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Wes Brown is of the opinion that Matthijs de Ligt has everything required to thrive under new Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim.

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Brown praised De LigtDutchman joined Man Utd last summerBacked to become pivotal under AmorimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has no doubts that Matthijs de Ligt can become one of the cornerstones under new manager Ruben Amorim following a quiet start to life at the Old Trafford. De Ligt has been trusted by Amorim ever since he arrived at the club last month and the Dutchman has put on respectable displays.

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De Ligt arrived at Manchester United in the summer after an underwhelming spell at Bayern Munich, although with his reputation as one of the finest centre-backs intact. Moreover, he would join his former boss Erik ten Hag, under whom he enjoyed the best moments of his career at Ajax. The reunion, though, didn't meet expectations as Ten Hag was fired in late October, making way for Amorim, while De Ligt received his fair share of criticism, too.

WHAT WES BROWN SAID

Speaking to Casino24.dk, Brown lavished De Ligt with praise and tipped him to become an influential figure under Amorim. "Matthijs de Ligt can be an elite defender for Manchester United," said Brown. "He’s had some really good games and when he settles into life at the club he’ll be a big success.

"He’s been playing at the highest level for so many years now at such a young age and now it’s about showing everyone what he can do at Old Trafford. I think he’ll find his rhythm in Ruben Amorim’s system and be a valuable player for many years to come."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MATTHIJS DE LIGT?

After starting for the Red Devils in their 2-1 win over rivals Manchester City, the 25-year-old centre-back will hope to continue his fine form when his team faces Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Thursday, December 19.

The opening batter’s 82 helped Netherlands recover from 59 from 5

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2021Discipline from their bowlers after an anchoring knock by opener Max O’Dowd lifted Netherlands to victory in a rain-hit first ODI against Scotland in Rotterdam on Wednesday.The wet weather and outfield meant the game was reduced to 33 overs a side. Netherlands, batting first, were in deep trouble at 59 for 5 in the 16th over, with five of their top six out for 10 or fewer. But O’Dowd held firm at his end, steadying things with 82 off 102 balls. Logan van Beek provided some late thrust with 24 off 21. Pacer Gavin Main, who’d struck twice during Netherlands’ early slide, produced the best of the figures for Scotland: 7-2-16-2.In reply, Scotland seemed on track while Richie Berrington was around. They, too, had an early wobble – they fell to 31 for 3 in the 11th – but then Berrington took charge, scoring 41 off 43 with three sixes as Scotland rattled up 69 in the next 11 overs. George Munsey was accompanying him, but Netherlands struck a big double-blow when they got rid of both set batters within one run of each other. The score went from 100 for 3 to 101 for 5, and Scotland faltered from there, despite the best efforts of their lower order. They finished on 149 for 8, 15 runs short of their target.van Beek and Vivian Kingma, Netherlands opening duo, took four wickets between them, allowing only 46 runs in 14 overs. They also accounted for the key wickets of Munsey and Berrington between them.The two teams will play another ODI at the same venue on Thursday.

Declan Rice would be a "statement" signing for Manchester United, according to Teddy Sheringham, but they don't need Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

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United told to sign Rice from ArsenalMidfielder joined Gunners for £105mAmorim linked with Gyokeres reunionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rubem Amorim's rebuild at Old Trafford should include the arrival of Rice from Arsenal, according to former Red Devils striker Sheringham. The 25-year-old signed for the Gunners last year in a deal worth £105 million ($137.5m), and quickly established himself as a key player under Mikel Arteta.

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It's hard to imagine Arsenal even entertaining the idea of selling Rice, least of all to a rival. But Sheringham would love to see the England international at Old Trafford and believes he possesses the characteristics that Amorim should be bringing in.

WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

"I said a couple of years ago, Manchester United should have got Declan Rice. If they went out and bought Declan Rice off of Arsenal, that'd make me laugh, because that'd obviously make Arsenal weaker and make Man United even stronger," Sheringham told .

"He's a proper player that leads by example. That's the type of player that you need in your football club. When you're making a statement about a new manager coming in and buying new players, that is the type of player you buy. Declan Rice all day."

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DID YOU KNOW?

A more realistic target for United is Gyokeres, who played for Amorim at Sporting CP and has been linked with a reunion in England. But Sheringham doesn't believe his old club should splash the cash on the Sweden international.

"I don't think it's imperative for United to move for Viktor Gyokeres at the moment when you've got [Rasmus] Hojlund. I think there's other areas he would prefer to nail down," the 58-year-old added. "I think the club need a left-back. Shaw's struggling with his injuries. He seems to get one after another, and you can’t pin your hopes on someone like that.

"Another really good midfield player would be great, so I think there are other players and other areas to strengthen that are more important to him than buying another centre forward. As I say, Hojlund is showing good stuff."

“Maybe in the coming years it might also lead to a World Test Championship [for women]. You never know.”

Annesha Ghosh15-Jun-20212:29

Mithali Raj: I would have liked to play more Test matches earlier in my career

Mithali Raj believes India Women’s return to Test cricket after a gap of nearly seven years could pave the way for multi-format, points-based bilateral series becoming a regular feature on the women’s cricket calendar. This, she said, could even begin the pathway towards a multi-team global tournament for women’s teams fashioned after the men’s World Test Championship.”I feel this Test match and even the pink-ball Test, which is in Australia in the coming months, it’s just the beginning of having a three-format bilateral series,” Raj, India’s Test and ODI captain, said on the eve of the one-off Test against England in Bristol. “It probably opens up the channel to have another format added in a bilateral series and that will clearly help the overall standard of women’s cricket.”Also, the players – I mean, you ask any modern-day cricketer, they still want to play the longer format because they eventually know that the format tests the skill of a player.”The last time India played two or more Tests in a year was in 2014, which was also the last time they appeared in the format. The Bristol Test, which marks their return to red-ball cricket after a break of 2401 days, carries four points for a win under the multi-format system for the tour, which also includes three ODIs and three T20Is.A draw will fetch the teams two points apiece and one point will be awarded for a no-result. Wins in the white-ball games will be worth two points each. The Ashes, which has been the only occasion that has involved Test matches in women’s cricket since 2014, follows the same grading system.Related

Saba Karim calls for 'strong foundation' to speed up the growth of women's cricket in India

'We may not have much practice, but mentally we're prepared' – Harmanpreet Kaur

Stats – India in sight of most consecutive wins in women's Tests

'Mental make-up will make huge difference' – Ramesh Powar on lack of practice

“It’s good to have the Test match in a series,” Raj said. ‘We [already] had the one-dayers and the T20Is. Maybe in the coming years it might also lead to a World Test Championship [for women]. You never know. This is just the beginning. I hope we continue to have bilateral series where all three formats are there.”While a Women’s WTC may seem a distant prospect at the moment, there is a chance that more teams might play Test cricket regularly over the coming years, with the ICC awarding Test status to all Full Member women’s teams in April.The announcement of both the Test against England and the pink-ball game against Australia, scheduled for September-October, was an unexpected development in Indian women’s cricket. On the international circuit, the ODI World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, to be played in the T20 format, both scheduled for next year, and the 2023 T20 World Cup remain the focal points of India’s long-term preparations. In domestic cricket, no red-ball tournaments for women’s cricketers have been held in India since the 2017-2018 season.Longest gaps for India Women in Tests•ESPNcricinfo LtdHead coach Ramesh Powar and Test vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur identified the dearth of adequate preparedness as a challenge going into the Test in Bristol. Raj echoed her colleagues, but said efforts had been made by senior players like herself and premier fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, as well as Powar, to help the inexperienced members of the 18-member Test and ODI squad to hit the ground running.”There were a few sessions that we tried to have in the whites so that the girls don’t get [intimidated] when they walk into the ground tomorrow because for most of them it’s their first time getting into the ground in the whites,” Raj said. “That is one thing [Powar] tried to get into the sessions. There were four-five sessions where we trained together as a team in the whites, so we get a feel of it in the nets sessions and it doesn’t feel alien for the girls when they get onto the ground.”He also got the seniors to speak to the other players who are less experienced about the format about the last time we played a Test match, so there was a lot of communication with Jhulan talking to the fast bowlers and I’m talking to the batters. So, I think when you have this communication going, it sort of gets the team get collectively prepared for the Test match.”India have won each of their last three Test matches – played over an eight-year span from August 2006 to November 2014 – which puts them level with Australia in terms of most consecutive wins in the format. Raj said the squad hadn’t been thinking about the record, but hoped the players would put in a strong performance, particularly since the Test match will be broadcast live.”In terms of marketing the sport, I think it is great to have a Test match live on television because clearly, a lot of people will follow, now with the pandemic [on] and there’s partial restrictions everywhere [because of lockdowns], so a lot of people will be watching the game,” she said. “As far as the players are concerned, it is equally important [to play well in this Test match]. Seven years back, the scenario was very different for women’s cricket.”Having said that, that team never really thought whether the match is [covered] live or not; it never really crosses a players mind as long as we get in there and we put forward our best performance. Whether it is covered live or not, that’s [not] the players’ lookout. We are there to get there and give our best standard, and if it’s covered live, nothing like it because that’s how the sport will grow being viable.”

Arne Slot will be delighted with Liverpool's start to the Premier League, but he will already be versed in the perils of England's top flight and the seemingly insurmountable task in deposing supreme rulers Manchester City.

The Merseysiders put Manchester United away with dispatch before the September international break but now gear up for a gruelling chapter of action, playing five fixtures in a two-week period.

14/09/2024

Nott'm Forest (H)

Premier League

17/09/2024

AC Milan (A)

Champions League

21/09/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Premier League

25/09/2024

West Ham (H)

Carabao Cup

28/09/2024

Wolves (A)

Premier League

Slot has made minimal changes to his starting lineup thus far, but there are plenty eager to make their mark. However, the form of Mohamed Salah and co present a headache for Slot, though a welcome one, such is Liverpool's depth and rounded quality.

Salah's been the main man; Luis Diaz has been in potent form and Trent Alexander-Arnold… well, he's just Trent, isn't he? But let's not forget about Dominik Szoboszlai, who has put his poor form before the summer firmly in the past.

Dominik Szoboszlai's form under Arne Slot

Szoboszlai impressed for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool last season after signing from RB Leipzig in a £60m deal, but he ebbed and flowed and finished the campaign on a lower patch of form.

Klopp had shoehorned him into a more industrious midfield role than he perhaps envisaged, whereas Slot is playing the Hungary captain in a looser, more mobile role at number ten, unshackling his creative energy.

Once hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller, Szoboszlai is still only 23 and starting to go from strength to strength, having made an emphatic start to the present term.

Matches (starts)

33 (25)

3 (3)

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

1

Shots (on target)*

1.8 (0.5)

1.7 (0.0)

Touches*

57.5

63.7

Pass completion

87%

93%

Key passes*

1.7

2.7

Dribbles*

0.7

0.3

Ball recoveries*

5.2

6.3

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

1.3

Total duels won*

2.5 (42%)

2.0 (46%)

There's a long season ahead for the talented player, but Slot has found the formula to bring him out of his shell and he looks like a core part of the usual starting lineup. However, he must have sufficient support.

Harvey Elliott is, of course, waiting in the wings, but the 21-year-old is probably at his best in the half spaces between the centre and the right flank, where he can unleash his ball-playing quality into the danger area or shift forward and strike on goal himself.

Liverpool had a rising star who might have been the perfect understudy, but then Fabio Carvalho was sold in August after Richard Hughes received an offer he just couldn't refuse.

Liverpool may rue selling Fabio Carvalho

Carvalho made an excellent start to life on Merseyside but fizzled out during a testing 2022/23 campaign for the Anfield side, with Klopp limiting him to a sorry smattering of appearances after the autumnal months.

Liverpool rejected a £15m bid from Premier League rivals Southampton in July but were convinced to cash in when Brentford came calling toward the final stretch of the transfer window, with the Bees offering a package rising to £27.5m for the fleet-footed attacking midfielder.

He'd enjoyed a fine pre-season with Slot's side but it's important to remember that Diaz and Cody Gakpo were both absent following international duties and the 22-year-old's chances would have been more intermittent had they returned sooner.

But still. Carvalho is a quality player and he showcased as such during his loan spell with Hull City last year, joining in January and plundering nine goals from just 20 displays, also averaging 2.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Despite only really featuring across the second half of the campaign – Caravalho endured a miserable stint with RB Leipzig across the first half of the season – he actually proved to outscore Szoboszlai, who bagged seven goals over 45 matches for the Merseysiders.

His kind of playmaking quality and goalscoring prowess would certainly prove to offer some competition for Szoboszlai, and Liverpool might come to regret not having this additional dimension at their chest this year.

After all, he proved his worth against high-calibre opposition during the off-season. During Liverpool's pre-season victory over Arsenal, the Portuguese talent wasn't on the ball at every moment but he made things happen when he was, taking only 21 touches, completing a dribble, winning four duels and proving to be an all-round menace.

After joining from Fulham in a deal worth £5m plus add-ons in 2022, FSG will be delighted at having turned a sizeable profit, and his big-moment aura was felt after scoring a last-gasp winner against Newcastle United at the start of the 2022/23 season.

But Caravalho now plies his trade elsewhere, Of course, you never know what the future holds, but Carvalho – who Hull boss Liam Rosenior described as the "perfect number ten" – could have been a real difference-maker this season.

Will it come back to bite Liverpool? Some might feel that an injury to a player like Szoboszlai could cause a panic. Football's unceasing schedule is like a gaping maw, and already players are feeling its force.

Take, for example, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who was injured during international duty with Norway this week. With Declan Rice already suspended for the North London Derby on Sunday, this is a concerning situation for Mikel Arteta.

Of course, Liverpool (and indeed Arsenal) have healthy and ranged squads but all players must pull their weight in this division if Manchester City are truly going to be toppled – all the while seeking to fire on all cylinders and compete in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions.

Carvalho could have been a crucial piece for Slot – but I guess we'll just see how it all pans out.

Liverpool struck gold selling Anfield sensation for stunning 1570% profit

He’s never quite recaptured his Merseyside magic…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 10, 2024

Arsenal set piece coach Nicolas Jover has come under fire after the Gunners conceded from a free-kick against Newcastle United.

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Arsenal renowned for set-piecesConcede from one in Carabao Cup lossSet piece coach criticised for role in Newcastle defeatFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal have become known as the set-piece kings thanks to specialist coach Jover but they were undone by one in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Newcastle on Tuesday. A long free-kick was lofted towards the Gunners' box and the ball eventually fell to Isak, who fired home in the 37th minute. That led Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp to say Jover gets a "lot of credit" for the attacking set pieces but he "obviously doesn't do the defensive ones" after Odegaard tried to mark Isak.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMIE REDKNAPP SAID

At half-time, Redknapp said: "The set-piece coach gets a lot of credit – he obviously doesn't do the defensive ones! How you can have Odegaard marking him [Isak]? He's the best centre-forward in the country right now, you have got to detail someone to say, 'Where is he? Let's mark him'. Odegaard has no interest in marking him."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle went on to win the game 2-0 at the Emirates, with Arsenal now facing a mountain to climb to reach the Carabao Cup final. The club's wait for a trophy looks set to continue unless they can convincingly win the return leg at St James' Park.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

Arsenal will head to Newcastle for the second leg of this semi-final on February 5. They next host Manchester United in round three of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Matthew Wade could stand in for the injured Aaron Finch during the series in Bangladesh

Andrew McGlashan28-Jul-2021Alex Carey’s calm leadership was lauded by Australia coach Justin Langer after the 2-1 ODI series win over West Indies but he appears unlikely to retain the captaincy for the T20I series against Bangladesh.Australia need to decide on a stand-in for the injured Aaron Finch who missed the ODIs in the Caribbean and was then ruled out of the Bangladesh leg due to a knee problem that is likely to require surgery.Carey is much less secure of his place in the T20I set-up – he made 22 runs in three innings against West Indies after being recalled to the middle order – and it could be that Matthew Wade takes the captaincy against Bangladesh having previously stepped in for Finch against India last year.Australia fly to Dhaka on a charter flight on Wednesday and a final decision will be taken over the next few days by Langer in consultation with selectors Trevor Hohns and George Bailey.Related

Matthew Wade returns to middle order as Australia 'roll through different scenarios'

George Bailey and his pressing tasks in the next 12 months

Finch faces knee surgery ahead of T20 World Cup

Liton Das ruled out of Australia series

Wade backs up Australia's bowlers to secure series victory

“We’ll work through that,” Langer said. “We want to be consistent with those decisions, hopefully we’ve shown over a period now that we’re very consistent with how we’re selecting teams and selecting leaders, and no doubt that, that’ll be shown again when we get to the T20s in Bangladesh.”However, Carey’s first stint in the role – having lost his position as shared vice-captaincy last year – will have done his credentials no harm when future captains are being assessed. Finch has previously said he would like to continue through to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.”I thought Alex’s captaincy was outstanding,” Langer said. “He’s so calm and you can see it in his face when he bats. We’ve seen it through his career, but we saw it in that hundred he scored with Glenn Maxwell in England last year, to win when we were really under pressure, and even the way that he batted last night he just seemed so calm under pressure.”As we know he’s the ultimate professional, so therefore he’s easy to work with as a captain because you know that he will tick every box. He’ll make sure that all his due diligence is done on the opposition and he’ll know how our players are travelling. So he was great to work with, I loved his calmness, loved his composure, I love what he brings on and off the field so he did a really really good job. He’s very impressive in that role.”Alex Carey played key hands with the bat•AFPCarey could get another chance in the T20I middle order against Bangladesh with Australia’s batting resources stretched due to Finch’s absence and doubts over Ben McDermott after he injured his ankle diving into a boundary board in the second ODI. Due to travel difficulties and biosecure arrangements, replacements can’t be called up.Moises Henriques had a tough time with the bat in the West Indies but there is limited room for manoeuvre given both the travelling replacements, the uncapped Nathan Ellis and Tanveer Sangha, only provide bowling cover. Dan Christian and Ashton Turner did not feature in the last T20I against West Indies and will come back into the frame. With five matches in the space of seven days it is likely the fast bowlers will be rotated.Australia will be looking to improve on their 4-1 loss against West Indies which included throwing away a winning position in the opening game and then they could not get on the board until the series was gone.Mitchell Marsh was the biggest success in that series with 219 runs and eight wickets to push himself firmly into contention for the T20 World Cup even when the absent players are available again.”Certainly Mitch Marsh has put his hand up. That No. 3 position is really interesting depending on how Steve Smith comes up with his elbow injury,” Langer said. “That adds real depth to our play. I also thought the way Ashton Agar batted yesterday, [he] is certainly up there as a spin bowler and he’s like a leopard in the field. I also liked the fact that he, Matthew Wade, and Alex Carey, the left handers in the middle…we thought moving into the World Cup we might be a bit short on left-hand batsman. But the way those guys have stood up is a huge bonus for us moving forward.”

Leeds United suffered their first defeat of the Championship season on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by recently relegated Burnley at Elland Road.

Luca Koleosho scored the only goal of the game in the first half, racing down the right wing before lashing a strike into the bottom corner, but things could have been so different had the Whites taken their chances.

Mateo Joseph missed a huge opportunity to open the scoring in the first few minutes of the match, firing wide after going one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and Wilfried Gnonto struck straight at James Trafford after being slipped through on goal by Brenden Aaronson.

The centre-forward position for Leeds has been handed to Joseph so far this season but the youngster still has more to prove before he can be considered a reliable option for Daniel Farke.

A return of one goal and two assists in five Championship appearances so far is not spectacular. However, the Spain U21 international has plenty of time to develop and improve over the weeks and months to come.

They will be hoping that he develops more than one of their former centre-forward prospects, Jay-Roy Grot, did during his time at Elland Road.

Jay-Roy Grot's Leeds struggles

In the summer of 2017, Thomas Christiansen swooped to sign the Netherlands U19 international from Eredivisie outfit NEC Nijmegen on a permanent deal.

The 19-year-old striker had racked up six goals in 35 appearances in all competitions for the Dutch side, which convinced the Whites to bring him to West Yorkshire.

He had scored five goals in 20 Eredivisie outings during the 2016/17 campaign and arrived as a promising young striker with potential to improve.

Appearances

20

Goals

1

Key passes per game

0.1

Pass accuracy

60%

Duel success rate

41%

As you can see in the table above, Grot was unable to make an instant impact in his first season in the Championship with Leeds, with a return of one goal in 20 appearances.

The young forward was then sent out on loan to VVV-Venlo and Vitesse in the Netherlands for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns, before being allowed to join VfL Osnabrück on a free transfer in 2021.

This shows that his time at Elland Road was a struggle, as he did not perform on the pitch and left for nothing, whilst the player they wanted to sign before they landed Grot has gone on to flourish in a big away.

Leeds United's attempt to sign Erling Haaland

In the summer of 2017, before a deal was agreed to bring Grot to the club, Leeds made an attempt to sign Erling Haaland from Molde at the age of 17.

The teenager, born in Leeds, was reportedly a supporter of the club at the time, whilst playing for Molde, and his agent offered him to Victor Orta.

Haaland travelled over to West Yorkshire, where he was born, and met with Orta to discuss a potential move to Elland Road, going as far as to have a shirt with his name on it created.

Agent Hayden Evans has since revealed that Haaland and his team were impressed by manager Thomas Christiansen and that they wanted to get a deal over the line.

However, Molde were demanding a fee of £4m for the 17-year-old centre-forward and Leeds were not in a stable financial position, which meant that they were not willing to gamble that kind of fee on a teenage striker who would not be a guaranteed first-team player for the club.

Interestingly, Evans added that the young number nine went to Elland Road later that season to be in the away end at Queens Park Rangers as a Christmas present.

Whilst it is understandable that they did not want to spend £4m on an unproven 17-year-old as a Championship club, Orta and Leeds may look back on that decision with huge regret given what Haaland has achieved since that summer.

Erling Haaland's current market value

At the time of writing (19/09/2024), Transfermartk has the Norway international’s current market value at €180m (£152m) and that is quite a leap from the £4m the Whites could have paid for him seven years ago.

After Leeds opted against a move for the young marksman, Haaland scored 16 goals and provided five assists in 30 matches during the 2018 campaign for Molde.

That earned him a move to RB Salzburg in January 2019 and the centre-forward went on to plunder an incredible 29 goals and seven assists in 27 games for the Austrian club.

The prolific forward then moved to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and racked up 86 goals and 23 assists in 89 outings for the German side.

If that did not make Orta and Leeds start to regret not snapping him up for £4m then his subsequent move to Manchester City and success in the Premier League certainly will have.

Haaland has produced a staggering 99 goals in 104 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola since his transfer to England in the summer of 2022, five years on from his move to Elland Road broke down.

Appearances

35

31

4

xG

28.66

29.32

4.87

Goals

36

27

9

Assists

8

5

0

Big chances created

11

6

1

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old superstar has been incredibly prolific in the Premier League over the last two years or so, winning the Golden Boot in both of his full seasons so far.

He also fired in 12 goals in 11 games in the Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign, as City won the competition, which shows that the striker is exceptional domestically and in Europe.

These statistics, and his sensational market value, show that Leeds missed out big time by not paying the £4m Molde wanted for the young striker, who could have burst onto the scene in Yorkshire instead of having to work his way to England through Salzburg and Dortmund.

Piroe arrived instead: Farke wanted Leeds to sign star who's now worth £84m

The Whites bolstered their attack with the Dutch forward in the summer of 2023.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 18, 2024

Instead, they signed Grot as a young centre-forward to develop and the Dutch number nine, who now plays for Kashiwa Reysol in Japan, was a flop at Elland Road.

Openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul then saw their side safely through to stumps

Sidharth Monga04-Aug-20212:53

Laxman: India bowlers rectified their mistakes from WTC final

India took the last seven England wickets for 45 runs to bowl the hosts out for 183 after they won the toss and batted in tough batting conditions. India’s openers knocked off 21 of those without being separated. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the two senior bowlers in the absence of Ishant Sharma and R Ashwin, took seven wickets between them in 37.4 overs. Once again, Joe Root looked like a level above his batting team-mates, scoring 64 assured runs off 108 balls in an innings that went at 2.78 an over.England will need to look at five or six wickets that they didn’t make India work hard enough for. It started early as Rory Burns fell for Bumrah’s two-card trick in the first over in a hectic start.India the country did not even have time to properly debate the exclusion of Ashwin – who’s in the form of his life – from the XI, to find a combination that fit the conditions and addressed India’s long tail. Ishant had failed a fitness test in the morning.Bumrah took five balls to change the talking point. Four of them moved gently away from the left-hand opener Rory Burns before the fourth one swung back in. In 2018, when Bumrah got Keaton Jennings in the same fashion, it might have been a surprise, but by now, experts argue, you have to be expecting that delivery as a left-hand batter and not get beaten as comprehensively as Burns did.Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley saw off the new ball with a hard-fought 42-run stand in nearly 21 overs, but Rishabh Pant managed to convince his captain to take a second review in the same Mohammed Siraj over to get the wicket of the fluent Crawley. Three balls after an enthusiastic review for a catch off the inside edge and pad cost India, Pant implored Kohli to take another, similar review. This time the inside edge was taken.This was minutes before lunch, but in the intervening overs, Root got away with three boundaries in an over – one of them streaky – and also looked to attack Bumrah in the final over before the break.India were a pleased bunch as Mohammed Siraj had a not-out caught-behind appeal against Zak Crawley overturned on review•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter lunch, India operated with Bumrah and Shami, but the line of attack shifted a bit, almost like they decided the ball wasn’t doing much and they needed to get back to the leg trap they had set for Australia in Australia. Soon enough, Sibley got a leading edge to a ball sliding down leg from Shami, offering short midwicket a catch. A “nothing wicket” on the surface, but India did have a field for straight lines: a short-forward square leg to go with the short midwicket.From 66 for 3, England found their most assured batting period with Root and Jonny Bairstow batting together for 22.5 overs. Root showed more attacking intent than any other specialist batter, scored faster than all of them and was more in control than any of them. Bairstow got comfortable as time wore on, but in one over split by the tea break, England were rocked back significantly.Shami and Bumrah have had to work the hardest for their wickets in England among their contemporaries. As of lunch on day one, they had needed to induce 19 false responses apiece for a wicket in England, the highest among fast bowlers since 2014. James Anderson and Stuart Broad, by comparison, take about 10 false responses each.It is part luck, part lengths, but their luck was about to change. It had already begun to turn for Shami with that leg-side delivery to get Sibley, but now even reviews were going to fall in place. In the last over before tea, Shami bowled that perfect seaming delivery to trap Bairstow in front, but two sounds probably influenced umpire Richard Kettleborough to rule it in the batter’s favour. Kohli couldn’t get affirmation from anyone in front of the wicket that the ball had missed the bat, but went with the review nonetheless.Related

Stats – England's second worst start to a home series since 1950

It was the perfect length, seaming in enough to beat the inside edge but not the leg stump. India went to tea buoyant, England on 138 for 4. Four balls into the final session, the final delivery of that Shami over, Dan Lawrence tickled one fine down the leg side. Unlucky Shami? Not today. Shami and Bumrah proceeded to toy around with Jos Buttler for 17 balls before Bumrah took the outside edge through to Pant. It didn’t cost India a run.The pressure created by these two, the low economy rate, meant Shardul Thakur could bowl attacking lines and lengths. He is an incredibly optimistic bowler. His strength is swing, and he continues to bowl full lengths and continues to look to swing it from the stumps. Kohli gave him a man at cover and midwicket to allow that mode of attack. He started his new spell with a really full outswinger to Root, who played for the swing, but the ball pitched and seamed the other way. Any shorter, and it would have seamed down the leg side. This one trapped him plumb.Three balls later, Ollie Robinson gifted mid-on some catching practice. Soon Bumrah decided it was “toes day” for nose-or-toes Stuart Broad, trapping him lbw with a full one. At 160 for 9, Sam Curran found time to squeeze in his usual cameo, hitting 27 before a perfect yorker from Bumrah ended the innings with Anderson’s wicket.It wasn’t an easy 55 minutes for India’s new opening combination of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. England drew 17 false responses from them in the 13 overs possible before stumps, but no edge went towards a fielder and they never got trapped in front. India took their 10 wickets in 93 false responses.

There are a host of high-profile players who may be tempted by a move to England this month amid a lack of minutes at their current clubs

The 2024 January transfer window was the most boring in recent memory, with Radu Dragusin's £25 million ($31m) switch to Tottenham from Genoa ending up being the biggest deal conducted in the Premier League. Purse strings were tightened due to new Profit and Sustainability Rules that came with the threat of potential points deductions, which both Everton and Nottingham Forest fell foul of.

But that doesn't mean more tumbleweeds are guaranteed over the next four weeks. English clubs will have the opportunity to arrange some bargain permanent deals or clever loans in the winter market, and the bank could even be broken for the right target, if money is raised through sales beforehand.

Several household names across La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga are being linked with moves to the Premier League after falling out of favour in their current surroundings. Some desperately need a fresh start, while others have been transfer-listed after failing to live up to expectations, and England could be seen as the ideal escape route.

GOAL is on hand to run down the top eight European outcasts who might be priority targets for Premier League sides this month…

GettyEndrick (Real Madrid)

Endrick followed in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo by moving from the Brazilian top-flight to Real Madrid in the summer, and thusly arrived at Santiago Bernabeu with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. The former Palmeiras wonderkid could scarcely have asked for a better start as he marked his debut with a goal in a 3-0 La Liga win over Real Valladolid, before becoming the youngest Madrid player to ever score in the Champions League with a spectacular solo effort against Stuttgart, but he has been unable to build on those dream milestones.

Unfortunately, Endrick joined the club at the same time as Kylian Mbappe, who has hogged the limelight and the No.9 slot since his arrival. As a consequence, the 18-year-old only made Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI once in the first half of the season. Ancelotti has repeatedly insisted Endrick will eventually get his chance, but Madrid are reportedly open to loaning him out in January, with Tottenham and Southampton mooted as potential destinations.

It seems more likely that Endrick will join another La Liga club if Los Blancos do sanction a loan, but a Premier League move cannot be ruled out. He would certainly see plenty of minutes at Southampton, who are in desperate need of a goalscorer to boost their slim chances of avoiding relegation.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRandal Kolo Muani (PSG)

Paris Saint-Germain saw off competition from a host of top clubs to sign Randal Kolo Muani in 2023, having seen him emerge as one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe at Eintracht Frankfurt. Kolo Muani didn't come close to justifying his €75m (£62m/$77m) fee during his maiden season at Parc des Princes, though, and now finds himself on the fringes under Luis Enrique.

PSG are reportedly ready to offload the 26-year-old permanently or on loan in the current window, with Manchester United and Chelsea said to be among his admirers. However, claims Arsenal is a more realistic move as Mikel Arteta desperately tries to find cover for injured talisman Bukayo Saka. Kolo Muani is not in the same class as Saka, but a loan deal might help boost the Gunners' title chances, especially since Raheem Sterling's move from Chelsea hasn't worked out as hoped.

Getty Images SportLeon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)

For the best part of six seasons, Leon Goretzka was a vital cog in the Bayern Munich system, but he's slipped down the pecking order since Vincent Kompany's appointment as head coach. Goretzka has long been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, and according to , Manchester United have been monitoring his situation again in recent weeks.

A lack of quality in midfield has been a big reason for United's well-documented struggles, and adding a proven winner like Goretzka to their ranks would be a shrewd move. The 29-year-old could come cheap, too, given his contract at Bayern is due to expire next year, though he has expressed a desire to stay and fight for his place at Allianz Arena.

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Getty Images SportDonyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund)

Donyell Malen may be the first big name to secure a transfer in the January window, with reporting that Aston Villa are working to sign the Borussia Dortmund forward. Villa have seen an opening offer of €18m (£15m/$19m) rebuffed, but negotiations are still ongoing, with Unai Emery eager to bolster his frontline after a disappointing start to the season.

claims that Malen is pushing for an exit after being restricted to just six starts in Dortmund's first 15 Bundesliga games. The 25-year-old is a versatile player who carries a real goal threat, and would be a useful addition for Villa as they juggle Premier League and Champions League commitments if a deal is pushed over the line in the coming days.