Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is coming under increased pressure at Old Trafford, with another high-profile boss in the Red Devils' thinking to take over at the Premier League giants.

Erik ten Hag under pressure…

Despite spending over £170 million in the summer combined on Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Sofyan Amrabat, Andre Onana, Sergio Reguilon, Jonny Evans and Altay Bayindir, the Red Devils languish outside of the top four while sitting bottom of their Champions League group in early December.

Furthermore, Ten Hag's side lost their grip on the Carabao Cup trophy earlier this year owing to a disappointing 3-0 defeat over Newcastle United at Old Trafford, concluding that things in the North West are far from rosy at the time of writing as the Dutchman continues to face external pressure.

Recent reports have detailed that internalised doubt over Ten Hag's managerial ability has grown in the Manchester United dressing room following the Red Devils' lacklustre display in a 1-0 loss away to Newcastle United on league duty last weekend.

Some players are still believed to be behind the 53-year-old; however, his intense training methods alongside his treatment of outcast Jadon Sancho have complicated his situation at Old Trafford, with the latter point explained below by Sky Sports chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

Now, new indications detail that another experienced coach could soon be looked into as a potential replacement for Ten Hag in the United dugout.

Man Utd eyeing Julen Lopetegui

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are eyeing former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui, who has also had interest from the Saudi Pro League in recent times as they continue to build their footballing project in the Middle East.

Julen Lopetegui honours as a manager (Transfermarkt)

Europa League winner with Sevilla in 2019/20

Under-21 European Championship winner in 2012/13 (Spain Under-21)

Under-19 European Championship winner in 2011/12 (Spain Under-19)

The outlet claim that Lopetegui's success in the Europa League with Sevilla, coupled with his ability to qualify the La Liga outfit for the Champions League group stages on three separate occasions have put him closer to another important European job rather than a tilt at Saudi football. His reputation gained for developing young players doesn't appear to have gone unnoticed at Old Trafford, and one of the 'important clubs that are thinking about him as the head of a project' is United.

Favouring an attacking 4-3-3 formation for his sides to operate in, Lopetegui, who still lives in England, was labelled "excellent" by Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi upon his appointment at Molineux and he certainly made an impact in his last post, comfortably keeping the Old Gold in the Premier League despite arriving last December where the club were bottom of the pile.

Should Ten Hag continue to come under immense pressure at Old Trafford, Lopetegui is someone who has proven his capacity to improve sides in a short period of time and could be a shrewd choice to replace him.

Aaron Finch was taken for x-rays on a possible fractured right index finger after he was hit by Mohammed Shami

Daniel Brettig in Perth16-Dec-2018

Aaron Finch in pain as the physio takes a look at his injury•Getty Images

Aaron Finch was taken for x-rays after a fierce blow on his right index finger on the third day in Perth, but appeared to have escaped serious injury. Finch was struck a painful blow in the 13th over of the innings by Mohammed Shami in more or less the same spot where he had twice been struck by Mitchell Starc in net sessions earlier in the summer.A more positive assessment of Finch’s finger emerged shortly after play, although it remained to seen what role he would take in the remainder of the second innings.”Pretty sure he’s been cleared of any serious damage,” Nathan Lyon said. “I’m still not sure whether he’s going to bat, so if he bats he bats, if he doesn’t we’ll just have to make do with whatever we can get to. But great news for Aaron that he’s been cleared of any serious damage.”Starc, who contributed to some of Finch’s pain, told : “I think his finger is still numb. I think they put some stuff in it, but we’ll see how it goes overnight. There’s a bit of swelling there and he will, I guess, spend the night with the doctors as well and test it out in the morning to see if he can keep batting.””I think that’s the third time he’s been hit on it in the last four weeks. So not ideal. Unfortunately I was one of those one’s that got him. Hopefully it goes okay overnight and he can keep batting tomorrow at some point.”The finger troubles for Finch had begun when Starc hit him on the bottom hand during training for the first ODI of the season, also in Perth against South Africa last month, and the same spot was hit by the same bowler in Australia’s main training session before the first Test in Adelaide, whereupon Finch muttered the words “same finger” before seeking treatment from the team doctor Richard Saw.After struggling in both innings of the Adelaide Test, Finch scrapped his way to a half-century alongside Marcus Harris on day one of the Perth Test, and having reached 25 not out in the second innings was quickly wringing his right hand after the blow from Shami.In obvious pain, Finch received extensive treatment on the field before it was decided that he must retire hurt to seek further information on the seriousness of the blow. The umpires then called for tea about a minute earlier than scheduled, and Finch did not resume in the evening session.It’s not the first time Shami has inconvenienced an Australian batsman this series, having also struck Tim Paine on the right index finger in the second innings in Adelaide and duly creating a wave of concerns given the captain’s long history of troubles with the digit.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers faithful must have felt some trepidation when Julen Lopetegui announced he was departing the Old Gold after just nine months due to a difference of opinion on key matters.

The Spaniard had guided the club to Premier League safety having looked a lost cause upon his arrival, and it appeared as though they would face another relegation battle this term.

Under Gary O’Neil, however, the Molineux outfit have perhaps surprised a few people with their performances during the opening few months of the 2023/24 season.

Not only did they defeat Tottenham Hotspur in their last match before the international break, but the club also defeated Manchester City while gaining a draw against Newcastle United, proving that on their day, they can mix it with the elite.

Consistency is a problem, as Wolves slipped up to Sheffield United and Ipswich Town, yet this will come with time and things are looking good at the Old Gold.

O’Neil has largely inherited a squad which was built by his predecessors, yet with the January transfer window fast approaching, the former Bournemouth manager could delve into the market and bring a player or two to the club in order to bulk up his squad.

Wolves transfer news

With this in mind, Wolves have are said to be in the race for Le Havre defender Arouna Sangante, according to Football Insider, with the centre-back also being targeted by Newcastle at present.

The Molineux side will also face stiff competition from the likes of Manchester United, City and Chelsea for his signature in the coming weeks – as per a prior report from the same publication – and the odds are certainly against them.

Scouts have been sent by the club to monitor his performances and the good news is he could be signed for a fee of around £20m, an affordable figure.

O’Neil must act swiftly, however, due to the reported interest from some of the biggest clubs on the continent and the next few weeks could be crucial in their chase for the youngster.

Wolves have had some success with signing players from Ligue 1 in the past and could the manager repeat their Rayan Ait-Nouri masterclass by luring Sangante to the Midlands?

Rayan Ait-Nouri’s market value at Wolves

The defender initially joined the club on a season-long loan deal in 2020, before sealing a permanent switch a year later for a fee of £9.5m and it has proven to be a wonderful bargain.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the Frenchman has featured 68 times for the club and has scored three goals and registered seven assists, proving he is a threat going forward from the left side of the defence.

His performances this season have been solid and he currently ranks sixth across the squad for successful dribbles per game (1.7) in the Premier League, along with ranking fifth for key passes per game (0.8) and seventh for accurate passes per game (25.8), demonstrating that he has been one of O’Neil’s most consistent performers in the top flight.

His current market value according to Football Transfers is €14.6m (£12.6m) and while this has decreased slightly, at one stage during his spell at Wolves, he was valued at €25.8m (£22.4m) and if he continues these recent impressive performances, there is no doubt that his value can rise again.

The likes of Chelsea, Juventus and Liverpool have all been keeping tabs on the left back over the previous 12 months and if he does move, he would certainly generate the Old Gold a serious profit in the process.

They can repeat this masterclass by signing Sangante in January, and he has the potential to develop into a wonderful defender for Wolves.

Arouna Sangante’s career statistics

The 21-year-old was hailed as “interesting” alongside a cohort of fellow Senegal youngsters under the age of 23 by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his displays for Le Havre recently have certainly backed up this assertion.

The centre-back starred for the club as they won the Ligue 2 title last season to gain promotion back to the top flight after an absence of 14 years and they currently occupy seventh place in the table.

40

1.5

2.4

1.8

8.5

This season, the defender has helped his side keep five clean sheets in ten matches – including against Lyon and AS Monaco – while he has also won 56% of his total duels per game – which works out as 4.3 each match – and he is one of the many reasons why the club are doing so well this term.

The in-demand ace is also showing exemplary leadership qualities as he is the youngest captain in Ligue 1 and this could certainly benefit Wolves, who could do with someone who will add some leadership into the group.

Although still raw and developing, Sangante currently ranks in the top 1% for interceptions per 90 (2.4) when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, and he even ranks in the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.2), suggesting that he is excellent at winning the ball back while also providing a surprise element going forward.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke dubbed the defender as a “sensation” following his recent links to the Premier League big guns and, judging by his displays over the previous 12 months, he could be a real asset to any club in the top flight.

Wolves won't be able to offer European football or even the ability to win the biggest prizes in English football, yet he could secure regular game time at Molineux and, at this stage of his career, that is the most important thing of all.

Ait-Nouri has developed from a raw teenager with promise into a player who is being courted by Chelsea and Liverpool and, while Sangante is already being chased by those clubs, his potential remains limitless.

Wolves must avoid disaster on Rayan Ait Nouri

Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait Nouri is attracting increasing interest ahead of the January transfer window.

For just £20m, O’Neil could secure someone who will most likely generate the club a profit on their initial outlay and this should tempt him into making a more concrete move sooner rather than later.

If he doesn’t, the 40-year-old will be left behind for dust in the transfer market by the big boys of the top flight.

Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood admitted that his side could have bowled a lot better in the morning, as South Africa set the visitors a colossal 382 to avoid a whitewash in Johannesburg. He also added, however, that the pitch appeared to have flattened out, allowing South Africa a degree of comfort with the bat they had not enjoyed on Saturday.”We could have bowled a lot better today, and there were patches we didn’t bowl well in Centurion and Cape Town as well,” he said. “But as you see, our bowling line-up is very inexperienced, and this is a learning curve for them. Apart from Amir, no one came here before. These are different pitches, different atmosphere, so it’s a learning curve for them.”I think the pitch flattened out a bit. For the last three days, all sides opted for the heavy roller and the pitch flattened out. I think our plan was to get them out for less than 50 or 60 runs today, so we’d have to chase 270 or 280. But credit goes to de Kock and Amla. They played really well. They left the ball well, and when they got opportunities, they hit boundaries. On this ground, there are a lot of boundary options. You don’t get lot of runs by singles, because boundaries can be had on both sides.”South Africa had begun the day still slightly precariously perched at 135 for 5, but 129 from Quinton de Kock, a half-century from Hashim Amla, and contributions from the lower order took South Africa to 304. It was de Kock’s innings however – his first century in two years – that most impressed Azhar.”De Kock is a class act. He’s one of the best players in the world. We know when he’s at the crease he will get runs, because he likes ball on bat. He has the ability to hit good balls for four, and the innings he played was very good.”Pakistan still need 232 runs to win, with seven wickets in hand. The chase, if it were to be completed, would break all sorts of records, but will require the Pakistan batsmen to show a command over South Africa’s all-pace attack that they have not come close to achieving. Mahmood, however, still felt his side were in with a shot, pointing to the sturdy little 48-run partnership brewing between Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq.”We’ve done this before [in Pallekelle in 2015, where Pakistan also chased 382]. Babar and Asad are batting really well. If they bat for a long period of time, we’ve got a really good chance. Like I said in the morning, when you get 50, you have to turn it into 70, and then on to 100. If one of these guys can get a hundred like de Kock did, then I think we’ve got a chance.”Another slight peculiarity of the day was legspinner Shadab Khan, who had enjoyed turn since day one, not being called upon until the 34th over of the day. He sent down just under five overs, but caused the batsmen the greatest discomfort during that time, taking two wickets, including de Kock’s. Azhar admitted he may well have come on earlier, but said that the early swing made Pakistan stick with pace.”That’s the decision we had to take. The ball was doing a bit and there were a lot of plays and misses. We were hoping the fast bowler did the job for us and the captain thought that was the way to go. But when he came back, he bowled really well. I’m satisfied with the bowlers’ performance overall this series. As you can see, not only did the Pakistan batting line-up struggle, but the South Africans did too.”The issue about the performance of the bowlers has become a major talking point over the past week, with Sarfraz making his frustrations with their reduced pace obvious after Pakistan succumbed to a nine-wicket defeat in Cape Town. On the first day here, Amir, too, had made it clear that he would not take questions on the subject, abruptly ending a press conference when asked. But Azhar, who has been in charge of the bowlers, used the example of Shaheen Afridi, sitting this game out with an injury, to illustrate their workload of late.”Look at Shaheen: he’s a young guy. He only played six first-class games, out of which three were Test matches. He’s bowled a lot, and we’ve been playing Test-match cricket for the last three months. The boys played eight Test matches in a few weeks. It’s tough on a young guy, because he’s not used to the workload. We miss him, but we have to manage his workload for the ODIs as well, because he’ll be crucial in the ODIs for us.”

TalkSPORT pundit and former Rangers manager Ally McCoist thinks Tottenham could make an "interesting signing" in January after what he's heard.

Spurs approach crucial January window

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will be growing very frustrated over his side's growing absentee list behind-the-scenes, with ten players now unavailable to play through suspension or injury.

Cristian Romero is ineligible, still serving his respective ban, while Postecoglou's crop of sidelined stars is growing by the week. James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips, Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur are all currently on the treatment table. The latter, who had only just returned from nine months out, is expected to be back out until February after an ankle ligament injury.

Spurs supporters will be ruing the reckless challenge from Aston Villa defender Matty Cash on Bentancur, with the Uruguayan's latest injury now adding to Postecoglou's growing list of problems.

Even before Bentancur's ankle problem, reports suggested Spurs were set to take to the January transfer market in an effort to solve Postecoglou's glaring lack of squad depth. Lead by new sporting director Johan Lange, the priorities for Tottenham are a new defender and winger, according to recent rumours.

Tottenham chasing Jota

Indeed, one of the most heavily-linked players of late has been former Celtic winger Jota. The Portuguese attacker could leave Saudi Arabia, where he now plays for Al-Ittihad, as Spurs eye a winter window move. According to The Times, Postecoglou is even personally keen on signing Jota.

This is after injuries to both Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic, with Jota seen as someone who can come in and provide much-needed cover on the wings.

McCoist thinks Spurs will make "interesting" Jota move

Having starred under the Australian at Celtic, it will be intriguing to see if the 24-year-old could to do it in the Premier League. Speaking to talkSPORT this week (via TBR), former Gers boss turned pundit McCoist said he thinks Jota would be an "interesting" Spurs signing.

“Good player. Listen, I thought he was a terrific player, a real talent," said the Scotsman. “I’m not sure actually Celtic have replaced him, to be honest with you, but he’s obviously had his problems, he wasn’t in the team at all out there was he, he’s not been playing?

When asked if he is good enough to make the cut in England, McCoist replied: “Yes, and he looks like a Spurs player as well. He takes people on, he’s quite easy on the eye, he’ll score his fair share of goals. I think he’d be an interesting signing.”

The winger scored 11 goals and assisted 11 others in his final season at Celtic, which come as very impressive numbers. Jota has also been called an "exciting" player by former Spurs right-back Alan Hutton.

“Jota's that player fans want to see. He's exciting, he takes people on, he makes things happen, he scores goals and ticks all the boxes," said the pundit to Football Insider when commenting on his form in 2022.

Rarely do you get a battle that checks every box – the best teams in the competition, top stars available, and evenly matched

Saurabh Somani in Nagpur02-Feb-2019Big PictureIf you had to pick two teams who you thought might be contesting the Ranji Trophy finals even five years ago, Vidarbha and Saurashtra wouldn’t have topped most people’s lists, and not just because they appear near the bottom when the teams are stacked alphabetically.Yet here they are. Both were in Group A, both topped the combined Groups A & B table with 29 points each. They had identical records, three wins and five draws. They arrived at the knockout stages like identical twins, but their paths to the final have diverged there. Vidarbha have sailed through, beating Uttarakhand and Kerala by an innings. Saurashtra fell behind in their quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh and then mounted a record chase. Then they fell behind against Karnataka and mounted another fourth-innings chase. There was no numerical record there, though it could have been the first time Cheteshwar Pujara was booed at and heckled in a stadium in India while hitting a match-winning century.Due to the nature of their paths though, both teams have arrived at the final full of confidence, and both have the knowledge that their batting and bowling are in good working order.The other similarities between the two are their structures. Both have a top order that’s in form and pedigreed. Both have left-arm spin-bowling allrounders as their fulcrum. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja has 52 wickets and a batting average of 21.54, Aditya Sarwate has 44 wickets and a batting average of 30.50. Vidarbha might claim slightly superior bowling firepower because they have Umesh Yadav, but Saurashtra will point to Pujara as evidence of greater batting might.They even played each other in the last league match before the knockouts, in which Saurashtra took the first-innings lead in a draw that had only 21 wickets falling in four days.Rarely do you get a final that checks every box – the best teams in the competition, top stars available, and evenly matched.Form guideVidarbha WWDWD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Saurashtra WWDDWIn the spotlightWhile the spotlight for Saurashtra will be firmly trained on Pujara, their leading run-getter this season has been Sheldon Jackson. He has 838 from 10 games at an average of 52.37 and just like Pujara, he too scored an unbeaten half-century and a century in their two fourth-innings chases. Jackson has been a quiet performer for Saurashtra over several years, but another good outing in the final may just be the fuel he needs to get more opportunities at higher levels.Saurashtra will face defending champions Vidarbha in the final•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevA similar situation exists in the Vidarbha camp. The presence of Umesh Yadav will mean all eyes are on him, especially considering his devastating form. Wasim Jaffer’s second 1000-plus season means he’ll grab some attention as well but Vidarbha have also had captain Faiz Fazal to thank for their batting firepower. It was Fazal’s 75 on a spicy pitch in the semi-final that prevented Vidarbha from collapsing like Kerala had, and he’s almost unnoticeably gone to second-place on his team’s highest run-scorers’ list.Team newsSaurashtra would want to keep a winning combination intact and the only change they could contemplate is dropping Arpit Vasavada, who showed a weakness against the short ball in the semi-final against Karnataka given Vidarbha have Umesh.Saurashtra (possible): 1 Harvik Desai, 2 Snell Patel (wk), 3 Vishwaraj Jadeja, 4 Cheteshwar Pujara, 5 Sheldon Jackson, 6 Arpit Vasavada, 7 Prerak Mankad, 8 Kamlesh Makvana, 9 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, 10 Jaydev Unadkat (capt), 11 Chetan Sakariya.Vidarbha will definitely be making at least one change, having picked a side that was tailor-made for a seam-friendly wicket against Kerala. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare is set to return to the XI, most likely at the expense of the young Yash Thakur. The 19-year-old showed promise in the semi-final with 4 for 28 in the second innings, but Vidarbha will need their best spin options for this game, and they have the pace front covered with Umesh and Rajneesh Gurbani.Vidarbha (possible): 1 Faiz Fazal (capt), 2 Sanjay Raghunath, 3 Wasim Jaffer, 4 Atharwa Taide, 5 Ganesh Satish, 6 Akshay Wadkar (wk), 7 Aditya Sarwate, 8 Mohit Kale, 9 Akshay Wakhare, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Rajneesh GurbaniPitch and conditionsThe pitch is expected to be a slow and low turner, which will last the full duration of the match, as has been the norm at the VCA Stadium in recent times.Stats and trivia 5 – the number of teams who have won back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in all its history. They are Bombay/Mumbai, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan. Vidarbha will attempt to become the sixth team in that list. 52 – the number of wickets taken by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja this season, the highest of any bowler not from the Plate Group. Only Ashutosh Aman (68) and Gurinder Singh (53) are ahead of him.

Liverpool have reportedly agreed on a costly compensation fee for Arne Slot, as the Feyenoord boss prepares to join replace Jurgen Klopp this summer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Slot set to replace Klopp in summer

• €9m fee reportedly agreed

• Final deal edging closer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With Klopp set to depart at the end of the season after eight years at Liverpool several candidates for the job have been floated, but Slot has emerged as the frontrunner with the deal on the verge of completion. Now has reported that the Reds will pay his current club a compensation fee of €9 million plus €2m in add-ons (£9.4m/$11.8m), which would make him the third most-expensive manager in the history of the Premier League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier this week, it was revealed that the move was edging closer and a substantial compensation fee was to be confirmed, with some reports suggesting that that sum would be significantly more than the €11m package agreed upon.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Slot's Feyenoord team have been an impressive outfit in recent seasons; as well as winning the 2022-23 Eredivisie title, he also guided the club to the Europa Conference League final in his first season and won the KNVB Cup a week ago.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SLOT?

  PSV are on the brink of securing the 2023-24 Eredivisie title, but Slot's Feyenoord — their closest rivals by some distance — will need to keep the pressure on until the very end. Before turning his attention to the upcoming challenge at Anfield, the Dutch boss has three final league fixtures to navigate.

Liverpool have suffered an injury blow to an "intelligent" player ahead of the weekend clash with Crystal Palace, according to an update from reliable journalist Paul Joyce.

Liverpool injury latest

The Reds know that they can go top of the Premier League for at least a few hours on Saturday, as they head to Palace for a lunchtime fixture in south London. It is a huge incentive for Jurgen Klopp and his players, who face an Eagles team struggling for form with under manager Roy Hodgson, but the Merseysiders will have to make do without a number of key players at Selhurst Park.

Joel Matip's season could be over after suffering an ACL injury in last weekend's 4-3 win at home to Fulham – he may even have played his last-ever game for Liverpool in the process due to being out of contract next year – while Andy Robertson is a long-term absentee. Alisson and Diogo Jota have also been out of late, so the Reds certainly aren't having everything their own way in the fitness department at the moment.

With kickoff at Palace edging closer, a worrying update has now emerged regarding an influential Liverpool player, following a midweek issue.

Liverpool suffer Alexis Mac Allister blow

Taking to X on Friday, following Klopp's pre-Eagles press conference, Joyce claimed that Mac Allister is "likely" to be unavailable for Liverpool's clash with Palace game after limping out of Wednesday's 2-0 victory away to Sheffield United.

"Jurgen Klopp says Alexis Mac Allister likely to miss Crystal Palace, Alisson Becker back in training and could feature."

This is an undoubted setback for Liverpool, with Mac Allister one of the biggest reasons for the Reds' vast improvements this season, coming in as part of the much-needed midfield rebuild at Anfield, following last year's woes involving the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, who looked shadows of the players they once were.

The Argentine has increasingly grown into the No.6 role under Klopp, having been more of a No.8 than he was at Brighton, starting 14 Premier League games this season and completing 88.1% of his passes. He has also averaged 2.2 tackles per game, while his stunning strike against Fulham outlined the technical brilliance at his disposal.

Meanwhile, he is still relatively fresh off the back of last year's memorable 2022 World Cup win with Argentina, with Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero saying of him during the tournament: "He’s a very intelligent player. He positions himself, waits his moment."

It looks highly likely that Mac Allister will be out of the Palace game, which means that Wataru Endo could play as the No.6, as he continues to adjust to life at Anfield.

Related Jurgen Klopp personally keen to sign new player for Liverpool

He’s been called “incredibly fast”…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Dec 7, 2023

Klopp will then have to decide whether to start the influential Dominik Szoboszlai again as one of the No.8s, or give Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch the chance to shine, or both for that matter.

Perhaps most importantly, it is essential that Liverpool try to get Mac Allister back for the crucial visit of Manchester United on December 17th, allowing the Reds to be as strong as possible against their most bitter rivals.

The England wicketkeeper-batsman made a superb 89, but a century opening stand put Hobart Hurricanes on course for victory

Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2018

Matthew Wade made a T20 career-best•Getty Images

Bat finally dominated ball for one of the rare times in this tournament, and the best opening partnership of the season from Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short helped the Hobart Hurricanes outgun Sydney Thunder in Hobart.Asked to chase 194, following a masterful innings from England star Jos Buttler, Wade and Short clubbed a chanceless 120-run opening stand in just 12.1 overs to set up the superb chase. Wade made 85 from 49 balls, his highest T20 score, while Short clubbed 58 from 39 balls. The partnership only ended because of a horror mix-up.The chase stalled for a moment off the back of the mix up but Wade and Ben McDermott reignited things before Sam Rainbird claimed both men in the 18th over to leave the Hurricanes needing 26 from 12 balls before a sublime cameo from George Bailey got the home side across the line.Earlier, Buttler made the most of an early reprieve to put Hobart to the sword. He played with supreme control, and produced a full array of strokes to make 89 from 54 balls and underpin Thunder’s excellent total of 6 for 193. But his dismissal at the start of the last over likely saved the Hurricanes from chasing more than 200.Expensive ButtlerSydney Sixers paid a heavy price for dropping Buttler in the Sydney derby. The Hurricanes paid a heftier price. Johan Botha is an outstanding fielder, but he dropped a sitter at mid-off that Buttler offered from the first ball of the last over of the Powerplay. Buttler then went on a rampage striking two fours and a six from the next three deliveries to lead the Thunder to the highest Powerplay score of the BBL so far (1 for 65). Thereafter he controlled the innings magnificently. He didn’t score a boundary between the start of the 10th over and the end of the 15th, but having lost Joe Root and Jason Sangha he knew he had to be there for the last five overs. He struck five fours and two monstrous sixes in the next four overs. The quality of the ball-striking was at a different level to his team-mates. He looked set for a century before gifting a return catch to Jofra Archer in the last over, falling for a brilliant 89.Hurricane fielding horrorsBotha’s fielding error spread like an epidemic through the team. Clive Rose missed two balls at short third man that went for four, one went through his legs and the other spun past him as he failed to pay attention to how it would react off the bat. James Faulkner missed a simple caught and bowled chance offered from Sangha when he completely misjudged the pace of the ball as it lobbed back to him in his follow-through. Faulkner then spilt another simple chance that was far more expensive. Chris Green top-edged a sweep shot off Short to square leg, Faulkner cruised around from short fine leg and grassed the relatively simple catch. Green was on 7 at the time with 19 balls left in the innings. He struck a six and a four to finish with 26 not out from 14 balls and help the Thunder to a healthy total.Opening salvoWade and Short put on the best opening stand of the tournament with clinical precision. The Thunder predictably opened with spin from both ends and the required run-rate went from 9.7 to 10.1 after the pair took just five runs from the first two overs. But they didn’t panic, instead using the opening overs to sum up the surface. They exploded taking 51 from the next four overs. The control of the hitting was the most impressive aspect, both used stable bases and didn’t try and overhit the ball. They targeted the short boundary but picked the right balls to do so. They respected the Thunder’s dangerman Fawad Ahmed’s first two overs before nailing his third. Two balls were lost and Wade broke a bat. Wade reached 50 off 28 balls before Short made his half-century in 35 balls. The 120-run stand was broken by a horror mix-up, where an easy two turned into Short being caught well short after a lack of calling resulted in costly hesitation.Bailey’s biffThe game looked in the bag with three overs to go but Rainbird halted the momentum. Wade sliced a catch to third man and then McDermott was knocked over with a low full toss. Bailey only had two sighters before being asked to score 26 from the last two overs. He took 22 off the penultimate over from Daniel Sams’ with three powerful blows and some outstanding running. Sams helped the Hurricanes by bowling a no-ball above waist height that Bailey crushed onto the hill. Rainbird also bowled an above waist height no-ball at the start of the last over and Simon Milenko ended things off with the resultant free hit.

While Manchester United supporters will be focusing on any potential incomings at Old Trafford next month, the club's priority in the January window appears to be on getting players out the door instead, with a handful of key names seemingly up for grabs.

The latest indication is that Donny van de Beek is set to seal a loan move to Bundesliga side, Eintracht Frankfurt, while the likes of Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho could also potentially be offered around – the latter man, in particular, amid his ongoing exile.

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Erik ten Hag will also have a decision to make with regard to any youngsters who may also have their eye on a temporary switch until the end of the season, with recent speculation indicating that academy sensation, Dan Gore, could be on his way to the EFL in 2024.

Man Utd transfer news – Dan Gore

According to a report from Manchester Evening News, the 19-year-old is attracting loan interest from Championship side Preston North End heading into the winter window, with the second-tier side only recently taking on Alvaro Fernandez from the Red Devils for the 2022/23 campaign.

The report does not suggest whether United would sanction an exit for the teenager in the new year, although it does reveal that the club are willing to let some of their young talent head out on loan in order to aid their development.

The Old Trafford outfit have no doubt had great success in the past by loaning out emerging talents to clubs lower down the pyramid, with Preston, most notably, having played a part in David Beckham's progression back in the early 90s.

David Beckham's spell at Preston

If Gore is to head to Deepdale next month, he would be following in the footsteps of treble-winner Beckham, with the ex-England skipper spending a brief period at the club back in 1995.

For a player who went on to win trophies galore at the Theatre of Dreams – as well turning out for the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain – such a stint is understandably overlooked, yet Beckham himself has spoken of the "great memories" he has from the loan spell:

“To be honest, great memories. I arrived thinking that Manchester United didn’t want me anymore. It’s what Sir Alex Ferguson used to do, with a lot of young players who needed toughing up. He’d send them out to the lower leagues to get kicked around a little bit and that’s exactly what I did. I went there, played four or five games, scored a couple of goals, set a few up and it actually went very well. But, I definitely got kicked around a little bit.”

While on at Preston for a matter of months, the 48-year-old did still manage to score twice in just five appearances, even scoring the first free-kick of his professional career to provide an early indication of his unique talents.

Not to suggest that Gore will also go on to become a football superstar like his compatriot, yet a spell in the second tier could well be crucial in helping to nurture this special talent.

Dan Gore's style of play

Amid the mounting injuries that Ten Hag is facing in the midfield ranks of late, Gore has been a regular fixture in matchday squads this season, notably making his senior debut against Crystal Palace in the League Cup back in September.

That first-team bow had been a long time coming for a player who has blossomed at youth level in recent years, having been the subject of hefty praise from coach Mark Dempsey for his standout showings:

"I like to see him play football because he’s one of them to get fans off their seats. He smashes into people, technically he’s fantastic and he’s been terrific all season. He’s been captain a number of times and personality-wise, he’s a quiet boy, but he’s a leader.

"He leads by example. He’s a local lad, he loves the football club and you see that in the way he plays. Whether he’s playing at Old Trafford, a three-a-side at Carrington or at The Cliff, it’s the same performance from the kid and we’ve all got a lot of time for Daniel."

The hope will be that the young playmaker – who has been described as a "Roy Keane-type" by his former Burnley youth coach Lewis Craig – can eventually form a midfield partnership with fellow teen, Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old currently shining in Ten Hag's ranks.

Lauded as "unbelievable" by Keane after making his Premier League debut against Everton last month, Mainoo has grasped his opportunity with both hands and looks set to be a mainstay in the side for the years to come, with a loan departure now seemingly out of the question.

That's not to suggest that enduring a temporary stint would derail Gore's hopes of also making that step up to the United first team, with the Englishman only needing to look to Beckham's example for inspiration.