Whilst much of the focus has been on the players who could leave Everton this summer, the Toffees could yet welcome some crucial incomings, including a struggling Ligue 1 forward.

Everton transfer news

As things stand, Everton are on course for another relegation scrap, despite much-improved performances and results under Sean Dyche this season. The Toffees' 10-point deduction earlier in the campaign has left them in the relegation zone, when they could be comfortably mid-table and nine points clear of the dropzone. Awaiting the verdict on their appeal, those at Goodison Park will still be hoping for some good news.

Of course, since their first punishment, Everton have been hit with a second Financial Fair Play charge, which could be the nail in the coffin when it comes to their Premier League survival chances, should they face another point deduction. If they do avoid relegation though, the sales of players like Amadou Onana could raise funds for some new signings.

According to La Provence, via Sport Witness, Everton are eyeing a move for Iliman Ndiaye, who could be transfer listed by his "dream club" Marseille this summer after failing to make an impact in his debut season. The Ligue 1 club signed the forward from Sheffield United for a reported £20m, but are yet to see a return on their investment.

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If Ndiaye's struggles continue and he is, therefore, transfer listed, both Everton and fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace want to make moves to bring the Senegal star back to English football.

"Unbelievable" Ndiaye needs Premier League chance

Whilst Marseille are reportedly his dream club, Ndiaye's numbers represent a player who's struggled to make an impact since leaving Sheffield United last summer, scoring just once and assisting a further three times. Ndiaye's stats in the Championship for the Blades last season highlight a contrasting impact, however.

Appearances

52

Goals

15

Assists

12

Ndiaye was a player primed to make an impact in the Premier League after lighting up the Championship, before his Marseille move brought an end to that. Now he has the chance to potentially take that top-flight chance with Everton. The Toffees could certainly do with a consistent goalscorer and, as backed by former Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom, Ndiaye is a player capable of producing.

Heckingbottom previously said via The Yorkshire Post: "I am going to talk and sound as if I am biased. But you know what I think of Iliman as a player. He can do it against anyone – handling the ball in tight areas at the top end of the pitch where the best players do damage. He's got all that.

"Playing in the Championship doesn't mean players don't handle the ball any better. He's unbelievable with the ball and not many Premier League players can do what he does with the ball."

Leeds United will go into Friday night's big clash away at Sheffield Wednesday pumped up to collect another victory in the Championship, with Daniel James' sublime solo strike enough for the Whites to beat a resilient Stoke City side 1-0 last match.

James' spot in the XI looks secure off the back of this vital goal, battling back from injury issues to remind everyone at Elland Road that he's the main starter down the right wing.

This could be bad news for Wilfried Gnonto, who had started to breathe life back into his up-and-down Whites career with James sidelined – the Italian attacker helping himself to four goals in February playing in the spot freed up by the Welshman being out.

Gnonto could even push to leave Elland Road once again if he tumbles down the pecking order, with Daniel Farke keeping an open mind to the possibility of reintroducing this fringe talent into the first-team set-up when he returns from his loan move if the 20-year-old does decide enough is enough.

The player to ease Leeds' Gnonto concerns

Ian Poveda has become an instant fan favourite since making the switch from West Yorkshire to South Yorkshire in January, joining Sheffield Wednesday amid a gargantuan attempt to stave off the Championship relegation zone.

Poveda might well only have one assist next to his name from seven Owls games so far, but he's got the hardened masses at Hillsborough purring nonetheless over his technical brilliance.

The skilful 24-year-old winger successfully completed three dribble attempts last match against Plymouth Argyle, twisting and turning defenders for fun with his side winning this big basement battle clash 1-0 courtesy of their new Colombian loanee's unpredictability on the ball.

Minutes played

76

Touches

50

Successful dribbles

3/6

Shots on goal

3

Duels won

7/14

Big chances created

1

Even having a goal dubiously ruled out in that clash due to a potential offside, Poveda could well fancy sticking it out permanently in his new surroundings when the loan stint is over.

The South American attacker's contract is up with Leeds at the climax of t he campaign with a high number of potential suitors – alongside the Owls – no doubt wanting to sign Poveda on a free transfer off the back of his bright spell with Wednesday to date.

Still, the door might well not shut completely on Poveda returning to Leeds and dazzling the Elland Road faithful if a new deal can be secured at the final hour. It must be said, however, that one final chance for the winger feels far likelier should the Yorkshire side not secure Premier League promotion.

What Farke thinks about Ian Poveda

Farke has admired Poveda's trickery when commenting on the 24-year-old winger before he made the short journey to South Yorkshire on loan, stating that 5 foot 6 forward possesses a "touch of magic."

Therefore, the German manager could still see him as a useful figure to have in and around his Whites camp to unlock opposition defences with a moment of sublime skill.

Leeds would also be able to breathe easier over the prospect of Gnonto finally upping and leaving the building, freeing up a space for Poveda to come back and feel wanted after being left on the Whites fringes for the majority of his Leeds career to date.

Poveda has shone in spurts for the Championship promotion chasers in the past – helping himself to an assist on just his fourth-ever Leeds appearance back in 2020 – but has never been given the time and patience to truly blossom as a dynamic talent at Elland Road.

For the time being, however, Leeds will just be overjoyed that Poveda is showing off his excellence at Hillsborough after feeling unwanted in Whites quarters.

Back in West Yorkshire, Gnonto will hope he can still have moments in the spotlight to shine himself away from James' reintroduction into Farke's XI.

كشف مصدر موثوق داخل النادي الأهلي، عن تفاصيل جديدة حول الواقعة التي أدت إلى إيقاف وغرامة لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم محمود عبد المنعم كهربا، وقرار عودته إلى القاهرة.

وأعلن النادي الأهلي، صباح اليوم، عن اتخاذ إجراءات تأديبية صارمة بحق لاعبه محمود عبد المنعم كهربا، حيث تم إعادته فوراً إلى القاهرة وخصم مبلغ مليون جنيه مصري من مستحقاته المالية.

وجاء هذا القرار على خلفية الأحداث التي تلت مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، والتي أقيمت أمس في الإمارات.

وروى مصدر داخل الأهلي لـ “بطولات” تفاصيل الأزمة، حيث أوضح أنه عقب انتهاء المباراة، وداخل غرفة خلع الملابس، كهربا اعترض على مدربه مارسيل كولر بصوت عالي، كما أنه رفض مصافحته بسبب عدم مشاركته في مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا، والاعتماد على طاهر محمد طاهر رغم غياب وسام أبو علي عن التشكيل الأساسي.

طالع أيضًا | مُتحدث الزمالك يُحذر من كارثة ويتوجه بطلب قبل مباراة الأهلي في نهائي السوبر

وأشار إلى أن محمد رمضان المدير الرياضي للنادي، تدخل وقتها للحديث مع اللاعب رافضا تصرفاته وقام بعض اللاعبين بتهدئة كهربا.

ومن جانبه، رفض كهربا حضور محاضرة كولر بعد المباراة وخرج من غرفة الملابس وتوجه للحافلة في انتظار الفريق.

وفي الناحية الأخرى، محمد رمضان اتخذ قراره سريعًا في وقت الأزمة، وتواصل مع رئيس البعثة محمد الدماطي وكابتن محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي الأهلى لإبلاغهم بالقرار.

على الرغم من هذه الأحداث الجانبية، فإن الأنظار تتجه الآن نحو المباراة النهائية لكأس السوبر المصري والتي ستجمع بين الأهلي والزمالك، والتي ستقام يوم الخميس المُقبل الموافق 24 من أكتوبر الجاري.

Wolverhampton Wanderers may be enjoying a solid season under Gary O’Neil, but the club still have some big earners on the books who are currently out on loan.

The likes of Fabio Silva, Sasa Kalajdzic, Daniel Podence and Goncalo Guedes are all on temporary moves away from Molineux, yet they will still be draining Fosun and Wolves of cash.

While a few of these players may have futures at the club, Guedes looks as though he could be an expensive mistake and potentially even worse than Diego Costa.

Diego Costa’s statistics at Wolves

With Bruno Lage looking for another striker during the embryonic stages of the 2022/23 campaign, he secured the services of Costa on a one-year deal worth £62k-per-week.

The proven striker had enjoyed wonderful spells at Chelsea and Atlético Madrid, yet during his only season in the Midlands, Costa managed to score just one goal in 25 matches and departed looking a shadow of his former self.

Although he was poor, Guedes was arguably even worse, especially considering the extravagant fee Lage shelled out on the Portuguese international during the summer transfer window of 2022.

How much Goncalo Guedes has cost Wolves

Following a spell at Valencia which saw the player register 20 goal contributions in all competitions – 13 goals and seven assists – he made the move to Molineux for a fee of £27.5m.

It was a lavish fee, yet if Lage could get the left-winger to replicate the performances he enjoyed at Valencia during the 2021/22 campaign, Wolves would have an excellent attacking threat.

It didn’t quite work out as expected, however, as Guedes scored just twice during the first half of the 2022/23 season while creating only one big chance, averaging 0.7 key passes per game and succeeding with just 0.4 successful dribbles per game, indicating that he failed to really produce anything near his best.

Julen Lopetegui shipped him out on loan to Benfica in January 2023 and he remained there until last month, before joining Villarreal on another temporary deal as O’Neil looked to build a side without him.

There is no doubt the 27-year-old is a solid player, but he failed to demonstrate this during his spell in the Midlands, and he has drained Fosun of a lot of money in the process – even despite seeing his wages seemingly being paid by both Benfica and Villarreal over the past year or so.

Indeed, combining his £27.5m transfer fee with what the £90k-per-week man earned during those first six months at Molineux – roughly £2.3m – and Guedes has rinsed Wolves of around £30m, a ridiculous amount of money for a player who has just netted twice.

The club certainly do have a recent history of splashing out on players who fail to hit the ground running, and Guedes is just the latest example of their poor record in the transfer market.

Under O’Neil, things will hopefully begin to look up as they will be forced to move players on due to financial fair play regulations before signing anyone new this summer.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Guedes will return from his loan spell then, and he must be one of the candidates that the manager has in mind with regard to being sold in order to balance the books at Wolves.

Pakistan were given a shock in Lahore and have to figure out what their best combination is

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Oct-2019

Dasun Shanaka makes Sri Lanka’s victory that bit more official•Sri Lanka Cricket

Big pictureIt was no real surprise that Sri Lanka rode an outstanding fifty from Danushka Gunathilaka to a competitive total in the first match. Were it not for injury and disciplinary issues, the opener would command a place in their first-choice limited-overs XI. He is among the more naturally gifted batsmen in any match.It was also no surprise that Dasun Shanaka helped Sri Lanka maintain their momentum through the later stages of the innings. He is one of the cleanest ball-strikers around.What was surprising was the ease with which Sri Lanka shut Pakistan’s chase down. Even without Lasith Malinga, the fast bowlers had the opposition 22 for 3. Pakistan are the top-ranked T20I side in the world, but this particular top order contained Umar Akmal, who had not contributed to that rise, and Ahmed Shehzad, who had not played a T20I since mid-2018. They made 4 off 9 balls and a first-ball duck respectively. As a result, coach Misbah-ul-Haq, who made these out-of-left-field selections, is facing a little scrutiny after his first T20I in charge.ALSO READ – Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad have my full backing as captain – Sarfaraz AhmedBut one victory does not make Sri Lanka invulnerable. Avishka Fernando appears to have hit some modest form in Pakistan, to follow his breakout World Cup, but the likes of Lakshan Sandakan and Wanindu Hasaranga are also far from reliable wristspin options still. The more senior players in the Sri Lanka XI will need to continue to produce excellent innings and spells, so that the younger cricketers can play in their slipstream.Form guidePakistan LLWLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWLLLIn the spotlightVery quietly, Shadab Khan has been having a disappointing 2019. His legspin has averaged 41.11 across 13 ODI innings this year (though his World Cup average of 35.55 was better). In T20Is, his numbers are even bleaker – his economy rate up at 9.42, and his average at 44, albeit from only four appearances. Sri Lanka is a team he had generally done well against, but several batsmen seemed to enjoy his bowling through the course of this tour, and his 1 for 35 on Saturday was modest without being terrible. In recent years, Sri Lanka haven’t loved playing wristspin. If Shadab can turn his form around, Pakistan will go some way to checking the opposition’s batting.Misbah-ul-Haq oversees Pakistan’s training session•AFP

Prior to his debut, no uncapped Sri Lanka player had quite produced as much hype in the capital as Bhanuka Rajapaksa. A star at school level for one of the fanciest Colombo institutions – Royal College – Rajapaksa had been tipped by many to become one of the island’s best. But in senior cricket, his record has been modest, particularly in first-class and List A matches. Despite this, he has now got the chance to showcase his wares at the top level, and in his first T20I, he produced an innings that went some way to justifying the ten-year hype. If he can back Saturday’s 32 off 22 balls up with another good performance, the selectors may keep him on even when the first-choice players return to the fray.Team newsGiven Shehzad’s poor innings in the first match, Fakhar Zaman may come back into the XI.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Umar Akmal, 4 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt.) (wk), 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Mohammad HasnainSri Lanka will probably see no reason to change their XI.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Shehan Jayasuriya, 5 Minod Bhanuka (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Nuwan PradeepPitch and conditionsThe dew that both teams had expected did not turn up in force on Saturday. Expect Lahore to produce a similar surface.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost each of their four most-recent T20 series, two of which have been at home, and two away. Their last away series win (outside one-off games) was against Bangladesh in early 2018. Pakistan have never lost a bilateral T20I series to Sri Lanka. Umar Akmal has not made a T20I fifty since February 2016. Shehzad had not made one since September 2017.

Toni Kroos says Lamine Yamal is "unbelievable" for a 16-year-old and Germany will try to keep him quiet in their Euro 2024 quarter-final with Spain.

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Article continues below

Germany face Spain in quarter-finalsMidfielder Kroos to retire after competitionHails 'unbelievable' Lamal ahead of last-eight tieWHAT HAPPENED?

Ahead of Germany taking on Spain in the quarter-finals of the Euros, now former Real Madrid ace Kroos has heaped praise on teenager Yamal. The veteran, who is retiring from football after this tournament, says his side need to keep the Barcelona man and team-mate Nico Williams under wraps if they want to reach the last four of Euro 2024 on home soil.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TONI KROOS SAID

He told reporters: "In recent years players seem to be better now at younger ages, it’s really incredible. He [Yamal] was Barcelona’s most dangerous player last season. We know what he’s capable of and will try to keep him and Nico Williams as quiet as possible. To be that good at 16 is simply unbelievable."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Germany have impressed this tournament but Spain have, arguably, been the best team so far and are the only side to win every game. This mouth-watering clash could be the last time anyone sees Kroos on a football pitch, but he will want to make sure he goes out with a bang by reaching the final and winning the Euros.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Kroos' Germany team take on Spain at MHPArena in Stuttgart on Friday evening, with the victor lining up against either 2016 winners Portugal or that year's runner-up France in the semi-finals of the tournament on July 9.

The 25-year-old has been little more than a passenger in Germany, and it may be wise for his manager to take him out of the firing line

Kylian Mbappe is the most important player in the France squad. He's scored 48 goals in 83 appearances for his country, with 13 of those coming at major tournaments. In many people's eyes, he is now the finest player in the world.

By the age of 25, he's achieved more than most top players do in their entire careers. The best may still be yet to come, too, with Mbappe all set to complete his long-awaited move to 15-time European champions Real Madrid after Euro 2024.

But the Mbappe who inspired France to glory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina in Qatar four years later has not shown up in Germany this summer. Although France have managed to reach another semi-final, Mbappe has only found the net once, and his contribution in general play has been almost non-existent. It leaves Didier Deschamps facing a massive selection dilemma heading into Les Bleus' most daunting test of the Euros so far.

Mbappe is, when firing on all cylinders, the ultimate big game player, as further underlined by his record of 20 Champions League knockout stage goals in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt. The problem is: he's not been even close to 100 percent at this tournament. Spain certainly won't be fearing this version of Mbappe, and France may have a better chance of upsetting Luis de la Fuente's scintillating side if he's sitting among the substitutes on Tuesday.

• Getty Images
  

  Cruel start

  In fairness to Mbappe, his Euro 2024 campaign might have turned out differently had he not been dealt such a cruel blow in France's opening group game against Austria. He took a shoulder to the face when challenging Austria defender Kevin Danso for a header in the closing minutes, and the top of his white France jersey quickly turned red as blood gushed from his nose.

  Mbappe was taken to hospital after France's narrow 1-0 win and received confirmation he'd suffered a broken nose. Questions were then raised over whether his tournament would be brought to a premature close, but Deschamps quelled them when revealing that his captain wouldn't need immediate surgery, and he was cleared to continue playing with the aid of a custom mask.

  France limped to a 0-0 draw against the Netherlands without Mbappe, but he returned with his new headgear against Poland, and opened his scoring account from the penalty spot. He was, however, also guilty of wasting a number of good chances in open play as the main issue with the mask quickly became apparent.

  "It’s really difficult because it limits your vision and the sweat clogs up," Mbappe said after the 1-1 draw that took France through to the last-16. "Initially I felt I was in 3D and I’d been invited to the Euros as a VIP. I could see the people, but I felt it wasn’t me playing. It’s really annoying."

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• Getty Image/ GOAL AR
  

  'No longer feeling up to it'

  France went on to beat Belgium in the round of 16, despite another very underwhelming performance and Mbappe's wildly erratic shooting. He did provide a much-needed spark in attack with his dynamic dribbling, but still wasn't quite his usual self, and Les Bleus didn't have to do anything special to overcome Dominic Tedesco's awful Belgium side.

  However, Mbappe's most concerning performance so far came in the next round against Portugal, as the fifth – and potentially final – clash between him and Cristiano Ronaldo ended up being a damp squib. With nothing to separate the two sides after 120 minutes, penalties were needed to decide who would progress to the semi-finals, and France held their nerve to win 5-3.

  Under normal circumstances, the fifth spot-kick probably would have gone to Mbappe, but Deschamps took the surprise decision to take off his talismanic forward at the extra-time interval. It wasn't a tactical move, though, as Mbappe later admitted: "I told him that I was no longer feeling up to it, that I was too tired."

  Calling it quits at such a crucial moment speaks volumes over Mbappe's current physical and mental condition. are well known for their harsh player ratings, but the 2/10 they gave Mbappe on this occasion felt completely justified. “While he is supposed to give speed to the game, he slowed it down,” the French publication stated.

  Mbappe barely set foot in the Portugal penalty area, avoided one-on-one duels and his passing was atrocious, as was his general body language. The former PSG man isn't enjoying his football at the moment, which should be giving Deschamps sleepless nights heading into a semi-final against a far more dangerous opponent.

• Getty Images
  

  Clearly not fit

  In Mbappe's defence, he could have been withdrawn far earlier. The second half of the Portugal tie was paused for a lengthy period as Mbappe required treatment after being hit in the mask by a powerful Bernardo Silva header.

  The Bleus captain was clearly in agony, and it was admirable that he played on through it. But there are plenty of elite players who have continued performing at a high level despite dealing with the discomfort of a mask; Mbappe's struggles actually stem from the fact he is clearly not fully fit.

  "I don’t think I have my legs fully. I think I need a good pre-season," Mbappe said last week. "To be at 100 percent and properly quick, I need good physical preparation and I’m sure that’ll be better after a pre-season with my new club."

  Should Deschamps really still be relying on a man who doesn't feel in optimal shape? It also sounds like his head is already at Santiago Bernabeu, and that he's just going through the motions with his country because of his responsibilities as captain.

  A knee complaint prevented Mbappe from starting France's final Euros warm-up game against Canada, and he was also nursing a back problem before kick-off in Germany. People also seem to have forgotten that Mbappe's final weeks at PSG were overshadowed by injury, too, meaning he's had no chance to build up any rhythm. To put it plainly: France can't expect Mbappe to make the difference in his current condition.

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  Unleash Barcola

  Deschamps does have plenty of options when it comes to potential replacements for Mbappe. Kingsley Coman, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele are all right-wingers by trade, but can fill in on the left if needed.

  There's an element of risk with all three, though. Coman has been a great servant during the Deschamps regime, but missed a large portion of the 2023-24 season at Bayern Munich due to injury, and briefly left the France camp for the birth of his fourth child after the last-16 win over Belgium.

  Kolo Muani and Dembele, meanwhile, both failed to live up to expectations in their debut campaigns at PSG, and have transferred their indifferent form onto the international stage. If Deschamps is to take Mbappe out of the firing line, then it must be for another of his former PSG team-mates: the supremely talented Bradley Barcola.

  The 21-year-old started on the left against Poland in the group stage as Mbappe was moved into a No.9 role, and was a joy to watch. Everything good about France stemmed from his ingenuity and fearlessness on the ball, which more often than not, he matched with the right final pass, and Les Bleus would have walked away with a victory had Mbappe made more of the stellar service.

  Deschamps was far too hasty in taking Barcola off on the hour, but he made his mark, and also impressed when coming on for Mbappe in extra-time against Portugal. France have seen their most potent weapon blunted, but Barcola is the next best thing, and it's easy to imagine him tying 39-year-old Jesus Navas in knots if he gets the nod to face Spain.

Leeds United dropped out of the automatic promotion places this weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by rivals Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

The Whites were the early kick-off on Saturday as they travelled across Yorkshire to take on the Terriers at 12:30pm, which appeared to affect them as they started slowly.

Michal Helik gave the hosts the lead in first-half stoppage time with a close-range finish after a scramble in the box, shortly before their captain Jonathan Hogg was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Patrick Bamford scored the equaliser in the 67th minute to tee up what could have been a fantastic turnaround for Leeds but they could not force home a winner.

Daniel Farke could have made a decision, however, that may have won the match for his side. In-form striker Mateo Joseph was left on the bench after his exceptional display against Chelsea a few days later, whilst Joel Piroe was brought on.

The stats that show why bringing Piroe on was a mistake

The Dutch forward started alongside the 20-year-old marksman at Stamford Bridge and had a howler with a poor display at the top end of the pitch.

FFC picked him out as being even worse than Junior Firpo, who was partially at fault for Chelsea’s winner as he stepped out and missed the ball to allow Conor Gallagher to turn and score, due to his disappointing performance in and out of possession.

The 24-year-old forward was dominated by the Premier League side as he lost six of his nine duels throughout his 79 minutes on the pitch, which shows that the opposition found it relatively easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

He also offered very little in the final third. In 39 touches of the ball, Piroe failed to register a single shot on target – with both of his efforts blocked by defenders – and only created one chance for his teammates, which was not recorded as a ‘big chance’.

The former Swansea star was sloppy in possession with a pass success rate of 76%, which is particularly poor when you consider that his passes did not lead to much creativity for his fellow attackers.

Despite that poor performance at Stamford Bridge, Farke decided to bring Piroe on for Glen Kamara in the 62nd minute against Huddersfield as Leeds looked to turn the game around.

Unsurprisingly, given his display during the week, the Dutchman failed to make an impact on the match as the Whites failed to find a winner and had to settle for a point.

The left-footed attacker did not register a single shot on target and failed to create a single chance for his teammates in 28 minutes plus stoppage time on the pitch.

Minutes played

28

Duel success rate

0% (0/2)

Pass accuracy

75% (15/20)

Key passes

Zero

Shots on target

Zero

As you can see in the table above, the summer signing from Swansea was, once again, sloppy in possession without making up for it with quality play in the final third.

Mateo Joseph could have won it for Leeds

Meanwhile, Joseph was left as an unused substitute on the day as he did not play a single minute of the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, which then allowed Ipswich to move up to second when they won their match against Plymouth later in the day.

This appears to have been a blunder by Farke as the German head coach did not make the most of the immense high that the 20-year-old marksman may have been riding after his brace at Stamford Bridge.

The England U20 international, who was hailed as “deadly” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was provided with a place in the starting XI against Chelsea in the FA Cup and produced a fantastic performance on the night, despite the club’s eventual loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

It was a dream start for the young whiz as he found the back of the net in the eighth minute of the game. A slip up at the back allowed Jaidon Anthony to play Joseph in and the striker made no mistake with a clinical finish past Robert Sanchez to make it 1-0 to the Whites on the night.

The hosts turned the game around to make it 2-1 by half-time but the Spanish-born Leeds star stepped up once again to make it 2-2 before the hour-mark.

Anthony whipped in a delightful cross to the back post and Joseph smartly headed the ball back across goal and into the far corner, leaving Sanchez with no chance to save it, to equalise.

Although Chelsea went on to win the match, through Gallagher’s late winner, the academy graduate did enough to show that he has the quality to make a big impact in the first-team – against Premier League opposition.

Minutes played

79

90

Touches

39

31

Pass accuracy

76%

81%

Key passes

One

Two

Goals

Zero

Two

Possession lost

13x

10x

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old striker had a significantly better game than Piroe against the Blues as he scored more goals, created more chances, completed a higher percentage of his attempted passes, and lost possession fewer times.

Therefore, it was a shock to see the former Swans number nine come on over Joseph against the Terriers, particularly when you consider that only three teams have conceded more goals than Huddersfield (56) in the Championship this season.

They are not a defensively solid outfit and Leeds could have gone on to win the match after Bamford’s equaliser if they had made the most of their young centre-forward’s confidence off the bench.

Joseph could have been ready to come on and make a big impact after his breakthrough first-team performance against Chelsea, by using his goalscoring instincts to strike the winner for the Whites.

Instead, the 5 foot 11 whiz – who scored 19 goals in 33 matches for the U21s – had to watch on from the bench as Piroe came on and,

unsurprisingly after his performance during the week, failed to impose himself on the game.

Therefore, Farke had a howler when he decided to bring the Dutchman on instead of Joseph against Huddersfield on Saturday, as it was a call that may have cost Leeds two points and a spot in the automatic promotion places.

Spark Sport will show all home cricket from next April with a small selection of games also on free-to-air

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2019There will be a major change in the New Zealand broadcast landscape next year after NZC entered into a six-year deal with streaming service Spark Sport to show all home cricket ending a relationship with Sky that dates back to 1995.Spark is showing the current rugby World Cup and will add New Zealand’s men’s and women’s internationals as well as the T20 Super Smash competition and the domestic one-day final after the current deal with Sky ends in April 2020.There will also be a small amount of cricket on free-to-air with TVNZ to show the first T20I of each men’s and women’s series along with a collection of Super Smash matches.”This is a deal which future-proofs the whole of cricket in New Zealand,” David White, the NZC CEO, said. “Live streaming is the future. It allows viewers to free themselves from fixed linear schedules to watch live, delayed, highlighted or clipped content when and where they choose, and on a wide range of devices.”Together with the free-to-air component provided by TVNZ, this accord means more cricket games than ever before will be broadcast live. It’s timely that we make this move now, at a time when more New Zealanders than ever – and especially young Kiwis, consume their sports content through digital devices.”There have been some challenges for Spark during the rugby World Cup with users complaining about the quality of the streaming while there are rural areas of New Zealand that do not have the internet connectivity available to access the service.Sky currently retain the rights to New Zealand’s overseas tours.

One-day internationals returning to Karachi after ten years. A washout denying fans a chance of watching any cricket on Friday. This city prides itself as the most cricket-mad city in the country. Tickets should have been snapped up, right? Wrong.ESPNcricinfo understands only around 20% of tickets have been sold so far. Anecdotal evidence made it clear that the uptake wasn’t as swift as the PCB might have been hoping. It was made official when they announced ticket holders for the abandoned first ODI could attend either of the two remaining games. Moreover, the same applied to ticket holders for the second ODI; common sense would suggest if either of the games were anywhere near full houses, that would have been impossible to guarantee.It isn’t that fans in Karachi have fallen out of love with the game, though with demand much higher for the T20s in Lahore despite higher prices, there are suggestions the ODI game might be harder to market in Pakistan despite fans having limited opportunities to see any international cricket.The series was beset by several obstacles before it got off the ground, which hindered PCB’s advertising campaign. The on-off nature of the series would have put Ross and Rachel – of TV show fame – to shame; it is easy to forget that just over a fortnight ago, the Sri Lankan government said they had received credible information of a terror threat to the Sri Lankan team.The PCB received a nod from Sri Lanka Cricket only a week before the first ODI, making it a bigger challenge for PCB’s marketing department to put campaigns together for a series that, on paper, hadn’t taken off until that point. Similarly, selling tickets that may have had to be refunded was tricky. It is understood that the provincial government hasn’t assisted with advertising and marketing the series like they did for the Pakistan Super League final and the three T20Is they hosted against West Indies in 2018.Then there was the squad Sri Lanka actually sent. With ten top players pulling out citing security concerns, Sri Lanka’s squad is, to put it mildly, second string. When the West Indies played three T20Is in Karachi last year, some players chose not to tour, resulting in heavily one-sided games. The prospect of the same occurring during this ODI series cannot be ruled out, and may well have played a part in so many fans choosing to stay away.The was provided by Karachi’s weather. A city that sees very little rain, and almost none at this time of the year, was pounded all week by heavy downpours that might have made Sri Lanka’s players feel they were still at home.Karachi’s roads are famously unprepared to handle rainwater and facilities at the ground, while decent, were no match for the forces of nature they had to unexpectedly reckon with. With the weather forecast suggesting, accurately after all, that Friday would see yet more rains, there was little incentive for fans to get their tickets, and consequently not many subjected themselves to braving the heavy security and dark skies to turn up on match day.There are a number of reasons for sluggish ticket sales, but Pakistan needs fans to turn up. Especially if the whole idea of bringing cricket back is to avoid the ugly spectacle of high-quality cricket being played in front of near-empty stands in the UAE, and to give the nation’s cricket-deprived fans an opportunity to watch their team play. Much of what’s happened to suppress demand isn’t the PCB’s fault, but as they will know all too well, it is very much their problem.