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Leeds United continued their impressive start to life back in the Championship this season with a 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

The Whites find themselves third in the table and amongst the group of clubs vying for promotion up to the Premier League, following on from their relegation earlier this year.

Daniel Farke was brought in to lead the club back to glory and his team have scored an impressive 24 goals in the opening 14 matches of the season, helped by Saturday's four-goal haul.

Club

Championship goals in 23/24 (via Sky Sports)

Ipswich Town

29

Leicester City

29

Norwich City

25

Leeds United

24

Sunderland

24

The German tactician, who previously managed in England with Norwich City, was able to bolster his attacking options during the summer transfer window with the signings of Joel Piroe and Jaidon Anthony.

However, only one of them has been able to make a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch for the Yorkshire-based outfit, and that has been the Dutch marksman.

Piroe has racked up five goals and one assist in 11 Championship starts since his switch from Welsh side Swansea. Only Crysencio Summerville has scored more league goals (six) for the club this term, which highlights the quality that the left-footed whiz has provided.

Whereas, Anthony has struggled to prove his worth at Elland Road and Farke could land an instant upgrade on him by securing a deal to sign Amad Diallo in January.

Amad Diallo's transfer availability

The Whites were reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Ivory Coast international on loan during the summer transfer window after his impressive exploits for Sunderland throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

However, a pre-season injury whilst playing for Manchester United put an end to any possible move – to any club – for the talented magician, which meant that Leeds were not able to take their interest any further.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that the Red Devils are now prepared to send him out on loan for the second half of this season upon his return to fitness.

Erik ten Hag is willing to sanction a temporary exit, seemingly as he does not have immediate first-team plans for the Ivorian ace, and Farke should reignite his interest in Amad to secure a deal for his services in January.

However, Sunderland are also said to be in the race to land his signature for a second time and this means that the club could face some stern competition for the former Rangers loanee.

Whites chief Angus Kinnear recently revealed that the club have left some loan spots vacant in order to leave room for possible January signings, which opens the door to a potential swoop to land the ex-Sunderland star.

The stats that show why Amad would be a good signing for Leeds

Amad's performances for the Black Cats throughout the 2022/23 season suggest that the young talent has the quality and maturity in his game to step in and hit the ground running in Yorkshire.

The left-footed wizard is no stranger to the rough and tumble of the Championship as he made a substantial 39 appearances at that level on loan on Wearside last term. This means that the club would be bringing in a player who already knows exactly what it takes to perform in this league.

This could be a better way to go than bringing in someone who has not experienced English or Championship football and expecting them to be able to make an instant impact without a pre-season under their belt as Leeds aim to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Amad has proven that he has the ability to contribute with goals and progressive play on a regular basis as he ended last season as Sunderland's top goalscorer with 14 league strikes – four more than any of his teammates produced – despite playing in an attacking midfield position.

He only registered three assists for the Black Cats but that total was not a fair reflection of the creative impact he made on the pitch. The United loanee ranked within the top 8% of his positional Championship peers for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.14), which shows that he consistently created opportunities for himself and others to take aim at goal.

Alongside that, the dynamic gem ranked within the top 6% for progressive passes (5.12) and the top 15% for progressive carries (3.72) per 90. This shows that he was among the best in his position at progressing the ball up the pitch to make things happen, by both utilising his passing and dribbling skills.

Whereas, Anthony has struggled to make a consistent impact in the final third for Leeds since joining on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Jaidon Anthony's statistics this season

The 23-year-old forward, who – like Amad – predominantly operates in the attacking midfield or wide positions, has failed to break into the starting XI on a regular basis.

He has featured in nine Championship matches for the Whites this term but only two of his outings have come as a starter under Farke so far. In those games, Anthony has contributed with one goal and zero assists, along with zero 'big chances' created, as he has been unable to punish opposition teams with regularity.

The Cherries loanee has created 0.3 chances and completed 0.8 dribbles per game for Leeds. Whereas, Amad managed one key pass and 1.8 dribbles per match for Sunderland last season.

Anthony, who scored eight goals in 45 Championship games for Bournemouth during the 2021/22 campaign, has not proven himself to offer an outstanding goal threat, for his parent club or Leeds, in comparison to the Red Devils prodigy.

Amad's form for Sunderland was significantly more impressive than what the English whiz has shown in a Whites shirt so far this season, both in terms of his ability to score goals and create for his teammates on a consistent basis.

Therefore, Farke could land a big upgrade on his current loanee by securing a deal to sign the 5 foot 8 ace, who was dubbed a "joy to watch" by journalist Josh Bunting, for the second half of the campaign ahead of the Black Cats and any other interested parties come the turn of the year.

Despite having just 227 to defend, Afghanistan’s bowlers used a slow surface to their advantage brilliantly to send the home team packing for 198

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan27-Aug-2018ICC

Once again on their 2018 tour of Ireland, Afghanistan’s bowlers asserted their might over the home team’s batsmen, to leave them stumbling to a 29-run defeat in the opening ODI in Belfast. This is hardly the first time it has happened – both games in the T20I series followed the same script. And yet, this defeat will hurt Ireland, not least because their bowlers had done splendidly to shut the doors on a late surge when Afghanistan had batted. Five wickets for 16 runs in the last seven overs had left Ireland with 228 to get – a chaseable target on most surfaces against most bowling attacks. But throughout this tour, Afghanistan, with the variety and skill in their spin-bowling arsenal, have shown they aren’t like most bowling attacks.Rashid Khan wasn’t even much of a factor for most of the chase – he took the last two wickets, both in the 49th over – and yet, Afghanistan hardly broke a sweat in their defence. By the time Mujeeb Ur Rahman, their best bowler of the day, was done with his quota, the required rate had shot up to eight an over. On a pitch as treacherously slow as this one, it was a done deal.The only period during which Ireland looked like they were on top was in the first over, when Paul Stirling found the boundary twice. And even then, one of them was off an inside edge. Mujeeb came on at the other end and conceded just three, and straightaway the choke was on.It meant Ireland had try and to capitalise on marginal errors, a tough ask on an uncooperative surface for batsmen. The batsmen had to force their shots, and Stirling and William Porterfield both fell caught behind trying to do just that.Those early wickets were just the catalyst Afghanistan needed to choke the opposition out. The avoidable run-out of Niall O’Brien only made things harder for Ireland. At 54 for 3 after 18 overs, Afghanistan were ready to seize control. Rashid hadn’t even come on yet.When he did eventually, in the 23rd over, Ireland were in the middle of their best partnership of the innings, between Andy Balbirnie and Simi Singh.Simi had walked out with the clear plan of upsetting the spinners’ line by taking big strides across and sweeping from well outside off stump. Not only did it give him some cushion against the lbw, it kept Ireland’s score ticking over. But when he fell, it was to a straight-bat shot, Mohammad Nabi’s offbreak bowling him off his inside edge.Balbirnie fought on to compile a gritty half-century before top-edging a sweep off Mujeeb to short fine leg. At the end of that over, the 34th, Ireland’s required rate was 6.12; by the time Mujeeb was done, eight overs later, it had shot up to 8.12.When Afghanistan batted, Ireland alternated between sharp and sloppy. Hazratullah Zazai, who had pulverized Ireland in the T20Is, was dropped by Stirling at second slip off the seventh ball of the innings. But luckily for Ireland, it didn’t cost them much.In extremely windy, almost stormy conditions, their bowlers did superbly to run in and hit the deck hard, causing Afghanistan discomfort with the short ball. One such delivery accounted for Zazai, who failed to get on top of the bounce and sent a leading edge to cover. In an early sign of the two-paced nature of the surface, each of the first three wickets arrived via the leading edge.But after coming out on top of the early exchanges, Ireland slackened, allowing the middle order to settle in. Gulbadin Naib and Rahmat Shah began the repair work with a 53-run third-wicket stand. Naib added a further 77 with Hashmatullah Shahidi on his way to a half-century.Naib fell to a dodgy lbw call in the 36th over, the ball from Boyd Rankin seeming to hit him quite high on the back thigh. Around then, Ireland began pulling things back. Afghanistan seemed all too content to knock the ball around and wait for a loose over. Ireland’s bowlers kept them waiting, and Afghanistan collected just 16 runs between overs 35 and 40.This wasn’t the typical one-day surface that would produce 100 runs in the last 10 overs, even if a team had wickets in hand, and Afghanistan found that out the hard way. Attempts at acceleration were short-lived, lasting no more than a few deliveries. By the time Shahidi had brought up a well-compiled half-century, the slide was well underway, as Afghanistan went from 197 for 4 to 213 for 9. But where Ireland’s bowlers were excellent in the early and closing stages of the innings, Afghanistan’s bowlers were relentless throughout, and it proved the difference.

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A equipe sub-17 do Palmeiras foi até Porto Velho na tarde desta quinta-feira (26) e bateu o Avaí Rondônia, no estádio Aluízio Ferreira, pelo elástico placar de 9 a 0 e se classificou às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil da categoria. Na próxima fase, o Verdão vai encarar o Jacuipense em dois confrontos para defender o título da competição. Vale lembrar que apenas a primeira fase do torneio é realizada em jogo único.

Eliminado do Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17, a equipe do Palmeiras viajou até a capital de Rondônia com desfalques. Geralmente titulares, o zagueiro Jhow, o meia Pedro Lima e o atacante Ruan Ribeiro estão com o elenco sub-20 e ficarão em São Paulo treinando com Wesley Carvalho. Outras ausências, como Endrick, não viajaram por questões físicas.

Cheio de ousadia, a equipe abriu o placar logo aos 2 minutos da primeira etapa, em jogada de Giovani Henrique e conclusão do recém contratado Daniel Silva. Minutos mais tarde, Ian Custódio serviu e Giovani deixou o dele. Fechando o placar do primeiro tempo, Daniel guardou mais um, em belo arremate na entrada da área.

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Na segunda etapa, aproveitando a fragilidade do rival, Luis Guilherme, de apenas 14 anos, deixou o dele e, minutos mais tarde, serviu Giovani. O estreante Kevin saiu do banco para anotar seus dois primeiros tentos com a camisa alviverde. 7 a 0. Para fechar a conta, o jovem Luis Guilherme ainda fez mais um e, de pênalti, Wendell colocou pontos finais.

Luis Guilherme é tido como uma das maiores promessas palmeirenses e, junto com Endrick, vem construindo uma grande dupla desde 2017. Ambos da geração 2006, as duas joias faturaram o Campeonato Paulista Sub-11, Sub-13 e Sub-15 em 2017, 2018 e 2019 respectivamente, além de diversas outras conquistas. Meia atacante que se destaca pela velocidade e alto número de passes para gol, ele chegou para a equipe sub-11, após se destacar pelo Sergipe.

Classificado às oitavas da Copa do Brasil, o Verdão enfrentará o Jacuipense-BA e volta a campo já a próxima quarta (02), pela competição. O confronto de volta está agendado para o dia 09/12.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had the pleasure of welcoming an abundance of talent to the pitch of Molineux over the years, with some of their most prolific talents of the Premier League era coming through Nuno Espirito Santo’s reign.

The Portuguese manager, along with renowned player agent Jorge Mendes, welcomed a host of flourishing talent from their home nation during his era to great effect as the Old Gold secured promotion to the Premier League in 2018.

From Ruben Neves to Joao Moutinho, and Ruben Vinagre to Diogo Jota, many Portuguese talents have found sanctuary at Molineux in recent years, and some not so much.

Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Goncalves and Vitinha are some examples of elite talent not able to adapt to life in England but showcase their quality elsewhere, with not every transfer resulting in a happy ending for club and player.

Wolves have had to kiss many frogs to sieve the gold from the sand in their Portuguese revolution, with Nuno testing the fortune of trial and error during his time at the club, however there was one top talent that the current Al-Ittihad boss could have struck gold by securing.

Back in 2020, the Old Gold were in good stead to capture the signature of a current Premier League star, as prior to his move to Fulham in 2022, midfielder Joao Palhinha was linked with a low-cost move to Wolves.

Did Wolves nearly sign Joao Palhinha?

As reported by Portuguese outlet O Jogo at the time, Wolves had a potential deal put on ‘pause’ for Palhinha, as CSKA Moscow announced their interest in the midfielder that was valued by Sporting CP at €15m (£13m).

O Jogo told the story of the Midlands side’s desire to purchase the defensive player, who had just succeeded in a loan spell at SC Braga at the point of the report.

It was believed that Nuno’s side were hoping to make ‘significant sales’ in order to add additional reinforcements to the fold at Molineux, with the presented proposal of the clubs interested said to be in the region of just €10m (£9m).

O Jogo went as far as to say that a deal with the Old Gold was ‘very close’, suggesting just how narrow the distance was between Wolves sealing a deal for the now in-demand star.

How much was Joao Palhinha worth at the time?

In the summer of 2020 when Wolves were circling the midfielder, Football Transfers logged his expected transfer value at around €6.4m (£5.5m), a price lower than anticipated as the Sacavenense academy product began to solidify his status in Portugal.

Prior to the 2020/21 campaign, the Lisbon-born whiz had secured 105 Primeira Liga appearances, with the majority of his experience coming from his consecutive loan spells at Braga.

With the likes of Neves and Moutinho already in his ranks, Nuno was more aware than most of the calibre of player he could lure from his homeland, making his missing out on Palhinha even more agonising with reference to how things have turned out for the 28-year-old.

What happened to Joao Palhinha?

At the point of his return to Sporting CP following his second spell with Braga, the Lions recognised the talent they had on their hands, and Palhinha became a firm member of the squad in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

It wasn’t long before the Portuguese controller secured his move to the Premier League, but to Wolves’ disappointment, it was to a more southern destination, as he penned a five-year deal with Fulham worth £20m last summer.

Following his arrival, journalist Pedro Sepulveda informed Sky Sports of the calibre of player that the Cottagers had obtained, describing him as one of Sporting’s “main players” during their title-winning campaign of 2020/21.

It didn’t take long for Marco Silva to realise just how fundamental spending £20m on Palhinha was, as the midfielder took centre stage in the Premier League and revealed himself as one of the best-performing talents in his position in England’s top flight.

Lauded as a “defensive monster” by analyst Marcus Bring, the 28-year-old ranked as the best player among Europe’s top five leagues over the past year with reference to his rate of tackles per 90, averaging a massive 4.23 per 90 for Fulham, via FBref.

In the Premier League last season, no player won more tackles per 90 than the former Wolves target, as he won an average of 2.40 per 90 to reinforce just how much of a presence he had asserted himself as at Craven Cottage.

How much is Joao Palhinha worth now?

Based on his consistent level of performance in the middle of the park, the Fulham hero was dubbed “the best” central midfielder that teammate Tom Cairney had “ever seen”, rightful praise for a player that made such an impact in his first taste of Premier League action.

At the start of his journey with the Cottagers just last summer, Football Transfers valued Palhinha at just €11.4m (£9.8m), a figure similar to the supposed offer that Wolves had put on the table for the midfielder two years prior.

This summer, it became clear that in signing the towering asser, Silva had uncovered a gold mine, as interest came swarming in from elsewhere, forcing the Cottagers to slap an eye-watering £90m price tag on their star player.

On deadline day, everything looked set for the west London side to bid farewell to their hero after just one season, as Bayern Munich were reported to have agreed a fee in the region of £58m to sign him.

In the dying embers, the deal collapsed as the German champions ran out of time to secure his signature, leaving the Portuguese gem feeling dejected as he travelled back to England to rejoin his teammates at Craven Cottage after being denied the big move.

From an expected market value of £9.8m to sporting a price tag of ten times the amount a year later, Palhinha exceeded expectations during his first term in the Premier League, giving Wolves a feeling of what once could have been.

What could Joao Palhinha have offered to Wolves?

Aside from his innate ability to battle and orchestrate in the midfield, Nuno could have struck gold by signing the talent for just £9m back in 2020.

Taking into consideration Wolves’ financial issues of late, and the offloading of quality this summer to generate profit, having a player as valuable as Palhinha in their ranks could have avoided the crisis they’re currently in.

The signs were there that the former Sporting CP destroyer could be a top addition to Nuno’s midfield, however not many could have predicted the success he would achieve in the Premier League after playing in only Portugal for the entirety of his career prior to the move.

Now valued by Fulham at £90m with plenty of potential suitors eyeing his progression from the summer’s drama, Wolves truly missed out on one of the best by failing to sign Palhinha.

Australia’s new head coach and ODI leadership will be announced in the lead up to their limited-overs tour to England, if all goes to plan for Cricket Australia. As expected, the CA Board met in Melbourne today to work out the process behind the coach hunt.Australia are set to play five ODIs and a one-off T20 in England starting on June 13, their first assignment since the suspension of Steven Smith and David Warner, and the departure of Darren Lehmann.According to CA’s website, Board chairman David Peever said: “The Board has asked [CA’s] management to provide recommendations regarding candidates for the men’s head coach, ODI captain and ODI vice-captain. The Board is anticipating receiving these recommendations in the coming weeks, with a view to making appointments ahead of the ODI tour to the UK.”Once these appointments have been endorsed and finalised, announcements can then be made.”The vacancies were created when Smith (captain), Warner (vice-captain) and batsman Cameron Bancroft were suspended by CA for up to 12 months for the part they played in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Coach Lehmann was cleared of any wrongdoing by an investigation conducted by CA, but on the day before the final Test of the series, he said that he would be stepping down. Tim Paine was named Test captain, but he is not a sure pick in the limited-overs sides.

Scorecard
Wasim Jaffer opens his bat face to play square on the off side•PTI

Wasim Jaffer took centre stage again in Nagpur. The 40-year old made a mammoth 285 off 425 balls as Vidarbha continued dominating the Rest of India bowling attack. If the Karun Nair-led side thought they’d had it tough on the first day, when they picked up only two wickets, the 90 overs of play on Thursday were even more unforgiving. They could dismiss only one batsman, Ganesh Satish, after he had eased to a 12th first-class century. Medium-pacer Siddharth Kaul eventually dismissed him for 120 to break a monstrous 289-run partnership for the third wicket. Satish and Jaffer had ticked along at 3.2 runs an over, scoring 47 boundaries between them. With Jaffer still at the crease, chasing a triple-hundred, the count is likely to rise for Vidarbha.There was a decided increase in pace from Jaffer, who began the day on 113. The veteran extended his 53rd first-class ton in rapid fashion as he tackled Rest of India’s three spinners – R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav and Shahbaz Nadeem – with considerable ease, and was hardly bothered by the seamers. Satish, who had offered chances yesterday and was even caught off a no-ball, was more watchful, with a strike rate that hovered just above 40 for most the innings in contrast to Jaffer’s 67.Ashwin, who replaced the injured Ravindra Jadeja in the team, was true to his recent theme of not being predictable when he switched to legspin in the lead-up to the lunch interval. It proved to be just as ineffective as the offbreaks, however, on a flat Nagpur pitch with a bit of sheen that has offered nothing to the bowlers over two days. As many as 122 overs were bowled by spinners, but none of them came close to applying sustained pressure on Vidarbha.With the match appearing like it will go into the fifth day, and a first-innings lead enough to snap up the trophy, Vidarbha look set to pile on some more runs to bat ROI out of the game.

Australia finished the Ashes in the most comprehensive manner left open to them, bathing in the glory of a 4-0 result after thrashing England by an innings and 123 runs in the final Test at the SCG

Brydon Coverdale08-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSoiled as it was by the Melbourne draw on a poor pitch, this series was no clean sweep, no whitewash. Still, Australia finished the Ashes in the most comprehensive manner left open to them, bathing in the glory of a 4-0 result after thrashing England by an innings and 123 runs in the final Test at the SCG. After 25 days of cricket, the final outcome was confirmed when Josh Hazlewood bounced James Anderson and secured a caught-behind verdict soon after 2pm on day five.Joe Root, laid low by viral gastroenteritis, did not emerge from the rooms to resume the innings he had already suspended twice, and England’s hopes of salvaging a draw were officially over. Australia celebrated what was very much a team effort, especially with the ball, as evidenced by the final series wicket tally, topped by four Australians in close order: Pat Cummins with 23, Mitchell Starc with 22, and Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon each with 21.That all five Tests went to a fifth day was a rarity, having not happened in an Ashes series since the 1994-95 campaign in Australia. It was also a series of slow scoring, the overall run rate of 2.95 the lowest in any Ashes series since that same 1994-95 tour. But despite England’s fight, Australia dominated the majority of this contest, and a 4-0 outcome seemed a fitting result.The day had started with Australia needing six wickets for victory, and with Root and Jonny Bairstow the not-out batsmen. By lunch, Root and Bairstow were still unbeaten, yet as if part of some kind of riddle, England had also lost a wicket. Root was hospitalised overnight due to his illness and had not resumed his innings at the start of play, walking to the crease only after Moeen Ali was lbw for 13, out to Nathan Lyon for the seventh time in the series.Root battled hard and registered his fifth half-century of the series, but again failed to emerge after the lunch break due to his illness. England’s fight was soon to fade. Bairstow was lbw to Cummins for 38, and two balls later Cummins bounce out Stuart Broad, who fended a catch that was skied to the wicketkeeper Tim Paine.Mason Crane also fell to a short ball from Cummins, caught behind off his glove, curiously asking for a review despite clear evidence the ball had flicked a significant portion of his thumb on the way through to the wicketkeeper. Anderson’s wicket was all Australia needed to secure the result, which was England’s heaviest defeat to Australia in a Test since they lost by an innings and 148 runs at Headingley in 1993.The post-match presentations rather summed it all up. Man of the Match was Cummins, for his eight wickets. Man of the Series was Steven Smith, for his 687 runs, more than 300 in front of the highest-scoring England batsman, Dawid Malan. And England’s captain, Root, was unable to mount the dais to speak on behalf of his side, instead represented by the vice-captain Anderson. It was just one more thing that had gone wrong for England in a series full of them.

Gianluca Scamacca’s time at West Ham United was a disaster.

There are still many question marks shrouding the signing.

Firstly, the transfer strategy of the hierarchy to pinpoint the Italian as the preferred target, when his style dramatically contrasts what David Moyes was trying to achieve.

Secondly, the striker's own obvious lack of motivation or willingness to adapt, eventually lead to his career in east London petering out into irrelevancy.

This summer, the Irons have massively strengthened the midfield with Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse and added Konstantinos Mavropanos to the defence.

The final piece of their window is the striker and a new name has emerged as a possible target…

What’s the latest West Ham United transfer news?

According to the Guardian, West Ham are looking to add some attacking reinforcements, with Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus and free agent Jesse Lingard tipped to join the London Stadium.

But, as per the Daily Mail, a lesser-known figure by the name of Georges Mikautadze, is also under consideration for the Irons.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The forward could possibly be available for around £8.5m this summer and a move to the Premier League could be his chance to formally announce himself to European football.

Currently, Moyes’ striking options consist of the veteran Michail Antonio, the influential Danny Ings, and the young Divin Mubama, so there is definitely an opportunity for Mikautadze to shine.

Who is Georges Mikautadze?

The 5 foot 9 phenom signed his first professional contract with Metz in 2019 and joined Belgian First Division side Seraing on loan – across two seasons and 57 appearances, he registered 40 goal contributions and in the summer of 2022, he returned to France looking to prove a point.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the former Lyon academy graduate recorded 31 goal involvements in Ligue 2, which meant he was named the League’s best player and top-scorer as his side secured promotion.

In the first two games of the current Ligue 1 season, Mikautadze has scored once and crafted an assist, with his manager Laszlo Bolini showering the youngster with praise, calling him a “deadly striker.”

After looking at the manner in which the 16-cap international has excelled at his previous clubs, it would be worth West Ham opting to take a punt on his potential.

It would be difficult for Mikautadze to perform worse than Scamacca in east London.

Over the past 365, ranked against his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Italian sits within the lowest 15% for non-penalty xG per 90, touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, and assists per 90, as well as the bottom 49% for shot-creating actions per 90 and progressive passes per 90.

This is a damning indictment of his inability to contribute towards offensive sequences or get on the end of chances.

Antonio alluded to the fact that Scamacca wasn’t a good fit for West Ham and said:

"The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer plays. He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football, [one who can] have other players play off him and stuff like that.”

Therefore, the £14k-per-week gem deserves a chance and he could continue his excellent form in the Claret and Blue of the London Stadium.

Inexperienced opposition and slow pitches have given England very little taste of what is to come when the Ashes begins

George Dobell in Townsville13-Nov-2017There’s an expression: you ask God for oranges, but he gives you lemons so you make lemonade.It’s an odd expression, really. God reportedly made the universe in six days. He invented light in a morning (it may have been the afternoon; it was hard to tell as it was dark). He made things that creep (a huge mistake, in retrospect, especially considering some of the ‘things that creep’ in Australia) and things that fly. He commanded – yes commanded – the earth to bear fruit, then fashioned people from clay and made a talking snake.You’d think he could get you an orange.Maybe there’s a metaphor for the start of England’s tour in there somewhere, too. While the team management are falling over themselves not to complain about the pitches or opposition they have encountered ahead of the Test series – they are very much of the ‘let’s make lemonade’ mentality – the fact is England are going to face a vast step-up in quality when they arrive at The Gabba in just over a week.Let’s look at the standard of opposition first. The CA XI that England faced in Adelaide could offer just two first-class centuries between them, included seven men with fewer than five first-class appearances and only one man with more than 30. It was, at a push, county 2nd XI standard.There are some decent reasons for that. The Sheffield Shield is in full swing and many of the best players are involved in it. But not for the best part of 40 years have England faced weaker first-class opposition in Australia and, for a while on Friday (when the CA XI slipped to 25 for 7) it seemed they might record the lowest first-class score in the history of the ground. Cricket Australia have stretched the definition of acceptable opposition here to the limit.It will be even less experienced in Townsville. Tim Paine, the scorer of one of the first-class centuries and the only man with 30+ first-class appearances, had been recalled to play for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, while Jackson Coleman has sustained a side strain. Harry Nielsen, who has played six first-class games, replaces Paine while Harry Conway (who has played seven first-class matches) replaces Coleman. Matt Short will captain.Now let’s look at the pitches. While the pitch in Perth was, by Perth standards, slow, the drop-in pitch in Adelaide was pretty extraordinary. It was not just slow, it gripped and seamed. It also featured a lush outfield which reduced the value of strokes. Some experienced observes reckoned they had never witnessed a slower outfield in first-class cricket.Again, there are mitigating factors. The Adelaide Oval hosted a hybrid match between Aussie Rules footballers and Gaelic Rules footballers the day after England left town – to the uninitiated, the action resembled the footage purporting to be of Ben Stokes outside that nightclub in Bristol – and decided it was necessary to leave the outfield grass unusually long. They also lacked the time to work on the drop-in surface they might have liked.Is it a coincidence? Two warm-up pitches offering relatively slow surfaces and two games against relatively modest opposition? Coming right before a Test series against an attack relying on its pace? On surfaces likely to prove far quicker? That will mean England have been given preparation of limited use? Quite a coincidence.When asked about these issues so far on the tour, the England management have answered – not without a germ of truth – that Australia fare no different when they visit England. A germ of truth and a lot of knowledge that they will only be denounced as “whingers” if they vocalise their frustrations.But while it is partially true that touring teams to England face diluted opposition, it is also a matter of degrees. The 2015 Ashes tour, for example, saw Australia play two four-day, first-class matches ahead of the Test series against an Essex side that contained five players that either had or would soon go on to have international experience (Ravi Bopara, Jesse Ryder, Tom Westley, James Foster and Ryan ten Doeschate) as well as good county players such as Jamie Porter and Nick Browne. They also played a Kent side that included Rob Key, Sam Billings, Sam Northeast and Daniel Bell-Drummond.Were they full-strength sides? No. But where they second elevens? On surfaces as different as possible from the Test series to follow? Certainly not.What does all this mean? Australia are favourites for this series. They have an exciting pace attack and a couple of batsmen who may well be remembered as greats. They didn’t necessarily have to roll out the red carpet or make life as easy as possible for England. But to give them lemons? If the end result has become this important, cricket needs to take a good, hard look at itself. It’s all a bit disappointing.The England squad didn’t train on Monday. While Moeen Ali and Tom Curran had a net, the rest of the squad enjoyed a day off (most went paint-balling) after several hours of travel the previous day. Moeen also accompanied Alastair Cook to the Billabong Sanctuary – a wildlife reserve – a few miles outside Townsville (where Mitchell Johnson and Julian Assange were born) where they posed with koalas and fed crocodiles with roosters named after each of them. All good fun, really. Unless you were one of the roosters. They had a rubbish day.But the pitches, the opposition, the roosters… does a nation with confidence in its own team really need to do all this? You’d think a country blessed with such resources could manage the odd orange.

Newcastle United are now ready to make a €35m (£30m) bid to sign Galatasaray midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, with an official offer expected to arrive at some point this week, according to reports from Turkey.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

With the new Premier League season rapidly approaching, Newcastle's main target in the transfer market appears to be a defender, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently telling GiveMeSport: “I would keep an eye on a centre-back after Barnes, I think a centre-back could be a possibility.”

However, the Magpies are still being linked with moves for some attacking targets, including Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, however journalist Ben Jacobs is sceptical about whether a deal will be possible this summer.

Juventus' Federico Chiesa is another potential option for Eddie Howe, with it now being reported that an offer of €50m (£43m) plus bonuses could soon be on its way, although the St James' Park outfit will face stiff competition from Aston Villa.

According to reports from Turkey (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are also expected to make an official offer to sign Zaniolo at some point this week, having been convinced by his performances for Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig.

There may be competition for the attacking midfielder's signature, however, as RB Leipzig are named as potential suitors, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal also said to be in the race.

The Magpies are actively trying to convince the 24-year-old to make the switch to St. James' Park, and they are now ready to pay Galatasary €35m (£30m) to get the deal over the line.

With Sandro Tonali already making his way to Tyneside this summer, Newcastle are now working on signing his compatriot, and it appears as though we can expect more news on their pursuit later this week.

How many goals has Nicolo Zaniolo scored?

The Italian scored 24 goals in 128 appearances for AS Roma, during which time he was lauded as "devastating" by manager Jose Mourinho, who also added that he is "always tough to handle" for the opposition.

However, the former Roma man asked to leave during the January transfer window, much to the disappointment of Mourinho, going on to join Galatasaray, where he has scored five goals in ten Turkish Super Lig appearances.

The Massa-born maestro clearly offers a threat in front of goal, however there are question marks over whether he would be a worthwhile addition for Newcastle, considering he is quite poor at setting up opportunities for his teammates.

Over the past year, the Italy international ranks in just the 14th percentile for assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 30th percentile for shot-creating actions.

Not only that, the Galatasaray ace scores poorly on almost all defensive metrics, placing in just the seventh percentile for tackles, and in the 15th for interceptions over the same time period.

Now they have Champions League football on offer, Newcastle can attract far better players than Zaniolo, and they should pursue other targets this summer.