Leeds United have the opportunity to move into the top two in the Championship when they take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Monday night.

Ipswich Town were not in action over the weekend, as their clash with Coventry City was postponed due to their involvement in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and this means that the Whites have the chance to leapfrog the Tractor Boys for now.

A win against Boro would put them on 90 points, one point ahead of Kieran McKenna's side, and pile the pressure on their rivals to make the most of their game in hand.

The Whites head into this clash with Michael Carrick's men off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road last time out in the league, with Sammie Szmodics scoring the only goal of the game in the second half.

Daniel Farke may now look to make some alterations to his starting XI from that loss in order to freshen his team up and attempt to return to winning ways.

With that in mind, here is FFC's predicted Leeds lineup to take to the field on Teeside against Middlesbrough in the Monday night Championship clash…

1 Illan Meslier

Starting off in goal, Illan Meslier should keep his place between the sticks as he has been the manager's first-choice option throughout the season.

There was little the French shot-stopper could have done to stop Szmodics' clinical finish from inside the box against Blackburn last time out, and should start against Boro.

2 Archie Gray

Archie Gray, who started in central midfield against Rovers, could be moved back to right-back for this match in order to make room for another player to return to the XI in the middle of the park.

The 18-year-old starlet was crowned Championship Young Player of the Year last weekend and could play in the position that he has nailed down the majority of the campaign.

This would see Connor Roberts, who made one tackle and created one chance in 67 minutes against Blackburn, drop down to the bench for this clash, as he has been ruled out of the game – and the upcoming clash with QPR – through injury.

3 Joe Rodon

To the left of Gray, Joe Rodon should retain his place at the heart of the back four for Leeds, as the Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been superb throughout the season.

The Wales international has dominated opposition attackers on a regular basis in the Championship for the Whites, with a duel success rate of 66%.

4 Ethan Ampadu

Pascal Struijk has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a groin injury and this means that defensive midfielder Ethan Ampadu looks set to continue at centre-back.

The Welsh battler has made more Championship interceptions per game (1.4) than any other player in the squad this season, which speaks to how well the former Chelsea man reads the game and breaks up opposition attacks.

5 Junior Firpo

Junior Firpo is the manager's only natural option at left-back and should lineup once again. Sam Byram, who is naturally right-footed, could be deployed in this role, but the ex-Barcelona man offers a creative outlet down the flank.

He has registered five assists and created an eye-catching 11 'big chances' in 23 appearances and 16 starts in the Championship for Leeds so far this season.

6 Glen Kamara

At the base of the midfield, Gray could move to right-back to make space for Glen Kamara to return to the starting XI after being an unused substitute against Blackburn.

The Finland international, who was described as being made of "iron" by ex-boss Neil McCann, could have extra motivation to put in a strong performance after being dropped for the clash with Blackburn.

In the Championship this season, the summer signing from Scottish giants Rangers has completed 93% of his attempted passes and won 58% of his duels across 34 appearances.

7 Ilia Gruev

Ilia Gruev could start alongside the former Arsenal academy graduate in the middle of the park after he won 100% (3/3) of his duels in the defeat to Blackburn.

The Bulgaria international has completed 92% of his attempted passes in the Championship this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a reliable operator in possession for Leeds.

8 Wilfried Gnonto

On the right of the attack, Wilfried Gnonto should keep his place in the starting XI ahead of Dan James after his fantastic performance last time out.

The Italy U21 international made five key passes and created two 'big chances' against Rovers, only for his teammates to fail to make the most of the those high-quality opportunities in front of goal.

9 Georginio Rutter

In the attacking midfield position, Georginio Rutter could be selected once again by Farke despite a recent dip in form in terms of goals and assists.

The 22-year-old magician has failed to register a single goal or assist in the last five league matches but has created 22 'big chances' in 41 league starts this season, and the head coach may hope that the Frenchman bounces back to form on Monday night.

10 Crysencio Summerville

The Championship Player of the Season should be selected to play on the left wing in the hope that he extends his impressive record in the division.

Crysencio Summerville has plundered 17 goals and eight assists in 40 league matches for Leeds, and his attacking quality could be key during the last few games of the campaign as the Whites look to fire themselves back to the Premier League.

Ajax sent out a cheeky response to Manchester United after the Red Devils announced the double signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

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• United add more Dutch power in the ranks
• De Ligt & Mazraoui are former Ajax players
• Dutch giants aimed a cheeky jibe at United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Both players were part of the Ajax squad that stunned Europe by reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, a feat that brought Ten Hag into the spotlight as one of Europe’s most promising managers. Now, the Dutchman has managed to bring them back together, this time in Manchester, as he continues to build a team capable of competing at the highest level.

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  The double signing from Bayern Munich, valued at close to £60 million ($77 million) is expected to solve United's defensive woes which was a significant area of concern last season. De Ligt has committed to a five-year contract with the club, while Mazraoui has signed a four-year deal. Both deals also include an option for an additional 12 months.

• WHAT AJAX SAID

  Since taking the reins at United two years ago, Ten Hag has made it a priority to bring in players he trusts and knows well. The arrival of De Ligt and Mazraoui means that United now boasts five former Ajax players in their squad, following the earlier signings of Lisandro Martinez, Antony, and Andre Onana.

  Ajax's influence at Old Trafford has not gone unnoticed by the Dutch club either. In a light-hearted response to the transfer news, they humorously posted on X: "Manchester is red," accompanied by a winking face emoji.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  The signings of De Ligt and Mazraoui signal a new era at United, one where Ten Hag’s influence is increasingly evident. As the Dutchman continues to shape the squad in his image, the expectation is that United will return to the upper echelons of English and European football.

Fast bowler stars with bravado allround display to put England in unassailable position

George Dobell at the Wanderers25-Jan-2020

Mark Wood slashes a cut through the off side•AFP/Getty Images

Mark Wood admits he took a gamble on his fitness to make himself available for the fourth Test at the Wanderers, but is delighted that he did so after starring with bat and ball to put England on course for a memorable 3-1 series win.Wood, who admitted to “soreness” after an energetic display in England’s innings win at Port Elizabeth last week, seemed set to be rested from this game until Jofra Archer pulled out through injury shortly before the toss.And ever since that moment, Wood has been England’s most eye-catching performer (with ball, and less expectedly, bat) to underline both his effectiveness and his fitness. The highlight, in his day-job at least, was a delivery of 94.4mph that claimed the wicket of Pieter Malan, although his personal pick was a cover-driven six during his thrillingly free-wheeling tenth-wicket stand with Stuart Broad that left him “buzzing”.But as well as expressing delight in helping England gain the upper hand in the game, Wood was also thrilled that he had proved he could play back-to-back Tests. For Wood’s career has been blighted by injury and the last time he attempted to play two Tests so close together, against South Africa in 2017, he struggled horribly.”I’ve been through periods when I shouldn’t have played when I did,” said Wood. “At least two Test matches – the Lord’s Ashes Test of 2015 and the Trent Bridge South Africa Test of 2017 – hurt my career and probably took me backwards.””Probably until the morning of this game I wasn’t in the team,” said Wood. “I put a lot of effort into the last game and I was a bit sore after it. I hadn’t played for six or seven months before it. I was just stiff and sore everywhere.”But on the morning of the game I spoke to the captain and the coach and said ‘if you want me, I’m ready to go’. I couldn’t guarantee to them I could bowl 90mph in my fourth or fifth spells but I felt good in the warm-ups and I told Chris Silverwood: ‘I’m not quite sure how it’s going to go, but I’m ready to charge in for you one more time.'”I’m glad I made that decision as it’s gone well.”ALSO READ: Dobell: Time to end the Buttler Test experimentIndeed it has. As well as three of the first six wickets, Wood struck a belligerent and unbeaten 35 to extend England’s innings to 400. It’s the first time since March 2013 that England have made successive scores of 400 in Test cricket, while his 82-run 10th-wicket stand with Broad, who thrashed an equally entertaining 43, was the highest for the wicket ever made in a Test on the ground. Incredible as it sounds, Wood has now hit as many sixes in his Test career – 10 – as David Gower did in the whole of his.Afterwards, Wood credited his wife, Sarah, and his dad, Derek, for the help they had given him with his batting.”I did a lot of work in the Newcastle indoor centre, behind the scenes there on the bowling machine,” Wood said. “Sometimes with my Dad, sometimes with my wife feeding me the balls on the machine.”I knew we were coming here and it was a bit bouncy, so I was working on how I thought they’d attack me, either at the stumps or at my head. My wife hit me [with the ball] a couple of times. She has been laughing, telling me to get in line.”Dad as well is particularly spicy but Silverwood is the worst because he laughs when he hits you. You think the coach would be more supportive but he just laughs. He’s still got a fast bowler in him I think.”I was buzzing with the six I hit over cover-point. Externally you have to act all professional and that, but internally I was like ‘what a shot that was’. I was trying not to look too buzzing.”But it’s the bowling that really marks Wood out as a valuable player for England. And while, in those previous back-to-back Tests his figures have been pretty ugly – he finished with 1 for 131 in the match at Lord’s and 0 for 129 at Trent Bridge – here he has already claimed 3 for 21. Not for the first time, the thought occurred that his statistics should be judged differently since he lengthened his run-up at the end of 2018. Since then, his 12 Test wickets have cost 14.75 apiece.”Since I changed my run-up things seem to click a little easier,” he said. “I’m not forcing it as much and I feel I have better rhythm. Plus, having an iconic stadium and quick pitch gives you extra incentive to impress.”According to CricViz, only Steve Harmison – like Wood, a product of Ashington and Durham – has bowled a quicker wicket-taking delivery for England since speedguns were introduced in Test cricket: a 97mph delivery to dismiss Glenn McGrath at Perth in 2006.”I don’t know if the ball to Malan was the best ball I’ve bowled,” said Wood. “My first-ever wicket – well, it wasn’t technically a wicket – was Martin Guptill at Lord’s. It was a very similar ball but it turned out my foot was just over the line and it was a no-ball. I was pretty close this time but I just got a tiny bit of foot behind it.”Winning this series would mean a hell of a lot to me. I want to affect games of cricket for England. It was nice to get some runs and get some catches in the last game, but I know my main suit is my bowling. To be able to win a series away from home against a quality opposition would be especially pleasing for me after coming through some hard times.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A derrota do Flamengo para o Red Bull Bragantino passou pela vulnerabilidade da equipe na transição defensiva, um componente que faz Rogério Ceni ligar o alerta para adversários velozes em contragolpes, uma estratégia corriqueira para adversários da equipe. O técnico admitiu que gols na recente derrota por 3 a 2 poderiam ter sido evitados com faltas, “matando jogadas”, mas o time sofreu com a falta de oxigênio nos minutos derradeiros e a não alteração no principal setor de desarmes, a cabeça de área. A perna pesou para voltar.

RelacionadasFlamengoCeni explica apenas uma alteração em derrota do Flamengo e lamenta o time não ter ‘matado jogadas’Flamengo19/06/2021FlamengoVÍDEO: assista ao golaço de bicicleta de Muniz na derrota do Flamengo para o Red Bull BragantinoFlamengo19/06/2021FlamengoATUAÇÕES: Rodrigo Muniz faz dois gols, tem a melhor nota, mas não consegue resolver para o FlamengoFlamengo19/06/2021

– […] Sofremos dois gols de transição, em que poderíamos ter matado a jogada na origem, em que tomamos decisões erradas na construção da jogada, na parte final, e tínhamos condição de ter encurtado mais, para dar tempo de recompor. Há dias que as coisas não acontecem como esperamos. Criamos um bom volume de chance, tivemos defesas importantes do outro lado, tivemos finalizações bem feitas, mais de 20, mas além de fazer dois gols, sofremos algumas transições – analisou Ceni, em entrevista coletiva.

ATUAÇÕES: Muniz faz dois gols, tem a melhor nota mas não consegue resolver

Pela postura corajosa, o RB Bragantino conseguiu finalizar sete vezes dentro da área rubro-negra: um número alarmante para um favorito que estava com o sistema defensivo, além dos dois meio-campistas (Diego e Gerson), titular. Aliás, para a sequência, já é necessário “descobrir” a melhor alternativa para a saída de Gerson, que fará a sua despedida nesta quarta-feira.

Ceni havia falado, anteriormente, que o Fla estava no mercado em busca de reforços para repor a saída do camisa 8 ao Olympique de Marseille. Por ora, sem uma contratação iminente, o treinador admite que é difícil pensar em que o substituirá, já que, fatalmente, o dinamismo da construção meio-ataque terá que ser remodelado.

– É difícil. Para substituir (Gerson) dentro das características nós não temos. Poucos têm essa característica de jogar de costas, pisar na bola, se virar contra um e dois adversários e construir jogo, ter a saúde e a parte física que ele tem, principalmente na construção do jogo. Temos algumas alternativas. Temos o João, que todos conhecem, o Hugo, o Arão para voltar, temos o Thiago Maia… Vamos ter que testar algumas alternativas. No momento, com jogo de três em três dias não dá tempo de testar, a não ser o time que vai iniciar a partida. Então, com o tempo vamos tentar descobrir. Jogar da mesma maneira que ele joga é impossível, mas vamos tentar uma alternativa que nos dê condição de seguir o trabalho – falou o técnico.

No geral, se pegarmos números ofensivos e território de ocupação do Fla contra o Bragantino, o time de Rogério Ceni fez uma partida boa dentro de sua normalidade com a bola nos pés. No entanto, a falta de “pegada” gradual na entrada da área e no meio, que terá que se reinventar sem Gerson em poucos dias, causa preocupação visando à sequência da temporada. Será importante que os três pontos deixados em casa sirvam de lição quanto a esse aspecto.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

Em tempo:com seis pontos em três jogos, o Flamengo volta a campo pelo Brasileirão nesta quarta-feira, às 19h, para enfrentar o Fortaleza no Maracanã.

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior have been warned that Manchester City star Rodri is “head and shoulders above them” in the Ballon d’Or race.

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• Real Madrid stars had led Golden Ball battle
• May have been overtaken by Euro 2024 winner
• Midfielder considered to be part of global elite

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  That battle appeared to be a two-way fight at one stage, with Bellingham and Vinicius helping Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League titles in 2023-24. Neither, however, were able to claim international honours when representing England and Brazil respectively in European Championship and Copa America competition.

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  Rodri – who steered City to a fourth consecutive Premier League crown last season, a year on from savouring a historic Treble triumph – did inspire Spain to Euro 2024 glory. He is now very much in the Golden Ball picture, with one former City star considering the all-action midfielder to be deserving of the ‘best player in the world’ tag.

• WHAT DICKOV SAID

  Quizzed on whether Rodri can upset the odds and walk away with the 2024 Ballon d’Or, ex-City striker Paul Dickov – speaking in association with – told GOAL: ”I think so. Not just last season, his performances over the last three or four seasons, he has by far been the best midfielder in that position in the world. Winning the Treble the season before last, four-in-a-row last year, winning the Euros with Spain – where he was arguably their best player. [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude are always going to be up there in the mix, mainly because of the club that they are at. But I look at Rodri and don’t think there is a more deserved winner of the Ballon d’Or than he will be.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Dickov – who remains a cult hero on the blue half of Manchester after featuring in back-to-back promotion-winning campaigns that lifted City out of the third tier of English football and into the Premier League – added on Rodri: “He’s not just a defensive midfielder now. If you look at Man City, how successful they are, you only have to take Rodri out of that team to see how much they struggle – and that’s with players like [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Phil] Foden, Bernardo Silva, [Erling] Haaland. All of these wonderful players that they have got in the team, if they are injured or suspended then there is like-for-like to come in and it doesn’t really effect the set-up of the team. But if you take Rodri out of the team, as we saw last season when he missed three or four games, City didn’t win. It just shows you what a huge influence he is. For me, I look around all these wonderful players that we have got in Europe, but Rodri is head and shoulders above them all.”

It's been an eventful season for Crystal Palace fans this year, one that has seen them endure a seemingly never-ending injury crisis, hefty defeat after hefty defeat, and some less-than-stellar football – but not anymore.

Oliver Glasner's appointment in place of Roy Hodgson last month felt like a changing of the guard and the beginning of what could be a very exciting period for the club.

The experienced Austrian has five points from his first four Premier League games and will be confident of adding three more to that tally this afternoon against Nottingham Forest.

However, if he wants to increase his chance of doing so, he must drop Jordan Ayew for a far more dynamic player.

Jordan Ayew's previous performance against Forest

In the reverse fixture, the Eagles played out an incredibly dull 0-0 draw, in which there was a grand total of seven shots on target between both teams, although only two came from the south Londoners.

The Ghanaian international took one of those, but that was the only notable thing he did in his 95 minutes on the pitch.

It may sound harsh, but it's an opinion shared by the South London Press' Edmund Burk, who awarded him a 5/10 match rating for his performance.

It's a score that is also supported by the numbers. In his 95 minutes of action, he failed to score or assist, took two shots off target and just one on target, missed one big chance, won five of his 11 duels, lost possession 14 times, and misplaced both of his crosses.

Minutes

95'

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots on Target

1

Shots of Target

2

Big Chances Missed

1

Duels (Won)

11 (5)

Lost Possession

14

Crosses (Completed)

2 (0)

All in all, the experienced forward just didn't do enough in that game to justify his selection today, with Glasner needing to contemplate who to replace him with.

The player who could replace Ayew vs Forest

Unfortunately for the former Frankfurt boss, the obvious candidate to replace Ayew – Michael Olise – is not set to make the trip to the City Ground, despite having made a return to full training this week.

That will serve a notable blow as while the French U21 ace also missed out on the game against the Tricky Trees earlier in the season due to injury, in the five appearances he has made against today's opponents, he's registered two assists.

As it is Glasner will have to look elsewhere to find a suitable candidate to fill that void, while also replacing Ayew in the meantime, with the latter man hardly pulling up any trees against Luton last time out either…

70 minutes

31 touches

0 key passes

79% pass accuracy rate

1/2 aerial duels won

4/12 ground duels won

12x possession lost

0/3 successful crosses

The man who replaced the one-time Aston Villa star against Rob Edwards' side midway through the second half was Naouirou Ahamada, although there may be wisdom in unleashing another substitute from that clash in Odsonne Edouard.

A striker by trade, the Frenchman – who has scored six times this season in the league – can operate on the flanks if needed, allowing the Glasner the chance to shuffle his pack for the trip to Nottingham.

Ultimately, Ayew is still an important player for the Eagles, but having disappointed in the reverse fixture with Forest – as well as against the Hatters last time out – it may be time for a change out wide.

Crystal Palace hit the jackpot on ace who's worth more than Wharton

The talented Palace star has seen his value rapidly rise over the last few years.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 27, 2024

The Allianz Arena is the next venue for Arsenal to attend, as Bayern Munich welcomes the English side to their back garden on Wednesday evening.

The last time that the Gunners won away at the German giant was in 2013, and a similar scoreline will be needed this time around if they’re to progress into the quarterfinal.

GK – Petr Cech

RB – Hector Bellerin

CB – Laurent Koscielny

CB – Per Mertesacker

LB – Nacho Monreal

CM – Francis Coquelin

CM – Santi Cazorla

CAM – Mesut Ozil

RW – Aaron Ramsey

LW – Alexis Sanchez

ST – Theo Walcott

The Champions League anthem had already rung around the Emirates this time last week, when the tie ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Unfortunately, the preparation going into the game hasn’t been ideal, with Aston Villa defeating Mikel Arteta’s side 2-0 last weekend, and therefore, the boss may look to change a few individuals ahead of the season-defining clash.

Gabriel Jesus drops out of the side

Gabriel Jesus hasn’t featured quite as much as anticipated in the Premier League this season, with the Spaniard often opting for Kai Havertz up front.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian has made 22 league appearances, scoring four goals, but despite his best return coming in the Champions League, netting four goals and providing three assists in seven matches, he may not make the starting lineup for this evening.

The former Manchester City star did start at the weekend in the defeat, where he failed to get on the scoresheet for a seventh consecutive game.

With Bayern set to be an even tougher opposition than Villa, particularly when playing at home, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Jesus to drop out of the side completely, even being replaced by a midfielder.

Who will come into the team to play Bayern

Jorginho has been fantastic when featuring for Arsenal this season, playing 22 games in the English top flight and eight in the Champions League.

The Italian has often been drafted into the side ahead of important ties, notably the recent match against Manchester City and the second leg versus Porto.

However, on Wednesday night, the former Chelsea player will once again have an enormous task on his hands, and that is to stop Jamal Musiala from working his magic in the gaps between the midfield and backline.

Last week, the 32-year-old started against the Bundesliga side, and he impressed during his 67 minutes on the field, influencing the side from both an in-possession and an out-of-possession perspective.

Minutes

67

Touches

48

Pass accuracy

85%

Possession lost

7

Duels won

5/8

Tackles

3

Dribbled past

1

Interceptions

1

Tonight, it may not be Jorginho’s technical ability that makes him so important, but more so his experience of performing on the big occasion, which we’ve seen when Italy won the Euros and when Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy.

With Bayer Leverkusen knocking Bayern off their perch in the league, the atmosphere could become overwhelming, which suits the level-headed and composed star.

Furthermore, the “ridiculous” midfielder, as labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson, is extremely composed in possession, often making the right decision and hardly losing the ball, as shown by the earlier table.

However, during the first leg, he also showed his defensive capabilities, making three tackles, one interception, and only being dribbled past once, which is an achievement in itself against the tricky Musiala.

Overall, Arsenal must play as a unit, and Jorginho could just prove to be the glue that keeps the side together. Therefore, he simply has to start alongside Declan Rice.

Arsenal lining up £51m Jorginho replacement as a priority summer target

The Gunners are reportedly interested in the impressive central midfielder ahead of the summer.

ByDan Emery Apr 16, 2024

With the Scottish Premiership title race still hanging in the balance, Rangers have turned their attention to handing Philippe Clement a boost away from the pitch, with the Gers now hopeful of putting an end to a frustrating contract saga.

Rangers contract news

As things stand, it's set to be a busy summer of departures at Ibrox, with Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack and Jon McLaughlin all among those set to leave as free agents. It's quite the act from those at the club, but one that may leave Clement room to make his mark in his first summer transfer window in charge.

Clement can ease Ridvan blow with Rangers' "surprise" Barisic rival

Clement must make a few changes to his starting XI ahead of the trip to face Dundee…

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 17, 2024

On that front, Rangers have already been linked with permanent moves for Fabio Silva and Oscar Cortes in moves to bolster Clement's attack. The Gers will be hoping to have the lure of champions heading into the summer, but it remains to be seen whether they can force another slip from Celtic and regain any advantage in the title race.

One player who will undoubtedly play a part in that ambition is John Lundstram and Rangers will hope that remains the case. The former Sheffield United midfielder looked on course to leave with contract talks stalling and his deal running out. Now, however, according to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Rangers are hopeful that an agreement can be reached with Lundstram with talks ongoing.

It would be quite the turnaround if the Gers managed to keep hold of Lundstram, with clubs in England still keen, and it also looked as though contract talks were proving to be all too difficult. With time running out, both parties must make their decisions one way or another, especially as Rangers' title fight continues to take unexpected twists and turns against Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Clement added to the confidence regarding Lundstram's future, recently saying: "I'm totally confident about that. There's a lot of love on both sides so then there will be a solution one moment."

"Brilliant" Lundstram is key for Rangers

Whilst several changes are on the cards this summer, Rangers would be wise to do everything in their power to secure Lundstram's future. The experience that he adds could be key for several sides and remains important in the Gers' bid for title success in Scotland.

Having started in all but three of Rangers' Scottish Premiership games this season too, it's clear that Clement sees Lundstram as a crucial part of his side. If he does leave on a free, meanwhile, then the 30-year-old will be one to watch, having earned plenty of praise during his time in England.

Former manager Chris Wilder was among those with nothing but good things to say, once saying: “I’ve got to say…I thought John Lundstram was outstanding when he came on. He’s come out the team for a couple of games. He’s been brilliant for us. His energy levels have dropped down but we’ve got genuine competition and John knows that”.

England captain bemoans failure to adapt but backs new players to learn quickly from mistakes

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2020

Quinton de Kock makes a successful appeal for lbw against Tom Banton•AFP via Getty Images

Eoin Morgan admitted that England’s 50-over players were “way off the mark” in their first ODI outing since the World Cup final in July, but said that he expected the new members of the team to learn a huge amount from their failure at Newlands, after Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma capitalised on a sub-par batting performance to secure a comprehensive seven-wicket win.South Africa’s win was eventually sealed with 14 balls to spare after de Kock’s and Bavuma’s 173-run stand for the second wicket had broken the back of a 259-run chase. But their victory had been set up by an impressive performance in the first half of England’s innings, as they reduced the visitors to 131 for 6 before Joe Denly’s 87 helped post a serviceable total.”We were way off the mark, and we were hurt,” Morgan admitted at the post-match presentations. “South Africa completely outplayed us today in all departments. We’ve got no excuses. We didn’t adapt to the conditions today that were set in front of us, [because] we knew it wasn’t going to be an absolute run-fest.”But every batsman, apart from suppose Joe Denly and Chris Woakes really struggled to get going, which probably emphasises that we are a little bit rusty. But South Africa bowled well and accurately, they used the conditions really well with slower balls, and then we couldn’t penetrate the partnership between de Kock and Bavuma, so it made things very difficult for us. But full credit to them, they’ve started the series very well.”Asked whether England had misjudged a Newlands pitch that proved to be slow and awkward for fluent strokeplay, Morgan felt their failings had been more subtle than that, after a typically forthright fifty stand between Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow had given way to a mid-innings collapse of 6 for 80 in 18.3 overs.ALSO READ: De Kock 107, Bavuma 98 power South Africa to big victory”I think we lacked adaptation to the skill level that was needed,” Morgan said. “The guys up front came hard like they normally do, as we always try and do, but when that didn’t come off we had to try and rein in in a little bit.”I think we lost wickets in clusters, and when myself and Joe [Root] went at the same time, we continue to lose wickets until the Woakes and Denly partnership. But I suppose that total would only get us in the game if we if we bowled well and managed to take early wickets. but having let those guys get themselves in, it was a struggle to drag things back.”Nevertheless, having blooded two new ODI debutants in Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson, as well as handing a 50-over recall to Chris Jordan after a three-and-a-half year absence, Morgan conceded that his side was never likely to be the well-honed outfit that held its nerve in adversity to win the World Cup last summer.”I think they learned a huge amount,” said Morgan. “Failure is a huge platform to try and catapult yourself forward, and learn from your mistakes. As soon as you can, [you have to] implement them into this series.”I think the two guys making their debuts. Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson, have come in today and seen what international cricket is like,” he added. “They’ve had a little glimpse of T20 international cricket but it’s not all crash, bang, wallop, like we’ve seen today. So they learn a lot from tonight and hopefully take that into the rest of the series.”Despite the relative lack of jeopardy in this contest, Morgan insisted that the pain of losing was every bit as relevant to him and his team, given they are still the No.1-ranked ODI side in the world, with a proud recent record in their 50-over campaigns.”I think we need to continue to learn like we have done in the past,” he said. “You know you need to learn and identify exactly where you’ve got wrong, and I think ultimately today, we were outplayed because we were off the mark.”

After Kobbie Mainoo enjoyed a breakout campaign last term, there are a host of talented teenagers who look likely to thrive this time around

The new Premier League season is upon us, and there is so much to look forward to in 2024-25. From what promises to be another thrilling title tussle, to an open top-four race and likely nervous battle against relegation, there truly are storylines wherever you look this campaign.

One of the most engaging narratives in any Premier League season is the emergence of new stars; players who will be mainstays of the English top-flight for the next two decades that can mix it with the very best despite their lack of experience. This time last year, for example, very few fans outside of Manchester United had even heard of Kobbie Mainoo. By the season's end, he was starting in the Euro 2024 final.

So who will be this season's answer to Mainoo? Using our NXGN knowledge of the very best teenagers in world football, we've laid out some of those players born in or after 2005 who have fewer than 10 Premier League appearances to their name that you should be keeping an eye out for between now and May…

Getty ImagesJosh Acheampong (Chelsea)

Breaking into the Chelsea first team via the club's academy has become increasingly difficult under Todd Boehly, but the Blues' hand might be forced if they are to keep hold of Josh Acheampong long-term.

The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut towards the end of last season, and is regarded as a potential star of the future for both club and country. However, the next step in his career may lie away from Stamford Bridge, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain both said to be interested in acquiring the right-back.

Reece James' continued injury issues might offer Acheampong hope of making an impact under Enzo Maresca, who regardless needs to show the teenager that there is a pathway towards regular senior football in west London or risk losing him to one of Europe's elite clubs.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHarry Amass (Manchester United)

With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia continuing to struggle with injury problems, an opportunity could be about to present itself for Harry Amass at Manchester United, especially after the youngster impressed during pre-season.

The 17-year-old left-back locked down Mohamed Salah when United took on Liverpool in early August, and having excelled at academy level since joining from Watford a year ago, Amass now looks ready to make the step up into Erik ten Hag's matchday squads on a regular basis.

Getty ImagesSam Amo-Ameyaw (Southampton)

Sam Amo-Ameyaw made history on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign when he became the youngest player to appear in a Premier League match for Southampton. But following the Saints' relegation, he has had to wait over a year to get another opportunity to make an impression on the top-flight.

The 18-year-old did make seven appearances for Russell Martin's side as they earned promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking, and will be hoping for even more chances at St Mary's this term. Certainly the England youth international, who can play as either a winger or No.10, has the attributes to be a success at the highest level having shone for the U21s last term as he directly contributed to 11 goals in 12 Premier League 2 appearances.

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Getty ImagesHarrison Armstrong (Everton)

Everton fans are in need of a bit of cheer after a difficult few seasons, but as the Toffees prepare for their final season at Goodison Park, they do so with hope that homegrown talent Harrison Armstrong can play a role in Sean Dyche's side moving themselves up the table.

A box-to-box midfielder, 17-year-old Armstrong has impressed throughout pre-season after making his first step into the senior squad on Merseyside. With Amadou Onana having left to join Aston Villa, there is a hole that needs filling in Dyche's midfield, and Armstrong has certainly thrown his hat into the ring to do just that.