Leeds United's triumphant return to the Premier League in 2020 suggested they had returned to stay for the long haul, and when Marcelo Bielsa led them to a ninth-placed finish in their first year back, fans were in dreamland.
They had a top-quality manager and were mixing it with some of England's finest once again, before disaster struck.
Poor recruitment and subsequent injuries led the Argentine down a tricky path to navigate, which eventually culminated in his sacking. Three managers followed him before their eventual relegation, ending their three-year stay in the top flight.
Whilst there are few positives to take from such a catastrophic event, which can prove devastating for clubs who succumb to the drop, the fact that most of this gutless playing staff will be purged should stand as a positive for Andrea Radrizzani to take.
Although the Italian seems set to depart Elland Road with the club in the same place as he inherited it, he will still have to oversee the potential exits of some of their higher-profile names until such a sale goes through.
One name on that list will surely be Robin Koch, although fans will likely not be too frustrated with losing the underwhelming German defender.
How has Robin Koch played for Leeds United?
Having signed under Bielsa for a fee rising to £13m, this 2020 acquisition was meant to underpin their revitalised defence ready to tackle the Premier League.
Whilst he was largely solid in that successful return campaign, maintaining a 6.85 average rating in the 2020/21 season, he remained a constant presence in the subsequent collapse over the two years that followed.
This season saw the 26-year-old play 36 times in the league for a side that shipped 78 goals, the most of any club in the division.
His personal displays were woeful too, as his average rating of 6.63 suggests. Yesterday's showing against Tottenham Hotspur stands as an example of such mediocrity, as he was dribbled past twice and lost eight duels on their way to a 4-1 loss, via Sofascore.
Ironically enough, it is now the Lilywhites who are being linked with a cut-price swoop for Koch; a move which fans and sections of the Leeds media would welcome.
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After all, journalist Beren Cross once noted following a 5-1 defeat against Manchester United in 2021, that he was "horrible to watch." That has rather aptly summed up several moments throughout his stint at Elland Road.
With this summer sure to be a transformative one, as Radrizzani seeks to shift his efforts to Sampdoria and find someone else to take over in Yorkshire, perhaps it could be cathartic to rid the club of all the failures who came in and promised the world, only to deliver further frustration for this relentless and ever-loyal fanbase.
Koch's exit would provide the silver lining to this, the darkest of clouds that relegation provides.
South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi and Australia’s Matthew Wade have both been fined 25 percent of their match fees after a verbal exchange and subsequent physical altercation during the fourth ODI
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2016
Tabraiz Shamsi and Matthew Wade were involved in•AFP
South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi and Australia’s Matthew Wade have both been fined 25 percent of their match fees after a verbal exchange and subsequent physical altercation during the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth on Sunday.The incident occurred in the 17th over of Australia’s innings when Wade pushed a single to long-on off the South African spin bowler. The pair, who had a verbal exchange earlier in the over, made physical contact as Wade ran down the pitch for a single. After the run was completed, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis complained to the umpires after which on-field umpire Nigel Llong spoke with both Shamsi and Wade before play continued.Both the players were found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Nigel Llong, third umpire Joel Wilson and fourth umpire Shaun George.Wade admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by ICC match referee Chris Broad. However, Shamsi pleaded not guilty and, as such, a formal hearing took place in the team hotel in which video evidence was also used.In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Shamsi and Wade’s disciplinary records. If either of the two are given four demerit points within the next two years then that will be converted into at least two suspension points which carry a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20 internationals, depending on the fixture schedule.
Leeds United have a lot of work to do this summer with still no manager or sporting director confirmed and a takeover in the works, however, it hasn't stopped the club from being linked to potential transfer targets.
What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Harry Winks?
According to Italian news outlet Samp News 24, Leeds are reigniting their interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks, with the Englishman having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Sampdoria.
As per the report, the Whites are keen to make a move for the talented whiz after a good temporary spell in Serie A, but will need to compete with the Italian outfit who are interested in making Winks a permanent signing this summer.
Who would Harry Winks replace in the Leeds team?
As expected, Leeds' recent relegation from the Premier League has prompted a surge in interest surrounding the futures of many of their first-team regulars, with Tyler Adams one of the players on the radar of top-flight clubs.
It has been reported this week that Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are both interested in snatching the American midfielder away from the West Yorkshire outfit and whilst the club will want to keep the squad together where possible, it won't be easy to stop some of their high profile players from making a swift exit from what has become a sunken ship at Elland Road.
As a result, an ambitious move for Winks – who has had a reported £22m clause included in his loan deal – would provide the club with a quality midfielder who could be the perfect replacement for Adams this summer.
Whilst Winks struggled for game time and consistency in north London – having made just nine league starts for Spurs last term – the 27-year-old has had the opportunity to come to life whilst on loan with Sampdoria this season and has thrived with more minutes.
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Over 20 Serie A appearances, the Englishman – hailed as "unbelievable" by Jan Vertonghen – has tallied up an 85% pass completion rate and successfully completed 78% of his dribble attempts, as well as averaging 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, one clearance and 3.4 duels won per game, demonstrating his sound defensive attributes and ball-winning capabilities in the centre of the pitch.
The ten-cap England international has earned high praise over his career so far, with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino claiming:
"For me, he is the perfect midfielder, who can play box-to-box and like a holding midfielder. He has the quality and the capacity to play and use the demand of the game and read it. He's so clever."
Not only that, Winks and his Leeds positional peer Adams have displayed many similarities in their outputs this season including shot-creating actions per 90 (1.89 v 1.79), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.05 v 0.04), progressive carries (19 v 19) and progressive passes (117 v 136).
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Leeds to sign Winks this summer as his experience and quality could be a huge asset to the Whites next season in the Championship, especially if they lose Adams over the coming weeks and months.
The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS
Alagappan Muthu03-Nov-2016The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool – Realtime Snicko, UltraEdge or HotSpot – to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS. However, that depends on the ICC cricket committee headed by Anil Kumble, and a planned meeting with the member boards in February 2017 to “prepare a road map for the use of technology moving forward”. For the ICC, the ideal outcome of the meeting will be some sort of agreement to have DRS for every Test no matter where it takes place, with the decided minimum requirements in place.As it stands now, DRS is employed even in those Tests where no edge-detection technology is available whereas India have been playing without DRS even with the required technology available. That India have agreed to use it on a trial basis against England is a step forward, but ICC’s general manager of cricket operations Geoff Allardice knows there is some way to go.”I look at matches in different parts of the world, and I see the different levels of technology and you see umpires are left without conclusive evidence in one series where in another series they might have conclusive evidence with all tools available,” Allardice said. “There are some logistical challenges as well about having every type of technology in every match but I think overall we should be striving for a more consistent delivery of technology at all international matches.”Ball-tracking is standard in DRS at the moment, and we won’t see that changing. I think you certainly need an edge-detection tool as a standard. If you go back to times gone by with the umpires listening to the stump microphone audio and trying to judge whether that was the sound of bat on ball or bat on pad or whatever, it was very difficult to make a decision [for the umpire] and also for the people watching at home to know what the umpire was thinking. And sound-based edge detection systems like Realtime Snicko and UltraEdge have simplified those kinds of decisions.”HotSpot is another tool that helps in edge detection, and while Allardice said it “has a lot to add to a DRS system”, its inclusion posed “logistical challenges”. India’s home Tests against England, for example, could have had HotSpot but the BCCI was told it would take too long for the equipment to arrive in the country. The cameras used by HotSpot are high-end military cameras, whose shipping needs special permissions from governments.The BCCI’s opposition to DRS arose from a perception that it wasn’t 100% fool proof. Some other boards do not employ it because of the high cost of equipment. As such there has been pressure on the ICC to assume control of the system itself. Allardice was open to the possibility.”If we get the support of members for the ICC to take a greater role in providing consistent technology at every game, we think that’s the right way to go forward. If we can map that out to the countries, and they like that, then the plan will be to start putting it in place.” he said. “Generally in DRS series, we deliver 98 to 99% correct decisions, and what that does is provide a consistency of correct decisions, whether the conditions are difficult for umpiring, or whether the umpire is having a good day or a bad day.”There has also been protest against DRS because of the possibility of human error. When asked if the ICC might be interested in training people to operate the various technologies to assuage that concern, Allardice said it was the technology provider who was best placed to understand the nuances of the system and implement it correctly. He did, however, admit there was a need for the ICC to oversee operations.”At this stage, I wouldn’t see us wanting to be technology providers ourselves, because the expertise and product development work that’s taken place over a long period of time, has been conducted by the technology providers. But I think there is a greater role for the ICC in the coordination of technology that goes to each match, and the oversight of the performance at matches.”DRS’s impact on the umpires is also a point of debate. In the Chittagong Test between England and Bangladesh, eight out of 18 decisions made by Kumar Dharmasena were overturned. Allardice said the number of incorrect calls an umpire makes factors into his assessment by the ICC, but he is judged over a longer term than just one match.”It’s quite a test for an umpire in those conditions, because you can often be making good umpiring decisions that are later proven to be incorrect,” Allardice said. “Like getting a glove on a sweep shot that then leads to an lbw being overturned.”One of the skills of an umpire at all levels, whether there is DRS or not, is his resilience to mistakes. In the old days, you used to find out when you came off the field whether you had made a mistake or not, and now that feedback is a little bit more immediate. And being able to process feedback about your decisions, and then try to either use it to improve your decision‑making, or to not let it affect your decision making, is the thing that determines an elite umpire from the next level down.”
The ECB’s proposal for a new city-based T20 competition, which had originally been slated for a launch season in 2018, may now be postponed until 2020 to coincide with a new broadcasting deal.The go-ahead to further explore the eight-team proposal was given by a 16-3 vote at the ECB board meeting at Lord’s in September, following discussions between the 18 first-class counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and MCC.The ECB hierarchy, led by chairman Colin Graves and chief executive Tom Harrison, have been keen to push through a new T20 league to rival the success generated by the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash, despite fears from many counties that it would undermine their raison d’etre.
Championship by night
A round of Championship matches will be played under floodlights in 2017 – possibly in late June, the brightest time of the year. The matches will be played using pink Dukes balls, so keeping faith with the make of ball used in the county game. Dukes have yet to be tested under lights with all previous experiments using a Kookaburra.
Surrey, Kent and Sussex were reportedly the three counties who opposed the proposal, although several have since expressed reservations about the lack of detail.The original plan had been for the competition to be shown on Sky Sports for at least the first two seasons, with few England players likely to be involved due to an overlap with international commitments. However, the delayed start may now encourage a terrestrial broadcaster to come forward, in line with the ECB’s desire to use the competition as a vehicle to attract new audiences to the game.In a separate development, the ECB board today ratified a recommendation from the Cricket Committee that the option of allowing the visiting team to bowl first in County Championship fixtures should be retained for the 2017 season.The proposal caused some controversy when it was brought in for the start of the 2016 season. However, the stated aim of encouraging home counties to produce better four-day pitches – and improving the conditions for spin bowlers – were broadly considered to have been a success.The Cricket Committee – which included Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon, Leicestershire’s chief executive Wasim Khan and David Leatherdale, the chief executive of the PCA – studied a range of data that showed, among other factors, that a total of 10,094 overs of spin had been bowled across the season, compared to 8,643 in 2015 – the highest since 2011.Peter Wright, the chairman of the Cricket Committee, told ECB.co.uk: “In many ways the statistics merely reinforced the feeling we had been picking up around the game throughout the summer, that the experiment was working in beginning to rebalance the game.”As we stressed when we introduced the new options for visiting captains, this was not all about spin. We wanted matches to last longer, and to become more thorough preparation for international cricket.”That meant better, four-day pitches, which would mean bowlers had to work harder to take wickets, and would encourage a greater variety of bowling, whether spin in its various forms, genuine pace or reverse swing from more abrasive pitches.
Manchester United have identified Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as their "main target" to replace David De Gea between the sticks, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
What's the latest Man United transfer news?
Recent reports indicating that Man United are unwilling to pay Diogo Costa's €75m (£64m) release clause, but FC Porto are unwilling to lower the price, so Erik ten Hag may be forced to move on to other goalkeeper targets.
According to talkSPORT, Everton's Jordan Pickford is at the top of the Red Devils' list, and the England goalkeeper would jump at the chance of moving to Old Trafford, as a result of his desire to play in the Champions League.
United could make a move for Pickford even if De Gea remains at the club, while they have also been linked with a move for Brentford's David Raya, who has now rejected multiple contract offers from the Bees.
While Pickford is emerging as a key target for Ten Hag, Galetti has now told GiveMeSport that bringing in the Sevilla goalkeeper will be the manager's main priority this summer.
The journalist said:“ At the moment, Manchester United remain interested in Bounou. De Gea’s situation does not leave them calm, with so many doubts about the Spanish goalkeeper who also had offers from Saudi Arabia and you’re seeing Bounou who could replace him and for this reason, he remains the main target for Man United.”
Who is Yassine Bounou?
The Morocco international, who was hailed as GOAL as an "immovable force", made a name for himself at the World Cup, with members of the media lauding him as a "hero" due to his solid performances, ranked by Sofascore as his side's fourth-best performing player in their remarkable run to the semi-final.
Hailed as "brilliant" by sports writer John McAuley, the 32-year-old has also impressed at club level, with journalist Abhishek Dey claiming he was the "best" goalkeeper in La Liga during the 2021-22 campaign.
That said, there are some indications the £15k-per-week shot-stopper, who impressed against Man United in 2020, is starting to show his age, keeping just five clean sheets in La Liga last season.
Having conceded an average of 1.71 goals per 90 over the past year, the Sevilla goalkeeper ranks in just the 16th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.
As such, Man United would be better off prioritising a move for Pickford, as the Everton goalkeeper is only 29-years-old, and he is already proven in the Premier League, having made 248 appearances in the competition.
Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be among the clubs interested in sealing a summer move for Fiorentina star, Sofyan Amrabat, according to reports in Spain.
What's the latest on Amrabat to Tottenham?
As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sports Witness), the Lilywhites – as well as German giants Bayern Munich – are said to have joined the race for the 26-year-old's signature, with both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also eyeing said to be eyeing a move.
The report suggests that the Morocco international 'will leave' the Serie A outfit this summer after three seasons in Florence, with the midfielder currently having just a year left to run on his existing deal.
That expiring contract has ensured that – according to the report – the Netherlands-born maestro could be available for as little as €20m (£17m), hence the growing list of high-profile suitors.
Should Tottenham sign Amrabat?
The north Londoners' apparent interest in the former Club Brugge ace comes amid reports that new boss Ange Postecoglou could be ready to move on midfield everpresent, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, with The Sun claiming that the Danish destroyer is facing an 'uncertain' future at the club.
A further report from 90min has also suggested that the 27-year-old could be allowed to depart as he is not currently part of Postecoglou's thinking, despite having racked up 145 appearances in just three seasons at N17 since signing on a £15m deal from Southampton.
The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare had suggested previously that Hojbjerg could be one of the potential casualties of the change in the dugout, with the respected insider stating that the one-time Bayern Munich man is not a 'natural fit for either the No 6 or No 8 role' under the ex-Celtic coach.
Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat
As Eccleshare also noted, Postecoglou likes to deploy more of a playmaking figure at the base of the midfield who 'can drop deep, collect the ball from the centre-backs and spray ambitious passes to the full-backs and wingers', with Hojbjerg arguably more of a ball-winning presence, as he ranks in the top 20% among his European peers for interceptions made.
The signing of Amrabat could prove to be the solution that the Greek-Aussie will be craving in that pivot role, with the 6 foot 1 ace possessing that ability to dictate play as he ranks in the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 5% for pass completion – with the current Spurs man ranking in just the top 21% and the top 8% for those same two metrics, respectively.
Hailed as "criminally underrated" by journalist Muhammad Butt during the recent Europa Conference League meeting with West Ham United, the 48-cap rock showed his ability to 'spray' passes from deep in the build-up to his side's equaliser in that eventual showpiece defeat, having picked out teammate Nico Gonzalez with a delightful lofted pass, prior to Giacomo Bonaventura then duly dispatching the striker's knockdown.
Also described as a "monster" by journalist Carlo Garganese at the World Cup in Qatar, Amrabat would certainly be an astute addition for Postecoglou, particularly for that reported price of just £17m.
That signing would therefore mean that with Hojbjerg seemingly not the man for the job in that deep-lying role, the £100k-per-week must be ruthlessly shown the door.
Erik ten Hag is looking to strengthen Manchester United’s attacking options during the summer transfer window, and Bundesliga forward Randal Kolo Muani has been eyed as a potential addition.
What’s the latest on Randal Kolo Muani to Manchester United?
The Red Devils are actually interested in both Rasmus Hojlund and Kolo Muani according to the Athletics’ Laurie Whitwell, who Tweeted:
“Erik ten Hag ideally wants a young forward plus an experienced one. Hojlund, 20, falls into former category. Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani also discussed.”
The Frenchman won't come cheap however, with Eintracht Frankfurt's CEO Axel Hallmann insisting that the striker is worth more than €90m (£78m) in the current market and this could perhaps be a challenge for the Dutchman, especially as he aims to bolster other areas of his team too.
What is Randal Kolo Muani’s style of play?
According to WhoScored, the versatile 24-year-old likes to dribble and can cut inside, while he can also play across the front three. He is predominantly a centre-forward, one capable of using his finishing skills to devastating effect.
Indeed, this season, the Frankfurt frontman has scored 23 goals and registered 17 assists across 45 appearances in all competitions, playing 43 of those games as a striker and Ten Hag could certainly form a deadly duo with him and Marcus Rashford next term.
Ten Hag has deployed the Englishman on the left wing for 31 games during the 2022/23 campaign, and he has been rewarded handsomely with 16 goals and six assists, with the 25-year-old registering 41 goal contributions overall from 55 matches, being revitalised by the Dutchman after grabbing just seven goal contributions the season before.
Rashford ranked first for successful dribbles (1.5 per game), third for assists (five) and ninth for key passes (0.9 per game) in the whole United squad in the league, and his ability to drive past opponents and set up opportunities for his teammates could allow Kolo Muani to thrive, considering that he would be receiving excellent service.
Ten Hag's current underperforming centre-forwards of Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst have both failed to score over ten goals during 2022/23 and this is an area that must be strengthened in order to lead the Old Trafford side to more glory, so signing Kolo Muani would be an excellent move.
Journalist Zach Lowy praised him following the 2022 World Cup, saying: “He’s left a positive impression on this tournament and at 24, he’s only going to improve. Top-class talent.”
If Ten Hag manages his development well, the Frankfurt player could become a big hit with the United faithful, given the evidence above. Just imagine his potential partnership with Rashford, heading into the new campaign.
The Bangladesh coach delivered some tough words during the tea interval on the third day in Mirpur and the players responded with an astonishing display
Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2016Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that at tea time during on third day of the Mirpur Test there was apprehension that another winning position was slipping from their grasp after England had moved to 100 without loss chasing 273.Hathurusingha, who has been influential in Bangladesh’s rise in the last two years, praised the role of the players who stood up to his challenge to turn the situation around, particularly the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan. Tamim, Mushfiqur Rahim’s deputy, took an active role in setting fields while Shakib and Mehedi shared the ten wickets that fell in the third session, handing Bangladesh their maiden Test win over England.”The best thing I can tell you is that the big players stood up,” Hathurusingha told ESPNcricinfo. “I was disappointed and upset that we are nearly wasting another opportunity which we had in our hands. I had a chat with the boys. I challenged them to stand up. I told them that this opportunity will never come again. I am glad that a few people stood up and decided to do something different.”Bangladesh had previous frozen when near to a winning position on a number of occasions during England’s tour this year – particularly the first one-day international and at key moments of the opening Test – but Hathurusingha said that the team will become more successful if they keep getting out of difficult situations in matches.”This group is still learning. They have a long way to go. Otherwise we would have had more success. I hope that after this win, they will have better memories if they get into such winning positions in the future, to do on their own. They can find the ways on their own in the middle. There’s a lot of idea sharing and making sure we create the environment that they get challenged.”Hathurusingha, who has now overseen four Test wins for Bangladesh, said that he is more interested in getting the job done rather than pleasing those around him. He said that the players and the BCB were supportive of him.”I got lot of support from the players, who are open for ideas, and the board members which is all you want. You don’t need everyone to like you. In that way, you’re pleasing people. The more people criticise you, it means you are challenging what is happening. Results on top of that, give you a positive sign.”