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The Rays beat the Red Sox 7-3 on Sunday as Boston clings to one of the final two wild card spots in the American League. The loss was not due to a lack of effort by Trevor Story who scored on a close play at the plate on a base hit by Romy González in the top of the seventh.

Story hustled home and slid past the plate and into the ankles of home plate umpire Chris Segal. Luckily, no one was hurt and the two exchanged pleasantries multiple times with Story patting him on the leg and then slapping him five when the umpire reached down to offer him help up.

There's just something inherently amusing about a player giving a referee or umpire or official some skin.

It should be noted that this was in fact a low-five and not a high-five. While it wasn't exactly "down low," it was only possible because the throw from the outfield was too slow.

Boston has six games remaining on their schedule and good umpire relations could be a key to holding onto that wild card spot. It's no coincidence that that polite young man Shohei Ohtani plays for a first place team.

It’s been another frustrating campaign for Chelsea so far this season.

One week, Enzo Maresca’s side are able to keep Premier League leaders Arsenal at bay with ten men and tear Barcelona apart 3-0 in the Champions League.

Yet, the next week they’ll lose 3-1 to Leeds United and be held to a draw away to Bournemouth.

One of the big problems this season has been a lack of goals from their strikers, and the worrying thing for Liam Delap in particular is that Chelsea may already have a forward who could end his stay at Stamford Bridge early.

Chelsea's striker situation

Chelsea did not score enough goals last season; they ended the campaign having scored 22 fewer than Liverpool, eight fewer than Manchester City, five fewer than Arsenal and even four fewer than Newcastle United.

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So, on top of their other business, the Blues opted to send Nicolas Jackson out on loan and bring in Delap and Joao Pedro to compete for that nine position, with Marc Guiu then returning from loan after the Englishman suffered a hamstring injury in the third game of the season.

Now, while this looked like a reasonable plan from the outset, it would be fair to say that, so far, it has not really worked out.

The West Londoners have still scored fewer goals than the Gunners and City, and their forward options are a significant reason why.

Pedro, for example, may have been on fire in the Club World Cup and pre-season, but after the first few games of the campaign proper, he has underwhelmed.

For example, in 18 appearances, totalling 1377 minutes, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has scored four goals and provided three assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.57 games, or every 196.71 minutes.

Moving on to Guiu, the Spaniard has barely been given a chance to play this season, but has scored and assisted a goal in 280 minutes of football across eight appearances.

That comes out to a reasonable enough average of a goal involvement every 140 minutes, or every four games.

Finally, arguably the most orthodox centre forward of the lot, and potentially the most disappointing so far, is Delap.

Games

18

8

11

Minutes

1377′

280′

453′

Goals

4

1

1

Assists

3

1

0

When not injured or suspended, the former Ipswich Town star has made 11 appearances for the West Londoners, totalling 453 minutes, in which he has scored just a solitary goal.

Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he is now set to miss another eight weeks of action with a shoulder injury he picked up against the Cherries.

Now, there is every chance Delap could eventually come good this season, but if he does not, his stay at Stamford Bridge could be cut short by another exciting striker making his way there in the summer.

The Striker that could end Delap's Chelsea career

Following the news that Delap would be out for up to eight weeks, there was talk that Chelsea could potentially bring Emmanuel Emegha’s move forward to the winter window.

That now seems to be unlikely, but even so, the Strasbourg forward, who agreed to join the Blues in September, is the player who could be bad news for the Englishman next season.

Why is this the case, you may ask. Well, the first and by far most significant reason is the simple fact that he appears to be a reliable source of goals and assists.

For example, in 29 appearances last season, totalling 2408 minutes, the Dutchman scored 14 goals and provided three assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games, or every 141.64 minutes. There’s a reason he’s been described as a “devastating” talent by scout Antonio Mango.

As if that wasn’t impressive enough for a young forward, the “simply phenomenal” goalscorer, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has gotten even better this season.

In 11 appearances, totalling 664 minutes, he has already scored seven goals and provided two assists, which comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games, or every 73.77 minutes.

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

29

11

Minutes

2408′

664′

Goals

14

7

Assists

3

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.81

Minutes per Goal Involvement

141.64′

73.77′

On top of this incredible output, the Den Haag-born poacher is also the captain of Strasbourg, so he should not feel intimidated by stepping up a level in the Premier League.

Finally, he is also 6 foot 5 and no pushover, so on top of potentially being a better goalscorer than Delap, he should be able to hold up the ball at least as well, if not better.

Ultimately, there is still time for the former Ipswich ace to come good at Chelsea, but if he doesn’t improve this season, Emegha could be the one to end his Stamford Bridge stay as soon as next year.

Estevao 2.0: Chelsea looking to sign "one of South America's biggest jewels"

Chelsea could pick up their next Estevao.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 8, 2025

Big-money transfers certainly haven’t been alien to Manchester United in recent seasons, with the hierarchy forking out a pretty penny on players in the transfer market.

The Red Devils’ transfer record currently sits at £89m, with such a fee being forked out for the signature of Paul Pogba back in the summer of 2016.

However, the club have previously come close to breaking such a record, especially after forking out a deal with £86m for Antony’s signature just a couple of years ago.

The hierarchy have seen first hand that spending big on such players doesn’t equal Premier League success, especially with the Brazilian leaving for just £19m last summer.

That hasn’t stopped the board from wanting to replicate such deals in the upcoming window, with numerous big-money deals touted ahead of the January market.

Man Utd’s hunt for new additions in January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have ramped up their efforts to land Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, with the Red Devils even entering talks to land the Englishman.

However, a deal would likely be another expensive one, with Sean Dyche’s currently demanding a fee in the region of £100m for his signature in the coming months.

Ruben Amorim’s men aren’t alone in the pursuit for Anderson’s services, as rivals Manchester City have stormed into the race to land the 23-year-old in the near future.

He’s not the only big-money player currently in the Red Devils’ sights, as the hierarchy have identified Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior as a potential transfer target.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are currently preparing a club-record €150m (£131m) bid for the Brazilian, with the forward having just over 18 months left on his deal at the Bernabeu.

They also state that the player himself could be tempted by a move to the Premier League, especially given his recent fall-out with manager Xabi Alonso.

Why United’s £131m target would be Amorim’s next Garnacho

Not all of United’s stars have joined in massive transfers, as seen with winger Alejandro Garnacho, who joined for a minimal fee from Atlético Madrid as a teenager.

The Argentine managed to force himself into the first-team reckoning a couple of years ago, with the youngster registering nine combined goals and assists in his first season as a professional.

His next two seasons with the Red Devils would follow in a similar vein, as the 21-year-old scored 21 times and registered 15 assists – one of the best returns in the first-team squad.

However, it wouldn’t be enough to maintain his future at Old Trafford, as Amorim constantly made an example of him for his attitude issues which resulted in him being frozen out of the squad.

Garnacho would depart the club during the summer, joining Premier League rivals Chelsea in a deal worth a reported £40m – a decent fee given his failures in Manchester.

Despite the sale, Amorim could get his next version of the Argentine in January, especially if the hierarchy sanction a club-record move to land Vinicius.

As previously mentioned, he’s constantly had his own disciplinary issues, with it all coming to a head in the meeting with Barcelona, as the Brazilian reacted furiously to being substituted.

Such issues could lead to his exit from the Bernabeu, potentially leading to a switch to England and finally getting a taste of the greatest division in the world.

However, despite his struggles, he’s managed to impress on the pitch in recent times, with his numbers leading to Thierry Henry labelling him the “best in the world”.

Vinicius Junior – stats in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	13
Goals & assists	9
Progressive carries	8.9
Progressive passes	4.8
Pass accuracy	80%
Key passes	2.9
Passes into final third	1.9
Take-on success	38%
Carries into final third	2.9
Stats via FBref

Vinicius has already registered nine combined goals and assists in LaLiga this campaign, a tally that would make him the most effective player in Amorim’s current side.

Tallies such as 8.9 progressive carries and his 38% take-one success further highlight the talent he possesses with the ball, potentially having the creative nature to provide those around him with opportunities.

His passing stats also make for excellent reading, with the Brazilian making 2.9 key passes per 90, 1.9 of which going into the final third – arguably making him the perfect all-round attacker.

£131m would be a massive statement of intent from the board, but it’s a deal that would no doubt hand the first-team yet another world-class attacking option.

However, his attitude will certainly need to be watched, especially given the recent decline of Garnacho, with Amorim needing to keep the attackers’ feet firmly on the ground.

Haaland 2.0: Man Utd can sign "one of the best STs in Europe" for £44m

Manchester United could be about to sign a new talisman like Erling Haaland in January.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 29, 2025

Southampton chiefs have made a new manager decision which involves current interim boss Tonda Eckert.

Eckert looking to make it three wins in a row for Southampton

Following the sacking of Will Still at the beginning of the month, the Saints and Sport Republic are yet to appoint a new permanent manager.

A number of candidates have been linked with the St Mary’s vacancy, with Eckert impressing on a temporary basis, winning back-to-back Championship games to steer the club clear of the bottom three.

With the international break now finished, attention once again turns back to club action, with Southampton set to travel to Charlton Athletic on Saturday lunchtime.

As we know, the Saints are no closer to appointing Still’s long-term successor, meaning Eckert looks set to be given the chance to make it three victories in a row.

1.FC Koln U17

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2013-2016

RB Salzburg YL

Assistant manager

2016-2017

RB Leipzig YL

Assistant manager

2017-2019

FC Bayern U17

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2019-2020

Barnsley

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He has impressed Saints star Finn Azaz, who scored last time out against Sheffield Wednesday, with the summer signing calling Eckert “top level”.

“Since his first meeting, I was really impressed. It hasn’t been drastic changes. He’s been able to watch from outside and tweak a few things. He has been able to instil his message and new energy and his drive and a new voice. As I say, it hasn’t been drastic changes.

“We are playing in the same shape almost. We went out there with similar personnel, [there were] just a few tweaks. I would like to thank him. He’s been top level.”

Now, a fresh manager update has emerged from St Mary’s ahead of the trip to The Valley.

Southampton to give Eckert next three games

According to sources from Give Me Sport and reliable reporter Ben Jacobs, Sport Republic have decided that Eckert is set to take charge of Southampton’s next three Championship fixtures.

Charlton Athletic vs Southampton

22nd November

Southampton vs Leicester City

25th November

Millwall vs Southampton

29th November

It is stated that the 32-year-old is not guaranteed to be given the job on a permanent basis just yet. However, if Southampton’s games against Charlton, Leicester and Millwall go to plan, Eckert could become a genuine contender.

Radio Solent’s Sports Editor Adam Blackmore even admitted recently that Eckert was always on the radar to be promoted and replace Still as Southampton manager, although it wasn’t supposed to come this early.

“Saints have spoken to candidates, but they can afford to be patient with Eckert’s good start, and it allows them time to see the market develop.

“Eckert was always Johannes Spors’ succession policy after Will. It just wasn’t supposed to be after months! So it’s highly unlikely anything imminent occurs either way …..like I said about Will, it would be a risky appointment giving it to Eckert …but if he wins 5 out of 5? Hard not to!”

The early signs are positive, and another three points on the weekend will only strengthen Eckert’s claim to be named Southampton’s next full-time manager.

Southampton told to appoint new manager over Eckert who "ticks every box"

Former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes could be making the move from the bullpen to the starting rotation in 2025.

The veteran reliever has reportedly garnered interest in free agency from various teams, some of which are considering utilizing him as a starting pitcher, according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post. Among those teams is the New York Mets, who are looking to fortify their rotation after last season's late run and subsequent postseason push.

Holmes, 31, has made 307 relief appearances in his career. He's started just four games and hasn't made a start since 2018, shortly after he debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Holmes spent the last four seasons with the New York Yankees, where he made two All-Star appearances and registered a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves across 220 appearances.

He could be the latest in a line of recent relief pitchers who have transitioned into starters, including San Diego Padres star Michael King, San Francisco Giants flamethrower Jordan Hicks and Kansas City Royals Cy Young candidate Seth Lugo, among others. Holmes, like the aforementioned pitchers, boasts a variety of pitches, both fastballs and breaking balls, which makes him a strong candidate to work out of the starting rotation.

The Mets and owner Steve Cohen already added to their pitching rotation on Sunday, agreeing to a two-year deal with right-hander Frankie Montas. They are also still in pursuit of Juan Soto, who remains the top prize in free agency.

Unicorns will also miss the services of Romario Shepherd, who has returned to Guyana to play in the Global Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025Opener Finn Allen has been ruled out of New Zealand’s upcoming T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe, which is set to begin on July 14, after sustaining a foot injury while playing for San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC. This means he will also miss the MLC playoffs, where Unicorns are set to take on MI New York in the Eliminator on Wednesday.According to a NZC release, Allen’s recovery timeline will be determined once he returns to New Zealand and received further specialist consultations. While New Zealand will name his replacement for the tri-series in due course, Unicorns have decided not to name a replacement player. New Zealand are set to arrive in Harare on Thursday ahead of their first T20I against South Africa on July 16.Allen last played in Unicorns’ final league match against Los Angeles Knight Riders in Lauderhill on July 6. He was out for 4 in the first over of the 244 chase. He is Unicorns’ second-highest run-getter with 333 runs in nine matches, which included a record-breaking 151 in the first game against Washington Freedom in Oakland.Unicorns will also miss the services of West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd, who has returned to Guyana to play for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Global Super League. Shepherd has been a key wicket-taker for Unicorns, taking eight wickets in five innings, and has also contributed with the bat. Unicorns have decided not to name a replacement for him too.

Lucas Paqueta has spoken to clear the air amid reports he wants to leave West Ham in the January transfer window. It has been claimed that the Brazilian has been keen to leave the Hammers following his clearance from spot-fixing allegations in July. He was the subject of a long-running FA investigation and is now said to be eyeing a fresh start with a new club.

• West Ham determined to hold on to Paqueta

  It had been reported that Aston Villa came forward with a late bid for Paqueta in the summer window. However, the Hammers refused to sanction the transfer, with Villa’s proposal arriving only a couple of days before deadline day. Flamengo, Paqueta’s boyhood club, also approached with a loan offer that was swiftly turned down by West Ham. Sources in Brazil suggested that Flamengo would love to bring Paqueta back home permanently, but questions remain over whether they could afford such a move. Now, a fresh report from claims that he is once again pushing to open the exit doors in the winter.

  However, Paqueta appeared to pour cold water on those rumours using nothing more than a simple emoji. The midfield magician took to X to share a picture of himself beaming in a West Ham shirt, flanked by his two young sons, Filippo and Tiziano, at the London Stadium. His post, which came just over an hour after The Times reported he wanted to quit the club, included only a smiling face emoji, enough to put the swirling rumours about his future to rest. 

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  Challenging times at West Ham

  Pep Guardiola was also reportedly eager to add Paqueta to his Manchester City midfield, but the deal collapsed due to the investigation into the now-quashed betting irregularities. But things have since gone south for the Brazilian as, instead of challenging for Premier League titles, Paqueta finds himself battling at the opposite end of the table. West Ham sit 19th in the league, four points adrift of safety, after losing seven of their opening nine matches. Their defence has leaked 20 goals, and the fans are running out of patience. The latest blow came last weekend, when newly promoted Leeds United stunned the Hammers with two quickfire goals in the opening 15 minutes, holding on for a 2–1 victory at Elland Road. The defeat left West Ham staring down the barrel of a relegation fight. Amid the darkness, Paqueta remains one of West Ham’s few shining lights. Since joining from Lyon in 2022, he has been an ever-present force, and he has already scored three goals in 10 appearances across all competitions, often carrying the creative burden in a team struggling for identity. 

• Nuno’s tough task and dressing room unrest

  West Ham's managerial turmoil has only worsened matters. After sacking Graham Potter just weeks into the new campaign, the Hammers turned to Nuno Espírito Santo, who was himself after being dismissed by Nottingham Forest. But Nuno’s arrival has yet to spark a revival. He has made bold choices in his early matches, notably freezing out James Ward-Prowse from his squads. The former Southampton captain has not featured in any of Nuno’s four matchday line-ups, and the new boss is reportedly open to selling him in January. Behind the scenes, Nuno is said to be pressing the board to back him in the upcoming window. His wish list includes a commanding striker and a new central defender, but with West Ham set to announce significant financial losses for last season, reinforcements may depend on player sales.

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  Can West Ham regain their lost spark?

  Even with the recent social media post suggesting Paqueta's content, doubts persist. However, few can blame him for wondering whether his talents deserve a grander stage, especially given how quickly West Ham’s European dreams have unravelled. And their immediate future looks perilous. Newcastle’s visit this weekend could bring yet more frustration, before a critical home match against Burnley just six days later. If results don’t turn soon, the fans will grow even more restless, and even the most optimistic ones will fear that the club could be staring at a relegation scrap by Christmas. 

Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall has been sublime so far this season, but he’s not the only “superstar” teenager at Spurs as one youngster vies to battle the Swede for a place in Thomas Frank’s starting eleven.

The 19-year-old is making his £8.5 million fee look like peanuts after an excellent first year and a half in north London.

Since joining from Djurgardens in February last year, with Tottenham beating Barcelona to Bergvall’s signature, the midfielder has worked his way into the first-team and made a grand total of 45 appearances in all competitions last term.

Bergvall suffered an ankle injury towards the end of 2024/2025 which prevented him from playing a role in the Europa League final, or in the semis, but the Scandinavian sensation is truly back with a bang.

Appearances

51

Goals

2

Assists

6

Bookings

8

Minutes played

2,625

via Transfermarkt

He scored his first ever Premier League goal for Tottenham in a 3-0 London derby win away to West Ham, sending an expertly guided looping header over Mats Hermansen, and earned a Man of the Match award for his display.

Just a few days later, Bergvall played a key role in Luiz Junior’s own goal to hand Tottenham a 1-0 win over Villarreal in their Champions League opener, earning his second Player of the Match award in quick succession.

Barcelona are still reeling after missing out on the midfielder, according to Spanish news outelt AS, and it really isn’t difficult to see why.

Bergvall has been called Tottenham’s next potential superstar, leaving fellow highly-rated young midfielder Archie Gray with a mountain to climb as he looks to establish himself as a key player undder Frank.

The 19-year-old did extremely well in his debut season, and under very difficult circumstances. Ange Postecoglou thrust Gray into the centre of defence amid Spurs’ injury crisis last season, having been asked to play an unfamiliar and uncomfortable role during what was a very trying time.

The former Leeds United star earned due praise for this, but Bergvall’s form, combined with Tottenham’s extra senior options, has limited Gray’s playing time to just 89 minutes so far this term.

Archie Gray vying for Lucas Bergvall's spot at Tottenham

However, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Gray is not one to back down from a challenge, and will battle Bergvall for a place in Spurs’ squad.

Sharing further insight, Bailey still refused to rule out the prospect of a temporary move away for Gray in January.

Archie Gray must get game time at Tottenham this season

To further his development, it is vital that Frank hands Gray the minutes he deserves.

After weathering the storm of Tottenham’s 2024/2025 season, he’s more than earned his place in the senior set-up, with his versatility also potentially very attractive to Spurs’ new boss.

It is still very early days, and injuries could still take their toll on the squad to hand Gray a route back into regular first-team action.

Ideally, he’d earn his place via a different route, but Frank will still welcome his players working hard to battle for a place in what is now a much stronger Lilywhites side in terms of depth compared to last year.

Ex-England captain stars with bat and ball at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-May-2025Heather Knight staged an outstanding all-round performance to propel Somerset to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Essex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition at Taunton Vale.The England international claimed 3-7 with the ball and then added 45 crucial runs with the bat as the cider county ultimately made light work of chasing beneath blue skies and sunshine to register a second win in three games and send a crowd of several hundred home happy.Put into bat on a worn pitch, Essex slipped to 2-3 and 50-5 in the face of accurate seam bowling from Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson, who took 2-12 and 2-44 respectively. Amara Carr redressed the balance with a defiant innings of 67 from 92 balls with 5 fours, only for Knight to mop up the tail with her off breaks as Essex were dismissed for an inadequate184 in 42.5 overs.Knight, Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson all contributed useful runs to carry Somerset to within sight of their target before the irrepressible Charlie Dean raised a quickfire 45 not out from 49 balls with 6 fours as Somerset won with 14.1 overs in hand.Somerset skipper Luff won the toss, inserted the opposition and looked on as her seamers made the new ball sing. Having failed to post a score in excess of 200 in their two previous matches, Essex again fell short of expectations, three of the top four failing to score as they slumped to 2-3 in the second over. Playing a loose shot, Jo Gardner hit Jackson straight to Dean at mid-wicket, while Anderson had Cordelia Griffith held at slip and then bowled Jodi Grewcock next ball to further undermine the top order.Under pressure to repair the damage, Essex captain Grace Scrivens led a partial recovery, straight-driving Anderson for an imperious four in adding 48 for the fourth wicket with Flo Miller. But England spinner Dean struck a crucial blow in the 13th over, Scrivens attempting a back-foot drive, finding Amanda-Jade Wellington at mid-off and departing for a 32-ball 27. Attempting an ill-advised pull shot against Jackson in the very next over, Miller holed out to Alex Griffiths in the deep as wickets continued to fall in clusters, Essex subsiding to 50-5.Carr and Sophia Smale launched a cautious recovery of sorts, safely negotiating the spin of Wellington and Dean to add 41 for the sixth wicket. Somerset’s bowlers continued to build pressure and Smale, having scored 10, played back to Wellington and inadvertently trod on her wicket. Luff marshalled her bowlers well and Griffiths struck in her first over, Eva Gray driving straight to Knight at silly mid-on and falling for 17, having helped add 37 with Carr.While the determined Carr continued to hold sway, there was hope for Essex. The former Western Storm player went to 50 from 73 balls and led by example as she attempted to usher the lower order towards a competitive total. But former England captain Knight accounted for the tail in quick time with her off breaks, pinning Esmae Macgregor and Kate Coppack lbw before bowling the obdurate Carr to wrap-up the innings inside the distance.Acutely aware of the need to make the new ball count, the visitors engineered an early breakthrough, Gray locating Emma Corney’s outside edge and Smale taking a regulation catch in the slips with 33 on the board. Although scoring freely remained far from straightforward, Knight and Luff brought their considerable experience to bear upon the situation, staging a reassuring alliance of 38 for the second wicket before the latter nicked behind and succumbed to Abtaha Maqsood’s spin for 24.Knight had advanced her score to 45 from 41 balls, accrued 7 fours and was threatening to take the match by the scruff of the neck when she was caught behind off the bowling of Maqsood with the score on 96 in the 18th. Fran Wilson mustered the first six of the match at the expense of Maqsood before losing off stump to Grewcock and departing for 23, a dismissal that kept Essex in the hunt.But the home side quickly regained control, Dean and Katie Jones playing positively to bring the required rate down and raise thoughts of a bonus point victory. Jones was eventually run out for 16, but Dean continued to score at a run a ball to hasten victory.

Carla Ward has spoken bluntly about Manchester United and the club's commitment to its women's team this season. The Red Devils have started well but the former Birmingham City and Aston Villa boss took issue with Marc Skinner only naming four outfield players on the bench for Sunday's WSL win over Liverpool amid growing concerns from fans about squad depth.

• Man Utd Women low on numbers

  There were just 16 players out of a possible 20 in United's matchday squad for the trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium to face a struggling Liverpool side. Skinner's team dominated the match, barely allowing the hosts a kick of the ball in the first half, during which they scored twice and could have had several more goals by the break.

  Liverpool, who named a full bench of nine players, came into the contest more in the second half when United's intensity dropped and had greater options for freshness. A lack of quality ultimately stopped the Merseysiders seriously mounting any sort of comeback attempt, but there were similar signs when the Red Devils had faced Arsenal a week earlier.

  United named eights subs against the Gunners, including two goalkeepers and two academy players, whereas Arsenal were able to call on star like Beth Mead, Frida Maanum and Ballon d'Or nominee Chloe Kelly. It meant they ended the 0-0 draw in the ascendancy, where it had been much more even earlier in the contest, and there was a degree of United hanging on for a point.

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  Multiple players unavailable

  United's depth, although already thin, is being further affected by injuries.

  Millie Turner, a regular starter alongside Maya Le Tissier in the centre of defence in recent seasons, is nursing a knee problem and has no set timeline to return. Versatile winger Leah Galton and box-to-box midfielder Simi Awujo are sidelined, while Hannah Blundell is not yet ready for first-team action as she builds fitness after a year out while pregnant and on maternity leave.

  Left-back Anna Sandberg missed the Liverpool game through illness but should soon return, and Celin Bizet, Jayde Riviere and Gabby George have also each had spells out already this season because of more minor injury complaints.

• Ward hits out at Man Utd hierarchy

  Carla Ward, speaking as a WSL pundit for Sky Sports suggested that Manchester United should have done more during the summer to prepare the squad for a crucial season that sees the team in the Women's Champions League proper for the first time.

  Based on her own, albeit very different, experience at Birmingham she also claimed that Skinner was making it clear to the hierarchy that he needs more players by naming such a small bench – the argument there would be that the boss could otherwise have filled out the squad with academy players.

  "I think when you only name that many on the bench – and I've been there – you're sending a message to the board," Ward said. "I think Manchester United have let the women's team down this year. There's an opportunity to bring more bodies in – they're in the Champions League and playing across all competitions, so [Skinner] has got his hands tied.

  She added: "You can question players going out on loan…Keira Barry and a couple of players might have been able to stay. That's such a small bench, a thin bench, and not many options."

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  Skinner: 'Nothing I can do about it'

  Marc Skinner spoke to reporters after the Liverpool game, fielding a question about squad depth, or lack thereof. He was open about the need for more recruitment, but stressed that it's not something which can be fixed right now. He also stated that efforts were made in summer that didn't materialise because of how the market suddenly changed.

  "There's nothing I can do about it," Skinner explained. "Until that [January] window, there's nothing I can do. We have to invest in the window. I've said that and I'll be very clear on that. The club need to support these players with their incredible talent.

  "There were reasons in the summer that it just didn't work. It wasn't for lack of trying, let me be very clear on that. The market shift changed massively, so we have to invest in that window and to support these [players]. Until then, we've got to find solutions, and that's my job to try and do that."