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Currently the captain and coach wield immense influence with regard to all matters concerning the Indian team. Should it be that way?

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Oct-2018Over the next two days, the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators and chief executive Rahul Johri will meet the India captain, coach – Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri – and possibly the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad to discuss issues vital to the team. They had already met last week, and on the agenda now is the review of India’s Test tours of South Africa and England, player workload, the tour of Australia, the needs of the coaching staff, and also the players’ request to have their families along on long tours.Ideally, the person the CoA and Johri should have met is a team director. A person whom Kohli and Shastri are answerable and accountable to. A person who – not being directly involved in the West Indies series – would have already prepared reports on the tours of South Africa and England, and detailed what India needs for Australia. A person who would have discussed workload problems with the team management and taken that to the BCCI, and figured out which players need their workloads monitored during next year’s IPL in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup.What Indian cricket is missing, and has always missed, is a point man who has powers of governance that makes the team management answerable to him – a team director, who has the bigger picture in mind.Such a person, however, does not exist and instead Kohli and Shastri have a direct line to the BCCI’s current boss, Johri, who in turn reports to the two-member committee of administrators (CoA), which was tasked by the Supreme Court to implement the Lodha Committee reforms. But should a captain and coach have the power to wield such influence?We’ve already seen examples of how things could go awry with such an arrangement. Last year, Kohli made it clear to the CoA and Johri that he could not continue to work with the then India head coach Anil Kumble, who consequently stepped down last June. Kumble, who had replaced Shastri after the 2016 T20 World Cup, had been the unanimous choice of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.The CAC first attempted to resolve differences between Kohli and Kumble, but when that did not work it picked Shastri after the BCCI advertised for the job of head coach. It got messy, and though the CoA and Johri felt they had no choice, they were criticised for giving in to Kohli’s demands.That incident reasserted a well-known fact about the culture that has existed in Indian cricket for decades: the captain calls the shots. There’s an unwritten rule in Indian cricket that allows captains a certain entitlement. The Kumble episode also showed how the CAC, so far an ad-hoc body, was powerless – a situation that will not entirely change despite the Lodha reforms.The BCCI might argue that there is already a person who performing the role of team director. Under the current set-up, the BCCI has various general managers that head different wings of the management of cricket. Saba Karim, the former Indian wicketkeeper, is the general manager, cricket, but his role is limited more to the domestic game.The best example of how effective a team director can be is Andrew Strauss, the former England captain who recently stepped down as team director. Strauss, appointed to the role after England’s first-round exit in the 2015 World Cup, recruited coaching staff and created a roadmap that has led to England being the No.1 ODI team, the No. 4 Test team and an explosive T20 team despite their No. 6 ranking in the format.One of the first big decisions Strauss took as team director was to end Kevin Pietersen’s England career after a fallout between him and his team-mates. Strauss realised Pietersen had to go for England cricket to move forward and took a tough decision. Alastair Cook recently thanked Strauss for making his life as England captain easy at the time.Being a former captain himself, Strauss had a strong feel for the needs of players and coaching staff. But crucially he also knew how to handle the operational part of his job in conjunction with ECB top brass. It is a role that requires the creation of pathways for current and future teams; pathways that are flexible and can evolve as needs change.India are the No.1 team in Tests, and No. 2 in ODIs and T20Is, but allowing the team management, led by Kohli and Shastri, to take its own decisions without any peer review, leave alone an official to report to, can have long-term impact on Indian cricket.For example, India are the only major Full Member country to not have played a day-night Test, largely because of reluctance in the team. According to Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI’s technical committee chairman, the first Test of the ongoing series against West Indies, in Rajkot, was supposed to be a day-night fixture. However, the team management told the CoA that the players were not ready to play pink-ball cricket and that India should focus on maximising the home advantage in Tests.On the tours of South Africa and England, the team management decided to go into the Test series without playing adequate warm-up matches as preparation. Kohli’s view was that weak opposition in warm-up games was not satisfactory practice and he would rather simulate Test conditions against second string Indian fast bowlers, as was seen in South Africa and then recently in the Asia Cup. Though India were competitive, they lost 2-1 in South Africa and 4-1 in England.Kohli is undoubtedly working for the benefit of the Indian cricket but Indian cricket does not start and end with the national team. Kohli’s territory should be the dressing room and the field of play, where he works with the head coach on plans and selections, but the wider processes that govern his team – and future teams – should be down to the team director.India did have a team director once, in 2014, and that man was none other than Shastri, who was roped in by the BCCI after India’s 4-1 Test series defeat in England. But Shastri performed the role of manager and coach in that stint that lasted till the 2015 World Cup.Ironically, the man most suited to do the job of team director might be Kumble. During his tenure as India coach Kumble had started creating a vision for the Indian team that would run parallel with the India A set-up led by another former India captain Rahul Dravid. Kumble also has the ability and stature to not just work with the team management but also stand up to them if necessary, but his candidature might be a non-starter because of his history with Kohli. The other person who could be fit for the role is Laxman, a firm and capable mind.Whoever it is, Indian cricket would be well served by a team director, but for the role to work, there needs to be a cultural shift within the system that redistributes the power wielded by the captain and coach.

In what has been a great period for underdogs in international cricket, New Zealand need to be wary against their Asian visitors

Mohammad Isam in Hamilton27-Feb-2019Bangladesh are likely to have it tough in the Test series in New Zealand, but for motivation – and help with strategy – they can certainly look at Sri Lanka, and what they did to win 2-0 in South Africa.Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have some similarities too. Sri Lanka hadn’t done too well in South Africa on previous tours, while Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand in their backyard. Or anywhere, for that matter, losing 10 of the 13 times they have played in the format; all three draws have come at home.Bangladesh are also without two of their top batsmen and are playing with a new-look pace attack. Ahead of the first Test in Hamilton, ESPNcricinfo looks at five factors that Bangladesh can focus on to emulate Sri Lanka.

Take the game deep

Bangladesh have often looked like they have given up the fight after a bad first day of a Test, and that has contributed to a poor series on occasion too. There have been instances of a bad opening bowling spell putting them off for the rest of the game. A batting collapse early on usually has had a worse effect.ALSO READ: Onus on Bangladesh batsmen to find remedyWith three of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry likely to be in the playing XI, New Zealand will want to put pressure on Bangladesh early. Taking the game deep, playing out sessions, can only help Bangladesh, especially if the ODI series is anything to go by. It might serve to narrow the margin between the two sides, and even if they don’t bat or bowl well in the first half of the game, there’s always a chance to come back, like Sri Lanka did in the fourth innings in Durban.

Give freedom to the young pacers

One of the things Sri Lanka, and new captain Dimuth Karunaratne, did well in South Africa was to let rookie pacers Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha bowl with freedom.Mahmudullah, leading in Shakib Al Hasan’s injury-enforced absence, should have a similar talk with Abu Jayed, Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hosain, who are all quite green in international cricket. Letting them bowl to their strengths could be the best way to let them operate.The three young pacers should also keep in mind that previous Bangladeshi pace attacks – in New Zealand and South Africa in 2017 – did poorly because they got over-excited in helpful conditions. Using the conditions smartly, like Robiul Islam did in Zimbabwe in 2013, might be more helpful.The Sri Lankans celebrate their eight-wicket win in Port Elizabeth•Getty Images

Make the most of the opportunity

Mahmudullah has said that those replacing Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, who is also injured, in the line-up should grab their opportunities.Soumya Sarkar, who has remained in New Zealand as Shakib’s replacement, and Liton Das, who is likely to take over the gloves in place of Mushfiqur, must stand up after letting slip their chances in the ODI series.Newcomers like Shadman Islam and Mohammad Mithun, too, should treat this Test series to establish themselves in the format, while Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah have the ideal platform to be the leaders they can be.Eerily similar was Sri Lanka’s batting situation in South Africa after they dropped regular captain Dinesh Chandimal, while Angelo Mathews was injured. But it didn’t deter their batsmen, particularly Kusal Perera, who made that incredible match-winning hundred in Durban.

Find your own hustle

Bangladesh must motivate themselves, and it has to start right from the top. Mahmudullah has reasons to like Hamilton, having scored two centuries there. Tamim didn’t make too many runs in the ODIs, which should be hurting him enough to bring out a strong performance. But it’s important for the rest of the team to not be in slumber mode. A bad performance here could cost them places in the World Cup squad.It’s not as easy as switching on or switching off a button, but sometimes, it can be as simple too.Sri Lanka, too, could have felt that losing in South Africa was all right. But they dared to think differently.

Don’t think about the past

Bangladesh have endured several bad days in New Zealand since they started touring the country in 1997. They have never won a Test match, and know that the ball will swing – a lot – for the first couple of hours, and that their batsmen, whether dour or exciting, won’t let go of scoring opportunities.Sri Lanka had won only one out of their previous 13 Tests in South Africa before the 2019 show. With a drastically different side this time, a negative mindset was going to be the easy way out. Instead, they ignored history, and made history of their own. Bangladesh have that opportunity too.

The game’s most high-profile league and its most successful player came up against each other. Here was a chance to set a fitting precedent; in the end the league blinked

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Apr-20191:46

Dhoni was fired up by the way the no-ball decision was handled – Fleming

“He gave a no-ball! He gave a no-ball!”It’s an extraordinary sight. MS Dhoni, dismissed the previous ball, has marched back onto the field and is addressing these words to the square-leg umpire while pointing towards his bowler’s-end colleague.It happens every day at the base of cricket’s pyramid, in unruly contests officiated by umpires sourced from the batting team. It’s hard to think of an equivalent situation from a match this high-profile.It was a boundary-blurring act, quite literally. Within the boundary, the umpires’ word is law, but what happens when that boundary – which protects the closed system of the sporting contest and its rules – turns porous?ALSO READ: Dhoni’s on-field outburst ‘probably not’ right – Jos ButtlerFor a parallel, let’s turn to the greatest TV show of them all, , and to the Eastside versus Westside basketball game in season one, the moment when Avon Barksdale storms onto the court to harangue the referee when a decision goes against his team.”Yo ref, yo ref, yo ref… what the f***?” Barksdale screams in the referee’s face. “The boy was fouled, clear, straight up… how you going to not call that?”This isn’t just any coach of any basketball team. This is Avon Barksdale, kingpin of the West Baltimore drug trade.”Look,” the referee says, backing away from Barksdale, his face frozen in fear. “If you want I can put time back on the clock and replay it…”Cue outrage from Barksdale. “Are you talking about a do-over, baby? Are you talking about a f*****g do-over? That’s not how the game is played. You can’t do that!”Then he tells the referee how to do his job.”Man, you supposed to be the ref, right? Why don’t you stand up for your f****** self, you p***y! You can’t just let any ol’ m************ n**** get in your face… understand? Now walk away. Walk away.”It’s a terrific scene, capturing among other things the absurdity of sport’s arbitrary, inflexible rules and the indisputable authority figure of the referee existing within a universe of lawlessness and moral ambiguity. The entrance of a figure as powerful as Barksdale threatens the very existence of the referee, and of that basketball match as a meaningful contest.Dhoni isn’t Barksdale, but few wield the influence he does in Indian cricket, at a time when player power is rampant – take the last days of Anil Kumble as India’s coach, if you need an example – and when the BCCI is a considerably weakened force.For umpires Ulhas Gandhe and Bruce Oxenford, Dhoni crossing the boundary line and striding towards them, gesticulating aggressively, must have presented a far more intimidating sight than if it had been, say, Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer in his place. Umpires are human, and while this line is usually invoked while talking about the errors they occasionally make, players must also remember it in their dealings with them.Dhoni’s actions in Jaipur publicly undermined the umpires, as did Virat Kohli’s tirade after that contentious no-ball non-call in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s match against Mumbai Indians.Kohli got away unscathed, and Dhoni copped tge gentlest of penalties – 50% of his match fee, the minimum sanction for a Level 2 offence under the IPL’s code of conduct. It will hardly make a dent in Dhoni’s wallet, and it sets a precedent of utmost leniency.The game’s most high-profile league and its most successful player came up against each other. Here was a chance to set a fitting precedent; in the end the league blinked.

Also, has there ever been a Test innings in which both openers made double-centuries?

Steven Lynch15-Oct-2019How many people have been out stumped twice in a Test, as Rohit Sharma was at Vizag? asked Bharat Krishna from India, among others

Rohit Sharma became the 22nd man to be stumped in both innings of a Test, against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. His six-studded knocks of 176 and 127 made him the first of those 22 to have scored centuries in both innings: the only others to make one were Wally Hammond, with 24 and 140 in the famous timeless Test in Durban in 1938-39, and another England batsman in Winston Place, who scored 8 and 107 against West Indies in Kingston in 1947-48.At the other end of the scale, Bobby Peel’s pair for England against Australia in Sydney in 1894-95 came after he was stumped for 0 in each innings, and this non-feat was replicated 110 years later by Zimbabwe’s Chris Mpofu, against New Zealand in Harare in 2005.Kevin O’Brien hit a T20 hundred recently against Hong Kong, and also scored Ireland’s first Test century. Has anyone else been the first for their country in two formats? asked Gary Murphy from Ireland

Kevin O’Brien’s 124 from 62 balls against Hong Kong in Al Amerat earlier this month made him Ireland’s first centurion in T20Is; he had made their first (and still only) Test century, against Pakistan in Malahide in 2018. O’Brien also scored Ireland’s fourth hundred in one-day internationals.I was rather surprised to discover there are as many as four others who have made their country’s first century in two of the three international formats. Dave Houghton made Zimbabwe’s first in ODIs (142 against New Zealand in Hyderabad in India during the 1987-88 World Cup), and added their first Test hundred (121 in their inaugural match, against India in Harare in 1992-93.Mohammad Shahzad hit Afghanistan’s maiden century in ODIs (110 against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2009), and later added their first in T20Is (118 not out against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in 2015-16).The other two joined the ranks this year: Paras Khadka scored 115 in Nepal’s ODI against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai in January, and added 106 not out in a T20I in Singapore in September, while Namibia’s JP Kotze made 101 not out in a T20 against Botswana in Windhoek in August, and 136 in an ODI against the United States in Lauderhill the following month. At the moment these are the only ODI and T20 centuries for Nepal and Namibia.R Ashwin just took seven wickets in an innings against South Africa. Who has taken the most seven-fors in Tests? asked Kurt Bauermeister from South Africa

R Ashwin’s 7 for 145 in the first innings against South Africa in Visakhapatnam recently was his fifth seven-for in Tests, putting him level with four other distinguished bowlers: Alec Bedser, Clarrie Grimmett, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev.There are seven men with more seven-fors in Tests: Rangana Herath, Anil Kumble and Shane Warne had six, while Sydney Barnes, Harbhajan Singh and George Lohmann managed seven. Quite a way in front, though, is Muttiah Muralitharan, who took seven wickets in an innings on no fewer than 11 occasions.Murali also leads the way for eight-fors, with five; Lohmann had four, Barnes and Kapil three. Murali and Jim Laker are the only bowlers to have twice taken nine or more in an innings; Laker’s famously came in the same match, for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956.Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry were the first openers to both make a double hundred in a Test, against the West Indies in 1965•PA PhotosHas there ever been a Test innings in which both openers made double-centuries? asked Shahzad Raza from Pakistan

There have been two such innings in Tests so far. The first came in Bridgetown in 1964-65, when Bill Lawry scored 210 and Bob Simpson 201 for Australia; Seymour Nurse responded with 201 for West Indies, in the only Test to contain three individual double-centuries until 2008-09, when Sri Lanka and Pakistan managed three in Karachi.Lawry and Simpson’s feat was unmatched until 2007-08, when Neil McKenzie hit 226 and Graeme Smith 232 for South Africa against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Their stand of 415 remains the Test record for the first wicket (Lawry and Simpson, who put on 382, lie fifth).In all, there have been 16 Test innings which included two double-centuries.England’s 903 for 7 is the highest Test total to include a duck – but what is the lowest Test score without one? asked Ian Davies from England

The lowest all-out Test total without a duck remains Australia’s 75 against South Africa in Durban in 1949-50. Although no one was out for 0, there was a 1 and six 2s (one of them not out). Australia staged a stirring comeback to win that match, despite conceding a first-innings lead of 236.England came close at Lord’s in 1997, when they were skittled for 77 by Australia: four men were out for 1, but there were no ducks (although Devon Malcolm finished with 0 not out). There are five other all-out Test totals of less than 100 which did not include a duck.England’s 903 for 7 declared against Australia at The Oval in 1938 included 0 from Eddie Paynter and 1 from Denis Compton – but 364 from Len Hutton.Use our
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Of course, England fans will feel good – they had not won a knock-out game in 27 years, but what exactly is this New England all about?

George Dobell at Edgbaston11-Jul-2019Watching England hasn’t always been like this.For many years, watching them in World Cups has been an experience typified by pain and disappointment. Think of The Oval in 1999, when England made just 103 in pursuit of South Africa’s 225. Or Bridgetown in 2007, when England’s paltry 154 was overhauled for the loss of just one wicket. Or Wellington in 2015, when New Zealand galloped to victory in just 74 balls before the floodlights required turning on. Before this game, England hadn’t won a World Cup knock-out match for 27 years. And they hadn’t won one at home in 40 years. It felt, until this year, as if they had lost almost every big game or crucial passage of play in the tournament this century. Jeez, England supporters have earned this moment.But this England side is different. This England side – New England, as they should probably be known – would appear to relish those key moments and crucial passages of play. Instead of shrinking on the biggest stage like so many of their predecessors, this team has the skill and the confidence to seize the day.Take the start of England’s reply here. There was a time, not so long ago, when confronted by a modest target like this, Old England’s openers would have poked and prodded their way through the first few overs. The tension would have built in the face of their timidity. The bowling team’s confidence would have grown, with men around the bat and scoreboard pressure mounting. In time – and it often wasn’t that much time – Old England would have buckled.ALSO READ: The importance of Bairstow and RoyNot anymore. A sensibly measured start – New England scored six from their first three overs – gave way to an increasingly assured chase. And that, in turn, gave way to a massacre. At one stage, New England plundered 56 runs in four overs with the cream of Australia’s bowling bearing the brunt of the punishment. Twice Mitchell Starc, one of the great white-ball bowlers in the history of the format, was hit out of the attack and, after five overs, he had conceded 50 runs. Nathan Lyon, who tortured and mocked England in Australia, saw his first ball thumped back over his head for six despite the presence of a long-on and, after four overs, had conceded 36. England weren’t treating the dangermen with respect; they were hunting them down and inflicting revenge attacks.It goes without saying that the Jonny Bairstow-Jason Roy partnership has been at the heart of England’s progress in this campaign. They have now recorded four century-stands in succession – no partnership has ever previously made more than three in a single tournament – and 11 in 32 ODIs together. These are extraordinary figures even before we recognise they have the highest strike-rates of opening batsmen with more than 1,000 ODI runs in history.But bald statistics don’t fully reflect their influence. For the manner in which Bairstow and Roy play – the way they dominate against even the best bowlers – spreads confidence through the England dressing room, drains confidence from the opposition’s and puts them well ahead of any projected target. Against both India and New Zealand, they made pitches on which every other player struggled for their timing look perfect for batting. Long before their partnership was broken here Australia looked beaten and England had a foot in the final.

It is asking a great deal of a team to inspire a new generation of supporters on the back of just one game. But if any side could do it, it is, perhaps, this New England

But while this team may be defined by its aggressive batting, this was a match defined by the bowling in the first half-hour. So well did Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer harness the conditions that, within 37 deliveries, Australia were three down and England had a grip on the match they were never to relent.Maybe this was a sign of New England, too. Old England, all too often, would have started cautiously. They would have eased into the game, bowled just back of a length to avoid being driven and looked to keep the score below 40 or so in those opening overs. That is, by and large, the story of England’s bowling in the 2015 World Cup.Again, not anymore. New England seized the moment. Despite losing the toss, they recognised that if this surface was to offer anything, it would be in the first few overs before the last of the overnight dew disappeared. So instead of easing their way into the day, instead of playing it safe and looking for an economical start, they went for the throat.Woakes is something of an antihero in this England side. He doesn’t bowl at 90 mph – well not often, anyway – he doesn’t smack the ball into the stands – well not often, anyway – and he doesn’t show any interest in living out his life on social media. But he is a fine cricketer who, given any help from the surface, can trouble the best. Here he had David Warner fencing at one that rose on him off the seam, before bowling Peter Handscomb with a delivery that nipped back through a gate so large you could nickname it Brandenburg. It was a spell that would have pleased James Anderson with a red ball. And that’s high praise.Archer, meanwhile, is well on his way to stardom. He has played only 13 ODIs but has already taken more wickets (19) in a World Cup campaign than any England bowler has previously managed. Like Glenn McGrath, he bowls so straight and from so close to the stumps that he needs to only gain a fraction of movement to trouble batsmen. And unlike McGrath, he has a change of pace – and extremes of pace – without an obvious change of action. The delivery he produced to dismiss Aaron Finch – quick, accurate and nipping in – was perfect to exploit the weakness of a man who is prone, early in his innings, to falling over a little. The delivery he produced later to dismiss Glenn Maxwell, a knuckle ball that bamboozled the batsmen and left him looking accusingly at the blameless pitch, was a thing of great skill and beauty. In between, Alex Carey was struck a fearsome blow on the helmet. It has been a long, long time since England had a bowler with the range of options – the pace, hostility, skills and intelligence – of Archer.”They’ve bowlers who hit the seam,” Finch said afterwards. “If there’s anything in the wicket, they will get it out of it. Woakes puts it in the right area time and time again. Archer is getting better and better as he plays more international cricket. In this game, the damage was done with the ball. The game was definitely lost in that first 10 overs.”This early movement shouldn’t be a total surprise. For many years the domestic knock-out tournament – the NatWest Trophy or Gillette Cup – was dominated by its early (10.30am) starts: teams winning the toss would inevitably insert the opposition and invariably take several wickets in the first few overs when there was still a little moisture in the pitch from overnight dew. Starting at 10.30am – albeit slightly later in the season – was seen a risking the integrity of the competition. There is a reason – and a very good one – that ODIs in England generally do not start before 11am.But you still have to exploit that help. At Lord’s England – and Archer and Mark Wood, in particular – failed to use more helpful conditions by bowling too short. Here they showed they had learned from those errors and produced spells that defined the game. Even without eye-catching contributions from Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler, this was as complete a performance as England have produced in the tournament. To have played so well against the old enemy in a high-profile knock-out match bodes well for their prospects in the final.How significant is it that the game will be shown free-to-air in the UK? Well, there’s much to like in this England side. The audacity, the skill, the bravado and the smiles. It is asking a great deal of a team to inspire a new generation of supporters on the back of just one game. But if any side could do it, it is, perhaps, this New England.

When Leeds United supporters glanced at the line-up chosen by Daniel Farke in the build-up to their side’s lunchtime kick-off versus Luton Town, many would been relieved to see one glaring alteration.

Indeed, Farke’s patience with usual first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier has now seemingly expired, with backup shot-stopper Karl Darlow handed a rare start away at the Hatters.

This had been a long time coming, with Meslier far too prone to an error or two this campaign that could cost his side dear in the automatic promotion race and resign them to another sorry season in the Championship.

Meslier's woes this season

Taking in the Frenchman’s numbers at a surface level would indicate that he is a top ‘keeper for the challenging division, considering Meslier can boast a sturdy 21 clean sheets from his 39 Championship outings this season.

But, when you dig deeper, his flaws begin to become more noticeable, with the ex-Lorient stopper guilty of three errors this campaign that have led to opposition goals trickling in.

His biggest blunder to date came way back in October when this innocuous Sunderland effort somehow got the better of him, but it was two errors against Swansea City the match before the trip to Luton that proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Meslier would drop the ball perfectly for Harry Darling to convert during the 2-2 draw, before allowing Swans striker Žan Vipotnik to be the hero of the day for the visitors when his last-gasp effort was too fierce for the Frenchman to thwart.

Darlow didn’t exactly have the smoothest of games away at Luton either when picking out Isaiah Jones’ first half goal, meaning Farke could be prepared to think outside the box in the goalkeeper department by potentially gifting this Leeds youngster some unexpected senior chances.

Leeds' unexpected new 'keeper

Also axing first-team stalwart Brenden Aaronson ahead of the clash at Kenilworth Road, the German is cutting an unafraid figure now in the Whites dugout involving his lineup selections.

In The Pipeline

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

Therefore, his boldest switch to date could come soon in dropping Darlow for promising ‘keeper talent Rory Mahady, with the 18-year-old Scotsman a regular over many seasons now in the U18 and U21 set-ups.

In total, the former Celtic “starlet” – as described by journalist Mark Hendry – has now tallied up 47 appearances in both youth structures, and whilst he has leaked 96 goals along the way, a route into the senior side isn’t completely off the cards.

After all, Farke has shown a willingness to bump up exciting starlets when the time is right, seen in Archie Gray’s unbelievable rise to stardom under his tenure, on top of Mateo Joseph’s background presence in the first-team ranks currently.

As can be seen when looking at the table above, the ex-Norwich City boss has worked wonders previously on some rising stars at Elland Road, with Gray becoming a first-team regular during the 2023/24 season before a move to Tottenham Hotspur took off.

Moreover, in the example of Joseph, all nine of the Spaniard’s senior goal contributions for the Whites have come under the wing of Farke, meaning the German could get more out of a promising Mahady if the first team comes knocking.

It would be an almighty risk to launch the Scotland U19 international into the first team picture in the midst of a promotion fight, but in terms of finding a long-term Meslier replacement, the answer could be right at home instead of landing a new ‘keeper for a high amount.

Leeds' £17.5k-p/w sensation is now becoming Farke's new Jaidon Anthony

This Leeds United attacker is now worryingly becoming Daniel Farke’s next Jaidon Anthony.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 7, 2025

Given Celtic’s place in the global football pecking order, they are well-versed when it comes to selling a star player and being able to replace him.

Of course, a lot of the time, the Hoops’ excellent record in the transfer market means they’re able to replace their high-quality departures with signings.

However, Brendan Rodgers is also looking for his current players to step up and perform, with one player in particular having done exactly that this season.

Matt O'Riley impact at Celtic

Matt O’Riley arrived at Celtic from Milton Keynes for a reported fee of £1.5m in January 2022, and the fact he was then sold to Brighton two-and-a-half years later for a club-record £25m gives you a bit of an indication as to how well he performed in Glasgow.

The midfielder made 124 appearances in hoops, scoring 27 goals and registering 35 assists, winning seven major trophies as well as being named the club’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year before departing.

Ankan Bhowmick of Sports Illustrated labels the Danish international one of Celtic’s ‘best-performing’ players of their successful modern history, while Clive Lindsay of BBC Sport believes he has the quality to go to the very top, saying that his ‘languid running style’ can be ‘deceiving’ given that he’s a ‘quality…all-rounder’.

Given all of this, O’Riley was always going to leave a rather large void at Parkhead, but Celtic haven’t really missed him, thanks to a key player stepping up, but it’s not the player you might be thinking of.

Celtic's current creative focal point

Arne Engels was signed for a club-record fee of £11m from Augsburg on deadline day, to be O’Riley direct replacement.

However, as outlined by Andrew Newport of the Daily Record, the midfielder has, at times, not quite lived up to expectations so far, with the Belgian himself stating “I don’t care about the price tag… I think I have good numbers and good performances”.

Engels has accumulated ten goals and 12 assists in a Celtic jersey so far, but it is actually Alistair Johnston who has shouldered the creative burden following O’Riley’s exit.

The Canadian international was rewarded with a new contract back in November, with manager Rodgers describing the right-back as “phenomenal”, praising his “desire to improve in everything he does”, adding that “these are the qualities which make a great player”.

Joe Callaghan of the Guardian notes that Johnston has become a “cornerstone” for both club and country, with his performances seeing him included on the long-list for Best FIFA Men’s XI of 2024.

So, let’s analyse how he and O’Riley are similar, despite operating in different positions.

Of course, due to the obvious aforementioned positional differences, Johnston and O’Riley’s statistics are often somewhat different, although the fact that both created 14 big chances certainly jumps off the page, with the Canadian registering more of those than any other Celtic player this season.

During the most recent international window in March, Canada’s manager Jesse Marsch stated “there are some weeks I watch Alistair and I think… the games are too easy for him… players do need to be challenged.”

So, while Johnston is playing like O’Riley on the park, could he follow the Dane’s path off the pitch by becoming the latest Celtic fan favourite to be sold for an enormous profit?

Now worth 3x less than Johnston: Celtic struck gold selling "immense" star

Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston has been exceptional this season, ensuring one man remains rather forgotten in the past

By
Ben Gray

Apr 18, 2025

Intermediaries have made contact with Liverpool to inform them of the possible availability of an £80m superstar this summer, according to an update from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Liverpool making summer plans as Alexander-Arnold nears exitTrent Alexander-Arnold was the Reds' hero on Sunday afternoon, coming on as a substitute and scoring the only goal in the1-0 win away to Leicester City The 26-year-old celebrated emphatically in front of his own fans, leading to some hoping that it means he is staying at Liverpool, but he remained tight-lipped after the game."Look, obviously like I said all season, I’m not going to speak on my situation, I’m not going to go into details. But these days like today are always special. Scoring goals, winning games, being close to winning titles, being in title races, they’re special moments that will live with me forever and I’m glad to be a part of them."

As things stand, it still feels more likely that Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid this summer instead of staying at his boyhood club, which would sadly tarnish his legacy.

Liverpool’s vice captain is a special footballer who has produced so much creative magic down the years, but the board will now need to find a way to replace some of that creativity, and it seems they may land on one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or.

Liverpool boosted in pursuit of £80m Barcelona star Raphinha

According to a new update from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, agents have “informed” Liverpool that they could be able to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer. Arsenal and Chelsea are also in the same boat, with the £80m Brazilian potentially available at the end of the season.

Raphinha has enjoyed a legendary season for Barca, scoring 27 goals and registering 16 assists in La Liga and the Champions League combined. The 28-year-old has been so impressive that he is the current favourite to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize ahead of Mohamed Salah, with Osasuna boss Vicente Moreno heaping praise on him.

“I see him as one of the best in the world, if not the best, with more influence on offensive and defensive play, in teamwork and individually. We are talking about top players.”

The idea of Raphinha, dubbed a “phenomenon” by Marquinhos, joining Liverpool is clearly exciting, given the level of performances this season, but it is hard to see it happen, given his form at Barca. At 28, he also isn’t the long-term answer for Arne Slot.

The Brazil international has proven himself in the Premier League during his Leeds days, though, so he would take little time hitting the ground running if he did move to Anfield.

Wolves are believed to be plotting the surprise signing of a “top-class” Premier League player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Big summer for Wolves after tough season ends on a high

It hasn’t been a season to treasure for Wanderers supporters, who have been threatened with relegation to the Championship throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Vitor Pereira has come in and done a hugely impressive job as manager however, picking up the pieces after the doomed final weeks of Gary O’Neil’s reign. It’s now a case of kicking on next season and making sure this incredible six-game winning streak brings momentum into the new term.

New signings are vital in that respect, helping Wanderers climb the table, with internal talks reportedly held regarding the signing of West Brom’s Grady Diangana this summer. The fact that he plays for the Baggies could make it a controversial piece of business.

Evertton Araujo has also been linked with a move to Wolves when the summer transfer window arrives, with Pereira working with the 22-year-old midfielder during their time together at Flamengo. The youngster is still with the Brazilian club, but a move to Europe would appeal.

Wolves eye surprise move for Premier League champion

Now, a fresh report from Football Insider has claimed that Wolves want to sign Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy this summer, in what is described as a possible “surprise” move to Molineux.

The £140,000-a-week striker has just been relegated to the Championship with the Foxes and will leave the King Power Stadium this summer, and although he is now 38 years of age, his aim may still be to play in the Premier League for the time being.

Vardy could be an intriguing signing for Wolves, with some arguably put off because of his age, but others still feeling he has something to offer at the highest level, not yet losing all of his blistering pace.

The Englishman, who famously won the Premier League with Leicester back in 2015/16, has still scored seven goals in the top flight for a struggling Foxes team this season, while Ruud van Nistelrooy hailed an assist he provided for Bobby De Cordova-Reid earlier this season.

“To have the awareness to play the path to Bobby, pretty good skill, that was a brilliant moment, because so late in the game, 90th minute, on the top of my head. And when you have the calmness and the composure to decide on these things, then that’s absolute top class. We’re happy that we have that.”

If Wolves do sign Vardy ahead of next season, it is important that he doesn’t come in as a regular starter, though, instead arriving as a handy squad player who could be an effective substitute.

Wolves hold internal talks over move for "special" 27 y/o on free transfer

The Old Gold could land a summer bargain…

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By
Sean Markus Clifford

Apr 27, 2025

Wanderers also need to target a younger striker who can lead the line and be a talismanic figure in attack, especially if Mathues Cunha leaves when the current campaign comes to an end.

The Europa League final can’t come soon enough for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, with the Red Devils seemingly approaching their remaining Premier League games with a real lack of intent, having again been defeated at home on Sunday afternoon.

Up against a West Ham United side who had started the day below them in the table, the Old Trafford outfit inevitably slipped to a 17th league loss of the campaign, with Amorim subsequently stating that he has been left “embarrassed” by the domestic displays of his struggling side.

The Jekyll and Hyde hosts had swept to a 4-1 win over Athletic Club just days earlier, following a stunning, Mason Mount-inspired finale on Thursday night, although the rigours of England’s top-flight appear to be a step too far for Amorim’s men at present.

Thankfully, their upcoming showpiece opponents, Tottenham Hotspur, are enduring an even more miserable season following their 20th league defeat at the weekend, with next week’s meeting Bilbao set to be a truly desperate tussle for European glory.

As Amorim is fully aware, however, even success on the continent would not rectify what has been a grim 2024/25 for United, with far too many of his charges looking well below par – not least his former Sporting CP warrior, Manuel Ugarte.

Manuel Ugarte's debut season in numbers

By all accounts, the decision to sell Scott McTominay last summer came about amid the club’s pursuit of a new, more defensive-minded midfielder, with Ugarte ultimately replacing the Scotland star, following his £42m switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

While McTominay has since gone on to score 11 league goals as part of Napoli’s Serie A title charge, Ugarte, by contrast, has endured a topsy-turvy first year in Manchester, having netted just a solitary league goal to date.

There have been notable high points – having left Paul Scholes “surprised” by his standout display in January’s 2-2 draw at Anfield – although the Uruguayan has tailed off in recent weeks, having notably wilted in the build-up to Jarrod Bowen’s clincher on Sunday.

As journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted following that 4/10 display, the 23-year-old ‘can cope in Europe but not in domestic competition’, albeit with even his Europa League performances having been dismal of late, particularly during the semi-final tie.

Indeed, those two outings saw the ex-PSG man lose the ball on 27 occasions in total, before being replaced in the second half, with his lack of quality on the ball sparking comparisons to a certain Sofyan Amrabat. Like the Moroccan, however, he is an effective ball-winner, as shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles made per 90, across the last 365 days.

At just 23 and a player whom Amorim knows well amid their time together in Lisbon, the hope will be that Ugarte can kick on and prove the doubters wrong next season. It is too soon to write him off just yet, although the same can’t be said for his struggling teammate, Altay Bayindir.

The Man Utd star who Amorim needs to sell

It is not too difficult to find players who have flopped at the Theatre of Dreams in recent times, with the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being a Manchester United player certainly taking its toll.

There are those, however, who simply never look up to the task from the off, with Bayindir being a perfect case in point. As journalist Liam Canning has noted this season, the Turkish international has been simply “horrendous” for the club.

Signed from Fenerbahce for just £4.3m back in the summer of 2023, Bayindir’s lowly status was evident due to his minimal role under Erik ten Hag, even with first-choice teammate, Andre Onana, enduring an error-strewn Champions League run, in particular.

Ten Hag’s unwillingness to deploy the 6 foot 6 stopper saw him make just one appearance in all competitions that season, having shipped two in the 3-2 win over League Two side, Newport County, in the FA Cup.

Even with Onana heading off to AFCON duty in January 2024, there was to be no change in the sticks, with the Cameroonian actually departing late and returning early so that he didn’t miss a single Premier League game.

Fast forward to this season, and it has been a similar story for Bayindir, albeit while having been handed far more opportunities by new boss Amorim, including in the 4-3 defeat to Spurs in the EFL Cup.

That outing saw the 27-year-old concede directly from a Son Heung-min corner, following a meek attempt to keep the ball out, thus exposing just why he has been unable to usurp Onana over the last two years or so.

While that was followed by his penalty shootout heroics against Arsenal in the FA Cup, Bayindir still looked shaky in the early knockings of that clash, with his kicking having been particularly awry.

Those woes on the ball were also highlighted in the 4-1 loss to Newcastle United at St James’ Park, with the towering asset failing to make the most of Onana’s absence, having gifted the ball to the Magpies for the home side’s fourth of the day.

Since then, Bayindir has conceded six in just two outings against West Ham and Brentford, having looked distinctly hapless against the Bees, resulting in Luckhurst suggesting that he is actually United’s ‘third-best goalie’, behind the veteran Tom Heaton.

With reports suggesting that Bayindir could now be sold this summer for a fee of just £6m-£7m – amid the search for a new goalkeeper – it would bring an end to a simply forgettable spell in Manchester.

Yes, he’ll always have that night at the Emirates, although sadly for the £35k-per-week dud, there has been little positivity since then in a United shirt.

Man Utd's £85k-per-week flop is quickly becoming their new Martial

Manchester United may have found their new Anthony Martial this season.

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By
Matt Dawson

May 12, 2025