da wazamba： Everton turned their form around before the October international break, winning against Crystal Palace before completing successive draws against Leicester City and Newcastle United.

da betway： Is it imperfect? Sure, but the Toffees have given themselves a launchpad from which to leap away from the relegation fodder in the Premier League, with a favourable (on paper) run of fixtures coming up.

Jarrad Branthwaite will return and shore up the defence, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs to do more at the other end of the field, having tapered off at centre-forward after a promising start to the campaign.

Luckily for the 27-year-old, Dwight McNeil has been in such fine form across the past few months.

Dwight McNeil is Everton's new star forward

With Calvert-Lewin out of contract at the end of the season and having blanked across his past three appearances in the Premier League, The Friedkin Group will know that work is needed up front next summer, especially with Armando Broja yet to feature for the club as he battles back from injury.

McNeil, not a striker, has stepped up, with his new-found potency in the final third lifting the Toffees away from their dismal position at the pit of the table, scoring three goals and supplying two assists across his past five matches – as well as scoring once in the Carabao Cup.

Everton purcahsed McNeil from relegated Burnley after the conclusion of the 2021/22 campaign, signing him for a £20m fee, and though he played alongside Anthony Gordon for just shy of six months, he’s assumed a role of greater signficance since his peer forced his way out in January 2023, handing in a transfer request and joining Newcastle United for a £45m fee.

Gordon might have won the Magpies Player of the Year last term but he didn’t hit a vein of potency in the final third at Goodison Park and has effectively been replaced by McNeil, albeit indirectly.

Everton might have lost their homegrown winger but there’s enough attacking quality to ensure that Sean Dyche leads the team away from the danger zone this season.

McNeil is proving himself invaluable in this fight, and indeed ataking his claim for a brand-new contract that better reflects his importance. After all, he’s still earning less than Neal Maupay did when he played for the club, and that just won’t do.

Everton wasted millions on Neal Maupay

The Merseysiders might feel that they could do with a bit more quality in the final third, but it’s hard to imagine that there are too many of a Toffees persuasion who are yearning for Maupay to don the shirt again.

In August 2022, Everton signed Maupay for a fee of £15m, on a three-year contract, under the management of Frank Lampard. He’d been a notorious presence in the Premier League across several years prior with Brighton & Hove Albion, frustrating opponents and proving to be a real menace of a striker.

Never quite the most prolific of goalcorers, he made up for this by putting in tireless shifts. It didn’t happen with the Toffees, and he only scored one goal across 28 Premier League fixtures, failing to register a single assist, before leaving on loan to Brentford, where he had preivously plied his trade in the Championship.

Neal Maupay: Premier League Stats by Season

Season

Club

Apps

Goals

Assists

2023/24*

Brentford

29

6

3

2023/24*

Everton

2

0

0

2022/23

Everton

27

1

0

2021/22

Brighton

32

8

2

2020/21

Brighton

33

8

2

2019/20

Brighton

37

10

3

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see from the table above, his performances at Everton proved to be his worst in English football by a considerable distance, having actually been branded a “disaster” of a signing by journalist Paul Brown.

His swivel-and-shoot goal against West Ham United in September 2022 looked to set the tone, but it proved to be only a flash in the pan, for he didn’t bag again in the Premier League.

Maupay wasn’t the highest-costing players on the books, but he did take home £50k per week. Across two years, that counts for around £5m, meaning that he might have cost the outfit about £20m when adding in the transfer fee; £10m per year.

Earning more than Gordon (£10k per week) and earning more than McNeil still is (£25k per week), Maupay was a terrible investment and one can only hope that his current loan spell with Marseille in Ligue 1, with an obligation for purchase at the end of the campaign, sees the majority of his wages covered.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

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Ultimately, Maupay has proved himself worthy of Premier League status across spells with Brentford and Brighton, but he failed to adapt to life at Everton and his departure was met warmly by the club and its demanding fanbase.

Given that he bled the club over £20m, it’s hard to argue that he was anything other than a complete misfire – especially since the side brushed against the throes of relegation during his full campaign on Merseyside.

Related Everton now battling Chelsea to sign "great" Calvert-Lewin replacement

He’s a man in-demand…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 17, 2024

Chelsea have spent an eye-watering £1.1 billion on new talent since the club was taken over by a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly in 2022.

According to reports, however, the spending has only just begun. In recent weeks, the Blues have been linked with a number of stars, including Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, Brazilian defender Robert Renan, and Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

Most recently, the West London club has been linked with Borussia Dortmund youngster Jamie Gittens.

Bad news for Mudryk: Chelsea lining up move for £25m "wonderkid"

The Blues have reportedly sent scouts to watch the Bundesliga star in action.

ByDan Emery Oct 13, 2024

According to BILD, Chelsea are one of a number of sides showing an interest in the English winger ahead of the January transfer window. The German newspaper report that Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on the 20-year-old, who has scored four goals in nine games in all competitions for Nuri Sahin’s side this term.

BILD did not mention how much it would cost any interested party to land Gittens, but a report from Spain earlier this year suggested that an offer of £25 million could be enough.

Reece James exploring Chelsea exit with Barcelona approached

Just as there are plenty of players rumoured to be inbound at Stamford Bridge, there are others that are rumoured to be on their way out. One of those is defender Reece James.

According to Football Transfers, James’ representative has been sounding out clubs in Spain and Portugal, having approached both Barcelona and Benfica as he explores a Chelsea exit.

FootballTransfers claim to have been told that James has been advised that the “warmer climes of southern Europe could significantly aid James’ long-term fitness.”

The English defender, who currently earns £250,000-per-week at the Bridge, has suffered countless injury setbacks since breaking into Chelsea’s first team in the 2019/20 season, missing more than 100 games through injury.

James has yet to feature for Chelsea this term due to a hamstring injury. He’s expected to return to training next week, but is not set to return to first-team action just yet.

No James opens Chelsea door for Gusto

James’ consistent injury problems have been much less of an issue for Chelsea since French right-back Malo Gusto became a permanent fixture at the club last summer.

The 21-year-old initially joined the Blues from French club Lyon in January 2023 in a deal worth just over £30 million, though he spent the remainder of the 2022/23 season in France. He joined up with his new Chelsea teammates ahead of the 2023/24 season before going on to enjoy a fine debut season in West London.

Both thrilling in attack and solid defensively, Gusto established himself as a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino’s side – a position he’s continued to hold down under new boss Enzo Maresca.

Towards the end of last season, Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer revealed that he had voted for Gusto as Chelsea’s Player’s Player of the Year.

“My vote for player’s player was Malo Gusto, I love playing with him on the right,” said the English star. “He’s been amazing this season when he’s played as well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da spicy bet： O São Paulo formalizou uma reclamação direcionada à CBF questionando a linha traçada pelo VAR na análise do gol de Mendonza, do Ceará, que garantiu o empate por 2 a 2 no Morumbi, no último sábado (28), em partida válida pela oitava rodada no Campeonato Brasileiro.

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da betsul： Galeria
>Copa do Brasil define os 16 classificados às oitavas; veja os times e data do sorteio dos duelos

Tabela
> Veja tabela do Brasileirão 2022 e simule os próximos jogos

Em informação divulgada primeiramente pelo ‘GE’, mas confirmada pelo LANCE!, o Tricolor paulista considerou que o vídeo foi paralisado no momento errado ao analisar o possível impedimento do jogador adversário. Assim, a linha traçada pelo árbitro de vídeo teria sido inconclusiva.

Em um primeiro momento, o árbitroBruno Arleu de Araújo havia anulado o lance, porém, após a análise do VAR, considerou a posição de Mendonza legal.

O vídeo, em questão, só foi divulgado pela Confederação Brasileira de Futebol na última quarta-feira (1), com atraso.

The South Africa team left for the 2015 World Cup amid a merry celebration and words exhorting them to win the title

Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2015Thousands of people gathered at the piazza of a popular shopping complex in Johannesburg for South Africa’s World Cup send-off. In addition to a moving rendition of the national anthem sung by Grammy Award winners, the Soweto Gospel Choir, this is some of what they heard:”Greatness. We’re all capable of it.This is the moment where you find out who you really are.Beyond the ball lies your destiny.It’s time for you to look within yourselves and what you will realise is that you are more powerful than you can ever begin to imagine.You have to hate losing more than you love winning.You have to control the situation, don’t let the situation control you.Be true to the game and the game will be true to you.Success is often the result of not being afraid of accomplishing anything you want to because anything is possible.”
“I am very scared because I get the feeling the Proteas are going to win the World Cup.”
“The closest we came was 1999 and I think after that is now. We’ve got the make-up, the ingredients of a team that is totally all-round. If they all perform to their true potential and skill, they will win.”
“Forget about the final but win each and every game until the end of the tournament. You represent more than 50 million hearts. These hearts deserve to be given hope.”
“Every World Cup has expectation. It’s nice to know we’ve got a quality side going there. We are confident. We understand the expectation. We want to go there and do well.”
“I am part of history. It’s just about going down and giving it horns.”
“We have always had a lot of support but in the last two months we can feel a support we’ve never experienced before. I cannot guarantee to you the cup but we can guarantee you we will fight for every single inch. We will fight for every run, for every wicket. We owe a fight out there. To my boys: it’s not going to be easy. We are going to have to overcome a few obstacles. Forever we will keep the fire burning.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep last night. I was so excited. I’m ready to knock these guys out. I’m extremely nervous, extremely excited. We are going to do everything we can. We will fight ’til the very end.”
“We’ve got a reputation as one of the best bowling attacks in the world. It’s important for us to put that aside and really focus on doing well.”
“This is the best send-off ever. The guys can feel the fire, the enthusiasm, the energy.”
“This team is primed to do something special. I think they are ready to do it. It’s going to be a collective effort.”
“We got it right. We will only be judged after the World Cup but we think we’ve got it right.”
“We’re excited to get on that plane now. It’s a long tournament. A lot has to happen before we get to the knockout stages. All our focus is on the first game. We’re looking for some big fish while we’re over there.”
“You represent the soul of this nation. Sport is not a useless business. We call it the RDP of the soul – reconstruction and development program of the soul. Please win it for us. South Africans are accustomed to winning because we are the children of warriors. Nelson Mandela. Kepler Wessels.We don’t want you in the World Cup to add numbers and just become a bunch of losers. You are not going to be playing with robots, you are playing with people. You are the special ones. You are the chosen ones. It does not mean you are irreplaceable but all of you are capable of doing the duty for us.Forget about 1992. Forget about what happened in Bangladesh. When Allan Donald and Lance Klusener could not get us over the line [sic]. To AB and your bunch of winners: you are not playing against cows. You are not playing against donkeys. Don’t undermine any of them. Go and win it for us. Winning is a statement of courage. We are releasing you to go and win it for South Africa. (Beat them/Smash them up).”
No Pressure.

Leny Yoro has revealed he is in a Manchester United WhatsApp group predominantly used to help improve their defending.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Yoro in first season at Man UnitedPart of WhatsApp group to improve defendingTrying to bounce back from criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United centre-back Yoro explained how Ruben Amorim's coaching staff have been sending his fellow defenders clips about opponents they are facing and mistakes they themselves have made this season. After the teenager was criticised for his display in the win over Southampton in January, he wants to kick on from these setbacks.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT LENY YORO SAID

He said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: "When I was playing against strikers every week, on the Thursday or Friday before the game, I said to the analyst, 'Fill the iPad up with the strikers that I'm playing against, and I want to see their best clips and their moments—goals and assists, etc'."

Ferdinand then asked: "Is that what you're doing?"

To which he replied: "Yeah, yeah, of course. It's important. We have a group on WhatsApp. With all the defenders, they send clips of the strikers, their movements, their runs. And outside of that. I have one person who's doing really a lot of clips on the striker for me to know. I had already someone in Lille, so I keep working with him. [I am] especially looking where to run, for example if the defender has the ball, for a long pass. Or for a cross with the first or second ball, everything is really important."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Yoro swapped Lille for United in a £52 million ($68m) deal last summer but he has, arguably, been a tad underwhelming so far. At a time when the Red Devils have been accused of having players with big egos and not trying hard enough, the 19-year-old, who snubbed interest from Real Madrid, appears to have the right attitude to improve his game.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Yoro could feature for United in their fourth round FA Cup clash at home to Leicester City on Friday night.

England’s batters may have changed their approach, but skilled quicks maintain their edge

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Jul-2022How did India’s bowlers manage to avoid the blistering assault suffered by New Zealand during England’s 3-0 whitewash earlier this month? Thanks to their battery of 140kph/87mph-plus seamers, as well as a return to the same bowling plans that had delivered a 2-1 series lead in the first four Tests of the Pataudi Trophy last summer. That was the assessment of Mohammed Siraj, India’s leading wicket-taker in the match so far, whose four victims in England’s first innings included the prized scalp of Joe Root on Saturday.Using his ability to kick the ball off a good length at high speeds, Siraj forced an edge off Root on the second day to remove him for 31, then returned on Sunday afternoon to pick off England’s final three wickets in the space of his final four overs. Earlier, England’s captain Ben Stokes had paid the price for what Kumar Sangakkara on air described as “reckless batting” when he holed out to mid-off for 25, as India closed out an imposing lead of 132.They were made to work for their dominant position, however, with Jonny Bairstow once again blazing his way to a century, his third in successive Tests this summer. Siraj, however, said that the Indian bowlers had remained unruffled during his onslaught.”As bowlers, we had to just keep patience,” Siraj said at the close of play. “Bairstow is in form and he has been continuously playing attacking batting since the New Zealand series. So we were aware his confidence was high. Our simple plan was to stick to our basics and, no matter what he did for us, it was a matter of one ball – be it an inswinger or seaming in off the pitch.”In his spell immediately after lunch, Jasprit Bumrah – India’s stand-in captain – pegged Bairstow back with a mix of conventional Test bowling and some white-ball variations. He kept Bairstow rooted in his crease with good use of the yorker, and challenged him with slower balls alongside quicker deliveries pitched on a good length outside off stump. With the pressure cranked up, Bairstow duly nicked the first ball he faced when Shami entered the attack in Bumrah’s place, and departed for 106.”When we saw the New Zealand series, we realised that our every bowler is 140-plus and they [New Zealand bowlers] didn’t have that,” Siraj said. “We had that ability and also we also had played against England last year. So that was our plus point, as [we] were aware of their weak points and that is why we got the success.Related

• As it happened – England vs India, 5th Test, Edgbaston, 3rd day

• Blame Virat Kohli for Jonny Bairstow acceleration, now that's just too easy

• Smothered by England's unwavering support, Zak Crawley is running out of ways to fail

• Ravindra Jadeja, India's 'Mr Dependable', comes to the rescue again

• India's bowling depth trumps Bairstow's third straight Test century

“In the first innings, the pitch was helpful to begin with, but after that it became flatter subsequently. So our only plan was to hit consistently in one area. Also, the more effort balls we could deliver, then it would be effective for the bowlers. If we took it easy, then we would end up leaking runs.”In successive Tests against New Zealand, the attacking approach of England’s batters helped them chase down three imposing 270-plus targets with ease. There’s little doubt that Stokes’ men will attempt the same when their latest fourth innings gets underway, probably sometime on Monday afternoon. Siraj, however, was undaunted, adding that he believes this pitch could favour India’s bowlers.”The ball is now keeping low,” he said, “so in the second innings it will definitely help us.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a far-from-ideal start to the 2024/25 campaign. Gary O’Neil’s side currently find themselves languishing in 18th place, with just one point to their name. The only two sides below them, Everton in 20th and Southampton in 19th are yet to get on the board this season.

Things will not get much easier for the Old Gold; next up in the Premier League, they are set to face Aston Villa away from home on Saturday afternoon.

O’Neil will know something must change quickly to help propel them out of the relegation zone, and their form in front of goal could certainly be improved over the next few games.

Wolves form in front of goal – 2024/25

It has certainly been a torrid time in attack for the Molineux side so far this season. Alongside four other teams, they are the Premier League’s joint-third lowest scorers on four goals, with Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Everton and Crystal Palace also having scored the same number.

They have also created the joint-fifth lowest amount of expected goals in the top flight this term, along with Newcastle United, who beat them on Sunday afternoon. So far, the Old Gold have created just 5.4 xG, underachieving by 1.4 goals so far, as per Understat.

Least amount of xG in 2024/25 PL so far
Club	xG	Goals scored
Wolves	5.4xG	4
Newcastle	5.4xG	6
Southampton	5.17xG	1
Everton	4.46xG	4
Leicester	4.31xG	5
Ipswich	2.25xG	2
Stats from Understat

It is not like the Midlands club are creating chances much, either. According to FBref, they average seven key passes per game, a figure which currently ranks them 18th in the Premier League, ahead of only Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

Their 0.72 expected assists per game see them rank in joint-19th in the top flight. Of course, losing a player like Pedro Neto is no doubt going to affect this. He registered nine assists in just 20 Premier League games last season. However, they are struggling to create any substantial chances.

It is certainly frustrating for O’Neil that his side has not created many chances and are struggling to convert them when they do so. In terms of where their goals are coming from so far this campaign, they have so far had four different goalscorers.

Their main source of goals last season, Matheus Cunha, who bagged 12 times in the league, has just one so far this term. New signing Jorgen Strand Larsen is also on the same number, and so are midfield pair Mario Lemina and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

It will no doubt be a concern to Wolves’ coaching staff that they are not finding the back of the net as often as they would have liked.

However, the answer to their problems could have been right in front of their noses just a few years ago.

Patrick Cutrone's goalscoring record

The player in question here is Como and Italy striker Patrick Cutrone. Once a classic Football Manager wonderkid, the now 26-year-old is finally starting to get his career back on track in the Italian countryside.

The striker struggled to settle down at any particular club after breaking through at Milan. He has also played for Empoli and Fiorentina in Italy, Valencia in Spain and for the Old Gold before finally finding a home at Como.

During his time at the Midlands club, he scored just three goals and registered four assists in 28 games. That included just two goals in England’s top flight, making 12 Premier League appearances in total. It’s safe to say his time over here was not the greatest.

Since departing Molineux and settling into life around Lake Como, the attacker has finally discovered his best form. In 73 games in all competitions, he has scored 26 goals and grabbed eight assists. That includes 14 goals in Serie B last season, more league goals than any Wolves attacker managed last term.

Cutrone has certainly continued that form into the new campaign, now playing Serie A football under the management of none other than Cesc Fabregas. He has already scored two goals in 2024/25 and has one assist to his name in just four games so far, double the number of any Wolves player this term.

It certainly seems like Cutrone could have been the missing piece of the puzzle at Moulinex now, and could have helped the Old Gold convert more chances. Perhaps Wolves made a mistake by selling the striker. It’s funny how football works out, isn’t it?

As bad as Semedo: 4/10 Wolves star let his team down vs Newcastle

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will be gutted after seeing their team lose 2-1 to Newcastle United.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 16, 2024

Trio of half-centuries turn ongoing chase of 378 in hosts’ direction, much to the joy of the Edgbaston crowd

Sidharth Monga04-Jul-20222:13

Could India have done anything to stop England?

England’s dream run in fourth-innings chases this summer continued as they got to 259 for 3 in pursuit of 378, a record chase for them if it comes off. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put together their quickest hundred-run opening stand in Test cricket before Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow repaired a collapse of three wickets for two runs. However, to have that half chance at the target England needed the bowlers to do their job, which they did by taking India’s seven standing wickets for an addition of 120 runs to the overnight lead of 257 runs.When England bowled in the first half of the way, they extracted uneven bounce from the pitch, and Jack Leach found enough assistance to have an analysis of 12-1-28-1, the wicket being the dangerous Rishabh Pant, who became the first India wicketkeeper to score a hundred and a fifty in an overseas Test. The ball didn’t do much for India at the start; when they got the ball changed in the 21st over, it brought them three wickets. Root and Bairstow had to be watchful against the reversing ball for a bit, but they still managed to add 150 unbeaten runs at 4.56 an over.England began the day with James Anderson and Root, perhaps because the latter had got Pant in the first innings, but it looked like the start of a flat spell for England. The first seven overs brought India 27 runs without playing a shot in anger, but Stuart Broad brought them the luck they badly needed. Cheteshwar Pujara, on 50 overnight, cut a short and wide ball straight to backward point to be dismissed for 66.This opening paved the way for a hostile spell from Matthew Potts, who peppered Shreyas Iyer with the short ball before having him caught at square midwicket. Immediately Ben Stokes brought on Jack Leach, who has been cannon fodder for Pant in Test cricket. Pant swept him for four first ball. When Leach began his next over, he had conceded 151 runs to Pant in 97 balls in Test cricket. Off the second ball of the over, Pant tried a revere-sweep to counter his wide defensive lines, but ended up tickling it to slip to be out for 57.India led by 330 at this moment with four wickets in hand. All through the series, India’s lower order has been the thorn in England’s side, but on this one final occasion they let England shut the game down.Ravindra Jadeja kept farming the strike without taking any risks on the first three balls of the over, which India possibly did to give the pitch the best chance to wear down. This also gave England the chance to have attacking fields for the other batters whenever they got strike. Potts had Shardul Thakur caught at long leg with a top edge on the hook, and Stokes continued the short-ball barrage. It was a brave call because the short ball had worked to their detriment at Lord’s and in the second innings here. And, for once, it worked as Stokes ended the innings with a reversing length ball to get Jadeja to play on before taking Bumrah out with another bouncer.Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put on 100 runs in only 19.5 overs•Getty Images

England have scored 279 for 5, 299 for 5 and 296 for 3 to win their last three Tests batting last, but this was 378, on an uneven pitch, against a team that had its full first-choice attack. England also had openers who, at least on the outside, looked not certain of their position. What a day they chose to come good.The positive intent was on show right away. Lees charged at Mohammed Shami the second ball he bowled and got four through midwicket. When India tried Jadeja early, he drilled the first ball of his first over for four through mid-off, reverse-swept for four the last ball of that over, and slog-swept for four the first ball of the next over. Crawley showed much better judgement outside off, making the bowlers bowl at the stumps, and showed how good he is off the pads or down the ground when they did.They were not batting like batters with Test averages of 25 and 27 nor would it have looked like they were chasing 378 if you had just walked in without knowing the score. The field spread, and the funky shots stopped. Lees kept rotating the strike, and Crawley began improving his strike-rate as he started to get drive balls. India’s coach Rahul Dravid was seen chatting to the match referee David Boon, possibly seeking clarification on why the ball was not getting changed for them. As he chatted, he must have seen Crawley drive Thakur through extra cover for four to take England to 80 in just the 17th over.India finally got the ball changed in the 21st over by which time Lees had brought up his fifty, the first at more than a run a ball for a regular England opener since 2011, and the two had added 106. With the replaced ball, Bumrah brought himself back and produced immediate results. Crawley left outside off as he had been doing, but this ball moved back in late to knock the off bail over.Ollie Pope fell to the first ball after tea, poking at a shortish one outside off, which held its line. The first ball of the next over brought Lees’ wicket, who was caught ball-watching when an inside edge from him had gone behind square. Losing three wickets in the space of three runs, against a ball that was now talking, England needed to stem the tide.Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on an unbroken 150-run stand•Getty Images

Root and Bairstow did that and more, but batted positively while doing so. The first bit was difficult for Bairstow with the ball now reversing. He kept fumbling for the ball, aware of his traditional weakness against the one that comes in, but it was when the bowlers switched the shine that he got in trouble. He was 14 when he drove hard at what turned out to be an outswinger, but Hanuma Vihari, for some reason fielding at second slip in place of Shubman Gill or Iyer, dropped him. He was 39 when Pant dived full length to his left but couldn’t collect a tickle down the leg side.Apart from those two chances, Root and Bairstow batted without much bother. Root tried a couple of reverse-sweeps off Jadeja, who bowled over the wicket for the majority of the day, but remained fairly classic in his brisk run-scoring for the rest of the innings. Bairstow, who had scored many of his boundaries by going over the infield in the first innings, appreciated the in-and-out fields and the only shot he played in the air was the pull off Siraj for a flat six.The innings so far could be divided in three neat phases: the first 20.5 overs for 106 runs and no wicket, the next 15.1 overs when the ball moved and brought India three wickets for 35 runs, and 118 runs in the next 21 overs when the ball went soft. In all India conceded 134 runs in boundaries, the second-most they have given away in the first 57 overs of a fourth innings.The day began with high probability of souring a memorable summer of chases for England, but it ended as a reminder that this could be India’s third straight away defeat despite setting decent targets.

Stats highlights from the first 10 matches of IPL 2014

Bishen Jeswant24-Apr-2014Mumbai Indians have hit only two sixes in their first two matches•BCCI66.55 Percentage of King XI Punjab’s runs that have been scored by Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. In three matches the Kings have scored 592 runs, off which 394 runs have been scored by either Maxwell (95, 89, 95) or David Miller (54, 51, 10).90 Percentage of King XI’s sixes that have been scored by either Maxwell or Miller. Out of the 30 sixes that Kings XI have scored in three matches, 27 have been by either Maxwell (17) or Miller (10). The remaining three sixes were scored by Virender Sehwag. In stark contrast, the Mumbai Indians as a team have only scored two sixes in two matches.7.91 The average run rate in the season so far. Despite the frenetic pace at which batsmen like Dwayne Smith and Maxwell have scored their runs, the average runs per over this season is merely along the lines of what has been achieved in previous years. The average run-rate has ranged between 7.48 and 7.82 in four of the last six seasons – only the 2008 and 2010 season finished with run-rates in excess of eight.100 Number of sixes in the season so far, which means that an average of 10 sixes have been scored per match. The only other season where the average number of sixes per match was 10 or over was the 2010 season – 10.72 (622 sixes in 58 matches).26.07 The average runs per wicket in the 10 games that have been played this season. Once again, this figure follows the trend that has been set in previous seasons. In four of the previous six seasons, the average has ranged from 26.01 to 26.20. Only the 2009 and 2013 broke this trend with the average runs per wicket for those seasons being 23.41 and 24.79.

Overall stats in each IPL season

Season	Matches	Runs per wicket	Runs per over
2008	58	26.03	8.30
2009	57	23.41	7.48
2010	60	26.20	8.12
2011	73	26.01	7.72
2012	75	26.19	7.82
2013	76	24.79	7.67
2014	10	26.07	7.91

2.37 The ratio of fours to sixes so far this season, which is far lower than the previous six seasons – which means that a larger proportion of this year’s boundaries have been sixes. This is in stark contrast to the last season (2013) where the four to six ratio was 3.04 – the only season where the ratio exceeded three.6.89 Balls per boundary (fours plus sixes) in this season’s IPL. This is one of the lowest ratios for all seasons of the IPL – only the 2009 season had a lower ratio (7.22). Considering that the number of sixes per match (10) for this season is well above par, this statistic shows that batsmen have not been able to score as many fours as in previous years. That’s probably because of the slower outfields in the UAE – the rate of scoring fours will probably increase when the tournament shifts to India.

Boundary stats for each IPL season

Season	Balls	4s/6s	4:6 ratio	Total Boundaries	Balls per boundary
2008	13032	1702/622	2.73	2324	5.60
2009	13158	1316/506	2.60	1822	7.22
2010	13991	1709/585	2.92	2294	6.09
2011	16508	1913/639	2.99	2552	6.46
2012	17270	1911/731	2.61	2642	6.53
2013	17674	2051/674	3.04	2725	6.48
2014	2322	237/100	2.37	337	6.89

25.69 The average runs per wicket for pace bowlers in the season so far. This is the best that the fast bowlers have averaged for any season of the IPL. However, the fast bowlers have been expensive, going for 7.80 runs per over, which is among the worst for any season (only the 2008 and 2010 seasons were worse). A combination of these two facts means that the fast bowlers have been taking wickets quite frequently: their strike rate of 19.7 is the best for any season.7.72 The economy rate for spinners in this season of the IPL. This is marginally better than the fast bowlers (7.80), but this is the most expensive that spinners have been since the inaugural season of the IPL, when they went at 8.18 per over. Their average of 30.60 is also the poorest of any season. However, with the matches shifting to India in a week, the spin stats should improve over the second half of the tournament.

Pace v spin stats for each IPL season

Season	Wickets (Pace)	Average (Pace)	Economy (Pace)	Wickets (Spin)	Average (Spin)	Economy (Spin)
2008	467	28.42	8.05	134	30.38	8.18
2009	388	26.25	7.65	226	24.77	6.77
2010	405	29.64	8.32	210	28.80	7.34
2011	449	28.62	7.79	268	27.60	7.11
2012	531	27.09	7.79	241	31.35	7.41
2013	604	26.78	7.78	225	26.17	6.88
2014	75	25.69	7.80	35	30.60	7.72

6 The highest number of wickets that any bowler has taken in this edition of the IPL so far – a tie between L Balaji and Ravindra Jadeja. The usual suspects, Lasith Malinga and Sunil Narine, are close behind with five wickets, but both of them have only played two games each while Balaji and Jadeja have played three each.4.37 Yuzvendra Chahal’s economy rate in this IPL so far. He has not conceded a single boundary in the tournament and his economy rate is superior to that of even Sunil Narine (4.75). Among the less-heralded names, Ishwar Pandey (5.62), Akshar Patel (6.33) and Pravin Tambe (6.33) have all been very economical.20 Number of 50-plus scores that Suresh Raina has now scored in the IPL, after his 56 against the Delhi Daredevils. He now has the highest number of such scores in the IPL – tied with Chris Gayle and Gautam Gambhir. Rohit Sharma is next with 19.9 The number of ducks that Gautam Gambhir has scored in the IPL, after his back-to-back zeroes against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. This is the highest for any batsman in the IPL – tied with Jaques Kallis (who also scored a duck against Daredevils) and Amit Mishra.

da dobrowin： One pundit has made a fresh claim about another free agent that Leeds United are interested in, according to a new report.

da marjack bet： The Whites are enduring an injury nightmare at this moment in time and that has already seen them enter the free agent market to sign Josuha Guilavogui, who penned Elland Road terms last week.

Related 23/24 Player of the Season: Farke may have next Rodon in Leeds academy star

The Leeds academy central defender appears to be a great prospect at Thorp Arch.

Posts ByDan Emery Oct 29, 2024 Leeds United news

The Yorkshire side have seen players such as Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Daniel James be sidelined this season, and the list is continuing to grow. Summer signing Largie Ramazani is the latest player to suffer an injury and is now expected to miss several games.

In fact, manager Daniel Farke has revealed that he expects to be without Ramazani for at least a month. The 23-year-old has been in good form in the Championship, scoring three goals in eight games, but he was forced off against Watford last week, and he could now be out until December.

Meanwhile, there has been talk about a possible return to Elland Road for midfielder Kalvin Phillips in recent weeks. The Englishman is currently on loan at Ipswich Town for the season, and manager Kieran McKenna has hit back at those claims that they are looking to end the loan early, as “proper, proper nonsense.”

However, the transfer stories don’t stop there for Leeds, as a pundit is now making a claim that they could sign another free agent.

Pundit makes Leeds claim on another free agent after Guilavogui

Speaking to Football League World, pundit Carlton Palmer has tipped Leeds to make a move for free agent Ryan Kent. The Yorkshire side are said to have an interest in Kent, and given that he is now a free agent after his contract at Fenerbahce was terminated, they could be looking to make a move.

Kent failed to appear in any matchday squad for the Turkish side since Jose Mourinho’s arrival as manager, and it was agreed that he could end his time at the club. Palmer believes Kent being a free agent could be a good pick-up for Leeds and Farke, who are in need of players given the recent injuries they have suffered and they “are apparently interested.”

Palmer said: “It’s been reported that Leyton Orient are weighing up a shock move for Ryan Kent on a free transfer. Listen, it’s one of those. Sometimes a player goes somewhere, and things don’t work out. Kent joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe, but the 27-year-old winger, who was on a four-year contract, had his contract ripped up.

“He can now train and play for any football club in January. It just didn’t work out for him; he struggled for game time there, and it was an unhappy spell for him in Turkey, playing just once this season in a Champions League qualifying game.

Ryan Kent’s Fenerbahce stats

Apps

19

Goals

1

Assists

2

“He joined on a free from Rangers in 2023 and fell out of favour quickly. Apparently, Leeds United are a club looking at Kent. I’ve always said you’ve got to be careful with free transfers and players who are out of contract; they’re out of contract for a reason. But I think with Kent, this may well be a good move for Leeds – certainly an ambitious move for Leyton Orient.

“Apparently there’s some interest from Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq; he’s out of contract, so that makes him very appealing, and he’s still got some time at 27. Sometimes you go to some places, and it doesn’t work out. It’s an ambitious move for Leyton Orient; apparently Leeds are interested, and I think other clubs will be looking very, very closely.”