Category Sports News

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that even if their anticipated Ashes defeat is confirmed, they shouldn’t alter their starting lineup.

After falling to 213-8 on day three of the third Test, 158 runs behind, Ben Stokes’ side look set to once more lose the series in Australia at the earliest opportunity.

A defeat in Adelaide would set the tone for a fourth straight series defeat for Australia and end the nation’s 18-test winless streak.

Major ashes series defeats abroad frequently signal a significant change in English cricket.

However, Vaughan cited his own success as a member of the England team that finished the 2002-2003 campaign with a 40-0 record before winning the fifth Test in Sydney.

The 51-year-old said that having that experience helped him form a winning team in the infamous return contest in 2005.

Vaughan told the Ashes Debrief on BBC iPlayer, “English cricket frequently works in four-year cycles, home and away Ashes series.”

“Some players need to leave because they aren’t good enough at this level,” according to one or two players, but some have enough talent.

In four years, they will be fine if they are properly coached, managed, and given the right kind of preparation.

Stokes, 34, would seem highly unlikely to make the next tour of England’s squad in 2029-30 while currently playing in Australia. Another question is probably brewing about Batter Joe Root, who will turn almost 39 in four years.

Ben Duckett, the opener, is the next oldest of the 14 players, with Ben Duckett as the next oldest. When the next Ashes tour begins, the left-hander will be 35.

Vaughan, who played 82 Test matches for England between 1999 and 2008, said, “There are a lot of players in this England side that should still be coming in four years’ time.”

“A few of the senior pros might pass away, and one or two will fall by the wayside.”

What I don’t want English cricket to do is to believe that “all these players have failed, we’ll put them in the bin and start again.” You want to make playing in these conditions harder for more players.

In faultless batting conditions, England only fell to 42-3 and 71-4 after defeating Australia for 371 on the second morning of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval.

From 151 balls, Stokes’ defiant 45 ensured England were not bowling again by the end.

A defeat in Adelaide would set up England’s third straight away Ashes series, which had lost by three games.

The series moves on to Melbourne for its fourth Test on Boxing Day before arriving in Sydney in the new year.

” I look back to 2002-03, we were 4-0 down and won in Sydney. After winning that one game, I learned a lot, Vaughan said.

Jake Paul has spent years demanding to be recognised as a “real” boxer.

He has called out the likes of Saul ‘ Canelo ‘ Alvarez, while at the same time picking opponents ranging from retired MMA fighters and faded ex-champions to reality TV personalities and even a grandfather.

But on Friday in Miami, that sideshow collides with boxing’s top tier as Paul faces two-time heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua.

Some give Paul, the Disney-actor-turned-YouTuber-turned-boxer, credit for daring. Others question his sanity. Almost nobody gives him a chance.

“I worry about Jake’s health”, trainer Joe Gallagher tells BBC Sport.

Former world champion and Team GB coach Richie Woodhall says Joshua is the “hardest puncher” he has ever had on the pads.

Liverpool’s two-division champion Natasha Jonas calls the whole event simply “wild”.

That tension with boxing’s old guard irritates Paul. In fight week, he bristled at the mention of criticism, describing detractors as a “peanut gallery that doesn’t exist” and insisting the question of whether he belongs no longer concerns him.

On paper, Paul-Joshua is the biggest mismatch to headline a boxing event.

Paul has built the kind of operation only someone with serious finances – and intent – could assemble. Even sceptics acknowledge the graft.

“He’s not one of these people who say it but don’t live it. He takes it seriously”, Jonas says.

He trains out of a £3m converted warehouse in Puerto Rico, a full-time base with recovery suites, a strength and conditioning centre and high-end equipment used by elite professionals.

Conditioning coach Larry Wade, who has worked with world champions such as Shawn Porter and Badou Jack, oversees his physical work.

Sparring has matched the investment. Former cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie spent time with Paul and, according to the Londoner’s trainer Gallagher, returned “impressed by how much better Paul was than people think”.

Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez and American puncher Jared Anderson are also sparring partners.

American heavyweight Cassius Chaney – who shared 13 rounds with him early in camp – says the work was real.

“The guys haven’t taken it easy on him”, he says.

“Everything is intact. From the first day to the second day of sparring, Jake has definitely got better”.

Paul himself points to tangible progress.

Paul has beaten names casual fans recognise, but rarely when their boxing ability has carried weight.

The win over Mike Tyson generated headlines, the reality was a 58-year-old whose best nights belong to another century. Julio Cesar Chaez Jr had pedigree but lacked commitment.

And when Paul faced a legitimate boxer, Tommy Fury in 2023, he was outboxed and outpointed.

Team Paul point to first-round knockouts of Ryan Bourland and Andre August as proof of progress. Both had respectable records on paper but little standing inside the sport, and neither has boxed since.

Useful as development markers, they do not indicate anything beyond novice level.

“Would he win a British title? No, he’s probably like an area-level type of fighter”, Jonas says.

For Woodhall, the gap is vast. “My Team GB amateurs would send him into the next universe. They’d box his head off”.

Gallagher draws a comparison with Conor Benn – another fighter who built a profile without climbing the traditional ladder.

Those who have shared rounds with Paul acknowledge he offers more than the caricature suggests.

“He’s athletic, he has an IQ and he works hard. Those qualities alone are big”, Chaney says. He describes Paul’s power as “twitchy… the kind where you think, ‘ oh, he’s caught me there'”.

Gallagher feels the unconventional nature of Paul’s style could be his biggest asset.

“He’s not your textbook fighter that has come through an amateur system, where he has to put together the basics”, he says.

“There’s an awkwardness to him and his record shows he can punch”.

Paul’s conditioning has sharpened, but money can’t buy time in boxing and ring craft can only be forged through years of competitive rounds.

“Even experienced journeymen know how to take a shot, run the clock down. Jake doesn’t have that experience”, Woodhall says.

Chaney – originally earmarked to be Joshua’s next opponent – expects Paul to try to steal small moments rather than commit to anything sustained and believes Joshua may be cautious early.

“No fighter wants to get caught by Jake Paul”, he says.

Gallagher believes fans will have the “stopwatch” out to see how quickly Joshua finishes it, though he still predicts a clinical end. Jonas “wouldn’t be surprised if it’s over in 10 seconds”.

For all the Netflix build-up and celebrity gloss, though, Woodhall sees real danger.

“Jake better just keep his hands up and keep really low. If he’s going to make a fight of it he has to have a go – and if he has a go, he will get completely blown away”, he says.

Recent history backs that fear. When Joshua last faced a non-elite opponent, Francis Ngannou – a former MMA heavyweight champion – was flattened by a single, chilling right hand.

Jake Paul has spent years demanding to be recognised as a “real” boxer.

He has called out the likes of Saul ‘ Canelo ‘ Alvarez, while at the same time picking opponents ranging from retired MMA fighters and faded ex-champions to reality TV personalities and even a grandfather.

But on Friday in Miami, that sideshow collides with boxing’s top tier as Paul faces two-time heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua.

Some give Paul, the Disney-actor-turned-YouTuber-turned-boxer, credit for daring. Others question his sanity. Almost nobody gives him a chance.

“I worry about Jake’s health”, trainer Joe Gallagher tells BBC Sport.

Former world champion and Team GB coach Richie Woodhall says Joshua is the “hardest puncher” he has ever had on the pads.

Liverpool’s two-division champion Natasha Jonas calls the whole event simply “wild”.

That tension with boxing’s old guard irritates Paul. In fight week, he bristled at the mention of criticism, describing detractors as a “peanut gallery that doesn’t exist” and insisting the question of whether he belongs no longer concerns him.

On paper, Paul-Joshua is the biggest mismatch to headline a boxing event.

Paul has built the kind of operation only someone with serious finances – and intent – could assemble. Even sceptics acknowledge the graft.

“He’s not one of these people who say it but don’t live it. He takes it seriously”, Jonas says.

He trains out of a £3m converted warehouse in Puerto Rico, a full-time base with recovery suites, a strength and conditioning centre and high-end equipment used by elite professionals.

Conditioning coach Larry Wade, who has worked with world champions such as Shawn Porter and Badou Jack, oversees his physical work.

Sparring has matched the investment. Former cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie spent time with Paul and, according to the Londoner’s trainer Gallagher, returned “impressed by how much better Paul was than people think”.

Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez and American puncher Jared Anderson are also sparring partners.

American heavyweight Cassius Chaney – who shared 13 rounds with him early in camp – says the work was real.

“The guys haven’t taken it easy on him”, he says.

“Everything is intact. From the first day to the second day of sparring, Jake has definitely got better”.

Paul himself points to tangible progress.

Paul has beaten names casual fans recognise, but rarely when their boxing ability has carried weight.

The win over Mike Tyson generated headlines, the reality was a 58-year-old whose best nights belong to another century. Julio Cesar Chaez Jr had pedigree but lacked commitment.

And when Paul faced a legitimate boxer, Tommy Fury in 2023, he was outboxed and outpointed.

Team Paul point to first-round knockouts of Ryan Bourland and Andre August as proof of progress. Both had respectable records on paper but little standing inside the sport, and neither has boxed since.

Useful as development markers, they do not indicate anything beyond novice level.

“Would he win a British title? No, he’s probably like an area-level type of fighter”, Jonas says.

For Woodhall, the gap is vast. “My Team GB amateurs would send him into the next universe. They’d box his head off”.

Gallagher draws a comparison with Conor Benn – another fighter who built a profile without climbing the traditional ladder.

Those who have shared rounds with Paul acknowledge he offers more than the caricature suggests.

“He’s athletic, he has an IQ and he works hard. Those qualities alone are big”, Chaney says. He describes Paul’s power as “twitchy… the kind where you think, ‘ oh, he’s caught me there'”.

Gallagher feels the unconventional nature of Paul’s style could be his biggest asset.

“He’s not your textbook fighter that has come through an amateur system, where he has to put together the basics”, he says.

“There’s an awkwardness to him and his record shows he can punch”.

Paul’s conditioning has sharpened, but money can’t buy time in boxing and ring craft can only be forged through years of competitive rounds.

“Even experienced journeymen know how to take a shot, run the clock down. Jake doesn’t have that experience”, Woodhall says.

Chaney – originally earmarked to be Joshua’s next opponent – expects Paul to try to steal small moments rather than commit to anything sustained and believes Joshua may be cautious early.

“No fighter wants to get caught by Jake Paul”, he says.

Gallagher believes fans will have the “stopwatch” out to see how quickly Joshua finishes it, though he still predicts a clinical end. Jonas “wouldn’t be surprised if it’s over in 10 seconds”.

For all the Netflix build-up and celebrity gloss, though, Woodhall sees real danger.

“Jake better just keep his hands up and keep really low. If he’s going to make a fight of it he has to have a go – and if he has a go, he will get completely blown away”, he says.

Recent history backs that fear. When Joshua last faced a non-elite opponent, Francis Ngannou – a former MMA heavyweight champion – was flattened by a single, chilling right hand.

After being chosen to compete in the wheelchair curling team for the March 2026 Games, Jo Butterfield will attempt to become the first British athlete to win gold at both the summer and winter paralympics.

Before switching from para-athletics to curling in 2023, the 46-year-old won club throw gold at Rio 2016.

She won the same year’s mixed team world championships, and she will compete alongside Jason Kean in the new mixed doubles competition the following year after a brief break from the ice to recover from cancer.

Since becoming a Paralympian, Butterfield, who was born in Yorkshire but now represents Scotland, has carried the dream of pushing boundaries and seeing what is possible.

It’s a challenge I’m fully committed to embracing and a goal I set myself when I switched to wheelchair curling in 2023.

The seven-strong team includes four English-born athletes, and Butterfield and Kean will be the first non-Scotland-based British athletes to compete in a curling Paralympics.

Along with Kean, Stewart Aspey and Stewart Pimblett represented England at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships this year along with Scots Hugh Nibloe, Austin McKenzie, and Graeme Stewart in the team event.

Milano Cortina is Nibloe’s third Games appearance, making him the only other member of the squad to have previously competed at a Winter Paralympics.

The 43-year-old from Stranraer is determined to take home a podium at the Paralympics after previously claiming world silver and bronze.

Gameweeks begin on December 26, December 30, January 3 and January 6, with gameweeks beginning on December 26 and December 30. This is the final FPL week before fixture mayhem begins.

Expect rotation, random benchings, and some injury chaos because there is a lot of football to be played in a short amount of time.

Well done, you’ll need them over the next three weeks if you didn’t use up all of your five free Afcon transfers last week!

As if you were playing a Free Hit, the team of the week is chosen based on the current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget.

Another high-scoring week was capped off by strong performances from Robin Roefs (nine), Bukayo Saka (22 points), Bruno Fernandes (13), Hugo Ekitike (13), and Bruno Fernandes (13).

Given that there isn’t much money to spend on a keeper this week, I’m betting on Leeds keeping a clean sheet against a Palace side that has lost Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr, two of their key creative players.

Jean-Phillipe Mateta, the Palace’s top scorer, has also only one goal in six games.

Bournemouth Marcos Senesi, £4.9 million – Burnley (h)

Senesi earned defensive contribution points (defcon) for the 12th time in 15 games despite conceding four goals against Manchester United.

He gives you a high floor for a game where it’s obvious that you could also get a clean sheet.

Brighton, £4.6 million – Sunderland (h) Jan Paul van Hecke

In seven of his previous ten games (three goals, three clean sheets, one assist, and a defcon performance), Van Hecke has returned at least four points.

With only four goals scored on the road, Sunderland return to the Amex.

Brentford‘s Nathan Collins, £4.9 million – Wolves (a)

Brentford’s defense has scored the most goals conceded (xGC), which is higher than that of Liverpool and better than that of Chelsea and Aston Villa, over the past ten games.

Foden has become a must-have player by putting on 13.75 points per game in his previous four games.

West Ham’s home team is almost as good as it gets, winning just five games in a row.

You can always take a benching at random Pep Roulette but you don’t want to pick Foden.

Bournemouth‘s Antoine Semenyo, £7.5 million – Burnley (h)

This season, Burnley have conceded at least twice in eight games while playing away, totaling 23 goals.

Semenyo has returned to the top of the goalscoring charts after two and a half months since scoring for Manchester United.

If you still own him, he might still be a sell, but this week is a fantastic match-up.

Bournemouth‘s Marcus Tavernier, £5.5 million – Burnley (h)

Although Tavernier was Bournemouth’s star man in their eight-goal thriller against Manchester United on Monday, his potential has been demonstrated by his fundamental data for some time.

Tavernier is Bournemouth’s top performer, but Semenyo is not far behind.

He has the second-most shots, xG, goals, and big chances, surpassing any other Bournemouth midfielder who has created 22 chances.

He’s a fantastic budget option, making up for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Granit Xhaka, at £5.5 million.

Manchester United‘s Bruno Fernandes, $ 9.3 million, Aston Villa (a)

Fernandes ranks among the top midfielders in almost every other creative stat, making him unavoidable even in a difficult match like Villa away from Villa.

Igor Thiago, Brentford, £7.2m – Wolves (a)

Despite having only five points in his previous three games, Thiago has struggled to score.

Don’t let anyone think Wolves can defend themselves after almost taking an advantage of Arsenal.

You’d anticipate Brentford to win at Molineux after conceding 21 goals in eight home games.

Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland (captain) and West Ham‘s (h) salary of $15 million

Captaincy is currently returning to Haaland, and it might stay there.

Even if you went against him last week with Bruno Fernandes or Bukayo Saka, you still won’t regret it, but this gameweek presents an even greater risk.

Liverpool‘s £8.6 million acquisition of Tottenham (a) Hugo Ekitike

Given Tottenham’s recent performances, Ekitike’s form is unremarkable, and all of a sudden, this seems like a great match for him given his current form.

In his previous two games, the Frenchman has scored four goals, and Liverpool is gradually improving.

Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, £4.9 million – Nottingham Forest (h)

Leeds, £4.8 million – Crystal Palace (h) Anton Stach

Sunderland’s Omar Alderete, £4 million-Brighton (a)