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Stats highlights from a comprehensive Australian win at the MCG

S Rajesh29-Dec-20158 Test defeats for West Indies in 2015, which equals the most for them in a calendar year: they also lost eight in 2004 and in 2005. However, they have played only ten Tests this year, compared to 11 in 2005 and 12 in 2004. In terms of percentage of matches lost, only once have they fared worse: in 1928 they lost three out of three, compared to eight out of ten this year. Australia, on the other hand, have won eight this year; only five times have they won more Tests in a calendar year.106.99 The difference between the batting averages of the two teams in this series so far: Australia have averaged 131.30 runs per wicket, compared to West Indies’ 24.31. The difference is the second-highest ever for a series of two or more Tests: the only higher difference was when Bangladesh toured England in 2005 – England averaged 162.50 compared to Bangladesh’s 17.17, a difference of 145.33.2012 The last time before this game when West Indies batted 80-plus overs in both innings of an overseas Test. That was at Lord’s in May 2012, when they played 89.5 overs in the first innings, and 130.5 in the second. They lost that game by five wickets.3 Instances in West Indies’ Test history of their top five all getting out between 19 and 37, as they did in the second innings in Melbourne. The only earlier instances were against South Africa in Centurion in 2014, and against India in Chennai in 1967. This is also the 20th instance in all – and the fourth since 2000 – of their top seven batsmen scoring 15 or more in a Test innings.48 Test wickets for Nathan Lyon in 2015, the third-highest among spinners, after R Ashwin (62) and Yasir Shah (49). Lyon is also the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests for Australia this year, after Josh Hazlewood, who took 51. Lyon has 98 wickets in home Tests, the fifth-best among Australian spinners.2 Man-of-the-Match awards for Lyon in Tests: his first was against India in Adelaide last year.26.51 Marlon Samuels’ Test average since the beginning of 2013; in 19 Tests during this period he has two centuries and five fifties, but has been dismissed below 20 on 20 occasions. His average of 26.51 is the lowest among the 45 batsmen who have batted at least 25 times in the top six during this period. It is marginally lower than Lahiru Thirimanne’s average of 26.68 in 30 innings.15 Number of Test innings between 50-plus scores for Denesh Ramdin. His last such score was 57, against England in North Sound in April this year. Between these two 50-plus scores, Ramdin had scored 201 runs at an average of 14.36.20.72 Ramdin’s batting average in 17 Tests since the beginning of 2014. His highest score in 30 innings during this period is 59, which he scored today. In the two previous years – 2012 and 2013 – he had averaged 44.29 in 14 Tests, scoring three centuries in 22 innings.38.49 Darren Bravo’s strike rate in this Test match: he scored 102 runs over two innings off 265 balls. Of the 21 times he has faced 150 or more balls in a Test, this is the seventh instance of his strike rate staying below 40.12 Results in the last 13 Tests at the MCG; the only draw was against India last year. Each of the 12 other Tests have been won by a margin of at least eight wickets or 120 runs, or an innings.4/61 Mitchell Marsh’s figures in West Indies’ second innings, his best in Tests, and the first time he has taken more than three in an innings.

The story of the unique bat Lance Cairns used to launch six sixes at the MCG and its designer, John Guy, the former New Zealand batsman

Brydon Coverdale09-Sep-2015″Cairns there, hitting it with only one hand. And in spite of the fact he hits it with one hand, it still goes over the longest boundary at the MCG for six.”Those were the words of Frank Tyson, incredulous, commentating the remarkable innings of Lance Cairns in a one-day international in 1983. Cairns struck six sixes that day against Australia, including his one-handed effort against Dennis Lillee. His 21-ball fifty was at the time the fastest in ODI history. And just as memorable as the feat itself was the sight of the strange bat with which it was achieved.Shoulder pads were a fashion statement in the 1980s, but in cricket it was quite the opposite: the Excalibur bat used by Cairns had no shoulders at all. He looked less a cricketer holding a bat than a caveman wielding a club. And where is that Excalibur bat now? Not with Cairns. He gifted it back to the man who designed it, and Excalibur now lives in suburban Melbourne.A left-hand batsman who excelled against spin, John Guy played 12 Tests for New Zealand in the 1950s and ’60s. His employment with Shell made him move around a lot – he played for five of the six New Zealand domestic provinces – until he bought a sports store, and after that moved into the bat industry working for Newbery.And propped up in a corner of his living room is one of the most famous Newbery bats of all. Now 81, Guy taps Cairns’ Excalibur on the ground and simulates a couple of shots. Then he hands the bat over; it is heavy, and, counter-intuitively, for a bat without shoulders, all the weight feels like it is towards the top. It feels different. It looks different. It different.The design originated in England, where Guy observed a Newbery bat with what he calls a “dry knot” – a darker, weaker section of the willow – in its shoulder. Guy wondered out loud to John Newbery, the master bat maker, whether the bat would split if a ball hit that dry knot. Yes, Newbery said, the shoulder would fly right off. But what could they do about it?”I said, ‘What if we shave it?’ So that’s what we did,” Guy says. “We shaved the shoulder down and I said, ‘I think that’s a good idea for a bat’. Newbery said: ‘What would you call it? It’s got to be something like a sword’. I said it felt like a heavy wand. He said, ‘What about King Arthur, Excalibur’. I said, ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head, it sounds great’.”Thus the Excalibur was born.

“I always felt that I wasn’t wanted in the New Zealand team. I came from a small city in New Zealand. You’re not one of the majors, you’re not mixing with the others so much”John Guy

“It was just a marketing ploy,” Guy admits when asked if there were any real advantages to the bat. “Although if you have no shoulders, you can’t get caught off the shoulder of the bat.”Guy could talk about bats and batting technique all day. He watches the game as closely now as ever. He likes what he sees from some of the current crop of New Zealand players, but despairs at the state of batting coaching in the modern game.Guy is not shy to say what he thinks, and he is a shrewd analyst. The then-coach John Wright invited Guy to fly to Hobart in 2011 to speak to the New Zealand team before their Test against Australia. They had just lost the first Test at the Gabba and Wright wanted to find a way to build up the confidence of his men.”I just built the whole talk around the fact that no one is inferior without their consent,” Guy says. “I pointed out that they consented in Brisbane because they dropped seven catches. If they catch the blooming thing, they can win the game.”I said on this wicket the Australians are going to bowl short and flat and try to knock your head off, because it’s as green as the outfield. But you’ve got to bowl line and length. The Australians will get frustrated because they can’t whack you around. And what happened? Doug Bracewell bowled 20-odd overs and got 6 for 40.”And New Zealand won the match, their first Test victory in Australia since 1985. Guy was a national selector in the 1980s, but that stint ended around the same time that he lost money in a business deal that turned sour. But he remains involved in making bats and other equipment, retaining the sporting interest that was sparked as a young man in Nelson.He was 12th man when New Zealand were famously bowled out for a record low total of 26 against England at Eden Park in March 1955 – “We were in the game until the top went off the wicket,” he says – and made his Test debut later that year in Dhaka. Facing Fazal Mahmood and his colleagues on the matting pitch was a challenge, but Guy helped bat out an admirable draw.The team then moved on to India and Guy, who had debuted at No. 7, was shifted up to first drop by the captain, Harry Cave*. Mind you, Cave took some convincing from broadcaster Iain Gallaway, who rated Guy highly and had the ear of Walter Hadlee.”Gallaway said I should be batting higher, because they had a couple of good spinners and the guys batting up there couldn’t play spin as well as me,” Guy says. “I go to the ground the next day and the captain says, ‘I believe you’re not happy batting at No. 7’. I said, ‘Well, you always have me batting at No. 3 for Central Districts and I haven’t done too bad’. He said, ‘Right, you’re batting at 3, and if you get out you’re on the first plane home. I ended up batting for seven hours.”Cricket bat sans shoulder: Lance Cairns could clear the “G” one-handed•Getty ImagesGuy scored 102 in that innings in Hyderabad; he made 52 and 91 later in the series, but never scored another Test century. His success in India came from having learnt how to face spin from Leslie Townsend, an Englishman who moved to New Zealand to coach.”He used to bowl and get me to read his hand, how to go down the wicket,” Guy says. “Your first step has got to be a big one, not a little wee shuffle and then try to compensate by extending later on. You go big first and then adjust.”The other thing was that he also taught me the same way as the Indians bat: hit into the line of spin, not with the spin. If you think of the logistics of that, it’s pretty sound, because if you hit with the spin you’re turning your bat, but hitting it against the spin you hit with the full face.”But Guy’s success in India did not translate into a long period in the Test team. When New Zealand toured England in 1958, Guy made his way there as well. Not with the squad, though.”I worked my way to England as a steward on board a cargo ship that also took 12 passengers,” he says. “I was serving tables and looking after them.”In England, he secured a county deal with Northamptonshire, but the New Zealand management objected to one of their own playing against them in a tour match. When Northamptonshire hosted the New Zealanders, Guy played anyway, and made 43 not out before his captain, Raman Subba Row, declared overnight.Guy’s cards were not exactly marked – he played four more Tests, back home and in South Africa, over the next three years – but he was disillusioned.”I always felt that I wasn’t wanted in the New Zealand team. I came from a small city in New Zealand. You’re not one of the majors, you’re not mixing with the others so much.”But Guy kept playing first-class cricket until he was 38, and has the distinction of having played for every provincial side but Auckland.”Shell transferred me from Christchurch to Dunedin to Wellington to Blenheim to Gisborne.” Consequently, he played for Central Districts, then Canterbury, then Otago, then Wellington, then back to Central Districts again, then on to Northern Districts to finish his career.Then came bat-making, selecting New Zealand teams, a move to Melbourne, and an ongoing love of cricket that seems unquenchable. He likes the look of Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ben Wheeler and a few others. He’ll watch almost any match that is on TV (and find a way to see some that aren’t), and keeps cricket memorabilia all around the house.And, of course, Excalibur takes pride of place.* 0500 GMT, September 10: Corrected from John Reid.

West Ham still have a good chance of signing Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes this summer, according to a key update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Is Harvey Barnes off to West Ham this summer?

The Hammers are hopefully in the process of having an excellent summer in the transfer market, with last season a disappointing one in the Premier League, even though UEFA Europa Conference League glory was so memorable secured.

It is essential that a number of new faces arrive, in order to freshen up the squad, and the vast amount of money received through the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal will surely generate more funds for incomings.

One player who has been linked with a move to West Ham a number of times in recent months is Barnes, who looks almost certain to leave Leicester sooner rather than later, following their relegation to the Championship back in May. The £40,000-a-week winger scored 13 times for the Foxes in the league in 2022/23, despite their struggles as a team, and it would be a big surprise if he wasn't representing a top-flight team next term.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding the Englishman's current situation, as West Ham look to get a significant piece of business over the line.

What's the latest on Harvey Barnes to West Ham?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that there is still plenty of work to do regarding West Ham's pursuit of Barnes, but generally spoke positively about the moving coming to fruition:

"I think very quickly we'll start to see that move forward very quickly in terms of finding out how much he will cost and whether he's willing to commit to a move to a club like West Ham, or whether he's looking to keep his options open for a little bit longer."

Barnes really could be such an ideal signing for West Ham ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, with the one-time capped England international ticking so many boxes as an addition.

At 25, he is at a real sweet spot in his career, possessing plenty of experience but also have so many years ahead of him, and he has now racked up 35 goals and 25 assists in the Premier League, highlighting the productivity he could bring in the final third at the London Stadium.

Barnes' pace and directness have arguably been lacking at West Ham of late, and he would represent a different type of player than someone like Said Benrahma, for example, offering more runs in behind and stretching opponents in the process.

The Leicester star has been hailed as "unbelievable" by iconic Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, which is no mean feat, and if the Hammers can beat other clubs to his signature, it would feel like a statement signing for them before the campaign gets underway.

Newcastle are believed to be right in the mix, though, and their guarantee of Champions League football could understandably turn Barnes' head, but West Ham must do all they can to get their man this summer, ensuring he is part of a major squad build in the process.

Thibaut Courtois has returned to the Belgium squad after almost two years following his spat with former coach Domenico Tedesco.

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Courtois returns to Belgium squadLast played for Red Devils in June 2023Had a fall out with former coach TedescoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid custodian was named in the Red Devils' 26-member squad for their upcoming two-legged Nations League qualifying fixture against Ukraine. Courtois has not appeared for Belgium since June 2023 after he had a fallout with ex-Belgium boss Tedesco over captaincy of the national team. However, with Rudi Garcia replacing Tedesco in January, the goalkeeper has now returned to the national team setup.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RUDI GARCIA SAID

Speaking to reporters about Courtois' selection, the new Belgium boss said: "We're starting with a blank slate. I won't see the players until Monday, but we'll talk to the leaders again about what happened. But after that, I'm not going to keep dwelling on what happened years ago. Otherwise we won't make any progress."

Garcia further revealed how he is planning to resolve the captaincy issue as he added: "I have an idea in my head about that. Kevin (de Bruyne), Romelu (Lukaku) and Thibaut are definitely candidates. We will see next week who the leaders are."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Madrid star's comeback did not go down well with Koen Casteels, who has been Belgium's first-choice custodian in the past few years. The Al Qadsiah goalkeeper even quit the national team following the news of Courtois returning to the national team was out. Speaking on Belgian podcast MidMid, Casteels said: "It's strange that the football association has turned 180 degrees and is rolling out the red carpet and welcoming him back with open arms.

"I think it's a bit strange that Courtois can decide for himself whether he can come back. It is not so much towards Thibaut, but mainly towards the football association. That does not fit in with the standards and values that I have about what a team sport or a sporting organisation should have. As of today, I am no longer available [for the national team]."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BELGIUM?

Belgium will first face Ukraine on Thursday, away from home, before hosting them for the second leg on March 23.

Yuzvendra Chahal opens up, not for the first time, about bullying by colleagues from the time he was a youngster trying to make a mark

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2022Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up – for the second time this year – about instances of physical harassment when he was a newcomer in the IPL. The latest revelation relates to an incident in 2013, when Chahal was with Mumbai Indians, and a player allegedly dangled him from a 15th-floor hotel balcony after “getting drunk”.”This dates back to 2013, when I was with Mumbai Indians,” Chahal said, speaking to R Ashwin in a Rajasthan Royals video, published on April 7, about how players handle tricky off-field situations. “We had a match in Bengaluru and there was a get-together after that. So there was a player who was very drunk – and I won’t take his name – he was very drunk, he just called me aside, and he took me outside and he hung me out from the balcony.”I was holding on to him, with my arms around his neck. If I had lost my grip, we were on the 15th floor… Suddenly many people who were there came and handled the situation. I kind of fainted, and they gave me water. Then I realised how responsible we need to be when we go anywhere. So that was one incident where I made a narrow escape. Had there been a small mistake there, I would have fallen down.”

“They were so lost that they taped my mouth and forgot about me completely during the party. Then they all left and, in the morning, someone came to clean [the room] and saw me, and called a few others and untied me”Chahal, on the time in 2011 when Symonds and Franklin tied him up and left him in a room overnight

Earlier in the year, on a podcast published by his earlier team Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chahal had recounted an episode from 2011, talking about how his then Mumbai team-mates, James Franklin and Andrew Symonds, had tied him up, taped his mouth, left him in a room and forgot about him for a whole night.”It happened in 2011, when Mumbai Indians won the Champions League. We were in Chennai. He [Symonds] had had a lot of ‘fruit juice’ . I don’t know what he was thinking, but he and James Franklin got together and tied my hands and legs and said, ‘no, you’ve to open’,” Chahal said. “They were so lost that they taped my mouth and forgot about me completely during the party. Then they all left and, in the morning, someone came to clean [the room] and saw me, and called a few others and untied me. They asked me since when I had been there, and I said, ‘I’ve been here the whole night’. So that became a funny story.”When asked if Symonds and Franklin had apologised after that, Chahal said, “No, they said when you drink so much juice you don’t remember stuff in the morning .” Chahal and Symonds have, however, developed a relationship over time. Speaking on , Chahal had revealed some time ago that the two were close friends who exchange messages from time to time.Mumbai was the first IPL team for Chahal, now 31, and he has since played for Royal Challengers before being bought by Royals ahead of the ongoing season of the IPL.

Under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou is already dealing with an injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur squad right now, but it is now rumoured that another star player in their squad is set to be sidelined for weeks.

Tottenham injuries and suspensions

Spurs currently have as many as eight first team players suffering with one issue or another in terms of fitness, while both Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are currently suspended from action.

Shortlisted: Tottenham looking at "sensational" Postecoglou replacement

The promising managerial talent could be the answer to Spurs’ problems.

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Bentancur is in the midst of a domestic ban from the FA, while Bissouma is set to be ineligible until their clash against Liverpool on December 22 after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in their 4-3 defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

It is unclear whether Mikey Moore will finally return from his illness to face Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, with star winger Brennan Johnson in the same boat after Postecoglou hauled the in-form Welshman off against Chelsea.

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December 15

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January 4

“Brennan just didn’t feel well,” said Postecoglou on Johnson’s substitution against Chelsea.

“He didn’t feel well at half-time, but he wanted to give it a go. He just wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, so I had to take him off.”

Left-back Ben Davies missed Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea with a thigh injury, while striker Richarlison, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and summer signing Wilson Odobert are all sidelined with long-term injuries and won’t be back until the new year.

Postecoglou was gifted a reprieve when star centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven returned to the starting line-up on Sunday, but the former was replaced after just 15 minutes.

Van de Ven was taken off later in the 90 after feeling tightness (Postecoglou), but it is far more worrying for Romero, who apparently picked up a fresh injury around his quadriceps.

“Romero is just obviously hugely disappointing,” said Postecoglou on Romero’s injury against Chelsea.

“He felt something in his quad. He trained really well. He wasn’t the one I was worried about, to be honest, but, you know, it’s just like I said, the way the season’s going for us unfortunately. So we just have to wait and see.”

Tottenham set to be without Romero for six weeks after fresh injury

The Argentina international had been sidelined with a toe injury, but this instance is a completely separate problem, with TyC Sports reporter Gaston Edul providing an update on the £150 million defender’s condition.

Edu, taking to X, writes that Romero will be sidelined for six weeks at Tottenham after his fresh muscle injury, dealing a major blow to Postecoglou, who must now contend without his “unbelievable” player yet again.

As a result, the former Atalanta star won’t return to the field until 2025, and he is set to miss crucial games against Liverpool and in the Europa League.

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 30 teams across Major League Soccer

The LA Galaxy have officially set an unwanted record as the worst reigning MLS Cup champions through the first three weeks of the following season, suffering their third straight loss in a 3-0 drubbing by St. Louis CITY SC.

The team's winless start after three matches sets an unwanted record as no previous MLS defending champion has started the season with three-straight losses. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the longest all-time winless streak by a reigning champion was also held by the Galaxy, going eight straight without a win in 2003. However, that team got off to a better start than the current team, drawing its first three matches.

However, MLS Matchday 3 was full of milestones — most of them worth celebrating.

U.S. international Jordan Morris led the Seattle Sounders to a dominant win over previously unbeaten LAFC, scoring a stunning goal to become the club’s all-time leading scorer. Just north, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Canadian rivals CF Montreal, making it three wins in three to start the season. Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Minnesota United ended San Jose’s unbeaten run, while expansion side San Diego FC roared back from a two-goal deficit to stun Real Salt Lake in Utah.

The Eastern Conference brought its own fireworks.

The Philadelphia Union joined Vancouver as the only team to start the season with three straight wins, while Tai Baribo netted his sixth goal of the campaign to take an early lead in the Golden Boot race. The Columbus Crew settled for a goalless draw against Houston Dynamo, and FC Cincinnati cruised past Toronto FC. Then, the Chicago Fire stunned FC Dallas late, scoring three times in quick succession to seal Gregg Berhalter’s first win as manager.

Inter Miami, still without Lionel Messi for a third consecutive match due to fitness concerns, edged past Charlotte FC — but also picked up their third red card of the season.

It wasn’t all glory, though.

Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers collapsed against Nashville SC, Austin FC’s high-spending offseason has yet to yield results, and Sporting Kansas City remain winless in five matches across all competitions.

So, which club is leading the pack, and who is falling short of expectations? GOAL presents the latest 2025 MLS Power Rankings.

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30CF Montreal ⬇️

MTL are 0-3 with a negative-four goal-differential. It's been really poor — and a roster overhaul might not be enough at this point.

Advertisement29Sporting Kansas City ⬇️

Winless in five matches across all competitions to start the 2025 season. A 2-1 loss to a bottom-half side in D.C. on Saturday summed up how their season has gone so far.

Longtime manager Peter Vermes has the biggest task of his career ahead of him, and if he cannot turn things around, it might be time to look elsewhere for a leader on the touchline.

USA Today Images28New England Revolution ⬇️

Another week, and another goalless showing from . That's three straight matches without a goal – and it's not going to get easier. Striker Leo Campana exited their match on Saturday with a lower-leg injury, which could prove to be a huge roadblock to overcome if it sidelines him for a period of time.

Caleb Porter has been handed the longest leash in MLS, but time is slowly running out.

Woeful defending, woeful attacking and more alarmingly for the club, woeful attendance showings. It is trying times in the Northeast for one of MLS' most storied clubs.

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Getty Images Sport27Austin FC ⬇️

They spent all that money on Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni, yet neither have a goal-contribution through three games this season. The alarm bell is starting to be looked at.

Leeds United’s lead at the top of the Championship table did not last for long after they were knocked out of the automatic promotion places in the division at the weekend.

The Whites are now third in the league and three points behind Sheffield United in first place, after the Blades beat Sunderland 1-0 on Friday night.

Daniel Farke’s side could have moved back to the top of the table with a win against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday, only for them to lose 1-0 to a penalty from Todd Cantwell.

The West Yorkshire outfit are currently sat in the same position that they finished the regular season in last term, which led to them losing in the play-off final against Southampton.

Leeds will be hoping to go one better and finish inside the top two to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League this season, rather than rely on going through the play-offs.

The Whites have done well to bounce back from the disappointment of last season to remain in the hunt for promotion this term, particularly after they lost a number of their top performers in the summer transfer window.

The money Leeds raked in over the summer

Academy graduate and Young Player of the Year Archie Gray moved on from Elland Road after just one year in the first-team, joining Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

It was reported that Spurs agreed a fee of up to £30m for the England U21 international’s services, whilst centre-back Joe Rodon returned to Leeds on a permanent deal going the other way.

Finland international Glen Kamara also moved on from the club to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Rennes for a reported fee of €10m (£8.3m), just one year after his move to Elland Road from Scottish giants Rangers.

Crysencio Summerville was sold to Premier League side West Ham United for an initial fee of £25m, after his haul of 19 goals and nine assists in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign.

The largest fee raked in by Leeds during the summer transfer window, however, was the reported £40m that Brighton & Hove Albion spent on Georgino Rutter, after his return of 15 assists from a number ten position in the second tier last season.

Whilst Leeds will not want to cash in on their best players every summer, the Whites may have a player in their ranks who could go for even more than any of the players sold in the most recent window.

Leeds have struck gold on Pascal Struijk

Central defender Pascal Struijk has matured into a terrific player for the club in recent seasons under Farke’s coaching, after some struggles at Premier League level at the start of his career.

The Dutch titan, who came through the academy after joining from Ajax’s youth set-up, played 29 times in the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign, as the Whites were relegated from the division.

Struijk was dribbled past 0.9 times per game and gave away two penalties that term, as he struggled at times under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracie, and Sam Allardyce.

The drop down to the second tier and the arrival of Farke as the club’s new manager provided the Dutchman with a chance to emerge as a start for the Whites, by thriving week-in-week-out as a regular.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Struijk started 22 of the first 23 league games of the season before suffering a groin injury that ruled him out for the final 27 matches in all competitions.

Appearances

23

Pass accuracy

90%

Penalties committed

0

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

Duel success rate

61%

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old brute did not give away any penalties and was rarely dribbled past by opposition players, which was a significant improvement on his Premier League form.

The Leeds defender, who was once hailed as a “monster” by writer Daniel Fraiz Martinez on X, has now returned from his groin injury and emerged as a key player for Farke in the current campaign.

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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?

In fact, his performances at Championship level have been impressive enough to earn him a comparison to a £50m-rated international central defender.

Struijk is a £50m star in the making

Over the last 365 days of action in the second tier, Struijk’s statistics have been good enough for FBref to list Sporting centre-back Goncalo Inacio as one of the most similar players to the Leeds man.

They are both relatively young – 25 and under – left-footed defenders who are incredibly progressive in their use of the ball, as they look to get their respective teams playing out from the back to create chances.

As you can see in the chart above, they both rank very highly among defenders in the Men’s Next 14 Competitions (outside the top five leagues) over the last 365 days in a number of key possession-based statistics.

Inacio has been linked with Arsenal this year and has a release clause of €60m (£50m), which shows the kind of fee that his performances could see him moved on for.

The Leeds giant, therefore, could be a £50m player in the making for Farke, who has turned him into a progressive monster at the heart of the defence, given his similarities to Inacio and his style of play suiting the top teams in Europe – who want centre-backs who can play out from the back and be progressive.

Passes attempted

90.72

Top 2%

Progressive passes

6.89

Top 1%

Pass accuracy

91%

Top 8%

Progressive carries

1.22

Top 12%

Shot-creating actions

1.44

Top 6%

As you can see in the table above, Struijk also ranks highly among his positional peers in the Championship this season, which speaks to his quality in possession at that level.

Defensively, the 25-year-old ace has won 61% of his duels across 18 starts and helped his side to keep nine clean sheets, with zero errors that led to shots or goals, and zero penalties committed.

If he can continue his fine form, in and out of possession, and avoid any more major injuries then the club could have another hugely valuable asset on their hands in the future.

As well as Piroe: Farke must drop 3/10 Leeds man who lost possession 18x

The Leeds United head coach should drop Joel Piroe as well as this struggling midfielder.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 1, 2024

Pair expected to be fit for the second Test; Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim jnr called up as cover

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2022Pakistan have suffered a massive blow ahead of their historic first Test against Australia with the loss of both Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf through injuries. Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim jnr have been called up to replace the pair, but the holes left by the injured pair will not be easily filled.Both Hasan and Ashraf were part of Islamabad United’s injury-hit PSL campaign that ended on Friday evening with their narrow loss to finalists Lahore Qalandar.Ashraf missed the game with a hamstring strain while Hasan played, but limped off towards the end of Lahore’s innings with what has now been confirmed as an abductor strain.The pair have been key to Pakistan’s Test side over the last year. Ashraf has been the seam-bowling allrounder Pakistan haven’t had for years and though he’s taken only 10 wickets in the eight Tests he played in 2021, he was essential in providing shape and discipline to the attack, as well as relief for the other bowlers – something successive Pakistan attacks over the years have lacked. With the bat he’s averaged nearly 40 through 2021.Related

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Hasan, meanwhile, was the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests last year, behind his team-mate Shaheen Shah Afridi and R Ashwin with 41 wickets at an average of just 16.The pair is expected to be fit for second Test, which starts in Karachi on March 12.”Faheem and Hasan will rejoin the squad in the coming week and, after completing their three-day mandatory isolation, integrate with the rest of the squad during the first Test. Both are expected to regain full fitness before the second Test that will be played in Karachi 12-16 March,” the PCB said.”Both Iftikhar and Wasim (chosen due to their all-round ability) will reach Islamabad tonight and start their three-day isolation at the team hotel, after which they will join the rest of the squad after clearing Covid tests.”The first Test begins in Rawalpindi on March 4, the first international game Australia have played in Pakistan in over 23 years.

One Everton player’s agents has been in contact with a club in Italy over a potential January move, it has emerged, with the Toffees battling for survival in the Premier League.

Everton in a relegation battle

A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United in their most recent outing confirmed that Everton are going to be in a relegation battle this season. A series of mistakes saw Sean Dyche’s side fall apart in half an hour either side of half-time as goals from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee helped the hosts to a comfortable win.

It leaves the Toffees in 15th place in the Premier League, but just two points above the relegation zone and 19th placed Ipswich Town, with an equally poor goal difference as Kieran McKenna’s side.

Now without a win since they beat Ipswich six games ago, things are only likely to get worse for the Toffees in the weeks to come, with a tough fixture list that sees them face four of the current top five in successive games, beginning with the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

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That could pile pressure on Sean Dyche, and with the club also mid-takeover, there is little certainty on Merseyside at present in what could could prove a difficult campaign for them. They also have the issue of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been linked with a move away in January and will leave in the summer at the latest as things stand, with his current deal coming to an end amid widespread interest. Now, another player has been receiving enquiries ahead of January.

Everton man in the sights of Serie A sides

That comes courtesy of reports in Italy, which claim that Beto’s agent has been in talks with Serie A side Torino, while two more Italian sides wait in the wings.

Beto was handed his first start of the season against Manchester United, but missed a glorious chance with the score at 0-0 and had little other service. In the post-match player ratings, the Liverpool Echo handed him a 5/10, warning that he needed to be more composed and lacked the quality for the Premier League.

“We saw a lot of what we already knew about Beto as while he found himself on the end of several more chances than Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been getting, he needed to be more composed with his finishing having skewed an early left foot chance high over the bar and then shooting wide when one-on-one with Andre Onana, more quality must be shown to be a success in the Premier League.”

Since moving to Goodison Park from Udinese, Beto has struggled for game time, starting just 13 times in 2 seasons and having little impact off the substitutes bench when turned to.

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ByAngus Sinclair Dec 3, 2024

With that in mind, Torino have spoken to Beto’s agent, in order to “find out more about Beto’s situation and the possibility of a transfer” in January, while it is added that both Juventus and Roma are also keeping a close eye on the forward’s situation.

Beto still has almost three years left to run on his £50,000 a week deal at Goodison Park, and with Calvert-Lewin’s future unclear, Everton would likely be reluctant to sell him unless they could recoup their initial outlay.