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Nuno Espirito Santo is now reportedly ready to launch his first transfer move in charge of West Ham United to sign Bristol City’s set-piece specialist Scott Twine.

The Hammers could certainly do with a busy January transfer window. Whilst results have improved recently, their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in a game that they led 2-0 exposed their problems once again.

After watching on as his side let go of their 2-0 lead gained through Callum Wilson’s goals, Nuno told reporters: “It’s a very tough place to come. The first half was us – we took advantage of the straight ball, of the second ball, we managed the tempo of the game, we managed to control Bournemouth, and we achieved a good lead.

“In the second half, Bournemouth did exactly the same that we did [in the first]. They managed better the circumstances of the game, we couldn’t go out, they put us against the ropes, they engaged five players in the last line.

“The boys were organised but were missing the pass to go out of pressure, to really hurt them with space, under tough circumstances. But the positive is that I think the team was resilient, was organised, was compact and was really committed.”

After the dramatic draw, West Ham have at least escaped the dropzone, albeit only on goal difference. With the visit of Liverpool up next, they’ll be hoping to compile the champions’ recent misery and escape the relegation zone in the process.

It goes without saying that the January transfer window would be a lot easier if West Ham were approaching it without the bottom three in mind. It would hand Nuno the perfect opportunity to welcome first-choice reinforcements and potentially take the Hammers onwards and upwards.

On that front, the former Nottingham Forest manager already has certain additions in mind, according to reports.

West Ham and Nuno ready to launch Scott Twine move

According to Sports Boom, Nuno is now ready to launch West Ham’s move to sign Twine from Bristol City in the January transfer window. The set-piece specialist would be an instant upgrade on James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out by Nuno, and would cost West Ham just £8m.

League stats 25/26	Scott Twine	Lucas Paqueta
Minutes	1,244	958
Goals	6	3
Progressive Passes	41	71
Ball Recoveries	52	53

Although it is in a league below the Premier League, Twine has shown plenty of promise compared to Lucas Paqueta this season. Based on those numbers, £8m could quickly turn into a bargain for the London club.

Whether Bristol City allow one of their key men to leave so easily remains to be seen, however. Robins manager Gerhard Struber recently praised his midfielder – telling reporters: “Scott (has) outstanding technical power with his monster leg.

Forget Guilherme: Nuno can fix Summerville blow with West Ham academy star

Nuno might already have the perfect solution to West Ham’s Summerville problem.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 25, 2025

“It helped us to score in this way but I like his energy at the moment – his work ethic on the field to invest everything. You do not see it that often that players on this level work really hard against the ball but this was the key – players with high technical level were involved in our defensive pressing moments.”

West Ham now make enquiry to sign Champions League CF with eight goals in 25/26

One of the New York Mets’ biggest fans couldn’t wait to welcome superstar outfielder Juan Soto with open arms.

After news broke of Soto’s historic signing with the Mets on Sunday night, Cleveland Cavaliers star and longtime Mets superfan Donovan Mitchell shared a screenshot of a jubilant Soto during a late-night FaceTime call. 

“LFFFGGGMMMMMM,” Mitchell wrote in the caption on X.

Soto, who has already made four All-Star teams and played in two World Series at just 26 years old, reportedly agreed to a monster 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets, the largest ever in professional sports history.

Mitchell had been anxiously following the months-long Soto saga this offseason and is rightfully overjoyed to see the superstar join his beloved team in Queens.

Other fanbases will mourn missing out on the ex-New York Yankees slugger, but Mitchell—and Soto, based on the looks of it—couldn’t be happier. 

Kieron Pollard’s all-round performance of a 36-ball 50 and bowling figures of 1 for 12 in two overs kept MI New York in the hunt for a playoff spot in MLC 2025 as they defeated bottom-placed Los Angeles Knight Riders by six runs.Pollard came in at 63 for 4 in the tenth over of the first innings and hit four sixes and one four to give MINY a fighting total of 142 for 9 although he had little support from the remaining batters, except Nicholas Pooran’s 24-ball 30 from No. 3. MINY’s batting was wrecked by Shadley van Schalkwyk taking 3 for 24 with support from Jason Holder (2 for 28) and Corne Dry (2 for 25) to leave LAKR chasing 143.However, even that target proved difficult to chase for LAKR as they finished on 136, six runs short, despite losing only four wickets. Openers Alex Hales produced a sluggish 21 in 26 balls and Andre Fletcher was out for a 10-ball nine. Even though Sherfane Rutherford scored a 28-ball 29 and Unmukt Chand hit a 48-ball 59, they couldn’t keep up with the game’s equation that left them needing 21 off the last two overs.Pollard dismissed Rutherford in the 19th over and LAKR retired out Chand at the end of the same over. But with 16 needed off the final over, new batters Andre Russell and Holder could not take them over the line with Ehsan Adil holding his nerves with the ball.The defeat was LAKR’s eighth in nine outings while it was MINY’s third win in nine games.

Levante's young forward Etta Eyong is in sublime form in La Liga and has garnered attention over the past few months from major Spanish clubs. On one hand, there is Real Madrid, whose decision-makers view Eyong as a promising prospect, and on the other hand, there is Barcelona, who had wanted to sign the Cameroonian in the previous window. The 22-year-old has now made a decision over which club he would prefer to join, if bids are tabled.

• In-demand Eyong is one of La Liga's MVPs

  In just 11 La Liga appearances this season, Eyong has forced top European clubs to enquire about his transfer. Thanks to his six goals and three assists in 896 minutes in the Spanish top flight, the Cameroonian is currently the talk of the top-flight. His exploits had started last season, when he took the limelight in the Spanish third tier, nailing 19 goals and six assists in 30 appearances. He also featured four times in La Liga, scoring a crucial winner against Girona. He joined Levante earlier this season, after Villarreal did not keep faith in him, and was even close to joining Barcelona. Currently, the third-highest scorer in the competition behind Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Atletico's Julian Alvarez, Eyong's demand has escalated, with a potential transfer over the horizon.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Which club does Eyong want to join?

  According to a report by SPORT, Los Blancos have initiated contact with Eyong's entourage over a possible move for the 22-year-old. Although anything concrete is yet to develop, Levante are aware of the situation, and there is no rush as the player is not looking for a move until the January window. However, he had indicated in the past that his preference is Barca. The Catalans' director, Deco, was in contact with Villarreal back in August, but with the club demanding a full €10 million for his transfer, the club had no other option but to back out. 

• What are the finances involved in his transfer?

  The Cameroonian joined Levante from Villarreal for a transfer fee of €3 million, and the latter included certain clauses which would yield profit for both the outfits. Firstly, he has a release clause worth €30m, and Villarreal, his former club, have the right of first refusal. Secondly, an offer worth €15m might be enough to ensure a transfer. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Do Barca need a No.9?

  Hansi Flick has a brilliant attacking third, comprising Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Marcus Rashford among the notable players. While the Polish forward is injured, Rashford has stepped up to shoulder the goal-scoring responsibilities, having secured 12 goals in 14 appearances for the club since his loan move from Manchester United. However, Lewandowski's age and the lack of a prominent No.9 might be Deco's concern in the upcoming windows. Eying's market value has escalated and might not be a feasible option considering the financial regulations imposed by the league authorities. However, the Barca administration might offload certain players in the future to accommodate a player of Eyong's caliber. But as of now, there is no movement from the Catalans regarding a new forward.

West Ham United have agreed a deal with Nuno Espírito Santo to replace Graham Potter, who was sacked on Saturday morning after just nine months and 25 games in charge.

Nuno Espírito Santo takes over from Graham Potter at West Ham

The 51-year-old, after leaving Nottingham Forest due to a public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis, has wasted absolutely no time getting back to work, replacing Potter at West Ham.

The latter recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham manager in Premier League history, behind only Avram Grant, with the Irons conceding a calamitous seven of their 13 goals from corners so far this season.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

It quite simply couldn’t go on, and West Ham shareholders held a very real worry that relegation was staring them in the face (Claret & Hugh), despite senior members of the squad telling close friends that Potter was the right man for the job (The Telegraph).

ExWHUemployee was first to report earlier this week that Nuno was close to agreeing a West Ham deal, and widespread reports suggested that the former Wolves and Tottenham boss was a standout favourite.

Now, those reports have come to fruition, with the tactician poised to take charge of his first game away to Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.

It is interesting to note that chairman David Sullivan was reportedly in favour of Slaven Bilic’s return on a short-term contract until the end of the season, with some media sources claiming that Nuno was demanding big wages to join West Ham and a longer-term deal.

The driving force behind Nuno Espírito Santo's move to West Ham

Therefore, it is little surprise that he wasn’t the driving force behind Nuno’s move to East London.

Indeed, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, vice-chairman Karren Brady was leading West Ham’s charge to appoint Nuno, with the journalist also revealing a disagreement between the official and Sullivan over Potter’s previous contract.

It appears Brady has overruled Sullivan for the second time in a year through Nuno’s arrival, but considering the coach’s obvious credentials, her decision could prove to be the right one.

Why Brady was right to push for Nuno's appointment at West Ham

A succession of other candidates were linked with the post, including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Scott Parker, Marco Silva, Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick.

However, Nuno stands above all the aforementioned names.

Following his appointment at the City Ground, the ex-Al-Ittihad boss – who won a Saudi Pro League title there before leaving just months later – steadied the ship, solidified Forest’s leaky backline, improved their set-piece fragility and gave his former team a clear counter-attacking identity.

What followed was a sensational 2024/2025, where Forest stood out as last season’s major surprise package, and they were justly rewarded via securing a place back in European football for the first time in 30 years.

Nuno eventually got the very best out of his players, despite inheriting what was once a dire situation. West Ham supporters will be hoping he can now replicate that feat down south, with Nuno aiming to end 2025 on a high in very testing circumstances.

Despite fighting half-centuries from Dercksen and Tryon, the loss eliminated SA from the tournament

Firdose Moonda07-May-2025

Jemimah Rodrigues scored her second ODI century•SLC

India posted their highest score against South Africa – 337 for 9 – and their fifth-highest total in all ODIs to seal their spot in the Sri Lanka Tri-Series final on Sunday, where they will play the hosts. In response, South Africa batted bravely to score their second-highest total batting second, but were still knocked out of the tournament.That means South Africa’s match on Friday against Sri Lanka will be a dead rubber. But more concerning for South Africa is that they have won only one of their last ten ODIs. Exactly the opposite statistic applies to India, who have lost only one of their last ten games, and controlled proceedings for almost all of their match against South Africa on Wednesday, even if the margin victory suggests otherwise.Jemimah Rodrigues scored her second ODI century, and the third-fastest for India in women’s ODIs, off 89 balls, to anchor their batting effort. After the loss of three wickets in the powerplay, Rodrigues shared an 88-run stand with Smriti Mandhana, and then a 122-run partnership with Deepti Sharma, which allowed India to score the most number of runs after the fall of the third wicket in an ODI innings.Rodrigues’ innings epitomised India’s dominance, with the right balance of timing and aggression. She drove, swept and reverse swept well against a South Africa attack that seemed out of bite and ideas. They were without regular captain Laura Wolvaardt, who was ruled out of the game with illness, and stand-in skipper Chloe Tryon used eight bowlers, including herself. Only Tryon and Sune Luus, who bowled three overs, conceded at less than six runs an over, while premier left-arm spinner Nonkululekho Mlaba gave away 71 runs in only eight overs.South Africa had moments in charge, and started well with the ball when Nadine de Klerk had Pratika Rawal caught at backward point. While Rawal reached out for a full ball, Masabata Klaas bowled Harleen Deol with a delivery that jagged back in and beat her defence. India were 18 for 2 in the third over but did not struggle to rebuild.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Boundary balls came once – sometimes more – an over as de Klerk and Klaas were inconsistent with their lengths. Annerie Dercksen, at first change, also started off short and wide but rushed Harmanpreet Kaur into a pull, and had the Indian captain caught at midwicket.Having created the opportunity to put pressure on India, South Africa didn’t take advantage of it. Though they cut off boundaries for the next three overs, Mlaba’s introduction changed that. Rodrigues drove her second ball for four, and then took two boundaries off her next over as Mlaba struggled with a line down leg. By the 15th over, India were scoring at a run a ball.They were pulled back, but Rodrigues and Mandhana were largely untroubled by a slew of spinners until Mandhana tried to hit Tryon over midwicket and handed de Klerk a catch. By then, Rodrigues had fifty, and was well set. Deepti took over the attacking role, and took advantage of short deliveries from debutant Miane Smit, while Rodrigues worked her way through the 60s and 70s.On 81, she shuffled across her stumps to hit Nondumiso Shangase over cover, and that was the signal that she was looking to chang gears. It took just nine more balls for Rodrigues to get her century, with a single off Mlaba, which prompted an air kiss and a bat-guitar celebration. Rodrigues scored 23 more runs off the next 12 balls she faced but was dismissed the ball after Deepti got to fifty, when she miscued Klaas to Luus at point.Deepti Sharma scored 93 with the bat, and bagged a wicket with the ball•SLC

India still had 7.2 overs left to bat, and a good platform to build on. Deepti took it on herself to press forward, and scored 43 runs off the next 22 balls, and was especially severe on de Klerk’s slower balls. Deepti hit her over her head for two sixes, and was on track to bring up a stunning century but was caught at long-on off the penultimate ball of the innings before India finished with 337.South Africa’s task was always going to be tough, after they were asked to score 63 more runs than their previous-highest successful chase of 275. At least that was against India, and one of the top performers then, Lara Goodall, was here too. Goodall was promoted to open the batting in Wolvaardt’s absence but nicked off in the second over to give Amanjot Kaur a wicket in her first over of the series.Tazmin Brits and Smit put on 63 for the second wicket but struggled to score quickly. Brits was on 26 off 41 balls when she pulled Amanjot to Rodrigues at midwicket. Four overs later, Smit was bowled by Deepti while looking to sweep, and pressure built on South Africa. The required run rate was above eight runs an over from the 20th over, and it only kept climbing further.Dercksen and Shangase tried to get things on track with a 70-run stand in 66 balls. Shangase was on 36 off 35 balls when she tried to hit part-time spinner Rawal over long-on but was caught on the boundary. Sinalo Jafta was promoted to No. 6 and came out swinging, but India did not seem to think that was much of a threat.Nondumiso Shangase and Annerie Dercksen added 70 runs for the fifth wicket•Getty Images

In the 32nd over, Mandhana, who has only bowled three times in 101 ODIs for a total of four overs, was given the ball. Her first over went for eight runs, but she bowled one more over before giving way to Sree Charani, who had Jafta lbw with the first ball of her third spell. South Africa were 188 for 5, and needed 150 runs from the last 15 overs.Dercksen gave them hope when she brought up a second successive half-century, and beat her previous career-best of 61 by 20 runs. But she became the third South African, after Brits and Karabo Meso in previous matches, to struggle with the conditions. Dercksen received treatment on her lower back twice, forcing breaks in play. After the second treatment, Dercksen was bowled by Amanjot, and South Africa’s best partnership – 72 off 60 balls between Dercksen and Tryon – was broken. Tryon went to score her 12th ODI fifty, and eventually finished with a strike rate of 155.81 in her knock of 67.South Africa needed 39 runs off the last two overs when the umpires took players off the field for bad light, with the score on 299 for 6. The DLS par for South Africa at that stage was 314. Tryon and de Klerk appeared aggrieved with the decision to come off but were surprised to hear 15 minutes later that the match would restart. They scored 12 runs off the penultimate over, and were left needing 27 to win off the last. Tryon was bowled off the first ball of the final over, and South Africa ended 23 runs short.

Gohar’s three-for keeps Middlesex fighting but big deficit is on the cards

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Apr-2025

Marcus Harris raises his bat to acknowledge his century on debut•Lancashire CCC

Lancashire 353 for 9 (Harris 134*, Jennings 55, Jones 40) lead Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) by 93 runsMarcus Harris’s century on Red Rose debut helped Lancashire take charge on day two at Lord’s.The Australian Test opener, batting at No. 4, survived an early scare to share a stand of 120 for the fifth wicket with Luke Wells (38). It was Harris’ 30th first-class ton and he became the sixth overseas player to make a hundred on his debut for the county, a trend started by his fellow Australian, the late Andrew Symonds in 2005.Keaton Jennings earlier weighed in 55 enabling the visitors to reach the close on 353 for 9.The Middlesex bowlers toiled hard, with little luck, Zafar Gohar returning 3 for 77 on debut and Blake Cullen 2 for 70, the latter’s first County Championship wickets since he dismissed Mohammed Rizwan at Hove in May 2022, such have been the young seamer’s injury woes.The alliance between Harris and Wells turned the tide of a day where Middlesex had initially held sway.Their frugal bowling in the morning session especially led to a pedestrian scoring rate of two an over by the visitors on a slow, unresponsive pitch.Lancashire’s inability to break the shackles brought reward for the home side, Jennings departing to a sharp catch at slip by Robson off Ryan Higgins, shortly after raising his 50 with the aid of eight fours.The wicket came in a spell of six overs for one run from the Zimbabwean allrounder and the pressure he exerted affected other batters too.Josh Bohannon was in skittish mood from the off, edging one just short of Robson at slip before he’d scored. He’d got to 11 when he slashed at a slightly wider one from Higgins only for Leus du Plooy to grass the chance away to his right hand in the gully.Even so, there was further reward for the Seaxes shortly before lunch when Toby Roland-Jones found the edge of Michael Jones’ bat and wicketkeeper Jack Davies took a low catch away to his right.On the resumption, Bohannon briefly suggested he’d left his pre-lunch struggles behind him, driving Henry Brookes straight for four, but the introduction of Gohar proved his undoing.Bohannon played back to one from the slow left-armer which went on with the arm and crashed into off stump.And when Matty Hurst injudiciously hooked a short one from Cullen down the throat of Nathan Fernandes at long leg the visitors were 169 for 4, still almost 100 in arrears.Even Harris wasn’t exempt from such rushes of blood to the head, having charged Gohar on 11, inside edging the ball beyond both leg stump and wicketkeeper Davies. Had he not made the thinnest of contacts the stumping would have been a formality had he not been bowled in any event.Harris though resolved to make the most of his slice of fortune, knuckling down to take charge, driving with increasing authority before raising his 50 with his eighth boundary, a savage cut to the cover fence.As the home bowlers tired in the glorious evening sunshine he forged on to three figures reached via an edge out of the clutches of slip to third man.At the other end, Wells, though playing second fiddle, hit two huge sixes, one over mid-on to get off the mark and the stand reached 120 before he waved lazily at one to be caught behind with the lead at 27.Harris was reprieved on 123 when dropped at slip by Robson, but late wickets for the persevering home attack offered Middlesex some hope ahead of day three.

Wednesday's Champions League clash between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain should have immediately seen the top two players in the 2025 Ballon d'Or vote squaring off against one another. However, while Lamine Yamal has returned to full fitness just in time for the game at Montjuic, Ousmane Dembele will remain sidelined for at least another couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, the injury-enforced absences of Raphinha, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have robbed the fixture of further star quality – but Vitinha has been included in the PSG squad for the game in Catalonia after recovering from the knock that forced him off in Saturday's Ligue 1 win over Auxerre.

Consequently, the Portuguese is set to go up against Pedri, his one true rival for the title of the best midfielder in the world right now – and a player with whom he has quite a bit in common…

Getty Images Sport'I'm going to smash it'

Vitinha was fully deserving of his place on the podium at last week's Ballon d'Or ceremony. Truth be told, he would have made for a more worthy winner than Dembele, given his greater importance to PSG's play.

The Portuguese midfielder, though, still found his third-placed finish "unbelievable" – and one could understand why. After all, he's come an awful long way since failing to lock down a regular starting spot during his season-long loan at Wolves in 2020-21.

However, despite being regularly overlooked by Nuno Espirito Santo, Vitinha never lost faith in his ability.  

"The coach was hard on him," former Wolves defender Fernando Marcal later told . "Despite doing amazing things in training, he couldn't convince him.

"Nuno wanted Vitinha to keep it simple, to release the ball more quickly. Vitinha tried to follow instructions but he didn’t want to lose his identity. So, I asked him how he thought the following season would go for him and he replied: 'I'm going back to Porto, I'm going to smash it there and the season after I'll be playing for one of the eight best teams in Europe.'

"I thought to myself, 'Wow, this guy can't get a game at Wolves and he thinks he's going to sign for Man City or a club like that? He's a bit crazy!' But no, he certainly wasn't."

Indeed, Vitinha was so good upon his return to Porto that he earned himself a 2022 move to PSG, where his career really took off.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMessi's blessing at Barcelona

The start of Pedri's top-flight career was slightly different to that of Vitinha, in that nobody ever had any doubts over his world-class potential.

From the moment he arrived at Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2020, Pedri's talent was obvious. Consequently, a teenager signed for just €5 million (one of the best buys in the Blaugrana's history) and only expected to feature sporadically during his debut season at Camp Nou – quickly became a first-team regular.

Even Lionel Messi was blown away by the teenager's talent, and there was a lovely moment during a 3-0 win at Real Valladolid when the No.10 made history by becoming the player with the most goals for a single club in football history. Rather than bask in his individual glory, Messi immediately pointed to Pedri, the provider of an outrageous backheeled assist.

Looking back on it now, it was a wonderfully symbolic moment, Barca's glorious past acknowledging the arrival of a future star.

However, shortly after Messi left, Pedri began to break down. Basically, Barcelona and Spain ran the 18-year-old into the ground over the course of the 2020-21 campaign – during which he played a ridiculous 73 games for club and country.

The net result was Pedri being plagued by a succession of muscular problems – until Hansi Flick took charge of Barca in the summer of 2024.

AFPThe Flick factor

Initially, there was a fear that Pedri's body might buckle under the pressure of playing for such a notoriously demanding coach renowned for his intensive pressing – but it actually proved the making of him.

"Physically, I notice that I am doing much better, able to do different things," Pedri told shortly after the start of the 2024-25 season. "We are working much harder at the club than before and I think the physical trainers who have come in are doing us a lot of good."

No player benefited more from the arrival of Flick and his fitness team than Pedri.

He missed just one game in La Liga last season (through illness) and also ended up playing (59) and starting (56) more matches in all competitions than any of his Barca team-mates.

Flick was also key in that regard. The German deployed Pedri in a midfield pivot, usually alongside the revitalised Frenkie de Jong, as he saw that the Spaniard was just as capable of winning the ball as he was distributing it.

The net result was Pedri being directly involved in 14 goals during Barca's domestic treble, while at the same time winning possession more times (389) than any other player across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

Basically, the Flick factor, coupled with a clean bill of health, has allowed Pedri to take his game to a whole other level.

"I feel liberated," Pedri admitted. "I think Flick has also conveyed that to me: to play without pressure, to do what I know how to do and I feel much more relaxed now."

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AFP'Vitinha is vital for us'

Luis Enrique's appointment as PSG coach was just as pivotal a moment in Vitinha's development.

Before the Spaniard took over from Christoph Galtier, Vitinha had quite a lot of "chores" at the Parc des Princes, as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe didn't do a lot of defensive work.

Vitinha maintains to this day that it was a privilege to play in the same side as three legitimate superstars – but he also admits that he much prefers the new PSG project, which focuses on younger players with something to prove.

There is certainly no room for slackers in Luis Enrique's line-up, while Vitinha is also a big fan of the coach's brutal honesty.

"The best thing about him is that he's very direct," Vitinha told . "He will not lie to you. What he wants to say, he says. So you don't get the wrong impression with him.

"It's a very good thing for a player: you know what the coach thinks about you all the time. I like it a lot. Sometimes, coaches are not so direct, to protect themselves."

Unsurprisingly, Luis Enrique is just as enamoured with Vitinha, around whom he has built one of the most exciting and successful sides in Europe.

"Vitinha is unique," the former Barcelona boss says. "In possession, he is vital for us in his pivot role, he manages the ball perfectly, he does not lose it, and brings a lot to the team.

"He is strong physically, mentally, and he plays a difficult and complicated role in the PSG midfield. He embodies the perfect midfielder."

Graham Potter admitted that his recent face-swap meme trend "made my son laugh" amid pressure to turn around West Ham fortunes. Potter's reign is hanging by the thinnest of threads, and fans have already decided his fate; through 'ridicule'. After last weekend's bruising home defeat to Crystal Palace, the Hammers faithful unleashed their trademark gallows humour, flooding social media with pictures of his face swapped onto others.

• Hammers fans showing no mercy

  The Palace defeat lit the fuse. From then on, Potter’s face has been plastered onto everything from sitcom icons Del Boy and Rodney to the Chuckle Brothers. In one of the cruellest edits, supporters even swapped him onto the body of co-owner David Sullivan’s fiancee, Ampika Pickston, herself embroiled in a messy spat with fans online.

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  Potter reacts to viral trend

  Potter has admitted that he’s seen the memes and even revealed his teenage son found them hilarious. 

  "It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot," he told reporters. "You have to accept what comes with it. In part it's criticism, it's at times ridicule, but that's the environment we're in…I've got a few more things to think about than that."

• Owners dithering on the axe

  Despite the humiliation, the board have so far resisted pulling the trigger. A gap of nine days before the Hammers’ next clash, a daunting away trip to David Moyes’ Everton, seemed the perfect time for change. But club insiders suggest the hierarchy is reluctant to hand a new boss two nightmare fixtures right off the bat, with Everton and Arsenal looming before the October international break. That might just buy Potter a stay of execution, but few believe it will stretch beyond those two games.

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• Big names circling the job

  Nuno Espirito Santo, recently dismissed by Nottingham Forest, is already being touted as the frontrunner. Slaven Bilic, Kieran McKenna, Scott Parker, Sean Dyche and Gary O’Neil have all been linked as well. The shortlist is a clear sign West Ham’s owners are bracing for life after Potter, and it’s simply a question of when, not if.

Some players moved closer to Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup squad in September friendlies, but others now challenged

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mauricio Pochettino said it several times throughout the course of this international break: the focus is on the World Cup. From the start, the U.S. men's national team head coach said that this would be the last meaningful opportunity to experiment before narrowing down the players he wants to bring with him on this road to next summer.

A mixed bag of results followed. There was the 2-0 loss to South Korea, a game in which the USMNT were underwhelming. There was the 2-0 win over Japan, a game in which the USMNT played up to their level. By Pochettino's own logic, though, that matters little – per the plan, what matters is how the individuals fared.

Some players clearly boosted their World Cup stock, putting in performances that show why they can contribute to this team next summer. Others have some work to do, although the chances will seemingly be harder to come by going forward as Pochettino welcomes back key regulars and settles on a more structured roster for October friendlies.

"We need to call the players that can perform," Pochettino said. "If the players, for different reasons, are not performing, why are we going to call them? We aren't going to just call players who performed four years ago unless they perform better than another player. That is, for me, the most important thing. I was telling the players that the door is always open. It's not closed. You all have the possibility to stay on, and then it's going to be our decision."

The USMNT will play both Ecuador and Australia in October, and then close the year against Paraguay and Uruguay in November, with the World Cup on the horizon.

Some players moved closer to being a part of that squad with their performances in these games. Others will be left wondering if they did enough. Who stood out? Whose stock rose, and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.

Getty ImagesSTOCK UP: Alejandro Zendejas

Mauricio Pochettino admitted that Alex Zendejas had given him reason to "doubt" his prior assessment. As a player, what else can you do?

After coming on and providing a jolt of energy against South Korea, Zendejas provided more of the same against Japan while adding a goal for good measure. The goal was classy as can be: a truly perfect left-footed volley that left the goalkeeper with no chance. It was a goal that required technical ability, quality and timing. It also required confidence.

"I like to float around in that pocket, and I feel like Coach Pochettino, for sure, gives me that freedom to roam around, get on the ball and feel free," Zendejas said. "I feel like myself on the ball. He really gives us that confidence to not be nervous, to get on the ball and do what we do with our clubs. It gives us that creativity that players like us need."

Zendejas, too, might provide the creativity that the USMNT needs. At the very least, he's earned another chance.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSTOCK DOWN: Tristan Blackmon

Full credit to Tristan Blackmon for bouncing back. Given the events of Saturday, in his USMNT debut, it couldn't have been easy to get ready for the Japan match. Despite a few small hiccups, Blackmon was much improved against Japan, showing a performance more like the ones that earned this initial USMNT opportunity.

Unfortunately, the road to a World Cup is cutthroat, and first impressions are hard to shake. That applies double to a centerback picture this crowded, even if there could be three, not two, starting in that position each game.

Blackmon has proven to be a quality MLS defender, no doubt, but his mistakes against South Korea certainly hurt his USMNT chances. Chalk them up to nerves, and that's likely the cause. But at this level, those types of mistakes carry consequences.

It's unfortunate, because Blackmon could certainly grow into a role with more reps. Unfortunately, it's hard to see why he should get those reps over the likes of Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Truty, none of whom were included in this camp.

This may not be the last we see of Blackmon. Unfortunately, though, that first impression could dash his World Cup hopes.

Getty ImagesSTOCK UP: Folarin Balogun

In some ways, we didn't learn anything we didn't already know about Folarin Balogun. He is, in fact, a very dangerous striker. Realistically, though, that's why the USMNT recruited him two years ago. Nothing has changed there.

Call it a reminder, then. In this camp, Balogun showed everyone that he still has the ability to be this team's No. 1 striker, even after missing so much time due to injury.

Coming on against South Korea, Balogun was lively, adding the right speed and timing to an attack that needed a jolt. Against Japan, he was given the start, and he proceeded to make life hell for Japan's defense. Time and time again, he put Japan's backline in uncomfortable spots, not just with his pace but with his mind.

"What I've noticed most about Balo that is really good for the team is that he gives an outlet," Christian Pulisic said after the win over Japan. "Whether that's coming into pockets and laying off the ball or runs in behind that relieve the team, when we're under pressure, he gives that. When I turn, I feel like I can look and he's making those short runs across the backline. That's what he's really good at."

We'll see what happens when Ricardo Pepi is fit but, right now, Balogun has the look of a World Cup starter.

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Getty ImagesSTOCK DOWN: Josh Sargent

Harsh on Josh Sargent, to be sure. He played in only one game and, in that match against South Korea, he was largely deprived of service. The USMNT was largely disorganized and looked to play long. The system didn't suit him.

That said, Balogun looks like a man for any system. Pepi, too, has shown the ability to score goals in a variety of ways. Sargent, for whatever reason, still hasn't shown that in a USMNT shirt – his infamous national team scoring drought dates back to 2019 – and it's why he may be on the outside looking in at the moment.

The Norwich striker is a hell of a forward, one that scores goals for fun on the club level. His lack of goals with the USMNT comes down to a variety of factors. But if other strikers are scoring, those factors become harder to overlook. With Balogun now fit and Pepi seemingly on his way back, it seems that there will be fewer chances for him to step up, which is what will make the path forward even harder, regardless of what Sargent does for his club.