Burnley are monitoring the situation of an overseas striker as they weigh up a move in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Burnley's season so far

The Clarets have made an extremely disappointing start to the new top-flight campaign having won one, drawn one and lost 11 of their opening 13 games, meaning that they currently find themselves at rock bottom of the table in the Premier League.

Having netted just ten times, Vincent Kompany’s side are the lowest-scoring team in the division, so the manager will know that he has to enter the market during the upcoming window to sign some attacking reinforcements if he wants to avoid relegation.

Burnley showing interest in move for left-footed "creative spark"

The Lancashire outfit are eyeing a new player ahead of January.

ByChloe Chadwick Nov 14, 2023

The Turf Moor boss has set his sights on Ajax centre-forward Chuba Akpom, who only put pen to paper at the Johan Cruyff Arena from Middlesbrough over the summer, but he’s already made an impressive start to life in the Netherlands.

The Eredivisie’s 28-year-old has firmly established himself as John Van’t Schip’s best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Ajax statistics), and thanks to his outstanding beginning overseas, six clubs are interested in securing his services on a temporary basis in January.

Burnley considering swoop for Chuba Akpom

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are keen on Akpom, but they are set to face competition from several other potential suitors should they want to get a deal over the line.

“Sources have now told TEAMtalk that Akpom is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League and with Ajax ready to consider a loan deal, there is interest. Crystal Palace and Fulham are both very keen on a possible deal for the 28-year-old, while Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United are also keeping tabs on the situation.”

Kompany could land "stunning" striker in Akpom

At Ajax this season, Akpom has so far scored five goals in nine appearances in the Eredivisie, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, but he’s also capable of providing cover in areas outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur.

The Canning Town-born talent is not only a prolific finisher but also a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder (Transfermarkt – Akpom statistics).

Gets fouled often

Likes to dribble

Counter attack threat

Likes to do flick ons

Does not dive into tackles (Data via WhoScored)

Sponsored by Nike, the Englishman was additionally named the Championship Player of the Year for 2022/23, so the individual recognition that he’s receiving represents exactly how much of a positive impact he can have on a side compared to his fellow teammates.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Akpom is a “stunning” striker and there’s no doubt that he could make all the difference for Kompany, therefore, it would be a massive coup if the board could fend off interest and get him to sign a loan deal in Lancashire.

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal is almost certainly out of the second Test in Pallekele after it was confirmed that his groin tear will take up to two weeks to heal

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle09-Nov-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal is almost certainly out of the second Test in Pallekele, after it was confirmed that the injury he sustained during the first Test was a grade one tear in the groin, which will take up to two weeks to heal.Sri Lanka’s team management will give Chandimal every opportunity to heal before the second Test, which starts on Wednesday, but have said they would not risk putting Chandimal into the XI if he is not 100%. Kusal Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne were the standby batsmen when the Test squad was named in late September, and may now enter into the squad proper as injury cover.”Chandimal’s injury is grade one tear, and it will take ten to 14 days to recover, so it will be touch and go for the second Test match,” Chandika Hathurusingha, Sri Lanka’s coach, said. “We’ll wait and see how his body recovers before we make the call. If he is not 100% fit, he may not play. We have to look at a replacement or stand by player for him.”If he misses the match, it would be the fourth Test out of Sri Lanka’s five most recent matches that he would have been unavailable for. He was suspended for the third Test of the West Indies series in June, and the two home Tests against South Africa in July, due to a ball-tampering offence and the spirit of cricket breach that followed it.He had also missed the second Test Sri Lanka played after he became captain in August last year, due to pneumonia on that occasion.Suranga Lakmal, the senior fast bowler, is likely to lead the team in Chandimal’s absence.

Manchester City hoped to see a signed Erling Haaland shirt and talks with Pep Guardiola tempt Jude Bellingham into completing a 2023 transfer.

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• England star available in summer of 2023
• Premier League champions were keen
• Midfielder ended up heading to Spain

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Premier League champions reportedly made the England international a top target after agreeing to let former club captain Ilkay Gundogan leave for Barcelona as a free agent. City had not made a play for Bellingham when he left Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund in 2020 , but joined arch-rivals Manchester United in the hunt for a much sought-after signature three years later.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to the , City embarked on a “charm offensive” several months before the summer transfer window opened. When facing Dortmund in the group stage of the Champions League, they presented Bellingham with a shirt signed by his former BVB team-mate Haaland.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bellingham is said to have been invited to the City dressing room to accept that gift, while “face-to-face talks” were held with Guardiola as the Catalan boss endeavoured to convince the hottest of prospects that his team are “more complete and mature” than Real Madrid.

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  TELL ME MORE

  City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak was reportedly confident that a deal could be done for Bellingham, with Guardiola’s reputation expected to work in their favour – as the Premier League giants closed in on a historic treble.

أشاد يحيى الدرع نجم منتخب مصر لكرة اليد، بأداء اللاعبين في دور المجموعات بـ أولمبياد باريس، عقب التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي.

وأكد الدرع في تصريحات صحفية، أن الجميع قدموا الأداء المتوقع منهم، والمنتخب حقق الفوز على المجر والنرويج والأرجنتين والتعادل مع فرنسا.

وشدد على أن المنتخب يحترم منافسيه ويلعب فقط من أجل الفوز، مؤكدًا على الاستفادة من مواجهة فرنسا والتي تعادل فيها الديوك بالثواني الأخيرة.

طالع..موعد مباراة مصر القادمة في أولمبياد باريس بعد الفوز على الأرجنتين

وأوضح أنهم تداركوا الأخطاء التي وقعوا بها خلال مواجهة الدنمارك، في مواجهتي فرنسا والنرويج، مشيرًا إلى أنهم حققوا أكثر مما كانوا يتوقعونه في دور المجموعات.

واستطرد أن مع كل انتصار يزداد تواضع المنتخب، واحترام المنافس واللعب بقوة في كل المباريات.

وأفاد أن المرحلة القادمة، في المنافسات ليست سهلة، وصعبة خاصة بحسب قوله بأنها لاتقبل القسمة على إثنين، وأن منتخب مصر يستهدف تحقيق ميدالية أولمبية.

وتطرق في حديثه عن مواجهة ربع النهائي، بأنه لا يفضل مواجهة منتخب على حساب آخر ولكل منافس أسلوبه، وأنه ينتظر المواجهة أيًا كان طرفها.

ونجح منتخب مصر لكرة اليد، في الفوز على الأرجنتين، بنتيجة 34-27 في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم ضمن الجولة الخامسة وفي ختام دور المجموعات من أولمبياد باريس 2024.

وتأهل منتخب مصر إلى دور ربع النهائي حيث ينتظر منافسه من المجموعة الأولى، بين السويد وألمانيا وسلوفينيا، وإسبانيا.

After winning promotion in dramatic fashion at Wembley, everything was pointing in the right direction for Sheffield Wednesday – the Owls would take to Championship life like a duck to water and push on even further when entering the second tier.

Yet, fast forward to the current situation at Hillsborough, the Yorkshire side find themselves rock bottom of the division with only one win from their opening 16 games.

The good times of Darren Moore instilling belief back into the forlorn Owls is now long gone for the Wednesday faithful, dubiously departing after promotion was secured.

New manager Danny Rohl managed to steer Wednesday to that win recently against Rotherham United, but January can't come soon enough for the South Yorkshire giants in an attempt to bring fresh blood into the building that can kickstart a monumental run of positive form to somehow survive in the Championship.

Here's what a predicted Owls XI could look like come January…

1 GK – Cameron Dawson

Excelling out on loan at Exeter City before being given a first-team berth under the aforementioned Moore last season, Dawson should be retained in goal past January in the starting lineup.

Wednesday's number 25 has performed admirably in recent weeks in tricky circumstances, unfortunate to concede in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bristol City away recently. Dawson pulled off seven saves in total as per Sofascore, despite Rob Dickie netting an eventual winner.

2 CB – Dominic Iorfa

With the Owls since 2019, Iorfa has found the step-up to the Championship difficult alongside his teammates – Iorfa's defensive frailties on full display in Wednesday's last match, Millwall leaving Hillsborough as convincing 4-0 victors.

Still, like Dawson behind him, the 6 foot 2 centre-back has shown glimpses of his quality as an imposing defensive option this season. In the 2-0 home win over Rotherham, Iorfa only lost two of his 13 ground and aerial duels as per Sofascore.

3 CB – Liam Moore

The first area Sheffield Wednesday could strengthen in is at centre-back, with a free agent available in Liam Moore who could do just the trick.

Formerly at Reading before leaving this year, Moore is an experienced EFL defender who has played over 280 games at Championship level.

The Jamaican centre-back was also linked with a move to Hillsborough before a ball was kicked this season in the summer, could the Owls make this deal a reality in January?

4 CB – D'shion Bernard

Bernard should retain his starting spot even if Rohl potentially adds to the defence, the former Manchester United prospect impressing with the Owls even with Wednesday rooted to the bottom of the division.

The 23-year-old's performance in a 1-0 defeat at West Brom stood out, clearing the ball eight times in total as per Sofascore to attempt to solidify which was no to avail in the end.

5 RM – Callum Paterson

Sheffield Wednesday's versatile number 13 is a useful figure to have around the building at Hillsborough, a reliable presence who chipped in with six goals last campaign including a solitary strike in the League One playoffs.

Playing down the channels under Rohl recently, Paterson's performance against Rotherham showed off the experienced midfielder's energy – winning five of his seven ground duels, as per Sofascore.

6 CM – Josh Onomah

Delving potentially back into the free agent pool of players available, Sheffield Wednesday could recruit a brand-new central midfielder in Josh Onomah who is without a club since leaving Preston North End.

Lacking numbers in the middle of the park – with Jeff Hendrick another body in the building at the moment on loan centrally in reserve – Onomah could offer Wednesday something different and fresh alongside stalwart and Owls captain Barry Bannan.

Formerly of Sheffield Wednesday on loan during 2018/19, the ex Tottenham man could rejoin under Rohl on a permanent deal.

7 CM – Barry Bannan

The main man last season in League One for the Owls, the dazzling Scotsman has tried his best up against adversity this campaign in the second tier.

Averaging a 7.03 rating over the season so far for his beleaguered side as per Sofascore, the 33-year-old has managed 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes to try and set up the usually toothless attackers to score.

Wearing the captain's armband, Rohl will continue picking his experienced Scottish midfielder who has the skill set to conjure up individual moments of magic to help his team in dire situations.

8 LM – Marvin Johnson

Discarded by Xisco Munoz and placed on the periphery at the Owls before Rohl's arrival onto the scene from Germany, Johnson has returned to the started eleven in recent weeks and should stay there past January.

Helping himself to 11 assists last season in League One, Johnson could morph into a crucial player again down the left-hand side in the Championship when up and running.

9 CAM – Josh Windass

Rohl will need to get the best out of Playoff Final hero Josh Windass, the likes of Djeidi Gassama poor going forward in his place with Windass a far superior option to start when on song.

Scoring against Barnsley at the death to help his team secure promotion at Wembley, the 29-year-old will hope he can open his Championship account soon if played and can then fire in even more goals after that to mount an Owls great escape – Windass amassing an xG of 2.32 this season as per Sofascore, but is yet to find the back of the net.

10 CAM – Anthony Musaba

Not covering himself in glory whatsoever after the Millwall humiliation – substituted off after only completing one successful dribble all afternoon via Sofascore – Musaba has shown that he is capable at this level in other matches this season to calm down a grumbling Owls fanbase.

His performance in the 2-0 Rotherham win was paramount to his team coming away with a rare victory, assisting both strikes on the day to gain three points.

He also has a solitary goal to his name, the ex AS Monaco attacker still managing to show glimpses of his raw talent in the midst of a relegation battle.

Tottenham Hotspur now have an agreement in place regarding an important off-field deal, with the key figure in question now set to start work next week at the Lilywhites, according to reports.

Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou

Since arriving in north London from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in the summer, Ange Postecoglou has been a revelation at the helm and has galvanised a side that looks capable of challenging for the Premier League title in 2023/24.

So far, Spurs have taken 26 points from their opening ten fixtures in the division, playing a style of football that has given supporters real cause for optimism following a damp squib of a campaign in 2022/23.

Nevertheless, former boss Harry Redknapp has claimed that Tottenham aren't a genuine contender to win their first top-flight title since 1961, citing the departure of Harry Kane as a reason why his old club may not be able to go the distance this term.

Speaking to The Daily Express, the 76-year-old stated: "Can Tottenham win the Premier League? No, but they will finish in the top four. People say they are better without Harry Kane, but that’s rubbish. Nobody is better without Harry Kane. He’s the best centre-forward in the world. If he was still at Spurs, he would have scored 12 goals already – and had another half dozen or so assists as well. If they had brought James Maddison in, and Micky van de Ven, and kept Kane – then they would have a team which could win the league."

Despite varying opinions on whether Spurs can genuinely challenge the likes of Manchester City for Premier League glory, it is clear that things are on the up in N17 – and nothing would crystalise that statement more for Tottenham than defeating London rivals Chelsea at home on Monday night.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou is tempering expectations among his Tottenham squad by adopting a game-by-game approach, as he stated ahead of the Chelsea clash via BBC Sport: "We know there's another challenge on Monday night. Looking beyond that doesn't really serve any purpose. The supporters – by all means, this is their football club and they've got to enjoy their football club if things are going well and it provides them with some hopes, dreams and aspirations."

Now, it looks as if Spurs are also taking steps to maximise their potential for success by making an appointment behind the scenes at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham Hotspur's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Molineux

Premier League

Aston Villa

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City

Etihad Stadium

Premier League

West Ham United

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur reach full agreement with Rob Mackenzie

As per Football Insider, Rob Mackenzie will begin his role as head of recruitment at Tottenham next week after reaching a full agreement to join the club from Aston Villa.

The report states that Mackenzie has now handed in his notice to Aston Villa and is free to return to Spurs, where he spent 18 months working alongside Paul Mitchell between 2015 and 2016.

38-year-old Mackenzie has also previously held various positions at OH Leuven, Derby County and Leicester City before going on to work as a chief scout and video analyst at Aston Villa.

Looking ahead, Spurs fans will hope he can help to continue their positive momentum by identifying some gems in the transfer market across future windows.

Erik ten Hag dragged Manchester United from a sixth-place finish when he took the reins back in 2022 to third in the Premier League, two finals and even managed to end the club's six-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup in February.

One of the keys to United's success last term under the Dutchman was a well-balanced midfield, primarily consisting of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, although Fred and Scott McTominay played their part as well.

However, due to unforeseen injury issues this season, Ten Hag has struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park and now the Red Devils' Brazilian general has been ruled out of action for several weeks with a hamstring problem.

Nonetheless, Ten Hag has a glaringly obvious, yet risky solution staring him in the face.

Why Man Utd's midfield are struggling

In the opening two games of the 2023/24 campaign against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach opted to deploy summer signing Mason Mount and club captain Fernandes in front of Casemiro in the midfield but both teams carved United open a worrying amount. The English giants lost possession of the ball 88 times in the middle third across these two fixtures, according to Opta.

Regardless, Ten Hag refused to admit that the midfield was the issue after the 2-0 defeat to Spurs back in August. Instead, the former Ajax boss felt as though the frontline's pressing and the lack of stability at the back were the primary culprits. Still, the club secured the loan services of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat until the end of the season but the arrival of the Moroccan hasn't fixed the team's issues, with club legend Paul Scholes even calling Eriksen a "much better footballer" than Amrabat.

Win or lose, the midfield balance has come under the microscope in almost every game this season. Against Manchester City in the derby over a week ago, the manager decided to take Amrabat off at half-time after his booking in the first half. City ran United ragged after the interval. Pundit Gary Neville criticised this decision, claiming that "Amrabat coming off emptied the midfield".

Ten Hag has tried almost every combination possible in midfield, but there may still be one more trick up the Dutch tactician's sleeve, a return for Kobbie Mainoo.

Kobbie Mainoo's stats at Man Utd

Stockport-born Mainoo made his Premier League debut for Manchester United last season in the Premier League at home to Leicester City and was even handed his first-ever start for the club in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup back in January. However, it was a pre-season game at the MetLife in New Jersey where Mainoo really stood out from the crowd.

Partnering with Casemiro in a double-pivot until half-time, the teenage sensation bossed the midfield against the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, assisting the opening goal of the game, and ending the match with a 7/10 rating, as per Sofascore.

After the game, club legend and former skipper Bryan Robson called Mainoo a "top player" and insisted that Ten Hag "must trust him" this season. Meanwhile, Fernandes heaped praise on Mainoo, claiming he is "good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack". In a 45-minute performance against the Gunners, the young midfielder held a 96% passing accuracy, made one key pass and one interception, and won 100% of his defensive duels.

In Mainoo's one and only competitive start for the Red Devils, at home to Charlton in the League Cup last term, the youngster boasted an 82% passing accuracy over the course of his hour on the field. What's more impressive is that the academy product registered five passes into the final third in that game while creating one chance, according to FotMob. Piling on the praise, Anthony Elanga, Mainoo's former teammate at Old Trafford, recently labelled the 18-year-old as "unreal".

Unfortunately, Mainoo picked up a nasty ankle injury in a game against Real Madrid in pre-season which has kept him out of the team for several months. However, Mainoo is back in training and even made it onto the bench during United's dismal derby defeat to Man City recently.

With Ten Hag running out of options, perhaps Mainoo could be the perfect answer to the manager's woes in the middle of the park.

Manchester United look to have laid out their ambitions for the January transfer window at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag continues to shape his squad, according to a new report.

Manchester United's questionable recruitment…

Despite spending over £170 million in the summer transfer window on Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat, Rasmus Hojlund, Jonny Evans and Sergio Reguilon, Manchester United fans will feel like some of their recruitment processes need to be questioned after a frustrating start to the campaign.

In midweek, the Red Devils surrendered a two-goal lead over Galatasaray in Istanbul and fell to a 3-3 draw in a must-win Champions League clash, leaving them bottom of Group A with four points from five fixtures as the challenge of Bayern Munich at Old Trafford awaits on matchday six.

During the tie, Cameroon international Onana was at fault for Hakim Ziyech's second goal of the evening, spilling the former Chelsea man's strike, which eventually trickled over the line in fairly hapless fashion.

Speaking to TNT Sports cited via TEAMtalk in the aftermath of the fixture, club legend Paul Scholes laid into Onana's performance on the night, stating: "What can you say? It’s a terrible mistake again (for the second goal). I’m sure if he is trying to punch it away with his right hand, it’s weak. He makes people nervous. I think he makes his defence nervy, his team nervous. He makes simple saves look really, really difficult.

"You see him again here at the near post (for the third goal). I’m not a goalkeeping expert and others will know more about this, but I don’t think he should be beaten at the near post. His positioning is poor. For me, all three goals are down to him."

Of course, Onana wasn't the only man to blame for Manchester United's downfall; however, it does provoke questions regarding the wider structure involving recruiting players at Old Trafford. Now, one other under-fire star could now be set to be replaced in January as part of a squad reshuffle by Ten Hag in the upcoming transfer window.

Manchester United target Sofyan Amrabat replacement

According to a report from The Guardian, Manchester United have concerns over loanee Amrabat's start to life at Old Trafford and could look to move in January for a new defensive midfielder.

Sofyan Amrabat at Manchester United – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

12

Goals

0

Assists

0

Dutchman Ten Hag also has designs on bringing a right winger, number eight and striker to the club; however, much will depend on Sir Jim Ratcliffe completing his 25% purchase of the Premier League giants and their Financial Fair play situation.

Amrabat, who has previously been labelled "extraordinary" by Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique, has struggled to get to grips with life in the Premier League, evidenced by the fact he has recorded a WhoScored average match rating of 6.46/10, which places him as Ten Hag's 16th-best player on that metric (Amrabat statistics).

Come January, the Morocco international will slip down the pecking order at Old Trafford if the Red Devils elect to add more competition to their engine room.

Elliot Lee is a talismanic presence for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham, and he is looking to achieve a unique feat in 2023-24.

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• Red Dragons heading into League One
• Lee has been an ever-present
• In contention for major individual award

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 29-year-old midfielder has registered 16 goals for the Red Dragons this season, helping them to a top-three finish in League Two and back-to-back promotions. Lee has figured in all 44 of Wrexham’s fourth-tier fixtures, making him the only member of Phil Parkinson’s squad that is capable of being an ever-present with two games left to take in.

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  WHAT LEE SAID

  Lee is eager to hit that personal milestone, after missing only one game in a record-breaking National League title win last season, and has said: “It is something I am really proud of. It is tough, it is not easy playing every game. The body gets tired, the travelling and the mental fatigue as well but I would never complain about playing every game. I have been out of squads in the past and not played football. I love playing football for Wrexham and it is a pleasure to play every week. I am buzzing that I have played every game so far and I am looking forward to finishing it off in the next two.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lee’s exploits have earned him a place in the League Two Team of the Season, while he is also in contention for the Player of the Year prize. He added on that recognition: “It is a great feeling to be nominated and be one of three people in the league. It's a very proud moment for me. But if I'd have won all the individual awards I could have done and we didn't get promoted, then I have not really done my job. I couldn't celebrate all that with the team if I won personal awards but we didn't achieve what we set out to achieve as a team. That was always my main focus, achieving promotion with a great group of lads and staff, and have days and nights to remember for the rest of my life which I wouldn't have done if I'd only won individual awards. The individual awards have never been something I focus on, it has always been getting this club promoted and enjoying these moments.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham are already planning for life in League One, with the club’s Hollywood co-owners expected to make the funds available that will allow Parkinson to dip back into the transfer market and reinforce what is already a fiercely-competitive squad.

‘We’ve been from Test cricket to T20 cricket to one-day cricket to Test cricket and we’re going to one-day cricket again now, so that’s been a bit of a challenge in itself’

Andrew McGlashan09-Jan-2019A dizzying jumble of format switches and a domestic schedule that has prioritised T20 cricket at the height of the summer when Test matches are also played has added to the challenge of rebuilding the Australia Test team, according to the national selector Trevor Hohns.Having served in two separate stints as a selector and chairman from 1993 to 2006 and then from 2014 to the present day, Hohns’ description of the schedule for 2018-19 as “unprecedented” should provide a warning to Cricket Australia and also the Australian Cricketers’ Association about the demands placed on players in the season following the Newlands scandal. Ironically it was the first schedule the ACA had additional oversight for following the establishment of a standing committee on scheduling after the 2017 MoU negotiation.Hohns lamented the lack of red-ball cricket and the broader demands of shifting international formats multiple times during the season. The structure of the season was a topic addressed during the Sydney Test by Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts and ACA president Greg Dyer with a seeming acceptance that something needs to be done to reestablish the standing of the Sheffield Shield.”It’s probably not appropriate but the programme has been the programme for some time and we can’t do much about that at the moment,” Hohns said. “The Big Bash is on, it’s a very, very good product for Cricket Australia, and it’s just unfortunate that there isn’t any red-ball cricket. How we rectify that, that’s in the hands of Cricket Australia.”It’s also been a challenge because of the program. We’ve been from Test cricket to T20 cricket to one-day cricket to Test cricket and we’re going to one-day cricket again now, so that’s been a bit of a challenge in itself, keeping up with everybody and trying to keep our key players fresh if that’s at all possible. It’s been an unprecedented period I must say.”ALSO READ – Australia’s selection policies under the microscopeAfter Hohns’ panel cut a swathe through Australia’s top order, dropping three batsmen and an allrounder from the squad assembled for the final Test against India in Sydney in a new-look line-up to face Sri Lanka, he admitted the last nine months had been the most challenging of his time in the role amid the fallout from the ball-tampering scandal.That removed Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft from international contention for this season and has laid bare the lack of depth in Australian domestic cricket as replacements have fallen short of the mark.In an attempt to help make judgments on the final XI for the day/night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, the selectors have effectively named the first Australia A team in a home season since the 2013-14 Ashes series – although it remains branded a Cricket Australia XI – rather than pick a side full of fringe state players as has become the norm. The recalled pair of Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw will play alongside the uncapped Will Pucovski and the three are battling for two places in the Test side.Matt Renshaw works the ball off his pads•Getty Images”We’ve included some of our new inclusions in the Test squad so that they at least get some red-ball cricket,” Hohns said. “Nobody has had the chance to play any red-ball cricket, we can’t do anything about that, and we are seriously using this game for those purposes. We’re also very mindful of the Big Bash that is going on and not disrupting the franchises too much by taking away too many of their players. Currently we’ve had no pullback from the Big Bash franchises and I thank them for their co-operation.”Hohns admitted that the poor performances in Melbourne and Sydney had forced the considerable changes in the batting line-up, but would not concede if any mistakes had been made along the way this season.”That’s always a discussion point, there’s no doubt about it. Whether we got it right or wrong that’s up to you people to judge us on. We always review what we do and we always consider maybe we could have done that, maybe we could have done something a little bit better. At the time when we chose the side we were convinced they were the best players to represent Australia at that time.”He also addressed the ongoing situation of communication between the selectors and players following the recent gripes of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Ashton Agar following their omission from the one-day squad. Hohns said that any player dropped from a squad is given an explanation – in person if logistics allows otherwise over the phone – and appeared to put the onus back on the players and the states to seek more information.”If there’s any further clarity required, we encourage them to call me back or ask for another meeting so we can go through it again,” Hohns said. “We also encourage all the state coaches to encourage their players to give me a call if they want some feedback. Give the coach a call if they want some feedback.”So there’s an open line of communication. It’s their careers, so if they’re unclear about anything we’d like to think they can get some clarity if they want and take some ownership of their careers. People are always told why they’ve been left out so there can be no misunderstanding whatsoever. Sometimes obviously players are disappointed. There’s no doubt about that. Sometimes they may understand, [or] they may not.”