Phi Hay has insisted that if results don’t go Leeds United’s way in the next two games a new manager could arrive.
The Lowdown: Leeds left themselves in a mess
Leeds tried and failed miserably to find a Jesse Marsch successor but were greeted by either clubs or managers rejecting any approaches and that has seen them turn to an in-house appointment in the form of Michael Skubala.
The former caretaker coach was in charge for the two games against Manchester United which saw Leeds concede four goals although they did pick up a valuable point at Old Trafford.
While it appears as though Skubala is to be the man asked with keeping Leeds in the Premier League if they don’t pick up positive results in their next two matches against Everton and Southampton that could quickly change.
That Latest: Skubala not guaranteed to last the season
Hay has claimed on The Phil Hay Show he wouldn’t be surprised to see Leeds’ managerial search kick into gear once again if the next two games don’t go as planned for the Whites.
He said: (17:50) “We almost don’t need to timestamp this as much as we know that Skubala, Gallardo and Chris Armas are going to be caretakers now, certainly I would expect for Everton and Southampton and I think if those games go to plan then beyond and most likely until the end of the season given how few games are left.
“But I think if those games don’t go to plan and the league table worsens then I’m not sure we’re done with this yet.”
The Verdict: Huge task for Skubala
Given that Skubala has no first-team managerial experience it is a huge ask for him to now keep an out-of-form Leeds side in the Premier League given that this squad of players were seemingly brought in for Marsch specifically.
However, Leeds fans could perhaps be more confident under Skubala given that he picked up a point away to one of the most in-form sides in the entire Premier League just last midweek which should have instilled confidence into his players as well.
The fact that this could easily go one of two ways for Leeds and Skubala over the next few games, it would be smart for Victor Orta to keep sounding out potential new managers that may be able to come in at relatively short notice.
Everton have spent the lion's share of the past few weeks negotiating with Leeds United for the transfer of Italy international Wilfried Gnonto following the Whites' relegation from the Premier League.
According to Sky Sports, the 19-year-old has been subject to four formal transfer offers, with the latest totalling £25m, but the Elland Road side obstinately reject his potential departure, despite the forward's refusal to play as he attempts to force a move.
Well, despite the best efforts of Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell, the pursuit might wind up fruitless, and as such, Sean Dyche's side appear to be focusing on another precocious talent in PSV Eindhoven's Johan Bakayoko.
What's the latest on Johan Bakayoko to Everton?
According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Toffees are in talks for the exciting 20-year-old wide man and are believed to be preparing an official transfer bid.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Merseyside rivals Liverpool are also interested in the highly-sought Belgium international, but Dyche will hope that the promise of regular minutes can convince the player to join the fold at Goodison Park.
How good is Johan Bakayoko?
The talented winger – who has already earned four caps for his nation, scoring once – enjoyed a tremendous breakthrough campaign with the Boeren last year, posting seven goals and five assists across all competitions, leaving talent scout Jacek Kulig hailing him as an "electric player."
Also said to be "performing at super level" by Fabrizio Romano, Bakayoko boasts the pace, power and prowess to flourish on the major stage, already boasting superlative creativity and progressive presence on the pitch.
Indeed, the rising star ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Men's Next Eight divisions for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
johan-bakayoko-everton
One thing is certain, if Bakayoko joins the ranks at Everton, he will open up a whole new channel up and down the flanks, providing the kind of 'electric' dynamism that Dyche will covet to eradicate the club's lack of attacking impetus, having finished the 2022/23 league edition as the second-lowest scorers.
He would also manage to bring the best out of the club's star talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is a "monster" of a striker – as he was once called by Kulig – but has been detrimentally plagued by injuries over the past few campaigns, having missed 46 matches since the summer of 2021.
Despite his woes (Calvert-Lewin scored only twice last term as a result of his injuries), the £100k-per-week gem still ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for aerial wins per 90, highlighting an imposing dominance in the box, something that Bakayoko can channel his creativity towards, as a focal point.
If the Englishman can finally put his troubles behind him and complete a sustained period of fitness, then Bakayoko could be the perfect offensive force to supplement his game, and Thelwell would be wise to throw the kitchen sink at PSV to secure a true prodigy for the Toffees.
Inter Miami have named a strong starting XI to take on Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Cup on Monday.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Inter Miami and Al Hilal release starting XIs
Teams clashing in Riyadh Cup
Herons looking for first preseason win
WHAT HAPPENED?
Before their highly-anticipated clash in the Saudi Arabian mini-tournament, each side released their starting XIs. The ex-Fulham ace and second leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League highlighted the Herons' opposition, while Inter Miami dropped a near full-strength lineup to begin the contest.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIG PICTURE
The Herons are winless in preseason so far, drawing with El Salvador and losing to FC Dallas. If they can pull off a victory Monday, it will mark the first real progress they've made on the pitch this season. With less than a month until the start of the MLS season, Tata Martino and Co. will be hoping that the Herons start to show progress on the pitch soon.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mitrovic only trails Cristiano Ronaldo by three goals in the race for the Golden Boot in Saudi Arabia.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty/GOAL
WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?
After their clash against Al-Hilal on Monday, they take on Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in their second match of the Riyadh Cup on Thursday. Their preseason World Tour continues then with three more matches until the 2024 MLS season begins.
Jamaica’s spin duo of Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs spun a web around Leeward Islands to register a massive 157-run win in St Kitts
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2017WICB
Jamaica’s duo of Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs spun a web around Leeward Islands to register a massive 157-run win in St Kitts. Left-arm spinner Miller collected 10 wickets while Jacobs picked two three-fors to bundle out Leeward for 232 and 144. Jamaica, however, are still second from bottom on the table after picking 18.4 points from the win.Jamaica put on a respectable score of 342 after winning the toss, on the back of half-centuries from Paul Palmer (86), Assad Fudadin (58) and John Campbell (57) as offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s 4 for 86 meant Jamaica didn’t put on a competitive total. The Leeward batsmen could not capitalise though, as Miller’s 5 for 56 and Jacobs’ 3 for 35 allowed only one batsman – Montcin Hodge – to reach 50, and they conceded a lead of 110.Cornwall took four wickets again and troubled Jamaica’s middle order to restrict them to 191, as No. 7 Derval Green provided resistance with his 51. Jacobs and Miller troubled Leeward with the bat too, putting on 46 for the ninth wicket before combining to take eight wickets as Leeward chased 302 for a win. With only two batsmen reaching 30, they were kept to 144 for only six points but are still second on the table behind Guyana.
Chelsea are "tempted" to bring in another number nine this summer and have discussed the possibility of making a move for Dusan Vlahovic, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Is Vlahovic joining Chelsea?
Since Todd Boehly's arrival as Chelsea's new owner, the Blues' approach to the transfer market has been fairly disastrous.
Having spent enormously on a mass of players, Chelsea have been preoccupied this summer with trimming their ridiculously large squad, and it is still impossible to predict what new boss Mauricio Pochettino's line-up will look like on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Chelsea's scattergun approach to signing talented young players on huge contracts has backfired significantly and Pochettino is the man tasked with picking up the pieces.
Despite having spent a vast fortune on players in recent windows, Chelsea still mysteriously ended up without an orthodox striker last season, one of the reasons they slumped to a 12th-placed league finish.
However, Pochettino is hoping to remedy that situation in the market and, despite having already signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, journalist Jones believes that the Blues could target Juventus' Vlahovic to ease their goalscoring woes.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "I know some people are ruling out of Vlahovic and they say that nothing is happening there. But Vlahovic has definitely been explored by Chelsea and conversations have definitely happened in terms of that.
"The fact that they are even contemplating that, tells you they're tempted to go and sign another striker by the end of this transfer window."
Nkunku can play as a striker but is not a typical number nine, despite his prowess in front of goal. Meanwhile, Jackson is just 22-years-old and may need significant time to adjust to life in a new league at such a young age.
Therefore, Vlahovic, who has been called a "big-name striker", could be an astute piece of business and is a player with a wealth of experience despite being just 23-years-old.
The Serbian international has managed 72 goals in 171 matches for Juventus and Fiorentina in Italy but has struggled to fully settle at the Allianz Stadium in Turin since arriving halfway through the 2021/22 season.
A fee of around €80m would potentially be enough to sign Vlahovic, a figure which is unlikely to put off free-spending Chelsea. The striker would offer Pochettino a more traditional number nine than what the Blues currently have at their disposal and the forward's physicality and clinical edge would make him a great fit in the Premier League.
How good is Vlahovic?
Based on his performances last season in a Juventus side that struggled on and off the pitch, there isn't an enormous amount to get excited about with Vlahovic.
He scored just 14 goals and provided four assists in 42 matches, also suffering from injuries at times throughout the campaign, and only managed the same amount of Serie A strikes as wantaway Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.
However, looking at his statistics during the 2020/21 season – his last full campaign with Fiorentina – it is clear to see that Vlahovic is a top-quality centre-forward.
Compared to other strikers that season in Serie A per 90 minutes, he ranked in the top eight percent for goals (netting 21 in 37 games) and top 12% for aerials won, highlighting his physical presence up top and eye for goal.
Signing Vlahovic could be a risk given his lack of consistency in the black and white of Juventus, but if the forward can recreate the form he has exhibited in the past with Fiorentina and Serbia, then Pochettino would be foolish not to consider the young striker.
Newcastle United will host Liverpool and Mohamed Salah on 27th August in the third week of the Premier League season. It's a massive game for both sides.
The Magpies will hope to build on their fourth-placed finish last season, while Liverpool will hope to push them out of the Champions League spots and rebound after a terrible campaign last time out. Of course, the Reds will turn to Salah to lead them.
But how likely is it that he gets one over on Newcastle United? Football FanCast delves into the stats to see just how well Salah plays against Newcastle.
What is Mohamed Salah's goal record against Newcastle?
Salah has played 13 times against Newcastle, with all fixtures coming in the Premier League, though not all of them were for Liverpool.
He actually played once for Chelsea – the Egyptian played 12 minutes in 2014 at Stamford Bridge. That, of course, was a very different Salah as the forward was transformed into a goalscoring machine on his move to Anfield.
And that shows in his record. Salah has six goals in 12 games against Newcastle for Liverpool. It's a great haul, but far from his most dominant – that's actually quite middle of the road in the Premier League for the Reds' star man.
What is Mohamed Salah's assist record against Newcastle?
Of course, Salah isn't just a goalscorer, but a creator too. And he has a fair few assists against Newcastle, with three in his last two games against the club.
In total, he boasts four across his 13 games to go along with his six goals, having been credited with a hand in three of the four scored by Liverpool against the Magpies last term.
What is Mohamed Salah's head-to-head record against Newcastle?
Newcastle have never actually beaten Salah's sides, whether he was on the pitch for Chelsea or Liverpool. His record stands at 13 played, 10 won, 3 drawn and zero defeats.
That record is actually Salah's best against any opponent across all competitions. He's never won more against a team without losing once – in fact, the only team he's ever defeated more than 10 times is Tottenham Hotspur (11).
And given all of his games came in the Premier League, there's a points tally. Salah has picked up 33 points in total against the Mapgies – just six shy of perfection.
What is Mohamed Salah's record at St James's Park?
It won't be a shock to learn that it's very good. Salah has played a total of six games at Newcastle, all coming for Liverpool.
He hasn't lost any of those meetings, of course, and has won four of them, drawing the other two. Though, it is notable that Salah has only ever scored once at St James' – that came back in 2019 and was a game where he also picked up an injury.
His team might do well there, but on an individual level, Newcastle isn't a particularly happy hunting ground for Salah:
Games – 6 Wins – 4 Draws – 2 Losses – 0 Goals – 1 Assists – 1 Who has Mohamed Salah scored against the most?
Mo Salah
In total, Salah has scored against 11 teams more than he has against Newcastle. As previously mentioned, that figure of six isn't necessarily a standout for the Egyptian.
Sitting right at the top of that pile is Manchester United. Salah's record against them is incredible, scoring 12 times in 12 games and managing another four assists. Manchester City come next – 11 goals and five assists in 19 meetings.
Tottenham's 18 meetings with Salah have seen them ship 11 goals, too, along with a single assist. Meanwhile, Arsenal, West Ham United, Watford and Leeds United have all conceded nine times to the Liverpool star.
Bournemouth have been the unlucky opponent on eight occasions, while Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Southampton have all shipped seven.
How many goals does Mohamed Salah have in August?
Sticking to the Premier League, Salah has scored 12 goals in the month of August. It's a fantastic haul that, on the face of it, averages out to two August goals each season for the Egyptian.
It's actually slightly better than that, however. There were no August games in the 2020/21 Premier League season, which kicked off in September. If you count that as the equivalent of August in a regular season, you can add three more to Salah's total, with the winger bagging a hat-trick on the opening day against Leeds United).
What is Mohamed Salah's overall Liverpool goal record?
Salah was never really known as a goalscorer in his younger professional days – even his record with Basel was so-so. But once he left Chelsea for AS Roma, the Egyptian started to find his feet as a true goal threat.
29 goals in two Serie A seasons suggested something was there, but no one could have foreseen his explosion at Liverpool. Salah immediately broke the Premier League's goalscoring record for a 38-game season, scoring 32 times in his debut campaign.
Overall, the forward heads into the upcoming campaign with 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool, all coming in 218 games. That stretches to 186 in 305 across all competitions.
In all, he's one of the most dangerous forward players on the planet and has been for some time. Even if, for whatever reason, Newcastle usually find a way to handle him at home.
What is Mohamed Salah's Premier League record?
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah.
Salah's 137 Premier League goals for Liverpool, combined with the two he got for Chelsea in his brief spell there lead to a grand total of 139. It's an incredible haul – only 13 players have managed more since the start of the league in 1992.
And so, even if Salah matched his lowest goals total for Liverpool in a single year (19) this coming term, he'd move onto 158 goals. That would be enough to leapfrog Michael Owen in 10th on the all-time list. He likely won't have reached this point by the time he faces Newcastle – but he'll hope to draw closer against the Magpies.
What is Mohamed Salah's assist record?
Mohamed Salah has cemented his place as a Liverpool great
Salah's 139 Premier League goals are a fantastic amount – but they're not all he can boast about. He's also claimed 59 assists in England's top flight, with two of those coming in Chelsea blue.
That has him sitting in 22nd place all-time and Salah will almost certainly enter the top 20 in the coming season. As Newcastle know very well, he doesn't just hurt you by scoring goals.
What is Liverpool's record against Newcastle?
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool and Newcastle have met a lot over the decades – their history as opponents dates all the way back to 1893. And as with just about everyone else in English football, the Reds boast a good record.
They've competed 185 times in their history, with Liverpool winning 91 of those. Newcastle have then won 50 themselves, leaving 44 games without a winner.
But what about in the Premier League? There have unsurprisingly been a fair few meetings since England's top flight rebranded – 56 in total – with Liverpool taking the vast majority of those points.
The Reds have won 33 of the 56, with Newcastle settling for a mere 11. In fact, the Toon have drawn more than they've won, with the points splitting 12 times.
What are Liverpool's recent results against Newcastle?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool have been dominant in recent times against Newcastle. Even last season – a campaign where the Reds struggled and the Magpies shone – Jurgen Klopp's side won both games.
The most recent was a 2-0 win at St James' Park that followed a dramatic 2-1 win at Anfield – Fabio Carvalho squeezed in a winner with seconds to play. In fact, Liverpool have won the last four clashes, having taken the points on both occasions in the previous season, too.
There were a couple of draws before that – 0-0 in Newcastle in 2020 and 1-1 in Liverpool in 2021. But you're probably noticing that there isn't a single win for the Magpies to mention here.
That's because you need to head all the way back to 2015 for the last time Newcastle beat Liverpool. That game finished 2-0 at St James' and was the second consecutive year that the victors wore black and white.
When is Newcastle vs Liverpool?
Eddie Howe
Newcastle will host Liverpool on Sunday, 27th August at 4.30pm UK time. It promises to be one of the biggest games of the season's early stages, with both sides looking to make a big statement.
Newcastle need early momentum if they're to prove that last season wasn't a fluke. It won't be easy, however – this isn't even their first big test. It comes one week after a trip to Manchester City as the Magpies face as tough an early test as you can get.
Liverpool, of course, need to make a statement of their own. They were truly awful at times last season, falling out of the title race almost immediately and then struggling to even compete for European spots. A late charge saw them briefly battle for fourth, but they'll be a Europa League side this season.
The winner will take a huge confidence boost from this one, then, and the Reds will turn to Mohamed Salah as their leader up top. His record in Newcastle isn't exactly sparkling, but he almost always returns home a winner.
Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale was dealt a blow at the end of last season as centre-forward Alfredo Morelos left the club upon the expiry of his contract at Ibrox.
The Colombian was a prolific scorer for the side over the years and enjoyed an incredible spell in Scotland as he plundered 124 goals in 269 appearances in all competitions.
His exit left the Light Blues with a hole to fill at the top end of the pitch and they have done exactly that by signing Sam Lammers on a permanent deal from Atalanta, while 28-year-old striker Cyriel Dessers is on the verge of joining from Cremonese for £4.5m.
However, the Nigerian's pending arrival would mean that Beale would have five senior number nine options who are all aged between 26 and 30.
This suggests that the Gers could benefit from signing a younger striker with the potential to develop over time.
They could sign a forward in his early 20s in the hope that he is able to learn from the likes of Dessers and Lammers before working his way into becoming a first-team regular further down the line.
HNK Rijeka starlet Matija Frigan, who is valued at £5.2m, fits that particular bill having been linked with a move to the Scottish giants this summer and he could come in as the dream heir to Antonio Colak.
How did Matija Frigan perform last season?
The 20-year-old marksman made his senior breakthrough with Rijeka and caught the eye with his impressive performances through the middle of the pitch.
During the 2022/23 campaign, the Croatia U21 international plundered 15 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions for his club, including 14 in 27 league outings. This means that he averaged a goal more than once every two matches in the SuperSport HNL, while maintaining an average of a strike just over once every two games in total.
To put those numbers into context, his compatriot in Colak found the back of the net 18 times in 38 clashes for Rangers after his move from Greek giants PAOK last summer, with 13 of those coming in 24 Scottish Premiership matches.
The Croatian international scored once every 2.1 outings for the Light Blues as he proved himself to be a reliable scorer during his debut campaign in the country.
Rangers striker Antonio Colak.
These statistics suggest that the 20-year-old target has the goalscoring instincts and consistency to replicate Colak's success in front of goal.
The former Malmo finisher turns 30 in September and Beale could bring Frigan to Ibrox with the intention of replacing him either this summer or in the years to come.
The Rijeka star does not turn 21 until next year and would arrive as a player with potential, rather than an experience option who would be expected to hit the ground running. Although, his goalscoring record last season indicates that the quality is there for him to be a good option for the manager in the short-term as well.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously hailed the striker as "complete" while he also rated his potential at 8/10, suggesting that the exciting youngster has shown enough in his home country to be a highly-rated young talent.
Frigan could, therefore, be an excellent long-term signing for Rangers and one that would provide Beale with a dream heir to Colak.
As Football FanCast previews the opening weekend to the 2023/24 Premier League season, we’ve taken a look at Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in a game between two sides who unexpectedly impressed in the last campaign.
When is the match and is it on UK TV?
Newcastle vs Aston Villa plays host to the season’s first Saturday Night Football installment on Sky Sports on Saturday, August 12, 5:30pm BST.
The fixture kicks off Unai Emery’s first full season in charge at Aston Villa after a stellar stint in charge so far, which saw the Villains go from relegation contenders to qualifying for the Europa Conference League by the end of the season.
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, will be hoping for a repeat from his side, as they look to make it back-to-back top-four finishes.
Every Opening day premier League fixture in full
Who is Newcastle United's key player?
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson
When thinking of Newcastle United’s key players, it’s hard to look past Callum Wilson.
The England international had a season to remember last time out, scoring a total of 18 Premier League goals.
With that confidence, Wilson should only enjoy a repeat in the forthcoming campaign, too, as should Newcastle, as a whole.
As Alexander Isak continues to offer plenty of competition, Wilson may well step things up another gear or two, resulting in even more goals for the Magpies.
Who is Aston Villa's key player?
Just like Newcastle, Aston Vila’s key player comes from within their frontline, with Ollie Watkins the dangerman.
Under Steven Gerrard, some may have been worried about the direction in which Watkins was heading. Since the arrival of Emery, however, the former Brentford striker has been a man transformed, ending the season on 15 Premier League goals.
Watkins’ battle against fellow England striker Wilson will certainly be an interesting one on the opening day.
How will Newcastle United line-up?
With a long summer ahead, Newcastle may well introduce some fresh faces on the opening night of the Premier League season.
The biggest move that the Magpies have been linked with so far is for Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella.
According to Luke Edwards, Mike McGrath and Matt Law of The Times, Newcastle are closing in on a move for the midfielder this summer, in what could be one of the deals of the transfer window.
With that said, here’s how Newcastle could line up against Aston Villa: Nick Pope; Kieran Trippier; Sven Botman; Fabian Schar; Dan Burn; Nicolo Barella; Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes; Miguel Almiron, Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson
How will Aston Villa line-up?
Leon Bailey and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
Having already signed Youri Tielemans on a free deal this summer, Emery has the option to throw the former Leicester City midfielder straight into his Aston Villa side to face Newcastle on the opening day.
The Frenchman will also be boosted by the return of a fully fit Diego Carlos, who missed the majority of last season through injury after signing for the club last summer.
It remains to be seen who else Villa will welcome this summer, but here’s how they could line up against Newcastle: Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash; Tyrone Mings; Diego Carlos; Lucas Digne; Douglas Luiz, Youri Tielemans; Emi Buendia; John McGinn; Jacob Ramsey; Ollie Watkins
What were the last five meetings between the two teams?
In the last five meetings between these two sides, both Newcastle and Aston Villa have two wins apiece with one solitary draw.
The last time they squared off, of course, saw Villa shock Howe’s side by brushing them aside to comfortably win 3-0 at Villa Park.
There’s no doubt that Newcastle will be looking for revenge after an afternoon to forget last time out.
A positive for the Magpies is the fact that Villa’s last trip to St James’ Park ended in a 4-0 victory.
With that said, here are the last five results:
April 2023: Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle United October 2022: Newcastle United 4-0 Aston Villa February 2022: Newcastle United 1-0 Aston Villa August 2021: Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle United March 2021: Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa Who is going to win?
No doubt a tight affair, given how impressive both sides were last season, we could be in for a blockbuster opening to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
As both sides look to pick up where they left off, we can’t see past an entertaining draw between two of the most exciting teams in the league when they are in their best form.
Rashid Khan and David Warner combined to ease Sunrisers Hyderabad to their second win of the season, and send Gujarat Lions crashing to another huge defeat
The Report by Nikhil Kalro09-Apr-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:21
Hogg: What was Raina thinking?
Sunrisers Hyderabad dominated all aspects of a T20 game – batting, bowling, fielding and winning a toss – to consign Gujarat Lions to their second rout of the season. Sunrisers cruised to their second comfortable victory, with nine wickets in hand and 27 balls to spare.Lions stuck to the same combination as the first game – four overseas batsmen and five Indian bowlers – and lacked balance and penetration again. With the bat, they could muster just 135, their second-lowest first-innings total. With the ball, they’ve taken just one wicket in two games.Sunrisers, on the other hand, were outstanding in planning and execution. Rashid Khan flummoxed the Lions batsmen with his variations to become the highest wicket-taker of this season’s IPL. Then chasing 136, Moises Henriques struck his second fifty of the season, and David Warner made an unbeaten 45-ball 76, going past 1000 IPL runs at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium and 7000 runs in T20 cricket.The IPL’s most significant trend Sunrisers captain Warner was clear at the toss. He knew the surface would be slower in the afternoon and his spinners would be useful against Lions’ four overseas stars. After putting Lions in to bat – the fifth time in six games a team has chosen to chase this season – Warner started with left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma. The pitch played pretty much as expected: slow, low, and timing spinners wasn’t easy. Sunrisers’ spinners – Rashid and Bipul – returned combined figures of 8-0-43-3 leaving the Lions to play catch-up thereafter.Moises Henriques scored his second half-century of the season•BCCI
Legspin winning T20sPicking Rashid’s variations from his stock ball has been one of the harder tasks in Associate cricket. That is why he is regularly employed towards the end overs in T20Is for Afghanistan. In just two games, Rashid has shown discerning legspin isn’t simple for the elite either.Batsmen often look for a cross-batted option against spin they aren’t able to read. That seemed the case when Brendon McCullum chose to sweep in Rashid’s first over. He missed the googly and was struck in front of the wicket. Aaron Finch and Suresh Raina were deceived too: Finch by a googly and Raina by a regulation legbreak. Both batsmen missed the ball by a considerable distance, an indicator that they failed to pick Rashid. It was the first time a bowler took three lbws in an IPL game.Two of the best legspinners in the world currently, Rashid and Imran Tahir, both attack the stumps – a legbreak to a left-hander and a googly to a right-hander – to new batsmen. It has worked, and not just in the IPL.Not timing a T20 chaseSometimes, a higher total to chase frees up a batting team. Pacing an innings while chasing a relatively small total can also be fraught with danger because of the unpredictability of the end overs. Warner, however, didn’t change his normal approach to Sunrisers’ 136 target.With two left-handers opening for Sunrisers, Suresh Raina bowled the first over. He had bowled only 30 balls in the Powerplay and conceded 32 runs prior to this game. His first delivery was flat and straight, skidding on with the arm. Warner gave himself room and cut to point off middle stump. While that was a risky stroke, it showed Raina his best delivery could be taken for runs.That risk paid off in the next over, when Raina was forced to change his length. Warner used his feet against Raina’s flight to hit a straight six, and then used the depth of the crease to pull for six off a shorter delivery. He had raced away to 32 off 17 balls in the Powerplay, and Sunrisers were 59 for 1. By then, the game was effectively won.
Everton secured survival from relegation in the dying minutes of the Premier League season after a dreadful campaign that once again saw the side perform at an abysmal level throughout.
Indeed, the initial arrival of Sean Dyche lifted Goodison Park off its knees after the sacking of Frank Lampard in January, but the promising early displays – such as the 1-0 win over Arsenal – quickly wore off leaving the Toffees to teeter on the edge of the relegation zone for many weeks and months.
Whilst the most obvious positions to strengthen will be across the forward line after losing Richarlison and Anthony Gordon over the last 12 months, there will certainly be a desire for Dyche to bolster almost every key position to ensure he has quality options on the bench and the ability to rotate throughout the season.
Everton have already made a decision on the future of those with contracts expiring next month; whilst Seamus Coleman, Andy Lonergan and Tom Davies have been offered new deals, Yerry Mina is one of the players who will not be retained beyond this season alongside Conor Coady who will not be offered a permanent contract to remain either after his loan spell.
As a result, there is a real opportunity for Dyche to identify new additions who can make an instant impact in Everton's defensive set up and one player who has been recently linked with a move back to the Premier League via the blue side of Merseyside is former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Romain Saiss.
Would Romain Saiss be a good fit for Everton?
With Coady and Mina are confirmed for an exit and with the club not ruling out the sale of both Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey at this point, there is no reason why Saiss can't provide a solid short-term solution at a great price for Dyche.
The Morocco skipper has spent a year in the Turkish Süper Lig with Besiktas after parting ways with Wolves at the end of his six-year contract but could now be the perfect profile of player to partner James Tarkowski at Goodison Park next season.
Over 25 league appearances, the 33-year-old – dubbed a "tower of strength" by BBC pundit Danny Murphy – scored one goal, tallied up an 82% pass completion rate and kept six clean sheets, as well as averaging 64.1 touches, 1.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 4.6 duels won per game, proving he is still a massive presence on the pitch.
romain-saiss-premier-league-everton-transfers
Not only that, Saiss was one of the standout performers at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year after captaining his team to a record-breaking achievement by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious international competition, another testament to his impeccable leadership skills and rightful nickname as the 'Moroccan Maldini'.
With that being said, the £48k-per-week ace could be a massive asset for the Toffees next season as his consistency and reliability in defence would be warmly welcomed to soften the blow of Mina and Coady's exit next season.