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If they had T20 in 1998 and not 2008, Jarrod Kimber wonders, what on earth could he have done?

Jarrod Kimber15-May-2022Andrew Symonds fielded differently to others. He was a ring-fielding predator. Proactive, with otherworldly athletic gifts, he was like an oppressive force at cover.One game towards the end of his career he was mic’ed up and he took people through his methods. And you saw how his mind, body and desire came together to make him one of the world’s best inside the circle.Related

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The first bit was how much he actually wanted the ball because he believed through that he could keep himself in the game. For all his technical and physical gifts, this was the most important one. He was desperate to be involved. Some players don’t want the ball; Symonds needed it.Then there was the physical prowess. He could change direction like someone far smaller. He was swift across the ground and had a rocket arm. Australia turned Mike Young, an American baseball coach, into a fielding specialist, and paired him with Symonds, which took his fielding to another level. For years when he talked about his fielding, Young’s name would often come up.And then there was his brain. That is what you saw in this on-field masterclass. He was talking about bat faces, areas batters wanted to score in, and his own intuition. You can be the fastest fielder in the world, but it doesn’t help if you are waiting for the ball to be hit. Symonds would read the bowler and batter and proactively stop runs.And in that way, and almost every other way, he was always ahead of the game.If they had T20 in ’98, not ’08, what on earth could he have done?•PA Photos/Getty ImagesOne of the big technical changes that he made as a batter was to stop trying to hit every ball as hard as he could. The reasoning was that because he hit the ball so hard naturally, a swing at three-quarters power, off the middle of his bat, could clear the boundary anyway.In the era of ODI cricket Symonds played, the average strike rate was 74, and a six was hit every 109 balls. His strike rate was 92.5 and he hit a six every 53 balls. Despite retiring before ODI cricket got a lot faster, he still has the 11th-best strike rate of all time of those with more than 5000 runs.But the interesting thing is how much Australia tried to rein all that in. We know how much faster he could have scored if they had ever let him off the leash. He averaged a very respectable 40 in ODIs. But what kind of player could Australia have had if they just let Roy be Roy? There are only three players with a career strike rate of over 100 with that amount of runs: Shahid Afridi, Virender Sehwag and AB de Villiers. Symonds held himself back to a strike rate of 92 and an average of 40 and he won twice the number of World Cups as that trio combined, as well as a Champions Trophy. Across two World Cups and two Champions Trophies, he averaged 76 at a strike rate of 95. But what could his ceiling have been had he been truly let loose?The game was different then. The free market wasn’t dictating what you did, and so Symonds had to conform to what Australia wanted. But ultimately you couldn’t really make him a normal cricketer because it wasn’t how he thought. And so with his bowling, Symonds was two bowlers depending on how he felt and what the team needed.He wasn’t the first allrounder to bowl pace and spin, but he was perhaps one of the first to do it slightly more tactically. Symonds’ offspin was very much like the canny part-timers you get in club cricket. It came from a powerful arm, and it wasn’t about spin, it was about accuracy and intelligence, and he bowled the ball where he felt it was hardest to hit boundaries from. His medium pace could wobble the ball around and, occasionally, get a bit more out of the deck than others. Neither were frontline skills on their own, but he made them work when he needed to. He was a match-ups bowler before the term existed in cricket. Without being a full-time fifth bowler for Australia in ODIs – they often split his overs between him and Darren Lehmann or Michael Clarke – he still took 133 wickets at 37.By 2016, when T20s had changed the game, quite a few coaches stopped using the term allrounder as much. Instead, they used something from baseball, referring to a player as a two- or three-tool player: bats, bowls, and fields. Symonds was so far ahead of his time he was a four-tool player: bat, bowl offspin, bowl medium, and field.Over 26 Tests, Symonds showed he had the game for red-ball cricket too•AFPAnd we did see just the smallest amount of what he could have done in the format of cricket that best suited his skills. In 2003 he played five T20 matches for Kent, scoring 170 runs off 75 balls. In fact, over his first 16 games at the back-end of his peak, he made 529 runs from 260 balls while averaging 44. Sadly, the IPL came just after his peak, but he made a hundred in his first year, and over the first two seasons averaged 45.5 while striking at 150.He got two more years, but one was his 2011 campaign, in which he struck at 97 over 11 matches. He was still playing because he still had so many useful skills. But he was gone as a batter then. Yet his career numbers still look incredible, averaging 32 with a strike rate of 147. It is a badly drawn picture of what peak Symonds could have been. If they had T20 in ’98, not ’08, what on earth could he have done? It’s just sad for him that he was a T20 player before there really was T20. He showed people how to play it and then had to watch others do it.You can see patterns among the great white-ball players linking different eras. Javed Miandad led into Dean Jones who became Ricky Ponting, and then we had Virat Kohli. Michael Bevan had MS Dhoni follow him. Viv Richards’ closest copy is AB de Villiers. Symonds was really very much like Kieron Pollard, a power player with a brain, one who broke chases and bowlers early on, with a freedom that other batters found unnerving. And he continued to bother people with bowling, whatever he could to be effective, and incredible fielding efforts.Symonds wasn’t just some white-ball wizard either; remember he played 26 Tests in a solid era of Australian cricket, often keeping Shane Watson out of the team. And in those matches he averaged 40.5 with the bat while also adding almost one wicket every game with whatever bowling he thought would work best. In a 14-year first-class career Symonds hit 40 hundreds.He was often wrongly perceived as a slogger, because he was so different. But he was more than that. He was exciting, unique and powerful. He was a player who came from the future. For crowds in the 90s, used to batters pushing the ball around in the middle overs, one-dimensional bowlers and fielders who reacted to the ball, he was thrilling. And we didn’t always know how to process that.Watching him bat was always a bittersweet experience because the thrill was in him pushing too hard, but the fear was that would get him out. And the feeling that no matter what he did on the field, it would always end too soon. Today, I feel that again, only it’s far worse.

The eighth and ninth Nawabs of Pataudi made significant contributions to the game

Paul Edwards26-May-2020India’s imperial past sometimes seems so distant that its preservation can be entrusted to the heritage industry. People hearing of the two Nawabs of Pataudi might think them characters in a Sherlock Holmes mystery rather than a father and son whose life stories offer a personal history of the independent republic’s emergence. Yet any temptation to view them as modern men of the people must take account of their princely background. And no account of either’s career could be complete without considering some of the finest innings played by the pair in an era which stretched from Duleepsinhji to Sunil Gavaskar.The father was the eighth Nawab of Pataudi and inherited the title, aged seven, in 1917; he played three Test matches apiece for England and India, married the daughter of the Maharaja of Bhopal and died of a heart attack in 1952 when playing polo. In no respect outshone, the son was considered a far better batsman and made his first-class debut for Sussex aged 16, when he still had two years’ schooling ahead of him at Winchester. Having lost the sight in his right eye when involved in a car accident a fortnight before the 1961 Varsity Match, he remodelled his stance and made his Test debut for India less than six months later. The possessor of film-star looks and effortless charm, he married Sharmila Tagore, a proper film star. Pataudi captained his country in 40 of his 46 Test matches but ended his days in 2011 as simple Mansur Ali Khan, prime minister Indira Gandhi having abolished all princely entitlements some four decades previously. In any case everyone still called him “Tiger”. This, you may have gathered, is not a story of everyday Indian folk.ALSO READ: Odd Men In – Frank ChesterWhen surrounded with so much glamour – had they played today both men would have been targets for and – it might have been easy for the Nawabs to take their cricket for granted, yet this was not a trap into which either fell. Instead, their careers are a beguiling blend of honed talent and aristocratic mien. Perhaps no innings captures this mixture better than the elder Pataudi’s only Test century, which was scored on debut in the first match of the Bodyline series. Rather than being achieved with a succession of silky boundaries, the hundred was brought up after five-and-a-half hours’ stubborn effort and included only six fours. When mocked by Vic Richardson, Pataudi replied that he was assessing the pace of the Sydney pitch. “Well it’s changed three times since you came in,” was the amused reply. Nevertheless, the debutant gritted it out against Bill O’Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett before being last out for 102 with his side’s total on 524 in a match they eventually won by ten wickets.Yet there was patronage to go with the patience. As the players left the field after England’s first innings, Pataudi asked the umpire, George Hele, for a bail as a memento of the innings. Hele offered him the ball instead and thought nothing more of it until a few weeks later when the grateful Nawab presented him with a gold wristwatch. “I thanked my lucky stars Pataudi did not play in another Test [after the watch was presented],” Hele said.But Pataudi was as closely involved as most MCC tourists with the unsavoury centrepiece of the Bodyline tour. At a relatively trivial but still insulting level he was addressed as “Pat O’Dea” by some of the folks who lived on The Hill, although others in the Sydney crowd had the grace to ask him what he wished to be called. “Just plain ‘Pat’ to you boys,” he replied, thereby showing a far greater popular touch than his captain, Douglas Jardine, ever revealed or wished to possess. Indeed, the antipathy between the pair seems clear. “I see His Highness is a conscientious objector,” Jardine said when Pataudi affected not to hear his instruction to join the leg trap. The Nawab was not selected for any of the three Tests after Melbourne. “I am told he has his good points,” he said of Jardine towards the end of the tour. “In three months I have yet to see them.”The Nawab of Pataudi raises his bat after reaching his century•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThe elder Pataudi was only 23 when the Bodyline tour ended but he was almost exactly at the midpoint of a career which comprised 127 first-class matches. Some spectators had fond memories of his unbeaten 238 in the Varsity Match two years previously and there would be three double-centuries for Worcestershire in 1933. There was even a return to the England side for the Trent Bridge Test in 1934 but Pataudi was cursed by ill-health for the remainder of the decade and when he returned to England after the war it was as captain of the touring India team. He made four centuries on that trip but managed only 55 runs in the three Tests. And perhaps it was fitting that having made his first-class debut in The Parks; Pataudi should end his top-level cricket career at Lord’s. He had, after all, opted to make himself available to play for England against India in his homeland’s first official Test in 1932. “While India was still ruled by the British such anomalies were possible,” notes Ramachandra Guha.’s obituary of the elder Nawab is a trifle more oblique, albeit it mentions his schooling in Lahore and adds that “after the partition of India and Pakistan, Pataudi, a Moslem, found himself without a State to rule”. But the tribute’s most prescient sentence is its last, which notes that he had left “an eleven-year-old son who has shown promise of developing into a good cricketer”.Less than five years later such optimism seemed mild. People spoke wonderingly of the younger Pataudi’s talent when he was still at school and he had been recruited by Sussex before he arrived at Oxford in 1960. No doubt the shrewd eyes of the former Sussex players and Winchester coaches, Hubert Doggart and George Cox jnr., played a role in that signing. “There was huge excitement and anticipation,” recalled his Oxford contemporary, Abbas Ali Baig. “At first sight in the nets his technique seemed a little unconventional as his bat started its descent from the gully position…However, we soon discovered that at the moment of contact Tiger’s bat straightened out magically and his eye and foot coordination was such that he was able to choose where to despatch the ball earlier than both batsmen.”For his freshman season the mystique was maintained; indeed it never completely left the younger Pataudi. But the accident which deprived him of the sight in his right eye necessitated a more square-on stance and if the runs continued to flow from this less classical technique they rarely did so quite as fluently. After the accident, wrote John Woodcock, “his batting was not so often an expression of genius as a triumph over handicap.” Nevertheless, after noting that Oxford and Cambridge produced some 15 Test captains in the period 1952-82 Woodcock judges that “none of the 15, not even Dexter or May or Cowdrey or Imran, was capable of greater brilliance than Tiger.” Like his father, Pataudi scored more first-class centuries for Oxford than for any other team.

On the field he had presence, a regal touch; one’s eyes would be drawn to him, as eyes have been drawn to Imran Khan, Viv Richards, Ian BothamMike Brearley on “Tiger” Pataudi

Unlike the eighth Nawab, however, his national loyalties were never divided. At 21 Pataudi became India’s youngest captain in only his fourth match when he led the team at Bridgetown in 1962 after Nari Contractor had fractured his skull when ducking into a Charlie Griffiths bouncer. He would lead the side for much of the next decade and when critics pointed to only two series wins, both against New Zealand, Pataudi’s supporters, many of them modern writers, would argue that he revolutionised the approach of India’s players, inculcating fresh pride and suggesting his colleagues might at least attempt to emulate his own graceful and athletic fielding. “Pataudi remains, perhaps, India’s most iconic captain ever, credited with giving Indian cricket the steel to take on the best in the world without backing down,” wrote Boria Majumdar in . “In many ways he remains the forerunner to the Sourav Gangulys and Virat Kohlis of the world.”Pataudi scored his first Test century against England in only his third match and his 13-year international career would feature five more. Those against Australia in 1964 and against England at Headingley in 1967 are still rated among the finest Test hundreds, albeit only when the compilers of such lists are not blinded by modernity. Pataudi’s record in other first-class matches was more modest. His 33 centuries in 310 matches compares unfavourably with his father’s 29 in 127 games.Yet the opportunity to display his leadership skills helped make the last Nawab’s achievement far more substantial. Guha considers him “the most charismatic Indian cricketer since CK Nayudu… Even with one eye he was close to world-class… Back in the 1960s, no one would have cared to question the patriotism of the Muslim captain of India.”Equally significantly, Pataudi demanded that India’s cricketers represented their newly-independent country rather than their ancient states. “If you were good, you were in, irrespective of whether you were from Mumbai or Bihar,” writes Mudar Patherya. “Today, one would hardly consider that a big deal but in the 1960s, this was a morning breeze in a factional India.”Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi stands on a balcony overlooking an esplanade and beach•Getty ImagesThere were tactical innovations, too. Blessed with four high-class spinners in Bishan Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, Pataudi sometimes bucked orthodoxy and played them all. The nerves of some top-order Test batsmen never recovered, especially if they had toured the subcontinent and been hemmed in by close fielders. Claustrophobia has never since been as fascinating.Some criticised Pataudi’s mercurial temperament but it was still rather a surprise when he was replaced as India’s skipper by the calmer Ajit Wadekar. The new captain proceeded to win series in both West Indies and England in his first six months in charge; his predecessor, meanwhile, who had been deprived of both his title and his job in less than a year made an poorly-judged foray into Indian politics but was among the first to send Wadekar a congratulatory telegram after Chandrasekhar had bowled India to their first Test victory against England at The Oval.Pataudi returned to the Test side for the home victory against England and led his country in his final Tests when India lost 3-2 to a West Indies side captained by Clive Lloyd. On a personal level it was a low-key conclusion to his international career but perhaps there was something fitting about bowing out in a series which saw the debuts of both Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. Both men may have hit the ball harder than Pataudi but he, too, could dazzle spectators without blinding them.”Tiger – in the mind’s eye – aquiline, still, slight, swift, hawkish,” recalled Mike Brearley, who played against Pataudi in the 1963 Varsity Match. “On the field he had presence, a regal touch; one’s eyes would be drawn to him, as eyes have been drawn to Imran Khan, Viv Richards, Ian Botham. A proper arrogance, or as Bishan Bedi put it, an imperious charm.”For those who did not see Pataudi bat there is still film available of him advancing down the pitch and hitting spinners over the infield. For those who did not meet him when he was young and had a world before him, there are many recollections and many more photographs. Few cricketers have done so little to repel the lens. One such shot adorns the cover of a book of tributes: . The young batsman gazes down from what appears to be a hotel balcony on Brighton’s sea front in the early 1960s. His eyes are shaded by dark glasses and the hair is immaculately cut and combed. It could be a still from a Visconti film and its subject could indeed be a prince looking down on a possible kingdom. “What will you be doing after Oxford?” he was asked when still an undergraduate. “I won’t have to be doing anything,” he replied. “You see, I am a Nawab.” He little knew. Odd Men In

Bryce Harper hasn't played since June 5 after he elected to go on the injured list for right wrist inflammation.

At the time, he landed just on the 10-day IL, but that stint has turned into over 20 days at this point. For weeks, Harper didn't offer more information about his return. Finally, on Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies star gave an estimated timeline for his awaited return.

Harper is going to start taking live pitches on Saturday, and as long as everything goes well, Harper could be back on the field on Monday for the matchup vs. the San Diego Padres, MLB's Paul Casella reported. Harper didn't specify which date he thinks he'll be back, but there's a good chance it'll be sometime next week.

The two-time NL MVP missed a few games at the end of May after he was hit on his right elbow by a pitch. He admitted that incident didn't help his ongoing wrist issues.

The Phillies are in a tight race for the lead of the NL East. They sit 0.5 games back from the New York Mets.

Lucia Kendall's fairytale goal helped the Lionesses see off Ghana on Tuesday night, with one of England's most exciting young prospects scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win and doing so at St Mary's Stadium, home of the Southampton side she represented for 10 memorable years. It was with the Saints that Kendall broke into senior football and when she made her international debut in October, she became the club's first ever Lioness, so it was fitting that she would find the back of the net on her return to a special venue.

That strike, created by a great cross from Chloe Kelly before she unfortunately limped off injured, came with just six minutes on the clock, potentially suggesting that England, fresh off the back of an 8-0 win over China at Wembley, were going to deliver yet another goal-fest. However, despite the dominance of Sarina Wiegman's side, and the chances they created with that possession, it wasn't until the final moments that a second came. Some of that was down to poor finishing, with Kelly and Missy Bo Kearns spurning some big chances; some of it was bad luck, as Aggie Beever-Jones and Lucy Bronze hit the woodwork; and some of it was because of strong goalkeeping, with Cynthia Konlan also making some great saves to deny Kearns and Russo.

While England failed to put the game to bed, Ghana, who finished third at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, had some chances to level the scores, too. One of the best fell to Doris Boaduwaa in the first half, but Anna Moorhouse, winning just her second cap, was able to comfortably hold onto a tame shot as her defence recovered well from a Lotte Wubben-Moy slip to apply pressure to Ghana's centre forward. It's fair to say that the Lionesses deserved to win, though, even if the scoreline was closer than many expected when Kendall hit the back of the net early on, and that they did, with Russo converting a late penalty to ensure her side closed out an incredibly memorable 2025, which saw them win a second successive European Championship title, with a victory.

GOAL rates England's players from St Mary's Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Anna Moorhouse (6/10):

  Had more to do here than she did against China and stood up tall when needed, even if she still wasn't tested much.

  Lucy Bronze (8/10):

  Another really effective performance in both halves, with her unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when a great header hit the woodwork.

  Maya Le Tissier (7/10):

  A strong display at centre-back again, as she took another opportunity to show why that is the position she should be playing for England.

  Lotte Wubben-Moy (7/10):

  Hasn't had many chances for England in recent times but took this one well, looking settled on the ball and recovering possession often.

  Taylor Hinds (8/10):

  Arguably the Lionesses' best performer on the night. Delivered plenty of great crosses, from open play and dead ball situations, while also covering ground defensively.

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  Midfield

  Keira Walsh (7/10):

  A quietly impressive display from the Chelsea star. Unlucky not to get an assist when Kelly missed the target after latching onto her sublime cross.

  Lucia Kendall (7/10):

  Showed great awareness in the box to break the deadlock in fairytale fashion. That was the highlight of another really encouraging display for the young midfielder in which she moved the ball well and worked hard off the ball.

  Missy Bo Kearns (6/10):

  Started slowly but grew into the game, getting on the end of a few good chances without being able to put any away. Needless booking.

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  Attack

  Jess Park (6/10):

  Another lively display in which she asked questions of the Ghana defence, albeit without being able to be at her most creative and dangerous.

  Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

  Unfortunate not to score when her header hit the woodwork. Created plenty for others and worked hard off the ball.

  Chloe Kelly (N/A):

  Made a lively start to the game, delivering the cross that led to the opening goal, before going off early with an injury.

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  Subs & Manager

  Beth Mead (7/10):

  Picked up the speed of the game impressively fast, settling quickly to be lively from the get-go and create plenty.

  Lauren Hemp (6/10):

  Didn't get involved too much after coming on just past the hour but was exciting when on the ball. Could've scored, too, but sent her header over the bar.

  Grace Clinton (6/10):

  Another sub who couldn't make too much impact in attack but did plenty off the ball, winning six ground duels in her 30-minute cameo.

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):

  Was positive and creative when in possession, showing real confidence after a strong start to the season at Man City.

  Alessia Russo (N/A):

  Only on for the final 15 minutes but forced a good save from the goalkeeper, produced the shot that led to England's penalty and then converted from the spot.

  Anouk Denton (N/A):

  Made her senior international debut in the final moments.

  Sarina Wiegman (7/10):

  Gave out plenty of opportunities in England's final game of 2025, before attention turns to qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup. That rotation and experimentation paid dividends, too, as the likes of Kendall and Hinds impressed and put their case forth for more chances in the New Year.

Manchester City are now ready to snap up a “superstar” Champions League player, with the same agent as two members of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Man City looking to strengthen after Bayer Leverkusen setback

After putting together a solid run to re-establish themselves as Premier League title contenders, Man City have endured a dip in form over the past week, losing 2-1 at Newcastle United on Saturday, before succumbing to a 2-0 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen.

It was a new-look defence for City, with Guardiola making wholesale changes to his starting XI, bringing in Abdukodir Khusanov to replace Matheus Nunes at right-back, despite the 27-year-old impressing in that area this season.

However, given that both Khusanov and Nunes aren’t natural full-backs, the Blues remain keen on bringing in another option, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now told TEAMtalk that Man City will be ready to sign Livramento if the opportunity presents itself, saying: “He’s happy at Newcastle, he is in a good position, he wants to push the limits of a new contract. But equally he knows he could secure a big transfer if he really wanted it.

“City have respect for his situation and have had to wait for him to decide what he does next. If he looks to leave, they are right there and will snap him up.”

"Superstar" Livramento could be perfect for Pep

Of course, any player in a Guardiola system must be comfortable in possession of the ball, and the Newcastle defender, who has the same agent as Stones and Nathan Ake, has averaged an 85.4% pass completion rate per 90 over the past year, placing him in the 87th percentile compared to other full-backs.

Once referred to as a “superstar” by Newcastle content creator Kendall Rowan, the three-time England international is also proven in the Premier League, having reached the 100-game mark in his side’s 2-1 win against City, during which the full-back made three clearances, two interceptions and two tackles.

Having been ranked as one of the best right-backs in the world, ahead of the likes of Nunes and Khusanov, Livramento could be a real upgrade for Pep at right-back, but a deal could be on the expensive side…

Related Man City preparing £158m+ bid for star who wants to work under Guardiola

The Citizens are keen to make new signings and could now look to acquire one of Europe’s most prominent attackers.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Newcastle value Livramento at the £80m mark, which would make him one of the most expensive signings in Man City history, and given that Nunes has been impressing this season, it is questionable whether they should spend that much on another right-back.

Real Madrid were handed a bitter blow ahead of their Champions League encounter against Olympiacos on Wednesday, with the club announcing that Thibaut Courtois and Dean Huijsen have been ruled out of the game. The 33-year-old goalkeeper, who remains one of the first names on the Madrid team sheet, has been diagnosed with gastroenteritis.

Courtois ruled out of Champions League clash

Madrid were dealt a hammer blow ahead of their Champions League trip to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Wednesday, as Courtois was ruled out of the squad to face the Greek side. The former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has been diagnosed with gastroenteritis. 

"Following an examination today by the Real Madrid Medical Services, Thibaut Courtois has been diagnosed with a viral gastrointestinal infection. He will miss the trip to Athens. His condition will be monitored," read the official Real Madrid medical statement on Tuesday.

According to a report from Courtois did not take part in the team's training session at Valdebebas on Tuesday. In fact, the Belgian left the training complex even before the training session began. It remains to be seen whether Courtois will be fit in time for this weekend's clash against Girona.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLunin set to start in goal against Olympiacos

Andriy Lunin hasn't been handed a single opportunity by head coach Xabi Alonso thus far, with Courtois starting in goal in all of Madrid's 17 games across La Liga and the Champions League this season. However, Wednesday's fixture against Olympiacos could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the out-of-favour Ukrainian. 

Having arrived from Zorya Luhansk as a promising 19-year-old in 2018 – the same summer Courtois joined from Chelsea – Lunin’s Madrid career has struggled to take off. Yet the 26-year-old has delivered moments of brilliance between the sticks. In the 2023-24 season, Courtois suffered an early anterior cruciate ligament injury, prompting Madrid to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan. While Kepa initially claimed the starting spot under Carlo Ancelotti, Lunin’s impressive performances soon saw him take over the position. 

He was exceptional throughout the campaign, particularly in the Champions League. His standout display against RB Leipzig in the round of 16 helped Madrid advance to face defending champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals, where he produced penalty shootout heroics at the Etihad Stadium to send Los Blancos through to the semi-finals. Ultimately, Lunin played a pivotal role as Madrid lifted both the La Liga and Champions League titles, managing 31 appearances. That's half the all-time number he has managed in the Spanish capital.

Last month, Alonso spoke about Lunin's lack of playing time. “Lunin must always be prepared because there can always be contingencies," he said. "We have a great goalkeeper with Thibaut, but Andriy is also very capable. In December we have the [Copa del Rey], and we’ll see what decision we make. But he must feel ready. And he is.”

Madrid dealing with multiple absences

On Tuesday, Courtois' news wasn't the only blow to Madrid. Centre-back Huijsen also did not participate in team training on Tuesday and he was subsequently left out of the squad that will travel to Greece. The Spaniard has been dealing with fitness issues lately, which seem to have affected his on-field form, too. 

He joins fellow centre-backs Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and Eder Militao on the sidelines. That would leave Raul Asencio – who has shown dramatic improvement under Alonso after his Club World Cup blunders – as the only fit centre-back in the squad. 

Alvaro Carreras, who has played as the left-sided centre-back once this season, could be placed alongside Asencio in the centre of the defence. Ferland Mendy, who has recovered from a long-term injury but is yet to make an appearance this season, could also emerge as an alternative. Meanwhile, Real Madrid Castilla stars Mario Rivas and Diego Aguado could receive potential call-ups, too, with the latter already making his first-team debut under Ancelotti last season. 

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AFPAlonso in desperate need for a win

Madrid looked unstoppable after claiming 13 wins from their opening 14 matches, but their season has hit a roadblock with a loss to Liverpool and draws against Rayo Vallecano and Elche. Alonso's side often look devoid of ideas on the pitch, with mounting pressure on the Spaniard to trigger a turnaround in fortunes immediately. Any other result other than a win against Olympiacos will only amplify the cacophony of criticism surrounding the club in recent weeks. 

Ruben Amorim has stuck by his infamous 3-4-2-1 system at Manchester United and it appears as though it is finally yielding results.

The Portuguese manager has been in charge at Old Trafford for a year now, and although things have not gone exactly to plan, his side have now gone unbeaten in their last four Premier League games.

Amorim has finally begun to settle on his best lineup. That has seen summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha lock down the two number 10 positions in his system, with Mason Mount providing excellent competition.

However, those two signings have ensured Bruno Fernandes will remain in his deeper pivot role, rather than closer to goal.

Where Fernandes is best suited under Amorim

It has certainly been a topic of hot debate in Amoirm’s year-long tenure in the hot seat at Old Trafford. Fernandes is a number 10 by trade, and played his best football as close to goal as possible, in and around the penalty box.

That season came in 2020/21, when he scored and assisted 29 Premier League goals in 37 games. He was one of the deadliest attackers in world football at that stage. So, you might think it is logical for Amorim to play him as a number 10.

Well, that is not how the United manager sees it. In fact, he explained that his skipper operates in the pivot because he “is the right man to start with the tempo of the play.”

United legend Paul Scholes sees it differently, and says “there is no doubt” Fernandes should be playing as a 10 because he “is the most creative player on the team.”

In 51 games under the tutelage of Amorim, the Red Devils’ number 8 has played 30 games in the pivot, and 21 as a number 10. That certainly shows just how much their manager favours him in a deeper role.

Interestingly, United have another player coming through in a similar mould to Fernandes, and it will be interesting to see where Amorim chooses to play him.

Man United's in-house Fernandes successor

It is clear that Fernandes is viewed as a pivot player by Amorim, despite Scholes’ view and the success he has achieved in previous seasons. With the two number 10 positions nailed down by Cunha and Mbeumo, players may have to adapt.

That could certainly be the case for United academy star Jack Moorhouse. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Leyton Orient, but has previously impressed for the Red Devils’ youth sides.

It has been an impressive start to life in professional football for Moorhouse. Described as a “deadly” player by United academy page on X, Academy Scoop, the Republic of Ireland U21 international has played 14 games for Orient, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.

As it happens, Moorhouse has already been described as someone who is “ideal for Amorim’s left 10 role” at United by football analyst Ben Mattinson. He has operated behind the striker more often than not for the U23s at the club, too, making five appearances in that role, scoring twice and assisting one.

Interestingly, he’s played a bit deeper for Orient this season, showing excellent versatility. He shone in a box-to-box role against Peterborough United, creating two chances and completing three out of three dribbles.

Touches

33

Pass accuracy

86%

Ball recoveries

6

Duels won

4/6

Dribbles completed

3/3

Key passes

2

Goals

1

There are certainly similarities between Moorhouse and Fernandes. Both creative midfielders, they can operate in advanced roles and a bit deeper. It would be intriguing to see where Amorim would utilise him in the first team.

One thing is for sure, the 19-year-old possesses great talent. If the Red Devils are looking for an in-house successor to their “Portuguese Magnifico,” they might be able to find him in their famous Carrington academy.

Carrington's "best talent" is a big Sesko upgrade in the making at Man Utd

Manchester United could yet improve further in attack under Amorim’s wing.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 3, 2025