It wasn’t special bowling but a case of the West Indies batsmen giving away their wickets, the middle-order batsman explained

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-20192:39

We tried too hard with our short-ball plan – Roston Chase

Responding to India’s 297, each of West Indies’ top-eight batsmen got into double figures, but only four of them crossed 20 and Roston Chase’s 48 was the highest score. That left the home side at a precarious 189 for 8 at the end of the second day of the North Sound Test, and “we gave away our wickets a little too easy” was Chase’s explanation of the stuttering batting display.John Campbell was aggressive in a first-wicket stand of 36 with Kraigg Brathwaite, but once he fell, and his partner became the first of Ishant Sharma’s five victims on the day, there weren’t many partnerships of note, the 44-run alliance between Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer for the sixth wicket the best of them.Earlier this year, West Indies beat England 2-1 in a three-Test series at home. The middle-order batsmen played excellent hands then, but there were contributions from the top too, which Chase said the team needed desperately against India too.ALSO READ: Monga – Ishant Sharma, exorcising one ghost at a time”I thought that in that series, what we did well [was] we had some good opening partnerships. We saw off the new ball, that made it easier for the middle order, and we were able to just come out and play freely before the bowlers, being that fresh, full of energy, chirping in the field, stuff like that …” he said. “I just think that that’s where we need to knuckle down with our top-order batting.”We usually contribute very well in the middle order but I think our top order needs to pull a little more weight and bring some scores to the table.”Roston Chase plays one off the back foot•AFPOn Friday, every once in a way, the West Indies batsmen looked like they were settling down and bedding in for a defining partnership, but it never quite came. Worse for the team, as Chase said, none of the batsmen were done in by spectacular bowling.”Most of our guys got starts but we give away our wickets a little too easy today, didn’t really knuckle down and get that big score we were looking for,” Chase said. “I find it (the pitch) has quickened up, because on the first day, it had a little bit of moisture, so the ball was slowing a bit. It’s coming on to the bat quite nicely. Our batsmen could have used that to our advantage, but we gave our wickets away today.”Just a lapse in concentration, I guess, because none of us got any really special delivery, any unplayable delivery, it was just poor on our part to give our wickets away to such ordinary deliveries.”Chase’s own dismissal was an example of the “lapse in concentration”, as he reached out to flick Ishant to KL Rahul at midwicket. Before that, he did look like he would pull off one more of the sort of innings in home conditions that he has made a name for.”My thought process was just to stay hungry at the crease, to get my team as close as possible to the lead. But I gave it away. I thought it was looking good, it was going through my process, sticking to my game plan, but a lapse in concentration cost me my wicket,” Chase said. “For me, the ball didn’t do much, it was straight. I just thought I did not let it come to me as much as I should have.”I just went a little bit too much in front of my body. That’s what caused the ball to go in the air. I could have played with softer hands and let the ball come to me a bit more and just tuck it behind square for one.”

None of us got any really special delivery, any unplayable delivery, it was just poor on our part to give our wickets away to such ordinary deliveries

When India batted, Kemar Roach and Co had reduced them to 25 for 3 – the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli among them – but the visiting side fought back to reach nearly 300, the 60-run stand for the eighth wicket between Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant hurting the West Indians the most.”I thought that after our initial quick burst on top with the early wickets, the Indian batsmen really applied themselves well. Parternships are always big in Test cricket, and I thought that our bowlers really stuck to the task at hand,” Chase said. “This morning, we got the early wickets we were looking for but I thought that we tried a bit too hard, we didn’t stick to coming down the channel, we tried a bit too hard with the short-ball plan and stuff like that. And it cost us.”Our energy went down a bit after the partnership built. I guess Jadeja and Ishant fed off that. We played into their hands and we tried too much things. But after we got that wicket, we wrapped it up pretty quickly, so that was still good for us. I thought we could have used that momentum going into the innings, but, as I said, we didn’t really use the conditions to our favour.”

Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly considering dropping Florian Wirtz for Germany's Euro 2024 last-16 clash against Denmark.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Nagelsmann plotting a surprise changeCould bench Wirtz against DenmarkFullkrug might pair up with Havertz WHAT HAPPENED?

According to despite Germany's solid start to the tournament, the former Bayern Munich manager is considering dropping one of his brightest young stars, Wirtz, in favour of a more experienced and physically imposing front line. The 21-year-old prodigy from Bayer Leverkusen scored Germany's opening goal of the tournament against Scotland and entered the summer as one of the most promising young talents in global football. Despite his early contributions, Wirtz's performances have waned slightly, particularly in matches against Hungary and Switzerland, leading Nagelsmann to consider his exclusion from the starting lineup.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal's Kai Havertz has been deployed as Germany's No. 9 throughout the tournament. On the other hand, Niclas Fullkrug, who has been used primarily as a substitute, boasts an impressive record with two goals in just 73 minutes of play. This has sparked a debate on who should lead Germany's attack. The solution Nagelsmann is pondering might be to start both players, with Havertz in a deeper role as a No. 10 and Fullkrug as the central striker – which means Wirtz needs to be sacrificed.

DID YOU KNOW?

Nagelsmann believes this tactical shift would provide Germany with a more robust attacking option. It would also likely see Ilkay Gundogan and Jamal Musiala, both in fine form, retain their positions in the midfield – a key aspect to lend balance to the German side in transitions.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GERMANY?

In the lead-up to Saturday's match, Nagelsmann is expected to utilise the remaining training sessions to finalise his strategy and ensure his team is well-prepared. Denmark, who managed a resilient 1-1 draw against England, will pose a significant challenge and the manager believes that the tactical tweak would help his men to slice open the Danes.

The India captain also believes competition in Test cricket has gone up at least two-fold over the last couple of years

Alagappan Muthu20-Aug-2019

Getty Images

Test match batting is in decline. That’s what India captain Virat Kohli feels in an age when pitches have become result-oriented and bowlers have raised their game several-fold.In just the last two years, various teams have suffered outrageous collapses. England were knocked over for 58 by New Zealand’s swing and seam. New Zealand were sucker-punched from 61 for 1 to 90 all out by Pakistan’s spin. India themselves were brushed aside on a lush green pitch at Lord’s, making only 107 after promising so much more during their tour of England in 2018.Pitched a question by Ian Bishop during Cricket West Indies’ awards night about whether modern-day batsmen have been doing enough, Kohli replied, “Well, if I have to be brutally honest, I don’t think us batsmen have lived up to the standard. We have travelled a lot over the past year-and-a-half and it’s been challenging. We lost in England but won in Australia because the batsmen pulled up.”That was when Cheteshwar Pujara, the team’s mainstay at No. 3, had the series of his life, scoring 521 runs in seven innings, including three centuries, against a bowling attack that featured Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.”As much as individuals stand out,” Kohli said, “I think it’s about batting well as a team and every team wants to put up a strong total on the board for the bowlers to come in and capitalise.”Meanwhile, West Indies captain Jason Holder hoped he and his fast bowling team-mates could continue the good work shown during their last Test series, a 2-1 victory over England in February 2019, in the upcoming World Test Championship games against India.Jason Holder in his delivery stride•Getty Images

“I think over the last two-three years, our fast bowlers have really led us,” he said. “They’ve done everything I can ask of them, particularly Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, who have probably led our bowling attack for the last two-three years. It’s just a matter for them to stay hungry and stay fit and I think they’ve set a really good example for the other fast bowlers to follow.”We’ve had young Alzarri Joseph playing in the last series. Unfortunately, he got injured, but even he came into his own and really showed some promising signs as a very, very young fast bowler. You know, I had an interesting conversation with a few other team-mates before about how impressive he was and the maturity he showed in that series and I think it’s all due to the fact that people like Kemar and Shannon have been really leading the way for them, nurturing them in their journey in Test cricket.”So once we continue to build as a side and players get more confidence and obviously the experience of playing Test cricket, then we can probably keep rising and go up the rankings.”Kohli responded with the batsman’s perspective, saying there were tough times ahead. Case in point is the ongoing Ashes series, which has shown that bowlers who are still very early in their careers have crazy skills. Twenty-four-year old Jofra Archer looks every bit the leader of England’s attack after only one Test while on the opposite side, 26-year-old Pat Cummins is ranked No. 1 with 914 rating points. Only four other men in the history of Test cricket have managed to earn more.”As you rightly said, the bowlers have really come into their own,” Kohli said. “And as Jason mentioned their bowling attack is as lethal as anyone’s in home conditions. So we know we’re up against a big challenge here in red-ball cricket. It’s always going to be hard work, especially in Test cricket, when the bowling group knows what they’re doing and that happens to be the case with all teams around the world.”People have been talking about Test cricket not being relevant or dying down but for me the competition has gone up at least two-fold over the last couple of years. It’s really up to the players to take the challenge up and go for victories. That’s obviously going to be the essence of this Test championship as well. There’ll hardly be any boring draws, there’ll be exciting draws because everyone is gonna want those extra points. So yeah, I think batsmanship is always going to be hard at Test level but even harder now in the Test championship because every decision is going to count in the larger scheme of things.”

Of course, everyone looks forward to watching stars like Jude Bellingham grace the field at Euro 2024, but some fans enjoy the finer things in life, like picking up dirt-cheap beer and soaking in the atmosphere of fanzones.

However, drinking does have its negatives, as the emotion of football and the intoxication can often lead to scraps and needless arguments between fanbases, which has put a downer on events in previous tournaments gone by.

Regardless of this, heading down the pub before the game is a necessity in most football fans' pre-match ritual, so Football FanCast has tried to gather all the best information on potential prices and the best locations for fans heading to Germany this summer…

England locations at Euro 2024

England's three group stage games will all be played in different locations and cities in Germany, so fans will have a bit of exploring and travelling to do in between fixtures.

Sunday, June 16 – Group C: Serbia vs England (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen – kick-off 8pm UK time)

Thursday, June 20 – Group C: Denmark vs England (Waldstadion, Frankfurt – kick-off 5pm UK time)

Tuesday, June 25 – Group C: England vs Slovenia (RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne – kick-off 8pm UK time)

Euro 2024: The ultimate England guide for fans

FFC has created the ultimate hub to track all of England’s fixtures, tickets, kits, tables, locations and how to watch ahead of Euro 2024.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 5, 2024

Gelsenkirchen

Of course, there's no pinpointing the exact price of beers, wines and cigarettes as everywhere may differ in pricing in Gelsenkirchen, but typically these prices on average are what you'll find, as per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

One thing you'll notice when looking at other areas in this guide, is that Gelsenkirchen appears to be pretty good for food, so be sure to make the most of that if your trip brings you here.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.13
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.31
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.3 litre bottle)	£3.24
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£3.24
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£3.63
Table wine	£5.89
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£6.45
Fast food combo	£6.83
Meal in a budget restaurant	£8.54
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£38.43

Frankfurt

England fans can potentially enjoy a slightly cheaper pint in Frankfurt, but nothing too crazy in terms of discounts. Sadly, meals generally are more expensive if you like to wine and dine with your mates, but fast food is always a good cheap alternative, as per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will typically find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.13
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.31
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.3 litre bottle)	£3.42
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£3.42
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£3.55
Table wine	£5.12
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£5.98
Fast food combo	£7.51
Meal in a budget restaurant	£11.96
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£51.24

Cologne

If you're headed to Cologne, you can expect to pay a little bit less on average for your drinks, so this might be the destination for you to loosen up just a little bit and hopefully celebrate England's qualification from the group. In terms of food, this is kind of the midpoint when it comes to price in comparison to the previous two destinations, as per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will typically find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£1.62
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.05
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.48
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£2.90
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£3.46
Table wine	£5.98
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£5.98
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	£7.69
Meal in a budget restaurant	£11.10
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£46.97

Scotland locations at Euro 2024

Scotland have the pleasure of playing the opening game of the tournament against Germany at Bayern Munich's home ground, the Allianz Arena. After the opening game, fans will need to travel to Cologne and then on to Stuttgart to catch their side's final two games.

Friday, June 14, 2024 – Group A: Germany vs Scotland (Allianz Arena, Munich)

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 – Group A: Scotland vs Switzerland (RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne)

Sunday, June 23, 2024: Group A: Scotland vs Hungary (MHPArena, Stuttgart)

Euro 2024 stadium profiles

Football FanCast provides a guide for every Euro 2024 stadium.

By
Alex Roberts

Dec 3, 2023

Munich

Scotland fans have the pleasure of seeing their side kick off the tournament against hosts Germany at the Allianz Arena in Germany.

But, it isn't all good news for fans, as this is the most expensive place on average on the list, apart from the pint of beer, as per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will typically find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.48
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.65
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£3.40
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.33 litre bottle)	£3.59
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£3.84
Table wine	£6
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£6.83
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	£7.69
Meal in a budget restaurant	£12.81
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£51.24

Cologne

After the slightly higher prices of Munich, fans can enjoy a much more relaxed average price across the board, with smaller draughts and bottles of beers typically selling for under £3. And, you can even venture out to restaurants for cheaper to escape the McDonald's you might have opted for before and after the opening game, with a very respectable price of around £11 for a meal.

As per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will typically find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£1.62
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.05
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.48
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£2.90
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£3.46
Table wine	£5.98
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£5.98
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	£7.69
Meal in a budget restaurant	£11.10
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£46.97

Stuttgart

The moment Scottish fans have all been waiting for, as the average price of a pint slips below £3 in Stuttgart. However, there is a bit of a catch, as the price of food and cigarettes sees a slight rise from the previous location.

As per Hikers Bay and various other sources.

Disclaimer – these are the prices you will typically find at pubs/restaurants. They may be cheaper in supermarkets.

Item	Price
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.13
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	£2.54
Domestic beer at a bar/pub (1 pint draught)	£2.99
Imported beer at a restaurant (0.33 litre bottle)	£3.42
Domestic beer at a restaurant (0.5 litre draught)	£3.42
Table wine	£5.98
1 pack of Marlboro cigarettes	£6.83
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	£7.86
Meal in a budget restaurant	£10.24
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	£51.23

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense contou com uma grata novidade em sua atividade nesta sexta-feira. Recuperado após ter contraído Covid-19, o zagueiro David Braz realizou seu treinamento no gramado do CT Carlos Castilho. O recém-contratado atleta se recondiciona fisicamente, e ainda não tem previsão de ser relacionado pelo técnico Roger Machado.

À tarde, o jogador de 34 anos fez trabalhos demusculação na academia e, em seguida, deu voltas ao redor de um dos gramados do CT. David Braz ainda não faz parte da rotina de atividades ao lado do restante do elenco.

David Braz se apresentou ao Tricolor das Laranjeiras na terça-feira passada, quando chegou ao fim o período de dez dias de isolamento desde que foi confirmado o teste positivo para Covid-19. Inicialmente, ele fez só avaliações físicas e trabalhou a parte física na academia.

O defensor assinou com o Fluminense até abril de 2023. Ele não atua desde 9 de abril, quando defendeu o Grêmio na partida com o Independiente del Valle, na fase inicial de mata-mata da Libertadores.

RelacionadasVaivémManchester City compra joia do Fluminense, Santos perto de perder dupla importante… O Dia do MercadoVaivém23/04/2021Futebol NacionalGanso não foi relacionado contra o River Plate! Veja 20 meias que estão sem espaço e podem reforçar o seu timeFutebol Nacional23/04/2021FluminenseNa Copa do Brasil, Fluminense pode conseguir sua ‘revanche’ no mata-mata contra algoz antigoFluminense23/04/2021

كشف أحمد سالم، المتحدث الرسمي لنادي الزمالك، حقيقة وصول خطاب من الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم بشأن إيقاف القيد.

وشهدت الساعات الماضية، أنباءً حول تلقي الزمالك، خطابًا يفيد إيقاف قيد الصفقات الجديدة.

طالع..خاص | جوميز يحسم موقفه النهائي من تعاقد الزمالك مع إيجاريا

وقال أحمد سالم، في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبرة قناة أون تايم سبورتس 2: “حتى الآن لم نتلقَ خطابًا بإيقاف قيد الزمالك”.

وتابع: “بخصوص وصول 160 ألف دولار من حمدي النقاز، لاعب الفريق الزمالك لم يصلنا أي شيء”.

وأكمل بخصوص أزمة بوبيندزا: “حسب ما علمنا، فإن النادي الروماني يتواصل مع الفيفا، والاتحاد الدولي يتواصل مع اتحاد الكرة، وأبلغهم أن البطاقة متواجدة لديهم وأنها ملك لنادي الزمالك”.

وأتم: “التجديد لعبد الله السعيد؟ حتى الآن لا توجد إجراءات نعلن عنها، السعيد حاليًا عمود أساسي من أعمدة النادي ورمز وأسطورة وقدوة، ويشرفنا ويسعدنا التجديد له”.

نحن متمسكون بزيزو، وهو من رموز الزمالك، والعكس صحيح، وكلنا شاهدنا ذلك، الزمالك متمسك به.

 

Nottingham Forest could be set for a major windfall in the coming transfer windows after it has emerged that the club hierarchy are already expecting to receive a record fee for one of their "outstanding" Premier League stars.

Forest finding their feet under new boss Nuno

After parting ways with club legend Steve Cooper, Forest have struggled for results under new boss Nuno Espírito Santo. Their 2-0 win over West Ham in their most recent outing was their first Premier League win of the calendar year, and they continue to look down nervously at the relegation spots.

Related Nottingham Forest may have the perfect Awoniyi heir in academy sensation

He joined the club from a Premier League rival this summer.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Feb 21, 2024

As things stand, they sit four points clear of Luton Town, with the Hatters occupying the final relegation spot. Between the two sides sit Everton, with the Toffees only above Luton on goal difference. But with 40 points considered the benchmark for guaranteed Premier League survival, Nuno's side are still in need of a string of results to ensure that they do not spend next season in the second tier of English football, especially with a potential 10 point deduction looming should they be found guilty of breaching financial fair play regulations.

Forest's next five Premier League fixtures

Aston Villa (A)

Liverpool (H)

Luton (A)

Crystal Palace (H)

Fulham (H)

Despite the lack of results, there have been some standout performances at the City ground, and one man in particular has been catching the eye.

Reds chiefs expect to eclipse Johnson sale

Undoubtedly currently the jewel in the Forest crown, young defender Murillo has made a massive impact in a short time at the club.

Murillo has reportedly previously caught the eye of Manchester City, but opted for regular Premier League football with Forest and his short stint in the Premier League has left him no shortage of suitors. Still just 21 years old, the Brazilian centre-back has been hailed as an "outstanding" talent by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, and placed in the same bracket as exciting Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.

“I remember being a young lad going in myself at Liverpool and it’s an unforgiving position, I had to go to full-back for the next three or four years and then go back to centre-back, so you can see the quality we have”, he told Monday Night Football.

“(Jarrad) Branthwaite has been outstanding, Murillo I think has been outstanding too.”

Now, The Telegraph report that the Midlands outfit are already expecting Murillo to become their new-record sale, overcoming the summer departure of Brennan Johnson. Johnson joined Tottenham for £47.5m, but there is an expectation that Murillo will now be far more expensive than that should anyone wish to try and prise him away from the City ground any time soon.

It would represent a major return on the £11m investment that Forest made on the young defender, and is further evidence of the good business that has been done by the club in recent windows, though there have too been some mistakes.

Under contract until 2028, Forest will be under no pressure to part ways with Murillo unless they are in danger of breaching financial fair play again, something that they are currently under investigation for alongside Everton.

Newcastle United have had quite a turbulent campaign so far. In their most recent outing against Arsenal, the Magpies managed to concede four goals during what was one of their worst losses of the season.

Eddie Howe's men have managed to go from qualifying for the Champions League to a mid-table Premier League side in a matter of months, and it feels as if the squad of 2022/23 are no longer there.

Indeed, Newcastle have gone through something of an injury crisis this term with multiple first-team players being sidelined together on more than one occasion.

However, with the players who were fit, they should've had more than enough quality to still perform competitively in England's top flight.

But, this hasn't been the case for the Magpies with many of their reliable players from last season not performing up to the standards expected.

One of those in particular is that of Miguel Almiron. 2022/23 was by far and away the most prolific of the Paraguay international's Newcastle career after he was involved in a total of 25 goals across all competitions in just 41 games.

Miguel Almiron's season in numbers so far

Despite only being sidelined for a total of two games this term, the 30-year-old has only managed to contribute to seven goals.

Although this is half of what he managed last season, he has played way more than half of the games he played throughout 2023/24.

At the time of writing, Almiron has played 36 matches in total and is yet to hit a combined total of five goals or assists in any individual competition.

Additionally, in Newcastle's most recent game against Arsenal, the winger somehow managed to have fewer touches on the ball than goalkeeper Loris Karius during what was a poor performance.

As per Sofascore, Karius amassed a total of 43 touches, whereas, Almiron managed less than half of that and ended up with 21 until he was taken off in the 64th minute.

Not only this, but, during the entirety of the time the £60k-per-week winger was on the pitch, he failed to register a shot or key pass.

Minutes played

64

Touches

21

Accurate passes

13/16 (81%)

Key passes

0

Crosses

0/1

Dribbles

0/1

Shots

0

Duels won

3/6

These are not the things you want to see from one of your star starting players, especially after having his best campaign last time out. As a result, dropping him to the bench for tonight's FA Cup tie with Blackburn Rovers could be for the best.

Newcastle's Miguel Almiron replacement

Although Newcastle's injuries hinder their attacking options somewhat, there are a plethora of options for Howe to look into when replacing Almiron.

The most obvious choice would be that of Harvey Barnes. Signed in the summer for a fee worth £38m, the former Leicester man has been sidelined for some time due to injury but has since returned and appeared on the bench.

When fit, the winger has played 11 times and has managed to contribute to two goals so far. Although these statistics don't scream 'upgrade', the injuries the England international has suffered need to be taken into account.

His appearances have been scattered with Barnes missing a total of 27 fixtures through injury this season. So, his form can't really be a fair judgment of his footballing prowess.

If injuries allow it, having an extended run in the team could be highly beneficial for Barnes and could potentially reinvigorate the Magpies' squad. That may well start with Blackburn on Tuesday evening.

Leeds United travel to Wales to take on Swansea City in the Championship tonight, and they could end the evening in the automatic promotion places.

The Whites are one point behind Southampton in second and will move ahead of Russell Martin's side if the Saints fail to beat Bristol City away from home in their 8 pm kick-off and they beat the Swans.

Daniel Farke's men are aiming for promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, having been relegated to the second tier at the end of last season, and are in the running to secure a top two finish alongside the likes of Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester.

The Yorkshire-based outfit head into this clash with Swansea off the back of a 3-0 win over bottom-of-the-league Rotherham, and the German head coach could look to make some changes to his starting XI to deal with the relentless fixture list.

One alteration the former Norwich City tactician should make is to bring Joel Piroe back into the side to provide him with an opportunity to impress against his former club as the starting number nine.

This would involve dropping Patrick Bamford from the team to reunite the front two that started the season with the Dutch ace up alongside Georginio Rutter.

Patrick Bamford's performance against Rotherham

It may seem harsh on paper to ditch the English centre-forward from the starting line-up after he scored the opening goal against the Millers but it was far from an impressive performance by the attacker.

The 30-year-old marksman's goal came in controversial circumstances as Junior Firpo's deflected cross appeared to be diverted into the back of the net by the outstretched arm of Bamford, which was missed by the officials who awarded the goal.

Had the referee spotted the handball and disallowed the goal, or if it had happened in the Premier League with VAR in use, then the ex-Chelsea prospect's display may have been viewed through a different lens.

Minutes

75

Pass accuracy

63%

Key passes

Zero

Shots

Five

Duels contested

Six

Duels won

One

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the rest of his performance left a lot to be desired as he struggled in and out of possession throughout the game.

Rotherham's defenders found it far too easy to get the better of Bamford, who lost three of his four battles on the ground and both of his aerial contests.

The experienced striker's lack of creativity, along with his lacklustre passing, may also have been a bigger issue if he had not been awarded the goal for the opener, especially when you consider that the Leeds forward missed his other four shot attempts.

Bamford's struggles against the Miller, coupled with three Championship games in a week, could see him ditched, or rested, for Farke to unleash Piroe from the start.

Joel Piroe's goalscoring potential

The Dutch marksman has only scored one goal in his last seven league appearances for the Whites but his overall record in the division suggests that his current form is nothing more than a blip.

He found the back of the net nine times in his first 23 Championship matches this season – with all nine of those coming in 20 outings for Leeds after his transfer from Swansea in August.

The Whites snapped him up from the Welsh side after Piroe had proven himself as a prolific scorer at that level across two seasons with the Swans.

Piroe moved to Wales in the summer of 2021 and racked up an eye-catching 22 goals and six assists in 40 starts, from an Expected Goals of just 16.67.

The left-footed dynamo followed that up with a return of 19 goals and two assists in 43 Championship matches, from an xG of 13.20 throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

Piroe, who was lauded as "clinical" by journalist Josh Bunting, then made the switch to Leeds and has produced ten goals from an xG of 7.73.

In total, the 24-year-old ace has plundered an impressive 51 goals from just 37.6 xG since the start of the 2021/22 Championship campaign, which speaks to his superb finishing and scoring ability at that level.

He is a proven goalscorer in the second tier and his recent struggles in front of goal should not put Farke off from starting him, particularly against his former club where the striker may have added motivation to make an impact.

Georginio Rutter's creative brilliance

The Dutch centre-forward should also have plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net with Rutter in his new-look number ten role, rather than being the starting number nine.

Leeds' French wizard has the creative quality to split open the Swansea defence at will to create high-quality chances for Piroe in front of goal.

Shot-creating actions (4.43)

Top 2%

Assists (0.36)

Top 4%

Expected Assisted Goals (0.35)

Top 2%

Progressive passes (4.15)

Top 5%

Successful take-ons (3.04)

Top 1%

Rutter vs forwards (via FBref)

As you can see in the table above, the former Hoffenheim prospect has been one of the best forwards in the Championship at creating chances and progressing the play through passes and take-ons for his team.

Rutter can pass and dribble through teams to provide assists for his teammates, which has led to 19 'big chances' created and ten assists in 30 league outings in total.

These statistics show that the 21-year-old has the quality to lay chances on a plate for Piroe from the number ten position, which could allow the 6 foot 1 striker to flourish up front.

Whereas, earlier this season, Farke's side lined up with the former Swansea star in the hole and Rutter as the main centre-forward, albeit they were both able to switch at times depending on the state of the play.

Overall, the pair have the potential to be a lethal combination at the top end of the pitch for Leeds with their respective creativity and finishing qualities in the final third, which is why the German boss should drop Bamford to unleash them together against the Swans in Wales this evening.

Jasprit Bumrah’s 5 for 7 – the least expensive five-wicket haul by an Indian in Tests – helped hurry India towards a record 318-run win over West Indies in Antigua. That five-for also helped Bumrah become the first bowler from Asia to take five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England, Australia and West Indies. And beyond the numbers, he impressed two Antiguan fast-bowling greats – Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose – with his clarity of thought, game sense and aggression.So impressed was Roberts that, in an interview with the , he called Bumrah the “best Indian fast bowler I have seen”.”In my time, it was all spin,” he said, thinking back to the India attacks of the past. “Good ones, but they wouldn’t win you matches overseas. India had Kapil Dev and some others, but we never thought they could produce someone as lethal as Bumrah. He’s the best Indian fast bowler I have seen.”Roberts, part of the great pace quartets that also included Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall, described how Bumrah’s unorthodox run-up and action broke the mental rhythm of batsmen as they prepared to face him. But what made the India bowler truly special, he felt, was his game sense and thinking, which belie the fact that he only made his Test debut in January 2018, and has only played only 11 games in the format.”When a bowler is running in, you should look at the batsmen. They are settling into a mental rhythm of their own in their mind,” Roberts said. “They are visualising the bowler, his action, the leap, the load-up, the release and things like that. Their thought processes are conditioned in such a way that if he’s a side-on bowler, the ball will come like that, if it’s high-arm it would come in a different way. Or the longer the run-up, the quicker the ball will be. With Bumrah, the batsmen have little time to get into their mental rhythm.”Look at everything else he does, he’s classical. He moves two balls into the batsmen, and the other one goes away. Then two away from him, and then one into him. This is how we did, this is how fast bowlers have operated over the years. But the best one knows how, where and when to bowl. And Bumrah seems to have this awareness, which usually takes a lot of time to develop, a lot of experience. But how old is he? How many Tests has he played? He’s a quick learner, isn’t he?”To me, it has been the most striking feature of him. Some call it maturity. I call it game sense. There seems to be clarity in his thinking, and that automatically shows in his bowling. Some bowlers, very skillful ones, don’t develop it even 10 years after they had played the game. That’s the biggest thing for a fast bowler, to learn how to use your head.”Jasprit Bumrah is swarmed by his team-mates•Getty Images

The game sense also impressed Ambrose, who said Bumrah’s ability to size up and adjust his lengths according to surfaces and batsmen reminded him of his long-time new-ball partner Courtney Walsh.”He’s good at varying his lengths, depending on the surfaces and batsmen,” Ambrose told the . “I saw that in the World Cup, how he adjusted (and altered) his lengths according to the conditions and batsmen. That makes life difficult for batsmen.”(In this regard), he reminds me a bit of Courtney (Walsh) a bit. He was wonderful in sizing up the length and bowling accordingly.”Ambrose also said Bumrah’s quiet demeanour did not make him any less aggressive on the field.”I’m not talking about body language here. I’m not talking about being hostile. Aggression is not always about what you show outwards. Some show, some don’t. It depends on the individual’s nature,” Ambrose said. “To me, it’s about how you bowl, the aggression of the delivery. And Bumrah shows a lot of it.”Could Bumrah have fitted into the fearsome West Indies attacks of the past?Roberts suggested Bumrah’s unconventional action would have added a different dimension to the attacks he was part of.”It’s the strangest action that I have seen on a cricket field,” he said. “I need to study that for a longer time to understand the mechanics of his action. But if he were born here back in our days, we would have had him. A freak was the only element missing in our bowling line-up. In fact, Bumrah is the only variety of bowler we had never produced. Then I don’t think even India would produce one like him again.”Ambrose went even further in his praise.”At times, he rekindles memories of our prime,” he said. “The pace, aggression, the hostility, the craft. The way he outclasses the batsmen, the way he out-thinks them. He could have been one of us, he’s so complete a bowler that he could have played in any era.”