Harry Kane has made a decision on his future at Bayern Munich, having been linked with both a move to Barcelona and a return to the Premier League. The England captain broke his trophy duck last season and looks on course to add more silverware to his honours list, with the German giants well placed in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.
For the second time in three months, Alex Verdugo is looking for his next stop.
Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday that the Atlanta Braves have designated Verdugo for assignment, clearing room for Jurickson Profar, who was suspended 80 games for a performance-enhancing substance.
Verdugo went unsigned for most of the offseason until he landed a deal with the Braves in late March. In 56 games with the Braves, Verdugo batted .239/.296/.289 with 10 doubles and 12 RBIs. His 65 OPS+ is by far the worst mark of his career.
Verdugo, once ranked as one of the top prospects in all of baseball, starred for four years for the Boston Red Sox from 2020 to '23 and batted .281/.338/.424 in 493 games. Boston flipped him to the arch rival New York Yankees ahead of the 2024 campaign, and he went on to struggle in pinstripes, logging a .233/.291/.356 slash line in 149 games.
Verdugo wasn't able to turn around his 2024 hardships in '25.
Profar, after serving his 80-game suspension, went 3-for-15 in three games with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers during his rehab assignment.
The Braves signed Profar to a three-year contract worth $42 million in January after his career year with the San Diego Padres in 2024 when he hit .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers. He was suspended by MLB in March after four games.
The Colorado Rockies blanked the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, putting an end to an unbelievably bad streak.
Rockies fans haven't had much to cheer for in some time, but they can find some solace that their squad held an opponent to a zero for the first time in 221 games. They beat the Cardinals 6-0 for their second win in a row in a Wednesday afternoon rubber match thanks to six scoreless innings from starting pitcher Tanner Gordon. On the offensive side, they had a four-run second inning and never looked back.
According to ESPN, the Rockies are the only major league team since at least 1901 to go more than 200 games without a shutout win.
"I did not know that," Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said on the wild streak postgame via ESPN. "That's a long time without a shutout. But I'm glad we shut them out today. That was good behind Gordon. Gordon did a fantastic job."
Colorado fired manager Bud Black in May after a brutal 7-33 start to the season following a 61-101 finish last year.
With the shutout, they moved to 26-76 on the year, which is the worst record across the MLB by 10 games. After taking the series from the Cardinals, the Rockies have won back-to-back series for the first time this year. It's all about the small victories, right?
Despite spending over £200m on new additions during the summer transfer window, Manchester United have still found themselves short on quality in the midfield department.
Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants added quality in such an area in the months, especially considering the current situation he’s presented with in the Premier League.
Casemiro has started 13 out of a possible 15 games in the league this campaign, but the Brazilian looks set to leave the Red Devils next summer when his current contract expires.
Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are two other options in such an area, but they have both started two combined league matches in the 2025/26 campaign to date.
As a result, the hierarchy have been hunting for a player to operate at the heart of the side, which could see an excellent partnership being formed in the near future.
United’s potential midfield partnership after January
In an attempt to bolster United’s midfield, INEOS have been on the hunt for added reinforcements, which has led to Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson becoming their main target.
The 23-year-old has been in phenomenal form during the ongoing campaign, even topping numerous rankings in the Premier League compared to other players in his position.
He’s won possession on 126 occasions in England’s top-flight to date, with no other player managing to do so over 100 times – subsequently showing his ball-winning capabilities.
Anderson certainly would offer the perfect deep-lying option, something which Amorim has desired, but any deal would be a club record with Forest demanding a fee in the region of £100m.
Such a move would be a huge investment from the hierarchy, but it would also allow captain Bruno Fernandes to have the partner he’s craved in the middle of the park.
The Portuguese international has operated in a deep-lying position in 2025/26, but has still managed to star in possession, as seen by his tally of ten combined goals and assists in the Premier League.
He’s also constantly offered a creative source for the Red Devils, as seen by his tally of 3.1 chances created per 90 – the best tally of any player in the division at present.
A partnership of Anderson and Bruno would likely be one of the best in England’s top-flight, which could allow the club to finally challenge for a title once again.
The United star who’s a hybrid of Anderson & Bruno
United’s work in the transfer market over the last couple of years has certainly raised eyebrows across the division, with the hierarchy wasting huge funds on countless players.
Over £800m has been splashed in the last four years alone, which has seen numerous players fail to deliver and resulted in a measly 15th-place finish last campaign.
However, Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system requires a very specific type of midfield pairing, which has led to the rumours of a big-money move to land Anderson in the coming weeks.
It would be yet another huge addition made by the board, but one that could set the first-team up for many years, especially considering his tender age, which could see him explode into life in the years ahead.
A player of Bruno’s calibre is also extremely rare in the modern game and would likely cost a pretty penny, but it appears the Red Devils have already got ahead of the curve.
In recent weeks, they completed the €1m (£750k) addition of 17-year-old midfielder Cristian Orozco from Colombian side Fortaleza, with the teenager set to join the academy squad.
The move for the youngster has certainly taken a few supporters by surprise, but it’s one that could allow them to have a huge talent in the future at Old Trafford.
Despite his tender age, he’s already been a star for his boyhood club, which has led to him featuring at the U17 World Cup for his nation – even catching the eye of many people.
Orozco has been dubbed “a midfield destroyer” by one analyst, with his showing against El Salvador last month highlighting why he would be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.
Minutes played
90
Touches
107
Pass accuracy
75%
Passes completed
63
Tackles made
2
Duels won
9
Recoveries made
9
Dribbles completed
2
The teenager produced a superb defensive performance on the international stage, subsequently making two tackles and coming out on top in nine of the duels that he entered.
Such figures showcase his remarkable ball-winning ability, something which has made Anderson such a desirable target for the Red Devils in the last couple of months.
Regaining possession is one thing, but the youngster has also thrived with the ball at his feet – subsequently producing numbers that Bruno would be proud of.
In the same game, he completed 67 passes at a completion rate of 75% – with such numbers reflecting his incredible ability to find his teammates when driving forward with the ball.
There’s no doubt that Orozco has a long way to go in his development before he nails down a starting role at Old Trafford, but there’s little denying that the club have secured a top young talent.
His numbers from his recent showings at international level showcase his incredible talents, with the teenager having all of the tools to be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.
Cunha upgrade: Man Utd looking to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"
Manchester United considering a move for a top-level forward ahead of the January window.
1 ByEthan Lamb 5 days ago
Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action once again this evening as they prepare to welcome Dundee to Parkhead for Martin O’Neill’s last game in charge.
The 73-year-old manager has confirmed that the match will be his last as the interim boss before Wilfried Nancy is in post ahead of the clash with Hearts at the weekend.
Celtic won 2-1 away at Hibernian in his final away game in the dugout for the Hoops, but the experienced Northern Irishman may want to make some changes to the starting line-up from that win.
Celtic's best performers against Hibernian
Among the players who should keep their place in the XI after that game against Hibs is goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who only gave possession away 11 times from 54 touches and saved all three of the shots against him from open play, per Sofascore.
Celtic’s number one made a couple of impressive close-range saves towards the end of the game and completed all three of his run-outs to clear the ball to preserve all three points, whilst it would be incredibly harsh to criticise him for not saving Martin Boyle’s penalty.
The two goalscorers, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels, should also retain their positions in the line-up, along with Reo Hatate and Hyun-jun Yang, who set up the goals.
Whilst Yang was not officially credited with an assist for Engels’ goal, the clip above clearly shows that it was his cross that was slightly deflected into the Belgian’s path.
Liam Scales, despite being harshly penalised for a handball, should also keep his place after winning eight of his 12 duels, per Sofascore, and completing 95% of his attempted passes.
Meanwhile, there were a couple of players whose performances may lead to them dropping out of the line-up, including right-sided attacker Luke McCowan, who should be dropped this evening.
Why O'Neill should drop McCowan today
The Scottish central midfielder has been utilised on the right wing in recent weeks, in the absence of any natural options in that position, and he started there against Hibernian on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the left-footed star was unable to deliver a high-quality performance to suggest that he deserves to keep his place in the team heading into O’Neill’s final game against Dundee.
McCowan, who was signed from Dundee in the summer of 2024, played the opening 63 minutes of the clash with Hibernian, before the manager opted to bring Benjamin Nygren on out wide.
Minutes
63
Touches
34
Shots
0
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
Goals + assists
0
Duels won
1/4
As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop had fewer touches in the game than Schmeichel, a goalkeeper, and failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.
The experienced midfielder also lost 75% of his physical duels in the win, per Sofascore, which shows that he found the physicality of the game a bit too much to deal with whilst playing on the right wing.
McCowan provided quality on a regular basis in the final third in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals and eight assists in 36 league outings for Dundee and Celtic combined, but he has been unable to carry that into the current season.
The Hoops midfielder has not provided an assist in the Premiership since O’Neill’s first game in charge against Falkirk, and his only goal of the league season came against St Mirren on the opening day at the start of August.
This shows that McCowan has not provided much of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants in recent months, which may be why the experiment of playing him on the wing has not been too successful.
It is also why O’Neill should ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for tonight’s clash with his former club, opening the door for Nygren to start on the wing instead of in central midfield.
Celtic flop who was "really shaky" v Hibs is the first player Nancy must bin
This Celtic flop is the first player who should be sold by incoming manager Wilfried Nancy in January.
ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025
The Sweden international has scored seven goals in all competitions for Celtic this season, including five in the Premiership, per Sofascore, and he may carry more of a threat than McCowan did from the start against Hibernian on Sunday.
Manchester United have now accelerated contacts to sign a “wonderful” Real Madrid star, who is attracting interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.
Mason Mount hasn’t had the easiest of times at Man United, having spent a lot of time out with injuries, but there are signs the attacking midfielder is now getting back to his best, being voted Premier League Player of the Matchweek courtesy of a top display against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
With Mount showing signs of improvement, and Bryan Mbeumo hitting the ground running at Old Trafford, having already scored six Premier League goals, Ruben Amorim has some top quality attacking options at his disposal.
Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes also provided an attacking threat in the 4-1 victory against Wolves, with the latter bagging a brace, but the Red Devils remain keen on signing a new attacking midfielder.
That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United have now held talks to sign Real Madrid star Arda Guler, recently accelerating contacts to sign the Turk, who has a reported price tag of £88m.
United are in the front row for Guler’s signature, alongside Arsenal, with both clubs making moves to secure his signature, alongside Liverpool, so there could be stiff competition.
At the moment, however, Madrid aren’t planning to cash-in on the 20-year-old, so the interested Premier League clubs may have to be patient.
The youngster has been impressing with some of his performances for Madrid this season, being singled out for high praise by The Athletic journalist Guillermo Rai earlier this month.
The playmaker already has seven assists to his name in all competitions this term, two of which came in the Champions League, while he has also provided three goals.
Xabi Alonso is also clearly very happy with the starlet too, saying: “With his quality, he’s a mix between Özil and Guti. Guti had that vision and finesse to link play or operate closer to goal, and with Mesut I enjoyed football so much. Arda has that something special — that natural talent you can’t teach.”
Man Utd express interest in signing South American striker who tore PSG apart
United have set their sights on a new striker, with Joshua Zirkzee’s Old Trafford future in doubt.
By
Dominic Lund
4 days ago
Of intrigue to United supporters may be the fact that by scoring on his European Championship debut for Turkey in 2024, he became the fifth-youngest goalscorer in the tournament’s history and the youngest debutant to find the net, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record.
That said, signing a new attacking midfielder shouldn’t be a priority for Man United, given that Mount is exhibiting very promising signs, and Fernandes has continued to impress, but Guler is clearly a very talented player, with a bright future ahead.
حقق منتخب عمان الفوز على نظيره فريق جزر القمر، في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.2025
وواجه منتخب عمان نظيره منتخب جزر القمر، في الساعة السابعة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة في الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.
طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة المغرب والسعودية في كأس العرب 2025
ويقع منتخب عمان في المجموعة الثانية في مجموعات كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات جزر القمر والسعودية والمغرب.
وحقق منتخب عمان الفوز منتخب جزر القمر بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم في كأس العرب.
وأحرز ثنائية منتخب عمان في مرمى جزر القمر اللاعب عصام الصبحي في الدقيقتين 30 و45 من عمر الشوط الأول، بينما قلص منتخب جزر القمر النتيجة في الدقيقة 68 من الشوط الثاني.
وبهذه النتيجة رفع منتخب عمان رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب المجموعة، بينما تذيل جزر القمر الترتيب بدون أي رصيد من النقاط.
ورغم فوز عمان على جزر القمر، الا أن منتخب المغرب ضمن تأهله إلى ربع نهائي كأس العرب لتودع عمان البطولة من دور المجموعات رفقة منتخب جزر القمر. أهداف عمان وجزر القمر في كأس العرب
If any side has it in them to gift bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers a much-needed Premier League win, it might well have been Ruben Amorim’s all too often charitable Manchester United outfit.
Indeed, heading into this Monday night clash at Molineux, the Red Devils had previously handed relegation-threatened West Ham United a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
However, the visitors from Manchester were far more ruthless on this occasion, as Wolves’ abject season shows no signs of stopping off the back of United running out convincing 4-1 winners.
Sitting on just two points, you likely could pick flaws all night long in the woeful home performance, with the die-hard Old Gold faithful clearly at their wits’ end with the ownership at their lowly club, having staged a fan protest before yet another defeat was tallied up.
What went wrong for Wolves on Monday
Championship football already looks destined to be returning to the West Midlands very soon, with the fresh appointment of Rob Edwards to replace Vitor Pereira doing very little to save the sinking ship.
Edwards just can’t account for some silly errors that plagued Wolves’ game all evening, though, with Andre in the first half – who has been on United’s transfer radar – dilly dallying on the ball for far too long, before Bruno Fernandes then scrappily gave the fortuitous away side a 1-0 lead. As journalist Liam Keen put it, the defending for this opening strike was ” totally shambolic.”
The likes of Yersen Mosquera in the heart of the ropey Wolves defence didn’t fare any better, either, with the shaky number 15 handing Fernandes his second of the one-sided affair late on, after a handball decision went against him for the penalty.
Mason Mount also had all the time in the world to put away United’s third when both Mosquera and Emmanuel Agbadou left him in acres of space to fire home, with the abysmal defending on show typical of a side that has surrendered a seriously worrying 33 goals already this season.
All over the pitch, there were very few positives to latch onto, with a lacklustre attacker now needing to be dropped by Edwards, after he put in another no-show against the rampant Red Devils.
Wolves flop must now be dropped after Man Utd
Apart from Jean Ricner Bellegarde scoring Wolves’ first league goal since October, there would be little to smile about from an attacking point of view at Molineux for the hosts, especially when it came to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s idle showing.
Long gone now are the days when Larsen was being tipped for a £50m switch to Newcastle United after bagging 14 league strikes during his debut season, with the out-of-sorts Norwegian instead now on the receiving end of some sarcastic cheers when he was substituted off after an uneventful 69-minute spell against Amorim’s men.
As per the aforementioned Keen, Larsen even had to be calmed down by his manager after looking “furious” with the jeers directed at him.
But, when looking at the table below, it’s hardly a shock that the hardened Molineux masses decided to voice their frustrations in such a gallows humour way, with the goal-shy number 29 coming off after registering zero shots and just five accurate passes.
Minutes played
69
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
19
Shots
0
Accurate passes
5/9 (56%)
Total duels won
2/12
Moreover, Larsen only mustering up a sorry 19 touches of the ball in total means even Johnstone in between the sticks for the relegation-doomed side had more touches of the ball, coming in at a far heftier 42.
The Newcastle-linked striker’s notable drop off has impacted the Old Gold so much this season that former Premier League scout Mick Brown, when speaking to Football Insider earlier in the campaign, stated that his presence up top now makes the basement outfit a “worse side.”
This is a far cry from analyst Ben Mattinson’s previous comments that he was a “proper number 9” when scoring goals for fun, meaning Edwards must seriously consider axing him soon, even as his other striker option in Tolu Arokodare, prepares to head to the African Cup of Nations.
Desperate times could call for desperate measures, with Hwang Hee-Chan perhaps the answer in from the cold up top, considering he does have 23 top-flight goals for the Old Gold, one of which came this season, lining up as the sole centre-forward.
Whatever changes do occur, Wolves need to start doing the basics correctly if they stand any chance of turning around their likely insurmountable points gap, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher stating that they have “no fight” at the moment.
Larsen could fall victim to Edwards shuffling his pack, with Wolves surely left with plenty of regret now that they handed the out-of-form number nine a new, bumper five-year deal in September, instead of cashing in.
Wolves now want to sign 'top talent' from Man City with player set to leave in January
Rob Edwards’ side need inspiration from somewhere.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 6, 2025
Newcastle United are now reportedly preparing a move to sign an impressive striker in 2026, who has outscored Nick Woltemade so far this season.
Howe "hugely frustrated" by Tottenham draw
It may now be three Premier League games without defeat for Newcastle, but Eddie Howe couldn’t hide his frustration after Tottenham Hotspur rescued a late draw on Tuesday evening. It could have capped off the beginning of their resurgence following wins over Manchester City and Everton, but ultimately highlighted their frailties instead.
Speaking to reporters at full-time, Howe said: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.
“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.
“Technically, second half, I don’t think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading. When you’re leading and you’ve got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.”
Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs
Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.
ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025
The Magpies don’t have long to lick their wounds, however. Up next, they play host to Burnley in their third game in the space of a week. Victory there would represent another step in the right direction in a hectic festive period.
As each game comes, Yoane Wissa also edges closer and closer to a comeback. The DR Congo forward opted out of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Newcastle for their patience, but that may not be enough to prevent those at St James’ Park from reinforcing their frontline in January.
Newcastle preparing Igor Thiago move
While the Magpies are intent on bolstering their youth ranks, notably joining the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Cardiff’s Dylan Lawlor, they are also very much thinking about the present.
Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now preparing a move to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford in January after completing their scouting mission.
The impressive forward has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season – a number that only Erling Haaland has bettered – and could now seal a well-earned move when the January transfer window arrives.
PL stats 25/26
Thiago
Woltemade
Minutes
1,101
965
Goals
11
5
Assists
0
1
Expected Goals
8.5
4.5
Whilst there’s no denying that record signing Woltemade has made a fantastic start at Newcastle, Thiago has been on another level. The Brentford star has stepped up to replace Bryan Mbeumo, but could now complete a similar move in another blow for Keith Andrews.
The young manager has been full of praise for his forward this season, telling reporters last weekend: “He is a dream to work with. As a person, his hunger and appetite to get better is impressive.
“He is having a fantastic season, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. The numbers will tell you that, the performances he produces consistently well, how well he has integrated into the way they are playing and with individuals.”
Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle
England head coach defends opener despite pair as methods come under scrutiny
Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Nov-2025
Zak Crawley bagged the first pair by an England opener since Mike Atherton in 1998•Gareth Copley/AFP/Getty Images
Brendon McCullum still believes in Zak Crawley despite his pair in the first Test against Australia, and has called on England bat with more conviction following their two-day defeat in Perth. The visiting head coach even cited Travis Head’s match-winning 123 as an example to follow.Head made light work of what looked a more-than-competitive target of 205, driving Australia most of the way home to an eight-wicket win in just 28.2 overs. With Usman Khawaja yet again suffering from a back injury, Head replaced Marnus Labuschagne (who opened in the first innings) and proceeded to slap 20 boundaries, including four sixes that belied the size of the Optus Stadium boundaries.As well as flaying an England attack that 24 hours earlier had put the frighteners up the home batters, Head was responsible for the first runs for an opening partnership in the Test. The first overs of the previous three innings had brought ducks. Crawley was responsible for two at the hands of Mitchell Starc. Jake Weatherald – knocked off his feet by Jofra Archer on day one – maintained his footing with 23, his first runs in Test cricket.A careless waft outside off stump six balls into the match was followed by a checked-push five balls into his second innings, brilliantly caught by Starc. With that, Crawley became the first English opener dismissed without scoring in both innings of an Ashes Test since Michael Atherton at Melbourne in 1998.Pegged as a batter to thrive on Australian pitches, England have groomed Crawley as an X-factor player ahead of this tour. He has been backed to the hilt by captain Ben Stokes since the start of his tenure.Though Crawley was the leading run-scorer in 2023’s Ashes, and England’s standout run-scorer on the following tour of India, he has averaged just 32.26 since the start of 2022. His career average – 30.96 – is close to dipping under the thirty mark.McCullum has previously insisted Crawley is not picked to be “a consistent player”. Essentially, he is a scorer of great runs rather than a great run-scorer. That point of view remains undimmed, as is his importance in an opening partnership with Ben Duckett that remains the fastest since 1998. Travis Head starred as an opener with an extraordinary 69-ball century•Getty Images
“We believe he is a quality player,” McCullum said, when asked if Crawley was undroppable. “Particularly in these conditions against this sort of opposition. How many balls did he face? 10 or 11? He got out cheaply, but we believe in Zak.”He’s been around this group for a long time, he’s done really well. The combination with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley has allowed us to enter games as best as we think we can. And I’d expect to see a strong bounce-back from Zak in the next little while. Sometimes you get out early, right? It would have been nice if he hadn’t. But that’s life. If he can get going, he can do some damage.””If” being the operative word. Crawley is now joint-fourth on England’s duck list from 96 innings – the only member of that top five to have batted fewer than 142 times in Test cricket. And the suggestion he cracks on when he gets a start is not backed up by the statistics. The 27-year-old has 24 fifty-plus scores, but of openers with at least 20, his average of 85.80 is the third lowest.Of course, Crawley is not the sole batter to blame for the fact England are 1-0 down. It was a top-order collapse of 5 for 23 – including Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root across six deliveries for no run – that relinquished what had been a lead of 105 with nine second-innings wickets in hand.It was Scott Boland who thrived during this passage, eventually finishing with 4 for 33, making amends for a difficult 0 for 62 in the first innings.Related
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Having bested the 36-year-old on Friday, England were unable to get a hold of him on Saturday. A mistake, in McCullum’s eyes, which he puts down to batters not wholly committed to their respective methods. Unlike Head.”Maybe just back away and slay it over point, or slog it to cow?!” McCullum said, tongue in cheek, when asked how England might have batted better. “I’m not saying they didn’t go hard enough, but there was a player [Head] who had total conviction in his method and has done it across different formats and on different stages over the last few years.”‘Have conviction’ – that’s been what we’ve said. Choose a method and have conviction in it. If it works then great. But if it doesn’t at least you’ve done it your way.”Despite the early finish, England are set to remain in Perth for the time being before heading straight to Queensland ahead of the second Test, a day-night affair in Brisbane, which begins on December 4.A decision is yet to be made on whether any of the main squad will drop into the England XI – originally the Lions – for the Prime Minister’s XI match in Canberra (November 29), which will offers them pink-ball practice. Most importantly for McCullum is shedding the pain of this whirlwind defeat as quickly as possible.”We will let the dust settle, but we are bitterly disappointed for us, but also all the fans who have turned up here to support us so well here and we know we will be throughout the series.”We can’t carry this one onto the next. We’ve been trying to insulate against things going wrong for a while. For us that connectivity and camaraderie is something we pride ourselves on. We will need it over the next few days.”