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Leeds United have suffered in their opening few fixtures in the Championship due to a lack of focal point up top, with the diminutive Wilfried Gnonto having had to deputise on occasion.

The Whites were admittedly profligate, having created plenty of chances, but were craving that hulking front man to bulldoze defenders and forge opportunities for his teammates, as well as be in the right places to finish off chances themselves.

Daniel Farke obviously understood this, acting incisively in the market to bring Joel Piroe in to answer their striking woes. The Dutchman had previously scored 19 and 22 in his last two league campaigns with Swansea City, so the expectation was that he would pick up where he left off in Elland Road.

However, the German clearly has other ideas, having trialled a deeper role for the 24-year-old in their 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Despite a natural striker having been thrust into the starting line-up, they once again fell victim to the same issues that plagued their first few fixtures.

It draws into question what the former Norwich City might do if he had one of the world’s best in that position, and whether he could conform to a similar structure as he seeks to lead his new side back into the Premier League.

Well, reports have suggested that such an eventuality could have been the case, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland coming desperately close to an Elland Road switch years ago. It's a move that would surely have meant the Championship never even became a possibility again.

Did Erling Haaland nearly sign for Leeds United?

Having caught the eye as a youngster at Molde, already the Norwegian was drawing the interest of some of Europe’s top outfits. After all, as a hulking young forward who had scored 20 in 50 in his homeland, he was bound to leave for greener pastures eventually.

Although it would be RB Salzburg who were lucky enough to register his capture, handing him the perfect platform to begin his eventual rise to the top of the game, his agent Hayden Evans told The Athletic's The Phil Hay Show (via Marca) that things could have been very different.

He noted: “He was at Molde, around about 17 [years old], and he was ripping it up but also fervently following Leeds United. We spoke to Victor [Orta, Leeds' sporting director] and said, 'Look, I can bring Erling to Leeds and the rest will be over to you.'

"The best proof you can have [that a player wants to join] is to physically bring a player into the club, so we said we can do that. He said, 'Absolutely, of his age he's the number one in the world that anyone would want. If you can bring him to Leeds, we'll do the rest.'"

Given he was born in Leeds and had grown up as a fan of the club due to his father’s brief tenure there, it seemed like the perfect move for a side still stuck in the Championship following their 2004 relegation.

However, their financial troubles at the time proved to thwart them in ways far worse than the sales they were forced to make, which Evans would expand on: “It went quite well, we went back, but the bottom line was that [Molde] wanted around four million pounds. Leeds were not in the stable [financial] position they are in now and he was not going to play, even the talent he was, he was not going to play first-team football at that age.

"It was seen as just a step too far for a player at that time who would only play [for the] U23s, so we were back at Oulton Hall, it was all okay, [but then] Alfie opened up and said, 'I'll be honest with you, next week we're going to Juventus, who want him.'

"[There was ] a lot of truth about everything that went on and unfortunately then money talked. [Mino] Raiola came in and made the family a massive offer because he had a whole track of future transfers, clubs ready for everybody to earn fortunes with, and the rest is history."

How many goals has Erling Haaland scored?

Given how Haaland’s career has soared ever since his move to Austria, already this has proven to be a devastating error for Orta, who continues to add to his ever-growing embarrassing rap sheet even if he left over the summer.

He would move to Borussia Dortmund in a £17m move, which would have been vital funds to boost Leeds’ coffers; or, had they kept ahold of him, they could have sought to oversee his development and instead reap the rewards of his clinical finishing for themselves.

Just two years in Germany was enough to prove to the rest of the world that he was ready to step up to the elite level, scoring 86 and assisting 23 across just 89 appearances for the die Schwarzgelben.

Such form was not to come at a cut price, but the £51m that Pep Guardiola expended to bring him to Manchester has already proved a coup. The treble-winning number nine scored the most goals in a single Premier League term during his debut year, among the numerous other records he shattered, and has now amassed 68 goal contributions in just 59 games for the Sky Blues.

That fee has certainly already skyrocketed because of this fine form in the best league in Europe, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at a mouth-watering €250m (£215m).

As such, former Citizens defender Joleon Lescott has rushed to compare the youngster to some of the greatest forwards in the history of the game, such is his pedigree already.

He spoke to 90min just before their victory over Inter Milan to claim European glory: "I think the generation I played in, against the likes of [Didier] Drogba, [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Emmanuel] Adebayor, I think there's attributes that were probably more familiar because there was more of that type of striker.

"I think he's definitely a unique talent, generational talent. There's types of goals that not many forwards could score, and that's kind of why I've compared him to Zlatan. There's a couple in his catalogue that only he reaches, he attempts, he executes. That would be the closest comparison."

To think that Leeds actually had Haaland in the building, ready and raring to sign before having to reject him, will forever haunt the likes of Orta and those around him at the time. Their financial woes of the time were certainly debilitating to deal with, but this arguably marks their greatest failure in modern history, as the quintessential example of the one that got away.

M Vijay is “blessed” to return to the Chennai Super Kings fold and is looking forward to playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, his home ground, in the forthcoming IPL season. Vijay last played for Super Kings in 2013, and since plied his trade with Delhi Daredevils in 2014 and then Kings XI Punjab during the following two years before pulling out of last year’s IPL with an injury. Vijay, who will turn 34 next month, said representing Super Kings was a dream come true for him.”The brand of cricket CSK was playing before and now, it’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for me to be back with CSK and contribute to the side. I’m blessed,” he said at an event in Chennai. “To represent CSK and put up a show for them is always a pleasure. I’m good enough to do that. Hopefully, I can be consistent and put up a good show. I’m ready to go. I want April 7 to come early. It is a dream-come-true moment for me.”During Vijay’s first stint with Super Kings from 2009 to 2013, he scored 1600 runs from 64 innings, including two hundreds and seven fifties, at a strike rate of 127.89. While he has been out of the national reckoning in the shorter formats, Vijay was a reliable opener for Super Kings. Vijay was one of the team’s permanent fixtures at the top of the order, and along with Michael Hussey, the team’s current assistant coach, he was instrumental in getting Super Kings off to a good start on a number of occasions. For his part, Vijay felt the team created the right environment for players to succeed.”The one good thing about playing for CSK is that we always put the team ahead of individual performances,” he said. “It is very difficult in franchise-based cricket, because outstation players and domestic players need to have the right rapport to help the team play at a competitive level. We did it with ease in the past. That is going to be important to do from the start of the season, and hopefully we can do it with more fun and flair.”It is a proud moment to play for your home state and play in front of home. As [Dwayne] Bravo said, they have created a family atmosphere here for both locals and international players and it is something very difficult to achieve. We will do well this year. I have a lot of memories. The win against Mumbai [Indians] in Mumbai was special. Like that, I have lots of other memories. We are here to create more such memories and hopefully we can do that.”Vijay, however, hasn’t had the best of times in the recent past. After an underwhelming tour of South Africa, where he managed only 102 runs from six innings at an average of 17, Vijay found himself in the middle of a controversy after he was left out of the Tamil Nadu squad midway during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Vijay, however, felt he could use the time off from international cricket to get fitter.”I always have had a free mind. It’s just about getting opportunities. I’m blessed to have had this time off to get myself fitter and I’m really looking forward to his IPL stint,” he said. “Hopefully, as a team, we can play the brand of cricket that we decide to play and accomplish that. It’s going to be interesting times for us.”On transitioning from Test cricket to the shortest format, Vijay said: “we are professional enough to acclimatise and put up a better show. We will do that hopefully. [The] team is wanting to do well. In South Africa, we did a great job even though unfortunately we ended up on the wrong side. Effort level was fantastic from bowlers. The batsman let down initially and we could capitalise in the last Test match. If it had been a five-Test series, it would have been interesting.”Vijay was asked if he was open to the idea of playing for a county side ahead of the start of the England tour later this year. While he said a county stint involved a number of complex formalities, he also revealed that a number of teams had approached him after he went unsold on the opening day of the IPL auction in February.”It is definitely going to help us ahead,” he said of playing for a county side. “We are all looking for that and hopefully opportunities open up for us to play a few matches before the Test series. There is a procedure for it. You have got to wait. If they need outstation players, then you can get an opportunity to go and play. There is a lot of procedure involved in that and it’s not that easy. Counties have approached me. After seeing the first day’s auction, a lot of teams approached me.”

Manchester United ace Alejandro Garnacho has given a glimpse into the future of what he and striker Rasmus Hojlund can team up to offer at the Red Devils, in a message that will surely excite United fans.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils were on the end of a controversial 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, with late goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus sealing three points for the Gunners on home turf, as per BBC Sport.

Manchester United encountered their fair share of controversy during the fixture and saw a goal from Garnacho adjudged to be offside that would've given them a 2-1 lead in the final embers of the game – the video assistant referee chalked off the strike and the Red Devils couldn't take a result from the affair, leaving them 11th in the Premier League table after four games, having taken six points from an available 12.

Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof were both withdrawn during the match and Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire finished the game as Ten Hag's central defensive pairing – the Dutchman has now explained why he had to take off both players, stating to Manchester United's official website: "Victor was ill, so he had to come off. And Licha said he had a problem on his foot. But I'm not sure if it's an injury.

We have to wait, we have to see, we have to make the diagnosis."

TyC Sports journalist Gaston Edul has taken to X to confirm that Martinez has joined up with the Argentina squad for matches against Ecuador and Bolivia in the coming week, stating: "Licha Martinez is fine. The studies gave that he does not have an injury."

What has Garnacho said about Hojlund?

Writing on Instagram, via The Manchester Evening News, Hojlund took to the social media platform to post about his debut in Manchester United colours, stating: "So proud to make my debut. The dream became a reality. Unlucky with the result today… but we will bounce back after the international break."

Argentina international Garnacho replied to Hojlund's post on Instagram and simply said "we will be back, together", also adding both players' numbers as a pairing.

Of course, their debut match as a duo ended in defeat. However, Manchester United fans will be encouraged by what the future may hold with Hojlund and Garnacho being at the forefront of their play in the final third for many years to come.

What next for Manchester United?

New signing Sofyan Amrabat has arrived in the building at Old Trafford and will bear the number four shirt on his back as he gets to work as a Manchester United player.

As per The Guardian, tensions are rising between Manchester United boss Ten Hag and winger Jadon Sancho, who has issued a statement on social media outlet X claiming that he has become a "scapegoat" figure amid comments from his manager criticising his level of performance in training.

Manchester United have not commented on the matter publicly and instead, a meeting looks likely to occur between both Ten Hag and Sancho to try and find a way forward for both parties.

The Daily Mail have revealed that Chelsea considered making a move for Sancho in the summer before opting to bring in Cole Palmer from Manchester City in light of concerns over the 23-year-old's mindset.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has shared an extensive Arsenal update on their exit plans and what the future holds for defender Rob Holding.

Who will Arsenal sell?

Following the marquee arrivals of goalkeeper David Raya, defender Jurrien Timber, club-record signing Declan Rice and forward Kai Havertz, Arsenal's summer expenditure totals over £200 million.

Mikel Arteta's side, as a result, are now tasked with balancing the books and shipping unwanted players out before deadline day on September 1.

USA international striker Folarin Balogun, who is up for sale at the right price, is commanding around £45 million with Fulham and other suitors abroad chasing his signature.

Meanwhile, the likes of Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe will be allowed to leave if buyers come in, with the latter proving to be a huge disappointment following his once-club record signing from Lille in 2019.

However, despite exit links surrounding defender Kieran Tierney, Arteta claimed in his most recent press conference on Thursday that there are no plans to offload the Scotsman.

"There are not any plans on doing anything like it," said the Arsenal boss.

"He [Tierney] played in the final so a player that plays five days before in the final is part of the plans for sure."

Arteta also hinted at the possibility of further signings this summer following a major injury blow to summer signing Timber.

"We did not plan for this injury so we have to assess now what the options, the best way to get the best out of the players that we have," explained the Spaniard.

"Because, as I said, my biggest challenge now is to get the best out of the players that we have. I cannot control anything that is not here and we are open and we have to be open to reacting if something happens.

"Not only with injuries but in the market as well and that is what we are doing."

Despite Timber's injury, it appears the writing could be on the wall for Holding, as reporter O'Rourke writes for Football Insider.

Indeed, the journalist claims Arsenal will be allowed to find a new club before September 1, with the north Londoners already rejecting a bid from Turkish side Besiktas.

They attempted to sign Holding on loan with an offer, but Arteta's side rejected it out of hand.

As well as the Englishman, it is relayed that the futures of both Tavares and Pepe are far from Arsenal.

What's been said about Rob Holding?

The 27-year-old has struggled for game time over these last 12 months as William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a solid partnership in central defence.

Journalist Charles Watts, though, expressed earlier this year that Holding is actually a very influential and "valuable" player in the Arsenal dressing room.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

"Clearly, people who were there [at the Emirates] said he played well," said Watts after the defender stepped in for the injured Saliba.

"And he's no Saliba, there's no doubt about it, but as a squad player, I think he's a very valuable, and really, really influential figure behind the scenes. Everyone loves him at Arsenal.”

Taking this into acccount, it isn't unreasonable for Arteta's men to expect a reasonable fee for his services.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Conselho Deliberativo do Santos se reunirá virtualmente nesta terça-feira (01), a partir das 19h, de forma extraordinária. Entre as pautas principais está a apresentação do relatório referente ao primeiro semestre de 2020 e a votação do estudo feito pela Comissão Eleitoral sobre o voto a distância.

A reportagem do LANCE! teve acesso à análise feita pelo Conselho Fiscal, que será apresentada aos conselheiros. O documento aponta um deficit de R$ 41.679.475 nos primeiros seis meses do clube, o número representa um aumento de 1.783,04% do valor orçado para o período, que já previa o fechamento no vermelho, mas de R$ 2.213.420. O relatório se atenta aos custos administrativos, operacionais (referentes ao futebol), ambas mensuráveis, e as extraordinárias, que se previsona, mas não mensura.

RelacionadasSantosMesmo sem acordo com o Hamburgo, Santos tem conversas adiantadas com EliasSantos31/08/2020SantosDestaque da base do Santos, meia de 14 anos treinará com o sub-17Santos31/08/2020SantosSantos se reapresenta com titulares na academia e reservas no gramadoSantos31/08/2020

A justificativa apresentada pela gestão para os números foram os gastos exagerados pelo Departamento de Futebol nos custos referentes a aquisição do meia Cueva, além da não aprovação da proposta de redução de despesas não aprovado pelo Egrégio, que, por sua vez, não vê cabimento argumentação, por entender que as despesas extrapolariam o orçamento independentemente da pandemia do novo coronavírus.

Segundo o levantamento, o prejuízo acumulado pela diretoria santista durante os 2 anos e 6 meses de gestão é de R$ 95,5 milhões.

O parecer do Conselho Fiscal também aponta 26,07% de aumento no endividamento, percentual que cresce para 56,39% considerando apenas a receita do primeiro semestre. Ambos os números são superiores ao limite, que corresponde a 10%.

O relatório conclui afirmando que gestão atual é incapaz administrativamente, criticando também a forma com que os trâmites se desenrolaram no Conselho Deliberativo, após duas reprovações de contas e outras denúncias.

* Sob supervisão de Vinícius Perazzini

The fast bowler will return home after the fifth ODI in Nagpur, as Australia eye his workload and preparations for the Sheffield Shield and the subsequent home Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-20172:18

Tait: Tye, Faulkner good options to replace Cummins

With a few of their key fast bowlers nursing injuries in the run-up to the home summer, Australia have decided to rest Pat Cummins from the T20I series against India with an eye on his workload management in the build-up to the Ashes. The fast bowler is not carrying an injury but will return home after the fifth ODI in Nagpur on October 1 to “refresh, both mentally and physically” before the start of the Sheffield Shield season.”Pat has played a considerable amount of cricket this year after a long period away from the game due to injury,” national selector Trevor Hohns said in a statement.”His body has handled the return to international cricket well, but we believe the best plan for him ahead of the Ashes Series is to return home to refresh, both mentally and physically, before he prepares for Sheffield Shield cricket.”Cummins’ main focus will be on preparations for the Sheffield Shield, which gets underway on October 26, but he could play for New South Wales in the later stages of the JLT One Day Cup, if they make it to the finals on October 19 and 21. A replacement for Cummins in Australia’s T20I squad will be named at a later date.Cummins’ fitness struggles since his Test debut in November 2011 had forced Australia’s selectors to take a long-term view regarding his workload in Tests and first-class matches, although he was picked in limited-overs squads subsequently. He made a comeback in December last year – after missing the 2015-16 season due to a stress fracture to the back – and has since played 22 of Australia’s 27 international matches across formats, and also featured in the IPL.In March, he was called up as Mitchell Starc’s replacement for the final two Tests against India – after Starc suffered a stress fracture to his foot – and made a Test comeback after a gap of more than five years in Ranchi. He also led the pace-bowling duties in the Tests in Bangladesh, following Josh Hazlewood’s injury in Dhaka, and ended up bowling 63 overs in the two-match series, the second-most for Australia after offspinner Nathan Lyon.David Saker, Australia’s bowling coach, had last week stated that Cummins’ workload would be assessed on a game-by-game basis.”At this stage we’re planning for him to play all the games,” Saker had said. “We’ll look at [resting him], it’s obviously been brought up between all of us. We know that his workloads are up there, but we know it’s an important series. It’s Australia v India, you don’t get any bigger than that. He’s really determined to play well over here. It’ll be game-by-game basis, we’ll play it by ear.”Hazlewood is still recuperating from a side strain he suffered in Dhaka, while Starc is in the final stages of recovery from the foot injury. There is a likelihood, however, that Starc, and injured quick James Pattinson, could play in the later stages of the JLT One Day Cup, although the hope is they will be fit to take part in the Sheffield Shield matches before the first Ashes Test, which starts from November 23 in Brisbane.

Arsenal may have won the Community Shield over their rivals Manchester City, but it will take much more than that to keep Pep Guardiola subdued…

Has Josko Gvardiol gone to Manchester City?

Especially given the reinforcements he has already brought in to bolster a treble-winning outfit, capped off by the recent £77m addition of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol.

As a frightening young star, he is set to take the Premier League by storm, with his pace, power and ball-playing capabilities second to none.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

And yet, the Cityzens could still be set to help out Mikel Arteta, should they opt to offset some of that transfer fee by offloading Aymeric Laporte to the Gunners.

With just two years left on his deal at the Etihad, Football Transfers value the Spain international at a reasonable €42.3m (£34m).

How good is Aymeric Laporte?

The 29-year-old titan boasts vast experience at this level and has been a true stalwart for the treble-winning Manchester outfit across his five years at the club.

Since joining for a £57m fee from Athletic Bilbao, the defensive titan has amassed 179 appearances for the Citizens, starring as part of five Premier League title victories, as well as the numerous other domestic honours attained.

Should he bring that winning mentality to the Emirates, along with his top form that was on show not too long ago, he could actually prove to be the catalyst that helps them topple Guardiola’s side.

Especially given the fact that he could actually emulate, or even surpass the talent Gvardiol is set to bring to his new side, as an alternative who shares the same skillset and preferred left foot.

The 21-year-old has already been lauded as one of the greatest in his role, with national team boss Zlatko Dalic branding him the “best central defender in the world”.

FBref helps to emphasise such a claim, as he can be compared directly to others in his position across Europe. He still ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted per 90, the top 18% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

There are few on the planet as comfortable with the ball at his feet as Gvardiol, yet Laporte marks one of them.

He compares similarly against the same group, instead ranking in the top 1% for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries all per 90, via FBref.

This form was no better exemplified during the 2021/22 league season, where he maintained a 7.12 average rating, buoyed by his 15 clean sheets earned, 95% pass accuracy, one tackle and 1.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Journalist Bill DiFilippo even took to Twitter to simply claim: “Laporte is a warrior”.

He is steely, domineering, and most importantly adept at playing out from the back. Also, given he is eight years Gvardiol’s senior, is much more prepared for mounting an instant title charge with his potential new club.

Whilst they are at wildly differing stages of their careers, Arsenal could secure their own version of the left-footed former RB Leipzig star by snatching an out-of-favour ace from under Guardiola’s nose.

South Africa wrapped up England’s innings midway through the afternoon session on the fourth day, leaving themselves a target of 331 to win the first Test

The Report by Alan Gardner09-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:15

‘Moeen at his best when he is aggressive’ – Root

Do you remember the first time? Joe Root certainly will after England swept South Africa aside to mark his captaincy debut with a crushing victory as 19 wickets fell in a day at Lord’s. Moeen Ali, taking full licence of the attacking brief given to him by Root, ran through a mesmerised South Africa batting order to claim 6 for 53 on the way to a maiden ten-wicket haul in Tests.Having been set 331 to win the first Test, with almost 150 overs in which to get them, South Africa were unable to even take the match into a fifth day. With the pitch offering appreciable assistance for the spin of Moeen and Liam Dawson, they subsided to 119 all out in 36.4 overs, with Temba Bavuma’s 41-ball 21 providing the most prolonged resistance. Faf du Plessis, looking on from the balcony having returned to lead the team at Trent Bridge next week, was left with much to ponder.England unchanged for Trent Bridge

England have named an unchanged squad for Friday’s second Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge, in the wake of their 211-run victory at Lord’s.
“I didn’t know what to expect but what was pleasing was everything I asked of the lads they were very open to do and responded to it,” Joe Root, England’s captain, said.
“I wanted us to be proactive, to stay ahead of the game and when there was an opportunity, to take responsibility. Everyone at certain points did that and it can’t be a bad thing moving forward.”
Squad Joe Root (capt), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Toby Roland-Jones.

South Africa were in trouble early in their innings, going to tea on 25 for 3, with Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock their main hope of giving Root and England a fright. Only once had a team chased as many in the fourth innings to win a Lord’s Test, though Root may have recalled for a moment the occasion when he filled in as Yorkshire captain in 2014 and saw Middlesex ease to a target of 472 three wickets down on this ground.That gained him the nickname “craptain” in the Yorkshire dressing room, but it looks like England will have to come up with something more generous. In truth, Root did not have to resort to much in the way of tactical genius, as his two spinners bowled in tandem for 24 overs to finish off South Africa with time to spare on another sun-drenched evening in north London. South Africa had not lost a Test at Lord’s since 1960 but they broke that record in style.It meant their fightback during the first half of the day, when they claimed England’s last nine wickets for the addition of 114 runs became a distant memory. It could have been better still but Jonny Bairstow, who scored a vital half-century, was dropped on 7 as South Africa replicated the mistakes that were so costly to their chances in the first innings.After James Anderson had made the initial breakthrough, Heino Kuhn removed via a fine, diving catch from Bairstow down the leg side, Moeen picked up his first wicket when he brilliantly held a reflex return catch off Dean Elgar. South Africa’s stand-in captain must have feared the worst at that moment, and their fortunes sunk further when JP Duminy pulled Mark Wood straight to midwicket on the brink of tea.Moeen Ali celebrates his five-wicket haul as South Africa are rolled aside at Lord’s•Getty Images

The selection of Dawson, who made a pair with the bat, was not widely lauded beforehand but he delivered for Root when he plucked out the key wicket of Amla shortly after the interval. Moeen’s first four overs were maidens, bottling up South Africa from the Nursery End, and Dawson then produced a ripping delivery that pitched on middle and leg, spun past the groping bat and hit the back leg in front of off; Amla reviewed but in vain.De Kock and Bavuma dug in for more than 10 overs, lifting the score from 28 for 4 with a 36-run stand, but an increasingly confident England had Mo-mentum on their side. When de Kock tried to relieve some of the pressure by pulling, he only succeeded in dragging the ball into his front leg, from where it fizzed back into his stumps.Bavuma also fell trying to force an attacking shot to break England’s chokehold, a precise delivery hitting the top of off, and Moeen then had Theunis de Bruyn caught at slip and Keshav Maharaj bowled off an inside edge to record his maiden Test ten-for. Having contributed 87 to the first-innings total of 458, he became the first England player to score a fifty and take ten wickets in a Test since Ian Botham in 1980.Botham-like heroics will help keep most Test captains feeling chipper and, following his first-innings 190, Root could reflect on a perfect start to his tenure. It had been a slightly bumpier beginning to the day, however, as England lost nine wickets in 36.1 overs – though the consolation for Root was that the procession of batsmen returning to join him in the dressing room could attest to the increasing difficulty of the pitch.Bairstow was last man out, stumped off Maharaj, the spinner’s four-wicket haul a harbinger of what was to come. At lunch, England’s lead had been 279 but Bairstow and Wood scraped together valuable extra runs during a brisk ninth-wicket stand of 45. Apart from Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance, who added 10 and 11 respectively to their overnight scores, no other England batsmen managed to get into double-figures on the day.Maharaj might have removed Bairstow right at the start of his innings, only for Vernon Philander, who was fit to bowl after injuring his hand batting on the third day, to drop a simple catch at long-off. Maharaj claimed three of the seven wickets to fall in the first session, amid increasing signs of the pitch breaking up. The dismissal of Cook for 69, caught at cover attempting to lift the scoring, precipitated an England collapse of 4 for 10 in 39 balls – which would have been 5 for 19 had Bairstow’s offering been held.The evidence of the first over of the morning was that the Lord’s baize was by now a little rumpled. At least two deliveries from Philander kept low before the last jumped to hit Ballance on the glove. When Maharaj came into the attack shortly before the hour mark, the first ball of his second over went directly to slip out of the rough; the same over concluded with Root being bowled by one that didn’t turn.Cook and Ballance picked up initially in much the same mood as they guided England to the close on the third evening, a couple of tugboats towing their barge along the Thames. They had added a boundary apiece, taking their partnership to 59, before Cook suddenly weighed anchor and drove aerially into the covers, where Bavuma snaffled a sharp, diving catch.Morne Morkel continued his impressive Test by having Ballance caught behind with another exacting delivery that straightened from round the wicket and England slide’s continued with the dismissal of Root for 5 in the following over. Having seen Maharaj spin the ball sharply, Root swept a boundary but was then caught playing back and got an inside-edge on to his stumps.Ben Stokes did not have much time for reconnaissance, pinned lbw for 1 by a delivery that shot through low from Rabada. Stokes started walking as soon as it hit him, while Rabada – suspended for the next Test due to his outburst after dismissing Stokes in the first innings – kept his counsel. That left England 149 for 5 and it ought to have been 158 for 6 when Bairstow lofted Maharaj towards Philander, only for the fielder to drop it on to the rope. He gestured towards the skies, seeming to suggest that Spidercam had distracted him – but little could excuse the scale of South Africa’s defeat.

While speaking of the respect the team has for Anil Kumble’s achievements as a cricketer, has offered little about the events that led to his resignation as head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-20171:44

Sanctity of change room is paramount – Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli, while speaking of the respect the team has for Anil Kumble’s achievements as a cricketer, has offered little about the events that led to Kumble’s resignation as head coach on Tuesday, three days before the start of the limited-overs series in the West Indies.”Anil has expressed his views and taken a decision to step out,” Kohli said at a media briefing in Port-of-Spain, where India play the first ODI against West Indies on Friday. “We all respect that decision. It is something that has happened right after the tournament (Champions Trophy).”Even though he was pressed to reveal the differences with Kumble, Kohli maintained that he could not break the culture of not divulging dressing room details in public. “I’ve had 11 press conferences that have happened during the Champions Trophy… We have created a culture over the last three-four years that whatever happens in the change room, we’ve tried to maintain the sanctity of the change room throughout,” he said. “That is what the whole team believes in. For us that is paramount. I’ve always respected that and we have continued to maintain that as well.”While stepping down as head coach Kumble spoke about the reservations Kohli had with him, but Kohli refused to be drawn into the issue. “It’s his opinion, his point of view which I respect,” Kohli said about Kumble, India’s leading wicket taker in Tests and ODIs, going public with the differences between the two. “I have total respect for him as a cricketer and what he has achieved for the nation. All the years that he has played. There’s no taking away that aspect of him at all. And we all respect him totally.”On being asked whether Kumble’s approach affected the team (negatively), Kohli didn’t give a direct reply. “Like I said, for me what’s most important is to maintain the sanctity of the change room and what happens in the change room is something that’s very sacred and private to all of us, and something that I would not express in details in a public scenario. As I said, his point of view is out there and we respect that decision.”Hours after resigning as India coach, Kumble said he had been informed for the first time on the same day by the BCCI that “the captain had reservations with my style and about my continuing as head coach”. Kumble, whose contract ended with the Champions Trophy but had been given an extension to take the team to the West Indies, termed his working relationship with Kohli ‘untenable’. He announced his resignation while the squad was flying to the Caribbean.Two days before the Champions Trophy had kicked off in England, it emerged in the media that India captain Kohli had told BCCI officials that some players were uncomfortable with the “intimidating” style of Kumble’s man management. As a result, despite India’s success in Kumble’s year in charge, during which the team climbed to No.1 in the Test rankings, the board advertised for fresh interviews for the head coach’s position instead of extending his contract. Incidentally, Kumble did reapply for the job then.

Everton could do with landing an exciting player to get supporters in the mood for next season's Premier League campaign, but a move for one such option appears to be off the cards.

The Toffees had been tipped to move for Udinese striker Beto after showing an initial interest in the January window, though Italian outlet Tutto Udinese suggests they have yet to make an approach.

Instead, Serie A champions Napoli are considered to be the frontrunners for the 25-year-old, albeit with their initial €20m (£17m) offer said to be some way off the €30m (£26m) Udinese are holding out for.

However, with Sean Dyche unable to rely on injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Ellis Simms seemingly next in line to lead the attack, Everton should reconsider making an offer for Beto.

Who is Udinese forward Beto?

The Portuguese attacker arrived at Udinese from Portimonense in the 2021 summer transfer window on an initial loan basis, which the Italian side happily took up the option to make permanent last year.

Beto scored 11 goals in his first Serie A season with Udinese and followed that up by hitting double figures again last season with 10 in 33 games as the Bianconeri finished in a comfortable 12th.

To put Beto's scoring rate into some perspective, his 0.42 goals per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight last season, as per FBref, is a near identical rate to that of Ollie Watkins in the Premier League with Aston Villa (0.43).

His ability to cause unrest has also been noted by football writer Sam Tighe, who described Beto's ability to "spook defenders" as "amazing".

The Udinese number nine is ranked in the top 13% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of touches in the opposition box, putting him on a par with Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, as per The Analyst.

Beto is a player who can get on the ball in dangerous positions and indeed find the net at the highest level, then, which is something Simms has so far been unable to do.

After impressing with seven goals in 17 Championship appearances with Sunderland in the first half of last season, Simms scored just once in 11 Premier League outings – albeit a late equaliser away to Chelsea – after being recalled by Everton.

The 22-year-old did show the odd encouraging moments but, as put by football writer Josh Bunting, he "just is not ready for the Premier League" and looked "out of his depth" in Everton's 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool in February.

Even when factoring in that Simms spent half of last season playing at a lower level, he is still unable to match Beto in terms of key attacking metrics such as shot-on-target percentage (33.3 v 27.5 respectively), successful take-ons (1.35 v 0.53) and aerial duels won (52.2% v 44.6%).

There was little between the pair in terms of shot-creating actions per 90 (2.07 v 2.06) – used to measure factors such as passes and take-ons leading to a shot – and pass-completion rate (63.5% v 63.7%), while Simms will naturally get better in other areas as he ages.

But Everton are after a player for the here and now, and in Beto they can sign someone who has already registered successive seasons of double figures for goals in a major European league. Do that, and supporters may just have a little more hope for what is ahead.