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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini has warned his players that they will have to keep Teemu Pukki quiet if they are to beat Norwich City this weekend, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s he said?

The Canaries have endured a mixed start to life back in the Premier League following their promotion, losing 4-1 to Liverpool and 3-2 to Chelsea, but beating Newcastle United 3-1.

Pukki scored the consolation goal at Anfield and netted a hat-trick against the Magpies, while also scoring once versus Chelsea.

It means that the forward, who has averaged a goal every 53 minutes in the top-flight, is tied with Raheem Sterling as the league’s top marksman.

And Pellegrini is wary of the threat Pukki poses, telling reporters: “He is working exactly the same with good movements, he is a player that has scored five goals in three games so we need to be very careful about him.

“When you have to change competition it always makes some players feel the difference between the Championship and the Premier League.

“We know what Pukki did last season in the Championship and he is demonstrating that the Premier League is not big for him.”

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Understatement

Pukki is probably the in-form player in the Premier League at this point.

The Finland international has taken to top-flight football like a duck to water and is surely set to keep scoring, at least until defences work out how to stop him.

It remains to be seen if West Ham can be the first team to do that; the stats, though, do not bode well.

They have not kept a clean sheet this season, losing 5-0 to Manchester City, drawing 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion and beating Watford 3-1.

If they can’t manage it this weekend, it may well be Pukki firing Norwich to all three points, and Pellegrini’s somewhat understated verdict may leave the gaffer with egg on his face.

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Andy Cole is up there with the best of them when it comes to Manchester United icons of the years gone by.

The now 47-year-old centre-forward played with the Red Devils from 1995 all the way until 2002, when he joined Blackburn in the January transfer window.

But during his long stay at Old Trafford, Cole managed to light up the faces of the supporters on numerous occasions.

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He played a total of 273 games for Manchester United, scoring 121 goals and also tallying 35 assists in the process.

And of course, all those goals had to bring the team something and they certainly did. Among others, Cole clinched one Champions League trophy and five Premier Leagues in those years.

Now, he has taken to

/B1WTuwGBDkN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to share a brilliant artwork he was given as a gift.

The painting depicts him in the old Manchester United kit and celebrates their Champions League victory from the 1998/99 season.

A brilliant artwork for a brilliant achievement from Cole and the club.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Arsenal’s talented young midfielder, Emile Smith Rowe, is likely to leave the club on loan this summer after reported interest from Wolsburg.

On the chalkboard

Smith Rowe, who’s just been away with the Gunners on their tour of the USA, is expected to leave for his second loan spell after joining RB Leipzig last season, but struggled to get much game-time at all due to an injury.

He’s still nursing an injury, which is thought to be delaying any deal away from the club as a decision won’t be made until he’s back to full-fitness.

It is understood that while the interest from the Bundesliga is there, a host of Premier League and Championship clubs have shown concrete interest in the midfielder as well.

Loan move strips Europa League of any importance

Arsenal’s goal last season will have been to give their best attempt towards reaching Champions League qualification, and while the club managed to finish just a point off their main rivals who sat in fourth place, the end to the season was incredibly disappointing.

Despite the rage and inquests, one of the main benefits to having second-tier European football was the opportunity it would provide for players trying to break into a first team at a club currently going through a transition phase.

Youngsters like Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson could have really benefitted from playing against sides of a much lower calibre to ones that teams regularly encounter at Premier League and Champions League level. It provided a moment to put on the Gunners’ first team shirt without much pressure or stress, and allow first-team stars to enjoy a rest.

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Smith Rowe leaving on loan would massively undermine perhaps the only positive to being in the Europa League. First-team stars playing just one game a week is ideal, as it gives the chance to blood some young talent. The young midfielder has proved last season that he’s perfectly capable of playing at that level, enjoying four appearances in six group stage games, so more exposure to the first-team while having regular opportunities to start as well could have been perfect for his development.

That’s not to say a loan move wouldn’t do him any good, but if Arsenal decide that players can get more education from leaving the club, then the Europa League’s only benefit is being severely overlooked.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s One to Watch series, which focuses on those players we think are particularly worth keeping an eagle-eye on as the 2019/20 season unfolds.

Jamie Shackleton will be hoping for more first-team opportunities in the forthcoming season after his promising 2018/19 campaign at Leeds United.

What’s the story so far?

The Leeds youngster earned his first Championship start in a tricky away trip against Swansea in August 2018, as injuries forced the midfielder to slot in at right-back as Luke Ayling shifted into the centre of the defence.

Shackleton was unfazed by the challenge and impressed at full-back, providing an assist for Kemar Roofe with an intelligent cutback in what was a thrilling match at the Liberty Stadium, with both sides eventually sharing the points.

This was to be the first of many appearances for the Englishman, who went on to register 19 league appearances.

And despite the fact only three of those appearances were made from the outset, his performances illuminated a level of potential that suggests regular starts could be looming on the horizon.

What’s 2019/20 got in store for Shackleton?

The Championship is a gruelling 46-game campaign and one that demands a squad beaming with the stamina and determination to overcome the challenge.

Shackleton’s debut campaign yielded some good appearance figures, but after a year working with Bielsa he should be pushing for a regular place in the Argentine’s starting XI.

As the schedule gets busier, Shackleton’s versatility can allow him to cover in both defensive and midfield areas to cover for injured or jaded players, while it would not be wild to suggest he could consistently start on merit alone.

With Pontus Jansson departing for Brentford and Aapo Halme moving to Barnsley, there’s a sparsity of options in central defence for Bielsa to choose from, with Ben White, Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper the three recognised options.

Ayling could well move into central defence to fill a potential gap as could Kalvin Phillips. Tweaking the position of either of those two players to address a defensive shortage could pave a clear path in the starting XI for Shackleton, and Leeds’ refusal to address an apparent problem area hints the club trust the 19-year-old to slot into the team in either of his favoured positions.

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What constitutes a good season for Shackleton?

Shackleton is a talented product of the academy and, given the progress he’s already made, he should be aiming for regular involvement this season.

He should be looking to become a comfortably rotated player, as someone who can slot in where necessary, perform to a solid standard and earn the trust of both the Elland Road faithful and his manager.

Huge strides have already been made in that regard but changes in expectation have shifted the dynamic ahead of the new season as Shackleton leaves the luxury of relative anonymity behind in the 2018/19 season.

Will he thrive, crumble or stagnate under a fresh set of circumstances? This is a player for both Leeds and neutral fans to monitor throughout the campaign.

Shackleton should target…

Appearances: 25

Starts: 15

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West Indies posted a mammoth 352 for 8 but rain didn’t allow Ireland’s chase to begin

Abhimanyu Bose23-May-2025No result West Indies marched to a mammoth total of 352 for 8 on the back of Keacy Carty’s second ODI century and Matthew Forde’s record-equalling fifty as they looked to level the three-match series against Ireland, but the second ODI was washed out as rain didn’t allow Ireland’s chase to begin.Ireland sent West Indies in under slightly overcast conditions. The West Indies openers, Brandon King and Evin Lewis, got going with boundaries through the off side but Barry McCarthy, who took four wickets in the first game, drew the outside edge from King to give Ireland the first breakthrough.The first bowling change also worked for Ireland as Lewis drove Josh Little straight to cover point in the bowler’s first over.Related

• Matthew Forde equals AB de Villiers' record of fastest ODI fifty

Hope and Carty then rebuilt for West Indies, ensuring there wasn’t a repeat of the top-order collapse they suffered in the first ODI, as they rotated strike well with quick singles and doubles amid the odd boundary.Hope looked the more fluent in their 81-run stand off 90 balls as Carty slowly grew into the game. Hope also hit the first six of the game, coming down the track to Andy McBrine. But the West Indies captain nicked off on 49 to give Liam McCarthy his first international wicket.West Indies then picked up the tempo, with Carty doing the heavy lifting and Amir Jangoo happy to keep rotating strike. Carty brought up his half-century off 67 balls in the 27th over and then started to shift gears.Matthew Forde is all smiles after equalling the record for the fastest ODI fifty•Sportsfile/Getty Images

In the 29th over, he took on Barry McCarthy for two fours and a six. The six was probably his best shot; he backed away and slapped it over cover.Jangoo was caught at short third off George Dockrell before Carty brought up his century in the 36th over, off 105 balls.But when Carty was caught behind next over trying to cut Liam McCarthy and Roston Chase fell in the 44th with Paul Stirling taking a screamer at short fine leg, West Indies were reduced to 246 for 6 and suddenly were in danger of falling short of 300.Enter Forde. He hit his second ball for a six over cover before hitting four sixes off the next over, bowled by Josh Little – three of them off consecutive deliveries.The next two balls he faced brought ten runs as he scooped Thomas Mayes for four and six. Back-to-back sixes off Liam McCarthy in the next over saw him equal AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest ODI fifty, off just 16 balls before being bowled for a 19-ball 58.Justin Greaves (44* off 36), who scored just seven runs of the 68-run stand with Forde, then accelerated along with Gudakesh Motie (18 off 8) to power West Indies to their second-highest total against Ireland as they plundered 106 runs off the last 42 balls.However, it started to rain during the innings break and didn’t relent, and play was eventually called off at around 5.20pm local time, ensuring Ireland go into the final ODI with an unassailable 1-0 lead.

Plus, what are some of the greatest first-class feats by non-Test players?

Steven Lynch27-Mar-2017Who is Test cricket’s biggest heartbreaker – by which I mean the bowler who dismissed most batsmen in the nineties? asked Alpesh Krishnan from India

The answer to this unusual question is India’s Anil Kumble, who despatched ten batsmen in sight of their hundreds – Jonty Rhodes (in 1992-93), Aravinda de Silva (1993), Craig McMillan (1998-99), Jacques Kallis (1999-2000), Marcus Trescothick (for 99, in 2001-02), Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq (in the same innings in 2005-06), Ashwell Prince (2006-07), Graeme Smith (2006-07) and Andrew Strauss (2007). Kapil Dev dismissed nine batsmen in the nineties, and Graeme Swann seven. In one-day internationals, the leader is Wasim Akram, who inflicted six dismissals in the nineties; Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis, Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis each managed four.Steven Smith scored 499 runs in the Tests in India. Is this the best for Australia there? asked Mahesh Guha from India

Steven Smith’s 499 runs in the series was the fourth-highest for Australia (and the sixth-best for either country) in a Test series between the two sides in India. Kim Hughes tops the list, with 594 runs in 1979-80, but that was in six Tests. Next comes Matthew Hayden, with 549 in just three matches in 2000-01. Allan Border collected 521 runs in 1979-80. For India, Gundappa Viswanath made 518 in that same six-Test series in 1979-80, and VVS Laxman 503 in the three Tests of 2000-01. Overall (including Test series in Australia), Smith leads the way: he amassed 769 runs in the four-Test series against India in Australia in 2014-15, which eclipsed Don Bradman’s record of 715 from 1947-48. Ricky Ponting made 706 runs in the 2003-04 series, while Virat Kohli is top for India with 692 in 2014-15.BB Nimbalkar found that even an innings of 443 was not enough to get him into the Indian national team•Picture Post/Getty ImagesWho scored the most runs without ever playing Test cricket? asked Adrian Cooper from England

The list of leading first-class run-getters is dominated by English players, as so much more first-class county cricket was played there in the past. And most of the leading names won at least a few international caps: the first man who didn’t play an official Test match is the Glamorgan opener Alan Jones, in 35th place with 36,049 runs in first-class cricket. Jones’ only England appearance came in what was eventually designated an unofficial Test, against the Rest of the World at Lord’s in 1970. Seven places further down the list, with 34,378 runs, is the Sussex batsman John Langridge, who never won a cap at all – unofficial or otherwise – although he did appear in seven Tests as an umpire.What’s the highest first-class score by someone who never played a Test? asked Pari Vandra from England

This one follows the previous question neatly. And there’s a different answer: the highest individual score by a non-Test player is 443 not out, by BB Nimbalkar, for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Pune in 1948-49. The unfortunate Nimbalkar was denied a shot at the record for the highest individual innings at the time – Don Bradman’s unbeaten 452 for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney in 1929-30 – as the Kathiawar captain forfeited the match to spare his bowlers any more punishment. Nimbalkar’s innings remains the fourth highest in all first-class cricket.Sanath Jayasuriya made 34 zeroes in one-day internationals•Getty ImagesYou wrote recently about Brian Close’s long Test career, which lasted from 1949 to 1976. Was it the longest of all? asked Nick Henderson from England

Brian Close’s Test career, which lasted about a week short of 27 years, was actually the second longest overall. Another Yorkshireman, slow left-armer Wilfred Rhodes, won his first cap in 1899, and his last – aged 52, the oldest Test player ever – in 1929-30: his international career lasted 30 years 315 days in all. Fifteen other players have had Test careers spanning more than 20 years, the most recent being Sachin Tendulkar (24 years plus one day) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (just over 21 years). Tendulkar had the longest one-day international career – 22 years 91 days from his debut in 1989-90. Sanath Jayasuriya played ODIs for more than 21 years, and Javed Miandad for 20.Which batsman has the most ducks in one-day internationals? asked Nilanjan Banerjee from India

The batsman most often out for 0 in one-day internationals is Sanath Jayasuriya, with 34 ducks. Next come Shahid Afridi, with 30, and Mahela Jayawardene and Wasim Akram, with 28 apiece. The Sri Lankan pair of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas each bagged 25. Top of the list in Tests is Courtney Walsh, with 43, ahead of Chris Martin (36), Glenn McGrath (35), Shane Warne (34) and Murali (33). The most innings batted without ever making a duck in Tests is 37, by the Australians Jimmy Burke and Reggie Duff. In ODIs it’s a remarkable 98 innings, by Kepler Wessels (Samiullah Shenwari is currently second, with 51).And there’s an update to last week’s question about fathers and sons in the same first-class match, from Sreeram via Facebook

“It seems there is a more recent instance than 1931 of a father and son scoring half-centuries in the same first-class innings. CK Nayudu and one of his sons, CN, did it in 1956-57.” This does seem to be true: it possibly escaped general attention as the son is listed as “CN Bobjee” in ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard of the match, in Benares in February 1957. Probably the most remarkable aspect of this particular feat is that CK Nayudu was 61 at the time!Post your questions in the comments below

Jose Mourinho has launched a furious rant against VAR, with the outspoken Portuguese claiming that Fenerbahce’s latest ref was “just a little boy”.

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• Fener secured dramatic win in five-goal thriller
• Portuguese not impressed with match officials
• Claims he would have shunned job in Turkey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss Mourinho believes that his side were on the wrong end of some questionable decisions made by those watching on from afar when battling their way to a 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor that saw the home side awarded two penalties before Sofyan Amrabat grabbed a dramatic winner in the 12th minute of stoppage-time.

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  While Mourinho had cause for celebration at the final whistle, he was less than impressed with the performance of the match officials. He has suggested that those on the field were not in control of proceedings, as they acted as puppets for colleagues in the video booth, and has hinted at corruption in the Turkish game that he was not made fully aware of before agreeing to head for Istanbul.

• WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  During an epic eight-minute rant that followed Fener’s stunning victory over Trabzonspor, Mourinho said: “Today, the man of the match was [VAR referee] Atilla Karaoglan. We didn’t see him, but he was the referee of the match. The referee was just a little boy who was there on the pitch, but the referee was Atilla Karaoglan. He went from the invisible man to the most important man of the match. I speak on behalf of all Fenerbahce fans: we don’t want him again. We don’t want him because it smells bad. We don’t want him. We don’t want him on the pitch, but on the VAR even less.

  “I know what I was told, even before I came. I didn’t believe. It’s even worse than I was told. But I prefer to be on this side. It’s more difficult. It’s more difficult because we play against good opponents like Trabzonspor is: good opponent with lots of good players and a historical coach. But we play against a system. And to play against a system is the most difficult thing. Tonight we play against a good team, against a strong atmosphere, against VAR, and against a system. So very hard. That’s why we celebrated this victory so much. It’s unbelievable to win this match against so many powerful people. We are not going to give up. We know what we have. I blame the Fenerbahce people that brought me here! They told me only half of the truth. They didn’t tell me the whole truth, because if they told me the whole truth I wouldn’t come! But with half of the truth, with my boys we fight the opponent, we fight the system.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mourinho went on to say: “He (Karaoglan) was alert to give the two penalties that the referee didn’t give, and then he was having Turkish tea when it was a clear penalty for us and he didn’t give it. So either he was sleeping, or he was drinking his tea and he didn’t see it. So let’s have a laugh, because if we take it too seriously….

  “In the end, I’m working in Turkey. It’s not my country. I care because it’s my job and I care because it’s my club. But I think you Turkish, you should care about it! You Turkish, you should speak, not me. You should denounce. You should say what is going on, year after year. You should do it, not me. Because I will be the one under attack, the one the system will criticise. The system will try to punish me, the system will try to close my mouth.”

Mario Balotelli is reportedly nearing a return to Serie A as a free agent after vowing to "smash" the Italian league.

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• Balotelli in talks with Genoa
• Has agreed to wages with the Italian side
• Could sign a deal until next summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 34-year-old forward has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Adana Demirspor earlier this year. According to Nicolo Schira, Genoa are highly interested in bringing Balotelli on board, with club officials reportedly impressed by his recent fitness and determination. While the striker is optimistic, he is currently waiting for what Schira describes as the "final green light" from Genoa before he can sign a contract with the club.

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  have further reported that Balotelli has already agreed to the finer details of his contract and could earn between €250,000 and €300,000. He will sign a deal until the end of the season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Earlier this month, Balotelli joined a Twitch stream hosted by former players Emiliano Viviano and Radja Nainggolan, alongside streamer Enerix. During the conversation, Enerix stirred controversy by stating that he would choose Venezia striker Joel Pohjanpalo over Balotelli. The comment hit a nerve, leading to an outspoken reaction from Balotelli, who took issue with the suggestion that his recent performances outside of Serie A were insignificant.

  “Just because I wasn’t in Serie A, what I did doesn’t count?” Balotelli fired back. He went on to make a bold promise, stating: “It’s a promise, I’ll smash Serie A when I sign [for a club], I smash this f***ing Serie A.”

  His fiery words convey a strong desire to prove himself and re-establish his name in Italian football, as he prepares to potentially don the colours of Genoa.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BALOTELLI?

  Balotelli’s career has seen him play for some of the most iconic clubs in Europe, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter and AC Milan. Known for his moments of brilliance and a penchant for controversy, he also earned 14 goals over 36 appearances for the Italian national team. One of his most memorable highlights came during Euro 2012 when he played a pivotal role in leading Italy to the tournament's final by scoring a brace against Germany in the semi-final. Now, should the deal with Genoa be finalised, fans and critics alike will be eager to see if Balotelli can live up to his pledge to “smash” the league.

Celtic have been gifted the chance to sign one of their transfer targets this summer, according to the latest reports coming out of Scotland.

Bhoys eyeing reinforcements

Brendan Rodgers and co. are keen to strengthen their ranks despite sweeping up the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season. First and foremost, the Scottish giants want to bring back loanee pair Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah, with the latter in particular having impressed during the second half of the season.

However, neither deal seems advanced, despite Rodgers having made his intentions clear.

“Hopefully we can do something. He has a long-term contract at Norwich but he is definitely one I would love to bring back here. At 23 with the potential and quality he has I think he can really push on in his career”, the Celtic boss explained.

Elsewhere, they have been eyeing up a defender and a replacement for Celtic no.1 Joe Hart, who has announced his retirement. In their chase for the former, they may have been handed an advantage.

Celtic handed defensive boost

Now, there has been a positive development on the potential arrival of Flavius Daniliuc at Celtic Park. The defender, who has spent the second half of the season on loan with RB Salzburg, developed his skills at Real Madrid's academy initially as an attacking midfielder. He was singled out for his playmaking qualities before moving to the Bayern Munich youth set up on a free transfer, where he shifted back into defence.

After a spell in Ligue 1, he is now contracted to Salernitana, but is not expected to return to the Italian side following their relegation from Serie A, despite still having two years left to run on his £10,000 a week deal with the club.

And Celtic had been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old as a potential fresh face for Brendan Rodgers' side this summer. Now, as per Football Scotland, while no official offer has yet been made by Celtic, they have been handed a boost in any potential negotiations as rival suitors Salzburg have opted not to take up the option to buy the centre-back, which was included in his loan deal.

His time at Bayern's youth academy drew rave reviews, with Bayern Munich's academy boss Jochen Sauer revealing to the Athletic that Daniliuc remains one who will continue to develop, highlighting his natural technical ability.

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“He can play a very good role in central defence. He can organise and will grow in experience. He is technically very strong, relatively two-footed and doesn’t get nervous on the ball,” Sauer explained.

Should RB Salzburg's decision not to sign him permanently be confirmed, it would open up the chance for Celtic to land the defender, who could form an excellent partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of Brendan Rodgers' defence for next season.

Pep Guardiola will be prioritising the well-being of Manchester City players during their Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham.

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• City staring at critical injury crisis
• Six first-team players missing
• Guardiola hoping for no more injuries

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Heading into the clash with Tottenham, Guardiola faces the challenge of fielding a squad that has been stretched to its limits. They are plagued by an almighty number of injuries and Guardiola has made it clear that his main objective is to get through the match without sending any further players to the treatment table.

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  Six of Guardiola's key players are currently sidelined, significantly impacting his options. Among the absentees is newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who will miss the rest of the season. Additionally, long-term absentee Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since picking up an injury against Inter in September, remains unavailable for selection. Other crucial players missing from action include Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and young Oscar Bobb.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola did not shy away from admitting the tough circumstances surrounding his squad. "We have a few players," he remarked, "We are going to try and do a good game to try to go through. Always it happens. Last season we were out against Newcastle but played really well. Perform well, this is what I want, no injuries please and go to the last week before the international break in November."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  City’s history in the competition under Guardiola is notable; his first trophy with the club was a Carabao Cup in 2018, followed by three more consecutive wins. However, since their last Carabao Cup triumph in 2021, the trophy has eluded them.