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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has a chance to recalibrate now that the Premier League has put the brakes on for the November international break.

It has not been good enough this season. Ahead of the latest pause, Newcastle needed to get something from their trip to the Gtech. It didn’t happen, and Keith Andrews’ side emerged 3-1 victors and with Dan Burn sent off to boot.

The truth is that the Magpies need a reset. It was always going to be tough to match the form of last season, with Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak charging an incredible winter winning run that led to triumph in the Carabao Cup. Isak has been sold, and the summer transfer window was a turbulent one.

But United are getting old. Too many starters this season ripened some time ago, and in this, Howe must work toward developing further the younger members of his squad.

Newcastle must promote their future

Newcastle might have a somewhat elderly Premier League squad, but that’s not to say they lack up-and-coming stars.

For example, injuries have kept Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall on the sidelines for much of the campaign. 22 and 21 respectively, the dynamic full-backs will be integral to the rekindling of Howe’s system. Last season, Alice Talks Footy hailed Hall as “the best left-back in the league”, and his fellow Cobham graduate as a “super impressive” up-and-comer.

Likewise, Lewis Miley has shown signs of development this season, growing into his skin in central midfield. The Geordie talent has impressed alongside Tonali and the all-action skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, and he could end up replacing a teammate in Joelinton, who has flattered to deceive at times this term.

Has the 29-year-old Joelinton exhausted his physicality? Undoubtedly, the Brazilian is missing some of his usual sharpness and intelligence in the middle of the park.

Joelinton has played so much football at Newcastle, no holds barred, that it’s understandable he might be slowly winding down.

However, there’s another Toon star whose form this season has been more concerning, for they have yet to reach their prime, and there is a worry that so many injuries have knocked this talent too far out of kilter.

"The future of this club" is now struggling

Newcastle have always been resilient and organised under Howe’s wing, and even amid the frustration of wretched away form this term, Newcastle’s xGA (expected goals against) total stands at just 11.1 in the Premier League, a more impressive figure than all in the division save for Manchester City and Arsenal.

But, even so, improvements need to be made in central defence, and the form of Sven Botman is admittedly becoming a concern for Howe as he waits for his star man at the rear to click into gear.

Sports writer Joel Bland actually commented on Botman’s “embarrassing” effort to clear one of Brentford’s notorious long throws at the weekend. The ball was cannoned in after the interval, Newcastle one goal to the good after Harvey Barnes’ first-half finish, but Botman’s tame clearance allowed Kevin Schade to nod home from close range.

You might call it a schoolboy error. When dealing with aerial danger, it is well-known to sweep the ball away, not divert it cross-box and into the melee.

In this, Botman failed in his duties, and newspaper Chronicle Live saw it fit to brand the centre-half with a 3/10 match rating, having been ragdolled by Igor Thiago all afternoon besides.

Botman needs to recover his former level of security and completeness at the back. He was redoubtable in front of Nick Pope in 2022/23, his debut year in England, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding only 33 goals all season, the joint-best record, shared with champions Manchester City.

It was only at the start of the current campaign that Bruno described the Netherlands star as being “the future of this club”, along with Malick Thiaw, who swapped AC Milan for St. James’ Park in a package worth around £35m this summer.

But Thiaw has outperformed his counterpart this season, and that having suffered regular injury issues of his own in Italy over the past several years. With Botman having spent plenty of time in the thick of the Premier League action this term, having started seven matches in a row, he should be sharper and more commanding at this point.

The fact that this is not the case is bound to be on Howe’s mind, though the manager may feel that the reintegration of Hall on the left side of the backline could smooth out some creases and allow Botman to connect with a more natural wide fit that Burn, whose industriousness can only stretch so far.

This all comes with the addendum that Botman has indeed been ravaged by injuries in recent years, stripped bare by setbacks after that tremendous debut campaign in England’s north east.

It is only natural he would take some time to rebuild himself to that one-time level, but Newcastle need quick results if they are to shape this campaign, and the £90k-per-week defender has entered the penultimate year of his contract, and he will need to convince PIF that they would be foolish not to extend his career on Tyneside.

But the Dutchman needs to improve – fast. His form has slumped in recent weeks, and he is paling in comparison to Thiaw beside him, the summer recruit very quickly establishing himself as the cream of Newcastle’s defensive crop.

As bad as Botman: Howe must drop Newcastle dud who lost the ball 20x v Bees

Newcastle United had another away day to forget in the Premier League when losing 3-1 versus Brentford.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 10, 2025

There is only one day left in June to bet some home run props, so why don’t we close the third month of the MLB season with some winners?

Betting on home run props can be tricky, but there are two very favorable matchups on Sunday that I’m targeting. 

Mainly, we’re fading two struggling veteran pitchers, but these two sluggers should be in a great spot to go deep this afternoon.

Best MLB Home Run Picks Today

• Isaac Paredes to Hit a Home Run (+500)
• Christian Yelich to Hit a Home Run (+600)

Isaac Paredes to Hit a Home Run (+500)

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes leads the team in homers (12) so far this season, and he’s in a great spot to go deep on Sunday. 

The Rays are taking on Washington Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin, who has given up 12 homers in 16 games so far in 2024. 

I don’t mind a bet on Randy Arozarena either in this matchup, but fading Corbin in any way is the way to go. Paredes is slugging .452 this season, hitting .327 on batted balls in play against left-handed pitching. 

All season long, Corbin has struggled, posting a 1.53 WHIP. He’s in danger of giving up a long ball or two today. 

Christian Yelich to Hit a Home Run (+600)

Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich only has seven home runs on the season, but he’s in a prime spot to go deep against a division rival on Sunday.

The Chicago Cubs have Kyle Hendricks on the mound in this game, and he’s allowed 11 homers in 14 outings (57.2 innings of work). Hendricks has gotten shelled in 2024, and Yelich has fared well against the Cubs veteran in his career.

Across 53 at bats, Yelich is hitting .226 with two homers, two doubles, nine walks and six runs batted in. While the batting average isn’t great, Yelich has been able to take Hendricks – a sinker-ball pitcher – deep on multiple occasions. 

Similar to Corbin, we’re fading a veteran starter that simply hasn't been able to slow batters down this season.

The retiring Tim Southee’s Test career, in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli17-Dec-2024391 – Wickets for Tim Southee in his 107-Test career. He signs off as the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, next only to Richard Hadlee’s 431.15 – Southee’s five-wicket hauls in Tests, the third-highest for New Zealand, behind Hadlee (36) and Daniel Vettori (20).234 – Wickets for Southee in home Tests, the most on New Zealand soil. Hadlee (201) is the only other bowler with 200-plus Test wickets in New Zealand.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Bowlers with more wickets in Test cricket than Southee’s 391 since his debut in March 2008. Only two of these are quick bowlers: James Anderson (635) and Stuart Broad (600).47 – Test wins for Southee, the most for a New Zealand player. Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson follow him with 44 wins each.His 107 Test appearances place him in fourth place for New Zealand, behind Vettori (112), Taylor (112) and Stephen Fleming (111).280 – Wickets for Southee across the 63 Tests he played between August 2012 and November 2021. He averaged 25.45 and struck once every 53.3 balls in this period. Only R Ashwin (388 wickets at 23.69 and a strike rate of 51.7) picked up more wickets in that period than Southee with an average below 26 and a strike rate of under 55.ESPNcricinfo Ltd98 – Sixes hit by Southee in his Test career, which is a tie for the fourth-highest. He finished with the same number as Chris Gayle and only behind Ben Stokes (133), Brendon McCullum (107) and Adam Gilchrist (100).His 98 sixes are by far the most for any player while batting at No. 8 or lower.He hit nine sixes in his debut Test against England, which is the highest by any batter on Test debut.82.68 – Southee’s batting strike rate in Test cricket is the third-best for any batter with 2000-plus runs (where balls-faced data is available). Only Harry Brook (88.37) and Ben Duckett (85.88) have better strike rates.29 – Balls Southee needed for his half-century in his debut Test, against England in Napier in 2008. It is the fastest-recorded fifty by a batter in his debut Test, bettering Desmond Haynes’ record, off 38 balls.Two players since then have made quicker half-centuries on debut than Haynes – Luke Ronchi and Jacob Bethell, both off 37 deliveries – but no-one has come close to Southee’s mark.

Major League Baseball has approved a request from the Blue Jays for a medical substitution on their postseason roster for outfielder Anthony Santander, the league confirmed on Thursday night.

Santander was dealing with back stiffness following Toronto's Game 3 win on Wednesday. After treatment and evaluation on Thursday, it was determined that it would be a longer recovery time for Santander, prompting the Blue Jays to make a move.

"Today MLB has approved a roster substitution due to an injury to Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander, who will be replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the remainder of the ALCS vs. the Mariners. By rule, Santander will be ineligible for the World Series should the Blue Jays qualify," the league said in a statement.

Santander was hitting just .200 with three RBI this postseason.

With Quinton de Kock out of the running, there is no clear successor to Faf du Plessis in sight

Firdose Moonda18-Jun-2020South Africa have some extra time to choose their next Test captain, with their July-August series against West Indies set to be rescheduled and the FTP likely to be reworked after the ICC meeting this week. That means they may not play Test cricket until much later in the year, or even until 2021, many months after Faf du Plessis stepped down with no obvious successor in sight.So far, five players have put themselves forward and one other, Quinton de Kock, has been ruled out of the reckoning because he has already been tasked with leading the white-ball sides. While director of cricket and former captain Graeme Smith deliberates the appointment, ESPNcricinfo has created a cheat sheet for him, identifying some of the pros and cons of each candidate.

Aiden Markram

Markram sent out what could be seen as a mixed message about the Test captaincy recently, when, in the same sentence, he said he would give “an arm and a leg” for the position and also that he didn’t want to “become desperate” for the job. His enthusiasm could be cloaked by the caution his natural humility brings, or simply the years of expectation he has carried with him. Markram has been linked with leadership ever since he took the Under-19 side to World Cup glory in 2014 and this would seem the obvious opportunity to anoint him, even if he won’t say so himself.ESPNcricinfo LtdPros: Markram is 25, and so offers South Africa the opportunity to look at the long term. With the team in transition, appointing Markram would signal both the changing of eras and the taking of an exciting risk. With only 20 Tests caps and less than three years in the international game, Markram is relatively inexperienced at the highest level, even though he has his age-group credentials to fall back on. The last time South Africa took a chance on a young leader was when Smith was appointed in 2003 and a decade later, his Test team was the best in the world.Cons: Before he broke his finger in the 2019 Boxing Day Test against England, which ruled him out of the rest of the series, Markram was set to be dropped after a series of poor performances. He crossed 20 only once in six innings last summer, his struggles against spin were amplified in India and he seemed to be rushing through his strokes against pace. In Markram’s absence Pieter Malan was selected and he performed admirably. And his brother Janneman, who debuted in ODIs, is also knocking on the Test door. Before Markram can be made captain, he needs to get his place in the team back and produce some performances that show he is going to keep it.

Temba Bavuma

Almost every conversation in South African cricket in the 2019-20 season included Temba Bavuma. He was injured at the start, dropped when he recovered, put in the centre of a racial storm, scored a first-class career-best and was re-selected. In all that, he maintained a dignified silence and when he spoke, explained that he understood why he was left out, what he stood for and why he needed to keep improving. Bavuma has the backing of assistant coach Enoch Nkwe, who called him a “strong leader, very smart” and “able to lead a massive group to greater heights,” and is seen as the popular choice by many South Africans fans.ESPNcricinfo LtdPros: It has been almost three decades since the unification of South Africa’s white and non-white cricket boards, and in that time, the country has not had a black African captain. Bavuma provides the best chance of changing that. Don’t read that as “Bavuma should be made captain because he is black,” but rather “Bavuma could be made captain, and him being black is incidental.” He has proven himself as a leader at the Lions, whom he led to back-to-back first-class titles. He thrives under pressure, is an eloquent speaker, unafraid to discuss uncomfortable issues and understands his position as a role model and unifier of South Africans of all colours.Cons: After 40 Tests, Bavuma still only has one hundred to his name and an average of just above 30. He will be the first to admit that is not good enough to merit a regular spot in the team and he needs to start scoring big runs before he can be promoted to captain. There is also the danger that appointing him could be seen as paying political lip-service, which could damage his credibility.

Dean Elgar

Had du Plessis’ tenure run its natural course to the end of the T20 World Cup and the CSA administration not imploded, Elgar would have been the natural successor to the Test captaincy. He is the most experienced player in the Test team, in terms of number of matches and years in the game (not counting du Plessis, who remains available for selection), and is well-versed with the various challenges of the international circuit. While he understands his seniority, he does not carry any entitlement. He told ESPNcricinfo that the captaincy role was not a job for which one could be interviewed, but instead an appointment made by outside authorities, who would decide what’s best for the team.ESPNcricinfo LtdPros: Although Elgar’s summer was lean by his standards, he would be a captain that leads through performances, having excelled for South Africa over several years. Elgar also has first-hand knowledge of a variety of conditions including Australia, England, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE and Zimbabwe, having been on every tour for the last eight years and would thus be an excellent resource for a young team. He has led at the highest level before, in du Plessis’ absence at Lord’s in 2017 and Johannesburg in 2019 against Pakistan, so he has a small taste of the requirements, and has captained at franchise, provincial and school level.Cons: The first time Elgar captained the Test team, he was only too happy to give the armband back, saying he realised it was a job that required a lot more than he thought. However, he has since admitted that leadership comes naturally to him and indicated he would like to give the Test captaincy another go. Still, Elgar is notorious for being easily irritated, and would not be an obvious choice from a man-management perspective. At a time when South African cricket needs its captain to also be both a mediator and a messenger between the players and administration, media and fans, Elgar may not be the obvious choice.

Rassie van der Dussen

Rassie van der Dussen’s performance was the only positive South Africa took from their disastrous 2019 World Cup campaign, where he finished as their second-highest run-scorer and their most composed player. Van der Dussen has a temperament honed by seasons of hard work on South Africa’s amateur and franchise scene which almost went unrewarded. It was only after his success in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League, where he topped the charts, that he finally caught the national selectors’ attention and he made it count. Within a year, he was capped in all formats. Van der Dussen doesn’t have much captaincy experience at domestic level but has the swagger of a seasoned professional and would provide South Africa with a sense of security in knowing they have picked someone who has been around the block to lead them.ESPNcricinfo LtdPros: Having clawed his way into the national side, van der Dussen understands the amount of effort it will take to haul South Africa from the lower half of the World Test Championship table to somewhere more respectable, and he has shown he has the determination to take them there. He is not easily affected by difficult circumstances, meets challenges head on and is widely respected for the ease with which he adapted to international cricket. His early showings have been consistent and though he is yet to score an international century, he reads the game well and responds to situations with a combination of calm and confidence.Cons: Van der Dussen has only played four Tests, which makes him the least experienced member of the batting line-up, and he may need more time to prove his long-form credentials. With expectations on him rising as the summer wore on, his form tailed off and he was rested for the ODIs against Australia. South Africa may want to assess how much he has been asked to take on before anything else is added to it.

Keshav Maharaj

The wildcard entry, Maharaj would probably not have been considered if he hadn’t put himself forward as a candidate. He stunned South Africans when he revealed that not only did he want to be Test captain, but he also had designs on shorter-formats and a World Cup win. Spinners are often disregarded in this country and rarely put into positions of leadership. Only one – Johan Botha – has captained the side since readmission but Maharaj has presented the possibility there could be another.ESPNcricinfo LtdPros: Maharaj is a true student of the game with a stellar work ethic, excellent tactical knowledge and would be a fresh perspective to a country known for conservative game plans. He has often been entrusted with great responsibility at Test level, where he is South Africa’s most successful spinner post readmission, and has shown he can control proceedings from one end, which he could do in a greater capacity if needed. He led the Dolphins franchise to the top of the one-day cup table over the summer, and it brought out the best in him, earning him an ODI recall.Cons: Being a nation of pace and bounce, there are occasions when South Africa choose to play to their advantage completely and leave their spinner out, which could prove problematic if the spinner is also the captain. It would require a fundamental shift in mindset to always have a spinner in the Test XI, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Senior seamer and star allrounder lead way in England’s comeback, while openers were also on song

George Dobell29-Jul-20209Stuart Broad (73 runs at 73.00; 16 wickets at 10.93)
It speaks volumes for Broad that a campaign which started with him being omitted from the team for the first Test, ended with him named Player of the Series. After producing a match-turning spell in the second Test, he came up with a match-winning one in the third, achieving his best bowling performance since January 2016 and a first ten-wicket match since 2013. He also thrashed 62 – his highest score for seven years and the fifth quickest half-century in England’s Test history – in the process and became just the seventh man to reach the 500-wicket milestone.8.5Ben Stokes
Although England lost his maiden Test as captain, Stokes took some brave decisions over selection and the toss in Southampton which might have been vindicated if his side had batted better. Spurred on by his own failure to convert two starts in that match, Stokes was outstanding in the second Test. After producing a disciplined century in the first innings – his longest innings in first-class cricket – he thumped the fastest half-century by an England opener in Test history in the second to set-up the declaration. He also claimed some key wickets in filling in for Jofra Archer as England’s middle-order enforcer. Played the third match as a specialist batsman.7.5Chris Woakes (1 run at 0.50; 11 wickets at 16.63)
Sharp, skilful and consistent, Woakes would have taken the new ball for years in another playing age. But, destined to spend much of his career in the shadow of Broad and Anderson, he has to be content with a supporting role and occasional days in the spotlight. In this series, he generated bounce and lateral movement and claimed a five-for in the final innings of the series. His grim form with the bat continues, though: only once in his last nine Test innings has he made more than 6.Dom Sibley (226 runs at 45.20)
In reaching 50 three times in five innings, Sibley demonstrated the solidity and consistency for which England have been looking for some time. Yes, there were two ducks as well, but occasional failures are probably inevitable for an opening batsmen. His century in Manchester went a long way towards laying the platform for his side’s victory. Since he came into the side in November, England have registered 400 four times (and 391 for 8 declared on another); before that, they had only managed it once since the start of 2018. His partnership with Burns looks as though it’s here to stay.Dom Sibley is congratulated by Ben Stokes after reaching his hundred•Gareth Copley/Getty Images7Rory Burns (234 runs at 46.80)
By reaching 30 in four of his five innings this series, Burns played his part in seeing off the new ball and the bowlers at their freshest. While he may be frustrated at not going on to make a significant score, he showed a welcome ability to accelerate when required in Manchester. He scored two half-centuries in the match and was part of England’s first century opening stand at home in four years.6James Anderson (5 wickets at 30.00)
Looked England’s best bowler in the first innings in Southampton and, after being rested for the second Test, bowled nicely without reward in the third. Is it relevant that he didn’t take a second wicket in either Test? We’ll see. The skills and control remain as good as ever but it could be he takes just a little longer to recover between spells these days.Dom Bess (83 runs at 83.00; 5 wickets at 41.60)
England are asking a lot of Bess to front their spin attack at such a young age (he celebrated his 23rd birthday during the series). Bowled nicely enough without enjoying much fortune. The batting average is boosted by three not-outs, but he showed both ability and selflessness in batting with the tail and accelerating to set-up declarations. And, as his final day run-out showed, he is excellent in the field.Jos Buttler (151 runs at 30.20; 12 catches)
Buttler went some way towards repaying the faith of the England selectors with an innings of 67 – his first half-century in 15 innings – in the final Test. He had looked relatively comfortable with the bat in previous games, but twice fell in the second Test as he tried to increase the rate of scoring. Dropped one chance in Southampton, but generally kept tidily.Ollie Pope (134 runs at 33.50)A match-defining innings of 91 in the final Test was the highlight of a slightly disappointing campaign. Before that, his highest innings in the series was 12. But expectations probably have to be tempered by the memory Pope is just 22. He impressed in the field and took an excellent catch at short leg to clinch the second Test.Joe Root (130 runs at 43.33)
A series in which he was dismissed three times between the score of 17 and 23 – twice run-outs – can only be described as frustrating. But while Root missed out on a major score with the bat, he will have been pleased by the way his team responded to going 1-0 down after he missed the first Test on paternity leave. He looked in decent touch in hitting an unbeaten 68 while setting up the declaration in the third Test, too.Joe Root talks to head coach Chris Silverwood during a practice session•Getty Images5.5Sam Curran (17 runs at 17.00; 3 wickets at 33.33)
If Curran had to be content with a supporting role in his only Test of the series, his angle and variations contributed three wickets and sustained his remarkable record: England have won all eight home Tests in which he has appeared.5Jofra Archer (4 wickets at 50.50)
Bowled a little better than the figures suggest. Archer produced a couple of really impressive spells at Southampton and fulfilled the role of enforcer in the final Test. He may remember the series most, however, for his unauthorised trip home between the first and second matches and the disciplinary action than ensued; he’s lost a mark here for making himself unavailable for the second Test. It need not be anything more than a footnote to his career.Zak Crawley (97 runs at 24.25)
An innings of 76 in Southampton helped Crawley win the battle for selection ahead of Denly. He was unable to take advantage, however, with two cheap dismissal in the second Test – he fell attempting to set-up the declaration in the second innings – and he was left out to make space for another bowler in the final Test. Still best placed to bat at No. 3 in the Pakistan series.Mark Wood
Preferred to Broad and Woakes in Southampton, Wood bowled with impressive pace on a slow wicket passing 90mph as often in his 20th over as he did in his first. The pitch probably didn’t suit him and the wickets didn’t come, but Wood will have days when he is the key man for England.4Joe Denly (47 runs at 23.50)
There was never any doubting Denly’s determination but, after a weakness against the ball nipping back through the gate was exposed once more in the first Test, he was the one to pay the price for England’s defeat. By then he had played 15 Tests without a century, and his average had dropped below 30. Despite adding some grit to England’s top order, he had been unable to register the significant personal score which would have cemented his place.