Last season, Arsenal’s squad depth, or lack thereof, was tested to the absolute limit. Really, it was amazing that this team got as far as they did.

The Gunners were not a million miles away from the title and reached the Champions League semi-finals.

That all happened without a number of key players. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel all missed large chunks of the campaign with serious hamstring problems.

Skipper Martin Odegaard also missed a lot of the early exchanges through an ankle injury, a problem that subsequently dampened his form for much of 2024/25.

So, with Andrea Berta at the helm for his first summer window, the message was loud and clear; add depth.

Add depth they did, in abundance too. The likes of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres have improved numbers in forward areas. At the back, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie have been added to the collection.

Yet, all of that means that competition for places is now intense. Some of the club’s finest young talents are struggling for game time.

The biggest losers from Arsenal's increased squad size

Mikel Arteta has not been afraid of making big calls since becoming Arsenal manager if it means his squad improves.

The most notable example is undoubtedly Aaron Ramsdale. The England international looked like the Gunners’ number one for the next decade but Arteta was dissatisfied and swooped for David Raya, now one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In the current side, a number of players are suffering from similar treatment. Jurrien Timber’s emergence as one of the Premier League’s finest right-backs means that Ben White is now reduced to a regular role among the subs.

Before then, Kai Havertz’s leading role as the striker meant Gabriel Jesus had become a fringe player.

In midfield, the arrivals of Eze and Madueke has also dampened Ethan Nwaneri’s game time.

When Saka was out, it was Madueke who deputised. With Odegaard now out, it’s Eze who is deputising. Nwaneri’s moment will no doubt come but he’ll have to be patient to get regular opportunities again.

Nwaneri’s fellow attacker in the shape of Gabriel Martinelli has also been hit with reduced starts so far in 2025/26.

The positive is that it has inspired improved performances. Martinelli has only started four games in all competitions but has scored three times and registered an assist.

Yet, for one of Hale End’s finest, he’s perhaps been hit the hardest this season.

Hale Ender is being given the Smith Rowe treatment at Arsenal

When Arteta first became Arsenal manager he relied on two players to carry his project forward.

One of them was Bukayo Saka, still the poster boy of this project, and Emile Smith Rowe, who appeared for Fulham in their 1-0 defeat to the Gunners on Saturday.

For Smith Rowe, his exit in the summer of 2024 was a sad one. He is an Arsenal boy, he loves the club, but he simply couldn’t re-find his form or reclaim his place in the team after a succession of injury problems.

This was a player who once scored ten goals in one Premier League campaign. That came back in 2021/22 and since then it has been a struggle. During his final year with the club, he featured in the matchday squad for a league fixture on 31 occasions but only started three times and came off the bench on ten occasions.

Smith Rowe was fit for much of the season but simply didn’t get his opportunity; instead he was kept out by Odegaard and Co.

The same now appears to be happening to a few players. Nwaneri is one of them but the other is Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Now, it must be stated that Lewis-Skelly is still only 19 years of age. He’s an England regular and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season. The teenager has the world at his feet and will no doubt become a regular under Arteta again.

However, at the moment, there are certainly echoes of the Smith Rowe situation. A sparkling and dazzling Hale Ender who saved Arteta’s lack of depth last season, the youngster is now paying the price for an increased squad size and the form of his teammates.

Hailed as a “future captain” by club insider Hand of Arsenal, Lewis-Skelly’s potential is enormous but it is slightly in danger of being wasted, certainly this term.

He has been in the squad for all eight Premier League matchdays but is yet to start, has come off the bench five times and has only featured for 83 minutes.

So, why is that? Well, Riccardo Calafiori – who spent much of last campaign on the treatment table – has enjoyed a finer time of it with regards to fitness.

Calafiori hasn’t picked up a single injury yet and has been an ever-present member of the starting XI in the league. He’s been magnificent, too.

It was the Italian who scored the winning goal against Manchester United on the opening week and it was the defender who also picked up two assists a game later against Leeds.

The full-back then had a remarkable finish ruled out against Fulham on Saturday, cruelly denied a scintillating goal courtesy of the offside flag.

Calafiori was everywhere on Saturday, and it gave us all the evidence needed to demonstrate why Lewis-Skelly isn’t starting. His fellow full-back has been a man possessed this season and without an injury, isn’t budging from that position anytime soon.

So, how can Lewis-Skelly get more minutes? Well, like Smith Rowe, he must be wondering what on earth he needs to do. With Hincapie also signed and due to return from injury imminently, it surely only dampens the prospect of Arsenal’s Hale End prodigy getting playing time even more.

A midfielder by trade, a spot may well open up there but considering Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have locked down those two positions, there isn’t a huge amount of hope that he’ll get chances there in 2025/26.

For a player who is the “future of Arsenal and English football” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig, it has been sad to see Lewis-Skelly’s decline in minutes. It is similar to Smith Rowe, but he has the talent, pedigree and fitness levels to ensure he doesn’t leave the club as early as his fellow Hale Ender.

At long last, Rangers have got their next manager after officially announcing the appointment of Danny Rohl. The former Sheffield Wednesday manager was not their first choice, that’s no secret, but one former Ibrox star has already pointed out one similarity with club legend Walter Smith.

Danny Rohl: "No time to waste" at Rangers

It’s not Steven Gerrard, it’s not Kevin Muscat, but it is Rohl. Rangers have finally filled their managerial vacancy and must now put full faith in their 36-year-old coach to turn things around after a disastrous start.

For all his inexperience, it’s worth noting that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss has worked with the likes of Hansi Flick and was Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant when his Southampton side were at their very best. He is one of the best young managers around and has been handed the biggest job of his career to date.

In an ideal world, Rohl would have all the patience needed to make his mark in Scotland. However, the reality is that he must get off to a solid start following the disaster of Russell Martin’s tenure.

The German is well aware of how urgent things are at Ibrox, though, having told the club’s official website: “We have no time to waste, we start straight away.

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“I respect that trust is earned and understand we have to give the supporters confidence in what we are doing by showing it on the pitch from the start. The expectations are huge and I love this challenge because I set high standards for myself and the team too.”

Some have already hit out at his inexperience, but one former Rangers star has highlighted a key similarity with Walter Smith which may just buy Rohl some time.

Andy Halliday reveals similarity between Rohl and Walter Smith

Speaking on Clyde1 Superscoreboard, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday revealed a similarity between Rohl and the legendary Smith.

Indeed, Rohl has no experience as the main man in the pressure environment of a top level club with huge support, but cut his teeth behind the scenes at Bayern Munich as Hansi Flick’s assistant. Similarly, Smith arrived at Ibrox with no senior managerial experience, but had coached Scotland’s youth sides.

Of course, Smith is a once in a generation manager, but Halliday’s point stands. The jury should not deliver their verdict until Rohl has had a chance to impress at Rangers.

There will be many who have been left scared by Martin’s time in charge, but Rohl’s reputation suggests that he is a different calibre to the former Southampton boss.

Thursday’s game against Brann in the Europa League hands the young manager the perfect opportunity to prove Halliday right and get his era off to the best possible start.

The Yankees have once again ended a season without winning a World Series as they had their year come to an end Wednesday night with a 5-2 loss at home to the Blue Jays in Game 4 of their American League Division Series.

The Yankees now enter the offseason with questions about the future of their manager, Aaron Boone, and questions about what roster moves they can make in order to try to win their first title since way back in 2009.

Yankees great Derek Jeter was on Fox's postgame show and during his breakdown of yet another disappointing finish for the franchise he spoke about what the roughest thing was for Yankees fans to stomach after falling short of a championship again.

"What's tough is for the Yankee fans, this is the second year in a row they've watched another team celebrate on their home field and you can feel the frustration," the Hall of Famer said.

Jeter also had a very honest statement about this year's Yankees team.

"Aaron [Boone] said it. They got beat. They got beat," Jeter said. "Last year you could sit back and talk about the World Series and Game 5 and that the Yankees beat themselves in that particular game. In this series the Toronto Blue Jays proved they are a better team. From top to bottom they are a better team."

Here are Jeter's full comments:

It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do moving forward and how different the team will look next season.

As for right now, it has to be a rough day for the team's fans because so much is expected from this club every season, which means every playoff exit stings even more. Especially when they have to see another team celebrating on their home field.

كشفت تقارير صحفية آخر تطورات الموقف الخاص بنجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، وعلاقته مع المدرب آرني سلوت، قبل مباراة السبت ضد برايتون في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيد” مباراة ليفربول وبرايتون، في الجولة السادسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

وصرّح المدرب آرني سلوت، في مؤتمره الصحفي اليوم، أنه سيتحدث مع محمد صلاح قبل أن يتخذ قرارًا نهائيًا حول مشاركته في مباراة الغد وسط الأزمة التي تسبب بها المصري مؤخرًا.

وتم استبعاد محمد صلاح من مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان، يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، في دوري أبطال أوروبا، إثر تصريحاته العنيفة ضد النادي وسلوت، يوم السبت الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. حقيقة تتويج محمد صلاح بجائزة لاعب شهر نوفمبر في الدوري الإنجليزي

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية، فإن محمد صلاح أجرى محادثات سلام إيجابية مع مدرب ليفربول، آرني سلوت، بعد ظهر اليوم، وتصافح الطرفان بعد أسبوع كاد أن يُدخل النادي في صراع داخلي.

وأوضحت أن محادثات الجمعة بين الطرفين كانت إيجابية، وأن محمد صلاح سيتواجد في قائمة ليفربول للمشاركة في مباراة برايتون يوم السبت.

وأفادت أن لا يعني هذا أن الوضع قد تم حله نهائيًا، لكن ممثلي محمد صلاح والنادي سيجرون المزيد من المحادثات خلال مشاركة اللاعب المصري في كأس الأمم الإفريقية.

سيتوجه محمد صلاح إلى كأس الأمم الإفريقية بعد مباراة برايتون، وسيضمن التوصل إلى حل، سواء كان مؤقتًا أو دائمًا، على الأقل تهدئة الضجة المحيطة بهذه الأزمة.

كان القلق قد ساد بين العديد من مشجعي ليفربول من أن العلاقات بين محمد صلاح من جهة، وليفربول وسلوت من جهة أخرى، قد توترت بشدة وأن المصالحة مستحيلة، إثر تصريحاته اللاذعة مؤخرًا.

وأشارت إلى أن فرص رحيل محمد صلاح تبدو الآن أقل بعد المحادثات الإيجابية التي أجراها مع سلوت عقب التدريب يوم الجمعة، وسيكون من المثير للاهتمام معرفة ما إذا كان المدرب الهولندي سيدفع به في التشكيل الأساسي غدًا أم لا.

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Arrascaeta, do Flamengo, está em alta no mercado e despertou o interesse do Cruz Azul, do México. O clube estrangeiro acena com uma proposta para a janela de transferências do meio do ano e se mostrou disposto a pagar até 20 milhões de euros (R$ 108 milhões). As informações são do jornal “O Globo”.

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A multa rescisória para o exterior prevista no contrato de Arrascaeta com o Flamengo é de 50 milhões de euros (quase R$ 268 milhões). Segundo a publicação, o interesse chegou aos representantes do jogador e também ao Fla, que não tem interesse na saída.

O meia uruguaio, de 29 anos, tem contrato com o Flamengo até o fim de 2026. A última valorização dada pela diretoria carioca foi no fim de 2022. Ele está no elenco rubro-negro desde 2019, ano em que conquistou a Copa Libertadores com o clube.

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Não é de hoje que Arrascaeta é cobiçado no mercado. O jogador do Flamengo despertou o interesse do futebol árabe recentemente. Em 2023, o Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, tentou levar o uruguaio também por valor milionário.

A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

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Another day, another opportunity for Shohei Ohtani to find more ways to amaze us all.

The two-way superstar toed the rubber at Dodger Stadium Friday as L.A. tries to close the door on the Brewers to make their second World Series appearance in a row. Ohtani walked Milwaukee leadoff man Brice Turang to start the game, but he quickly bounced back by striking out Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich and William Contreras to end the inning.

He had to quickly get off the mound to make it in time for his second job, hitting leadoff for the Dodgers. In his first at-bat of the day, he took Brewers starter José Quintana to a full count before he saw a breaking ball low and in the zone. Ohtani took the pitch 446 feet over the right-field wall and nearly out of Dodger Stadium to give himself the lead.

According to MLB's Sarah Langs, Ohtani's solo shot was the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in MLB history, which counts the regular season and playoffs. It was also the first homer by a Dodgers pitcher ever in the playoffs and the first by any pitcher since 2018, also according to Langs.

He started a three-run first for the Dodgers as they aim to sweep the Brewers. Ohtani then went out in the second inning and retired the side in 10 pitches. In the fourth, he remarkably hit a ball even further, crushing an 89-mph cutter a whopping 469 feet for his second homer of the night. As if he needed to drop any more jaws, he sent this ball up and out of Dodger Stadium to give L.A. a 4–0 lead.

But wait, there's more. He smacked another homer, his third of the night, in the seventh. This time he sent the ball 427 feet over the center-field fence to make an even bigger statement on his truly historic night.

Per ESPN Insights, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in a postseason game as a pitcher. And he hit three of them. His night on the mound ended after six scoreless innings, striking out 10 batters and letting up three walks on 100 pitches.

Friday's Game 4 of the National League Championship Series marked Ohtani's second start of the playoffs. He threw six innings and recorded the win in L.A.'s Game 1 victory over the Phillies in the NL Division Series. At the plate, he now has three homers over the playoffs, adding onto the 55 he hit over the regular season.

One of the biggest success stories a Manchester United academy graduate has had since leaving the club is, without doubt, Scott McTominay.

The Scotland international has shone for his new club Napoli and played a crucial role in getting his country to the 2026 World Cup.

The 28-year-old has played 50 games for the Italian giants now, scoring 17 goals and assisting seven in that time. He became a club hero by helping guide them to the Scudetto title last season, winning the Serie A MVP award and earning himself a Ballon d’Or nomination in the process.

Ruben Amorim never got the chance to work with him at United, but it would have been fascinating to know how he’d have utilised him.

How Amorim could have used McTominay at Man Utd

It is interesting to note that under Antonio Conte in Naples, McTominay has operated in a few different roles. He’s played as a number ten, a box-crashing number eight and even off the left-hand side.

Well, had Amorim got the chance to coach the Scot, he may have used him as a number ten in his infamous 3-4-2-1 system. The United academy graduate has great instincts in the box and excels at occupying the centre-backs.

If he were to play high up under Amorim, the chances are he’d be spending more time in the box.

Of course, the other area McTominay would naturally fit in Amorim’s system would be as a number eight. In this role, he could still have crashed the box, making late runs to get on the end of crosses from the wing-backs.

Off the ball, his physicality would have been a handful. That is perhaps best showcased by his 1.85 aerial duels won per 90 minutes over the last year, placing him in the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues.

Of course, we’ll never truly know how McTominay would have fitted in under Amorim, but there is a player in the academy who could be seen as the Portuguese manager’s own version.

Amorim’s in-house Scott McTominay

Over the years, United’s esteemed academy, Carrington, has produced some exceptional talent. McTominay is one of the modern examples, and the Red Devils have some brilliant talent coming through still.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

One of those is Sekou Kone, a man who could be viewed as the second coming of McTominay.

The Malian youth international is seen by football scout Antonio Mango as a player who can be “a beast under Ruben Amorim.”

At 19 years of age, Kone has already been involved in first-team squads thanks to United’s manager, who clearly sees talent in him to give him that opportunity. The midfielder was an unused substitute for three Premier League games last season.

As for his performances in the academy, the five-foot-nine midfielder has shown good versatility and an eye for goal. He’s played 14 games for the Red Devils’ under-21 side, scoring twice and operating as a number ten and in the pivot, just as McTominay has shown for Napoli.

The competition in which Kone truly announced himself was the Under-17 World Cup back in 2023.

He helped steer Mali to third place and was one of the standout players in the competition, creating 10 chances and grabbing two assists.

Key passes

1.6

10

Dribbles completed

2.5

16

Long balls completed

5.5

35

Tackles and interceptions

6.4

41

Aerial duels won

2.5

16

It will certainly be interesting to see how far down the line we are from Kone’s first-team debut.

The 19-year-old could operate in a few different roles, and his ability to have an effect in the final third might pique Amorim’s interest.

It is easy to see how he is the second coming of McTominay. A versatile midfielder who can be physically dominant, despite having a smaller frame than the Scot, and someone able to score goals.

He is certainly an exciting prospect for Amorim and United.

Next Carrick: Man Utd want to sign "one of the best CMs in the PL" for £60m

Man United could enhance the quality of their midfield with the signing of another Michael Carrick.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 19, 2025

When Celtic return to action on 22 November for a rare Saturday night extravaganza against St Mirren, who will be sat in the away dugout in Paisley?

Well, interim manager Martin O’Neill has done a pretty good job since being parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning both Premiership matches 4-0, with goals from Johnny Kenny, Kieran Tierney, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels downing Kilmarnock on Sunday.

​​​​​​Now, as we head into an international break, the Celtic board are surely intensifying their search for a permanent head coach, with last Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland perhaps underlining O’Neill’s shortcomings.

So, which of the leading candidates for the Parkhead hot seat should they prioritise appointing?

What Wilfried Nancy would bring to Celtic

In recent days, the surprise, left-field candidate who has emerged for the Celtic job is Wilfried Nancy.

The 48-year-old’s entire coaching career, to date, has come in North America, his first managerial role coming in 2021, succeeding Thierry Henry as CF Montréal head coach.

With the Impact, who are one of the lowest spending teams in Major League Soccer, Nancy miraculously led them to second in the Eastern Conference in 2022, thereby third in the overall standings, having also won the Canadian Championship the year before.

Manager Focus

However, he has seriously made a name for himself since joining Columbus Crew.

Since swapping Québec for Ohio, Nancy has enjoyed huge success in charge of the Black and Gold, winning MLS Cup in his first season and then Leagues Cup in 2024, also leading the Crew to their first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican juggernauts en route, ultimately beaten 3-0 by Pachuca in the final.

At the weekend, Columbus’ 2025 campaign came to an end, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati, which may mean Nancy is more available now than he would have been a week ago.

This though should not denigrate what Nancy has achieved in Columbus.

Joe Lowery believes he is the most talented coach in MLS history, describing the Crew’s “patient possession” play as “so much fun to watch”, but does this mean the Frenchman would succeed in Glasgow?

Well, the step from Major League Soccer to top-level European football is massive.

Other coaches such as Gerhard Struber, Jaap Stam, Raphaël Wicky, Bob Bradley and Patrick Vieira, who have made the jump, have often struggled to make their mark at the top level, meaning it is impossible to tell if the 2024 coach of the year would fare any better.

So, who knows, appointing Nancy would certainly be a massive risk, so is there another manager already operating at the top level in Europe the Celts should chase first?

Who should be Celtic's first choice to replace Martin O'Neill

Given the current economic climate in European football, it is increasingly difficult for clubs outside Europe’s big five leagues to compete, a reality Celtic supporters experience every season, despite the fact their side have won 13 of the last 14 Premiership titles.

Well, a club who have continued to punch above their weight are Bodø/Glimt, hence why, as reported by Sky Sports, Celtic’s managerial shortlist features Kjetil Knutsen, with the report outlining that he still remains among their lengthy list of targets.

The 57-year-old has been in charge of the Yellow Horde since 2018, when they were still a second-tier outfit, but has transformed them into Norway’s dominant force.

Bodø/Glimt, who had never won the league before, have picked up four of the last five Eliteserien titles, including setting the league’s single-season points record of 81.

With two matches remaining of this campaign, which concludes on 30 November, they are second, one point below Viking, who are seeking their first title since 1991, but the race will go down to the wire.

This domestic domination has given Bødo/Glimt a platform on which to shine in Europe, which is where their most eye-catching results have come.

As the table documents, Bodø/Glimt have been European regulars over the last five seasons, most notably reaching the Conference League quarter-finals and last season’s Europa League semi-finals, before qualifying for the Champions League proper for the first time ever earlier this year, smashing Sturm Graz in the play-off round.

These are performances Celtic can only dream of, considering the Hoops have not won a European knockout tie since 2004, one of their numerous defeats coming at the hands of Bodø/Glimt in February 2022, Knutsen’s team demolishing Postecoglou’s side 5-1 on aggregate.

The Norwegian champions have also enjoyed noteworthy victories over Roma, Beşiktaş​​​​​​​, Crvena zvezda, Porto, Olympiacos and Lazio, while they have lost only seven of their last 38 European home matches, winning 29 of them, making Aspmyra the fortress that Celtic Park yearns to become once more.

Looking at Knutsen specifically, across his 351 matches in charge, he has always deployed an attacking 4-3-3, with width provided by adventurous full-backs, allowing wingers, including current star Jens Petter Hauge, to drift inside and score goals.

Former Norway international Jan Åge Fjørtoft praised Knutsen’s “clear philosophy” and “attractive” style of play, forecasting that he is destined to land one of the biggest jobs in European football.

So, as Celtic aspire to be as competitive on the continent as Bodø/Glimt have become, Knutsen would be a statement appointment, surely one an entire divided fan base could get behind.

Nancy has his own credentials, but it is Knutsen who might just be the ideal pick.

117 touches, 96% passing: Celtic star just had his best game all season

Celtic demolished Kilmarnock 4-0 in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, and one of Martin O’Neill’s players enjoyed their best game of the season.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 9, 2025

The New York Yankees opted to bench Anthony Volpe for a few games as the young shortstop was mired in a slump. His stint on the bench appears to be reaching its end, however.

Manager Aaron Boone detailed the Yankees' plans at shortstop going forward, and made clear that the organization views Volpe as its starter at the position. Boone told reporters that Volpe would be back in the mix on Tuesday, meaning he'll be out of the lineup one last time for Monday's series opener against the Nationals.

"I view Anthony as our shortstop." Boone said, via Chris Kirschner of

Volpe has had his ups and downs this season. He leads the American League with 17 errors on defense, which trails only Elly De La Cruz across all of MLB. He's shown some power at the plate with 18 home runs, but his .208 batting average is a major concern, and his .674 OPS is both subpar and the best of his career.

Fans have long expressed their concerns over Volpe's development, but Boone made clear that the team continues to view the 24-year-old as its top shortstop. And with the team hoping to contend for a World Series, they'll need Volpe to be at his best.

The Brewers hold a nine game lead in the National League Central, but don't let manager Pat Murphy hear that the Cubs are underdogs in the division race.

With the help of a 14-game win streak that was snapped on Sunday, Milwaukee took a massive lead in the division race. They hold MLB's best record at 79-45, and Chicago is second in the division at 70-54. Even with the largest division lead in the league, Murphy will not buy into the notion that they are favorites over the Cubs.

"They have all-stars, MVP candidates, veterans, gold glove winners, world champions," Murphy said, via Jesse Rogers of. "What don't they have? They're not the underdogs. Trust me."

The Cubs might have a more star-studded roster than the Brewers, but Milwaukee is currently the best team in baseball. They might not have the superstar lineup of teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets or even the Cubs—and they certainly have a much lower payroll than all those teams—but their ability to play cohesive and fundamentally sound baseball has led them to the top of the standings.

It seems silly to view the Cubs as anything but underdogs to win the division at this point, especially with only a month and change left in the regular season, but it is all deliberate for Murphy. The Brewers' second-year manager has kept the appearance that their small market team is the underdog or overlooked, providing opportunities for endless motivation to go along with their habit of playing good baseball.

The Brewers began a five-game series against the Cubs on Monday, taking a 7-0 shutout victory in the first matchup. If they win the series, or even sweep Chicago, they might not be able to hide under their underdog guise anymore.