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The India coach feels in all the time he has been doing the job, this was the best performance from India “as a batting unit, as a catching unit and as a bowling unit”

Nagraj Gollapudi at Trent Bridge22-Aug-20180:41

‘India are nearly the best travelling team in the world’ – Shastri

How big a victory is this?
In the four years I have been doing this job, if you look at a clinical performance overseas, this has to be the best. South Africa [the Wanderers Test victory] was gutsy, that was a nasty track. But this was clinical. When you look at all three departments, they stood up. As a batting unit, as a catching unit and as a bowling unit.After all the backlash at home following the Lord’s Test, how happy are you with the batsmen coming into form and sort of making a statement?
Was there a backlash at home? Because we don’t read what’s written back home. Yes, disappointed because we ran England close in the first Test match. We are blown away at Lord’s, so we needed to prove a point. And all I asked the boys was to give me some accountability and they were simply magnificent in all three departments of the game.What was said in the change room between the Tests, because for a team 2-nil down to come back is not easy. To mentally keep standing is difficult, so what was said?
Very little practice, mental rest.What was your message to the players?
Clear your heads and show me some accountability.Can you expand on how you wanted the batsmen to apply themselves?
Mental discipline. Get tough mentally. You are going to look ugly. You will have to leave a lot of balls. There is no shortcut. You will have to grind the opposition down when the opposition has Broad and Anderson, who have got close to a 1000 wickets between them playing in their conditions. There is no shortcuts. I don’t care who you are. You have got to tell yourself, if I need a hundred I have to bat five hours. Five-six hours to get a hundred. So you challenge yourself to bat those five-six hours, not one-two hours.Don Bradman’s team is the only team to have won from 2-0 down, Australia’s 3-2 win in 1936-37 Ashes. Is that something you’re going to tell the boys, because it is huge, the relevance of this victory…
1936-37, I wasn’t even born man! Why are you reminding me of ’36-37? One match at a time, we live in the present, okay? One game at a time. Nottingham is over. There’s a break and we move to Southampton and start afresh. Take a fresh guard. 2018.England put India in to bat. Do you think that decision was because they thought they could blow the Indian batsmen away?
I can see where England came from because India had been dismissed so cheaply at Lord’s. They must have thought why not get a crack at India early. And if we [England] can rattle them early and bowl them out on day one, you might have the advantage. But then again, our boys showed a lot of character, withstood that test and came out with flying colours.You would have batted first?
We would’ve batted, yeah.Is this the best pace attack India has ever had?
By a mile. By a mile. No team comes even close.Do you reckon India will have the upper hand going into the last two Tests?
They [India] will be thinking positively, but this is over. Like I said, you start afresh. Take one day at a time and execute your plans to the best of your ability. If you can do that, you will always compete.The message before this Test was mental discipline. What message do you give them now?
Same thing. We have had three back-to-back Test matches. It has been hard. Take a break. Remember all the good things you did in this Test match and take it forward. But remember you have got to start afresh.Can you give us an update on R Ashwin’s fitness?
Ashwin will be okay. The fact that he bowled 20-25 overs clearly suggests it [the hip injury] is not that bad. This break will be ideal for him. If there was a Test match starting in three days’ time, then it would have been a problem.Is Bhuvneshwar Kumar fit and available for selection for the last two Tests?
I have not had a word with the selectors, but they will be picking the side either today or tomorrow.

Four full days of wall-to-wall NCAA tournament failed to create a single real Cinderella as Arkansas is the only team seeded worse than No. 6 to advance into the Sweet 16. Tenth-seeded Colorado State could have joined them but their dreams ended when Maryland's Derik Queen banked in the tournament's first true buzzer-beater. On balance, the 48 games played over the long weekend were not consistently compelling and scholars may argue that the beginning of this year's big dance was among the least exciting in a long, long time.

On the other hand, the television partners drew record ratings and there are some awesome heavyweight matchups slated to begin on Thursday night. But before anyone gets too excited about those, paused to consider if we may have all just watched the beginning of the end for the sport of college basketball as a whole.

Stephen A. Smith began Monday morning by looking into the camera and offering a grim warning about what would happen if Cinderellas became a thing of the past.

"If this continues, it will be the death of college basketball," Smith said.

Now, if you're thinking "didn't NIL become available to college athletes in 2021 and haven't there been some amazing runs from teams like Saint Peter's, Princeton to go along with Florida Atlantic and San Diego State making the same Final Four," just know that you'll feel silly when this whole thing comes crashing down.

Chelsea faltered yet again against Bournemouth, giving up a 1-0 lead to go 2-1 down in the second half at Stamford Bridge. Luckily for Enzo Maresca’s side, club captain Reece James managed to score a 95th-minute freekick after returning from injury this week, to rescue the Blues a point.

An inability to hold onto their leads, starting second halves slowly and then losing control of games as the team comes under adversity, have all been common themes of late for Maresca’s men. In recent weeks, the Blues have lost 1-0 leads to Fulham, Crystal Palace and now Bournemouth, also dropping points against Ipswich and Everton.

Whilst a big part of this is the inexperience and age of the squad, the balance has also been off since the injury to Wesley Fofana, which could see the Chelsea directors move in the January transfer window for a replacement for their star right central defender.

Chelsea's search for a centre-back

According to reports from GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, Chelsea have been keeping an eye on Sporting defender, Ousmane Diomande, scouting the 21-year-old in the Taca de Liga final last weekend.

Transfer Focus

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

Reports from before the summer window in 2024 stated his price would be somewhere around his €80 million release clause (£67m).

Other names the Blues are said to be watching in Portugal include Benfica pair, Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva, as Chelsea look primed to move on from Crystal Palace defender, Marc Guehi.

Diomande has made 25 appearances so far this season, contributing to ten clean sheets in all competitions, totalling 1,893 minutes played.

Diomande vs Fofana comparison

Fofana has made 12 appearances for Chelsea this season (all 12 coming in the Premier League), contributing to three clean sheets and totalling 1,017 minutes played. Maresca himself even praised Fofana, stating “I love Wes” and calling the Frenchman a “fighter”.

That said, Diomande has been described by Ben Mattinson as a “hybrid between Gabriel & [William] Saliba”, having the physical elements to his game, alongside the technical quality to progress the ball and play out from the back in an elite possession-based system.

That likeness to the Arsenal pairing – who have been dubbed the best centre-back duo in Europe by Rio Ferdinand – among other factors, ensures he could actually represent a perfect replacement for Fofana.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Diomande

Fofana

Progressive Carries

0.22

1.24

Progressive Passes

2.64

2.21

Passes Attempted

81.2

62.2

Pass Completion %

94.4%

89.6%

Passes into Final Third

2.47

3.89

Tackles

1.10

1.15

Blocks

0.55

1.24

Interceptions

1.15

1.06

Aerial Duels Won

2.69

2.04

When comparing the two players’ metrics from this season, you can see the added responsibility Diomande has on the ball, averaging more passes attempted and making more progressive passes for his side.

However, his progressive carries are down, due to playing in the middle of a back three this season, rather than as the wide central defender like he did last season, which is more similar to Fofana’s role under Maresca.

Both defenders excel with excellent physical attributes, having brilliant recovery pace, long leg extension to aid their ground duels and an aggressive nature when attacking the ball, helping them to win aerial duels and make the first contact.

Diomande would offer a brilliant replacement for Fofana, adding the attributes back to Maresca’s side that have been missing since the Frenchman’s injury. The main issue that could come up later down the line, is when Fofana returns to full fitness, who becomes the starter?

Their next Lampard: Chelsea planning massive bid to sign "world-class" ace

Chelsea could be down to clinch a stunning transfer in 2025.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 14, 2025

After officially parting ways with Gary O’Neil following a late 2-1 defeat against relegation rivals Ipswich Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly eyeing a potential replacement who is currently enjoying a six-game winning run.

Wolves sack Gary O'Neil

Many believed that West Ham United would be O’Neil’s final game in a battle against fellow under-pressure manager Julen Lopetegui. But even after another damning defeat, Wolves backed their manager and reiterated that he would receive the reinforcements that he so desperately needed in the January transfer window. One week later, however, defeat against Ipswich has proved to be a step too far and O’Neil has been shown the door.

Releasing a statement after sacking O’Neil, chairman Jeff Shi said: “We’re very grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work during his time at the club, and we wish him and his team the best of luck for the future.”

Sat four points adrift of Premier League safety and in the middle of a packed festive period of fixtures, the Midlands club must find their replacement as soon as possible and they must get their next appointment right.

Agents offer Wolves £13m deal for player who Tottenham are in talks for

Gary O’Neil is under serious pressure at Molineux.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 14, 2024

On that front, names such as David Moyes and more recently Vitor Pereira have been mentioned, with David Ornstein going as far to suggest that the Midlands club are working on a deal to appoint the Al-Shabab manager. But the former Fenerbahce boss isn’t the only one stealing the headlines.

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Wolves are now eyeing John Eustace to replace O’Neil following his impressive run of form in charge of Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, with the reliable reporter calling him one to watch.

The Blackburn boss has guided his side to six wins in a row and has taken them within five points of an automatic promotion place as a result. Taking them from a relegation battle to playoff contention, Eustace is a manager on the rise.

"Solid" Eustace lacks Premier League experience

Whilst Eustace deserves plenty of plaudits for his time in charge of Birmingham City, which came to an abrupt end in a decision that they would go onto regret, and now at Blackburn Rovers, Wolves are in no position to take a risk. Experience should be what they are looking for rather than what would be the unknown in the Premier League.

The likes of Moyes stand out as a far more assured appointment and one that is more likely to steady the ship at the Molineux. Eustace, meanwhile, does not have the experience to offer such a guarantee. Instead, the Blackburn boss could be an option to turn towards if Wolves manage to maintain their Premier League place and start fresh in the summer.

HLTCO is among those to have praised Eustace after he was controversially sacked by Birmingham, who suffered relegation as a result of dismissing their manager, having described the job he was doing at the time as “solid”.

Of course, it was Eustace who had the last laugh and whilst Birmingham sit in League One, he could receive the biggest job of his managerial career so far if Wolves come calling in the next week or so.

da stake casino： Everton have now made a move to sign a “commanding” £12 million player this month, according to a reliable journalist.

Everton transfer news

da luck： Given that the Friedkin Group have completed their takeover of the Toffees, there is hope among the supporters that January could be a busy month for them. Everton remain near the bottom end of the table, and Sean Dyche will hope funds becoming available will allow him to bring players in, and that will help them climb the Premier League table.

Related Everton keen on signing £7m+ defender to replace both Coleman and Young

This could be a much-needed upgrade.

Posts 1 ByHenry Jackson Jan 3, 2025

The Merseysiders have been linked with a move for Yunus Akgun recently, and he would be an exciting addition for Everton, as he’s scored five goals in six Europa League appearances this season. The Toffees are expected to “knock on Galatasaray’s door” this month and make an official offer. This is because one of the two positions that Everton are looking to strengthen is the wide area.

The Premier League side are also looking to bring in a new right-back, and they are keen on signing Elias Jelert, who also plays for Galatasaray. The Toffees are keen to bolster this area of the team, as both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman are not getting any younger, and they are keen to bring in a player for the future. The Turkish giants are willing to sell the player for around £7.4 million, so a move this month could happen if an offer arrives.

Everton make approach to sign "commanding" £12m player

As well as looking to sign a new right-back and winger, the Merseysiders are also looking to further strengthen their centre-back options, as according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon via Goodison News, Everton have made an approach to sign Juma Bah from Real Valladolid this month.

The 18-year-old joined the La Liga side on loan during the summer transfer window from AIK Freetong. Bah has impressed during his time at Valladolid, and he has now emerged on the radar of Everton, but a transfer doesn’t look as possible as the Toffees would have hoped for.

Nixon states that while Everton have made an approach to sign Bah, they would need to sell one of their defenders first before signing the 18-year-old. As well as Everton, Manchester City are also keen on landing the young defender, but Bah is against the idea of him being loaned out twice.

Therefore, given Everton and City’s situation, Inter Milan look set to complete the signing of Bah for around £12 million. If Everton are to beat Inter in the race to sign Bah, they will be hoping they can shift one of their current centre-backs on as quickly as possible.

Juma Bah’s Real Valladolid stats

Apps

10

Starts

8

Minutes per game

74

Clean sheets

1

Interceptions per game

1.0

Tackles per game

1.0

Balls recovered per 90

2.9

Clearances per 90

5.3

Bah has been rather impressive since joining Valladolid, and after he played for the club’s B team earlier this season, football analyst Chencho Alonso labelled Bah “commanding”. He said: “He was commanding and pushing forward, showcasing solid defensive concepts in movement and marking adjustments. He is very calm on the ball and plays simply.

“The next day, I said he would be called up in September for the first team, and on Saturday he was a starter.”

Three wickets in an over from Taskin killed Ireland’s revised chase of 104 in eight overs

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2023Rony Talukdar, Litton Das and excellent death bowling form Taskin Ahmed helped Bangladesh beat Ireland and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series in Chattogram. The home side won the rain-interrupted game by 22 runs.Talukdar made a rapid 67, adding 91 runs for the opening stand with Litton, who struck 47. The Ireland bowlers struggled to stop the boundary flow on a flat pitch.The play was, however, stopped between 3:37 pm and 5:40 pm local time due to the drizzle. It left the visitors with a revised target of 104 runs to chase in eight overs. They made a fist of it at the start, but Taskin, Hasan Mahmud and Shakib Al Hasan made sure Bangladesh did not let this game slip away from them.Taskin’s triple blowChasing at 13 runs an over, stand-in captain Paul Stirling and Ross Adair got Ireland off to a quick start. They scored 32 runs off the first two overs bowled by Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. But Bangladesh worked back into the game quickly.Mahmud shot back with three dot balls before yorking Adair for 13. Taskin then doubled down on Bangladesh’s momentum with three wickets in his first over. He cleaned up Lorcan Tucker off the first ball before bowling out Stirling for 17 in the fourth ball. George Dockrell was then caught at third-man for a duck the next ball.Shakib pull things back for BangladeshIreland fought back with 16 runs off Hasan Mahmud in the fifth over. Harry Tector struck three fours in the over, top-edging one delivery and hitting the other two for four cleanly. Shakib followed it up with a superb sixth over, giving away just five runs to bring Bangladesh back into the game.Mustafizur Rahman then bowled a seven-run penultimate over, mixing his cutters with full-length balls that Tector and Gareth Delany couldn’t quite hit. The equation came down to 31 off the last over. Taskin dismissed Tector in the first delivery to complete his four-wicket haul and conceded just nine runs off the final over.Rony Talukdar reached fifty off only 24 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh’s rapid startLitton signalled his intent in the first over, hitting Tector for a six over long-on in an 11-run over. Talukdar hit Adair for his first six in the 14-run second over, before Graham Hume pulled things back slightly in the third over. Craig Young went for 16 runs in his first over since returning to international cricket after last year’s groin injury. Litton hammered him for a six over midwicket, before picking him over wide long-off for a four.Legspinner Delany conceded just one six in the fifth over, before Adair got hit for 20 runs in the sixth over. After Litton nearly got caught at cover, Talukdar smashed Adair for a six over long-off and three more fours.The big over took Bangladesh to 81 for no loss, their highest score in a powerplay in T20Is. It beat their previous best of 76-4 against New Zealand in Dhaka in 2013. Young removed Litton in the eighth over, when he was caught at mid-off after mistiming a drive, having made 47 off 23 balls with seven boundaries including three sixes. The 91-run partnership is now Bangladesh’s highest first wicket stand.Talukdar hits maiden T20I fiftyLitton’s departure, however, didn’t help Ireland stem the flow of runs for Bangladesh. Talukdar reached his maiden T20I fifty in the ninth over. He took 24 balls with a nicely-timed four through cover-point. Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a six in his 13-ball 14 before Tector had him stumped in the 11th over. Shamim Hossain, promoted to No. 4, smashed Ben White for one of two sixes in the 12th over, which went for 18.Talukdar struck the other six, a massive hit over midwicket. He fell shortly afterwards missing a slog against Hume, having struck three sixes and seven fours in his 38-ball stay. Shamim was caught in the covers for a 20-ball 30 before Tohwid Hridoy was the fifth man out in the penultimate over.The win was largely set up by Bangladesh’s batters, who put up their third-highest total in T20Is.

Celtic were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Parkhead in the Champions League on Wednesday night after they failed to land a winner against Club Brugge.

The Hoops pushed for a second goal in the final stages of the clash in Glasgow but were unable to create many high-quality openings to find the back of the net.

They had to come from behind in the match, though, after a horror own goal from centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers, before Daizen Maeda struck level in the second half.

It was a moment to forget for the USA international, as he handed the Belgian side the lead, but the rest of his performance was relatively impressive.

Cameron Carter-Vickers' performance against Club Brugge

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender will not want to see any more replays of his error, but we are going to provide you with one here, as he lost track of where his goalkeeper was and found the bottom corner of his own net.

It was a moment of madness from Carter-Vickers, who panicked under pressure. The way he responded to that mistake, however, was very admirable.

The 26-year-old brute ended the match with six out of seven aerial duels won and two out of three ground duels won, with two tackles and one interception made to cut out Club Brugge attacks.

He also completed a staggering 139 passes and had 160 touches of the ball, with a 94% pass success rate, and this shows that the English-born ace was largely reliable in possession, aside from that one slip-up for the own goal.

Despite his huge error, Carter-Vickers was not the worst performer on the pitch for the Scottish giants, as there was a player who Brendan Rodgers must now consider dropping from the XI.

Why Kyogo Furuhashi must be dropped

Kyogo Furuhashi is the player in question. The Japan international struggled throughout the game and was unable to offer an outlet to the team or quality in front of goal.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

In 76 minutes on the pitch, the experienced marksman mustered up just three completed passes, 136 fewer than Carter-Vickers, and only had nine touches of the ball in total.

The one ‘big chance’ that did fall his way was missed by the former Vissel Kobe star, whose finishing let him down in the vital moment, whilst Adam Idah came on and showed Celtic what they had been missing.

Vs Club Brugge	Kyogo Furuhashi	Adam Idah
Minutes	76	14
Touches	9	9
Passes completed	3/5	6/6
Duels won	0/0	1/2
Fouls won	0	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Idah completed more passes, competed in more duels, won more duels, and won more fouls in 14 minutes than Kyogo did in 76.

His presence in the centre-forward position gave Celtic a target to hit and it helped them to pin Club Brugge back for the final ten minutes or so, albeit the team ultimately failed to make the most of that dominance.

Celtic sold "powerful" flop for just £1.4m, now he's on par with Adam Idah

The former Celtic centre-forward has thrived since his move away from Parkhead.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2024

Rodgers must, now, ruthlessly ditch Kyogo from the starting XI and bring Idah, who scored twice off the bench against Hearts in the last Premiership match, into the team.

The Seattle Sounders' forward received a special halftime tribute during the club's match against Houston Dynamo

Morris was recognized for surpassing Raúl Ruidíaz'sCeremony took place at halftime against Houston DynamoMorris' achievement spans all competitionsGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

During the halftime break of Seattle Sounders' home game against Houston Dynamo over the weekend, Jordan Morris was honored on the field for breaking the club's all-time scoring record.

The Mercer Island native was celebrated for his 87 career goals for the Rave Green across all competitions, surpassing the previous record held by Raúl Ruidíaz. Morris is sidelined by a hamstring injury but was present at half-time for the ceremony.

AdvertisementWHAT SEATTLE SOUNDERS POSTEDTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Morris wasn’t the only one honored as the club also paid tribute to Nico Lodeiro, prior to kickoff, for his time with the club. Lodeiro spent nearly seven years with the club, winning two MLS Cups and a CONCACAF Champions Cup before leaving for Houston Dynamo prior to the 2025 season.

They also honored Cristian Roldan, after the pre-game warmup, who overtook Zach Scott for the most appearances by a Sounders field player in all eras dating back to 1974 with his 353 appearances.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following their draw against Houston Dynamo, Seattle Sounders sit 12th on the Western Conference table with five points after five games played. They have back-to-back-to-back away games next on their cards, first against San Jose Earthquakes on March 29 before going on the road again to face San Diego FC on April 5.

Seattle will also be one of two MLS clubs competing in the 2025 Club World Cup, which begins in mid-June. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will also represent MLS.

Brisbane is a city that makes room for all comers, offers plenty of bright light, and a variety of paths to jog down

Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2014First light, short shadows, the westward flying plane. Only another sun chaser would understand the true value of those things. The idea of going to a place named after the golden ball of goodness itself appealed to me more than most. Fortuitously, Queensland was the first serious stop on South Africa’s tour of Australia in late 2012.The schedule took us to Sydney for a practice match but Brisbane, in the Sunshine State, was where the real Tests would begin. The locals called it Bris-Vegas in a disparaging reference to tackiness, but I was not going to be swayed so easily. Even if the city lacked soul in the way I imagine the one it is nicknamed after does, it would have warmth of the literal kind, which was fine with me.Sunlight bounced from the streets, complete with bicycle lanes, glistened on the water, and reflected off the mirrored modern structures that made up the Eagle Street Pier. The mall by the water was my introduction to Brisbane and it was every bit as expensive (because it just cannot be called cheap) and nasty as it sounds. The restaurants were flash, the patrons were flush, but it was not just good times that were flowing; the Brisbane River was too and it would prove central to my experience of the city.A river usually comes with a guarantee of an opportunity for exercise and I had previously made use of many. On the Thames’ South Bank, sightseeing was included; on the Zambezi, I shared space with baboons and a pair of elephants, and along the Waikato, moving became a form of meditation. But Brisbane was completely different because the focus was on the physical activity of running and the many interesting ways of performing the seemingly mundane task of putting one foot in front of the other over and over and over again.Walkways at Eagle Street Pier, and the Story Bridge•Getty ImagesNo matter where you start – I began at the aforementioned shopping area – over the course of two weeks, every run can be different because of the 15 bridges that connect the two sides of the city. Some routes meander through the Botanical Gardens, others force you to jostle with cyclists in narrow shared spaces. And then there is the floating walkway between the wonderfully named Story Bridge and Merthyr Street. In glorious sunshine, your eyes are treated to light of a brightness they may not have enjoyed before, footsteps and whirring wheels are the soundtrack, and the sense of community from the many other people doing exactly the same thing was more welcoming than I expected Australia to be.Without delving too deeply into the love-hate relationship between South Africans and Australians, let’s just say there is a level of aggression shared between us. It is evident on the sports field where contests between the two nations often come with some extra needle, but it also exists beyond the boundary. There are almost 150,000 South Africans living in Australia, many of whom moved there when South Africa’s transition into a democracy threatened to become violent, and there is a tension between those who stayed behind and those who left. Of course, we are not the only country that has a significant expat community in Australia because people have been flocking there for generations.My first encounter with an “Australian,” was actually with a Lebanese man, then an Italian, then a Chinese person. All that makes Australia a much more diverse place than it can come across as being.Brisbane has a significant Greek influence. My childhood was spent among people of Mediterranean heritage, so I was intrigued enough to visit the West End. Apart from the fact that it shares a name with what I regard as one of the best part of London, it was where the Greek community settled initially.Restaurants spilling over onto pavements and delicatessens that open up into massive grocery stores stand as a testament to that legacy. One of them, Delta Continental, is located on Vulture Street. The only reason I remember that is because the same road leads to the Gabba. With red and yellow seats, the ground looks like it is trying to be the sun, never mind have people sit in it. I was underwhelmed by it as a venue.The Gabba: more sin than soul•Getty ImagesThey say it used to have much more character before the revamp, which has since swallowed other Australian venues like Adelaide Oval, and I hope they are right. The Gabba I saw had the same garishness as some parts of the city it is in do. There’s too much Vegas and not enough Bris. The most interesting thing about it was an anecdote we unearthed about why the street it sits on has its name: not named after a group of birds that nested there waiting for a carcass, or even a pack of dodgy businessmen, but rather a Royal Navy warship that was in operation during the Crimean War in the 1850s, called the .What was talked up to be a fiery pitch – so much so that South Africa fielded an all-pace attack – turned out to be the opposite. Brisbane was not all sunshine and… well sunshine, either. The second day of the match was washed out, effectively forcing the draw, but that did leave me with more time to explore some of the more charming parts. The Library Bar, the old government house, the Brisbane wheel.Beyond Brisbane’s borders are attractions including a koala sanctuary, the Australia Zoo, which was home to crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, and much further afield, the Gold Coast. The schedule meant I could not get to any of them, and I was particularly disappointed not to be able to bask in the rays of a place that sounds made for nothing else. But that’s just another reason to keep chasing the sun.

Will Leeds blow it this year? The Championship has been a cruel mistress to the Elland Road outfit down the years but they are now top of the league after 17 fixtures.

It’s been a brilliant recent patch for the Whites who are hoping to exorcise their demons of last term when they were beaten to automatic promotion by Leicester City and remarkably by Ipswich Town who achieved phenomenal campaigns.

Daniel Farke’s men battered Norwich in the play-offs but came unstuck against Southampton, failing to even score in that defeat at Wembley.

Since then, they have bounced back phenomenally well. Their promotion hoodoo, for the second time in the last five years, could be about to end.

Gone is Crycensio Summerville. Gone is the skipper, Liam Cooper, and gone is talented teenager Archie Gray.

However, as their dominant 3-0 win over Luton on Wednesday evening showed, they needn’t worry about their departures for much longer.

Leeds’ best performers against Luton

This was about a dominant performance as you can get from Farke’s side who cemented their lead at the top of the second tier in quite some style.

This is a Luton side who have been way below par under Rob Edwards this term but they are a recent relegated team all the same. To beat any recent Premier League outfit 3-0 is impressive.

The deadlock was broken after ten minutes when Sam Bryam, an unlikely goal scorer found the net with a lovely scissor kick, before Joel Piroe – arguably flattering to deceive as the main striker – made things a great deal more comfortable by scoring just before the break.

Things were rounded off late on by substitute Dan James who is in quite the run of form right now having also provided two assists in the remarkable 4-3 win against Swansea last Sunday.

The goalscorers will no doubt get praise but midfielder Ao Tanaka was exceptional once more, registering 133 touches, the highest of anyone on the field and completing a whopping 113 passes, the second most on the pitch.

That second statistic was only bettered by captain Pascal Struijk who in keeping a clean sheet boasted 116 accurate passes and 132 touches. If that wasn’t enough the Dutchman also won seven duels.

Touches

132

133

Passes completed

116

113

Long passes completed

5/7

5/7

Duels won

7/10

4/8

Dribbled past

0x

2x

It wasn all plain sailing for Farke and Co but one selection dilemma, in particular, deserves attention.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

What to do with Brenden Aaronson

Brenden Aaronson’s tale as a Leeds United player has been a strange one, let’s put it that way.

Signed by fellow countryman Jesse Marsch when they were still in the Premier League, things began promisingly for the attacking midfielder when he scored a late winner against Chelsea.

It feels like from that very moment things have never quite worked out as the American would have hoped.

A loan spell in the Bundesliga last term did bring back some confidence, although it was a surprise when Farke decided to revive the player’s career over the summer, reintroducing him into the squad.

Last season he was involved in just four goals for loan side Union Berlin and to the 24-year-old’s credit he has already bettered that in Leeds colours since returning to the setup, scoring four times in 2024/25 and registering one assist.

Sadly, the USA international isn’t quite delivering at the moment and regularly frustrates the masses at Elland Road.

That was the story once more on Wednesday evening when Aaronson struggled despite the 3-0 win.

Farke suggested that his work rate was “unbelievable” but that delusion just provoked understandable groans from the Leeds supporters.

Ultimately he was not that impressive, handed an average 6/10 match rating by Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross who wrote that there were ‘some good bits and bad bits from the American’ which rather sums up his career at the club.

Minutes played

84

Touches

60

Accurate passes

35/41 (85%)

Key passes

2

Crosses

1/3

Long balls

0

Shots on target

1

Dribble attempts

1/3

Ground duels won

3/10

Aerial duels won

0/1

Possession lost

15x

Fouled

2x

During his 84 minutes on the field, Aaronson did produce two key passes but in a game where the hosts had 20 shots, only one of them came from his boot.

Perhaps the worst two stats where the number of duels he won (4/13) and the number of times he gave away the ball (15).

With Blackburn to come at the weekend, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back in the starting XI given Farke’s praise. However, it should be the time to drop him to the bench.

Better options await in the shape of James, Mateo Joseph or Largie Ramazani.

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ByDan Emery Nov 28, 2024