O São Paulo iniciou na última sexta-feira (24) o plantio de uma nova grama no estádio do Morumbi para a sequência da temporada.A anterior já foi retirada e parte dela será reaproveitada no CT da base, em Cotia (SP).Este é um processo corriqueiro durante o inverno, mas é sempre realizado de forma gradual. Agora, por conta da série de shows da banda de pop-rock Coldplay, o clube decidiu fazer a troca de uma vez. O replantio será feito depois da pausa.
O São Paulo voltará a campo no dia 5 de abril, no duelo de estreia da Sul-Americana. A Conmebol realiza o sorteio dos grupos na noite desta segunda. No dia 12, larga na Copa do Brasil, em adversário ainda a ser sorteado pela CBF. A primeira rodada do Brasileirão é no dia 16, contra o Botafogo.
Exceto o duelo pela Copa do Brasil, todos os outros jogos serão fora de casa.
Confira o andamento da reforma:
RelacionadasBotafogoSorteio da Sul-Americana: veja possíveis adversários do Botafogo na fase de gruposBotafogo26/03/2023Seleção BrasileiraSeleção não perdia em início de novo ciclo para uma Copa do Mundo desde 1990Seleção Brasileira25/03/2023São PauloVÍDEO: Torcedora do São Paulo, mãe de Raí Ramos fala sobre homenagem a ídolo e alegria em ver filho no clubeSão Paulo25/03/2023
Após enfrentar uma complicada lesão no tornozelo, Calleri se recuperou em tempo recorde e fez sua primeira partida após sua melhora. O argentino esteve presente no empate do São Paulo, sem gols, com o Ituano, pela Copa do Brasil, e falou sobre suas condições físicas atuais.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloCeni minimiza polêmica com Marcos Paulo e garante bom relacionamento com elenco do São PauloSão Paulo12/04/2023São PauloJhegson Méndez reconhece erros em empate do São Paulo e projeta estreia no Campeonato BrasileiroSão Paulo12/04/2023São PauloCeni mostra total insatisfação após empate do São Paulo: ‘Uma das piores partidas que fizemos, bastante desorganizado’São Paulo12/04/2023
O jogador afirmou que seu rendimento no confronto desta terça-feira (11) não foi o esperado, mas disse que trata como ‘uma vitória’, alegando ‘estar muito feliz em voltar’. Calleri estava apresentando um quadro de incômodos no tornozelo desde a fase de grupos do Paulista. Após o diagnóstico da lesão, uma cirurgia até chegou a ser cogitada pelo departamento médico.
ATUAÇÕES: São Paulo não cria, erra o básico e se contenta com empate sem gols contra o Ituano
Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil
Porém, por uma escolha que partiu do próprio centroavante, logo esta opção foi descartada. A intenção de Calleri era tentar um tratamento convencional, que não o tirasse de campo por tanto tempo. Caso tivesse feito o procedimento, poderia perder até o final da temporada.
Segundo suas palavras, ‘acredita ter tomado a decisão certa’, agradecendo também a confiança que foi dada pelo departamento médico do clube.
-Verdadeiramente, não foi um bom desempenho. É uma lesão de muito tempo, estou feliz, voltei sem dor e por isso é uma vitória muito grande. Queria agradecer ao departamento do São Paulo que acreditou em mim e aí não precisei operar – disse.
continua após a publicidade
Calleri já estava treinando com o restante do elenco há algum tempo, mas não chegou a ser relacionado contra o Tigre, pela Copa Sul-Americana, porque estava cumprindo suspensão. Agora, ao que tudo indica, deverá retornar ao seu posto no elenco. Ao falar da sua volta, novamente tratou ‘como uma vitória muito grande’ e disse que ‘tomou a decisão correta’.
-Acho que tomei a decisão correta, não deu no Paulistão, não deu na Argentina, mas estou muito feliz. O que mais quero é estar dentro de campo. Quando eu lesionei, todo mundo falou que eu teria que operar e agora voltei depois de alguns dias. Para mim, é uma vitória muito grande, estou feliz por poder voltar a usar a camisa do São Paulo – completou.
Quick bowlers and lower-order batters from both sides impressed, but Netherlands were just a bit better than Zimbabwe on the day
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2023
Teja Nidamanuru score a match-winning century from No. 7•Getty Images
Netherlands 255 for 7 (Nidamanuru 110*, Ackermann 50, Masakadza 3-36, Ngarava 2-44) beat Zimbabwe 249 (Madande 74, Klaassen 3-41, van Meekeren 2-50) by 3 wicketsTeja Nidamanuru’s unbeaten 96-ball 110 from No. 7 did the job for Netherlands as they pulled off a come-from-behind three-wicket win over Zimbabwe.Chasing 250 for victory in the first of three ODIs, Netherlands were staring down the barrel at 110 for 6 in the 32nd over before Nidamanuru first wove partnerships with Shariz Ahmadand Paul van Meekeren and then finished off the game with some fireworks.Nidamanuru walked in after Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza had dismantled Netherlands’ top order. Colin Ackermann was still there, though, and put up a 46-run stand with Nidamanuru, but Masakadza knocked Ackermann over for 50 in his final over.It was the bottom few left then, and Nidamanuru and Shariz picked up a boundary each in the first ten balls of their partnership before a quiet period left Netherlands needing 108 off 72 balls. They found the odd boundary, and Nidamaduru went past 50, but it wasn’t till the 43th over that things started to get a bit desperate.Zimbabwe bowled five bowlers between the 43rd and the 48th over but the rotation didn’t work in terms of stemming the flow of runs. It did, however, involve Shariz being run out for 30 to end a 110-run stand off just 94 balls.Paul van Meekeren played useful hands with ball and bat•ICC/Getty Images
Nidamadaru brought up his century in the 48th over, with a four off Ngarava and with van Meekeren hitting another four in the same over, Netherlands needed 19 from 12. That became just four from the last over after Nidamadaru smacked a six and van Meekeren a four in the 49th over, bowled by Blessing Muzarabani. It went down to the penultimate ball, before van Meekeren hit Brad Evans for six to finish the job.Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe were put under the pump after being asked to bat. Fred Klaassen and van Meekeren removed the top three cheaply in the first powerplay. Wessly Madhevere and Sikandar Raza got off to starts but Madhevere was run-out in the 11th over.Brandon Glover, Vikramjit Singh and Shariz chipped away to leave Zimbabwe languishing at 98 for 7 in the 21st over, before Masakadza joined Clive Madande to repair the innings.The two absorbed the pressure by turning the strike over and were not perturbed despite scoring only five boundaries in their 99-ball partnership. They put up 70 runs when Masakadza became the second run-out victim of the innings.After that, 32 of the 66 runs between Madande and Ngarava, who smashed two sixes, came in boundaries. Madande reached his fifty in the 41st over and carried on before being the last man out for a 98-ball 74. It was a heroic effort, but could not stop Netherlands from earning their third win of the ODI Super League.
Decision taken after Pakistan win only one game in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2023
Bismah Maroof led Pakistan in 98 international games•ICC/Getty Images
Bismah Maroof has stepped down as Pakistan captain after the team’s group-stage exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February.Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, made the announcement on Twitter on Tuesday night and said Maroof would continue to be available for selection as a player.”It has been an honour for me to captain my country and I feel fortunate to have led an incredible and hardworking bunch of cricketers,” Maroof, 31, said in a statement released by PCB. “It has been one exciting ride, which has been full of highs and lows, but, at the end of the day, I will always be thankful to Almighty for providing me this opportunity.”With the new ICC Women’s Championship cycle in its initial stages and the 2024 T20 World Cup more than a year away, I think this is the right time for me to step down and help so we have a smooth transition. I am looking forward to continuing to play as a player and playing my role for the team.”Maroof captained Pakistan in 64 T20Is (27 wins) and 34 ODIs (16 wins) but they were able to win only one game in each of the last two Women’s T20 World Cups – in 2020 and 2023.Maroof had taken over the T20I captaincy from Sana Mir in 2016 after the PCB chose to split the leadership, with Mir remaining the ODI captain. Mir was removed the following year, giving Maroof the captaincy in both T20Is and ODIs. In April 2021, Maroof went on maternity leave and took a break from cricket for more than a year, during which Javeria Khan led the side. She returned in May 2022 and took back the captaincy.”I congratulate and thank Bismah Maroof for her services as the captain of the national women’s side,” Sethi said. “Bismah has been an inspiration for millions of girls and has been a catalyst for a positive change. With her immense dedication and hard work, she has shown that women can continue to follow their passions and dreams.”She has always put her country before herself and that is underscored by how she has offered to help in smoothening the leadership transition ahead of an exciting and jam-packed season. I am sure her presence in the Pakistan dressing room will continue to be a source of inspiration to our young cricketers and she will continue to serve Pakistan with honour and pride as she has been doing since she was a teenager.”
Batter promises no let-up to ultra-positive approach, and prepares to step up further with ball
Vithushan Ehantharajah22-Jun-2023
James Anderson hugs Joe Root in celebration after one of his final-day breakthroughs at Edgbaston•PA Photos/Getty Images
Joe Root says fans should “strap in” as England look to double down on their aggressive approach and bounce back from defeat in the first Ashes Test.For all the entertainment England provided across five days at Edgbaston, Australia’s victory by two wickets has set the narrative against the hosts. An engaging style of play that produced 11 Test wins out of 13 before the five-match series has come under scrutiny with this high-profile bump in the road.There have been calls for a less cavalier approach in the second Test at Lord’s, which begins next Wednesday. Although England dictated terms for large swathes of the match, leaving Birmingham 1-0 down was evidence to some that “Bazball” either needs tinkering or abandoning altogether.Dropped catches, a missed stumping and 23 no-balls drew heavy criticism, but the main ire was directed at the declaration on day one. Having won the toss and opted to bat first, Ben Stokes closed the first innings on 393 for eight in order to bowl four overs at Australia’s opening pair of David Warner and Usman Khawaja on Friday evening.That meant leaving Root unbeaten on 118, despite having struck two sixes in the final over of the innings, and ending a handy ninth-wicket stand of 43 with Ollie Robinson. Stokes explained the decision as an opportunity “to pounce on Australia” and confirmed he would make the decision again if a similar opportunity presented itself.When asked if a change of style could have resulted in an England win, Root dismissed the notion out of hand, and stated the team were not going to change their manner for the second Test, or for the rest of the series.”That’s not what we’re about as a team,” Root said. “If I could go back in time, I’d go back and start my captaincy tenure the way Ben has and try to play in a similar manner to how he does it.”It’s far more exciting, far more interesting and I think we are getting more out of our team and our individuals. We’re playing better cricket to watch, producing better results overall.Joe Root celebrates his 30th Test century in the first innings at Edgbaston•ECB/Getty Images
“If we are going to grow as a team, we can’t just look at a day like this with a couple of moments going against us and say ‘we need to do things differently’. If anything, we need to double down on how we do it, completely back ourselves and make sure we get those one-percenters right at Lord’s.”Root’s conviction on the matter is based on his recent experience against Australia. Prior to the 4-0 defeat in 2021-22, which led to his resignation as captain, the previous home campaign in 2019 was not as well-matched as the 2-2 scoreline made it seem.Australia won the first match then, also at Edgbaston, by a far greater margin of 251 runs. Stokes’ miracle at Headingley squared the series after a rain-affected draw at Lord’s, before Tim Paine’s side retained the urn with a dominant 185-run win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.England made it 2-2 with victory at the Kia Oval, though there was a sense that the tourists had taken their foot off the gas for the final match. Ultimately, Australia controlled the series when it mattered most.While this opening defeat does sting, Root is encouraged by the fact England were able to boss Australia around at Edgbaston far more than they had managed across the entire series four years ago.”The last time we played them here we were never really in the game after day two, we were chasing the game the whole time,” he said. “This time we set the pace the whole way. We sent a strong message about how we want to go about things. I think that message was sent a long time ago. We fronted up.”Zak [Crawley] hit the first ball of the game for four, everyone backed up what we’ve spoken about – all the hype and talk about ‘can England do it this way against Australia?’. I think we’ve proven to everyone that we can.”Everyone should strap in and expect the same from us. That’s what we’re about as a team.”Related
Root snatches World No. 1 status from Labuschagne in Test batting rankings
Moeen Ali feels the pain, but should the finger be pointed at England?
Forget the frivolous narrative, Bazball is a hard-nosed, winning strategy
Switch Hit: Australia win Edg-Baz-ton thriller
Will Australia bring in Starc for Boland at Lord's?
It is also what Root is currently about is as a batter. After admitting to losing his equilibrium in the early months of Stokes’ and Brendon McCullum’s tenure, he’s now scored five hundreds since relinquishing the captaincy, and 30 overall, and seems perfectly balanced once again.He continued his form into his second innings at Edgbaston before being stumped off Nathan Lyon on 46. It was his first such dismissal in 131 Tests, which highlights the fact that it would not have come about in a previous era. Nevertheless, he now finds himself at the top of the ICC Test batting rankings, leap-frogging the Australian trio of Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head.Root’s reverse ramp-scoop was also given plenty of airing, providing three of the five sixes that he hit in the match. But it was one he missed, off the bowling of Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins to the first ball of the morning on day four, which drew the most attention. England were 28 for 2 at the time, leading by just 35. To lose their best batter first ball would have been catastrophic.Premeditated, no doubt. But Root explained the thinking behind the attempt, which he had mentioned to Stuart Broad in the changing room that morning before heading out to the middle.”The first time I did it in the Test it was quite clear he [Cummins] was bowling wide, it didn’t feel like there was a lot of risk in it.”Coming out first ball of the day, it was more about being 28 for 2 and it was a chance to lay a marker down and say to everyone in the ground, the dressing room, the crowd, ‘We are not here to be bowled at, we’re here to push the game on’. I think that’s how we all look at the game now, from any position we feel like we can get somewhere to go on and win.”Having helped set the game up with the bat, Root almost finished it with the ball. The splitting and subsequent blistering of Moeen Ali’s right spinning finger meant Root bowled his part-time offspinners for 14 overs straight from the City End before England took the second new ball.He successfully prised out wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey, taking a tough return catch after the left-hander smashed the ball back at the bowler. It was the third of three caught-and-bowled chances that came Root’s way, as he had already put down two on that final day.Discussions over possible cover for Moeen in the form of spinning allrounders Will Jacks, Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed will be held in the next 24 hours. Root’s aptitude – 55 career dismissals at 46.29 – could allow England to pick four seamers at Lord’s, both to bolster their pace attack with the inclusion of Mark Wood, and to mitigate for the fact that Stokes’ share of the bowling is still limited by his knee issue.Whatever the decision made, Root is keen to continue his dual role.”It’s always great when you get a chance to contribute to any Test match, you want to get involved and step up in those big moments.”I’m just disappointed I didn’t manage to cling on to a couple of those other ones. What a great spectacle it was, what great fun to have a chance to affect the game. That’s what you want and I’m always ready for a chance to take Test wickets.”
The duo added 98 runs for the sixth wicket to help United chase down Zalmi’s 186-target in 19 overs
Associated Press17-Mar-2024
Imad Wasim and Haider Ali added an unbroken 98-run stand for the sixth wicket•Associated Press
Imad Wasim and Haider Ali sent batting powerhouse Islamabad United to their first PSL final since 2018 with a five-wicket win over Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator on Saturday.Imad smashed an unbeaten 59 while Haider bludgeoned five sixes in his 29-ball 52 not out as United chased down Peshawar Zalmi’s 186-target with an over to spare after opting to chase.Zalmi opener Saim Ayub had earlier smashed a robust 73 off 44 to take Zalmi to 185 for 5 in their 20 overs. United captain Shadab Khan figured in all five dismissals, picking up four smart catches in the outfield and also getting the key wicket of Ayub in the 15th over.United, who won two titles in the first three PSL seasons, including in 2018, will play Multan Sultans in the final on Monday.Zalmi’s three-spinner plan for the first time this season was working well when Ayub (2 for 34) claimed the key wickets of Alex Hales (1) and Agha Salman (5). Left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz bowled Shadab for a duck and Martin Guptill (34) offered a tame catch at mid-on as Islamabad slumped to 50 for 4 in the batting power play.Azam Khan (22) was bowled by Luke Wood’s slower delivery but Imad and Haider then had their match-winning 98-run stand in 8.1 overs.Needing 35 off the last three overs, Haider smashed Aamer Jamal for two sixes and Imad hit two fours to all but seal the game as the fast bowler conceded 23 runs off six balls.Earlier, Babar Azam scored 25 to end a memorable season with a total of 569 runs – the most any batter has scored in PSL history – before Shadab plucked a superb catch at mid-off. Ayub and Mohammad Haris (40) fell in successive overs.Fast bowler Naseem Shah (3 for 30) picked up Babar’s wicket in his first spell and dismissed Haris and Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the death overs.
The board are hopeful of a solution for the “very real issues” regarding the county’s sustainability after winter floods affect another summer
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2024
New Road has flooded seven times across the 2023-24 winter•PA Images/Getty
Worcestershire County Cricket Club has confirmed they will explore a permanent move away from New Road in the coming months in a bid to preserve the long-term future of the county.New Road, which has been Worcestershire’s home ground since 1899, is built on a floodplain which relieves the River Severn, causing floods which have consistently affected their season. The ground flooded seven times over the 2023-24 winter, resulting in the club moving their first two County Championship matches to Kidderminster. In 2014, following eight floods in 18 months, Worcestershire spent between £7 million and £8 million making New Road more flood-resistant.The expectation remains that cricket will return to New Road from May 24. However, further bad weather could affect Worcestershire’s T20 Blast campaign, with their first home fixture due to take place on May 31 against Lancashire Lightning. As a non-Test venue, the Blast provides vital matchday revenue for the club. They will also host a women’s ODI between England Women and New Zealand on June 30.Speaking earlier this month, chief executive Ashley Giles stated any further delay in hosting cricket at New Road would be “devastating” and floated the idea of moving the club to a new home.”I don’t think we can carry on like this,” Giles told BBC Hereford and Worcester. “It’s costing us a lot of money. We’re going to lose virtually two months of a six-month season. The ground is here to stage cricket, to be a venue for entertainment and hospitality. But conditions are seemingly getting worse.”A statement released by Worcestershire on Monday confirmed the board are now actively exploring their options:”Given the recent unprecedented record volume of flooding at New Road, and the increasing regularity of flooding, the Board of Worcestershire County Cricket Club understands the very real issues regarding the sustainability of the Club.”As a Board, we will make it our key priority to explore every option, including a move from New Road, over the next few months so we can provide the membership and key stakeholders with a plan.”This is to ensure the long-term future of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.”
Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed win on the weekend, just their 11th in the Premier League, but it’s done little to boost morale.
This season has been an unmitigated disaster for the North Londoners, as while there is still a chance they could win the Europa League, they look destined to finish in the bottom half of the league table, with more losses than wins.
Now, there are a few reasons for this dramatic collapse in form from Ange Postecoglou’s men, but perhaps the most significant has been the near-endless stream of defensive injuries they’ve had to deal with.
For example, neither Micky van de Ven nor Cristian Romero has made even 20 appearances this year, and now it looks like they may lose the latter for good in the summer. Still, they might also already have the perfect replacement in a youngster out on loan.
Romero's unsure future
Romero moved to Spurs on a loan deal with an option to buy back in the summer of 2021 and, since then, has become an essential part of the squad and first team.
In all, the World Cup winner has made 117 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals, providing one assist, and becoming one of the co-vice captains under Postecoglou’s tenure.
However, this rapid rise and impressive form for the team – alongside his international exploits – has seen other major teams from the continent take notice.
For example, earlier this year, it was widely reported that Real Madrid were keen on signing the former Juventus ace in the summer, while more reports from the last few weeks have revealed that Atlético Madrid are now just as interested.
In fact, just last week, it was reported that Diego Simeone had personally contacted the player and that, due to a mutual interest in making the transfer happen, he might be able to leave N17 for around £67m.
There is no doubt that losing a defender of Romero’s calibre would be a blow for Spurs, but it might not all be doom and gloom, as the club might already have the perfect replacement in an exceptionally exciting youngster.
The Spurs youngster who could replace Romero
So, if Romero does leave in the summer, the board will likely replace him with the fee he earns them, but there might already be a perfect replacement in the squad by then: Luka Vušković.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Yes, he might not be a name that everyone is familiar with yet, but based on his performances this season and the way those in the know speak about him, he most certainly will be.
The North Londoners signed the Croatian wonderkid in September 2023, but being just 16 at the time, post-Brexit rules around registering foreign players under 18 mean he cannot officially join the team until this summer.
So, with him unable to move to England this season, the “freak talent,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, joined Belgian outfit KVC Waterloo last July, and to say he’s enjoying a good season would be an understatement.
Despite only turning 18 in February, he has made 29 first-team appearances so far, in which he’s helped to keep five clean sheets. More impressive than that, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists.
This level of output for such a young defender suggests he’d be able to at least match the attacking threat Romero has, and with him already being 6 foot 4, there is no way he’d be bullied by opposition players.
Vušković’s 24/25
Player
Vušković
Appearances
29
Clean Sheets
5
Goals
7
Assists
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.31
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Finally, he’s no slouch when it comes to the defensive side of the game either, with FOTmob revealing that he wins 6.09 duels and 4.05 aerial duels per 90 while also making 5.74 recoveries.
For comparison, Romero wins 5.46 duels and just 2.45 aerial duels per 90 while also making slightly fewer recoveries at 5.39 per 90.
Ultimately, we are not saying that Vušković will be able to immediately replicate what Romero can do next season.
However, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting defensive prospects around, and with the right coaching, he could reach that level sooner than people expect, which would soften the Argentine’s departure.
He's a £101m star in the making: Spurs hit gold on "monster" Nuno signing
The incredible talent has a bright future at Spurs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers currently sit 16th in the Premier League after 32 games played, successfully dragging themselves 14 points away from the relegation zone with just six games left to play in the season.
Vitor Pereira will be looking to secure their safety as soon as possible, with their next three fixtures including Leicester City at home, sandwiched by both Manchester clubs away from home.
Wolves’ last six Premier League fixtures
Date
Fixture
20/04/25
Man Utd (A)
26/04/25
Leicester City (H)
02/05/25
Man City (A)
10/05/25
Brighton (H)
18/05/25
Crystal Palace (A)
25/05/25
Brentford (H)
With Ipswich Town’s next two games being Arsenal and Newcastle, Wolves could secure their safety in their next two matches, with a win in either game and Ipswich losing to either of their opponents.
Pereira has done a brilliant job turning things around and hitting some nice form in recent weeks, all without this season’s star man, Matheus Cunha. But who exactly has been key in their four-game winning streak?
The key figures in Wolves' hot streak
In their last five Premier League games, Wolves have won four times, beating Southampton 2-1, West Ham 1-0, Ipswich 2-1 and Tottenham 4-2, as well as drawing against Everton 1-1.
Pereria’s side have shown great flexibility, getting results with more possession and control in certain games such as Ipswich and Everton, but also managing victories with less of the ball against Southampton, West Ham and Tottenham.
Jorgen Strand-Larsen has netted five times in his last four games, scoring 55% of Wolves’ goals in their four-game winning streak. This excellent run of form has been so impressive, that Cunha’s return saw him on the bench, unable to replace Larsen, Marshall Munetsi or Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in the side.
The Brazilian has had an interesting week, biting back at Wolves fans online before their game against Tottenham, upsetting plenty in the process, leaving him in danger of becoming the new Jamie O’Hara.
Wolves' new Jamie O'Hara
O’Hara joined Wolves in 2011, initially on loan before making a permanent move. The Englishman made 57 appearances for the club, scoring six goals, providing six assists and totalling 4,247 minutes played.
Despite being the club where O’Hara made his most appearances, he is largely seen as a villain by the Old Gold faithful after a huge fallout in his playing days – notably engaging in a confrontation with supporters following a 2-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in March 2012.
Since then, O’Hara has been apologetic on the matter, insisting he was wrong to fall out with the Wolves fans and admitting he should have “shut his mouth and played football”. The midfielder-turned-pundit ultimately left on a free transfer in 2014, after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
After the past week Cunha has had, he is in dangerous territory of this happening to him, with many expecting the £90k-per-week star to leave the club in the summer, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United.
Matheus Cunha 2023/24 vs 2024/25 comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
23/24
24/25
Goals
0.46
0.60
Assists
0.26
0.15
xG
0.35
0.30
xAG
0.12
0.28
Progressive Carries
3.95
3.92
Progressive Passes
3.21
4.79
Shots Total
2.52
3.68
Goals/Shot
0.16
0.16
Key Passes
1.03
1.88
Shot-Creating Actions
2.88
4.33
Successful Take-Ons
2.36
2.17
Stats taken from FBref
When comparing Cunha’s underlying metrics from last season and this season, you can see he has taken that extra step, becoming the main man for Wolves this season and improving his overall output, especially adding more goals. He has also become more of a focal point, taking plenty of shots and being the primary playmaker of the team.
Ex-Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil, praised Cunha for his “sensational” football IQ, stating that “he’s the one who can unlock doors”. It would be a shame for such talents to be overshadowed.
The 25-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided four assists in his 30 appearances so far this season, and even if he is to leave in the summer, Cunha will hope to leave on good terms – not in the same way O’Hara did.
Pereira could unearth surprise Cunha replacement in forgotten Wolves flop
Wolves could find a surprise Matheus Cunha replacement by bringing this loanee back to the club.
Tottenham Hotspur are actively doing their due-diligence on a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou, according to various reports, following a lacklustre domestic campaign where Spurs are on course for their worst ever Premier League season.
Tottenham's shortlist of managerial candidates
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been linked with the potential hires of numerous head coaches, with credible media sources like The Telegraph’s Matt Law reporting that Postecoglou could leave regardless of success in Europe.
Tottenham hold internal talks over hiring ex-Liverpool manager worth £39m
It would be quite the move.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 26, 2025
Even if Postecoglou delivers Tottenham’s first piece of major silverware since 2008 by winning the Europa League, his exit is seen as a real possiblity, and there are no shortage of replacements under rumoured consideration in N17.
Domestically, Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley) have all found their way on to Tottenham’s managerial shortlist, while there are also more illustrious names thought of further abroad.
Tottenham’s final Premier League fixtures
Date
West Ham (away)
May 3rd
Crystal Palace (home)
May 10th
Aston Villa (away)
May 18th
Brighton (home)
May 25th
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who now has an agreement in principle with Brazil (Fabrizio Romano), Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and even ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp have all been internally discussed as options to succeed Postecoglou, according to GiveMeSport.
Red Bull's Global Head of Soccer JuergenKloppduring a press conference
Reports in Germany last week also claimed that Tottenham have contacted Borussia Dortmund’s Niko Kovac, and we can expect many more manager links until Postecoglou’s dismissal is rebuffed or confirmed.
The link to Parker is an intriguing one, as the former Spurs midfielder knows the club well, and has just guided Burnley back to the English top flight at the first time of asking.
Pundits like Jamie O’Hara believe Parker wouldn’t be a bad appointment for Tottenham, despite the 44-year-old’s inexperience at such an elite side with high expectations.
Scott Parker would be "very" keen to manage Tottenham
Speaking to Tottenham News, former Lilywhites scout and ex-Levy employee, Bryan King, expressed his belief that Parker would be “very interested” in replacing Postecoglou at Spurs – provided they pay a “small” compensation fee of £10 million.
“Parker has worked at clubs where the budgets haven’t been large,” King said.
“He is a young up-and-coming manager, so why not look to him? It can’t be any worse than what we have had.He is an ex-Tottenham player. Therefore, I’d imagine he would be very interested in the job if it were offered to him.
“Tottenham will have to pay a compensation fee, probably around £10million. However, in today’s football market, that is a small price to pay.”
The ex-England man’s managerial career has been subject to highs and lows, with a failed stint at Belgian Jupiler Pro League side Club Brugge coming in-between Championship promotions at Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley.
Parker was sacked by Bournemouth just four games into the 2022/2023 season after a 9-0 loss to Liverpool, and it remains to be seen if he enjoys greater top flight success at Burnley, given the massive gulf between England’s first and second tiers right now.
That being said, Parker has received glowing endorsements from the likes of Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who called him an “innovative” manager.