Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 27 Nov 2025, 09:11
BBC
Nottingham Forest are determined to hold on to England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, and will reject any bids for him during the January transfer window.
Manchester United are one of the clubs linked with Anderson and the Old Trafford club want to add to their wing-back options as well as bring in a central midfielder. (ESPN), external
Tottenham are keen on Spain striker Samu Aghehowa from Porto, with Arsenal and Chelsea also having an interest in the 21-year-old. (Caught Offside), external
Crystal Palace are weighing up making a January move for Newcastle United's 26-year-old English midfielder Joe Willock. The Magpies could be persuaded to sell as they are keen to sign AZ Alkmaar's 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
West Ham are leading the race to sign Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise in January, with Wolves and Leeds also interested in the 24-year-old Canada striker. (Teamtalk), external
Chelsea have reopened contact with Mike Maignan's representatives after learning that the 30-year-old France goalkeeper does not intend to extend his contract with AC Milan next summer. (Sky Sport - in French), external
Denmark keeper Filip Jorgensen, 23, could be offloaded by Chelsea to make room for the arrival of Maignan or another keeper. (Football Insider), external
Brazil forward Estevao Willian's agent says the 18-year-old was offered to Barcelona before joining Chelsea but the Spanish club's financial situation meant they could not sign him. (Cadena Ser, via Talksport), external
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, 25, has been linked with a number of clubs but the La Liga side's president, Enrique Cerezo, says the Argentina international wants to stay at the Spanish outfit. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external
Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has failed with an opening offer of £20m for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, with the proposal more than £10m less than rival bids. (Talksport)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Manchester United could recruit more than one midfielder amid ongoing uncertainty over the futures of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo - The Sun
Nottingham Forest will reject any bids for Elliot Anderson in the January transfer window - Daily Mail
Liverpool's interest in Antoine Semenyo is gathering pace with the Reds planning to make a January approach to resurrect poor form - Express
Manchester United chiefs accept that Ruben Amorim's squad is still limited despite allowing him to spend more than £200m on new players in the summer - Mirror
Crystal Palace are considering a January move for Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock - Telegraph
Nottingham Forest are looking to improve their squad in defence and midfield in January with Brighton's Jack Hinshelwood a target - Daily Mail
Kai Rooney could finally follow in his dad's footsteps by debuting at Old Trafford next month when the Under-18s squad face off against Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Youth Cup - Mirror
International football
FIFA could face legal action following their controversial decision to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo's ban and allow him to play in Portugal's first two World Cup games - Daily Mail
European football
The Norwegian club Vålerenga have called for anti-doping regulations to be strengthened after an extraordinary case in which a player from their women's team was found to have ingested a banned stimulant from rubber crumb in an artificial pitch.
Women's football
The Football Association is planning to include a redeveloped Old Trafford in the UK's bid book of stadiums to host matches at the 2035 Women's World Cup - Guardian
Clubs competing in the women's Champions League face being excluded from the League Cup next season as part of a radical revamp of the competition - Express
The Athletic
The Tactics Board: Why has the 4-3-1-2 disappeared?
For all the tactical flexibility in modern football, one previously common formation has almost completely disappeared from the sport in recent years: the midfield diamond.
That system, generally depicted as a 4-3-1-2 — sometimes a 4-1-3-2 in a slightly different format — is most commonly linked with Argentina and Italy, two countries that arguably revere the No 10 more than anyone but don’t produce many top wide players.
That situation is chicken-and-egg, of course, and maybe the death of the diamond is not just about the system itself, but about what the system represents.
After all, the 4-3-1-2, perhaps more than any other modern system — if it still qualifies for that tag — has obvious strengths and weaknesses. In simple terms, it packs the centre of the pitch, but leaves space out wide. In reality, the diamond, when used properly, can cover space dynamically. The width can come from the forwards running the channels, or from the shuttlers on either side of the diamond pushing out wide, or from the full-backs advancing. What initially appears to be a very rigid shape can be perfectly fluid.
And, at its best, the diamond was used by managers who wanted control in midfield. Go back to the mid-2000s, for example, and you will find Jose Mourinho’s Porto side winning the European Cup with that system, while Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan were the most consistent diamond-fielding side.
That Milan, in particular, showed how the diamond allows managers to load up on ball-playing midfielders. A midfield featuring Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka, with Gennaro Gattuso doing most of the dirty work, was particularly bold during a period of cagey football. At times, Ancelotti went further and used Rui Costa instead of a second striker, turning the system into a 4-3-2-1 — the Christmas tree formation. That was a different system, but realistically, it offered similar qualities and similar drawbacks.
At one stage, the diamond was the most popular formation in Serie A. Last season, it was only used a couple of times. What has happened?
What seems to have killed the diamond is the pace and intensity of the modern game. The diamond could overcome most of its width-based shortcomings when the game was played at a slower tempo. The shuttlers on the sides of the midfield had freedom to push out wide and the full-backs could push forward on the outside. But in the modern game, with transitions so quick and devastating, that is asking for trouble, and inviting counter-attacks.
Teams can no longer rely upon full-backs to provide most of the attacking width down either flank, while also getting back to defend in a back four. It’s more viable in a 3-4-1-2, but even that system is relatively rare these days. Wing-backs generally prosper in a 3-4-3, when they’re overlapping and combining with a wide player who has drifted inside, or using the space that has been created by them dragging in the opposition full-back.
Indeed, the reinvigoration of systems featuring wing-backs didn’t help the diamond, particularly in Italy. The rise of 3-4-3, partly inspired by Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli at the start of the 2010s, and the 3-5-2 used by Francesco Guidolin at Udinese, meant free-running wing-backs dominated the flanks, and teams could switch play easily between the outsides of an opposition diamond.
The diamond also doesn’t work particularly well in an era based on pressing. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the diamond as a pressing shape of its own — the attacking midfielder can push forward to become an extra striker, and you’re pressing with a 4-3-3. Besides, the lateral compactness of the shape can actually be very effective at boxing opponents towards one flank and suffocating their attempts to play through the lines.
But that same compactness can, equally, make it easy for pressing sides to overwhelm the diamond. The distances are short and easy for the opposition to cover. The passing lanes are simple to shut down. There’s no out-ball. The diamond means teams play their way into trouble.
The diamond has rarely proved popular in England, which is curious considering it is effectively the system that brought England’s only World Cup triumph in 1966. Alf Ramsey’s jettisoning of natural wingers was both unconventional and controversial at the time, and made viable by different players on either flank. On the left, there was Ray Wilson, a mobile and speedy full-back who could contribute in attack, and on the right of the diamond, there was Alan Ball, part-midfielder, part-winger.
It was more 4-1-3-2 than 4-3-1-2, with Nobby Stiles remaining deep and allowing Ball and Martin Peters to push forward on either side of the star man, Bobby Charlton. Whereas diamond midfielders are often associated with possession control, England were adept at winning possession and then breaking quickly through the middle.
England’s most notable experiment with the diamond since Ramsey was before Euro 2004, when Sven-Goran Eriksson attempted to solve England’s ongoing midfield conundrum by squashing a flat four into a diamond. At this point, it’s worth remembering, England’s midfielders were so different from the players they became half a decade later that Paul Scholes was considered the obvious choice as the No 10, while Frank Lampard was fielded in the holding role, with David Beckham and Steven Gerrard on the sides.
On paper, it worked, but on the pitch, it fell flat, which often happens with the diamond. After a poor performance in a warm-up friendly against Japan, a 1-1 draw, the players asked Eriksson to switch back to their customary flat four.
In Premier League history, the diamond has tended to be effective for title-chasing sides in very short, sharp bursts. Ancelotti started Chelsea’s 2009-10 title-winning campaign with the system and they looked unstoppable, before the side hit a brick wall in autumn as opponents exposed their lack of width. Ancelotti switched to 4-3-3, and Chelsea found their stride again.
In Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season with Manchester United, 2012-13, he had a brief dalliance with the diamond, largely because he signed Shinji Kagawa to be Wayne Rooney’s partner, then pounced for Robin van Persie, and tried to fit all three in. It looked promising until Kagawa missed two months with a knee injury. United built without him, and won Ferguson’s final league title.
Liverpool didn’t quite win the title in 2013-14, but their sensational burst in the spring which brought 11 straight victories owed much to Brendan Rodgers switching to a diamond, with a more experienced Gerrard playing the holding role well — at least until his fatal slip against Chelsea — with Jordan Henderson right, Philippe Coutinho left, and Raheem Sterling at the top, racing forward into attack to join Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
These days, the diamond is probably more commonly seen between a back three and a front three — a 3-3-1-3, once an almost impossibly exotic idea, but now often seen as a side’s in-possession shape, particularly when a full-back is brought inside into the midfield zone.
And other systems do end up resembling a diamond, in different ways. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, for example, used Roberto Firmino as a false nine, while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were the main goalscorers from wide. Is this not effectively an example of a diamond?
But the ‘true’ diamond is seemingly dead in the modern game. And while that’s sad for tactical variety, and for those who like classic No 10s, the diamond often looked better on paper than on the pitch.
If you want to cram your best players into a team, it’s a great system — it’s notable how often it pops up when someone is asked to name their best-ever world XI — but if you want something cohesive and effective, it’s often underwhelming. There were few worse tactical battles than a diamond against a diamond — the players squashed into the centre of the pitch, the No 10 unable to find space, the forwards receiving little service and the only free players being the full-backs. For all the glory and romance of Argentine and Italian football, these are not divisions renowned for entertaining football.
Still, history suggests that it can be effective as a surprise system, perhaps for a high-intensity spell. But sides in that system tend to get ‘worked out’ after a while, and managers never use the formation consistently these days. Diamonds, it seems, aren’t forever.
OS
U18s pip Preston on penalties to progress in FA Youth Cup
Preston North End U18s 1-1 West Ham United U18s (West Ham United won 5-4 on penalties)
FA Youth Cup Third Round, Deepdale, Wednesday 26 November 2025, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U18s earned a place in the FA Youth Cup fourth round with a thrilling win on penalties against Preston North End.
After a closely contested first half, the two sides headed into the break at Deepdale in deadlock, before we flew out of the traps after the interval.
With the game needing an attacking spark, it arrived through Andre Dike early in the second half, as he duly stepped up to do the honours from the penalty spot, sending Li-Bau Stowell the wrong way after Clayton Lescott had brought down Lewis Beckford in the box.
Chaos followed, with Irons goalkeeper Fin Hooper perhaps fortunate to escape with just a yellow card as he came flying out of his goal to upend Preston’s Marshall Longson, Shay Reid sending his 20-yard effort into the top right corner from the resulting free-kick, and Longson then being sent off after receiving a second yellow card, all within a nine-minute period.
Extra-time and penalties were ultimately needed to separate the sides, with Hooper saving three spot-kicks in the shootout, before Reggie Morris-Agyemang sealed the win with the young Hammers' fifth successful strike.
In truth, the first half was largely forgettable, with West Ham having a series of half-chances and Preston creating next to nothing.
Callum Leacock saw a header blocked, then made a last-ditch tackle to deny Longson moments later at the other end, before Chuk Obi was denied by Stowell after being sent through one-on-one.
At the other end, Preston’s threat remained as Ed Nolan headed Harry Gerrard’s free-kick over.
That theme continued, as Stowell made a stunning point-blank save to keep out Dike’s low shot, while Reid’s effort needed a vital block from Morris-Agyemang.
We soon started to come to life though, and we got our reward ten minutes after the interval when Beckford was brought down by Lescott. After a lengthy wait, Dike fired home from the spot to spark scenes of joy and jubilation around the Hammers bench.
Suddenly where there had been no action, there was plenty, with Reid slicing off target and Lescott, unmarked and ten yards out, directing his header straight at Hooper. Then, chaos ensued.
After Hooper wiped out Longson - and escaped with only a yellow card - Reid stepped up to take the resulting free-kick from 20 yards out, which he rifled into the top right-hand corner, before the game's turning point came seven minutes later when Longson was shown his second yellow card of the night as he blocked Hooper taking a free-kick.
From there, West Ham took control, as Morris-Agyemang saw his shot from distance come crashing back off the post, then Dike was denied from a goalmouth scramble. Yet it was almost Preston who nicked the game at the death. Nolan sliced over from the edge of the box before George Gryba's shot deflected just wide.
Into extra-time, and it was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Preston, who absorbed wave after wave of attacks from the away side.
Beckford fired wide from outside the area, Morris-Agyemang drilled well over, and Stowell made a routine save to keep out Emmanuel Onyeka-Fejokwu, but the goal wouldn't come.
Majid Balogun was the next to try his luck, but his effort was wayward and struck the side-netting. His next effort was better, but this time Joe Blake made an incredible goal-line clearance.
It was end-to-end drama at this point, and Michael Ayodele spurned a golden opportunity to win the game for Preston with virtually the last kick of the contest, having led a two-on-one counter-attack, but penalties were needed to separate the two sides.
Both teams converted their first two efforts in the shootout and then missed the following two, with Blake and Ayodele denied by Hooper.
And after Hooper saved from Nathan Snowball, that was an advantage taken by Morris-Agyemang, as he slotted the decisive penalty, securing the Hammers’ place in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Preston North End U18s: Stowell, Nolan ©, Tonkin, Snowball, Longson, Gerrard (Blake 62), Lescott, Forwood, Lam (Ayodele 62), Reid (Robinson 107), Gryba
Subs not used: Milne (GK), Jackson, Haji, Nickson
Goal: Reid 71
Sent-off: Longson
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Perkins (Onyeka-Fejokwu 81), Scanlon (Jonyla 77), Leacock ©, Golambeckis, Morris-Agyemang, Dike, Unwin (Brooks 100), Obi (Balogun 100), Beckford, Medine (Kerr 65)
Subs not used: Awesu (GK), Omotoye
Goal: Dike 55
Booked: Hooper
Sport Witness
West Ham could use Jean-Clair Tobido as transfer bait – Way to get the man they want
On Wednesday, TuttoSport reported West Ham are monitoring the situation of AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez.
The Rossoneri are believed to be open to the striker’s sale, as he struggles to make a big impact. The Mexico international is yet to score once in Serie A this season. As a result, he is losing prominence in the Milan first-team.
MilanLive today shed light on his situation, noting that West Ham could offer a swap deal for the striker.
The outlet claim that Gimenez’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has received enquiries from England. As well as the Hammers, Sunderland are also a potential suitor.
To beat the competition, it’s stated West Ham can offer Jean-Clair Todibo to the Rossoneri.
The Frenchman would be of interest to Max Allegri’s side, as they have tried to sign the centre-back in the past. Indeed, they were angry to lose out to West Ham in the first place.
MilanLive make it clear that Niclas Fullkrug will not be of interest to the Italian side. They are seeking more reliable players if Gimenez is to leave as part of a swap.
Todibo is seen as being a good mix of experience and potential at 25-years-of-age.
Nottingham Forest are determined to hold on to England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, and will reject any bids for him during the January transfer window.
Manchester United are one of the clubs linked with Anderson and the Old Trafford club want to add to their wing-back options as well as bring in a central midfielder. (ESPN), external
Tottenham are keen on Spain striker Samu Aghehowa from Porto, with Arsenal and Chelsea also having an interest in the 21-year-old. (Caught Offside), external
Crystal Palace are weighing up making a January move for Newcastle United's 26-year-old English midfielder Joe Willock. The Magpies could be persuaded to sell as they are keen to sign AZ Alkmaar's 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
West Ham are leading the race to sign Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise in January, with Wolves and Leeds also interested in the 24-year-old Canada striker. (Teamtalk), external
Chelsea have reopened contact with Mike Maignan's representatives after learning that the 30-year-old France goalkeeper does not intend to extend his contract with AC Milan next summer. (Sky Sport - in French), external
Denmark keeper Filip Jorgensen, 23, could be offloaded by Chelsea to make room for the arrival of Maignan or another keeper. (Football Insider), external
Brazil forward Estevao Willian's agent says the 18-year-old was offered to Barcelona before joining Chelsea but the Spanish club's financial situation meant they could not sign him. (Cadena Ser, via Talksport), external
Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, 25, has been linked with a number of clubs but the La Liga side's president, Enrique Cerezo, says the Argentina international wants to stay at the Spanish outfit. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external
Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has failed with an opening offer of £20m for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, with the proposal more than £10m less than rival bids. (Talksport)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Manchester United could recruit more than one midfielder amid ongoing uncertainty over the futures of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo - The Sun
Nottingham Forest will reject any bids for Elliot Anderson in the January transfer window - Daily Mail
Liverpool's interest in Antoine Semenyo is gathering pace with the Reds planning to make a January approach to resurrect poor form - Express
Manchester United chiefs accept that Ruben Amorim's squad is still limited despite allowing him to spend more than £200m on new players in the summer - Mirror
Crystal Palace are considering a January move for Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock - Telegraph
Nottingham Forest are looking to improve their squad in defence and midfield in January with Brighton's Jack Hinshelwood a target - Daily Mail
Kai Rooney could finally follow in his dad's footsteps by debuting at Old Trafford next month when the Under-18s squad face off against Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Youth Cup - Mirror
International football
FIFA could face legal action following their controversial decision to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo's ban and allow him to play in Portugal's first two World Cup games - Daily Mail
European football
The Norwegian club Vålerenga have called for anti-doping regulations to be strengthened after an extraordinary case in which a player from their women's team was found to have ingested a banned stimulant from rubber crumb in an artificial pitch.
Women's football
The Football Association is planning to include a redeveloped Old Trafford in the UK's bid book of stadiums to host matches at the 2035 Women's World Cup - Guardian
Clubs competing in the women's Champions League face being excluded from the League Cup next season as part of a radical revamp of the competition - Express
The Athletic
The Tactics Board: Why has the 4-3-1-2 disappeared?
For all the tactical flexibility in modern football, one previously common formation has almost completely disappeared from the sport in recent years: the midfield diamond.
That system, generally depicted as a 4-3-1-2 — sometimes a 4-1-3-2 in a slightly different format — is most commonly linked with Argentina and Italy, two countries that arguably revere the No 10 more than anyone but don’t produce many top wide players.
That situation is chicken-and-egg, of course, and maybe the death of the diamond is not just about the system itself, but about what the system represents.
After all, the 4-3-1-2, perhaps more than any other modern system — if it still qualifies for that tag — has obvious strengths and weaknesses. In simple terms, it packs the centre of the pitch, but leaves space out wide. In reality, the diamond, when used properly, can cover space dynamically. The width can come from the forwards running the channels, or from the shuttlers on either side of the diamond pushing out wide, or from the full-backs advancing. What initially appears to be a very rigid shape can be perfectly fluid.
And, at its best, the diamond was used by managers who wanted control in midfield. Go back to the mid-2000s, for example, and you will find Jose Mourinho’s Porto side winning the European Cup with that system, while Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan were the most consistent diamond-fielding side.
That Milan, in particular, showed how the diamond allows managers to load up on ball-playing midfielders. A midfield featuring Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka, with Gennaro Gattuso doing most of the dirty work, was particularly bold during a period of cagey football. At times, Ancelotti went further and used Rui Costa instead of a second striker, turning the system into a 4-3-2-1 — the Christmas tree formation. That was a different system, but realistically, it offered similar qualities and similar drawbacks.
At one stage, the diamond was the most popular formation in Serie A. Last season, it was only used a couple of times. What has happened?
What seems to have killed the diamond is the pace and intensity of the modern game. The diamond could overcome most of its width-based shortcomings when the game was played at a slower tempo. The shuttlers on the sides of the midfield had freedom to push out wide and the full-backs could push forward on the outside. But in the modern game, with transitions so quick and devastating, that is asking for trouble, and inviting counter-attacks.
Teams can no longer rely upon full-backs to provide most of the attacking width down either flank, while also getting back to defend in a back four. It’s more viable in a 3-4-1-2, but even that system is relatively rare these days. Wing-backs generally prosper in a 3-4-3, when they’re overlapping and combining with a wide player who has drifted inside, or using the space that has been created by them dragging in the opposition full-back.
Indeed, the reinvigoration of systems featuring wing-backs didn’t help the diamond, particularly in Italy. The rise of 3-4-3, partly inspired by Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli at the start of the 2010s, and the 3-5-2 used by Francesco Guidolin at Udinese, meant free-running wing-backs dominated the flanks, and teams could switch play easily between the outsides of an opposition diamond.
The diamond also doesn’t work particularly well in an era based on pressing. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the diamond as a pressing shape of its own — the attacking midfielder can push forward to become an extra striker, and you’re pressing with a 4-3-3. Besides, the lateral compactness of the shape can actually be very effective at boxing opponents towards one flank and suffocating their attempts to play through the lines.
But that same compactness can, equally, make it easy for pressing sides to overwhelm the diamond. The distances are short and easy for the opposition to cover. The passing lanes are simple to shut down. There’s no out-ball. The diamond means teams play their way into trouble.
The diamond has rarely proved popular in England, which is curious considering it is effectively the system that brought England’s only World Cup triumph in 1966. Alf Ramsey’s jettisoning of natural wingers was both unconventional and controversial at the time, and made viable by different players on either flank. On the left, there was Ray Wilson, a mobile and speedy full-back who could contribute in attack, and on the right of the diamond, there was Alan Ball, part-midfielder, part-winger.
It was more 4-1-3-2 than 4-3-1-2, with Nobby Stiles remaining deep and allowing Ball and Martin Peters to push forward on either side of the star man, Bobby Charlton. Whereas diamond midfielders are often associated with possession control, England were adept at winning possession and then breaking quickly through the middle.
England’s most notable experiment with the diamond since Ramsey was before Euro 2004, when Sven-Goran Eriksson attempted to solve England’s ongoing midfield conundrum by squashing a flat four into a diamond. At this point, it’s worth remembering, England’s midfielders were so different from the players they became half a decade later that Paul Scholes was considered the obvious choice as the No 10, while Frank Lampard was fielded in the holding role, with David Beckham and Steven Gerrard on the sides.
On paper, it worked, but on the pitch, it fell flat, which often happens with the diamond. After a poor performance in a warm-up friendly against Japan, a 1-1 draw, the players asked Eriksson to switch back to their customary flat four.
In Premier League history, the diamond has tended to be effective for title-chasing sides in very short, sharp bursts. Ancelotti started Chelsea’s 2009-10 title-winning campaign with the system and they looked unstoppable, before the side hit a brick wall in autumn as opponents exposed their lack of width. Ancelotti switched to 4-3-3, and Chelsea found their stride again.
In Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season with Manchester United, 2012-13, he had a brief dalliance with the diamond, largely because he signed Shinji Kagawa to be Wayne Rooney’s partner, then pounced for Robin van Persie, and tried to fit all three in. It looked promising until Kagawa missed two months with a knee injury. United built without him, and won Ferguson’s final league title.
Liverpool didn’t quite win the title in 2013-14, but their sensational burst in the spring which brought 11 straight victories owed much to Brendan Rodgers switching to a diamond, with a more experienced Gerrard playing the holding role well — at least until his fatal slip against Chelsea — with Jordan Henderson right, Philippe Coutinho left, and Raheem Sterling at the top, racing forward into attack to join Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
These days, the diamond is probably more commonly seen between a back three and a front three — a 3-3-1-3, once an almost impossibly exotic idea, but now often seen as a side’s in-possession shape, particularly when a full-back is brought inside into the midfield zone.
And other systems do end up resembling a diamond, in different ways. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, for example, used Roberto Firmino as a false nine, while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were the main goalscorers from wide. Is this not effectively an example of a diamond?
But the ‘true’ diamond is seemingly dead in the modern game. And while that’s sad for tactical variety, and for those who like classic No 10s, the diamond often looked better on paper than on the pitch.
If you want to cram your best players into a team, it’s a great system — it’s notable how often it pops up when someone is asked to name their best-ever world XI — but if you want something cohesive and effective, it’s often underwhelming. There were few worse tactical battles than a diamond against a diamond — the players squashed into the centre of the pitch, the No 10 unable to find space, the forwards receiving little service and the only free players being the full-backs. For all the glory and romance of Argentine and Italian football, these are not divisions renowned for entertaining football.
Still, history suggests that it can be effective as a surprise system, perhaps for a high-intensity spell. But sides in that system tend to get ‘worked out’ after a while, and managers never use the formation consistently these days. Diamonds, it seems, aren’t forever.
OS
U18s pip Preston on penalties to progress in FA Youth Cup
Preston North End U18s 1-1 West Ham United U18s (West Ham United won 5-4 on penalties)
FA Youth Cup Third Round, Deepdale, Wednesday 26 November 2025, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U18s earned a place in the FA Youth Cup fourth round with a thrilling win on penalties against Preston North End.
After a closely contested first half, the two sides headed into the break at Deepdale in deadlock, before we flew out of the traps after the interval.
With the game needing an attacking spark, it arrived through Andre Dike early in the second half, as he duly stepped up to do the honours from the penalty spot, sending Li-Bau Stowell the wrong way after Clayton Lescott had brought down Lewis Beckford in the box.
Chaos followed, with Irons goalkeeper Fin Hooper perhaps fortunate to escape with just a yellow card as he came flying out of his goal to upend Preston’s Marshall Longson, Shay Reid sending his 20-yard effort into the top right corner from the resulting free-kick, and Longson then being sent off after receiving a second yellow card, all within a nine-minute period.
Extra-time and penalties were ultimately needed to separate the sides, with Hooper saving three spot-kicks in the shootout, before Reggie Morris-Agyemang sealed the win with the young Hammers' fifth successful strike.
In truth, the first half was largely forgettable, with West Ham having a series of half-chances and Preston creating next to nothing.
Callum Leacock saw a header blocked, then made a last-ditch tackle to deny Longson moments later at the other end, before Chuk Obi was denied by Stowell after being sent through one-on-one.
At the other end, Preston’s threat remained as Ed Nolan headed Harry Gerrard’s free-kick over.
That theme continued, as Stowell made a stunning point-blank save to keep out Dike’s low shot, while Reid’s effort needed a vital block from Morris-Agyemang.
We soon started to come to life though, and we got our reward ten minutes after the interval when Beckford was brought down by Lescott. After a lengthy wait, Dike fired home from the spot to spark scenes of joy and jubilation around the Hammers bench.
Suddenly where there had been no action, there was plenty, with Reid slicing off target and Lescott, unmarked and ten yards out, directing his header straight at Hooper. Then, chaos ensued.
After Hooper wiped out Longson - and escaped with only a yellow card - Reid stepped up to take the resulting free-kick from 20 yards out, which he rifled into the top right-hand corner, before the game's turning point came seven minutes later when Longson was shown his second yellow card of the night as he blocked Hooper taking a free-kick.
From there, West Ham took control, as Morris-Agyemang saw his shot from distance come crashing back off the post, then Dike was denied from a goalmouth scramble. Yet it was almost Preston who nicked the game at the death. Nolan sliced over from the edge of the box before George Gryba's shot deflected just wide.
Into extra-time, and it was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Preston, who absorbed wave after wave of attacks from the away side.
Beckford fired wide from outside the area, Morris-Agyemang drilled well over, and Stowell made a routine save to keep out Emmanuel Onyeka-Fejokwu, but the goal wouldn't come.
Majid Balogun was the next to try his luck, but his effort was wayward and struck the side-netting. His next effort was better, but this time Joe Blake made an incredible goal-line clearance.
It was end-to-end drama at this point, and Michael Ayodele spurned a golden opportunity to win the game for Preston with virtually the last kick of the contest, having led a two-on-one counter-attack, but penalties were needed to separate the two sides.
Both teams converted their first two efforts in the shootout and then missed the following two, with Blake and Ayodele denied by Hooper.
And after Hooper saved from Nathan Snowball, that was an advantage taken by Morris-Agyemang, as he slotted the decisive penalty, securing the Hammers’ place in the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Preston North End U18s: Stowell, Nolan ©, Tonkin, Snowball, Longson, Gerrard (Blake 62), Lescott, Forwood, Lam (Ayodele 62), Reid (Robinson 107), Gryba
Subs not used: Milne (GK), Jackson, Haji, Nickson
Goal: Reid 71
Sent-off: Longson
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Perkins (Onyeka-Fejokwu 81), Scanlon (Jonyla 77), Leacock ©, Golambeckis, Morris-Agyemang, Dike, Unwin (Brooks 100), Obi (Balogun 100), Beckford, Medine (Kerr 65)
Subs not used: Awesu (GK), Omotoye
Goal: Dike 55
Booked: Hooper
Sport Witness
West Ham could use Jean-Clair Tobido as transfer bait – Way to get the man they want
On Wednesday, TuttoSport reported West Ham are monitoring the situation of AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez.
The Rossoneri are believed to be open to the striker’s sale, as he struggles to make a big impact. The Mexico international is yet to score once in Serie A this season. As a result, he is losing prominence in the Milan first-team.
MilanLive today shed light on his situation, noting that West Ham could offer a swap deal for the striker.
The outlet claim that Gimenez’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has received enquiries from England. As well as the Hammers, Sunderland are also a potential suitor.
To beat the competition, it’s stated West Ham can offer Jean-Clair Todibo to the Rossoneri.
The Frenchman would be of interest to Max Allegri’s side, as they have tried to sign the centre-back in the past. Indeed, they were angry to lose out to West Ham in the first place.
MilanLive make it clear that Niclas Fullkrug will not be of interest to the Italian side. They are seeking more reliable players if Gimenez is to leave as part of a swap.
Todibo is seen as being a good mix of experience and potential at 25-years-of-age.