With Mitchell Starc missing and Pat Cummins unwell, Australia’s attack struggled to make an impact having failed to add customary lower-order runs

Daniel Brettig at the MCG27-Dec-2017Tim Paine keeping up to the stumps for Jackson Bird and Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith posting himself as a solitary slip, Nathan Lyon querying the shape and condition of the ball with the umpires. It was that sort of barren day in the field for Australia, as an ill Pat Cummins shared his time between the bowling crease and the change room toilets.If the pitch and the 35C heat contributed to these scenes at the MCG, then so did the absence of Mitchell Starc due to a bruised heel. With Cummins less than 100%, Smith lacked the high pace with which to pressure England in general and Alastair Cook in particular, allowing the erstwhile out of touch opener to reassert his value to Joe Root’s team. Whenever Cummins was off the field, he was replaced by a Thomson; regrettably for Smith it was Blake, rather than Jeff.”I was pretty proud of Pat,” Nathan Lyon said while outlining the extent of the fast bowler’s difficulties. “You go through moments where you don’t feel very well in Test cricket but the way he stuck at it and was able to put in that massive effort for us was quite pleasing to see. He’s a world-class bowler, to see him play the way he’s played, hats off to him. At tea time he slept pretty well the whole 18 minutes of it. Hopefully he’ll see the doctor tonight, get some fluid on board and have a good night’s sleep so he can come back tomorrow morning.”There was a hint of dead-rubber syndrome about things too. Smith dropped Cook on 66 when slightly misjudging the speed of a chance sliced his way off Marsh’s bowling – something it would have been hard to imagine seeing in the first three Tests. Smith’s generosity then extended to taking the final over of the day himself, then serving up a full toss and a couple of short ones to allow Cook to glide to his century with two balls of the day to spare.Australia had to some degree created these problems for themselves with some inattentive batting on the second morning. The slowness of the pitch required the patience and application shown by Cook, but instead the hosts exhibited an eagerness to get after the bowling that resulted in a trio of chop-ons from Smith, Mitchell Marsh and Tim Paine amid the loss of 7 for 67.”Steve’s in some pretty good form, he’s the No. 1 batter in the world,” Lyon said. “To get out the way he got out I think he was pretty disappointed, but cricket’s a funny game and you can find ways to get out. No doubt he’ll go back and look at his game as always and he’ll try to get better each and every day like he does.”But it was a measure of how much Starc’s injury affected the balance of Australia’s bowling attack that by the close a first-innings tally of 327 was looking decidedly inadequate against an England side that had only once gone past that mark all series.”You’ve got two world-class batters on a pretty flat wicket,” Lyon said. “There’s not much spin wise, there’s definitely no seam movement and the ball’s not really swinging that much as well. The favour is in the batter’s corner but you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. I was pretty proud of the bowlers’ effort, the way they stuck at it there, and hopefully we’ll sit back tonight, recover well and make sure we come back fresh in the morning and have a couple of new plans for Joe and Alastair.”Nathan Lyon tosses a beach ball back into the stands•Getty Images

Having been put through a quite unrelenting day in the field, Australia’s bowlers were happy to be blunt in their assessment of the batting display that had led to it. On ABC Radio, Josh Hazlewood agreed that the batting display on the second morning had been “complacent”, and added his own assessment that it had been “lazy”. Lyon, meanwhile, acknowledged that batsmen and bowlers alike had failed to stick to the crease for long enough.”Yeah it’s fair to say that,” Lyon said when asked whether the batsmen had lacked ruthlessness. “But then you’ve got world-class bowlers in James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowling extremely well with a reversing ball, so credit to them as well. This Test match is a roller coaster, it’s an arm wrestle, so I know what we have to do, we have to come back, freshen up in the morning, make sure we’ve got our own plans.”When we get our chance with the bat in the second dig our batters have got to make sure we go big and really set the game up. We missed out in our first innings, especially the tail order, we pride ourselves on our batting and we let the team down today as a batting group and we’ll be better for that experience. But our prep was exceptional leading into Christmas and the first day. There’s never a dead rubber if you ask me.”Had he been fit to play, Starc would have offered Smith speed, reverse swing and a level of variety not available to the six right-arm over bowlers tried. But the fact that this Ashes series is already decided, and that there is a four-Test tour of South Africa looming in February and March, served also to underline why his absence was a necessary evil for Australia.To be at their best, which they so far have not been in Melbourne, they need Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood at their speediest and most hostile. Otherwise there will be more days like this one, where the Australians look just like any other team struggling for inspiration and wickets on a docile Test-match deck.

Everton supporters will reserve judgment on the club's summer transfer activity until the closing of the window, and whilst manager Sean Dyche has bolstered the attacking ranks, a new centre-forward feels a necessity for the Goodison Park side.

Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma have been signed on loan, while striker Youssef Chermiti has joined the fold on a £15m deal, though at just 19 years of age, he is not quite ready to lead the line.

For a side that scored only 34 Premier League goals last season, the second-lowest in the division, it will be crucial to secure a new talisman, and whilst he is still unrefined, mooted Toffees target Hugo Ekitike might be the man for the job.

What's the latest on Hugo Ekitike to Everton?

According to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Everton are pursuing the Paris Saint-Germain forward and hope to beat the advances of AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt to his signature.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

While the Ligue 1 champions "haven't received any written offers yet", the Blues are hoping to advance negotiations, though will have to cough up €35m (£30m) for the 21-year-old's services.

How good is Hugo Ekitike?

The talented Frenchman signed for PSG from divisional rivals Reims for €35m (£30m) last summer, but he only posted four goals and assists during his first season for the affluent outfit, though he did only start 14 times.

Described as a "special, special player" by his former Reims boss Oscar Garcia, Ekitike did plunder ten goals and four assists from just 15 starting appearances in Ligue 1 the season prior, earning him his big-money move to PSG.

The £80k-per-week phenom did showcase his creativity, ball-playing skills and defensive work rate during his time in the French capital, ranking among the top 3% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for assists, the top 2% for interceptions and the top 19% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

This precocious level of dynamism in his arsenal bodes very well for the path in which his career will take, and Ekitike could harness such qualities under Dyche's leadership at Everton, where he would be handed a starring role to rival the likes of the injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the No. 1 spot at the spearhead of the system.

The knock-on effect such a statement of intent might have on his teammates would be immense too; Belgian midfielder Amadou Onana has been linked with a move to Manchester United of late, just one year on from his £33.5m transfer from Ligue 1 side Lille, and given Ekitike's style of play, it could convince him to stay.

Highlighting the 21-year-old's 'strength', 'tenacity' and 'determination', scout Jacek Kulig also described Onana as a "one-man army in midfield", and given that the bustling powerhouse recorded a solid average Sofascore rating of 6.92 for his relegation-threatened side last season, completing 84% of his passes, averaging 2.2 tackles per game and succeeding with 59% of his ground duels.

The £100k-per-week machine also ranks among the top 7% of midfielders for aerial wins per 90, further emphasising the control he asserts on his midfield realm.

Observing Everton's signing of such an exciting and talented attacking star could convince Onana to remain on Merseyside, with his industrious nature in the middle providing Ekitike with a license to exhibit his creativity in its brightest light.

And given the PSG man's own efforts in threading the different elements of a striking skill set together, it might just be the signing to strengthen the resolve and fluidity of this Everton, and Dyche must ensure a swoop is successfully completed.

عُقد ظهر اليوم الجمعة الاجتماع الفني لمباراة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي ونظيره الترجي التونسي، في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بمقر الأهلي بالجزيرة للاتفاق على كافة الأمور التنظيمية الخاصة بالمواجهة.

الأهلي يستضيف الترجي، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي في مباراة العودة لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، لحسم الفريق الفائز باللقب القاري للعام الحالي 2024.

وحضر الاجتماع من الأهلي كل من: “الدكتور محمد شوقي عضو مجلس الإدارة، وخالد بيبو مدير الكرة، وسمير عدلي المدير الإداري، والعميد علاء صلاح المنسق الأمني، ووائل محمد ورأفت إبراهيم ومحمد أسامة إداريي الفريق، في وجود  مسئولي نادي الترجي ومراقب المباراة وممثلي الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم وطاقم التحكيم”.

طالع أيضاً.. معلق مباراة الأهلي والترجي في إياب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وتم خلال الاجتماع الاتفاق على أن يرتدي الأهلي زيه التقليدي المكون من القميص الأحمر والشورت الأبيض والجورب الأحمر، ويرتدي حارس المرمى طاقمًا من اللون الأخضر، على أن يرتدي نادي الترجي طاقمًا من اللون الأزرق وحارس المرمى زيًّا من اللون الذهبي.

كما تم الاتفاق على كافة الأمور التنظيمية الخاصة بالمباراة وموعد وصول الفريقين إلى استاد القاهرة، والنزول لإجراء عمليات الإحماء وغيرها من الإجراءات التنظيمية الخاصة بالمباراة.

وكانت مباراة الذهاب بين الأهلي والترجي، التي أقيمت السبت الماضي على ملعب حمادي العقربي برادس انتهت بالتعادل السلبي.

Liam Livingstone, England’s uncapped selection for the Test tour of New Zealand in March and April, believes he is better placed to impress in red-ball than white-ball cricket, after missing the chance to establish his credentials in two T20 appearances against South Africa last summer.Livingstone was drafted into the Test squad this week in place of Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance, who paid the price for England’s 4-0 defeat in the recent Ashes despite not playing in any of the five matches.At the age of 24, Livingstone is widely regarded as one of the most naturally talented batsmen in English cricket, and was appointed as Lancashire captain in the off season, taking over from Steven Croft.Known for his hard hitting and a wide repertoire of strokes, Livingstone enjoyed some notable moments of success in 2017, in particular his maiden List A hundred – a blistering knock of 129 from 83 balls for England Lions against South Africa A at Northampton – and a career-best 224 for Lancashire against Warwickshire in the Championship in September.However, when he was picked for England’s T20 side against South Africa in the aftermath of the Champions Trophy in June, Livingstone looked a touch overawed by the experience – he made 16 runs in two innings, running himself out on debut at Taunton before missing a full-toss to be bowled for a golden duck in the series decider at Cardiff.Looking back now, however, Livingstone believes that experience will stand him in good stead as his England career progresses. “The Twenty20 was a good experience for me, but my red-ball game is totally different,” he told ECB.co.uk.”I’m a lot more assured with my red-ball game than I am in T20 cricket so I’ll definitely go into the environment with a lot more confidence in my ability to perform, which will help me. It will be nice to get in and around that and hopefully show what I can do.”Livingstone’s call-up follows his decision to forego the opportunity to ply his trade in the T20 leagues around the globe, and instead spend a second winter away with the England Lions in Australia.”I spoke to Andy Flower about this at the start of the winter,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to play Test cricket for England, and going to Australia with the Lions was the best way to give myself the best chance of doing that.”I could have tried to play T20 cricket around the world, but I still don’t see that as the strongest part of my game. I wanted to work on different areas of my red-ball game, and I was able to do that for our first two weeks in Brisbane.”While training with the Lions in Queensland, Livingstone was able to attend the first day of the Ashes at the Gabba, an experience which heightened his desire to play Test cricket.”To see the amount of interest out there, it was quite exciting,” he said. “People are saying that Test cricket’s becoming less important, but as players I don’t think that’s true at all. It’s still the toughest part of the game, and the format you get the most pleasure from succeeding in.”T20 is great for the sport and it brings in the viewers. But you look at the Ashes and the full stadiums, there’s still a lot of interest in Test cricket, and as players it’s still what you want to play.”Obviously the England team have had a tough Ashes, everyone knows that. But I’m sure everybody will be excited going into a new series, and I know it’s a very talented group of players. I’m just looking forward to getting in amongst it.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de duas semanas sem jogos, o Goiás volta a campo no próximo domingo, quando enfrenta o Ceará. A equipe do técnico Thiago Larghi vem de vitória em casa, e agora busca manter uma sequência de resultados positivos. O goleiro Tadeu, um dos principais jogadores da equipe, destacou a importância do período sem jogos.

– O ponto mais importante desse período, foi o tempo que a gente teve
para trabalhar e para entender ainda mais as ideias da nova comissão.
Logo que chegaram, eles já conseguiram implementar algumas ideias, mas
a sequência de jogos impediu que mais coisas fossem passadas. Agora
com esse período mais longo serve pra recuperar, mas também pra gente
entender ainda mais e praticar as ideias da comissão – afirmou o arqueiro.

Quando se enfrentaram pela última vez, justamente no Castelão, o Goiás
conseguiu a vitória, 1 a 0, com gol de Michael, atualmente no Flamengo. Mas, o destaque do jogo oi o goleiro Tadeu, com grandes defesas, sendo eleitocraque do jogo. Dessa vez, Tadeu espera um jogo muito duro, mas quer o Goiás em busca da vitória.

– É um confronto muito difícil. Jogar contra o Ceará é sempre muito complicado. Eles têm feito uma excelente temporada, estão muito bem na competição. É uma equipe muito forte, ainda mais quando joga dentro de casa. A nossa vitória contra o Inter nos deu motivação, nos deu uma confiança ainda maior. A gente tem que encarar esse jogo contra o Ceará realmente como uma final, porque a importância de uma vitória é gigantesca para nós – completou.

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يستعد منتخب مصر الأولمبي بقيادة روجيرو ميكالي لمواجهة كوت ديفوار وديًا مساء اليوم الجمعة.

ويواجه منتخب مصر الأولمبي، نظيره كوت ديفوار في مباراتين وديتين يومي 7 و11 يونيو الجاري، استعدادًا لخوض منافسات دورة الألعاب الأولمبية “أولمبياد” باريس 2024.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة منتخب مصر الأولمبي أمام كوت ديفوار الودية.. إعلان التشكيل

ويخوض منتخب مصر الأولمبي معسكرًا مغلقًا في القاهرة خلال الأيام الجارية، استعدادًا لمنافسات الأولمبياد.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر فى المجموعة الثالثة بـ أولمبياد باريس 2024، بجانب كل من إسبانيا وأوزبكستان والدومينيكان. موعد مباراة منتخب مصر الأولمبي وكوت ديفوار الودية

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة منتخب مصر الأولمبي أمام كوت ديفوار في تمام التاسعة بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة منتخب مصر وكوت ديفوار اليوم

ومن المنتظر أن تذاع مباراة مصر وكوت ديفوار عبر فضائية أون تايم سبورتس 1. معلق مباراة منتخب مصر الأولمبي وكوت ديفوار

وأسندت فضائية أون تايم سبورتس مهمة التعليق على أحداث المباراة للمعلق محمود أبو الركب.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

Having played 12 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia, the 36-year old fast bowler decided to quit a few days before the resumption of Sheffield Shield, as New South Wales look to younger quicks

Daniel Brettig05-Feb-2018

Doug Bollinger, the rumbustious New South Wales fast bowler, has chosen to retire at the age of 36 as the Blues look towards more youthful pace options for the resumption of the Sheffield Shield later this week.Having first turned out for his state as far back as 2002-03, Bollinger played 12 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia, with handsome records in each format. With 290 wickets for NSW, he is the one of the state’s most prolific fast bowling wicket-takers. Tall, fast and capable of swinging the ball both ways, Bollinger was also a popular cult figure, remembered for antics such as mistakenly kissing the sponsor’s badge on his shirt rather than the Australian coat of arms after taking a Test wicket in New Zealand in early 2010.That tour was part of a summer in which he took 37 wickets in seven Tests against West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand, and formed a vital part of the Australian attack, notably enjoying repeated success against Chris Gayle. However, his time in the team ended abruptly: he injured his side while performing well in the Chandigarh Test against India later that year, and then bowled poorly in the Adelaide Ashes Test of the 2010-11 summer after entering the match short of full fitness.Bollinger did return to the fold as a back-up for Mitchell Johnson during the 2013-14 summer, and made his last Australian appearance in a Twenty20 against South Africa in November 2014. He has since been a consistent part of the NSW and Sydney Sixers sides, but has now decided to finish up at the same time the state looks to a younger generation.”I was pretty raw and they gave me a really good chance at cricket,” Bollinger said of his first state coaches Steve Rixon and Trevor Bayliss. “My first captain for NSW was Steve Waugh, which was unbelievable. I played under some great captains and players for NSW and Australia including Steve, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting.”To play for 15 or 16 seasons with the SCG as my home ground has been amazing. It’s been a great ride. I met so many wonderful people and achieved the ultimate ambition of playing Test cricket for Australia. Now it’s time for the next stage of my life with my wife Tegan and my children Skye and Liam. I couldn’t have achieved everything I have without them.”Andrew Jones, the NSW chief executive, said Bollinger had enjoyed a remarkable career considering his late entry into the game as a teenager. “Doug was a larger than life presence on and off the field,” Jones said. “Whether it was charging in full throttle for another delivery, celebrating a wicket with unrestrained joy or being the personality of the dressing rooms, he was always imposing himself on the game.”Finishing his career as ninth on the list of NSW first-class wicket takers and playing all three forms of the game for Australia is a remarkable achievement given he did not play cricket until he was 15, joining local club Seven Hills-Toongabbie RSL in Sydney’s west. For someone who simply wanted to play with his mates in the park, Doug’s 290 wickets for NSW make him the state’s third most successful fast bowler of all time behind Geoff Lawson and fellow left armer Mike Whitney. Doug will always be an important part of the NSW Cricket family.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said he hoped that Bollinger would stay involved in the game following his retirement as a player. “Doug has had a fantastic career, and we congratulate him on his achievements at international and domestic level,” Sutherland said. “He was a fierce competitor on the field who gave his all every time he represented his country.”He was a skilful bowler who claimed more than 100 international wickets and enjoyed success against the best in the world. Doug has made a tremendous contribution to cricket in Australia across more than 15 years – we thank him for his service, and hope he remains involved in the game following his playing career.”Mickey Edwards, 23, Charlie Stobo, 22, Harry Conway, 25, and Gurinder Sandhu, 24, are the young pacemen in the NSW Shield squad to face Western Australia from Thursday, alongside the experienced Trent Copeland.

The ICC-approved governing body has announced the start of membership sign-up process ahead of its first general elections due in mid-2018

Peter Della Penna20-Feb-2018USA Cricket, the ICC-approved governing body formed in late 2017 to take over cricket administration after USACA’s expulsion from the ICC midway through the year, has announced the start of membership sign-up process ahead of its first general elections due in mid-2018.”This is another significant step forward in making the new national governing body a reality,” said Patricia Whittaker, former West Indies women’s Test player and a member of the ICC’s Sustainable Foundation advisory group that was a forerunner to USA Cricket’s formation. “We are excited to give the cricketing community the opportunity to engage with USA Cricket through the membership program and are certain that the all inclusive and fair approach we are taking will assist the new governing body in achieving the most impact for all involved in cricket in the United States.”Combine dates and locations

March 2-4: North Carolina
March 9-11: San Francisco
April 19-22: Los Angeles
May 3-6: Fort Lauderdale
May 10-13: Houston
May 24-27: Chicago
May 31-June 3: New York
June 7-10: Washington, D.C.
June 21-24: Houston (National Team Camp)

According to the USA Cricket website registration forms, there are two membership categories that interested parties can register under. The first is individual, in which players, coaches or fans can sign up. The second is organisational, which is open to clubs, leagues, academies and schools. Both sets of categories are free to join until July 2018, by when the first set of elections are expected to be held ahead of USA Cricket’s first executive board being installed and represent the country at this year’s ICC annual conference.Both categories include voting rights in the inaugural USA Cricket general election. Under the USACA constitution that was approved in 2008 following their second ICC suspension, voting was limited to USACA member leagues, with the league president controlling his group’s vote. This stipulation turned into a major source of contention over the years and played a factor in 32 out of 47 member leagues, many of which voiced opposition to USACA president Gladstone Dainty, being disenfranchised ahead of the 2012 USACA general election.A subsequent landslide victory for Dainty among the 15 remaining voting leagues spurred most of the 32 disenfranchised leagues to break away and form the American Cricket Federation. When both governing bodies claimed to be the rightful group in charge of representing the majority of stakeholders in the country, the ICC finally intervened, leading to USACA’s eventual suspension in 2015 and expulsion last year. The move to open up voting rights to as many members as possible is aimed at curbing any future repeat of the events of the 2012 election.USA Cricket also announced that player selection combines, which were first started by the ICC Americas caretaker administration in Indianapolis in September 2015 and then on an eight-city regional basis in 2016, will return in 2018. Like 2016, they will be held across eight cities or states around the country with combines divided into women’s, junior and senior men’s trial applicants.The only place not to have a repeat combine from 2016 is New Jersey, with the players there expected to be grouped into the trial process for the New York metro area in 2018. In New Jersey’s place, a junior combine has been slated for North Carolina, which has a developed a reputation in recent years for youth cricket initiatives.Previous ICC combines required players to apply themselves. This year’s combines will have players nominated by their leagues – each league can put forward a maximum of four names not currently part of the national team squad – as well as players applying on an individual basis. The deadline for player applications for the first two combines – in North Carolina and San Francisco this March – is February 28 but the application for all other combines is March 9.After the eight regional combine trials are complete, about 30-40 players are expected to be invited to a men’s national team camp in Houston from June 21-24. From there, squads are expected to be picked for USA’s assignments for the rest of 2018. These include the Auty Cup series against Canada, the start of 2020 World T20 qualifying and WCL Division Three. Information about the subsequent national team camp and selection process for women’s and junior players are yet to be announced.”I am hugely enthused by the previous editions of the combines we have conducted and believe this is an important process to ensure a fair, transparent and all-inclusive selection process for our national teams while we work towards the creation of regional performance structures across the country,” ICC Americas USA project manager Eric Parthen said.USA Cricket had previously announced that a national tournament would be scheduled sometime later in 2018. The national tournament is expected to take over for the combine process with USA’s main talent identification pathway going forward.

Leeds United's start to the season has been less than ideal, but there have been positives to emerge from a Championship campaign that has brought just one win from their opening five fixtures.

It seems that Daniel Farke is still struggling to put together his perfect side, and in experimenting over the weekend he quickly came to the realisation that Georginio Rutter is not a number nine.

Many questioned why Joel Piroe had been signed for big money only to essentially drop him into midfield, with good reason, just a week after the Dutchman had showcased his lethal instincts with a true poacher's finish from close range.

Whilst the fanbase would likely implore their German coach to revert back to the formula that saw them score four goals away from home against Ipswich Town, if he is to persist with deploying the former Swansea City man deeper, then he will therefore need another centre-forward with the qualities to hit the ground running.

Many might look to the wide men who have enjoyed stints in such a role to occupy the position, or even to the academy for those deserving of a call-up.

However, all these suggestions dance around the question of where exactly is Patrick Bamford?

Where is Patrick Bamford?

As the man who had so often been their star talisman, helping spearhead their return to the Premier League before starring upon their first season back in the top flight, a string of injuries saw the 30-year-old's influence wane dramatically.

Then, throughout last campaign's debacle, a clear loss of confidence led to a string of golden opportunities squandered, which proved costly in the end. Striking wide from point-blank range against relegation rivals Leicester City stands out as the key blunder, with the points they would have gained being integral.

Despite that, many might question why he has not been around the match-day squad given the obvious quality he boasts, with the answer being another injury-related one.

Just before their curtain-raiser against Cardiff City back in early August, the Whites were dealt a series of blows as numerous stars were struck down with injury. One of those was Bamford, with his ailment thought to be far worse than the ones sustained by Georginio Rutter and Mateo Joseph.

"Sadly we've had some injuries during the last seven days. Patrick Bamford has a hamstring injury and won't return before the first international break so he'll miss the next games," Farke noted, with a lack of clinical finishing proving to be their undoing after just five games played.

They are crying out for someone to come in and snuff up the chances they are forging, and if Farke is intent on Piroe instead helping with the build-up, they clearly need someone to fulfil that role. After all, the Yorkshire outfit are averaging 59.4% possession in the second tier, raining down an average of 15.4 shots per game too despite having notched only seven goals, via Sofascore.

Bamford scored 16 times in the league the last time they were in this division, and then upon earning promotion would score a further 17 in the English top flight, even assisting eight too. Such form even drew praise from Jurgen Klopp: "Top player, Bamford. I can remember before the season I heard on talkSPORT that people said, 'Leeds need a proper goalscorer, Bamford is not good enough'. I’m so happy that he could prove them wrong, he’s an exceptional player, perfect.

"The work rate is outstanding and still playing the football he plays on top of that and scoring goals, that’s rare. They have a lot of interesting players but Bamford I’m happy for him, don’t know him obviously but it’s a nice career, a little bit later than others but still very impressive."

And yet, it could be argued that he is still not the outstanding candidate to take such a mantle, with an in-form youngster in Sonny Perkins surely meriting a start should his loan spell prove fruitful.

Who is Sonny Perkins?

Despite his impressive start to his tenure at Elland Road, having joined from West Ham United just last summer, Perkins was sent out on loan just last month likely in an effort to toughen him up in preparation for the top two English leagues.

After all, he has already showcased his fine form in front of goal on numerous occasions, and should he bulk up to the requisite physicality, it could prove bad news for the rest of the Championship.

Last season saw the 19-year-old ease into life in Yorkshire with 11 goals and three assists in the Premier League 2, whilst also chipping in with strikes in the subsequent playoffs, the EFL Trophy and even the FA Cup, as he netted his first senior goal.

The consistency of the teenage finisher is exemplified through his 2021/22 performances too, with a further 12 goals in that same league.

Given Bamford has struggled to even muster 25 league starts across the last two campaigns, already Perkins would mark an upgrade on the ageing marksman purely due to his availability.

Not to mention that Rutter, his alternative, has scored just one goal across 18 senior appearances despite joining for a club-record fee. The former Hammers starlet managed this in 14 fewer games.

Michael Skubala, the U21 boss, has been effusive in his praise for the reliable goalscorer since joining: "So we've got this little thing going on the dressing room, like ‘don't let me down today’. He's brilliant, but I think he's hit the ground running and I think you can see him growing.

"He's strong. He's a goal machine. We have to be patient because he's still got things to work on in the way we want to play but I think he's pleased at the minute and we're pleased with his progression.”

The hope is that he can translate such form into senior football with Oxford United, with the plan surely to bring him back as the triumphant answer to their goalscoring woes in January or next summer.

Perkins is clinical, fast, direct and everything Farke's side have been lacking, with his exceedingly bright future hopefully set to be closer than expected in an effort to usurp all the competition and star alongside Piroe rather than instead of.

After missing out on the Scottish Premiership in a campaign to forget last season, Rangers now have the hard task of preventing Celtic from making it three consecutive title wins.

The man in charge of standing in the way of Brendan Rodgers' new side is Michael Beale, who will be hoping to use the remaining days of the transfer window to gain an edge over his Old Firm rivals.

As things stand, however, reports suggest that Celtic have already taken the lead off the pitch, potentially beating Rangers to their transfer target.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

So far this summer, Rangers have welcomed a total of eight reinforcements, with Feyenoord's Danilo and Atalanta's Sam Lammers the pick of the bunch, alongside Jack Butland and Kieran Dowell.

With seven days still remaining in the summer transfer window, however, Rangers may yet hope to welcome even more fresh faces. It's clear so far that Beale's side could do with all the help that they can get if they are to dethrone Celtic this season.

After two games in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers have lost one and sealed all three points in the other, with their opening day defeat against Kilmarnock a particular shock.

Of course, the Gers have since defeated Livingston with ease to get back on track on the pitch, but off the pitch, things aren't going quite so well.

According to The Daily Mail, Rangers' rivals Celtic have launched a £3.5m bid to sign Gers target Luis Palma. Rangers reportedly viewed the winger as a replacement for Ryan Kent, who left the club earlier in the window, but now look likely to miss out following Celtic's reported bid.

No matter which club takes pole position in Scotland, however, they will still have to reportedly battle it out for Palma's signature against Watford and Anderlecht this summer.

Is Luis Palma any good?

Currently plying his trade for Greek Super League side Aris, Palma was involved in an impressive 21 goals last season, scoring 13 and assisting a further eight in all competitions.

Meanwhile, so far this season, the 23-year-old has already found the back of the net twice and made three assists in five appearances. From Beale and Rangers' perspective, they could be missing out on a player in form who looks likely to only get better. Worse is the fact that it is Celtic who could secure Palma's signature, too.

At his best, the Honduran has earned plenty of praise, including from Aris manager Apostolos Terzis, who said, via Daily Record, after Palma scored twice in his side's 4-2 victory in the Europa Conference League: "Luis has done that all season. He has been a huge player for us. We know there has been a lot of interest in him and it's not surprising. Hopefully, playing in Europe next season will persuade him to stay with us."

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

Palma, himself, also commented on his future at the end of last season, saying, via Daily Record: "First of all, there have been no concrete proposals or offers for me. It's just been speculation.

"I am completely focused on my team. Nothing can distract me during this important time. In my mind, I am only thinking to try and help Aris to get as many points as possible. If a good proposal comes after that, then we can talk. But for now, I only care about this season and Aris."