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Whilst last weekend’s performance against Arsenal showed plenty of promise despite defeat, Manchester United and INEOS are still reportedly discussing the chance to welcome a midfield reinforcement.

Man Utd line up new targets after Baleba price proves prohibitive

Having been told that Carlos Baleba is not for sale unless they reach a premium price this month, Manchester United have been left with no choice but to pivot towards other targets. With less than two weeks remaining until deadline day, however, it remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim welcomes the last reinforcements that he needs to take his side back into European contention.

The two main weaknesses that the Red Devils must address lie in midfield and in goal. Of course. Baleba was earmarked to solve that midfield problem, but the Brighton & Hove Albion star is off the table for the time being. As such, targets such as Lucien Agoume have threatened to steal the headlines, with reports going as far as to say that the Sevilla star is now United’s priority target.

Meanwhile, Amorim’s goalkeeper problem was exposed for all to see against Arsenal. Choosing to go with Altay Bayindir over Andre Onana, who missed much of pre-season through injury, the Manchester United boss watched on as his second-choice flapped at Arsenal’s first corner of the game to hand them what proved to be the winning goal through Riccardo Calafiori.

It’s a problem that INEOS must solve before the end of the month with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma still on the market and available if they manage to leap ahead of rivals Manchester City in the race for his signature.

What’s more, alongside Donnarumma to solve their goalkeeper problem, reports are also now suggesting that Agoume isn’t the only Baleba alternative being discussed at Old Trafford this summer to hand Amorim a much-needed midfielder.

INEOS hold internal discussions about Angelo Stiller

According to Ben Jacobs and Sam Cohen, INEOS have now held “internal discussions” about signing Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart this month. The German impressed in the Bundesliga last season and has since found himself on United’s radar as a result. And whilst talks are yet to be held between the two clubs, the Stuttgart star is potentially one to watch as deadline day approaches.

Described as a “complete and capable” midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, Manchester United could certainly do a lot worse than signing Stiller this summer.

Bad news for Bruno: INEOS preparing late bid to sign £38m star for Man Utd

Manchester United look set to make their move for another talented midfielder this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb Aug 21, 2025

The German midfielder is unlikely to cost the same premium fee as Baleba, but would offer Amorim a similar upgrade on current options like Manuel Ugarte this season.

Lionel Messi sent a special message to ex-Barcelona team-mate Ousmane Dembele to congratulate him on winning the Ballon d'Or this year. Dembele edged out Blaugrana sensation Lamine Yamal to grab the Golden Ball. The French winger experienced the best season of his career in the 2024-25 campaign as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to a historic treble.

PSG and Dembele's historic campaign

Dembele was presented with the prestigious Golden Ball in Paris on Monday, after he played a pivotal role in helping PSG make history in the 2024-25 season. The Ligue 1 giants stormed to another Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France while also securing their first Champions League crown. The Frenchman contributed with 35 goals and 16 assists. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMessi congratulates Dembele

Barcelona legend Messi, who shared a dressing room with Dembele for four years at Camp Nou, left a comment on Dembele's Instagram post celebrating his Ballon d'Or triumph. The Argentine maestro wrote: "Grande Ous !!! Congratulations I’m so happy for you. You deserve it."

Mbappe celebrates Dembele's triumph

Dembele's France national team colleague Kylian Mbappe was also over the moon seeing his close friend winning the Golden Ball, as he wrote on his Instagram story: "Ousmane Dembele. It's the emotions, my brother. You deserve it a thousand times over."

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GettyWhen is Dembele playing next?

Dembele was able to attend Monday's ceremony in Paris and skip PSG's rescheduled Ligue 1 clash with Marseille as he is still nursing an injury that he suffered during the international break. He is hoping to regain full fitness in time for his club's next domestic game on Saturday against Auxerre. 

Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest have had a unique summer in terms of planning their transfer activity. When the window opened, they were preparing a squad capable of playing in the domestic competitions and in the Europa Conference League following qualification via their 7th-place Premier League finish.

However, since UEFA’s decision to have them swap competitions with Crystal Palace, they now have to prepare a Europa League-quality squad. As a part of this, they have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City youngster James McAtee.

The 22-year-old has previously been spoken about glowingly by manager Pep Guardiola: “Macca has this quality… He has the ability to create chances, he is there”.

City are currently looking at shrinking their squad however, with club record signing Jack Grealish being loaned out to Everton, and Forest not only see this as an opportunity to sign McAtee, but also another young City talent.

Forest bid for Lewis in double City swoop

In addition to their pursuit of McAtee, Forest have submitted a bid to Manchester City of £25.8 million for Rico Lewis. This comes from reports from France via Get French Football News.

The offer is thought to be an initial £21.5 million transfer fee, and the rest consists of performance-related add-ons. This bid has been turned down, and Lewis remains under contract with City until 2028. Guardiola has praised Lewis’s versatility, saying: “He is an exceptional player, offensively and defensively. He can play in different positions; he helps us to play.”

Based on these comments in may take a large bid to convince the treble-winning manager to part ways with Lewis.

If Forest comes back in with a bid that City find acceptable, then they will open negotiations with Lewis’s agents. Lewis is with CAA Base LTD, who Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has extensive experience with in the past, as they represent current Forest players Chris Wood and Ryan Yates, as well as the club’s former manager Steve Cooper.

Forest recruiting for the club's future

Last season in the Premier League, Forest’s average age for their starting 11 was 26.1 years old. This put them pretty much mid-table for average age out of the Premier League teams. However, this summer, there has clearly been a conscious effort to buy young.

The permanent signings they have made so far this window are Dan Ndoye (24), Igor Jesus (24) and Jair Cunha (20) – if they sign Rico Lewis (20) and James McAtee (22), the average age of their signings this summer will be 22 years old.

Additionally, the oldest two players that they have brought in this window (excluding 29-year-old goalkeeper Angus Gunn on a free) are two years younger than the squad average last season.

While Alan Hansen’s famous quote of “You’ll never win anything with kids” didn’t age well, it does still encapsulate the trepidation many fans feel about relying on young players over more experienced ones, especially when Forest will be playing in four competitions this season. But While Forest’s new recruits are young, they’re all experienced and have at least a few seasons of football under them where they have matured into professional players.

This transfer strategy of young but proven players won’t only serve Forest this season but long into the future.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة هدفين لكل فريق، مباراة إنبي ومودرن سبورت، التي أقيمت ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى إنبي أمام مودرن سبورت عصر اليوم على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع|رئيس إنبي: الأهلي وجهة مصر الأولى ولم أتوقع التعادل معه

سجل هدف إنبي الأول اللاعب محمد شريف في الدقيقة 39 من عمر اللقاء، وتعادل مودرن سبورت عن طريق حسام حسن في الدقيقة 53.

ونجح إنبي في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 79 عن طريق يوسف أوبابا، وتعادل مودرن سبورت عن طريق محمود ممدوح في الدقيقة 90+5.

بهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد إنبي إلى النقطة 10 في المركز الخامس، بينما وصل رصيد مودرن سبورت عند 11 نقطة في المركز الثالث. أهداف مباراة انبي ومودرن سبورت اليوم في الدوري

Still on the hunt for incomings even with Bryan Mbeumo seemingly on the way, Manchester United are now reportedly battling against clubs in the Saudi Pro League to sign a midfield ace.

Mbeumo waiting to undergo Man Utd medical

After going back and forth in negotiations with Brentford, it looks as though Manchester United have finally taken a step closer to signing Mbeumo this summer. The Red Devils are now reportedly finalising any add-ons in an offer that will exceed the £60m mark, while Mbeumo is now waiting for approval to undergo a medical at the club.

The forward is on course to become United’s second arrival of the window, but he’s unlikely to be the last. If recent reports are anything to go by then INEOS are still on the hunt for a goalkeeper and a striker this summer.

The big question on that front has been just who will arrive to fill that quota. The likes of Emiliano Martinez have been among the headlines on the goalkeeper front, but whether Aston Villa sell one of their star men to a rival even in the face of PSR troubles remains to be seen.

He's better than Cunha: Man Utd close in on signing "phenomenal" star

Manchester United look set to complete their second signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 25, 2025

Meanwhile, when it comes to strikers, it did look as though Ruben Amorim could get a shock reunion with Viktor Gyokeres. United were certainly in the race, reportedly making the Swede their No.1 target, but ultimately he set his sights on Arsenal with negotiations still ongoing.

That may not be the last time that the Red Devils interact with his representatives, however. Reports are now suggesting that another one of their clients are on United’s radar this summer.

Man Utd now battling to sign Ndidi

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Manchester United are now battling to sign Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City this summer. The experienced midfielder is attracting plenty of interest following the Foxes’ relegation, including from the Saudi Pro League, and is now free to leave the King Power Stadium if his £9m release clause is triggered this summer.

Represented by the same agent as Gyokeres, United shouldn’t find it too complicated to open discussions for a midfielder who could provide Amorim with a bargain solution to his Casemiro problem.

Premier League stats 24/25 P90 (via FBref)	Ndidi	Casemiro
Starts	28	18
Progressive Carries	0.70	0.24
Interceptions	1.20	0.84
Ball Recoveries	4.92	6.20

While Ndidi’s arrival wouldn’t steal the same headlines as Cunha or Mbeumo, it would have importance in its own right. Carrying the ball at a far better standard while proving more effective off the ball, Ndidi is more athletic than the ageing Casemiro and could crucially offer the quality in depth that Amorim requires.

Earning around £75,000-a-week at Leicester, Ndidi wouldn’t exactly disrupt United’s wage bill either. That, alongside his £9m release clause, makes him a viable option for INEOS and the Red Devils in the coming months.

Part and parcel of promotion to the Premier League is the reality that some players are not going to be a part of Leeds United’s future beyond this summer.

Players who did not play regularly in the Championship may not be suited to playing in the top-flight, given that they were not deemed good enough at a lower level, and that is why Patrick Bamford could be in trouble.

The English forward only played 17 times in the league in the 2024/25 season, coming off the bench in all of those outings, and failed to provide a single goal or assist to the team.

No final decision on his future has been communicated by the club or player, but his lack of minutes last season does not suggest that he is likely to be a key player in the top-flight next term.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Meanwhile, another member of Daniel Farke’s first-team squad has already revealed that the club have made a decision on his future at Elland Road.

Max Wober's statement on his Leeds future

Whilst on international duty with Austria, central defender Max Wober has confirmed that the Premier League side have told him to leave during the summer transfer window, as they want to cash in on him.

He told Krone: “Leeds have already told me clearly that they want to sell me.”

Wober’s contract at Elland Road does not expire until the summer of 2027, though, so a team will have to come in with an offer to sign him if they want to move on from the Austrian flop on a permanent basis.

Leeds paid a reported fee of £11m to sign the left-footed dud from RB Salzburg in January 2023, under Jesse Marsch, but it remains to be seen how much of that fee the club would want back for him.

Why Wober must go before Bamford

The West Yorkshire outfit must push the Austria international out of the door at Elland Road this summer before Bamford because he does not, on paper, look to be a player who will provide much value to the squad.

Wober, who was described as “half-hearted” and “slow” against Hull by pundit Tony Dorigo, only played eight times in the Championship this season, playing half as many matches as the striker, and endured a rough time in the Premier League last time out.

22/23 Premier League	Max Wober
Appearances	16
Starts	14
Clean sheets	2
Dribbled past	8x
Duel success rate	53%
Penalties committed	1
Error led to shot	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Austrian flop played for Leeds in the second half of their relegation season and failed to step up, with two clean sheets in 16 games.

These statistics, coupled with his lack of minutes this term, suggest that he is unlikely to make the step up to the Premier League, which is why it is a good decision by the club to tell him to move on.

Bamford, meanwhile, may not be a frontline option for Leeds, given his struggles this season, but he is an experienced player who could provide value off the bench and around the squad.

The 31-year-old striker has scored 24 goals and provided 14 assists in 104 Premier League games in his career, including 17 goals in the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford has been there and done it in the top-flight in the past and could impart his experience and wisdom to the younger and less experienced members of the squad as a back-up option next season.

That is not to say that Leeds must keep the striker at Elland Road, as a move for him to go and play regular football could still suit all parties, but he has more to offer the team than Wober, who does not have any past success in the Premier League.

Shades of Haaland: Leeds in contact to sign "seriously impressive" striker

Leeds United’s search for a new centre-forward continues, ahead of their Premier League return

By
Robbie Walls

Jun 8, 2025

Therefore, Leeds should make selling Wober a big priority this summer, whilst they can afford to be relaxed about Bamford and his situation.

Wrexham fans must have become used to their side languishing in the National League and being known as sleeping giants, with the Red Dragons stuck inside non-league’s top division for a mammoth 15 seasons, before a dramatic turnaround in fortunes came about during the 2022/23 campaign.

Now, Phil Parkinson’s team will be embarking on an unbelievable Championship adventure this coming season, with Wrexham just fresh off the wild feat of three promotions in a row to demand a seat at the esteemed second-tier table.

The ultra ambitious Welsh outfit will head into the Championship full of confidence, and rightly so, with this sky-high optimism only raised more by the potential arrival of a new striker who could go down as Wrexham’s next Paul Mullin.

Mullin has been there from the very start of the crazy journey up the leagues, with his growing collection of goals making him a firm fan favourite at the Racehorse Ground.

Mullin's remarkable journey at Wrexham

The 30-year-old joined the Wrexham ranks right as the club was about to be catapulted into stardom, with every season – bar his debut campaign – ending in the sweet glory of promotion.

Along the way, the prolific striker has bagged a jaw-dropping 105 strikes from 165 overall clashes, with the Liverpool-born centre-forward a definite member of the Red Dragons’ hall of fame.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an inevitable end, with Mullin’s waning output of just three league strikes last season meaning he could be moved on very shortly.

Wigan Athletic are allegedly interested in his services, but this potential dent to Wrexham’s squad would be immediately fixed by a brand-new goalscoring menace joining the club, someone who has displayed a similar deadliness in front of goal to Mullin during the high points of his up-and-down career.

Wrexham's "clinical" new Mullin

The much-loved 30-year-old might well be a potent hero in the lower reaches of the EFL, but it would be a tall order to expect him to light up the Championship, considering he has never plied his trade here across his extensive playing days.

On the contrary, Danny Ings has shone at the difficult level in the past, with Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph now boldly revealing that the newly promoted side are in talks with the 32-year-old over a statement deal taking place.

Before going on to be known as a Premier League-calibre striker for the likes of Southampton and West Ham United, Ings would get his first big break in the Championship with Burnley by scoring 27 of his 43 Clarets goals in the unpredictable division.

The well-travelled veteran would surely welcome a return to the level, therefore, to recapture his groove in front of goal, with the hope that he can go on to be as deadly as Mullin in his fresh location, even so deep into his career.

Burnley

130

43

14

Southampton

100

46

10

West Ham

69

5

5

Aston Villa

52

14

8

AFC Bournemouth

30

8

3

Liverpool

25

4

1

Overall number

406

120

41

After all, the table above shows off Ings’ “clinical” nature – as he was once labelled glowingly by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott – across the myriad of clubs he has lined up for, with his weaker return of five strikes for West Ham mainly impacted by his recurring injury issues when on the books of Graham Potter’s men.

Ings going down as a success in Wales will all depend on whether the injury-prone forward can shake free of these constant trips to the treatment room.

If he can, he could become that same talismanic figure for Parkinson’s men that Mullin once was, with Wrexham already daring to dream about a Premier League stay one day.

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The Welsh club are preparing for life in the Championship.

ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025

Already focused on the summer transfer window, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi is now reportedly leading their charge to sign a Serie A midfielder in the coming months.

Emery focused on Tottenham game

Whilst the Villans continue to build their summer plan around the action on the pitch, Unai Emery’s focus has not changed. Champions League qualification is still a possibility for his side, who have Europa League finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to play as they wait for a potential slip up from those above them in the Premier League.

Emery will be well aware of just what’s at stake in the next couple weeks and reiterated the need for focus ahead of this weekend’s Tottenham game, telling reporters: “I am wishing to play. I don’t want holidays because we’re in a very good moment after a long season, but now we’re very, very motivated.

“Very excited to play at Villa Park tomorrow, for our objectives we have in front of us to play again in Europe. It’s not in our hands but we can have some options to play Champions League again. And focusing on Tottenham because I know the most difficult way we can have is our own way, playing against Tottenham tomorrow and how we can beat them.”

Aston Villa register formal interest in signing "dominant" contract rebel

Monchi and Aston Villa could make their move…

ByTom Cunningham May 15, 2025

Aston Villa won’t need reminding what Champions League football can offer, either. They experienced moments that those at Villa Park will forever savour this season, with victory over Bayern Munich a particular standout. Now, however, they’ll be desperate to ensure that their place among Europe’s elite is not just a one off blip and, instead, a consistent feature of the competition.

Meanwhile, away from the action, Monchi is already thinking about the targets that could arrive with or without Champions League qualification.

Monchi leading Payero charge

According to reports in Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness, Monchi is now leading Aston Villa’s charge to sign Martin Payero from Udinese this summer. The sporting director is reportedly a huge admirer of the midfielder, which could yet see the Villans push on and secure his signature in the coming months. In terms of depth, there’s no doubt that the Argentine has plenty to offer.

Minutes

1,381

2,997

Progressive Passes

3.33

7.03

Progressive Carries

2.16

1.17

Ball Recoveries

4.90

4.35

When assessing the numbers, it’s clear that Payero wouldn’t be able to offer the same quality in possession as Tielemans, but he would be able to complete the legwork that the Belgian arguably struggles with. And that could create quite the midfield combination for Emery.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the midfielder enjoys a foray into English football, either, having previously been at Middlesbrough. It was there that he earned the praise of former manager Neil Warnock.

The former manager told reporters when he unveiled the midfielder in 2021: “Martin will be a great addition to the squad. I think he will be an exciting signing, we’re delighted to get everything done, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

Celtic find themselves on the cusp of another Scottish Premiership crown and could now be set to test the water for a talented winger who their manager is a huge fan of, per reports.

Celtic look to make summer mark with domestic clean sweep on the table

With Rangers lingering in the distance, Celtic are on course for a domestic treble and need a maximum of nine points to claim a fourth Scottish Premiership title in quick succession under Brendan Rodgers.

The Bhoys face St Johnstone this weekend before taking on Kilmarnock in their last pre-split fixture. They also have a chance to progress to the Scottish Cup final against the former as their dreams of a clean sweep remain in motion.

Looking ahead to the summer, Rodgers has hinted that Daizen Maeda’s Celtic progress could soften his hunt for a new striker, claiming the Japan international could be his number-one choice moving forward.

He stated: “I think he can be (the number-one striker). I think it’s one where to replace, to move him onto the side and take him out of the middle, with all due respect, it’s probably easier for us to get a top winger than it is a top striker.”

Daizen Maeda’s prolific campaign for Celtic – all competitions

Appearances

43

Goals

30

Assists

9

Backed up by the recent rumour mill, Celtic appear to be focusing on movement elsewhere and have identified Augsburg’s Elvis Rexhbecaj as a target to compete with Callum McGregor in the engine room.

On the same token, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo has been mentioned in dispatches at Parkhead. Now, true to his word, Rodgers is ready to revisit a move for a winger who he has had his eye on for a while to help strengthen the Hoops’ forward line.

Celtic ready to pounce for Royal Antwerp's Michel-Ange Balikwisha

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are ready to relaunch their interest in Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha after sending scouts to the Belgian side’s recent 5-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, where the DR Congo international registered an assist.

Valued at £5 million, Rodgers has had the 23-year-old on his radar for quite some time, even if fitness problems scuppered the potential of a January move to secure his signature.

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Frustratingly, injury problems have limited Balikwisha to eight appearances this campaign, though he has created five chances and won 11 duels on Jupiler Pro League duty.

Labelled “amazing” by analyst/writer Ben Mattinson, Rodgers has previously taken a personal interest in pushing a deal over the line for Balikwisha, so it won’t come as a major surprise to hear that he is back on Celtic’s recruitment department’s agenda.

Champions League qualifiers are likely to provoke a swift turnaround in Glasgow, and there is every chance the Congolese star could be one of several arrivals ahead of 2025/26.

Bangladesh conceded 297 as a horror series drew to an end, leaving them with plenty to ponder

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-20240:56

Seven records India smashed against Bangladesh

Mahmudullah took one final crack towards long-on, only for Riyan Parag to intercept the shot a few yards inside the rope. His long-time team-mate Tamim Iqbal was on air to pay him a tribute as he walked back to the Hyderabad dressing room. Earlier in the day, the Bangladesh players had presented Mahmudullah with a crest to mark his T20I retirement. By the time he got out, the visitors required 168 runs at 31.11 per over. India’s 297 for 6 is the second-highest men’s T20 total of all time. Not everyone from the shell-shocked Bangladesh dugout stood up to applaud him as he crossed the rope.Mahmudullah departs the Bangladesh T20I team at a troubled time. India have dismantled them in their first bilateral series in the format since their underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign earlier in the year. The difference between the two sides was not just that of the world champions and another team. It was worse. India played the high-risk, high-reward game, a version of T20 batting that gets refined almost every month. Bangladesh are lagging behind, playing an archaic form of T20 cricket.India’s margins of victory in the three matches are evidence enough of this gulf. They won with 49 balls remaining in Gwalior, and then by 86 runs in Delhi and finally 133 runs in Hyderabad. The last game on Saturday was a fiasco for Bangladesh. Sanju Samson struck a 40-ball century, sharing a 173-run second wicket stand with captain Suryakumar Yadav. The innings included 25 fours and 22 sixes, adding up to 232 runs, setting a new world record for most runs from boundaries in a T20I innings.Tanzim Hasan Sakib got an early wicket but went for plenty of runs•BCCIThe fast bowlers couldn’t repeat their Delhi performance, conceding 169 runs in 12 overs. Taskin Ahmed could only smile as he was carted around. Tanzim Hasan removed Abhishek Sharma in his first over, but then got hit for half a dozen sixes. Mustafizur Rahman couldn’t stem the flow of runs despite having the most experience at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, among the Bangladesh bowlers, having played nine IPL games there.Related

• Amid the drama, new coach Simmons wants Bangladesh to 'focus on the cricket'

• What will life after Big Five be like for Bangladesh in T20Is?

• Samson's epic, Suryakumar's innovation hand Bangladesh a shellacking in Hyderabad

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• Stats – India smash 232 runs through boundaries

Legspinner Rishad Hossain was hammered for 30 runs in his second over, while Mahedi Hasan’s darts made him the most economical bowler on the night for them, still going at 11.25.Bangladesh also messed up a few chances, chiefly the run-out opportunity in the 18th over. Parag and Hardik Pandya were both at the striker’s end. Wicketkeeper Litton Das had plenty of time to effect the dismissal but his throw at the non-strikers’ end was poor. It went right over the bowler, Mustafizur’s head, and led to a misfield from the Najmul Hossain Shanto backing up from mid-off. India ended up getting the single. Shanto slammed the ball in disgust.For all that though, it is really Bangladesh’s batting that has led them down into the doldrums. The 164 for 7 they made on Saturday was their best day of the series and yet they were 133 runs short of India’s total. The top order couldn’t put together one decent partnership. Litton Das and Shanto batted poorly, throwing away their wickets after initial bursts of boundaries. Newcomer Parvez Hossain Emon has a lot to work on. Bangladesh have nothing in the way of a viable opening partnership. And without that foundation the rest of their line-up is shapeless.Litton Das made 42 in 25 before being dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi•BCCI”A big score becomes easier to get with runs from the top order, at least till No. 4,” Hridoy, who made 63 off 42 balls, said in Hyderabad. “I think we have to improve as a batting group. It has been happening for a long time now. We are hopeful that we can take lessons from this series. We have lacked in every department. We didn’t bowl well or bat well in every game. We have a lot to improve. We don’t play in these [batting-friendly] wickets. You have seen that too. This is not an excuse, but the more we play on these wickets, we will get more used to [them].”Shanto and Taskin have raised similar concerns but Hridoy went further. “Most of our players can’t read wickets,” he said. “We play most of our matches in Mirpur [where spin plays a dominant role] and sometimes in Chittagong. If we keep playing on good wickets, we won’t change overnight, but we will slowly improve.”I wouldn’t say that our standard is too low. We were competing against a very strong side. They are T20 world champions. They are ahead of us in terms of skills, and they know their home conditions. I think we are a good side but we need to know how to play better on flat wickets.”The 3-0 loss against India was Bangladesh’s third bilateral series defeat this year. They have also lost to Sri Lanka at home and USA in Texas. They did poorly in the T20 World Cup. The big question now is whether Bangladesh will continue to play T20s in this manner or are they looking for a longer discussion about playing the game differently?