. The descriptions of the 2002 tour of England, capped by the NatWest Trophy win, and a stirring fightback in the Test series, give a fine picture of how the meticulous John Wright and the erratic Ganguly forged a coach-captain combination that had its share of highs and lows.Westland BooksI did, however, have two minor quibbles with the book. First, Mathur had a ringside view of two of Indian cricket’s greatest match-fixing scandals. He steers clear of the whole subject, which feels a bit like shortchanging the reader. Given his deep roots within Indian cricket, he may not have felt comfortable revealing ugly secrets about players and officials he has admired. There is also the possibility that he may not have known enough to talk with any authority.He also provides detailed pen sketches of various characters in Indian cricket right at the end. Interestingly, second mentions of characters are first names for various players and functionaries – see Sachin, Sourav/Dada, Gavaskar, Lalit, Jaggu-da – but for others, he uses Mr Scindia and Mr Jaitley. This might be out of reverence for the deceased, but it confirms that in Indian cricket the politician has an unjustified pride of place that the best players cannot quite aspire to yet, even in the words of one of the most honest and upright servants of the sport.
Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga were the milestone men, as Sri Lanka scripted a remarkable comeback
ESPNcricinfo stats team20-Oct-20210 – Number of times a team has managed to score 150-plus in men’s T20Is after losing three wickets for less than ten runs, before Sri Lanka scored 171 for 7 against Ireland. The previous highest was Panama’s 148 for 6 against Mexico. Panama had lost their first three wickets by 8, the same score as Sri Lanka today.. The previous highest by a full-member nation from 8 for 3 was Australia’s 147 for 6 against England in the 2010 World T20 final.8 – Score at which Sri Lanka lost their third wicket, their lowest score for the first three wickets in a T20I innings. Their previous lowest was 11 runs against Australia in 2007 and against New Zealand in 2009. Only once had Ireland taken the first three wickets in a T20I innings at a lower total – 6 runs against Scotland in 2010.123 – Partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga, the highest for the fourth wicket (or lower) in men’s T20 World Cup matches. The previous highest was 119* by Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik against Sri Lanka in 2007.Nissanka and Hasaranga’s partnership was also only the third century stand for the fourth wicket (or lower) in men’s T20Is that began with fewer than ten runs on the board.3 – Number of higher partnerships for Sri Lanka in T20Is than the 123 between Nissanka and Hasaranga.1 – Number of higher individual scores by Sri Lanka batters in their first T20 World Cup innings than Hasaranga’s 71 in this match. Sanath Jayasuriya had hit 88 off 44 balls against Kenya in their first-ever World T20 fixture, which remains their highest.
TORONTO — More than an hour after his season ended in a heartbeat and winter took hold, Ernie Clement sprawled in his chair in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, still in full uniform, nursing a Labatt Blue. His sliding shorts featured a hole in the right knee. His eyeblack stickers barely clung to his cheeks. His eyes brimmed with tears.
He struggled to reckon with his loss. Not of Game 7, in which the Blue Jays fell, 5–4, in a shocking, back-and-forth, 11th-inning defeat to the Dodgers. Not of the World Series, which they at one point led three games to two, and on Saturday were two outs away from clinching. What hurt most, he realized, was that he wouldn’t get to come to work tomorrow.
“Even if we’d won,” he mused, “I’d still be sad that it was over.”
That was the message the Blue Jays repeated over and over in their quiet clubhouse as Saturday night bled into Sunday morning.
“Everybody loves each other in here,” said center fielder Daulton Varsho. “We enjoy being around this group, and that’s probably going to be the most hurtful thing.”
That they were so close only makes it worse.
“It took them seven games to beat us,” said Kevin Gausman, who started Games 2 and 6. “I think if we play tomorrow, we beat ’em, but we’re not playing tomorrow.”
They had so many chances for a different ending. They loaded the bases with two outs in the second. They had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, and a runner at third with no outs in the fifth. They loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, and they had runners at the corners with one out in the 11th. But they could not come through with a hit to put the Dodgers away, and the Dodgers clawed back with solo homers in the eighth, off Trey Yesavage, who started Games 1 and 5; in the ninth, off closer Jeff Hoffman; and in the 11th, off Game 4 starter Shane Bieber.
“I feel for everybody in here,” said Clement. “We grinded so hard. I’d go to war with Jeff Hoffman every day of the week. I want him on the mound. I want Biebs on the mound. Those are guys who I would take a bullet for. And 99 times out of 100 those guys get the job done. Obviously, this wasn’t our night here. But I feel for those guys so much.”
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas sent Game 7 to extra innings. / Mark Blinch/Getty Images
The core has been here for a while, but it took them some time to grow into a team that understood its responsibility to its fan base and to one another. A year ago, nearly the same roster finished 74–88. That club did not lack talent, its members say, but it lacked accountability.
“We had too many excuses built in,” pitcher Chris Bassitt said earlier this week. “We had too many issues internally. We had too many people complaining, including myself, about the way things were being run or handled and things like that.
“And as a group, it’s a maturing process. Everyone wrote us off, obviously, after last year, and rightfully so. I don’t discredit that. But the reality is that I think we’ve learned a lot from that. We learned that all those stupid things that we were doing or saying or whatever—it’s not gonna happen. So we [stopped] that this year.” They would spend the period after losses making excuses and then trying to do too much. They struggled to choose an identity or an approach. When things went wrong, they panicked. They didn’t know who they were.
This year they knew: They were an old-school team. They chased innings on the mound and contact at the plate. Their pitchers would take strikeouts when they could and their hitters were happy to homer, but they tried not to make those outcomes the focus of every plate appearance. They trusted one another. They won 94 games and the American League pennant.
Even 366 days ago, when he was handing out candy in his neighbor’s driveway while the Dodgers celebrated their last title, manager John Schneider believed that team could grow into this team. In some ways, that’s what made this group so special, and what made the end so hard: It was basically the same group.
They made additions, of course, but always with an eye not just toward talent but also toward temperament. They signed righty Max Scherzer and outfielder Anthony Santander in part because those players are adults who do things the right way.
“It would be easy to kind of knee-jerk react to last year,” said Schneider. “I don’t think [general manager Ross Atkins] did, I don’t think I did, I don’t think we did. I’m thankful for that. You trust people and you trust that what you’re preparing for is right. Players have to go do it, and they have answered the bell.”
Even when their bodies didn’t want to allow them to. Second baseman Bo Bichette sprained his left knee in early September and spent the next seven weeks racing through rehab to get back in time. He knew a further injury could cost him in free agency, which he will reach on Sunday. “It’s the World Series,” he said before Game 6. “None of that stuff really matters.” DH George Springer, 36, took a similar approach when he hurt his right side on a swing during the 18-inning Game 3 loss; he could barely walk, and he was still recovering from knee and wrist injuries after being hit by pitches this month, but he went 5-for-10 in Games 6 and 7.
Game 7 starter Max Scherzer, center, gave up one run in 4 1/3 innings. He’s due to be a free agent. / Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
After Game 7, Schneider held his first team meeting of the year. “I said thank you,” he said. “I said thank you probably about 10 times.” First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the face of the franchise, told each teammate individually that he was proud of him.
Bassitt, who will become a free agent on Sunday, was asked if he had learned anything from this team that he hoped to take wherever he ends up.
“I think it’s hard to replicate true love,” he said. As for himself, he said, through tears, “You never know, but I would love to have another shot with this group.”
Of course, it won’t be this group. In addition to Bassitt, Bichette and Scherzer will be free agents, and Bieber carries a $16 million player option.
None was sure after the game what the future held for them, although Bichette said, “I’ve said I wanted to be here from the beginning,” and Scherzer said, “There’s no way that was my last pitch.”
This was Scherzer’s seventh major league team, but he said it had meant as much to him as any of them. “Me being 41 years old, I never thought I could love baseball so much,” he said, choking back tears. “I’m just so proud of everybody. My love for the game is so strong because of their love for the game.”
Clement loves the game, and he loved this team. So as his friends hugged and said goodbye and gathered their belongings, there he sat at his locker. He wasn’t sure when he would shower and get dressed. He didn’t want to leave.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their recent struggles Tuesday night with an ugly 10-7 loss at home to the Minnesota Twins. It was their 11th loss in their last 14 games and one ugly play in the top of the seventh inning summed up how things have been going for them lately.
The Twins had the bases loaded with one out when Royce Lewis hit a slow grounder up the first base line. Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez ran over and scooped up the ball and then turned a made a horrible throw to first.
MORE: Dodgers fan makes sweet catch on Ohtani's HR
How bad was it? The ball ended up bouncing off the wall in deep right field, which allowed three runs to score and sent Lewis all the way to third base.
This was something straight out of a Little League game:
The Dodgers are still in first place in the NL West with a 59-43 record but they haven't been able to get out of their own way lately.
“Tonight, it just wasn’t pretty,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game. “When you’re walking guys and the defense is spotty and things like that, it wasn’t a good one.”
Mohamed Salah gave an astonishing interview in the aftermath of Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw against Leeds United on Saturday, accusing the club of “throwing me under the bus” and saying his relationship with manager Arne Slot is broken. The Egypt star, who has been benched for the Reds’ last three Premier League games, said he will say “goodbye” to supporters in next weekend’s clash with Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.
Salah named on the bench for Liverpool's last three games
Looking to find a way to resurrect Liverpool’s form in what has been a torrid 2025-26 season so far, head coach Slot has named Salah among the substitutes in the last three league fixtures against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds.
However, while the Reds recorded a 2-0 victory over the Hammers on 30 November, they have been unable to kick on since then, requiring an own goal from Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele to earn a point against Sunderland, before twice throwing away the lead to draw with Leeds.
Scoring his first two league goals since September's 2-1 victory over rivals Everton, striker Hugo Ekitike netted a second-half brace which put Liverpool in front at Leeds. However, Slot's side were then pegged back by a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty and a strike from midfielder Anton Stach.
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai soon restored his side's lead with a controlled finish after 80 minutes, only for Leeds' Ao Tanaka to rescue a last-gasp point in the sixth minute of injury time.
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Reds talisman criticised for not speaking to supporters
In a campaign which has seen several Liverpool players drop below the lofty standards they set in last season’s title-winning campaign, Salah has particularly suffered a sharp decline in form.
Unable to consistently replicate the sparkling performances which saw him score 29 goals and record 18 assists in the top flight last season, the former Chelsea and Roma winger has also received criticism for failing to address supporters during Liverpool’s struggles this season.
Speaking in his capacity as a pundit, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher – who made 737 appearances for the club, winning nine major trophies – said in November: “I think Virgil van Dijk, after the [Nottingham Forest] game, has come out again and spoke, as he should do as a captain, he's called Liverpool a mess. I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out. And as I said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club.
“A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract.
“I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain. But, obviously, the manager [Slot] is the one in the firing line. Any manager with results like that, as you said, if they were part of the bottom four or a promoted team, they would be under pressure.
“So there's no doubt the manager is under pressure now with results like that, on the back of being champions, but also on the fact of what Liverpool spent in the summer.”
After months of speculation over his future, Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April. His previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
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Salah launches explosive tirade after dramatic Leeds draw
However, in an incendiary interview following Liverpool’s disappointing draw with Leeds, Salah has revealed he intends to say farewell to the club’s fanbase during next Saturday’s home game against Brighton, with the 33-year-old unsure if he has a future on Merseyside.
Following the match against Fabian Hurzeler’s side, Salah will head to Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations camp ahead of the tournament starting on Sunday, 21 December in Morocco.
In quotes carried by , he said: “I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.
“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.
“This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew.
“Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”
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'It really hurts' – Salah expecting more criticism from Carragher
While Salah said he “did not want to answer this question” about whether he could move to the Saudi Pro League in the January transfer window, he continued his explosive remarks by saying he expects Carragher to “go for me again” during coverage of Sunday's Premier League fixtures.
“After what I have done for the club it really hurts,” Salah continued. “You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don’t know if you are starting.
“I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow [Sunday] Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine."
Salah also namechecked Harry Kane when defending his goal record this season, saying the England captain was treated more favourably in the media despite once embarking on a 10-game scoring drought.
It is not clear which of Kane's goal droughts Salah is referring to – the Bayern Munich striker once went five Premier League games without scoring for Tottenham Hotspur between August and September 2021.
Salah said: "Can I give an example? It’s silly but I am sorry. I remember a while go, Harry Kane was not scoring for ten games, everyone in the media was like, ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure, when it comes to Mo everyone is like ‘he needs to be on the bench’. I am sorry Harry!"
Ex-Fiorentina and Basel forward Salah has scored five goals in 19 games in all competitions for Liverpool this term.
U.S. international Weston McKennie scored a pivotal goal to put Juventus 2-1 ahead in their fifth Champions League group-stage match against Bodo/Glimt, completing a rapid response after conceding early. McKennie met a precise Fabio Miretti cross with a well-placed header, shifting momentum firmly back in Juve’s favor.
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McKennie’s header gives Juventus the lead
Juventus faced an unexpected challenge when Bodo/Glimt took the lead early in the match, putting pressure on the Serie A side. But Lois Openda equalsied for the Old Lady after the half-time break and not even ten minutes later, Weston McKennie had his say. The American rose to the occasion, timing his run perfectly to meet Fabio Miretti’s excellent cross with a powerful and accurate header that found the back of the net.
This goal marked McKennie’s first in the 2025-26 Champions League campaign and was pivotal in swinging the momentum back to Juventus.
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Immediate effect on the tie as Juventus fought
The header proved decisive in seizing control of a game that had already seen twists, with Juventus having to respond after conceding first. McKennie’s strike not only put Juve ahead but also altered tactical shape on the pitch, forcing Bodø/Glimt to chase the contest and opening space for Juventus to exploit.
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Wider significance for Juventus in the group
McKennie’s goal underlines his value as a goal threat from midfield in Europe’s premier club competition and provided a vital contribution in a campaign where Juventus sought points away from home. The Old Lady have struggled for form in the Champions League, collecting just three points from their opening four games. That run includes three draws and a 1-0 loss to Real Madrid. Juventus would win the match 3-2.