Arne Slot says it will be a "close call" whether Cody Gakpo will be fit for Liverpool's Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
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Gakpo returned from injuryIrritates issue in trainingSlot provides update ahead of PSGFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Gakpo has been eased back into action after picking up a knock that forced him out of two Premier League games in a row last month. However, Reds manager Slot says it will be touch and go whether the winger is fit to face the French giants on Wednesday after picking up an issue in training.
AdvertisementAFPWHAT ARNE SLOT SAID
He told reporters: "He [Gakpo] was close to being ready to play again but unfortunately he had to block a shot and felt pain again. We have taken him to judge tomorrow (Wednesday) if he can be part of the squad. It will be a close call."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Gakpo has been one of Liverpool's best players this season, with the Dutch international scoring 16 goals and bagging five assists in 38 appearances. While the Reds have cover in his position, he could be a big miss for the trip to Paris.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Liverpool are preparing for a difficult trip to the Ligue 1 leaders in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday night.
As the international break continues, Real Madrid have reportedly turned their attention towards the Premier League and are now pushing to sign one Everton star who they believe could solve their recent problem.
Everton transfer news
Ahead of The Friedkin Group’s arrival, Everton have been in mixed form in recent weeks. Whilst they remain outside of the relegation zone, three games without victory suggests that Sean Dyche’s side have got a long way to go. Their blunt 0-0 draw against West Ham United last time out once again exposed their need for reinforcements if they are to push on from relegation scraps.
On that front, rumours have been coming thick and fast, with Everton already receiving links to the likes of Christantus Uche. The Getafe midfielder has enjoyed quite the rise in the last year or so and could make his biggest move yet by swapping La Liga for Goodison Park next year.
It’s not just potential incomings stealing the headlines, though, as the Toffees could yet suffer a major departure. According to Football Insider, Real Madrid are now pushing to sign Jarrad Branthwaite and believe that he’s the solution to their defensive problems. The former Carlisle youngster is thought to be valued at around £80m by the Toffees, which would represent a huge profit on the £1m they paid for his signature.
The Spanish giants suffered a hefty defeat against Barcelona in an El Clasico to forget, losing 4-0 against Hansi Flick’s impressive side. Following that up with a 3-1 defeat against AC Milan in the Champions League since, Madrid are in growing need of a defensive solution.
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It would be quite the move if Branthwaite swapped Everton for the Bernabeu, but the England international must first focus on getting back to full fitness and getting back into Dyche’s side. To say it’s been a frustrating season so far for the central defender would be an understatement.
"Special" Branthwaite is enduring a frustrating campaign
After missing the first five Premier League games through injury, returning against Crystal Palace and then missing a further two games courtesy of another knock, Branthwaite’s injury concerns have only continued, forcing him to drop out of recent England duty. Meanwhile, when he has been available for Everton, he has been forced to settle for a place on the bench in two of his four appearances.
After the international break – in which he’s been handed the opportunity to rest up – Branthwaite will be desperate to pick up where he left off last season in what would be a major boost for the Toffees.
The Everton man earned a lot of fans last season, including Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who told Sky Sports: “Branthwaite has been outstanding. I think this lad is pretty special. He’s a big part of why Everton in my eyes have a good chance of staying up, him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski.”
Real Madrid are seemingly inclined to agree, perhaps leading to a sensational move when next summer arrives. If the European giants do approach the defender, then it would be difficult to turn them down.
Leeds United youngster James Debayo made his first-team debut for the club in the dramatic 4-3 win over Swansea in Wales in the Championship last month.
The 19-year-old centre-back is the latest player to come up through the academy system to play for the senior side, and he will now hope to rack up some more appearances between now and the end of the season.
Mateo Joseph, however, has been the breakthrough academy graduate of the 2024/25 campaign for the West Yorkshire outfit so far, as he has emerged as a regular option for Daniel Farke.
The Spain U21 international was a part of the squad last season but all 20 of his appearances in the Championship came as a substitute, with the likes of Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe, and Patrick Bamford preferred ahead of him from the start.
So far this term, Joseph has started eight of his 19 outings in the second tier and has contributed with two goals and four ‘big chances’ created for the team.
Farke will now be hoping that the 21-year-old ace can kick on and emerge as a star for the Whites, to join a long list of impressive Leeds academy graduates.
Leeds United's best modern-day academy graduates
Leeds have brought through and developed some fantastic prospects in recent years and one of them currently plays alongside Joseph in the first-team – Pascal Struijk.
The Dutchman joined the academy from Ajax at the start of 2018 and became a regular, with 27 Premier League appearances, in the 2020/21 campaign. He has played 140 matches for the club to date, and started all 18 league games this season.
One of the best success stories in recent years is central midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who rose through the ranks before being sold for a huge transfer fee.
The England international joined in 2010 and eventually broke into the first-team and made 234 appearances in all competitions, before Manchester City swooped to sign him for a reported £45m in the summer of 2022.
Jack Clarke, similarly, joined the club as a youngster in 2009 and worked his way up to the senior side under Marcelo Bielsa, scoring two goals in 22 league games in the 2018/19 campaign.
After just one season with the first-team, Clarke was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £10m. In the present day, the winger currently plays for Ipswich Town in the Premier League, after joining them from Sunderland for a reported £20m in the summer.
Most recently, Leeds sold academy graduate Archie Gray to Spurs in the summer transfer window for a reported fee of £30m, after he won the EFL Young Player of the Season last term.
The England U21 international spent his entire youth career at Thorp Arch and made 52 first-team appearances in the 2023/24 campaign under Farke, which convinced Tottenham to swoop to sign him for a huge fee.
Leeds did, however, once miss out on the chance to bring a fantastic prospect to their academy set-up, and he went on to be worth as much as the fee Spurs paid for Gray.
Leeds United had Ben Godfrey on trial
Jack Clarke recently revealed that Ben Godfrey, who he described as a “top player”, came on trial at Thorp Arch but it did not work out for him, whilst he added that they had played football together as kids living in York.
The English prospect was released by Middlesbrough in 2012 and the 14-year-old went on numerous trials in an attempt to find a new academy to play for, including spells with the Whites, Barnsley, and Sheffield United across Yorkshire.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2022, Godfrey confirmed that Leeds did not offer him a contract after his time on trial at the club, but that his rejection did motivate him to kick on elsewhere.
Former Norwich defender Ben Godfrey.
He said: “The moment that stands out massively is after that Leeds United trial. The coach told me they were not going to offer me anything but to go and prove him wrong. That stuck with me. I was desperate then. I could not wait to go and prove them wrong.”
The young gem eventually signed for York City and made his way to Premier League side Norwich City in the January transfer window in 2016 for a fee of just £150k, which is when his career really kicked off.
Ben Godfrey's soaring market value
After time in the U21 team at Carrow Road and a season on loan with Shrewsbury in League One, Godfrey eventually emerged as a regular fixture in the first-team for Norwich under Farke in the 2018/19 campaign.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
The head of football operations at York, Richard Cresswell, revealed that coach Jonathan Greening tipped the English brute to make it at the ‘highest level’ as a centre-back because he could see ‘similarities’ to former Leeds and Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.
However, it was not until Farke decided to change his position from a defensive midfield role to centre-back in the 2018/19 season that Godfrey started to live up to that hype.
Appearances
31
Goals
4
Pass accuracy
89%
Progressive passes per 90
3.35
Progressive carries per 90
1.17
Ground duel success rate
63%
As you can see in the table above, the Norwich star thrived as a centre-back to help his team to win the league title, showcasing his defensive strength, eye for a goal, and his progressive play in possession.
He then made 30 Premier League appearances for the Canaries in the 2019/20 campaign, which attracted interest from teams in the top-flight. Everton then swooped to sign him from Carrow Road for a reported fee of £30m in the summer of 2020 to bolster Carlo Ancelotti’s defence.
Daniel Farke and Ben Godfrey
This means that Leeds ended up missing out on a £30m-rated star in the making because they did not see his top-class potential during his trial in 2012.
They could have had their next version of Ferdinand, who was also sold by Leeds for £30m to Manchester United in 2002, if they had brought him in to develop at Thorp Arch, as a centre-back with the potential to earn the club a gigantic pay day.
Godfrey emerged as a first-team star in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons for Norwich and those were Bielsa’s two years with the Whites at Championship level, which suggests that he could have thrived under the Argentine boss’ coaching had he joined the academy as a youngster.
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The 26-year-old currently plays for Atalanta, whom he joined from Everton in the summer, and has featured twice in the Champions League so far this season, whilst Leeds may rue that they did not take up their chance to bring him in.
Whilst he may not go on to enjoy the career that Ferdinand had, with six Premier League titles for the Red Devils, Godfrey has already won a Championship title, played in the top-flight for Norwich and Everton, been capped by England, and now played in Europe’s premier competition for his current club, which speaks to how well he has done since failing his trial.
“Shakib wanted rest, we gave him rest,” says BCB; allrounder to sit out South Africa tour
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2022The BCB has “rested” Shakib Al Hasan from all forms of international cricket till April 30. According to cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus, the BCB considered Shakib’s plea for a break from cricket due to his mental and physical state.The exemption, as the BCB later called it in a press release, covers Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa where they will play three ODIs and two Tests from March 12 to April 8. Shakib was initially named in both the squads but three days after the announcement, he said that he wanted a break from international cricket.Related
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“Before leaving the country on Sunday, Shakib called me and said he is physically and mentally fatigued,” Yunus said. “He said that he isn’t enjoying cricket. I told Shakib that you since you just finished the Afghanistan series, you should take a couple of days to think about it. I called him today to ask about his plans. He maintained the same position. He wants to skip the South Africa series. We sat together with the board president, chief executive and a couple of other board directors. We have decided that in Shakib’s interest, since he is mentally and physically unfit, we want to give him rest from all forms of cricket, till April 30.”Yunus said that they took into account Shakib’s current condition, his significance as a cricketer and the big tournaments coming up for Bangladesh. He, however, brushed aside the suggestion that Shakib will miss the Dhaka Premier League that begins on March 15.”He is a very important player for us. He is an allrounder. We feel that we will need his service later this year, considering the T20 World Cup. He has asked for rest a number of times. Rest definitely means rest. We didn’t really consider what cricket he will miss during this time,” said Yunus.He said that Shakib didn’t give them any hint of such a state of mind when BCB president Nazmul Hassan told him to tour South Africa for both formats.”You can’t really force a player (into playing) when he is insisting that he is not physically and mentally fit. He didn’t say anything like this in Chittagong but he went to the media first about all this. You should ask him why he went to the media first. He should have told us before going to the media. Maybe it was the heat of the moment.”Shakib will return to Dhaka on Thursday evening, after which he is supposed to sit with board chief Hassan, Yunus and the rest of the BCB high-ups to discuss his immediate future. Yunus said that Shakib no longer holds the position of not wanting to play Tests till mid-November, as he had mentioned during his press conference at the Dhaka airport on Sunday.Yunus said that Shakib didn’t set a good example for the rest of the players, although he also said that the BCB has not made any future plans for Shakib or the other senior cricketers in the side.”These are not good examples. There are 14 other players who follow the seniors who should give a positive vibe.”The senior players are still playing well for the country. They have been serving the country for so long, so it’s not possible to take a sudden decision about them. Tamim decided after discussing his T20I plan with us,” he said.Bangladesh will not be taking any player as Shakib’s replacement in the ODI squad that leaves Dhaka on Friday evening. Yunus said that they already have 16 players in the squad, and one of those who will travel in the Test side could be covering for Shakib if needed.
The former San Diego Wave FC coach voiced disappointment over Girma's departure, says NWSL faces challenges
Naomi Girma signed for Chelsea in a record-breaking $1.1 million moveDonovan questions the impact of high-profile departures on NWSL's stabilitySays league faces growing competition from European clubs for top talentGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Landon Donovan, USMNT legend and former coach of San Diego Wave FC, expressed his disappointment over Naomi Girma's recent record-breaking transfer to Chelsea. In January, Girma completed a $1.1 million move from San Diego to Chelsea, marking the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history.
Donovan said that, while he understands why Girma left the NWSL for Europe, he is disappointed that the defender didn’t stay.
“I have a lot of thoughts on all of this. Candidly for Naomi, I know she wanted to go but I don’t love it for NWSL as probably the best center-back in the world is leaving and wants to leave," he said on his podcast, Unfiltered with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. "I understand all the reasons but in my opinion, having watched a lot of the games now and having coached in it, the NWSL, top to bottom, is the best league in the world.
“Some of the top clubs in the world play in Europe but their leagues are not great. Chelsea can walk through four or five of those teams without breaking a sweat. So I get disappointed when a player of Naomi’s quality doesn’t want to stay here, but I get it.”
AdvertisementWHAT DONOVAN SAID
Donovan said his chief concern over the move is that it reveals an apparant instability in the league.
“I think the No. 1 talking point, for me, for NWSL in the offseason is there’s so much change and the league’s still feels a little instable in that way," he said. "And what I mean is that very few players get signed to three, four or five-year deals. So most players, from year to year, have the freedom to move – and historically in the league players have crazy power. If they’re not happy, they can leave.
“And it reminds me a little bit of MLS back in the early days – like if someone wasn’t happy with someone or whatever, you just call your agent and get me out of here. And that doesn’t happen in mature leagues around the world. So I do want to see that change.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The NWSL has undergone significant changes recently, with expansion teams, ownership changes, and increasing investment. However, these developments have also brought other changes, including coaching turnover and player movement.
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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
The 2025 NWSL season kicks off on March 14. Girma’s former side San Diego will play their first game of the season against Angel City FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on March 15.
Girma's next game for Chelsea is scheduled for March 15 when they face Manchester City, though Girma was recently injured and may not feature.
An open system for soccer in the U.S. offers the kind of competition previously unavailable – and exactly the move the USL needed
So, it was always going to happen. At some point, American soccer was going to have to cave. Promotion-relegation has always been tied to the concept of legitimacy in the wider soccer consciousness. Closed systems, we are told, aren't the way that this sport works. Teams must have the jeopardy of failure – or potential glory of success – to truly compete. This is, after all, what football looks like.
And the USL was the first American soccer league to jump, announcing Wednesday that the league will move towards a fully-fledged promotion-relegation system concurrently with the start of their Division One league in either the 2027 or 2028 season.
It seems the right thing to do.
So much about the USL is based on concepts of disruption and innovation. This is not a setup supposed to compete with MLS – it doesn't have the clout or finances to do so. The natural solution, then, is to differentiate their product. Why not smack a big fat European label on this all? Surely, it's a way to separate themselves from the big-money, franchise model that has come to dominate MLS.
Right now, it's the absolute right thing to do. The USL is an interesting product that exists in a unique space. There are no massive pressures brought about by TV deals – although that might need to change as the league seeks increased revenues. And with a Division One league also on the way, it's a natural move that could pave the way to something bigger.
The "need" for Pro-Rel
It has been the thing that American soccer has tried to avoid for ages now – and the key point of dissenting evidence for the detractors. The OG NASL didn't have promotion and relegation and MLS has been consistently asked on whether or not the league will introduce promotion and relegation.
What is the point of this whole thing if there's no penalty for being bad? Of course, that is a simplistic argument. MLS has playoffs, and a trophy at the end of it all. There is no point pretending that it is anything like a European system. MLS is, effectively, a version of any other American sport, only played with a kicked ball rather than one tossed 50 yards, chucked into a hoop, or cracked with a wooden bat. That's the point.
But the skeptics – more accurately, the European snobs – have always viewed that with a sense of indignation. MLS isn't as good as the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, or Ligue 1, there's no punitive measure for a poor season? In the soccer traditionalist's view, what's the point?
AdvertisementAFPThe onus is on the owners
Well, the USL approaches that question in full. There is now jeopardy in the games that would otherwise be a summertime snooze. Teams can no longer afford to rot in mediocrity or accept losses. It is not as if professional athletes will suddenly wake up and start trying on a hot night in Charleston.
Instead, owners will now have to respond. Teams that were happy rotting are now forced to inject cash – or risk the drop. Smaller markets such as Hartford, Loudoun, Monterey, and El Paso will be forced to adjust.
That does present some problems for owners, though. This is not Europe, where the vast majority of owners are willing to do at least enough to avoid catastrophe. Nor is it MLS, where the average franchise is worth $721 million and the league has a model that ensures that teams have a safety net against financial ruin.
USL ownership groups might need to look elsewhere for cash. They might even been incentivized to sell. Would-be investors seem to benefit here, too, with the opportunity to buy low, take a risk, and spend their way to success in a league that seems to be on the rise.
Either way, more money will simply have to come in.
(C)Getty ImagesWhy clubs can still survive
And the beauty of this all lies in the fact that the USL isn't flush with cash like the rest of the footballing world. There is no over-arching television deal. Parachute payments – the astronomical injections of cash into English clubs to offset the massive hit of relegation, reported to be a package around $135 million – won't be needed here. As of now, the USL does not have a TV deal significant enough to bring about massive revenues (although the Championship game, broadcast on CBS, did draw 431,000 viewers.)
It's a major reason the league believes an open system is a real option.
"We don't have huge national revenues, so the local revenue is going to stay somewhat the same," USL President and Chief Soccer Operator Paul McDonough told GOAL. "Because what we find with our clubs, the fans support their local club. And we can have a team that finishes in towards the bottom of a league, and they're still getting five or 6,000 people."
Put more simply, there is no immediate fiscal consequence for relegation – not right now, at least. This is, in theory, all brought about by sporting merit alone. The only punishment for going down, at this point, is the shame that comes with it, and the likely loss of quality of players that will come as a result.
“We don’t have that type of jeopardy,” McDonough told Sports Business Journal. “It’s all still very much at this stage, early in our existence, dependent on local revenues.”
Owners were ultimately convinced that being relegated wouldn’t have a significant impact on gameday revenues. McDonough said it’s unclear for now what impact promotion and relegation would have on the league’s expansion process and fees to join USL.
ImagnThe feel good aspect
And among this all there remains the charm of the story. The best parts of European football are so often the feel-good bits. The top ends of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga are so far removed from their lower counterparts that it almost feels robotic, devoid of meaning. Manchester City won the English top flight again? So what?
The real stories that live long in the memory of fans are the one-offs, the times when odds were defied to go up from one division to another. Ipswich and Luton playing in the Premier League in recent years, for example, are some of the better narratives in sports. The same can be said for Leicester's improbable Premier League triumph in 2016.
Look further down the English football pyramid and similar moments stand out: Everton fans storming the pitch after avoiding relegation in 2023. Troy Deeney sent Vicarage Road into raptures with a stoppage-time winner to lift Watford into the Championship playoff final.
It is, partially, why the Americanized stories of Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso stand out. Wrexham have been promoted in two straight seasons – with a third likely to come. Lasso tackled the realities of promotion and relegation in a humorous frame. It's what made everything so captivating.
Leeds United are back in Championship action once again this afternoon as they travel to Deepdale to take on Preston North End in one of the early kick-offs.
The Whites have the chance to move back to the top of the table with a win over Paul Heckingbottom’s side before Sheffield United face Plymouth at 3 pm.
Daniel Farke’s men can put pressure on the Blades by securing all three points against Preston and ensuring that their rivals have to win their match to retain their spot in first place.
The West Yorkshire outfit come into this match off the back two wins in the Championship in the last seven days, beating Derby County 2-0 on Saturday and Middlesbrough 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Farke’s side produced a fantastic performance to secure all three points in the win over Boro on Tuesday, thanks to goals from Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Brenden Aaronson.
There were a number of fantastic performances across the pitch for Leeds on the night, as they scored three goals and secured all three points against a promotion-chasing team.
Leeds United's top performers against Middlesbrough
The scorer of the opening goal in the game at Elland Road – Gnonto – was one of the shining lights for the Whites, after he pounced from close range to make the most of an error from Seny Dieng.
He also completed two of his four attempted dribbles and won nine of his 12 ground duels throughout the game, which shows that the Italian gem was strong out of possession and that the forward was looking to put his side on the front foot by taking on opposition defenders.
Joe Rothwell caught the eye with his display in the middle of the park alongside Ao Tanaka. The Bournemouth loanee won six of his seven ground duels and completed 92% of his attempted passes, as he provided security in possession and strength defensively.
Wales international Dan James was one of the top performers for Farke and was involved in all three of the goals for Leeds from the right flank.
It was his cross that caused Dieng to fumble the ball into the path of Gnonto for the opener. James then crashed a brilliant shot into the far top corner from just inside the box for the second goal, before his pass into Tanaka in the box allowed his teammate to provide the assist for Aaronson’s strike.
Whilst there were some superb performers for Leeds, including Gnonto, James, and Rothwell, there was one player who struggled to showcase the best of his abilities for the Whites against Middlesbrough.
The Leeds star who did not take his chance against Middlesbrough
Farke opted to go with Mateo Joseph as his starting centre-forward for the clash with Michael Carrick’s side, with Gnonto, Aaronson, and James as the attacking trio behind him.
It was a big chance for the Spain U21 international to stake a claim for a regular spot in the starting XI moving forward, as it was his first start since the 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road at the start of November.
Unfortunately, it was an opportunity that was not taken by the Leeds academy graduate, who failed to offer much in or out of possession for the Whites on Tuesday night.
Joseph played 69 minutes of the 3-1 win for the West Yorkshire side and ended his time on the pitch without a single shot on goal or chance created for the team, which speaks to how ineffective he was in the final third.
The Spanish youngster also lost 100% of his duels in the game, losing all six of his aerial battles and both of his duels on the deck, and this shows that Middlesbrough players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.
Appearances
20
Starts
10
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Joseph has not found it easy in the Championship this season and is yet to prove that he can score goals consistently.
However, that should be expected of a 21-year-old striker who had not started a single league match at first-team level in his career prior to this year.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Farke should drop the lightweight down to the bench for this clash with Preston, but his appearances off the bench will still provide him with invaluable experience as he looks to hone and develop his skills.
The star Leeds should unleash in Mateo Joseph's place
Joseph dropping out of the starting XI would open the door for another centre-forward to come in from the start, and the German head coach should snub Patrick Bamford to unleash Joel Piroe.
Bamford has yet to start a match in the Championship this season and is yet to produce a goal or an assist off the bench, in his seven outings as a substitute so far.
Piroe, on the other hand, has been in impressive form for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign and produced a vital assist off the bench last time out against Middlesbrough.
It was his through ball for James that allowed the Wales international to burst into the box and score to make it 2-1 at a crucial point in the match, which helped the Whites to secure all three points.
Appearances
20
Starts
11
Goals
7
xG
4.78
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, that was the Dutch attacker’s tenth direct goal contribution of the Championship season, despite him having only started 11 times.
Piroe, who was once described as “dangerous” by journalist Josh Bunting, is a clinical forward, as shown by his xG to goal ratio, and can be relied upon to finish off chances that come his way.
Whereas, Joseph, who has scored two goals from 3.52 xG, has been wasteful in front of goal and is not as reliable as the former Swansea City marksman.
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Farke must now take the Spanish youngster out of the line-up, after he struggled in and out of possession, and bring the Dutch forward back into the XI.
New Zealand captain stroked 140* before bowlers rallied to bowl Netherlands out cheaply
Himanshu Agrawal02-Apr-2022Tom Latham cracked a career-best 140*, producing a batting masterclass in a near single-handed effort to take his side to 264 – and eventually a comfortable win – after they were 32 for 5 at one stage. New Zealand collapsed from 22 without loss to lose 5 for 10 inside six overs, as Netherlands sniffed a miracle only for the opposition captain to spoil their party.On a day when his team-mates should have rather given him a gift, it was instead birthday boy Latham himself who was forced to do some favour to them. But his bowlers, led by allrounder Michael Bracewell, ensured that the total was safely defended, with all six of them taking at least a wicket each.Netherlands’ reply started with both openers gone inside the first two overs itself, after which Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede steadied the ship. The 77-run stand that followed looked like the only while during which the visitors were in the chase, as the pair kept finding the fence with repeated boundaries.Related
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Vikramjit hit seven in his knock of 31, displaying an array of shots in the process: from the punch to the pull, from the slice to the slash. But once he deposited a Colin de Grandhomme full toss – a slower delivery bowled at 98kph – to long-on, the wheels soon started to come off for Netherlands.What was 81 for 2 at one stage became 146 all out, with Michael Bracewell grabbing three of the wickets to fall, two of those with an offspinner’s dream deliveries. He looped one up wide outside off to lure Pieter Seelaar to drive, as the Netherlands captain got forward only to see the ball turn back in sharply to hit off stump.Michael Bracewell continued dealing with flight, dip and turn when he had Michael Rippon stumped off an identical delivery, with Latham behind having all the time in the world to whip the bails off.But it was earlier in the day that Latham gradually dragged the game away from the bowling side. Watching from the dressing room, he saw Logan van Beek and Fred Klaassen rule with the ball after Netherlands had elected to bowl first on a brown-looking pitch.Despite his side being in trouble, Latham kept ticking the scoreboard by rotating the strike as well as striking the occasional boundary in the company of de Grandhomme, who played a more sedate role. By the 23rd over, when the latter departed after a brief recovery for a 40-ball 16, Latham had already reached 37 off 42 balls, never allowing the Netherlands’ bowlers to capitalise on the momentum by being content to just see them off and holding one end up.He next got an able partner in Michael’s cousin Doug Bracewell, who took after a quiet start of 9 from 23 deliveries. When he fell for a more-than-handy 41 off 51 balls in the 40th over, New Zealand still had only 179 on the board with just three wickets remaining.But Latham was in no mood to give up. After having added 90 with Doug Bracewell, he put on 42 with Ish Sodhi, racing to his sixth ODI hundred on the way, which came from his 101st delivery. The last six overs yielded 61 for the hosts, with their captain pressing the accelerator by clobbering five sixes and a four.All those maximums went over the leg-side boundaries, with three of those – where he fell on his back while smashing – a tribute to the modern expert Rishabh Pant’s methods: the one off van Beek in the 48th over saw Latham step across to a wide delivery outside off, and swipe him over deep square leg; and when Brandon Glover was called upon to bowl the last over, Latham refused singles off the first three deliveries before ramping successive sixes past the short boundary over fine leg and jamming his bat down for four between short third man and point.Who knew what kind of day his 30th birthday would turn out to be?
Leeds United could move back into the automatic promotion places after their clash with Derby County in the Championship this weekend, if results go their way.
The Whites are only two points behind Sheffield United at the top of the table and could return to the top if both Burnley and the Blades fail to win, whilst they come out on top against Paul Warne’s side.
Daniel Farke’s team are third in the division at the moment and that is the position they finished in at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before they eventually lost in the play-off final.
The West Yorkshire outfit should be looking to avoid the play-offs this time around and that means that they need to aim for a top two finish to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Leeds fell out of the top two after they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last time out, as the Whites failed to break through John Eustace’s defence.
The January transfer window opens for business next month and they have been urged to consider swooping for a striker to bolster their attacking options.
Leeds are crying out for prolific forward
Speaking to Football League World, former Championship midfielder and now pundit Carlton Palmer claims that the Whites are “crying out” for a striker like Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Dor Turgeman.
It was recently reported that Leeds have made an approach for the 21-year-old marksman and that his club are set to demand a fee of more than €5m (£4.1m) for his services, whilst they will also attempt to hold out until the summer.
At this moment in time, it is unclear as to whether or not the Championship giants are willing to splash that kind of cash on a forward in the upcoming January transfer window.
Palmer, however, states that signing the Tel Aviv gem could be a deal worth doing to bolster their frontline, because of the qualities that he could provide in the second half of the season.
He told Football League World: “They have made an official approach and he’s having a good season so far this season. He’s doing well and it might be worth a gamble. Depending on how much he’s going to cost, but Leeds are crying out for a striker for the way they play.
“They need someone who can split the defence and show composure in the penalty area, which is something Turgeman is showing in abundance.”
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Palmer adds that it is a transfer that “makes sense” for the right price, as Joel Piroe has struggled at times in a “classic” number nine role, whilst Mateo Joseph has had “growing pains” as a starter at Elland Road.
Mateo Joseph's form this season
The Spain U21 international has emerged as a genuine starting-quality option for Farke in the Championship this season, after all 20 of his league appearances came off the bench last term.
A product of the academy, Joseph has developed throughout his time at Elland Road and has started nine matches in the second division so far this season, which shows that the German tactician has more faith in him than he did in the previous campaign.
It has not been a smooth transition to regular starts for the Spanish forward, who previously played for England at U20 level, however, as he has struggled at times in front of goal.
Appearances
18
Starts
9
xG
3.44
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Joseph has only scored two goals in 18 appearances in the division and has underperformed against his xG by 1.44 goals, which suggests that he should have between one and two more goals – at least.
He has, however, provided an impressive level of creativity from a centre-forward position, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts, and this shows that the youngster has provided value on the pitch for Leeds, albeit not as a regular goalscorer.
Farke, though, could now swoop for Turgeman, when the January transfer window opens for business, and land an even bigger prospect than Joseph for the Whites.
Why Dor Turgeman is a bigger prospect than Mateo Joseph
The Israel international, 21, is the same age as the Leeds youngster but has already showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at first-team level.
He has caught the eye with his performances for Tel Aviv during the 2024/25 campaign and, whilst you could argue that the Israeli top-flight is a different level to the Championship, the forward has delivered in the Europa League.
Turgeman has scored four goals and provided two assists in eight appearances in Europe, in qualifiers and league phase matches, so far this season, which shows that he has the quality to step up on the European stage.
This means that the 21-year-old centre-forward, who was described as “very exciting” by The Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson, has scored twice as many goals in Europe as Joseph (two) has in all competitions this term.
Along with his impressive performances in the Europa League, Turgeman has also provided regular quality at league level for his club this season.
Appearances
9
Starts
6
Goals
5
Big chances missed
1
Big chances created
6
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, the £4.1m-rated marksman has produced a staggering 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just six league starts Maccabi Tel Aviv.
His one ‘big chance’ missed in his nine appearances speaks to the striker’s ruthless nature in front of goal, as the youngster has taken the majority of his big openings in the division.
Overall, Turgeman could arrive at Elland Road as an even bigger talent than Joseph as he has shown more quality, domestically and in Europe, as a scorer and a creator of goals than the Leeds man has at the same age.
Farke must sell Leeds flop who Marsch was "convinced" would be "great"
The Leeds United defender must be cashed in on at the earliest available opportunity.
ByDan Emery Dec 5, 2024
Therefore, Farke must push for the board to secure a deal to sign the impressive youngster ahead of the second half of the campaign, as he could provide an added goal threat for the Whites to push for promotion to the Premier League.
Rishabh Pant’s men, meanwhile, could use some middle-order batting muscle
Alagappan Muthu09-Apr-20222:14
Should KKR stick with Rahane? Where should Pant bat?
Big pictureSo you’re Delhi Daredevils. No, Capitals. Sorry. And you’re facing Kolkata Knight Riders. Oh dear.Aren’t you a team built on your top two batters and a middle-order firebrand? But you’re going to go up against a team which has wicket takers up front, misers through the middle and whatever Pat Cummins is. Reports suggest he could be the emissary of an alien superspecies sent to distract us with his dreaminess. #Truestory.Watch the IPL on ESPN+
If you are in the USA, you can watch the Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders game live on ESPN+.
Shreyas Iyer once held the keys to the Delhi kingdom. Then it was taken away. And now he’s back, only he’s captain of the other side. Thanks to the hard grind that he went through in domestic cricket with perhaps the most unforgiving team in all the land, he has become one of those people who can read where a game is going before it gets there. There have always been players like that. MS Dhoni for example. But he never had a bowling attack like Knight Riders’. A bowling attack with which a captain like Shreyas can rewrite cricket destiny.The game has always made room for individual brilliance, and in Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, David Warner and Rovman Powell, the Capitals are not short of this precious resource. The question is can one man hold off a set of champions?In the newsPat Cummins’ DNA has been through extensive analysis and in a barely believable twist, it appears he is actually 100% human. You guys, he’s just like us. Except, he bats like Viv Richards, bowls like Michael Holding, and looks like Tom Cruise.Likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Sam Billings (wk), 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Pat Cummins, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Rasikh Salam, 11 Varun ChakravarthyDelhi Capitals: 1 David Warner, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Sarfaraz Khan, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mustafizur RahmanStrategy puntGrudge-match narratives only really work in the movies, still Capitals wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Shreyas quickly and there is a fairly straightforward option available. Since IPL 2021, the Knight Riders captain averages 19.5, strikes at 93 and takes roughly 28 balls between boundaries while facing spin bowling. The only problem is he wallops Kuldeep Yadav (32 off 24 balls, no dismissals) and Axar Patel (24 off 15 balls, one dismissal). So, umm, throw the ball to Lalit Yadav and hope for the best?Stats that matter The average first-innings total at Brabourne stadium in this IPL is 189 for 7. Teams chasing have won three of the four matches played here this season. Thanks to the partnership between mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, Knight Riders have the best middle-overs (7-16) economy rate (5.52) in this IPL. Ajinkya Rahane has the lowest average (14.9) and the second-lowest strike rate (107) among all opening batters in this tournament since 2020 (min. five innings played). But the Capitals would know better than to underestimate him given they’ve been on the receiving end of 784 of his runs at an average of 65.3 (third-highest for a batter against an opposition) and strike rate of 133. Umesh Yadav is a powerplay phenom: 51 wickets in the first six overs, two shy of the all-time IPL record. Prithvi Shaw is a powerplay phenom: 429 runs at a strike rate of 170 since 2021, which makes him better than everybody else in the league. Sit back, grab some popcorn and just watch them go at it.