Gus Poyet exclusive: Leeds have "a great chance" at Championship promotion

Former Leeds United assistant Gus Poyet has been speaking to Football FanCast about his time at Elland Road and what he makes of the current Whites side managed by Daniel Farke.

Leeds United’s season so far

After a season to forget last year, Leeds now find themselves back in the Championship looking to earn an immediate return to the Premier League. Farke has been the man tasked to take the Whites back to the top flight under new owners the 49ers Enterprises and currently has them in contention in the playoff places, making Elland Road a fortress during that time.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.

So far, Leeds are yet to lose a single game at home during the current campaign, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter and Dan James all starring for the Whites in attack. Meanwhile, summer signings Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Glen Kamara and Sam Byram have all played their part in midfield and defence, with teenager Archie Gray also shining in what is proving to be his breakthrough campaign.

Things are looking promising for Leeds, however it was anything but that when Poyet arrived at the club alongside Dennis Wise back in 2006, when Leeds were owned by Ken Bates and struggling in the second tier.

Gus Poyet backs Leeds to win promotion

Speaking to Football FanCast, in partnership with William Hill, Poyet, now manager of Greece, looked back on his time in Yorkshire and admitted that despite not the best of welcomes for him and Wise due to their Chelsea connection, he now gets supporters asking him to go back. He also feels Leeds have a "great chance" to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“It was very interesting because when we arrived with Dennis Wise, obviously being ex-Chelsea, it was not really a nice welcome. Especially after all the craziness of the administration and everything that happened in the first six, seven months, I think that everybody understood what kind of people we were with Dennis, and we achieved something.

“I’m still meeting Leeds fans. They always ask me to go back and they always want me to go back. Because it was a good, close relationship in a very difficult, unique situation. We were into administration, into League one. We started the season with minus 15 points. I hope it’s the last time in my life that you win your first five games and you go zero points. Top of the league and you go zero points. We won six or seven in a row.

“The supporters were amazing, taking so many fans to an away game in the lower leagues. The fans were great. But football can change in an instant and I got a call from Tottenham, to help Juande Ramos and I decided to move on to the Premier League and have a different experience.

"I always say that without the experience of being with Dennis Wise and without the experience of being with Ramos at Tottenham, I wouldn’t be the coach I am now. I like the Leeds team this season, after a tough start, they have got into their groove and will challenge for automatic promotion. It is very competitive, but Leeds do have a great chance to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.”

Harry Kane ends Bayern Munich exit talk with goal promise – as prolific England striker lands another individual award

Harry Kane has ended any lingering doubt regarding his future at Bayern Munich, with the prolific frontman making a goal promise for 2024-25.

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Left Spurs for Germany in 2023Hit 44 goals in debut campaignStill looking for major silverwareGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international completed a big-money move to the Allianz Arena during the summer of 2023. He was able to maintain remarkable individual standards during his debut campaign in Germany, with the target found on 44 occasions, but his long wait for major silverware goes on following a trophyless season.

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Bayern’s inability to break Kane’s duck when it comes to collective honours has led some to suggest that the 30-year-old could look to beat a hasty return to the Premier League, with Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer boasting plenty of admirers in his homeland.

WHAT KANE SAID

He is, however, tied to a contract at Bayern until 2027 and has vowed to lead their trophy charge next season. Kane has posted on Instagram after landing the Globe Soccer Best Goalscorer award for 2023-24: “Proud to have picked up this award – it’s really an award for the club and all my teammates as well as they’ve made me so welcome in my first season in the Bundesliga. Looking to score even more next season.”

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WHAT NEXT?

An unfortunate end of season injury prevented Kane from trying to chase down Robert Lewandowski’s single-season Bundesliga record of 41 goals – as he was left on 36. He is now putting club efforts to one side, with England looking for their record-breaking captain to inspire Euro 2024 glory this summer.

‘Doesn’t feel real!’ – Inside Kaitlyn Torpey’s ‘whirlwind’ 2024 as the Matildas newbie prepares to face San Diego Wave team-mates Alex Morgan & Jaedyn Shaw at the Olympics

From landing a dream NWSL move to making her Australia debut in Sam Kerr's iconic jersey, it's been some year already for the 24-year-old

There are whirlwinds and there is Kaitlyn Torpey’s 2024. When the year kicked off, she was still playing in her native Australia, still waiting for the right offer to take her career overseas and still pushing for that first Matildas call-up. In the space of just nine days in February, that all changed. Now, she can call herself a team-mate of stars like Alex Morgan, Caitlin Foord, Jaedyn Shaw and, when she returns from injury, Sam Kerr.

“It still doesn't really feel real,” Torpey tells GOAL from San Diego, having signed for the Wave, the 2023 NWSL Shield winners, earlier this year. “It still hasn't really hit me where I am. It's been great. I don't know when it will actually feel like, 'Okay, this is real life and this is happening'. It's been a whirlwind and I'm just living my dream and that's all I can ask for.”

Things are set to get better yet, too. Having boxed off her first title with the Wave in March with the Challenge Cup, despite only having five caps to her name, Torpey has secured a spot on the plane to France for when Australia flies out for the Olympic women’s football tournament this summer. It’s just another sprinkle of surrealism on top of six sensational months.

USA TODAY SportsBig move

The catalyst for it all came just before Christmas when Torpey heard that a club in the U.S. was interested in her. “I had no idea what team or whether it was even in the top league or anything,” Torpey tells GOAL. At that point she was a seasoned A-League Women’s player, in her eighth campaign in Australia’s top-flight, but was still playing National Premier League football during the off-season, that the regional second-tier, still waiting for her big move abroad.

“I think that I was ready for it,” she remembers. “I didn't want to leave just for a mediocre offer, a not-as-good overseas club or league to play in. But this opportunity, I felt like I couldn't say no. It was such a big league, it's one of the top two leagues that I wanted to go to in the world. Wave won it last year so they are an amazing team with amazing facilities and everything. For me, there was no hesitation to leave. It's obviously, personally, a massive move, it's my first move overseas, but I was ready to go the next step and push myself and push myself for the national team as well.”

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One of the biggest reasons this move was seen as a no-brainer was Wave head coach Casey Stoney. After speaking with the former England star for the first time, Torpey said to her agent: “I can't see anything that's wrong with this. I can't see a fault in this move.”

“The one thing I really loved about her is that she said, straight away, 'Okay, I know where your strengths are, but I also know where your weaknesses are and what we want to work on'. And she named them,” the 24-year-old recalls. “And that's what's happening now. I felt straight away, 'Okay, I'm going to improve as a player under an amazing coach like Casey'.

“I think the best thing about her is that you don't have to be playing for her to give you her full attention. Even when I don't play or don't get as many minutes, she will sit with me through game film each week if I want to, and then we'll do extras after training and we work on really specific things just for me. It's not like she's just handing me over to an assistant coach or anyone else. She's like, 'No, you and me are going to do this' and she always makes time for me. That's been one of the biggest things that I love about working with her.”

USA Today SportsLearning from the best

As a former defender, Stoney has been able to give Torpey, who can play full-back or winger on either side, a few pointers – and the players she comes up against every day in training also help, without even knowing it. Torpey remembers her first session with the Wave and going up against Shaw, the exciting young United States women’s national team star. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is where you know where the standards are’,” she says.

“She's obviously an amazing player, but everyone [is]. If you make one mistake, it can lead to a goal in training and that's why it's so good because you learn so much. In the last two to three months, I've probably learned more than I ever have on the football side of the game. Casey's a big reason for it, but it's also because the players around me are world-class and everyone has a name and everyone's got a bit of fame here. It's great. I'm learning so much and that's exactly why I wanted to come here.”

In Sofia Jakobsson and Kyra Carusa, Torpey has been coming up against two forwards who played at last year’s World Cup, and there is no introduction needed for Morgan, the captain of this team who was also at that tournament. The two-time world champion has a great reputation with nurturing young forwards and there are ways she has been able to aid a promising defender like Torpey, too.

“She’s said a few things that have really helped, but it's also just having a quality player like that running at you,” the Australia international explains. “Yesterday in training we were going at it and I had to tackle her a few times and she was so class with everything. She's such a hard player to mark. She doesn't even need to say anything for me to learn from her, just defending her is enough.”

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USA TODAY SportsBringing plenty to the table

There is plenty of star quality in San Diego on the defensive side as well, with a World Cup winner in Abby Dahlkemper and the exceptional Naomi Girma, and their direction has been useful for someone with Torpey’s skillset. The 24-year-old can be thrown into a number of positions, so having players like that around her as she settles into a match in a different role is a bonus.

“It's been so helpful when I sub into games to have leaders at the back like Abby and Naomi, they've been massive. As soon as I step onto the field, I feel like, 'Okay, I'm covered either way', whether it's covered from the wing or covered from my center-backs,” Torpey says. “They talk to me so much and that's one of the biggest differences I've felt. In this team, everyone communicates and everyone's a leader so it makes it so easy to just slot right in and feel at home straightaway.”

Constantly being able to switch positions is something Torpey admits can be a lot of work, requiring extra study, film and time with the coaches to go through how it changes her set-pieces roles, for example. However, she loves that, she’ll “do anything” to get on the pitch and she recognises that such versatility is “one of the best assets” she has.

Jack Burnham fifty puts Durham in prime position against Worcestershire

Chris Rushworth grabs three wickets with home side needing seven more on final day

ECB Reporters Network15-Jul-2019Durham require seven wickets on the final day to defeat Worcestershire in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Emirates Riverside after reducing the visitors to 31 for 3 in their second innings.The home side were able to build a match-winning position, accumulating runs with relative ease over the course of the day. Jack Burnham led the way with a brisk fifty – matching his highest score of the season. Ed Barnard claimed four wickets for the second time of the match, but he was powerless to prevent Durham setting a daunting total of 352.Chris Rushworth tore through the Worcestershire top order in the final hour, reducing the visitors to 11 for 3. Callum Ferguson and Ross Whiteley were able to dig in to see out the rest of the session unscathed, although it will take a huge effort for them to avoid defeat on the final day.Durham began day three on 28 without loss with Cameron Bancroft and Alex Lees at the crease, holding a lead of 87 runs over the visitors. Bancroft – playing his final match before joining up with the Australia training squad ahead of the Ashes – made a good start to the day, scoring two boundaries off the first two deliveries from Charlie Morris.He and Lees put on fifty for their opening stand, but Bancroft was to fall for 28, caught behind off a seaming Barnard ball. Lees kept up the momentum for the home side, grinding his way to 40 before he was bowled off his inside edge by Dillon Pennington.Barnard tried to drag Worcestershire back into the contest after lunch. He clipped the off stump of Gareth Harte before dismissing Graham Clark, who chopped a wide delivery onto his stumps. Ryan Pringle was then pinned lbw by Morris to give the visitors a glimmer of hope after reducing Durham to 142 for 5.However, Burnham held his composure at the other end to reassert the home side’s control. The 22-year-old took the attack to the Worcestershire bowlers, reaching his third half-century of the season. Burnham kicked on after passing the milestone, finding the boundary with regularity. He cleared the fence and pulled Whiteley to the rope before the bowler had his revenge when Burnham clipped the ball loosely to Ferguson at mid-wicket.Ned Eckersley and Ben Raine continued their exploits from the first innings pushing Durham’s lead over the 300-run mark to compound the visitors’ frustration. The duo put on fifty for the seventh wicket before Raine was bowled by Joe Leach for 28, while Eckersley soon followed to Barnard, edging the ball onto his stumps. Nathan Rimmington and Brydon Carse carried the home side to a lead of 350 before Bancroft declared.It did not take long for Rushworth to make inroads, striking in his second over to clean bowl Daryl Mitchell through the gate, to claim his 50th first-class wicket of the season. Rushworth was on point again to remove Riki Wessels’ middle stump, while Joshua Dell continued the procession, trapped lbw by the veteran seamer, leaving Worcestershire 11 for 3.Ferguson and Whiteley held firm amid impressive bowling from the hosts to survive the rest of the evening session, although the visitors still require 321 runs to win.

Liverpool make first move to sign "energetic" new player ahead of Arsenal

All was going smoothly for Liverpool this season up until last week. The Reds are top of the Premier League, through to the Carabao Cup final, through in the FA Cup and through in the Europa League. That joy was turned to panic when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the current campaign though, and FSG must now begin planning for a new man at the helm – and a squad in his image.

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Indeed, Liverpool's hunt for reinforcements doesn't come to an end with Klopp's announcement, as they look to hand their next manager every chance of carrying the torch that the German set alight.

Liverpool transfer news

Klopp has at least set Liverpool up well – he won't be leaving a squad in disarray. Instead, he will leave having built Liverpool 2.0, with a transformed midfield and frontline raring to go. He could yet be leaving Merseyside as a Premier League champion once again too, given that the Reds currently sit top of the tree in England's top flight. Securing the silverware would certainly go a long way in attracting players, including one particular Arsenal target.

According to Goal in Brazil, Liverpool have enquired about signing Ederson from Atalanta in what would be a summer move – a welcome present for the new boss. They would have to beat the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain to the midfielder's signature though in a tightly-contested race for his signature in the coming months.

Atalanta midfielder Ederson

Liverpool, of course, spent the entirety of last summer strengthening their options in the middle of the park following the departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner. Having welcomed Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai, however, those at Anfield haven't looked back since. Now, they could get the final piece to the puzzle in the form of Ederson.

"Energetic" Ederson can unlock Mac Allister

As impressively as Mac Allister has settled into his role at the base of Liverpool's midfield, it is not his natural position. The Argentine operates best when in a slightly more advanced role like the one he played with great success at Brighton & Hove Albion. The arrival of Ederson would instantly allow Liverpool to make what could be a crucial change to unlock Mac Allister's full potential, rather than limiting him to a deeper role. As highlighted by Bence Boscak, Ederson certainly has the defensive traits to play the role instead:

Ederson's stats also prove that he'd better suit the deeper position when compared with Mac Allister so far this season, carrying the defensive traits that the Argentine perhaps doesn't.

Tackles Won

36

21

Blocks

27

31

Interceptions

28

20

Clearances

16

9

Aerial Duels Won

61.5%

48%

With that said, when the summer transfer window arrives, Ederson may well be one to keep an eye on, as Liverpool look to continue their success after Klopp's exit.

'Tired' Virat Kohli pushes himself to match-winning ton

The India captain said he felt a bit exhausted during his Port of Spain century, but was determined to kick on because India needed a top-order contribution

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2019India captain Virat Kohli revealed that he felt “tired” halfway through his innings of 120 against West Indies in the second ODI, played in extreme heat and humidity at Port of Spain, but pulled through because one of India’s top three had to bat long to get them to a match-winning total.Kohli ended up hitting his 42nd ODI century, and was out for 120 in the 42nd over, driving India to what proved to be a match-winning 279 for 7.”Our target is always that one of the top three has to make a big score,” Kohli told Yuzvendra Chahal on after the game. “Shikhar [Dhawan] and Rohit [Sharma] have done it consistently in the past few months. I’ve done it when I’ve got the opportunity. Today, since neither of them got a big score, it was important that I stay for a longer time so that we can get to about 275-280.”Honestly, I was very tired after getting to 60-65, but the situation was such that I had to bat long, and I had to push myself to work a bit harder for the team. If you think about the team, even if you’re tired you get energy from somewhere. But it was quite challenging, also because there had been rain on the day and when the weather is like that it gets even hotter, so it was very humid too.”Elaborating on the lifestyle changes he has adopted and his fitness drive, Kohli said that not being at 100% would mean not doing justice to your team.”My mindset has always been simple: that I should contribute to the team in some way. If there’s an important catch, I want to take it; if there is a crucial run-out, I want to make it,” Kohli said. “I think every player should make their lifestyle and discipline in such a way that on the field you can give your full effort. If you are not giving your full effort on the field, then I don’t think you are doing justice to your team.”The way my lifestyle, training, recovery and diet is, all of it is geared towards making me contribute to the team in every way I can. So on tough days like these, when you have to run a lot for your runs, and in the field also you know the situation demands that you need to make an effort, it [his regimen] helps at those moments, and these small things can make a big difference.”Though Kohli’s innings tired him, on the field he still found energy to break into a jig, at one point even celebrating with Chris Gayle when the latter went past Brian Lara’s run tally in ODIs. Kohli put his good spirits down to being in a good space in his life.”I’m enjoying myself on the field. It is a blessing [to play cricket for India]. I don’t follow a typical mould that if I’m captain I have to stand all seriously,” he said. “I think it’s important to enjoy these moments. If there’s music playing, dance. Crack jokes with the opposition players too. I’m just in a very good space in my life, which is why I start dancing wherever I hear music.”

Emery sold £18.5m Aston Villa "finisher" who is now outperforming Duran

Aston Villa are suffering from some mild turbulence of late, winning just one of their previous six fixtures and crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of Chelsea.

This means Unai Emery has only one realistic hope for silverware this season – the Europa Conference League – but he will need his side to improve over the coming weeks.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery during a Premier League game.

There is no doubt the Spaniard has an excellent starting XI to call upon when everyone is fit, yet his squad depth is not quite at the required level and this will need to be addressed during the summer transfer window.

Villa currently relies on Ollie Watkins to score the majority of their goals, but if he suffers an injury, Emery could see his side struggle, especially considering backup striker Jhon Duran is now out injured for the next couple of months.

This means Emery has Morgan Rogers as his only other centre-forward, and could the manager be ruing a call he made last summer, where he sold one of the club’s most promising attacking options?

Aston Villa sold Cameron Archer too hastily

Cameron Archer began his career working his way through the Villa youth teams before making his debut during the 2019/20 season under Dean Smith.

He scored four goals in just two EFL Cup matches during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, and it looked as though the Midlands side had unearthed a wonderful talent.

Sheffield United striker Cameron Archer.

Steven Gerrard sent him on a loan spell to Preston North End (seven goals in 20 matches) before he made six Premier League appearances in 2022/23, yet Emery sent him to the Championship as another loan spell beckoned, although this time he staked a claim to be part of Villa’s plans going forward.

Across just 20 matches in the regular second tier season, Archer netted 11 goals and grabbed six assists and this ranked him second among the whole squad, while he also ranked second for shots on target per game (0.9), third for key passes per game (1.3) and for successful dribbles per game (1.1), excellent figures for a player who only joined the club in January.

Having shone for Boro and Villa clearly needing some solid backup for Watkins ahead of the current season, it looked as though Archer would finally become a key part of the first team squad, that is until Sheffield United swooped in.

The Blades made an offer of £18.5m which was accepted, and the youngster joined the club. Given that he had made just 14 appearances for the Villa Park outfit, the transfer fee was clearly too good to turn down.

With Duran now out injured, however, and Archer actually outscoring him, was selling the 5 foot 11 talent last summer a move that Emery might come to regret?

Jhon Duran’s season in numbers

The young Colombian was looking to kick ahead of his first full season in the Midlands, having joined last January from the MLS.

No goals in his first 12 matches was perhaps no surprise given how young and experienced he was, especially at Premier League level, but there was no doubting his vast talents, and he would surely only get better the more he played under Emery.

The only problem is, he had Watkins to displace from the starting XI and this was no easy task. Before he suffered his hamstring injury against Everton, Duran had scored only twice in the top flight from 14 matches (zero starts), while scoring twice in the Conference League, hardly numbers which were going to secure him a starting berth.

Among the squad, Duran currently ranks in a lowly 11th spot for shots on target per game (0.3), along with ranking 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.1) and 17th for key passes per game (0.1), clearly showing how little influence he has when given a chance.

The Colombian frontman looked as though he may have been close to departing Villa last month, as Chelsea were showing a keen interest in securing his services, but the injury put a halt to any transfer occurring.

0

2

0.2

0.3

0

0

0

100

0.1

0.1

Might Emery have been better off keeping Archer at the club last year, especially as it looks as though he is enjoying life in Sheffield?

Cameron Archer is outperforming Jhon Duran

Prior to leaving Villa, Under 23 scout Antonio Mango lauded Archer by saying he was “undoubtedly the best finisher in this squad” when he was on duty with the England U21 squad and while he may have scored just four league goals for the Blades this term, it is still two more than Duran.

In the Premier League, Archer has also registered more shots per game (1.3 vs 0.9), big chances created (five vs zero), key passes per game (0.8 vs 0.1), successful dribbles per game (1.2 vs 0.1) and has won more total duels per game (2.9 vs 1.1), and these statistics clearly show who has enjoyed a more productive spell in the Premier League so far this term.

Of course, Duran hasn’t started a game yet, but the fact is, when he is given a chance in the team, the youngster has failed to shine.

Selling Archer for £18.5m may sound like a solid piece of transfer business on the surface, especially with the need to raise funds in order to balance the books and comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, but giving him a season to show his worth at Villa may have been the better choice.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Sheffield United could soon be relegated, but Archer has adapted well to regular first-team football in the top flight and this could stand him in good stead for the future.

Duran’s future at Villa is still unclear, especially as Emery signed Rogers last month to take the pressure off Watkins with regard to goals.

If he can return from injury and score a few goals towards the end of the season, then his future at Aston Villa may look a lot brighter than it does right now.

Otherwise, Duran could find himself on the move once again and Emery may come to regret selling Archer last summer.

Kylian Mbappe's brother Ethan pens lengthy, emotional statement after departing PSG having made five senior appearances

Ethan Mbappe, brother of Kylian, posted an emotional farewell to Paris Saint-Germain after following the new Real Madrid star out of the door.

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Mbappe's contract expired this summerDeparts alongside brother KylianWill not follow him to Real MadridWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old took to Instagram to send a message to PSG fans following the conclusion of his contract. It was a lenghty statement from the brother of Kylian Mbappe who declared his love for the club he has supported since he was a child.

AdvertisementWHAT MBAPPE SAID

Alongside several pictures of his journey at PSG, Mbappe said: "With the soul of a child and a supporter from birth, I discovered you with eyes full of dreams. That was nearly seven years ago, and I had no idea that we would be living such an adventure together. It was the start of seven years of red and blue in my daily life and in my heart.

"Seven years of encounters that have left an indelible mark on me. Seven years of priceless human and sporting memories. From the carefree days of childhood to my first steps as a professional, you laid the best foundations for the man and player I aspire to become. For everything you've given me, for all the wonderful people you've put in my path and for the way you've helped me grow, on behalf of my sincere love for you, I say thank you and goodbye @psg ❤️💙."

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Mbappe is still considered a top prospect and there were talks of renewing his deal had Kylian opted to stay in his hometown. He now has the chance to step out of his brother's shadow and make a name for himself in the brutal world of professional football.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

With the news that Mbappe will not be heading to Real Madrid alongside his family member, the market is open for him to choose his next club. Reports have linked him to Ligue 1 side Lille where he would perhaps have an easier path into the first team compared to a European giants like PSG.

Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman keep Afghanistan's winning streak going

They’ve now won their last 12 completed T20Is, and broken their own record

Mohammad Isam15-Sep-2019A Mohammad Nabi special powered Afghanistan to a 25-run win over Bangladesh to send them top of the points table at the halfway point of the tri-series. Afghanistan have now broken their own 2016-17 record of most consecutive T20I wins, and in some style, as the home side was bowled out for 139 in pursuit of Afghanistan’s 164 for 6.Nabi blasted seven sixes and three fours in his unbeaten 84 off 54 balls. He came to the crease with Afghanistan in trouble at 40 for 4, and finished with a flurry of big hits in the last five overs. He added 79 runs for the fifth wicket with Asghar Afghan, as the pair rode out Mohammad Saifuddin’s maiden four-wicket haul.Afghans lose four in PowerplaySaifuddin and Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets each in Afghanistan’s Powerplay. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was out first ball, undone by a superb Saifuddin outswinger, before Shakib had Hazratullah Zazai caught at deep square-leg for 1. Najeeb Tarakai also holed out to deep square-leg before Najibullah Zadran, who had blazed a half-century against Zimbabwe the previous night, gave mid-off a simple catch in the sixth over.Experience bails them outAfghan and Nabi slowed down the scoring rate to settle down, before both opened out after the halfway mark with sixes off Taijul Islam and Mosaddek Hossain. Taijul nearly had Afghan but replays showed he had over-stepped at the start of the 15th over when he had him caught at the leg-side boundary. Nabi and Afghan pasted Taijul for two more sixes in the over, before Saifuddin broke their 79-run stand by removing Afghan for 40 off 37 balls in the 17th over.Nabi goes soloNabi smashed Mustafizur Rahman for a huge six soon after Afghan’s departure, and then – after a double-wicket 17th over from Saifuddin – smacked 21 runs in the 18th over, surprisingly bowled by Soumya Sarkar. Two more sixes came in the 19th, bowled by Saifuddin, and Nabi seemed in with a chance of pushing for three figures, only to be denied by Mustafizur, who closed out the innings by conceding just three in the 20th.Hosts mimic Afghanistan’s startBangladesh’s plan to counter Mujeeb Ur Rahman by sending the right-handed pair of Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim to open went kaput inside five overs. Mujeeb took three of the four wickets to fall, getting Liton to top-edge to cover before Mushfiqur was bowled attempting a scoop off Fareed Ahmad.Shakib and Soumya fell in the fifth over to Mujeeb, who hardly gave them any room. Minutes after an argument with Rashid Khan, Shakib gave him a simple catch at mid-on, which ensued a send-off from the Afghanistan captain, before Soumya was trapped lbw for a duck.No heroes for BangladeshAfghanistan were on top despite a 58-run fifth-wicket stand between Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman, and Mujeeb’s last over accounted for the latter, and Gulbadin Naib’s legcutters removed Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain, Bangladesh’s hero from their first match.Apart from Mujeeb’s four-wicket haul, Fareed, Naib and Rashid took two each.

Man Utd had a mare on £190k-p/w liability who is worth less than Martial

After a difficult start to the 2023/24 campaign, Manchester United are currently unbeaten in 2024 so far, winning five of their previous six matches.

Erik ten Hag finally has his side firing on all levels and this could allow them to push on and secure the final Champions League place for next season.

While summer signing Rasmus Hojlund has started scoring regulary – four in his previous four Premier League matches – Ten Hag’s other big money signings since taking charge of the Red Devils have failed to showcase their talents.

Antony cost £86m during the summer of 2022, but has only scored nine goals for the club, whereas Mason Mount was another expensive arrival, costing £55m, yet he has registered just one assist in 12 appearances.

Both signings appear to be a rather extravagant waste of money, yet this has been the norm at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Manchester United player Mason Mount

Many have come and gone without making much of an impact, all while costing the club millions in transfer fees and wages before they are sold at a loss.

Either that, or their value declines rapidly, which is the case with Harry Maguire, who has seen his market value plummet since arriving in Manchester nearly five years ago.

How much Harry Maguire cost Man United

The English defender enjoyed two solid campaigns at Leicester City, where he made a total of 76 appearances for the Foxes while gaining England recognition in the process.

Maguire shone for England during their 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia as they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1990 and the Leicester centre-back even scored and grabbed an assist in his seven matches in the tournament.

Harry Maguire

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking at bolstering his squad ahead of his first full season during the summer of 2019, he earmarked Maguire as a player who should be signed.

With a few weeks to go before the transfer window closed, the Norwegian manager got his wish and the defender joined for a transfer fee in the region of £80m – a record for a defender.

While he had performed relatively well during his spell with the Foxes, splurging £80m on the player meant Brendan Rodgers' side definitely got the best end of the deal.

Over the next four and a half years, the Englishman has failed to live up to such a lavish fee and now his market value is actually lower than that of Anthony Martial’s – another extravagant purchase that hasn’t enjoyed success in Manchester.

Anthony Martial’s market value at Man United

The Frenchman joined the Red Devils aged just 19 in 2015 for an initial fee of £36m and this made him the most expensive teenager in history at the time.

A goalscoring debut against Liverpool which saw United claim a 3-1 win looked like it could be a sign of things to come, but in all honesty, he has failed to really demonstrate a consistent run of goals during his spell at the club.

Indeed, the best season he has had with regard to goals was netting 23 during the 2019/20 campaign and his value has declined rapidly in recent years.

At the time of writing, Martial’s current market value is just €12.1m (£10.3m) according to Football Transfers and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, it looks as though he will leave for free.

Harry Maguire’s market valuation at Man United

Martial’s lack of impact and meaningful legacy at United have been the main contributing factors to his rapid decline in recent years and the same thing is happening to Maguire.

Following his £80m move from Leicester, his market value has never actually gone over €60m (£51.3m) and it clearly indicates that the club paid way over the top for him in the first place.

£89m

£86m

£80m

£75m

£73m

The defender has endured a long, steady decline since joining and his recent valuation, according to Football Transfers, is currently sitting at €11m (£9.4m), a staggering decline over the previous four and a half years.

Maguire has just 18 months remaining on his current contract and unless United look to sell him during the upcoming summer transfer window, they face the fear of allowing him to leave without recouping a single penny.

Why Harry Maguire’s market value has declined

The £190k-per-week defender has made a total of 196 appearances for the club, yet since Ten Hag arrived at the club, he has played only 52 matches in all competitions.

When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the previous 365 days, Maguire currently ranks outside the top 50% for pass completion percentage per 90 (83%), tackles per 90 (1.12) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.1), while he only ranks in the top 37% for progressive passes per 90 (3.71) and the top 38% for passes attempted per 90 (59.87), proving that he is not among one of the elite defenders when compared to his peers.

Maguire has been known for his high-profile errors during his time at United and last season saw him make a few mistakes for the club.

Against Sevilla in the Europa League, the defender made a loose pass which was intended for a teammate but was intercepted by Youssef En-Nesyri, who opened the scoring.

Another mistake was made against Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season clash last year, as Maguire once again made a loose pass which saw the Spanish side score and his frailties at the back have certainly been exposed in recent times.

Harry Maguire

The Old Trafford side have certainly had a transfer shocker over the purchase of the player for £80m back in 2019 and It's safe to say that they have not received a player of such quality.

His decline in market value since arriving at the club is evidence they grossly overpaid for him in the first place and Ten Hag may be looking to bring in a fee for him during the summer, otherwise it will be another colossal waste of money by the Premier League side.

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