All posts by h716a5.icu

Kane Williamson and Tim Southee won’t be playing in Christchurch but West Indies are still in for a fight to level the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Dec-2017Big PictureIf West Indies have become nervous that this could turn out to be a difficult series, it is because New Zealand tend to overpower visiting ODI sides. Ask Australia, who have lost the two most recent iterations of the Chappell-Hadlee series. Ask Bangladesh, who were whitewashed roughly a year ago. Or Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who have been thumped twice each over the last four summers. South Africa were the only exception – winning 3-2 earlier this year thanks to the sharp work of Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.New Zealand have won eight of their last nine bilateral series at home, with a wide cast of performers. On Wednesday it was Doug Bracewell and Todd Astle who propelled the team to victory. At other times, Matt Henry, or Tom Latham, or Martin Guptill have played match-winning hands, while the likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Trent Boult provide the consistent, engine-room performances. There is no real formula – just finely crafted plans and familiarity with home conditions. New Zealand may lose the occasional match, but they never look rattled.West Indies’ plight is further complicated by their inexperience. Of the XI from Whangarei, only Jason Holder and Chris Gayle have played more than 30 ODIs. And Gayle – the man most likely to blow New Zealand away – has been unwell and is in danger of missing this match. If there is some hope for West Indies, it is that the hosts will also have to do without two of their senior players – Williamson and Tim Southee have been rested for the remainder of this series.Form guideNew Zealand WLLWL(completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLLLLIn the spotlightIt has been a long apprenticeship, but there is evidence in the second half of 2017, that Tom Latham is beginning to prosper as an ODI batsman. In his last seven trips to the crease, he has hit two hundreds – both match-winning efforts – and three fifties. Latham’s challenge now is to maintain that form as he takes over as captain in Williamson’s stead. Since he also keeps wicket in the ODI team, the next few days shape as a test of his maturity.At times in the Test series, Shannon Gabriel was West Indies’ most penetrative bowler, finding success with his straight balls on a good length that trapped batsmen in front of the stumps. The attack leader for the ODIs as well now, he was underwhelming in Whangarei, going wicketless and giving away 57 runs. With Martin Guptill (injured) and Williamson both absent, West Indies have an opportunity to expose a weakened top order. If he can find rhythm, Gabriel is their likeliest bet to make those telling early breakthroughs.Team newsMatt Henry is likely to replace Tim Southee in the XI, while Neil Broom may step in for Williamson.New Zealand (probable): 1 George Worker, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Neil Broom, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Todd Astle, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultA call on Gayle’s availability will be made on the morning of the match. If he cannot play, it is possible that Kyle Hope – brother of Shai – enters the XI. Also to be assessed ahead of the game is seamer Kesrick Williams, who has sustained a hamstring complaint. If he can’t play, left-armer Sheldon Cottrell is the likely replacement.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Jason Holder (capt.), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Ronsford Beaton, 10 Kesrick Williams/ Sheldon Cottrell , 11 Shannon Gabriel.Pitch and conditionsHagley Oval tends to favour seam bowling – the new ball often moving off the surface, which tends to be green-tinged. The weather in Christchurch is forecast to be partly cloudy, but dry.Stats and trivia New Zealand have won each of the six ODIs they have played at Hagley Oval. Jason Holder needs 29 runs to complete 1000 in ODIs. Although the team has prospered, Tom Latham has been modest with the bat in home ODIs, averaging only 21.78 across 25 innings. His average outside New Zealand is close to 45.

Everton are interested in signing a new talisman before the transfer window closes next week, with the side's start to the Premier League season and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fresh setback exacerbating the issue.

What's the latest on Mama Balde to Everton?

According to respected journalist Alan Myers, Everton are considering a move for Bissau-Guinean striker Mama Balde, though he did stress that the interest is currently not advanced.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Toffees are closing in on the signing of Che Adams from Southampton for £15m, though Calvert-Lewin's unreliability and Neal Maupay's woeful efforts on the pitch – scoring just once from 31 games for Everton – could force the hand of director of football Kevin Thelwell.

Balde, who plies his trade for French Ligue 2 side Troyes, would be available for just £7m following ESTAC's relegation from Ligue 1 last term.

How good is Mama Balde?

While some might feel that Troyes' plummet from the French top-flight last year should dissuade Thelwell and co from furthering their interest in Balde, aged 27, he did plunder 12 goals and supply four assists from 30 league starts.

As per FBref, the £13k-per-week ace also ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles, the top 13% for interceptions and the top 12% for blocks per 90, which highlights his robustness and physicality, as well as his tenacity and defensive application.

Such attributes are paramount to Everton in their current situation, having lost their opening two matches of the 2023/24 campaign and looking particularly discordant and wayward against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, where Sean Dyche watched his side slump to a 4-0 defeat.

FBref also lists West Ham United talisman Michail Antonio as a comparable player to the 20-cap international, and if Balde could possibly emulate the veteran Hammer's role at Goodison Park, Dyche could have his hands on a trustworthy and reliable threat in the central attacking position.

Signing for West Ham from Nottingham Forest for roughly £7m in 2015, Antonio has scored 76 goals and supplied 43 assists from 278 appearances, notably instrumental in gleaning the Europa Conference League last term, scoring six goals from nine games.

At 33 years of age, Antonio ranks among the top 14% of forwards for progressive carries and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90, with his physicality and driving force in the West Ham attack integral to his success, having also been hailed as a "complete monster" by journalist Paul Brown.

Balde has earned praise to confirm the similarities between his game and Antonio's, with teammate Tristan Dingomé saying:

"In training, he's difficult to handle. He's really strong and is the archetype of the modern striker" – very much a similar description to what you'd read about Antonio.

Ostensibly in his prime, the 5 foot 9 striker might prove to be an astute piece of business for Dyche's side; while he is not the salient name Everton supporters might crave, he could bolster the attack and provide a consistent goal threat when called upon, and therefore, the Goodison Park side would benefit from his arrival.

With the series in the bag, India might consider handing a T20I debut to Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar or Baroda allrounder Deepak Hooda

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu23-Dec-20171:37

Dasgupta: India should look to give youngsters a chance

Big pictureSri Lanka keep offering gifts this festive season, and India keep lapping it up. Their bowlers regularly send down half-volleys and half-trackers, wrapped up in ribbons. Their batting line-up continues to suffer rapid collapses. And their fielders keep missing chances. The only gift Sri Lanka have received in return was a spring-loaded boxing glove from an under-strength Indian side. Can Thisara Perera and his men end the tour with something to cheer?To do that they need to first figure out the right combination, and Angelo Mathews getting injured can’t have helped. In the first T20I, they went for four batsmen, three seam-bowling allrounders and four bowlers, and suffered their worst loss in the format. In the second match, they brought in an extra batsman in Sadeera Samarawickrama for a frontline seamer in Vishwa Fernando, but still lost 9 for 27 in 25 balls.With the series in the bag, India might consider handing a T20I debut to 18-year-old Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar or Baroda allrounder Deepak Hooda. This could also be a chance for the other IPL candidates to enhance their reputation ahead of the mega auction in January next year.Form guideIndia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLBCCIIn the spotlightThe force has been with wristspin in limited-overs cricket in recent times. Even when Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were repeatedly swatted away to the short boundaries in Indore, they hit back by tossing the ball short and wide – often wider than a set of stumps – to deceive Sri Lanka’s batsmen. More of the same can be expected at Wankhede Stadium.A year ago Thisara Perera’s place in Sri Lanka’s A team was in question. Now he is captain of the senior team in limited-overs cricket. On this tour, he hasn’t passed 6 in four innings with the bat and has an economy rate of nearly nine after 25.2 overs.Team newsIndia might consider replacing one of the wristspinners with Sundar or Hooda. Kerala quick Basil Thampi is also in line for his T20I debut, possibly in place of Jaydev UnadkatIndia (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav/Washington Sundar, 9 Jaydev Unadkat/Basil Thampi, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.With Mathews sidelined for two weeks, Sri Lanka might recall Dasun Shanaka or Fernando.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Niroshan Dickwella(wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Thisara Perera, 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Dasun Shanaka/Vishwa Fernando, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Chaturanga de Silva/Sachith Pathirana 10 Dushmantha Chameera 11 Nuwan PradeepPitch and conditionsThe Wankhede’s flat pitch and the quick outfield is the fantasy of every batsman. The teams will have to be wary of dew in the second innings. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the match.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost 22 out of 30 T20Is in the last two years. In comparison, India have won 23 out of 33 T20Is in the last two years. MS Dhoni batted at No. 3 on Friday for only the 13th time in 245 T20 innings. In all, he has scored 323 runs at the position, at an average of 29.36 and strike-rate of 128.17.Rohit Sharma has hit 64 sixes across formats in 2017, the most by a batsman in any calendar year.Quotes”When you travel overseas, the last series does have an impact. The momentum you create, the winning rhythm of the team does give a lot of confidence.”
“India are bowling really well and generally the wristspinners with their variations are hard to pick.”

Baroda captain Deepak Hooda’s 34-ball 57 helped his team chase down a target of 179 against Maharashtra while Aditya Garhwal’s 51* set up Rajasthan’s six-wicket win over Vidarbha

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2018Baroda captain Deepak Hooda’s 34-ball 57 helped his team chase down a target of 179 with five wickets in hand against Maharashtra in Rajkot. Hooda’s second half-century in the tournament was instrumental in Baroda winning their fourth consecutive game and remain undefeated in the competition.Earlier, Maharashtra put up a strong batting performance after electing to bat first. A 79-run alliance between Ruturaj Gaikwad, who smashed a 37-ball 52, and captain Rahul Tripathi (30 off 24 balls) propelled Maharashtra to a total of 178 for 6 in 20 overs. Baroda seamer Atit Sheth finished with figures of 3 for 21. In reply, Baroda recovered quickly from the loss of three early wickets thanks to Hooda and handy contributions from Vishnu Solanki (42* off 21) and Swapnil Singh, who retired hurt after a 26-ball 36. Seamer Domnic Muthuswami picked up three wickets for Maharashtra.ESPNcricinfo LtdA disciplined bowling effort followed by Aditya Garhwal’s unbeaten half-century set up Rajasthan’s six-wicket win over Vidarbha in Raipur. This was their fourth win in as many games even as Vidarbha lost their first game of the tournament.After opting to bat, Vidarbha started reasonably well but lost their way in the middle to slump from 70 for 2 to 127 for 7 before their innings eventually petered out to 131 for 8. Rajasthan seamers Aniket Choudhary, Deepak Chahar (2 for 25) and Khaleel Ahmed (2 for 19) picked up five wickets among them. Rajasthan’s chase was fairly straightforward as they cruised to their target with two overs to spare.

There could be a late surprise in store for Arsenal supporters before the end of deadline day, with reports indicating that the Gunners may not be done just yet in the transfer market, despite having already wrapped up four new signings so far this summer.

Will Arsenal make any deadline day signings?

According to VBet journalist, Hrach Khachatryan, the north London are believed to be "exploring" a potential temporary deal for Manchester City full-back, Joao Cancelo, with this coming amid prior claims earlier in the year that suggested Mikel Arteta would 'love' to sign the 29-year-old.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Writing on Twitter, Khachatryan has claimed: "Arsenal are in contact with Joao Cancelo representatives. They are exploring option to loan him until the end of this season."

It would appear that Bayern Munich are also keen to bring the Portugal international back to Germany following his recent loan spell at the club, with La Liga giants Barcelona having thus far been unable to get a deal over the line for the versatile defender.

Would Joao Cancelo be a good signing for Arsenal?

With former City assistant Arteta having recruited both Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from his previous employers last summer, it would be no surprise if the Spaniard was to pull off another raid on the Etihad outfit this time around in order to get Cancelo in the door.

Lauded as a "special talent" in the past by manager Pep Guardiola, the one-time Valencia full-back has somewhat fallen out of favour in Manchester after being shipped off to Bayern in January, although that should not take away from a player who not too long ago was arguably one of "the best attacking full backs in world football" – as per teammate Phil Foden.

Such praise had come during a 2021/22 campaign that saw the £250k-per-week dynamo – who is valued at €60m (£53m) by CIES Football Observatory – finish with a stellar haul of ten assists from his defensive berth, showcasing the level of quality he can bring to Arteta's ranks.

To bring in arguably a "world-class" asset – as hailed by ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann – so late in the day would evoke memories of the signing of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid on deadline day back in 2013, with the former Germany international having also been a major marquee addition after joining on a club-record deal.

Although things ended in rather sour fashion for the now-retired magician as he was cast aside by Arteta prior to his exit from the Emirates in 2021, the playmaker was a true genius when in his pomp, notably contributing 79 assists in 254 games in all competitions during that lengthy stay in the capital.

Much like Ozil, Cancelo can also be a real difference-maker in the final third despite not being an attacker by trade, with the latter man simply "sensational" with regard to his "quality" in and around the opposition box, according to Foden.

As such, while it had looked to be a quiet end to the window for the Gunners, an already impressive summer could be capped off with an Ozil-esque, statement signing.

Leeds United's start to the Championship campaign has been far from perfect, but it was made all the more frustrating last weekend when Daniel Farke made a number of questionable decisions in their 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Handing the newly-promoted side their first point of the season, there was one decision made in particular that drew widespread criticism.

What position does Joel Piroe play?

Having been signed as the answer to their striking prayers, Joel Piroe was brought in from Swansea City fresh off the back of two hugely successful years in Wales.

Scoring 19 and 22 respectively in his two league terms there, it was naturally expected that the Dutchman would occupy the Whites' vacant number nine role as he had done under Russell Martin. Especially after his debut goal against Ipswich Town, a poachers finish from close range.

So, to see the 24-year-old deployed deeper against the Owls raised eyebrows, with the natural centre-forward clearly being asked to drop back into midfield whilst Georginio Rutter, a naturally more creative player, pushed on.

James Milner

16 (356 days)

Alan Smith

18 (17 days)

Jonathan Woodgate

18 (291 days)

Ian Harte

18 (352 days)

Harry Kewell

19 (26 days)

Wilfried Gnonto

19 (60 days)

Joe Gelhardt

19 (221 days)

All stats via StatBunker

Unsurprisingly, this blunted an attack that had scored four times away from home the week prior, and drew into question Farke's decision-making.

Although journalist Phil Hay did suggest that Piroe's tendency to drop deep was nothing new for the former PSV Eindhoven star, ex-Leeds boss Neil Redfearn gave his thoughts on the decision to do it against Wednesday: "I thought they were going to play four-four-two at first, like they did at Ipswich," he told BBC Radio Leeds. "But obviously they played more of a midfield role for Piroe. I just thought he got lost in the game.

“When he got on the ball, I think he showed some nice touches. And then as the game degenerated, Sheffield Wednesday’s doing, getting bodies behind the ball, making it scrappy and breaking stuff up, his influence got less and less.”

Clearly a forward who likes to pop up deeper, Farke should heed the backlash and remember that whilst Piroe might end up in midfield on occasion, he must remain their focal point up top.

How good is Joe Gelhardt?

That is, unless Farke seeks to play his new man alongside another forward with a similar preference for dropping in, perhaps making for the perfect fluid strike force. After all, Joe Gelhardt is ripe and ready for additional first-team action, coming off the back of a useful loan spell with Sunderland last season.

Having joined from Wigan Athletic back in 2020, the £1m man has already made 47 senior appearances for his new club despite his youth, even recording ten goal contributions.

His ability to dribble and pass – showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 29% among his European peers for successful take-ons per 90 and the top 12% for progressive passes per 90 – makes him unlike most classic number nines, yet his finishing remains lethal. After all, he was lauded by Hay, who branded him a "goal machine".

During his spell on Wearside, an interview with the Sunderland Echo gave a glimpse into his favoured role when tasked with being the sole striker: "I feel like sometimes I have to help in the build-up by dropping in, maybe an extra body to try and get out of the original press from the opposition.

"Then when we get it into that final third I know he wants me in and around the box, middle of the box so when the crosses come in from the wide players I’m there to score. It’s just about finding that balance of when to drop deep and when to run in behind but I think I’m getting a better understanding of it.”

With three goals and three assists for the Black Cats in the Championship, he certainly held his own.

The 21-year-old is clearly more proficient than Rutter, who has scored just one senior goal since moving in January, but has the creativity to interchange with Piroe. Perhaps they could form some kind of understanding as a strike partnership, knowing that if one drops deep, the other can stay forward.

Ross Taylor will postpone his birthday celebrations as he races to be fit for the deciding ODI against England in Christchurch

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin07-Mar-20181:57

‘Magnificent’ Taylor levels one-day series

Ross Taylor will postpone his birthday celebrations as he races to be fit for the deciding ODI against England in Christchurch after suffering a recurrence of his leg injury during his monumental 181 in Dunedin.Diving for the crease on 109, Taylor appeared to aggravate the quad injury that kept him out of the Wellington match although the exact diagnosis will not be known until Thursday. He also suffered cramp, but after being strapped up by the physio was able to see New Zealand to a memorable series-levelling chase.Taylor, who will be 34 on Thursday, has been carrying a special bottle of wine around with him ready to mark the occasion – but those plans are now being put on hold, with isotonic drinks the main order of the next 48 hours.”I’m not plugging my birthday, but I did have a very nice bottle of wine in my suitcase which I was going to open but, damn it, don’t think I can have it if I’m to give myself any chance of playing on Saturday,” Taylor said.Taylor added that he felt the same pain he suffered in Mount Maunganui when he went down earlier in the series following a series of blows on his legs in Hamilton and during practice, suggesting it was more of a dead-leg issue than a strain. Whether this latest problem is more serious remains to be seen, but the turnaround to Christchurch is just three days.”We’ll just wait and see,” he said. “I’ll give myself the best chance of playing.”His feat at University Oval was still sinking in shortly after the victory but he said the innings “has to be up there” among his best. He walked in at 2 for 2, with both openers dismissed for ducks, but started to rebuild alongside Kane Williamson before the major stand of 187 with Tom Latham.It was as that fourth-wicket stand reached about 80 that Taylor really believed the chase was on, aided by the short boundaries which meant the risks of going for the ropes were reduced, while also making a concerted effort to go after Adil Rashid.”Once we got to about 160-170 I thought if we batted really well we were a chance,” Taylor said. “Until then it was just about batting and trying to get a position from where we could win. I thought we were ahead of the game when Colin de Grandhomme came out, he only got 20 but it was a great cameo which meant we could take it deep without taking risks.”If you lose three wickets in the first 10 you more often than not lose the game so we were able to tick that off, then get a little momentum. We wanted to be a little more attacking against Rashid and I think we did that well today. They had to bring other bowlers back, spin was always going to play a big part and if we could nudge it around it gave us a chance.”Taylor’s century was the decisive innings of the match, but the game turned when England collapsed to lost 8 for 46 after Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root had added 190 for the second wicket. At that point England were on target for well over 350 – a chase that Taylor said would have been “unrealistic from 2 for 2″ – but instead they barely batted out the overs.Eoin Morgan insisted it wasn’t an example of aiming too high – similar to his comments after the 2015 meeting between these sides where England were bowled out for 302 at the Ageas Bowl with overs to spare – but acknowledged it had been a poor effort at building on an ideal base from the top order.”I’m a big fan of over-ambition,” he said. “We’ve scored 400 twice, again earning the right. When two guys play out of their skin to do that, we’ve got to put the cream on the cake and the cherry on top. We were miles away from it today. Our skill level wasn’t good enough to take risks that early – whereas it should be.”This was a different style collapse to the ones England have suffered previously at the start of their innings – 20 for 6 against South Africa at Lord’s and 8 for 5 against Australia in Adelaide – and Morgan said he wouldn’t be overly concerned unless it becomes a pattern.”We’ve certainly had collapses of the top order – in the first 10, we’ve been four or five down,” he said. “But certainly when we’ve earned the right to push for a 370 score, we’ve not had a collapse like that. Normally one of us has come off.”That’s the way the batting order lines up, and that’s the way our template looks. If it continues to be a pattern we’ll look into it deeply. But everybody walking off, it’s hurting deep that we’ve not been able to capitalise on that.”

With Darren Lehmann set to speak publicly for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal broke, former Australia captain Allan Border has thrown his support behind the under-fire coach

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2018With Darren Lehmann likely to speak publicly on Wednesday – for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal broke – former Australia captain Allan Border has thrown his support behind the under-fire coach.An investigation led by Cricket Australia’s head of integrity, Iain Roy, had found that Lehmann had been unaware of plans made on the third day of the Cape Town Test to generate reverse swing by tampering with the ball. CA’s chief executive James Sutherland told reporters on Tuesday that only the captain Steven Smith, the vice-captain David Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft, who was eventually caught on camera roughing up the ball with a foreign object, had been involved in the plan and that all of them have been ordered to leave South Africa.”If [the] integrity officer has been through and interviewed people and he’s satisfied that Darren Lehmann didn’t know specifically what was going on at the time, I’m very relaxed,” Border told . “That’s a good news item, isn’t it, not the other way.”We’re talking about one of the good guys in Australian cricket,” he continued. “He’s done a fantastic job with that team and if he wasn’t aware of what was going on, there’s no problem at all.”However, another former Australia captain, Michael Clarke, felt the “full story” was yet to come out, while England’s Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen were not convinced by the CA investigation that cleared Lehmann of wrongdoing.

The truth, The full story, Accountability and Leadership- until the public get this Australian cricket is in deep shit!

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 27, 2018

Lehmann never knew –

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 27, 2018

Only 3 people knew …….. #MyArse

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 27, 2018

When the incident occurred at Newlands on Saturday, Lehmann was seen with his walkie-talkie seemingly speaking to 12th man Peter Handscomb soon after footage of Bancroft using yellow sticky tape to scuff up the rough side of the ball – the opposite side that a player usually shines – was shown on TV screens around the ground. Handscomb then went on to the field to have a chat with Bancroft, who later shoved the tape down his trousers, prompting scrutiny from match officials. At the post-day press conference, Smith and Bancroft admitted to ball-tampering, leading to sanctions from the ICC and CA, pressure from the Australian government and widespread public outrage.

Leeds United made a shrewd move over the summer as they opted to appoint German head coach Daniel Farke to replace Sam Allardyce in the dugout at Elland Road.

The 46-year-old tactician arrived with a proven track record of winning promotion from the Championship as he won two league titles during his time at Norwich City.

They have a manager in the building who knows what it takes to get out of this division and he could use his experience to get the Whites back to the big time this season.

Farke's title-winning seasons with Norwich:

Points

94

97

Goals for

93

75

Goals against

57

36

Games won

27

29

Statistics via Sky Sports.

A big feature of Farke's two promotions with Norwich was the magical play from Emiliano Buendia at the top end of the pitch as he consistently delivered match-winning performances with his ability to frequently score and assist goals.

The German tinkerer could now find his next version of the Argentina international in Georginio Rutter, who could develop into a monster for the club in the Championship this term – based on his form so far.

How many goals has Rutter scored this season?

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the French centre-forward has found the back of the net twice in four league starts for Leeds.

He is starting to find his feet at Elland Road after a difficult first five months in England after his big-money move to the club at the start of the year.

Leeds lavished a club-record £35.5m out to sign him from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim during the January transfer window as they attempted to avoid relegation to the Championship.

However, the 21-year-old forward found the step up to Premier League football tough to deal with and was unable to prevent the side from dropping out of the top-flight.

Rutter averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.53 across 11 league matches for the Whites and failed to contribute with a single goal or 'big chance' created for his teammates. He also only completed 52% of his attempted passes and lost 55% of his duels in total, as per Sofascore.

23 Leeds players averaged a higher Sofascore rating than the January signing and this illustrates how disappointing he was after such a big transfer from Hoffenheim.

However, Farke's appointment has been perfect for him so far as the 21-year-old ace has enjoyed a terrific start to the season with his brilliant performances at the top end of the pitch.

Like Buendia did for the German head coach, Rutter is providing a big threat as a scorer and a creator in the final third. Whilst he is not a winger like the Argentine ace, the young dynamo is excelling in a role that allows him to drop deep to collect the ball with Joel Piroe able to then run beyond him into a number nine position.

This means that the former Hoffenheim man can get on the ball to influence matches and that is exactly what he has been doing over the last six weeks or so.

Rutter has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.28 across five Championship outings this season, which is the sixth-highest in the squad, and contributed with two goals and five 'big chances' created.

The talented Frenchman has created two chances per match for his teammates so far and produced a phenomenal display in the recent win over Millwall over the weekend.

He received a game-high Sofascore rating of 8.6 and caught the eye with an impressive five key passes and two 'big chances' created to go along with his goal, which was well taken into the roof of the net from Dan James' cross.

There are signs that the potential is there for Rutter, who was once hailed as "complete" and a player with "blistering" pace by talent scout Jacek Kulig, to be a Buendia-esque figure for Farke at the top end of the pitch.

How many Championship goals did Buendia score for Norwich?

The Argentina international scored 22 goals in 77 Championship appearances for the Canaries across their two title-winning seasons at that level.

Buendia arrived in Norfolk from Getafe in the summer of 2018 and enjoyed a fantastic first year in English football as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.25 across 38 league outings and contributed with eight goals and 12 assists to go along with seven 'big chances' created.

The 26-year-old whiz followed that up, after a relegation from the Premier League, with a stunning return of 15 goals and 16 assists in 39 Championship games throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

He won the Championship Player of the Year award for his fantastic performances at the top end of the pitch for the Canaries on their way to the title.

This led to Aston Villa swooping to secure his services for a reported fee of £33m, three years on from his £1.6m switch from Getafe under Farke, and this is a perfect example of the German boss' ability to develop attacking talent at this level.

The former Norwich manager has proven that he can coach an effective attacking unit and produce a system that allows an exceptional talent like Buendia to thrive.

Rutter could be the next star to benefit from Farke's coaching and management at Championship level as his early-season performance suggest that he is on the way to having a terrific campaign for Leeds.

The 21-year-old magician is yet to prove that he can score goals and create 'big chances' on a consistent basis over the course of an entire year, as Buendia did for Norwich, but it has been a promising start and one that supporters can get excited about.

This dynamic centre-forward role that allows him to interchange with Piroe and link up with the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto at the top end of the pitch has resulted in some sublime performances from the ex-Hoffenheim man.

The task for him now is to continue his run of form for the next eight months or so in order to spearhead Leeds' return to the Premier League with goals and assists on a regular basis in the same way that Buendia did for the Canaries under Farke.

Liverpool have set their sights on signing a "sensational" forward next summer, with a report revealing his club are now willing to let him leave.

Who are Liverpool signing in January?

With Mohamed Salah's long-term future at Anfield in doubt, amid heavy interest from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, Liverpool have started to consider potential replacements, and they could make a move for West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen.

Journalist Neil Jones has recently revealed the England international is a player the Reds "admire", and he impressed for the Hammers at Anfield last weekend, scoring his side's only goal in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Jurgen Klopp's men.

In light of the doubt over Salah's future on Merseyside, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano expects multiple wingers to be linked with moves to Anfield in the coming months, saying: “I think we will see many links with wingers to Liverpool because of the Mo Salah situation. We expect the Saudis to return for Salah in 2024. At the moment, this is not something concrete yet. Nothing is happening, but I still think in 2024, they will try again and so it is normal to see many links."

According to reports from Spain (via The Hard Tackle), Liverpool are also interested in signing Juventus star Federico Chiesa, and they have now been handed a potential boost in their pursuit of the Italian. In the past, Juventus have been unwilling to let the winger leave, however, in light of their present financial situation, they are now ready to sanction his departure for the right price, and they have set their valuation at €70m (£61m).

However, the Reds are not the only club that have set their sights on the 25-year-old, with Atletico Madrid and Chelsea also keen, so there is likely to be stiff competition for his signature.

The report makes it clear that any move is likely to take place in the summer transfer window, rather than January, which could be ideal for Liverpool, should they decide to cash-in on Salah next summer.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

Juventus will undoubtedly be frustrated they are having to consider selling the forward, as he has made a fabulous start to the Serie A season, weighing in with four goals and one assist in his opening six games.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media, the Italy international ranks in the 97th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and the 94th percentile for successful take-ons, showcasing his dribbling ability.

Not only that, but the former Fiorentina man is extremely versatile, having featured on both wings, and at striker on multiple occasions throughout his career, although he has most commonly played on the right.

Of course, very few Liverpool fans will want to part ways with Salah, with the 31-year-old showing that he is still at the top of his game at the start of the Premier League season, but Chiesa could be a solid replacement if the club decide to cash-in.