He shares unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 95 with Colin Ingram after visitors were 36 for 3

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Jun-2025Captain Sam Northeast led stubborn late resistance with an unbeaten 72 as Glamorgan battled to stop Leicestershire registering a fifth successive victory on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship division two match at the UptonSteel County Ground, Grace Road.Northeast, who hit a record 410 not out on this ground three years ago, put together an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 95 with Colin Ingram after the visitors had been reduced to 36 for 3 in their second innings.Had a sharp chance given to second slip when Northeast was on only 20 been taken, Leicestershire might well have hoped to enforce a win with a day to spare.An impressive unbroken partnership between allrounders Logan van Beek and Ben Green had helped Leicestershire register their highest score of the season, enabling Northeast’s opposite number Peter Handscomb to declare in mid-afternoon with an imposing first-innings lead of 223.As had happened the previous day, when Green picked up two wickets in the first over of the day, the morning session saw wickets fall early. Nightwatcher Chris Wright had added only three singles to his overnight 16 when he edged a James Harris delivery to first slip, and Lewis Hill only four to his overnight 66 when he too edged to slip, Timm van der Gugten finding a little extra bounce, with Ingam the catcher in both cases.Handscomb and all-rounder Liam Trevaskis played patiently in building a partnership of 42 for the sixth wicket, but Glamorgan enjoyed a moment of good fortune when Hanscomb flicked at a legside delivery from young fast bowler Ned Leonard, got a faint but audible edge, and was comfortably held by Chris Cooke behind the stumps. When Trevaskis, having played solidly, edged a rising delivery from Leonard on to his middle stump, Glamorgan had taken four wickets for 57 runs and must have had hopes of restricting Leicestershire’s lead to not much more than a hundred.If so, Green and van Beek steadily extinguished them. The latter was particularly severe on the leg-spin of Mason Crane, stretching forward and delicately paddle-sweeping a series of deliveries to the fine leg boundary, and with the Glamorgan bowlers tiring as the ball got softer, hitting several fine lofted straight drives, one of which, off Zain ul Hassan, took him to his 50 from 70 deliveries. Green was not far behind, and the partnership was well past 100 when Handscomb called his batters in.Whether, as some Leicestershire supporters in the ground speculated, it was because Handscomb did not want two of the pillars of his bowling attack to get too tired was perhaps debatable, but van Beek’s opening burst certainly showed no signs of weariness, accounting for ul Hassan, bowled middle stump by a fast in-swinging delivery from around the wicket, and stand-in opener Crane, throwing his bat at a wider delivery and inside edging the ball on to his stumps.Kiran Carlson, yet to score, drove wildly at a Tom Scriven delivery and edged to Handscomb behind the stumps, and the odds on a three-day victory would have shortened dramatically had Trevaskis, diving to his right at second slip, been able to hold a Northeast edge off Wright in only the second over after tea.Having had that escape, however, Northeast batted with characteristic calmness, hitting eight fours in reaching his 50 off 86 deliveries. Ingram was similarly unflustered, closing on 37 not out off 92 balls, and giving the visitors real hope of saving the game.

Spinners Smale and Maqsood strangle chase as visitors fall narrowly short

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Jul-2025Cordelia Griffith’s bustling knock of 60 from 35 balls laid
the foundations for Essex to end their Vitality Blast campaign on a high by seeing off Durham at Chelmsford.The right-hander shared a second-wicket partnership of 66 from 44 with skipper Grace Scrivens (48 from 39) as the home side posted 164 for 3.Durham looked well-placed to chase that down after an opening stand of 78 from 57 between Suzie Bates, who top-scored with 45 from 39 and Emma Marlow – but the momentum shifted after the pair both departed in quick succession.Spinners Abtaha Maqsood and Sophia Smale, who both returned 2 for 26, squeezed the visitors further and their five-match unbeaten sequence came to an end as they fell nine runs short.With Lauren Winfield-Hill returning to Yorkshire at the end of her loan spell, Maddie Penna moved up to open with Scrivens and their partnership of 63 from 52 provided Essex with a strong start after winning the toss.Having pummelled Katherine Fraser to the fence twice in her knock of 25 from 29, the hard-hitting Australian was then given out leg before, but Griffith took up the baton with relish as she lifted Sophia Turner over long-on for six.Griffith’s positive running between the wickets, allied with aggressive strokeplay, propelled her beyond her partner as she raced to a 26-ball half-century but Scrivens narrowly missed out on that landmark, caught reverse paddling Sophia Turner.Durham finished strongly, with legspinner Katie Levick (1 for 24) removing Griffith and she and Sophia Turner gave away just 13 from the last two overs – six of those from the final ball of the innings, dispatched out of the ground by Jo Gardner.Like the home side, Durham progressed through their batting powerplay without shedding any wickets and Bates’ powerful striking kept the scoreboard ticking along as she thumped Kate Coppack for successive boundaries.Marlow (25 from 23) filled a capable supporting role until her miscued drive off Smale sailed into the hands of extra cover – and Durham lost their other set batter in the next over when Bates holed out off Maqsood.The legspinner also accounted for Hollie Armitage, bowled attempting a reverse sweep, but former Essex player Mady Villiers (28 from 22) and Bess Heath (24 from 18) kept the visitors in contention, adding a quickfire 40.However, the task of scoring 17 from the final over proved beyond Durham, who lost two wickets in three balls to stumpings by Amara Carr as Penna closed the game out.

Sri Lanka last hosted the men’s T20 World Cup in 2012, India in 2016

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Sep-2025The 2026 men’s T20 World Cup is likely to be played between February 7 and March 8. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will comprise 20 teams.The matches will be played in at least five venues in India and two in Sri Lanka. The final will be in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan is playing. India and Pakistan are not playing in each other’s countries due to strained political relations between the two governments at present.While the ICC is still finalising the schedule, ESPNcricinfo has learned that it has identified the window and informed the participating countries.Related

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• Italy's long road to T20WC qualification

At present, 15 teams have been confirmed for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup: India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Italy, who have qualified for a World Cup for the first time. Of the remaining five teams, two will come from the Africa regional qualifier and three from the Asia and East Asia Pacific qualifier.The format will be the same as the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, where the 20 teams were divided into four groups of five each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the Super Eight round, where once again the eight teams were divided into two groups of four. The top two from each Super Eight group progressed to the semi-finals. India are the reigning champions, having beaten South Africa in the final in Barbados. The entire tournament comprised 55 matches.India are hosting several marquee events in the first four months of 2026 starting with the WPL, dates for which are yet to be finalised. The BCCI has earmarked a window between early January and early February for the five-team tournament. The WPL will be followed by the men’s T20 World Cup, after which the BCCI will host the IPL, with the tentative window being March 15 to May 31. India also host New Zealand for ODIs and T20Is from January 11 to 31.

Home skipper remains unbeaten on 171 after day one run-fest at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025Middlesex 394 for 5 (du Plooy 171*, Cracknell 64*, Geddes 60) vs GloucestershireMiddlesex skipper Leus du Plooy’s 24th first-class hundred gave the hosts the upper hand on the first day of the their final County Championship Division Two clash of the season with Gloucestershire at Lord’s.The South African-born left-hander passed the landmark of the third time this season, remaining unbeaten with 171 in an innings sprinkled with 15 fours as Middlesex piled up 394 for 5.Du Plooy shared stands of 127 with Luke Hollman (55), 121 with Ben Geddes (60), and an unbroken 112 with wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell, who had 63 by the close.Ajeet Singh Dale kept the visitors in the contest with 4 for 88, including wickets with successive balls in the afternoon session, while Graeme Van Buuren bowled a frugal spell of spin to return 1 for 35 from 18 overs.Despite the 10:30am start, du Plooy chose to bat on winning the final toss of the campaign and the hosts made a quick start thanks to some wayward offerings from Gloucestershire’s new-ball attack.It was a similarly innocuous delivery from Singh Dale which brought the breakthrough, a leg-stump half-volley which Sam Robson sent straight to square leg. If that was fortuitous, Singh Dale produced a useful fourth stump ball in his next over that Josh De Caires nicked through to wicketkeeper James Bracey.It would be the last success for some time as the bowlers erred in line and length again and du Plooy and Hollman feasted accordingly. Three Hollman fours in one Matt Taylor over raised the 50, while du Plooy was quickly into stride, driving confidently in the mid-off/extra-cover arc. A back foot drive through cover from the skipper was the shot of the morning and he moved to his half-century from 56 balls shortly before lunch.The hundred partnership came up in the first over following the resumption and while Singh-Dale was finding hints of both swing and seam from the Nursery End, the pair carried the score to 161 relatively untroubled. It took a piece of brilliance from Bracey – who claimed a Gloucestershire record 11 victims against Middlesex in the corresponding fixture last season – to break the stand, grabbing a ball that was dying off the inside edge of Hollman’s bat, giving Singh-Dale a third wicket.Higgins followed to his next ball, harshly adjudged lbw to one heading over the top, but Geddes joined his skipper in the middle as and the hosts quickly regained the upper hand.Geddes, impressive in his first season in Middlesex colours, employed the pull shot to great effect, sending one short one from Singh Dale into the Grandstand, before a square drive took du Plooy to a chanceless century.Van Buuren put the breaks on either side of tea and was rewarded with the breakthrough when Geddes was pinned in front. Du Plooy however, had set his heart on a daddy hundred and while the boundaries briefly dried up he glided his way past 150.Cracknell proved a valuable ally, clearing the ropes with a thunderous pull shot and unfurling some pleasing cover drives in becoming the fourth home batter to pass 50 in the late autumn sunshine.Before the start of play there was a poignant minute’s silence in memory of beloved umpire Harold ‘Dickie Bird,’ who passed away on Monday aged 92.

A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope against New Zealand’s tired attack

Shashank Kishore05-Dec-2025A depleted New Zealand attack – effectively reduced to just two-and-a-half frontline bowlers – was made to toil as a defiant West Indies rearguard stretched the contest into a fifth day on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface.Forced off the field on day three by an eye infection, Shai Hope returned with sunglasses under his helmet to compile an unbeaten 116. It followed his first-innings 56 and marked his second century in three innings, a seamless extension of the defiance he showed while stonewalling India for long periods in New Delhi in October.If Hope was the fulcrum, Justin Greaves was the anchor beside him. He reined in his instincts to play a composed, almost uncharacteristically restrained hand to finish 55 not out off 143 balls. His unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Hope was worth 140 as New Zealand’s attack toiled under the blazing Christchurch sun.Related

• Blundell, Smith, Henry sustain injuries in Christchurch; Jamieson returns to Plunket Shield

Nathan Smith did not come out to bat and spent the entire innings off the field with a side strain. When Matt Henry left the field after the 35th over – later heading to hospital next door for scans – with West Indies 92 for 4, New Zealand may have hoped to finish off the game quickly.But with his bowling resources rapidly thinning, Tom Latham – already standing in with the gloves due to Tom Blundell’s torn hamstring that ruled him out of not just this Test but the next – was left to lean heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell’s part-time spin around pacer Jacob Duffy. On a surface that only got easier to bat on against the old ball, Hope and Greaves settled in and applied themselves admirably.Having begun with positive intent, Hope was tested periodically with the short ball, Duffy setting a square leg halfway to the rope along with a short leg and fine leg for the pull. Hope mostly swayed and ducked out of harm’s way, and on the rare occasions he was tempted into the shot, he did well to keep it down. He brought up his fourth Test century off 139 deliveries.Duffy employed a similar plan to Greaves, whose natural game is far more instinctive. But to his credit, Greaves appeared to take a cue from Hope, choosing restraint instead. He played only when the ball was at his body, using his height to ride the bounce and fend safely. While he was a lot more enterprising against spin, the fundamental of his knock was crease occupation.Justin Greaves played a composed knock of 55 not out off 143 balls•Getty Images

Hope and Greaves laid down the template for those who perished prior to their arrival. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell were put through a stern new ball test by Foulkes and Henry as they repeatedly tested both their edges in an engaging first spell. Chanderpaul’s propensity to shuffle across got him into trouble more often than not, and was out to a short ball that he inside-edged to the keeper for 6 off 45 balls.Campbell – out an over earlier – was taken out by Foulkes as he jabbed at an away-swinger with no feet movement as Bracewell took a superb low catch at second slip. In the overs prior to his dismissal, Campbell wore a blow on his boot as he smashed one back off an inside-edge, making him groan in discomfort. This may have eventually had a hand in his dismissal.Alick Athanaze never got going, and the frustration of being unable to score had him attempt a pull, only to be rushed into the stroke by Bracewell. He only managed to toe-end a pull to mid-on. And when Roston Chase fell in eerily similar fashion to his dismissal in the first innings – nibbling at a Henry away-swinger while being rooted to the crease – West Indies were collapsing swiftly and were 72 for 4.A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope even as New Zealand’s tired attack wheeled away in the hope of a mistake. That wasn’t to come, as West Indies took the fight into the final day even though hopes of scaling down the 531-run target they were set seem just a pipe dream for now.Earlier in the morning, New Zealand surprised many by choosing to bat on. Perhaps this was to give their bowlers more rest on a placid surface, considering the slew of injuries. Kemar Roach picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 5 for 78 to take his wickets tally to 290.

We are now three games into the Premier League season, and three games without a win for Spurs has done little to create and build optimism that this could be the season Mauricio Pochettino’s side break in to the top four.

However, is the north London outfit even good enough to get into the top six, let alone the top four? Give it’s so early in the campaign, it is hard to definitively one way or another, but a good indicator for deciding finishing standards is the strength of squads, and ultimately squad depth.

Those who have better, stronger and more balanced squads tend to finish higher than those who haven’t quite got the squad to challenge the elite sides in the league.

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And this is currently the problem for Spurs. They do indeed have the makings of a good squad but when looked at closely it doesn’t look quite good enough for the top four, and maybe even the top six.

Firstly, you cannot argue that Hugo Lloris isn’t good enough. He is a quality keeper and is of the standard that Pochettino’s men need between the sticks. His back-up Michel Vorm is also a decent, and you would say in this area Spurs are strong enough.

Moving to the centre back area, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, do look like a good enough pair to push for the top six. However, injuries to one of these two would be very bad news with only the out of favour Federico Fazio, and utility man Eric Dier, as the men to come in. You would have to say that this area is strong, but still a little bit questionable.

The full back positions is an area Spurs are well equipped. DeAndre Yedlin, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker are all good right backs and perfectly capable in the Premier League. Pochettino’s side look strong here. And even down the left the strength is there, with Ben Davies and Danny Rose both solid players.

But then into the midfield and it is a different story. Nabil Bentaleb and Moussa Dembele are only the two recognised holding players with possibly Dier being used in that area, too.

Other than that, the rest of the midfielders like Dele Alli, Alex Pritchard and Ryan Mason are all attack minded players, as opposed to sitting in front of the defence and breaking up the play.

Spurs do look short in this area and it could be one of the main reasons why in, three games, Spurs have failed to keep a clean sheet.

Then moving in the attacking positions where there is plenty of choice. Nacer Chadli, Alli, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend give Spurs plenty of different creative options and you would have to say that this area is well stocked and is strong enough.

However up front is a different story, Harry Kane is the only recognised striker, with Adebayor very much out of the first team picture and new arrival Clinton N’Jie with no experience at Premier League level. Spurs have signed Son Heung-min in the last 24 hours, who should help the White Hart Lane club look a lot more dangerous in attack.

You would have to say that Spurs are certainly short in a couple of areas, and without these players a top six finish could be difficult. However, with them it should he achievable, and it’s a big week in the window for Spurs.

Otherwise it’ll be disappointment once again come May.

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has bemoaned the club’s current injury list, with a host of players struggling for fitness ahead of a midweek Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven.

The Red Devils got a last-gasp win against Watford at Vicarage Road yesterday courtesy of a Troy Deeney own goal, which has lifted the historic outfit to within a point of top spot.

However, Van Gaal is down to the bare bones in his squad and has a host of star names on the sidelines currently.

Both Phil Jones and Ander Herrera picked up knocks against the Hornets and are now doubts for the clash at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

The Dutchman has stated that he expects Wayne Rooney to feature against the Eredivisie side, while Anthony Martial is still a doubt after picking up a knock while on international duty.

“We are in a lousy period with a lot of injuries,” Van Gaal told the club’s official website.

”Also in the international break Antonio Valencia was operated on and Luke Shaw you know, and now Jones and Herrera, I think, are not available for Wednesday.

“My first impression is that they are not too heavy but the problem is that we have to play Wednesday already. Jones had a twisted ankle and Herrera a hamstring injury.

“Rooney is ill, and that is a matter of days, not weeks. I expect that he shall play Wednesday, but you never know, I do not know the development of the illness. Today he is at home, we gave him a day off to heal the illness; tomorrow he comes and I can say more.

“Martial is another problem, his foot, it is not as heavy as the media have written but we have to wait and see if he can play Wednesday.”

United will be keen to get revenge on PSV after losing the reverse fixture 2-1 in Holland, while Shaw broke his leg at the Phillips Stadion.

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Chelsea star Diego Costa in now under-fire after another public bust-up with manager Jose Mourinho, according to reports from the Daily Star.

Costa is the Blues’ main striker but was benched by Mourinho for their clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, and the Spain international was clearly unhappy with the decision.

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The former Atletico Madrid forward threw his bib at the Portuguese boss during extra time, which is now the second occasion in which Costa has had a confrontation with Mourinho in the space of a week.

During the Blues’ 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Costa was also at heads with ‘The Special One’, but Mourinho has once again played down the situation, claiming that his behaviour was normal for someone with the desire to play in every game.

“If he wants to hurt me, it’s not with a bib,” he said. “I was not expecting to have a player on the bench jumping and singing because he is not playing.

“For a top player, they’re not happy. His behaviour was normal. He was ready to play when he went to warm up. When I decided not to play him, he went.

“The message to all my players, not just Diego, is that when we play as a team, and especially when we defend as a team, the team is much better.

The Portuguese added that the draw with in-form Tottenham was a good result, and it could propel them up the table as he won’t be surprised if they went the next 10 games undefeated.

“The way we played, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t lose any of the next 10 matches,” he added. “If we go into a run of good results. The team was a team. I’m really happy with my decision.”

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Watford host Liverpool in the early game today, as the Hornets look to win back to back home games in the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo continue to flourish in attacking positions, creating a partnership the Reds can only dream of currently with their frontline. Daniel Sturridge’s continue absence means the burden falls to Christian Benteke, though the big Belgian has not yet wholly convinced.

Mamadou Sako returns for the first time in six weeks, coming into a Liverpool side who have won their last five games against today’s opponents. Jurgen Klopp will be looking to continue that trend without both James Milner and Dejan Lovren, who miss out with injuries.

The Hornets have surprised us all this season, and incredibly, would be top of the league if games finished at half-time this season with 27 points.

Unfortunately, they don’t, but here are SEVEN facts you need to know about Watford vs Liverpool.

RECORD BREAKER, HISTORY MAKER

Odion Ighalo, one of the success stories of the season, has already become the first ever Watford player to notch 10 goals in a Premier League season.

The Nigerian forward has an impressive 26 goals in the calendar year and is taking to the Premier League like a duck to water.

Interestingly, the 26-year old has had more shots on target from inside the box than ANYONE else in the Premier League this season, with 15 attempts.

Crucial Coutinho

It’s clear that Philippe Coutinho is perhaps Liverpool’s best player when fit after emerging as a top drawer talent since the departures of Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling.

The Reds are a completely different outfit without the vast talents the Brazilian brings to the side. In fact, they have scored just 2 goals in the 3 Premier League games he has missed this season.

That brings their otherwise pretty reasonable average of 1.4 goals per match when he does play, down to just 0.7 a game when he misses out.

DEFYING THE ODDS

Touted by many as a side bound for a relegation scrap, Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores has managed to create a team that’s hard to beat but full of attacking intent.

Only a significant implode could currently drag Watford into a battle to stay up this season. They will take heart from the fact not one of the ten promoted teams to have won at least 25 points during the opening 16 games of the season have ever been relegated.

While nothing is certain in this Premier League, a betting man would surely back the Vicarage Road outfit to stay up.

WATER TIGHT AND SLIGHT FRIGHT

The game today will see two contrasting backlines square off against each other. While the visitors started well, they have only kept two clean sheets in their last 13 Premier League games.

On the other hand, Watford have kept an impressive seven in the league this term, second only to Manchester United. Their ability to shut teams out give the likes of Troy Deeney and the aforementioned Ighalo every opportunity to poach a sneaky goal in order to win games.

29 YEARS OF HURT

Despite their recent run of good form, Watford have not enjoyed much success over today’s opponents historically. The last time they won against the Reds at home was waaaay back in 1986, when they downed them 2-0.

Funnily enough, a young John Barnes scored one of the goals that saw the Hornets record a famous win over the then titans of English football. He went on to make a pretty good go of things for Liverpool.

WHAT A PAIR

Liverpool know a pretty good strike duo when they see one, having a rich history in deadly attackers. They, of all teams, will respect the fine work of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo then.

While they weren’t the most glamourous of names at the start of the season, and Deeney took a while to get off the mark, the pair have been excellent ever since.

While the Nigerian takes most of the plaudits because of his finishing acumen, the interplay between the two is remarkable. Club captain Deeney has shown what an excellent footballer he is this season, sometimes dropping deeper to tee up his teammate.

The duo have created 29 for one and other this term, more than any other combination in the top tier.

ROOM TO MANEUVER

As impressive as the home side have been this season, Liverpool can be encouraged by the fact they seem to struggle when coming from behind at Vicarage Road.

Their previously mentioned ability to shut teams out is all well and good, though when they are breached, it can sometimes be a knockout blow.

Despite only conceding in three home games this term, they have ended up losing all three of those games.

Every Manchester United fan this season is quickly seeing why Louis van Gaal was fired at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Ajax. He has become the marmite manager. Fans love him in the first few months of his reign, and then his actions quickly warrant one to hate him. This season at United, he has very much made the fans turn against him, and has only been kept in the job thanks to an inexperienced board and a bumbling chief executive in Ed Woodward.

Van Gaal’s other add-on to his management ‘style’ is successfully alienating top players at his clubs. Victor Valdes through not fault of his own this season was successfully pushed out by LVG, who bought in the successful goalkeeper for free. A year on from him joining the club, he was quickly edged out and has joined Standard Liege on loan after being kept from training with the first team or playing for the U-21’s.

Valdes did little wrong, however, Van Gaal continuously seems to alienate players wherever he is, highlighting a lack of man-management skills. As a football manager, you need good man-management skills, so it is no surprise that nobody sings the praises of the United boss. When you consider that last summer alone he let go of fan favourites Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez, Angel di Maria, Rafael and more, it illustrates just how much of a a professional alienator he is.

As mentioned earlier, it hasn’t just been at Manchester United where Van Gaal has successfully purged the club of good talent. At Barcelona, Van Gaal alienated Rivaldo, the Brazilian who was at the pinnacle of his career. He also fell out with Hristo Stoichkov and striker Givoanni. Even back then he was alienating Valdes, promoting him from the ‘B’ team and then relegating him back.

At Ajax, too, as the director of football, LVG alienated top striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Then at Bayern, he let go of club legend Mar van Bommel early on in his career. He also sold top Brazilian defender Lucio, whom then went on to win the Champions League that season with Inter Milan against Bayern Munich. One of the most high-profile ones at Bayern was the sale of two-season top scorer Luca Toni, who did nothing wrong but was immediately relegated to the bench under Van Gaal. The relationship he shared with Franck Ribery was also understood to be rocky.

Even as a manager, he has got on the wrong side of people he hasn’t managed, the most high-profile case being between himself and Johan Cruyff. Neither of them have ever got on, with Cruyff believing Van Gaal ruined his hard work at Barcelona. He also got on the wrong side of Ronald Koeman at Ajax, where Van Gaal was sporting director. it was believed that Van Gaal constantly undermined Koeman, making their tenure difficult. Even people like Hugo Sanchez, who was in disbelief at Van Gaal selling Hernandez for pittance, and Pedro, who was talked out of a move to United through the way Van Gaal treated Valdes, are examples.

Through his poor man-management, Van Gaal is halting Manchester United from progressing. Even now he is constantly picking Fellaini over Herrera, a player who lives and breathes United and looks like he has the passion of the fans. He is stopping players from joining the club, and until he leaves or retires, United cannot improve. Van Gaal has won trophies in the past, but at the moment his ‘philosophy’ is outdated and ineffective. He is the professional at alienating his players, and until he quits management, there will be more fallings out.

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