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A journeyman cricketer, he found his big stage and delivered a Player-of-the-Series showing in Ireland

Deivarayan Muthu29-Jun-20221:47

Hooda – ‘I try to stay in the moment and play the situation’

When India captain Hardik Pandya announced that Sanju Samson was picked in the XI in the niggle-enforced absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Malahide crowd erupted with cheers and hooting. While Samson went on to mark his comeback with his first T20I half-century, it was Deepak Hooda, who truly stole the show with a spectacular 57-ball 104.On Sunday, Hooda had shown glimpses of his range, when he hit an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls to drive India’s pursuit of 109 in a rain-hit 12-over shootout. Two days later, on a sunnier afternoon, Hooda unveiled his full range en route to becoming India men’s fourth T20I centurion behind Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.Related

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The conditions on Tuesday didn’t offer as much seam or swing as it did on Sunday, but the bounce was truer. When Ishan Kishan dashed out of the crease to Mark Adair, the seamer dug it in and had him nicking behind. Five balls later, Adair banged a proper bouncer and angled it into Hooda’s front shoulder. It would’ve cramped most batters, but Hooda swiftly got into position – shuffling across off and getting inside the line – and unleashed a rasping hook over the square-leg boundary.It should’ve been a portent but Ireland’s attack didn’t read the signs. Every time they bowled short, Hooda ruthlessly put them away. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, Hooda walloped 37 runs off 13 short or short of a good-length deliveries.Deepak Hooda became India men’s fourth T20I centurion•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen Ireland pitched it up, Hooda was quickly onto the front foot to busily drive them straight or through his favourite extra-cover region. He then began to manufacture his own lengths by advancing at seamers as well as spinners. A down-the-track Kevin Pietersen-esque cut brought him a 27-ball half-century in the 10th over.Hooda rumbled through the sixties, seventies and eighties, and then slowed down when he was approaching a first international hundred. He needed ten balls to move from 91 to 100, which was the only blip in his innings.When Hooda ultimately reached a century, off 55 balls, he looked skywards, blew a kiss and soaked in the applause from the Malahide crowd and the Indian dugout. The celebration suggested more relief than jubilation.Having made his T20 debut in 2013, Hooda has had to wait very long for his moment. He is a journeyman. Hooda’s roots are in Haryana, but he grew up in Delhi and Baroda because of his father’s job in the Indian Air Force. Hooda could have opted to play for Services in Indian domestic cricket, but chose to make Baroda his home. Ahead of the 2021-22 Indian domestic season, however, he moved to Rajasthan after a spat with Krunal Pandya.At the IPL, he has been part of Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, largely as a middle-order batter. It was during his most recent stint with Super Giants that Hooda showed that he had the game and gears to bat in the top order too.Hooda batted four times at No. 3 in IPL 2022, scoring 154 runs at an average of 38.50 and strike rate of just under 134. A fit-again Suryakumar Yadav was widely expected to slot in at No. 3 in Ireland, but India’s team management decided to give Hooda a chance at that position and he seized it in both outings.After Hooda ushered India home in the first match, his mentor and idol Irfan Pathan tweeted: “Dabang @HoodaOnFire has been a revelation in the last one year or so. He has batted at number 1,3,4,5,6 in the last year or so & batted in style [sic].”Hooda enhanced his reputation in the second T20I and although he hasn’t bowled in his last 15 T20s, his quickish offspin is certainly an option against left-hander heavy batting line-ups. On his T20I debut, against Sri Lanka in Lucknow in February this year, he pinned down Charith Asalanka, who is otherwise strong against spin, to nine off eight balls. Shreyas Iyer aside, Hooda is perhaps the only batter among India’s T20 World Cup probables who can pitch in with the ball.”I like playing in that [aggressive] manner and according to the situation,” Hooda said at the post-match presentation after bagging the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards. “Nowadays, I’m getting [the chance] to bat up the order, so I have my time and [I’m] batting according to the situation.”In India’s previous T20I series against South Africa, at home, Dinesh Karthik strengthened his case for a T20 World Cup spot, with his sensational finishing skills. In Ireland, it was Hooda’s turn to do so, with top-order salvos.

Samad’s sparkling strokeplay made Jammu & Kashmir dream – until Karnataka came roaring back

Shashank Kishore in Jammu23-Feb-2020Abdul Samad, 18, sat motionless in the dressing room. Staring right through his shell-shocked team-mates who were trying to console him. He had just been dismissed looking to slog sweep. The ease with which he was using his feet to step out and drive forced J Suchith to switch back to over the wicket. Karnataka’s fielders were in a dilemma. Do they stop the boundaries or look to attack? Jammu & Kashmir were just 15 runs behind Karnataka’s first-innings total with three wickers in hand, within touching distance of a lead. Yet Samad slogged.For those who haven’t watched him bat, Samad isn’t an agricultural slogger. He has a stable base and excellent hand-eye coordination. He cuts well, loves to use his feet to spin and has a penchant to make big runs at a furious pace. Both his hundreds this Ranji Trophy season came at better than a run-a-ball. Could he play another defining knock in the quarter-final, against a heavily favoured Karnataka?Samad doesn’t care much about reputations. If the ball is in his zone, he gives it a whack. He had already stepped out to hit Suchith’s left-arm spin into the river bank, way beyond the long-on boundary wall of the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu. A good 100-metre hit.This was a classic one-on-one contest. One man, or boy – Samad – whose team depended on him to take them past Karnataka’s 206. The other – Suchith – wanting to prove a point or two, after being brought in as a replacement for an out-of-form Shreyas Gopal.To dismiss Samad, Suchith cleverly held his length back a touch, got the ball to dip and turn sharply from outside leg. Samad went for it, only managing to top edge it a mile. Suchith trembled for a brief second, ran back, took two steps forward. It went that high. There was so much time, and he was literally on his knees by the time the ball descended. But he held on to it superbly in the end. A collective cry of anguish from 1000 fans, who had cheered wildly for every run, every boundary, told a story.The adrenaline was pumping right from the first ball. Not just for the set of 30 players and coaches, but for the fans too. The scorers, generally happy to share a chat while helping out travelling journalists with power sockets and WIFI passwords, suddenly went quiet and wanted as little distraction as possible. The catering staff lined up outside their tents to watch. The policemen on duty, often looking away, were trying to catch a glance every now and then. It was that kind of a morning.

“The scorers, generally happy to share a chat, went quiet. The catering staff lined up outside their tents to watch. The policemen on duty, often looking away, were trying to catch a glance every now and then. It was that kind of a morning.”

Samad had walked in to replace his captain Parvez Rasool, who had just been out nicking to the slips for a duck early in the day. With the score reading 110 for 4, he took strike against a fired up Prasidh Krishna. Off his second ball, he nonchalantly whipped one on a length from outside off to the midwicket boundary. It was a shot reminiscent of VVS Laxman, with whom Samad is likely to spend some time in the summer at Sunrisers Hyderabad, and who had raised the paddle to acquire Samad at the auction for INR 20 lakh.Prasidh worked him over with a series of outswingers. Samad played and missed twice, but didn’t hold back a third time as he tonked a half-volley inside-out, one bounce to the extra cover fence. Then, Prasidh went short and Samad took him on with the pull. The message was clear: he was going to fight fire with fire.This was his biggest moment as a first-class cricketer, and he was showing his full range of shots. Perhaps in his mind, keeping the scorecard ticking along gave J&K the best chance to pocket a lead. Five fours had come off his first 18 balls. Suddenly, the deficit stood at just 62.This is when the game turned again. Shubham Khajuria, J&K’s highest run-getter this season, threw his wicket away. For 154 deliveries, he had played with utmost discipline. Head right over the ball, leaving deliveries outside off, not lulled into a false sense of comfort. He didn’t even raise his bat after getting to a half-century. The J&K dressing room have stopped applauding fifties, according to their coach. “We reserve it for when someone crosses 80.” It told you the seriousness of the situation.Yet, it was like Khajuria rammed into the median on an eight-lane expressway after expertly navigating through narrow terrains and hairpin bends. He was out nicking behind while attempting a flashy drive off Ronit More. J&K were five down, still trailing by 62, and the tension was palpable.Having picked a wicket, Ronit then left his mark by tearing through the lower order in a fabulous spell of late reverse-swing bowling. Every ball, there was chatter from behind the stumps. Srinivas Sharath, Karnataka’s wicketkeeper, was even reprimanded on one occasion for charging towards the umpires while appealing. Encouragement in Kannada soon gave way to Hindi words: they wanted the batsmen to know what they were saying.It was a contest beyond just words. Aquib Nabi, J&K’s No. 9, made a mark as an allrounder in Karnataka’s club scene last year, making a century on debut for Chintamani Club in Division Two of the KSCA League. Here, even a small cameo would’ve sufficed.He needed to just hang in and support Samad. While Nabi held his end of the bargain for a while, the temptation to play his shots in the face of words and attacking fields was too hard to resist. Nabi reverse swept Suchith from outside leg to behind point. As the runs narrowed however, the pressure told, and eventually Samad fell to leave J&K 192 for 8.After Samad’s ill-fated slog sweep, Prasidh returned and dished out some death overs bowling. He went full and straight, needing four balls to take the remaining two wickets. The second ball tailed in late to trap Nabi lbw, and a yorker two balls later finished off J&K’s innings, to complete Karnataka’s great escape. They had snatched a first-innings lead after being on the verge of conceding one, and averted a fate which might have put them out of the semi-final race.

West Ham are in the midst of a striker crisis as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side fail to impress once again in their latest outing at home to Brentford.

Nuno slammed for West Ham line-up after defeat to Brentford

You’d be hard-pressed to try and remember a more uninspired home performance than West Ham’s 2-0 loss to the Bees on Monday night.

Goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen sealed the deal for Keith Andrews’ side, who dominated West Ham right from the get-go and were barely troubled all night, with Jarrod Bowen’s brilliant low-drive to the far-post coming as their only real effort of the game.

By contrast, Brentford had a whopping 17 shots, and West Ham’s much-changed defence really struggled to cope.

Olly Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters started as full-backs on their opposing sides, with Andy Irving and Tomas Soucek given the nod by Nuno in West Ham’s engine room.

In the build up, much had been made about a potential West Ham start for youngster Callum Marshall after Niclas Füllkrug picked up a thigh injury just before the international break.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

However, Nuno instead opted to play Lucas Paqueta up there instead — which hardly paid dividends as the £150,000-per-week star failed to influence proceedings and lost possession 23 times on a night to forget.

West Ham have now lost all of their opening four home league games for the first time in the club’s history, and Nuno’s team selection has been slammed following the array of questionable calls.

Paqueta’s ineffective display as the number nine, combined with Marshall’s inexperience and Callum Wilson’s torrid injury record, gives Nuno a real striking conundrum to solve.

Fullkrug is expected to be back in the next few weeks, but the German has proved that he cannot be relied upon ever since his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Leeds United (away)

October 24

Newcastle United (home)

November 2

Burnley (home)

November 8

The 32-year-old missed 28 games for West Ham and Germany combined last season, and his fitness woes have stretched into 2025/2026 as supporters call on David Sullivan to sign a proven goalscorer.

West Ham 'working' on Ivan Toney deal with striker open to joining in January

According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, there’s been some fairly good news on that front.

Nixon writes that Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney is indeed a target for the Hammers, despite reports to the contrary.

The England international has scored for fun in the Saudi Pro League since his £40 million switch from Brentford last year, and Nixon reports that West Ham are already ‘working’ on a deal to sign Toney on loan.

The 29-year-old could also be open to the possibility as he eyes a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Having scored 20 Premier League goals during his best season at Brentford in 2022/2023, Toney is an undeniably proven scorer at this level and has showed no sign of letting up since his move to the Middle East.

It is also believed that West Ham could be prepared to pay a large portion of his estimated £426,000-per-week pay packet, which is a real signal of intent from Sullivan and Brady amid repeated calls for them to leave the London Stadium.

Manchester United’s midfield pivot has been something that Ruben Amorim has seemingly found a formula he likes. The Portuguese manager has caused lots of debate with his infamous 3-4-2-1, with the wing-backs being one thing to spark such conversation.

However, the makeup of his pivot has been interesting to see, too. This season, it seems as though the former Sporting boss has landed on captain Bruno Fernandes and the experienced Casemiro as his ideal duo in midfield.

It is a new role for Fernandes, who has played most of his career as a number ten.

As for Casemiro, he has done well this season. Yet, against Crystal Palace at the weekend, he looked exposed at times.

Why Casemiro can struggle in the pivot

Brazil legend Casemiro has certainly adapted well to playing in Amorim’s system.

Not too long ago, he was told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by Jamie Carragher. Now, he is a regular starter for United at almost 34 years of age.

Indeed, Amorim has put a lot of trust in the former Real Madrid star this season. He’s played in 12 Premier League games, missing one due to a suspension.

Since the middle of September, he’s started every game in the league he’s been available for, and has even scored three times.

However, there are struggles that the United number 18 can experience in midfield.

Physically, Casemiro is a little behind the eight ball at times and can get exposed, often being left in the dust and opposition midfielders coasting past him.

Coming up against the Eagles last Sunday, it was an issue in the first half for the 82-cap Brazil international. As Goal journalist Calum Preston Kelly pointed out, he “struggled to prevent Palace dictating play in the first half.”

The energetic duo of Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada found it all too easy and were able to breeze past him countless times, having looked “haunted” up against the Englishman, in particular.

Perhaps this is an issue Amorim would like to nip in the bud before long. It might well make a change of personnel in the pivot to have a true impact.

United’s ready-made Casemiro alternative

There are options if Amorim wants to switch things up in midfield.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Mason Mount briefly played next to Bruno Fernandes away to Fulham at the start of the season, and Manuel Ugarte is another player who could slot into the side.

Yet, the obvious answer is Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim continues to ignore his obvious talent, despite being called a “future £100m+ footballer” by Alex Turk and starting in the final of Euro 2024 just 18 months ago.

It has been a tough campaign for the Stockport-born midfielder. He’s only played nine times in the Premier League, and is yet to start a game.

He’s featured for just 171 minutes, averaging 20 per game that he has played in.

Let’s not forget, though, the skill Mainoo possesses. He is a master in small spaces, able to break the press with his carrying ability and drive forward.

He’s also intelligent off the ball and is a strong dueller. Those were all on show on his Premier League debut against Everton, where he had 61 touches and won five duels.

Mainoo vs Everton – PL debut

Stat

Number

Touches

61

Pass accuracy

83%

Passes completed

38/46

Ground duels won

3/5

Aerial duels won

2/3

Ball recoveries

3

Dribbles completed

2/3

Stats from Sofascore

The skills Mainoo could bring to United’s pivot would surely only benefit Amorim’s side. He is more physically up to speed than Casemiro and is less likely to get outrun.

On top of that, he brings different qualities on the ball which could add a new dynamic to midfield.

Plus, he still has an eye for goal like his fellow midfielder.

Mainoo has seven goals in a United shirt, with the most important one coming in the 2023/24 FA Cup final, which turned out to be the winner against Manchester City.

Mainoo has to get his chance in the United midfield soon enough. Their number 37 simply must be playing football every week, to continue on the path he was on just one year ago.

Don’t forget, he was trusted to start England’s biggest game in years.

With Casemiro’s occasional struggles out of possession, the starlet could be the Red Devils’ answer to their issues in midfield.

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Wilfried Nancy will manage his first match in charge of Celtic this afternoon as Hearts come to Parkhead in a top-of-the-table clash in the Scottish Premiership.

It will be interesting to see what tactical changes he has been able to implement after only a few days on the training pitch, as his usual system with his former club is different from the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape that the Hoops have played this season.

Per FBRef, Nancy played with a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 system in 31 of his 43 matches with Columbus Crew this year in all competitions, often playing with two second strikers or number tens behind a main centre-forward.

If the French boss goes with his favoured 3-4-2-1 system, he could ruthlessly drop Luke McCowan from the team that started against Dundee last time out.

Why Wilfried Nancy should drop Luke McCowan

The Scottish midfielder has started the last two league matches on the right wing in Martin O’Neill’s 4-2-3-1 system, but he has been ineffective in a new role, lacking the dynamism and pace required to be effective in that area of the pitch.

McCowan, who has not scored since the opening day of the season, did not score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team against Hibernian or Dundee as a winger, per Sofascore.

He also completed just two of his five attempted dribbles, per Sofascore, struggling with the explosive turn of pace that is often needed to make things happen on the wing, whilst he also lost seven of his 11 duels in total across both matches.

These statistics suggest that McCowan should be dropped irrespective of a change in formation, but a change in shape to a 3-4-2-1 would allow Nancy to ditch the Scotsman by unleashing Johnny Kenny in a new role.

The new role that Johnny Kenny could play for Celtic

It has been a rollercoaster couple of months for the Ireland international, who went from rarely playing under Brendan Rodgers to scoring four goals in O’Neill’s first four games, to now being on the bench behind Daizen Maeda.

Kenny has been an unused substitute in the last three matches, which means that he has still scored four goals in his last five appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and Nancy could bring him back into the fold as an attacking midfielder or second striker.

The two roles behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 system are unique because it can be a very fluid front three with a lot of movement, and that could suit both Kenny and Maeda, the former of whom has been praised for his “top-drawer” mentality by his former Sligo Rovers coach Conor O’Grady.

Celtic’s Irish striker has shown that he can score goals for the club, with his four-goal burst under O’Neill, but Nancy’s job is to find the best way to fit him into the system to get the best out of him.

Per Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old star has never played as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder in his career to date. It is a role that could suit him quite nicely, though.

GK

Kasper Schmeichel

CB

Dane Murray

CB

Auston Trusty

CB

Liam Scales

RWB

Colby Donovan

CM

Callum McGregor

CM

Reo Hatate

LWB

Kieran Tierney

AM

Hyun-jun Yang

AM

Johnny Kenny

ST

Daizen Maeda

As you can see in the XI above, Kenny could play as one of two players behind Maeda, who is a relentless pressing forward who can also play deeper or out wide, and could rotate across all three positions.

This fluidity could suit the Irishman because of his mobility and desire to run beyond the last line to create chances for himself, without being the focal point who has to bring physicality and hold up play, because it will be Maeda in that position.

Of course, it is hard to judge how the system will look until Nancy has had a few games to test things out and more time on the training pitch to coach the players, but Kenny seems like a player who could benefit from a 3-4-2-1 formation.

That change in shape, whilst helping the striker, would also allow the manager to drop an underperforming player, McCowan, from the starting line-up to provide the young forward with a chance to shine in a brand-new role in his career.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to demand north of £53 million for one of Sean Dyche’s star players as Barcelona eye up a move, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest turn corner under Sean Dyche

It’s been 42 days since Ange Postecoglou became the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history after a nightmare stint at the City Ground, with Forest since appointing Dyche to steady the ship.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

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Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Forest 0-3 Chelsea

Premier League

The Englishman arrived at Forest with skepticism surrounding his controversial appointment, but so far, Dyche has seriously impressed.

His debut in the dugout saw Forest secure a 2-0 Europa League victory over FC Porto, their first in Europe, establishing early momentum before Forest defeated fellow strugglers Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground — ending a nine-match winless domestic streak that went all the way back to the opening weekend under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Ibrahim Sangare’s first Forest goal kickstarted the comeback after Lukas Nmecha’s early strike, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s header and Elliot Anderson’s stoppage-time penalty completed the turnaround.

Even more impressive came Forest’s stunning 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Gibbs-White scored as Dyche put on a tactical masterclass against the Merseysiders, who are in catastrophic form right now amid reports that Arne Slot could lose his job.

The Tricky Trees have also shut up shop, conceding just once in their last four games across all competitions, and that is testament to the performances of Murillo, who also put in a Man of the Match display against Liverpool last weekend.

The Brazilian is attracting serious interest from elite clubs, including Arsenal, and we can now add the La Liga champions to his growing list of admirers.

Barcelona identify top target Murillo as Nottingham Forest demand £53 million

According to reports from Spain, Murillo has now ‘become Barcelona’s top target’ to reinforce Hansi Flick’s defence.

Forest are clear, they want north of £53 million for the centre-back and are in a very strong position to demand good money considering he’s contracted until 2029.

Good news for Dyche is that Barça are currently unable to meet this price tag due to their constraints around the La Liga salary cap and well-documented financial difficulties.

The prospect of Murillo leaving in January is unlikely at best as well, despite the admiration from top clubs, with journalist Pete O’Rourke telling Football Insider that Forest will block any winter move.

The 23-year-old finished last campaign as Forest’s best performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored, in what was a fairytale campaign where they nearly qualified for the Champions League under Nuno.

Forest have scope to demand even more money for their prized asset, and we could even see a potential bidding war next summer.

An exciting finish could be in prospect on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship between Kent and Lancashire at Canterbury, after the hosts reached 206 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 215.Although rain wiped out much of day three, with only 38.3 overs bowled, Jaydn Denly hit 74 as Kent built their lead, before Mitch Stanley helped rein them in with 2 for 56.With Ben Compton not expected to bat Kent are effectively six down and the game looks fascinatingly poised going into day four.Kent resumed with a lead of 105, on 96 for 0, with Denly on 55 and Ben Dawkins on 35.Dawkins had added just a single when he edged Will Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip, but the players went off for rain at 10.56 am and six overs were lost.When play resumed Tom Bailey sent Denly’s off stump flying, but a further downpour resulted in an early lunch, with the score 131 for 2.After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, play resumed and George Balderson, switching to the Pavilion End, had Joey Evison caught behind for 26.Joe Denly, in as a concussion sub for Tawanda Muyeye, cracked Stanley for six over midwicket to take Kent to 170 for 3 at tea, but he rarely looked comfortable and was caught behind for 19 after flashing at the same bowler.Stanley then had Harry Finch lbw for 4 before the rain returned at 5.12 pm. With no prospect of a resumption, play was abandoned for the day, with Ekansh Singh unbeaten on 30 and Mo Rizvi, who’s on a pair, on nought not out.

Whisper it quietly, but Manchester United are showing real signs of improvement under Ruben Amorim’s management this season.

Shout it loudly: the Red Devils went to Anfield on Sunday afternoon and emerged victorious, having put Liverpool to the sword and condemned Arne Slot’s side to four successive defeats.

That’s three wins from four in the Premier League for United, who are certainly starting to find some semblance of coherence and style as they march back into European contention.

There’s a lot to like within a burgeoning frontline, but Benjamin Sesko will be disappointed to have been left on the bench for the weekend win.

Why Sesko was left out of the starting line-up

Sesko had previously played his first two full 90s in the Premier League, and he scored on both occasions. The Slovenian centre-forward moved to Old Trafford this summer for a £72m fee, having shown plenty of promise previously with RB Leipzig.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

1

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

25

40

Shots (on target)

6 (4)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

8/15 (53%)

14/22 (64%)

Chances created

1

2

Dribbles

0/1

1/4

Recoveries

1

3

Tackles won

0/0

1/3

Ground duels won

0/1

5/12

Aerial duels won

3/6

4/14

There’s no question that the 22-year-old has sharp footwork for such a rangy forward. He creates chances with comparative consistency while providing an aerial threat each game.

However, there’s a case to be made that United are more fluid, interchangeable, when opting for Matheus Cunha in the middle, flanked by Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo.

But then, there’s also a case to be made that the 6 foot 5 striker has the trappings of a world-class goalscorer, and must be trusted after such a pretty penny was spent on his signature this summer.

He’s a talented forward, and there’s a sense he will keep on improving in concurrence with United’s own resurgence.

But Sesko might want to keep an eye on his six, for there’s a prolific academy star over at Carrington who might just fancy a shot at the number nine berth in the coming years.

Man Utd's future number 9 could replace Sesko

Manchester United’s academy is intertwined with the senior set-up. However, with Kobbie Mainoo out of favour, it would be nice to see a new starboy emerge from the ground and play a pivotal role in Amorim’s system.

Well, JJ Gabriel might just be the forward United are searching for. The 15-year-old is a long way away from establishing himself on the professional stage, but he’s developing at a prodigious rate, with ten goals and an assist from his first nine matches with the U18s.

Fast-tracked due to his innate ball-striking ability and dribbling skills, Gabriel could shape into a striker who would provide the best of both worlds for Amorim, blending Cunha and Mbuemo’s athleticism with the sharpness of Sesko in the box.

Described as by “one of the most exciting talents in the world” by the Manchester Evening News’ Steven Railston, Gabriel would hardly be the first to have made the trip from Carrington to superstardom under the Old Trafford lights, and he will use the fuel from the promotion of the class of 92′ and, more recently, the likes of Marcus Rashford.

Also hailed as a “goalscoring machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Gabriel might only be 15 but if he keeps on firing at such a clinical rate, he could make his senior bow sooner rather than later, with Angel Gomes Man United’s youngest-ever Premier League debutant at 16 years and eight months old.

The England U15 international, yet to score across six caps, has what it takes to become a success at Man United, but though this is a player to keep a close eye on, his physical and mental development must be prioritised at this stage, and we won’t see him in action for some time.

But when Old Trafford is treated to this precocious youngster’s emergence, he might just ruffle a few senior feathers.

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