All posts by h79snht.top

Burnley’s intimidating defence last season in the Championship was one major factor behind why Scott Parker’s men sealed automatic promotion on 100 points.

Whilst the Clarets did score a reasonable 69 strikes across the 46-game marathon, they amazingly only gave up 16 goals across that same period, culminating in the Lancashire outfit losing just two second-tier contests all season long.

Burnley have been known to be a well-drilled machine in this regard for many a year, with Sean Dyche the first notable manager to make the Clarets a hard-to-beat unit when he was situated in the Turf Moor dug-out.

Throughout his well-known stint at the Clarets, Dyche regularly called upon the likes of James Tarkowski to ensure opposition attackers knew they were in for a tough fight when attempting to break down Burnley’s rock-solid defence.

Tarkowski's defensive heroics at Burnley

Now lining up for Everton at 32 years of age, Tarkowski has Burnley to thank for initially kickstarting his career at the very top.

In total, the imposing veteran would go on to make 219 appearances for the Clarets, with his reputation throughout his stay at the club centring on his no-nonsense approach aerially.

His breakout season in the Premier League for Burnley would come about during the 2018/19 campaign, with the centre-back scoring three goals when putting his towering 6-foot-1 frame to good use, alongside winning a ridiculous 7.8 duels per league clash.

No longer at Turf Moor, he is certainly ageing like a fine wine. He secured ten clean sheets in league action across 2024/25 and most famously scored that thunderbolt of a goal in the dying embers of Goodison Park’s last Merseyside derby.

He’s a man for the big occasion and as Parker and Co go about strengthening their ranks, they’ll certainly be hoping to find their next Tarkowski.

Burnley's "outstanding" new Tarkowski

Unfortunately, it looks unlikely that Burnley will be able to keep all the components of their robust defence together past this transfer window, with CJ Egan-Riley and Maxime Esteve both reportedly heading for the exit door.

Therefore, a new, strong defender will surely be high up the Clarets’ shopping list, with rumours coming to the surface now from journalist Graeme Bailey suggesting 6-foot-4 brute Chris Mepham be on Parker’s radar as they aim to add numbers at the back.

Burnley are already well aware of how tricky a defender Mepham can be to get the better of, having clashed with him last season when he was out on loan with eventual playoff winners Sunderland.

The Welshman stood out as a powerful centre-back throughout that loan spell, and with plenty of Premier League experience in the tank at 61 top-flight games and counting, he could be just what Burnley desire in trying to land an up-to-date Tarkowski.

Mepham’s league numbers for Sunderland (24/25)

Stat (* = per game)

Mepham

Games played

38

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

65.7

Accurate passes*

45.2 (87%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

6.1

Total duels won*

4.9

Stats by Sofascore

His similarities to Tarkowski are even more striking when glancing at the table above, with Mepham both a defensive option that is comfortable with the ball at his feet and joining in with attacks, but also a figure who will valiantly throw himself into duels for the cause, like the ex-Burnley captain.

Black Cats skipper Dan Neil would even herald Mepham as “outstanding” for his brave efforts during Sunderland’s promotion story, with Parker hopeful he could make a similarly quick impact at the heart of the Clarets’ defence if signed.

Burnley won’t want to just roll back the years in winning themselves a gritty defender like Tarkowski, however.

Even more so, the Lancashire underdogs will pray they can become a Premier League regular again, with Mepham joining potentially strengthening their chances of immediately staving off the drop.

Related Burnley can land dream Esteve replacement by signing £12m "warrior"

Burnley would immediately bounce back from Maxime Esteve’s potential departure by snapping up this Premier League-calibre warrior.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 8, 2025

The apparent imbalance of the T20 World Cup semi-finals has caused disquiet. Is it all that it seems?

Sidharth Monga26-Jun-2024

Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav horse around at a practice session in Guyana•Getty Images

The semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 are due to take place on Wednesday evening in Trinidad and Thursday morning in Guyana, which could mean an awkward turnaround ahead of Saturday’s final … especially if it rains. The ICC have allocated a reserve day for the first game but not for the latter, which has caused an outcry in the media, but is the situation quite as ill-conceived as it seems? ESPNcricinfo is here to address your pressing tournament needs.Why does the second semi-final not have a reserve day?There is only one day’s gap between the second semi-final in Guyana and the final in Barbados, unlike the first semi-final in Trinidad. To give the second finalists enough time to rest between matches, it has been decided to not have a reserve day.Isn’t that kinda unfair?Funnily enough, the extra time available for both matches is actually the same: 250 minutes. An ICC spokesperson said: “For performance reasons, to ensure teams do not have to ‘play-travel-play’ on consecutive days, the decision was taken to allocate the additional time for the second semi-final immediately post the game because the game is a 10.30am start, whilst the first semi-final is an evening start, which means it is not feasible to play all additional time on the same day.”So the playing conditions regarding the reserve time for both the semi-finals are identical?Not quite.How so?All attempts will be made to complete the first semi-final on the scheduled day, which has been allocated regulation time plus 60 minutes, which means the first semi-final will start losing overs if the 8.30pm start-time is delayed for more than an hour. If it still goes into the reserve day, a further 190 minutes have been allocated from 2pm onwards, but the match will continue from where it was left off. For example, if two hours are lost to rain on Wednesday evening, the match will start as 13 overs a side from 10.30pm. If further rain on the night doesn’t allow for the completion of a 10-over game, the match will resume on the reserve day from where it was interrupted.Related

South African team delayed in Trinidad because of runway closure in Barbados

Manjrekar: India had a 'clear advantage' in knowing their semi-final venue in advance

Dwayne Bravo: Afghanistan have everything a T20 team needs

England up against a changed India from Adelaide 2022

'We'd have bitten your hand off to get to this spot' – Mott embraces semi-final opportunity

In the case of the second semi-final, an ICC spokesperson said that the overs will start being reduced only at approximately 2.40pm: 250 minutes after the scheduled start time of 10.30am.This gives rise to a scenario in which the match could start as a 20-over affair at 2.40pm, only for the the side batting first to be midway through their overs when the rain returns, thereby causing the match to be washed out as a no-result. That possibility is reduced by the early move towards reduced overs in the first semi-final, but not the second.If the ICC had made every effort to complete the second semi-final by 2.40pm and only gone into extra time if a 10-over game was not possible until such time, we would have had nearly identical playing conditions for both matches.What constitutes a completed game?Unlike in the league matches, where five overs in the second innings was enough for a result to be declared, both sides will have had an opportunity to bat 10 overs to constitute a match.What if we can’t get 10 overs each in?The team that finished at the top of their Super Eight group advances. That means South Africa from the first semi-final, and India from the second.What if the match is a tie?We play super overs until time permits. If still unresolved, the team winning their group advances.What is the forecast like?The first semi-final in Trinidad is under no threat of rain going into the reserve day. There is constant threat of rain during the second semi-final in Guyana.So, if we don’t need to worry about weather and extra time in the first semi-final, what is the latest the second semi-final can start for us to have a 10-over game?According to an ICC spokesperson, it needs to start by approximately 4.14pm for a 10-over match.Is it true that India knew before the other teams where they would be playing their semi-final?Yes. India were scheduled to play their semi-final in Guyana no matter where they finished in their group because that semi-final starts at 10.30am, which is 8pm back in India. Even though South Africa and England knew they had qualified several hours earlier, they had to wait for India’s status as winners of Group 1 to be resolved before they could travel to their venues.However, these playing conditions were signed off by every participating board well before the World Cup started.Does this give India any advantage?Any advantage India gain vis-à-vis a no-result finish, they did so by virtue of having finished at the top of their group.It could be argued they selected their squad knowing they would be in Guyana for the knockouts, but it is probably far-fetched to think the process could be skewed by advance knowledge of their eighth match of the tournament, when they also knew the venues for their previous seven matches. Also, it is a risk to base one’s selection on the historical nature of a venue, as has been observed elsewhere during this World Cup.

A “fantastic” Sunderland player looks to be closing in on a summer exit from the club, with “positive” discussions reportedly taking place over his future.

Who could Sunderland sign back in the Premier League?

The Black Cats are preparing for life back in the Premier League, following their memorable promotion to the Championship, with plenty of players being mentioned as potential signings.

Dynamo Kiev striker Vladyslav Vanat is reportedly seen as a top target for Sunderland, who are believed to be leading the race to snap him up in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in the league last season, outlining his pedigree as an exciting target.

Meanwhile, Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez has also been backed to join the Black Cats this summer, although he appears to have poured cold water on the rumour in a recent Instagram post, saying:

“10 years ago as a kid moving from south east London to Liverpool, I couldn’t even imagine looking this far into the future. Looking back now I’m full of gratitude & take so much pride in being a part of this club and city.No denying the challenges along the way, but embracing them to grow as both a player and a person is something I’ve always tried to do & I’m grateful for all the support in trying to do that.It’s been a blessing to be a part of the different dressing rooms and getting to create such special memories over the years with so many great players & staff. I felt it was important to share my thanks to you all for the support throughout the years, it’s always meant the world and I will never take it for granted. A decade in red… and still hungry to keep going.”

Sunderland in "positive" discussions over exit for 22 y/o

Now, according to Hibernian head coach David Gray, talks over Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis sealing a permanent move there are going positively currently, following a loan stint at the Scottish club last season.

“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill. There is conversations going on there that are positive at the minute but you always need to be proactive and making sure that you are trying to get your work in as early as you can.”

Since then, The Northern Echo have reported that talks are at an advanced stage over a permanent exit for Triantis.

This summer feels like the right time for Triantis to leave Sunderland, considering he hasn’t been an important part of Regis Le Bris’ plans at the Stadium of Light.

Related Sunderland hold 'formal' talks and now lead the race to sign £21m star

The Black Cats are ready to strike on the market.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 20, 2025

The 22-year-old Australian has made just five appearances for the Black Cats since arriving in the summer of 2023, and receiving funds for him instead of losing him on a free transfer in 2027 makes perfect sense.

At their current pace, Sunderland could soon have a whole starting lineup of new players to call upon.

The Black Cats are picking up fresh signings at a breakneck speed, with a whopping £67m already dropped on the services of Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, and Noah Sadiki.

Amazingly, another £19.5m could soon dent the weighty Sunderland back account, with Club Brugge winger Chemsdine Talbi the reported next big buy on Regis Le Bris and Co’s agenda.

Four signings are nearly through the door, but don’t expect the Wearside underdogs to stop here as they go about assembling a Premier League-capable squad, with plenty more standout purchases in the offing.

Sunderland set sights on new £13m star

After a jubilant promotion, Sunderland might as well give it their all on their return to the top-flight, instead of just being content with making up the numbers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Indeed, reports are coming thick and fast as to who Le Bris wants to add next to his ever-growing camp, with a bid of around £26m having allegedly been submitted to sign rising Real Madrid star Gonzalo Garcia.

Another name floating about is that of Armand Lauriente’s, with a new development from French outlet L’Equipe stating that Sunderland have entered negotiations to sign the 26-year-old attacker from Sassuolo.

Having caused a lot of havoc in Serie B last season, the hope will be that Lauriente explodes into life even more as a dangerous face down the Black Cats’ left flank.

How Lauriente can be Le Bris' own Amad Diallo

If Le Bris can bring Lauriente to Wearside this summer then he could potentially sign his very own Amad Diallo in the process, considering the Ivorian was once a slick attacker himself in Italy.

Amad’s numbers for Atalanta

Age bracket

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

U19s

46

13

12

U17s

41

23

6

Youth League

6

1

3

Atalanta

5

1

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Obviously, Amad is now more known for his exploits at Manchester United – with 26 goals and assists next to his name from 64 Old Trafford outings – but there was a time when he was considered an exciting winger ready for that next step on the books of Atalanta.

Whilst his Atalanta education ultimately won him that high-profile move to Manchester, Amad very much honed his craft at the Stadium of Light as a daring and entertaining option up top when he headed out on loan to the Mackems in 2022, leading to him strutting his stuff in style all across the 2022/23 season with 14 goals and four assists picked up from 42 clashes.

Sunderland’s new £13m-rated target will hope he finds his time at Le Bris’ men to be equally beneficial in advancing his game, with Lauriente having the useful advantage already of being proven at a top level when Sassuolo plied their trade in Serie A.

The blistering Frenchman is only two off Amad’s entire total for Man United when assessing his Italian top-flight numbers, with a mightily impressive 12 goals and 12 assists tallied up, but it’s his numbers last campaign for Sassuolo when they triumphantly moved back up to face the likes of Juventus and AC Milan again that will have really caught the eye of the Black Cats.

Lauriente’s league numbers for Sassuolo (24/25)

Stat

Lauriente

Games played

33

Goals scored

18

Assists

5

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

6

Stats by Sofascore

In total, the former Lorient forward would pick up a bumper 23 goals and assists from just 33 Serie B games last season, with Lauriente now potentially ready to cause ripples on Wearside by challenging the likes of Enzo Le Fee and Romaine Mundle down the left wing.

Much like Amad needed Tony Mowbray’s guidance to get the very best out of him, Lauriente might be able to perform at the peak of his jaw-dropping excellence knowing he has Le Bris by his side, with this audacious free-kick below – which was heralded as “amazing” at the time by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – coming when the pair were together at Lorient.

Whilst Le Fee, Diarra, Sadiki, and Talbi will steal plenty of headlines, securing Lauriente’s services could be the best buy of the bunch, particularly if he morphs into being a star like Amad to help Sunderland beat the drop.

Related Dream squad Sunderland could build: £112m spent on 7 signings after Talbi

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Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 6, 2025

Adam Rossington gives Essex chase a chance but hosts fall short

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2024

Will Jacks cracked 86 from 46 balls•Getty Images

Will Jacks hammered five sixes in a scintillating 86 to consolidate Surrey’s place at the head of the Vitality Blast South Group and guarantee a home match in the quarter-finals.Jacks hit five sixes in his 46-ball knock and put on 63 in five overs in a stand with Jordan Clark that constituted a record for the sixth wicket against Essex. That rescued Surrey after they suffered a mid-innings collapse before the reset that helped them post 189 for 9 and eventually prevail by 13 runs.Surrey had struggled against the Essex spin pair of Matt Critchley, who took 2 for 22, and Simon Harmer, whose 3 for 44 was a season’s best. Paul Walter chipped in with two late wickets to finish with 2 for 26 to take his tally to 15.Adam Rossington tried manfully to take Essex to a third win in four days, and qualification for the knockout stages, but he fell for a 49-ball 78 with five sixes and with it went home hopes. Essex now need at least a point from Friday’s final match at Hampshire to reach the quarter-finals.Chasing 190 to win, Essex lost Dean Elgar in the third over as he slapped Clark to cover point, but that was before Rossington and Michael Pepper got moving. Sam Curran was lofted for sixes by both batsmen in one over to square leg as they put on fifty inside five overs.When he reached 12, Pepper, a centurion at Hove 24 hours earlier, passed 500 runs in this season’s Blast. But he had added just 15 more when he skied Cameron Steel to short extra cover. Steel struck again five balls later when he bowled Charlie Allison with one that kept low.Steel had piled pressure on Essex by conceding just seven runs in his first two overs before Rossington smashed him for six over long-on shortly after he reached a 33-ball fifty.Clark got lucky with a full-toss that Walter hit vertically into orbit, giving Rory Burns time to run round and take the catch in front of the stumps. And Critchley followed quickly when he lifted Chris Jordan to deep midwicket.However, with Jordan and Curran both conceding single-figure overs, the required run-rate rose towards 15 with 47 runs needed from the last three overs. And that became an impossible target when Rossington fell to the third ball of the 18th over, flailing Curran to the mid-off boundary.Surrey, put in on a used wicket, moved along serenely initially, reaching the end of the powerplay at 62 for the loss of Dom Sibley, lbw to Shane Snater to one that kept low. However, the stuffing was knocked out of their stride when Critchley and Harmer shared three wickets in eight balls and stemmed the mid-innings runs.Laurie Evans was first to go, bowled by one that turned appreciably from Critchley before Harmer accounted for Burns and Curran in consecutive balls. Burns was beaten by on the outside of his bat to dislodge his stumps and Curran misjudged his first ball and was lbw.Jamie Overton was typically belligerent, hitting a six off Luc Benkenstein over midwicket and smashing another past the bowler for four. But he then picked out Eathan Bosch on the long-off boundary to give Critchley a second wicket.All the time Jacks was quietly accumulating. He had already swept Harmer for a huge six, launched Snater for another, and reached his half-century from 28 balls with a straight maximum off the Essex captain.Jacks hammered Harmer for two more sixes off successive balls but departed to the next ball trying for a third, caught on the boundary at cow corner. But his sixth-wicket stand with Clark got Surrey back on track.Jacks’s departure signalled another clatter of wickets as Clark, Jordan and Tom Lawes all fell to catches in the deep.

اعترف دين هويسن، مدافع نادي ريال مدريد، أن بعض لاعبي برشلونة قد سخروا منه، بعدما اختار اللاعب الشاب التوقيع مع الملكي.

هويسن برز اسمه بقوة خلال الموسم الماضي، في ظل مستواه المتميز للغاية مع نادي بورنموث، حيث كان اللاعب الشاب حديث الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجعل مستوى هويسن المتميز العديد من الأندية الأوروبية الكبرى تطلب التعاقد معه، ومن بينها برشلونة وآرسنال وليفربول إلى جانب تشيلسي.

لكن في نهاية المطاف نجح ريال مدريد في التعاقد مع هويسن قادمًا من بورنموث، مقابل حوالي 58 مليون يورو وبعقد مدته ست سنوات.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مبابي يعترف: عملاق أوروبي حاول ضمي.. وألونسو مدرب رائع

وقال هويسن في تصريحات نقلها صحفي شبكة سكاي سبورتس، فابريزيو رومانو: “في المنتخب الوطني، أخبرني بعض اللاعبين أنني اتخذت قرارًا صائبًا باختيار ريال مدريد، لاعبو برشلونة يسخرون مني، لكننا سوف نلتقي في الكلاسيكو وسنرى”.

هويسن حجز مكانه بنجاح في التشكيلة الأساسية لـ ريال مدريد سريعًا وبات من بين أهم اللاعبين في تكتيك المدرب الشاب تشابي ألونسو.

ويعتبر كذلك هويسن لاعبًا أساسيًا في منتخب إسبانيا، وذلك على حساب لاعب برشلونة، باو كوبارسي.

سجل محمود عبد المنعم “كهربا” هدفًا لفريقه القادسية الكويتي، في المباراة الأولى له ضد النصر، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الكويتي.

ويتواجه فريق القادسية مع النصر، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الأولى من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري الكويتي، للموسم الحالي.

طالع | كهربا يفاجئ جمهور الأهلي بتصرف مثير بعد انضمامه إلى القادسية الكويتي

وكان كهربا انتقل إلى صفوف القادسية الكويتي، في بداية الموسم الحالي، قادمًا من الاتحاد الليبي بعدما فسخ التعاقد بالتراضي.

وسجل كهربا هدف القادسية الرابع أمام النصر، في الدقيقة 61 من عمر اللقاء، بعدما استلم تمريرة بينية، واستطاع أن يراوغ حارس المرمى، ويضع الكرة في الشباك، لتصبح النتيجة 4-0. هدف كهربا في مباراة القادسية والنصر اليوم في الدوري الكويتي

وكان كهربا قد ساهم في هدف القادسية الثالث أمام النصر، بأسيست رائع لزميله بدر المطوع.

Leeds United have spent the first part of the summer transfer window attempting to improve the depth and the quality of Daniel Farke’s defensive options.

Three of their four signings are defenders, as Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and Jaka Bijol have all been added to the squad, alongside striker Lukas Nmecha.

The Championship champions are also looking to improve their options in the middle of the park, though, as they were recently linked with a move for Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff.

Sky Sports reported that the Whites were interested in a deal to bring the English maestro to Elland Road this summer, and made three bids to tempt the Magpies into cashing in on him.

However, all three offers were turned down by Eddie Howe’s side, with the most recent proposal worth up to £12m, and Leeds are said to be weighing up where to go next.

The Whites will be hoping that whoever they sign to fill that central midfield role can be as effective as Kalvin Phillips was for Marcelo Bielsa in the 2020/21 campaign.

Why Kalvin Phillips was so important for Leeds

When Leeds were promoted to the Premier League under Bielsa in 2020, Phillips stepped up from the Championship and showed that he could compete at the top level with brilliant performances in the middle of the park.

The England international sat at the base of the midfield and provided consistent quality with both his use of the ball in possession as well as his destructive play off the ball to break up opposition attacks on a regular basis.

Phillips, who came up through the academy system at Thorp Arch, played 29 of the club’s 38 games in the Premier League that season, and used his defensive quality to help the team avoid relegation back down to the Championship.

The English enforcer was terrific at making tackles, interceptions, and blocks to prevent Illan Meslier from being worked too often in the Leeds goal, as shown by the statistics in the table below.

20/21 Premier League per 90

Kalvin Phillips

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Tackles

2.74

Top 12%

Interceptions

1.67

Top 18%

Blocks

1.82

Top 9%

Clearances

1.96

Top 9%

Aerial duels won

1.11

Top 39%

Passes blocked

1.30

Top 15%

Stats via FBref

Phillips ranked incredibly highly in pretty much every major defensive metric, which speaks to how important he was to Bielsa’s team in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the clip above, though, Jamie Carraghe also explained why the midfielder was an important player in possession with his ability to dictate games with his passes.

Leeds have held talks to sign Bundesliga star

Leeds may be on course to land their next version of Phillips, though, as they are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Anton Stach from Hoffenheim.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to the Sunday Mirror (13 July, page 76), as relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds United have already held talks with Hoffenheim over a potential deal for the central midfielder.

The report also reveals that the Bundesliga club are willing to cash in on the German talent if a club is willing to pay a fee of around £17.25m for the 26-year-old titan.

It also states, though, that Eintracht Frankfurt are plotting a possible bid for the 6 foot 4 colossus, which means that Leeds could face some pretty stiff competition to get a deal over the line for the midfielder in the coming weeks.

Why Leeds should sign Anton Stach

The Whites should push to beat Frankfurt to his signature before the end of the summer transfer window because Stach could be Farke’s own version of Phillips.

As aforementioned, the current Manchester City man was so important for Bielsa because of the defensive insurance that he provided in front of the back four, coupled with the technical quality that the English star offered on the ball.

Stach, who also offers a physical presence at the height of 6 foot 4, is a defensive or central midfielder who could arrive at Elland Road to bring similar qualities to Phillips in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old star averaged 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, without making a single error that directly led to a goal or penalty for the opposition, in 30 appearances in the Bundesliga last term.

Stats

Phillips (20/21 Premier League)

Stach (24/25 Bundesliga)

Appearances

29

30

Goals

1

1

Assists

2

2

Tackles per game

2.6

2.2

Interceptions per game

1.6

1.5

Duels won per game

5.3

5.6

Ground duel success rate

53%

59%

Aerial duel success rate

47%

57%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Stach’s defensive numbers last season in the German top-flight are incredibly similar to the numbers that Phillips put up for Bielsa in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

These statistics suggest that the German talent would offer similar qualities out of possession in the present day Leeds team for Farke, as a destructive defensive midfielder who can consistently win duels, tackles, and interceptions, whilst dominating opposition players in duels on the ground and in the air.

The £17m-rated maestro, who former teammate Dominik Kohr claimed has an “incredible” shot, also completed 83% of his attempted passes and contributed with two goals and four ‘big chances’ created, which shows that he can also make an impact in possession.

Therefore, Stach could be as important to Farke’s Leeds team as Phillips was to Bielsa’s newly-promoted side in 2020, due to his qualities on and off the ball in midfield, having proven himself in a major European league in Germany.

Related Big Nmecha upgrade: Leeds have held talks to sign "clinical" new striker

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

That is why the Championship champions should be pushing very hard to beat Frankfurt to the signing of the Hoffenheim man before the opening game of the Premier League season against Everton.

Tahlia Wilson and Tahlia McGrath ensured a comfortable chase for the home side

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2024

Grace Parsons claimed four wickets on her Australia A debut•Getty Images

In a show of the player depth on offer, legspinner Grace Parsons and quick Nicola Hancock both starred on their Australia A debuts as the home side claimed the T20 series against India A with an eight-wicket victory.The pair had come into the Australia A side in place of Maitlan Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck and combined to finish with 7 for 44 from eight overs. Tahlia Wilson then made it back-to-back half-centuries to control the chase which was completed with ten deliveries to spareFor Parsons, the 20-year-old who is part of Brisbane Heat’s WBBL squad having missed out on a chance to play last season due to injury, it was her T20 debut having only previously featured for Queensland in the WNCL. She bagged four wickets, including the key scalp of Priya Punia who had played superbly in the opening match and top-scored in this innings with 29 off 26 balls. Parsons then closed out her spell with two more wickets in the space of three balls.”I’ve never actually played a T20 before, apart from at [my] club so today was very nerve wracking,” Parsons said. “But my plans don’t change too much.”It was pretty special. I’m always nervous at the start, especially when I haven’t played cricket for quite a few months, but it was nice to get the first game out of the way and take a few wickets. It was a pretty special thing to get the call up into the Aus A team and then to be playing today, it’s pretty awesome.”Hancock, who was a late addition to the squad when Courtney Sippel was ruled out through injury, had claimed the first wicket when she had Shweta Sehrawat taken off a top edge – Nicole Faltum taking an excellent running catch – and conceded just 14 from her three overs.The regular loss of wickets meant India A struggled for momentum and at one stage lost 3 for 10 between the 11th and 13th overs.The target didn’t stretch Australia A despite the early loss of Katie Mack as Wilson continued her impressive early-season form. Captain Tahlia McGrath, who had fallen first ball in the opening match, helped her side speed to target with a flurry of boundaries in an unbroken stand of 69.

Liverpool kicked off their pre-season tour in Asia with a 4-2 loss against AC Milan. Results do not matter in pre-season, of course, but it is interesting to see the likes of Florian Wirtz in action.

The attacking midfielder, who joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee in June, was all neat flicks and cute turns and intelligent one-twos. The German maestro is the real deal, all right, and could be the difference-maker as Arne Slot looks to defend his Premier League title while chasing glory across other fronts.

Hugo Ekitike didn’t feature, for he only played out his first training session with his new club on Friday, having finalised his £79m move from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the week.

You can be sure to expect the Frenchman’s participation in the weeks ahead. Though in what capacity remains to be seen, with the Reds chasing a deal for Alexander Isak, who has informed Newcastle United that he wants to sign for the Merseysiders.

However, one player who won’t be taking part is Joe Gomez, who has been dealt another cruel injury blow and has been forced to head home.

Liverpool's defensive situation

Jarell Quansah was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m last month, thinning out Slot’s backline. In Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool have an elite pairing, but little else in the way of depth.

However, Gomez does have a chance to shine at the rear next year, having been utilised centrally by Slot last term after principal full-back displays across Jurgen Klopp’s final term.

Well, that was the case until the England international had to withdraw from Liverpool’s summer camp due to what has been reported as a ‘minor Achilles injury’.

There’s no doubt that this blow exacerbates Liverpool’s comparatively frail defensive depth, and may well see sporting director Richard Hughes forge ahead with plans to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

Liverpool emerged as leading contenders for Guehi in June, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the Anfield side’s interest in the centre-back.

With just one year left on his current deal, the Reds are optimistic that they can sign the 25-year-old in a cut-price £40m package. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen.

Why Liverpool must sign Marc Guehi

It’s funny that Liverpool have spent so heavily this summer and yet still feel fragile and thin at the back.

And with the non-committal Konate entering the final year of his £70k-per-week deal, and with Real Madrid hoping to snap him up, it feels crucial that the Reds add a player of Guehi’s quality to their ranks.

The one-time Chelsea prospect has made quite the name for himself at Selhurst Park, playing 132 games in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup last season, keeping a clean sheet against Manchester City in the final.

Liverpool need a centre-back, but Guehi isn’t any old defender. He’s perfect for Slot’s expressive yet composed system, hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as “England’s best player” at the 2024 European Championship and described as a “monster in defence” by reporter Bobby Manzi.

Indeed, as per FBref, Guehi ranked among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goal contributions, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for through balls and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90.

The 6 foot titan, not the tallest, made up for his so-called weakness in regard to stature by winning 63% of his ground duels in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, underscoring the kind of first-class defending Slot would be welcoming to his ranks.

There’s even a case to be made for Guehi being a more important signing than Isak.

Make no mistake, the Sweden forward is a world-class player. Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even said that he was “the best striker in the Premier League” last season, and it’s praise that many would agree with.

Mohamed Salah, as is so often the case in the record books, was the only man to have outscored Isak in the league last year, and the Newcastle man played just 31 matches altogether, bespeaking his clinical style.

Now, while Isak would prove an incredible, level-raising signing, have Liverpool not already added Ekitike to their ranks? Data-led site FBref even reveal that the Newcastle man is one of Ekitike’s most statistically comparable players.

And with Liverpool already such a devastating attacking force, the French forward is in the perfect place to foster his burgeoning skills.

Highest-scoring Premier League Clubs (24/25)

Rank

Club

Position

Goals

1.

Liverpool

1st

80

2.

Man City

4th

66

3.

Newcastle

3rd

65

4.

Arsenal

2nd

63

5.

Tottenham

16th

62

Data via Premier League

However, Liverpool are but a Van Dijk injury away from disaster at the back, and it would be inconceivable to enter the fresh campaign, primed to defend their title, having sold themselves short in spite of such heavy spending.

That’s why Guehi’s signature could prove such an important one for Slot’s vision. Gomez simply isn’t reliable enough to serve as the skipper and Konate’s deputy, having missed the entire second half of the 2024/25 campaign with a hamstring injury; he returned in May but failed to make it off the bench.

Liverpool know that they need to get their purse out once again this summer, turning away from the spending up front and fashioning a complete and deep defensive line.

There are many centre-halves who could make a difference, but Guehi would be the pick of the bunch, and he might even prove a more important signing than Isak when the campaign is well and truly underway.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Jul 26, 2025