Justin Kemp’s magnificent unbeaten 100 from 89 balls completely changed the complexion of a match that seemed to be in India’s bag. Here at the stats highlights from his knock

S Rajesh26-Nov-2006

Justin Kemp scored 65 from his last 27 balls as India reeled under his onslaught © Getty Images
240.74 – Justin Kemp’s strike rate in his last 27 balls. After 62 balls he had made just 35.76 – The number of runs South Africa scored in the five-over period from 43 to 47. The sequence read 12, 15, 19, 11, 19.138 – The eighth-wicket partnership between Kemp and Andrew Hall, which is a record for that wicket in ODIs, beating the earlier mark of 119 between Shane Warne and Paul Reiffel against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1993-94.240 – Kemp’s strike rate against Irfan Pathan (24 off 10 balls). Against Zaheer Khan he hammered 21 off 11, while Harbhajan Singh vanished for 27 off 24. The only bowler who had respectable stats against him was Anil Kumble, who conceded just 11 from 25 balls.24.07 – Kemp’s average in his 20 previous ODIs this year. He had only scored two fifties in these matches.3 – The number of No.7 batsmen who have scored hundreds in ODIs. Before Kemp, only Hashan Tillakaratne (100 against West Indies at Sharjah, 1995-96), and Mohammad Kaif (111 not out against Zimbabwe at Colombo, 2002-03) had managed this feat51.20 – Rahul Dravid’s average in ODIs against South Africa in South Africa. In 11 innings, he has scored seven fifties25.89 – Sachin Tendulkar’s average against South Africa in South Africa. In 18 matches, he only has one fifty-plus score

It’s too early to judge but Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer’s average of 88.50 is the best for an Indian pair who’ve opened at least five times in Tests

George Binoy28-Jul-2007

Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik survived James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom’s testing opening spells, and posted 147 for the opening wicket on the second day at Trent Bridge. It was a partnership that beat the odds, for India’s openers have had a horrendous record in England in the last three decades. The last time India had a first-wicket partnership of more than 100 in England was when Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan added 213 at The Oval in 1979. Since then, the openers had added more than 50 only five times in 29 innings with Kris Srikkanth and Gavaskar’s 64 at Leeds in 1986 being the highest.India have a history of makeshift opening pairs and Jaffer, the specialist, and Karthik, who averaged 56 in six innings as opener before Trent Bridge, are a relatively new combination. They began impressively, adding 153 against South Africa at Cape Town in January and since they’ve put on 0, 0, 175*, 18, 38 and 147. It’s too early to judge but Karthik and Jaffer’s average of 88.50 is the best for an Indian pair who’ve opened at least five times in Tests.You cannot fault an opening stand that produces 147 but Karthik and Jaffer had large doses of luck on the second day at Trent Bridge. England’s fast bowlers swung and seamed the new ball considerably and both openers played and missed regularly. In fact, Karthik and Jaffer had a higher in-control percentage – that is, they middled the ball more regularly – at Lord’s, where India lost their first wicket on 18 and 38 in the two innings.

Chris Tremlett has been England’s best fast bowler so far in the second Test. He bowled predominantly on a good length or just short of a length and got the ball to bounce sharply. India scored 109 runs off 29 overs between lunch and tea but the batsmen managed to score only 15 runs off Tremlett’s eight overs, while Anderson and Sidebottom’s economy-rates during this session were five and 4.60 respectively.Anderson and Sidebottom were England’s most effective bowlers at Lord’s but their swing has produced no wickets so far at Trent Bridge. In the first innings at Lord’s, Anderson not only took 5 for 42, but also built immense pressure with his economy rate of 1.72. The difference so far at Trent Bridge has been a positive approach from the Indians compared to Lord’s, and a little bit of luck.More stats from the second day

Stuart Robertson, the ECB marketing man who devised Twenty20, speaks to Andrew McGlashan

Andrew McGlashan13-Sep-2007

The first ICC World Twenty20 is a satisfying time for Stuart Robertson. Back in 2000, as the head marketing man at the ECB, Robertson was set the daunting task of trying to bring more people through the gates to watch English domestic cricket. Test matches and one-day internationals were routinely sold out, even when England weren’t winning, but county matches really were for one man and his dog.The idea he came up with is what we now know as the Twenty20 game. Seven years and 9000 km later, the Wanderers, Newlands and Kingsmead are guaranteed sell-outs to watch some of the biggest names in cricket at the first world championship in the new format.”The key is, it’s such a simple format,” Robertson, who now works for Hampshire, told Cricinfo. “It’s not rocket science and that’s the beauty of it. I wasn’t surprised how quickly the game took off in England, but the international growth was a bit more unexpected, especially the pace at which other countries introduced it into their fixtures.”Twenty20 made its debut in the 2003 English season, and that winter South Africa introduced Pro20. Two years later Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all made room in their domestic calendars for a competition. Since then, New Zealand have also joined in, while Stanford 20/20 sparked popular interest in the Caribbean and has now been incorporated into the official WICB season. Even India, who have a stubborn love-affair with the 50-over game, yielded to pressure and played a domestic Twenty20 tournament last year, although the reception was lukewarm. Cracking that market remains the game’s major challenge.”The data we had was fairly black and white,” said Robertson. “Across the board, attendances were down 20 per cent over five years when the project began in 2000-01. My job was to put together a report, looking in detail at how to bring people back through the gates, but importantly, doing it from a consumer perspective. There had been plenty of committees set up to look at the issue in the past, but they’d involved former players and county chairmen whose findings were not always in the spectators’ interests.

“We looked at why people weren’t coming to the games and there was a key theme: accessibility. This was a physical reason – the timings of the matches; people at work couldn’t get to the games during the day. But there was a cultural, social aspect as well. A lot of people said: ‘I thought you had to be a member to go a game.'”Robertson and his team identified key groups of people who were barely registering in the county game; women, the 16-35 age group, and young families with children. “We needed a product that would be attractive to them, and asked if there was a game that took less than three hours, would they come to that? The overwhelming response was that they would, so we went back to the counties and in 2001 it went to a vote of the First Class Forum. It was passed 11-7 in favour and that was the start of Twenty20.”It wasn’t a faultless progression from idea to inception. As the voting suggests, the format didn’t gain wholehearted support, although Robertson was confident from the outset that the early misgivings could be overcome. “There was scepticism before and after the start of the tournament, but the great thing was that once it got off the ground, everyone got behind it. Even those who voted against the proposal initially didn’t stand back and say they wouldn’t embrace it.”The advantage was that virtually all the commercial and marketing men
could see the potential that Twenty20 had, but it was the chairmen – brought up in slightly different eras – who offered the early obstacles. Once Twenty20 was voted in, the marketing men could hardly wait to get working on it.”

It wasn’t only off the field that Twenty20 found itself struggling for recognition. During its first season, players didn’t quite know what to make of it, having been brought up on a diet of 50-over and four-day cricket. “From the playing side there was certainly a feeling in the first year that it was a bit of hit-and-giggle, and a few teams didn’t take it seriously,” said Robertson. “I spent a lot of time speaking and giving presentations on it through the PCA [Professional Cricketers’ Association] and slowly the mood changed.”Sometimes the early misgivings actually came from the international players who were used to playing in front of full houses and weren’t sure it could be replicated on the domestic level. But for the young, upcoming players performing in front of six or seven thousand people it was a totally new experience. It’s what being a professional sportsman was all about.”The question now is, how far can Twenty20 go? The ICC has put a limit on the number of international matches in a year and Robertson agrees the current level “is just about right” with a match or two against each touring side, and the World Cup. But he doesn’t support the view that there’s a danger of overload, especially at domestic level. “It’s been such a success. Why shouldn’t there be more of it? In England I certainly think there is scope for a tournament to run throughout the season, maybe on Friday nights, rather than just the two-week period in midsummer.”One enticing prospect is the idea of a Champions League-style Twenty20 league where the top domestic teams from each country play each other. “It certainly would be interesting,” said Robertson. It might sound slightly far-fetched at the moment, but so did the ICC World Twenty20 five years ago.

Before going away to work on the latest phase of his rehabilitation, Sachin Tendulkar spoke about the realities of aging, combating injury and coming back with desire for the game undimmed

Dileep Premachandran01-Jun-2006

Despite his best efforts, Tendulkar couldn’t be ready for a Caribbean swansong © Getty Images
Despite his best efforts, Sachin Tendulkar couldn’t make the tour of the Caribbean. The recovery from shoulder surgery has taken slightly longer than expected and Tendulkar now hopes to be in fighting trim for the start of the new season in August. Before going away to work on the latest phase of his rehabilitation, he spoke to Cricinfo Magazine about the realities of aging, combating injury and coming back with desire for the game undimmed.The last two seasons have seen gremlins creep into the machine. A tennis elbow problem and the shoulder tear haven’t helped – “It’s not like a fracture where you know it’ll heal in four weeks,” he says – and doubt, the performer’s greatest enemy, has crept in. “It’s not easy to forget the injuries,” he says. “There are times when you spend some time in the middle and the body complains. That’s when you need to hold back a bit and take it easy for a couple of practice sessions.”A rigorous training regime wasn’t enough to convince the physicians, or himself, that he was ready for the West Indies. Such disappointments have recently become commonplace, and Tendulkar is the first to admit so: “Your thought process changes. When you have a fit body, you think differently, but when you’re not 100% fit, or you’ve just overcome an injury, then your mind works differently. Thinking is everything in this game. It’s hard to express what it’s like, but there have been sleepless nights, there have been days full of frustration where you just want to get back in action but the body doesn’t cooperate even if your mind is ready to go out there and do it. You have to be sharp enough to pick up those signals.”On the matter of thinking, he has the right man by his side. “Greg Chappell was a top cricketer, one of the best to have played this game,” he says, when asked whether the coach has helped him through the lean times. “He understands the game very well. It’s important to have someone around who’s played a lot of cricket at the highest level. Technically, to a certain extent, one can progress, but mentally you can get better each time you go out into the middle. That’s where Greg chips in. It’s the thinking of someone who’s played and seen this game for over 40 years now. He understands the highs and the lows and he himself has experienced it.”Tendulkar smiles when asked how the ravages of time have changed both the man and his game. “I’ve never understood that aspect of the criticism,” he says quietly. “Change is part of our lives, and as you get older, you try to reach your destination in safer ways. “Let me give you a small example. Earlier when I used to hit the ball in the air and get out, people used to say, `Why can’t you play all along the ground? It’s simple. You don’t need to hit the ball in the air.’ Now, when I play all along the ground, people say: `Why don’t you hit the ball in the air nowadays?’ Basically, people are not satisfied with what one does.”He insists, however, that when body and mind are in perfect sync, he’s still capable of innings like the 114 in Perth [January 1992] that evoked so much awe all those years ago. “See the innings I played against Pakistan at the [2003] World Cup, and also Lahore [third one-day international, February 2006]. At Lahore, the first few overs, when the ball was doing a lot, I had to occasionally hold myself back – wait for an opportunity, or sometimes create chances. You’re obviously working on the bowler’s mind when you counter-attack. I have played a few innings like that.”It’s hard to express what it’s like, but there have been sleepless nights, there have been days full of frustration where you just want to get back in action but the body doesn’t cooperate even if your mind is ready to go out there and do itBefore injury ruled him out of the one-day series against England, he had played his part in India’s remarkable revival in the one-day game, and he has nothing but praise for the new faces, and the established ones that have taken their game to another level. “It’s a good blend,” he says. “It has worked wonderfully and the balance is just about right.”The newer crop is talented, and they’re match-winners. Even the bowlers – Munaf [Patel] has done well; Sreesanth has been quite consistent; and Irfan’s been around now for three years. He’s been delivering quite consistently with both bat and ball. When the batting hasn’t been up to expectations, the bowlers have made it a point to bowl some wonderful spells, and vice versa. We’ve got players who are fit and raring to go, with brilliant attitudes. With Chappell around, it’s a perfect combination.”And though he refuses to look too far ahead, nothing would please him more than World-Cup redemption after the disasters that were the 2003 final and the 1996 semi-final. “In retrospect, you feel that we could have done things differently,” he says. “But at that moment, you go out there to do what you feel is the right thing to do then.”I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself thinking about the next World Cup. It would be a dream come true if we can pull it off, but there are plenty of steps on the ladder and we can’t get carried away by emotion.”

Tamil Nadu’s relatively inexperienced line-up was out-thought by Mumbai’s bowlers and out-batted by their batsmen

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Chennai17-Nov-2007

Tamil Nadu’s batsmen could have learnt from Abhishek Nayar’s counter-attacking 105 on Friday © Cricinfo Ltd
The result, an eight-wicket win, was predictable. Mumbai, the defending champions, were searching for their opening victory of the season; a young Tamil Nadu side was trying to establish an identity for themselves after an exodus of senior players. It wasn’t much of a contest: Mumbai spotted a weakness – the batting – within the first session and chipped away at that, inducing mistakes rather than walking away with gimmes.It was a good toss to win for captain S Badrinath but, as he and the coach, WV Raman, later admitted, the game was all but lost after the first hour. The first ball after the first drinks break saw a wicket fall and two more followed in quick succession. One of those was Badrinath, the team’s most consistent batsman and one on the fringes of national selection, who chopped one onto his stumps without opening his account.Despite chanceless half centuries from Dinesh Karthik and R Srinivasan, Tamil Nadu were shot out for 206 before stumps on day one. It’s easy to blame devils – real or otherwise – in the pitch and it was two-paced but, refreshingly, Badrinath and Raman didn’t go down that road. “We simply didn’t take advantage of the toss,” Raman told Cricinfo after the match. “It was the same pitch for both sides. Mumbai just made fewer mistakes.”What, then, caused Tamil Nadu to fold up for 206 and 214? One observation was that the batsmen at times failed to cover the line of the ball quickly enough, not knowing when the ball would suddenly shoot low. When sound technique was needed, Mumbai’s batsmen rose to the task on more occasions, covering the line and defending off the meat of the bat, the sound of leather hitting willow reverberating across the ground. Even defensive strokes were met with cheers and claps from the players’ tent, and it clearly wasn’t meant for fun.Of the 20 Tamil Nadu wickets that fell, seven were out bowled, and five of those were in the second innings, with the side under pressure to wipe out the deficit and build a substantial lead. Ajit Agarkar got one to sneak between bat and pad on the second ball of the third morning, and Aavishkar Salvi hit the timber in all his three dismissals in the second innings. Badrinath dragged one onto his stumps playing away from his body, R Srinivasan didn’t get his foot across to cover the inswing while K Vasudevadas paid the price for not knowing where his off stump was. Mumbai, by contrast, lost just two wickets in the same manner.The chief wrecker in both innings was Powar with match figures of 9 for 123 and it was clear the home team’s batsmen had problems tackling his slow and canny offspinners. Too rarely did the batsmen get adventurous and use their feet against him. Srinivasan survived a few nervy moments and close shouts for leg-before, attempting back-foot strokes. They could have followed the example of the young R Ashwin, whose willingness to get a good stride forward helped counter Powar’s spin. Abhishek Nayar’s aggressive 105 was the best example of how to counter-attack the conditions. His unusually wide stance helped him get to the pitch of the ball and cart it over the infield.Perhaps it’s hard to expect too much out of a young side, with a few pushed into the big league earlier than expected. Raman spoke of the happy dressing-room atmosphere and a few younger players, in turn, spoke about his positive influence. As Raman put it, with a young side, the only way, is up.

A calm dressing room environment is making the finisher play better

Hemant Brar18-Jun-20224:29

Steyn: Karthik will be among the first names in India’s T20 World Cup squad

Certain statistics in cricket feel straight out of , and Friday produced not one but two of those. First, England posted nearly 500 in a 50-over game in Amstelveen. Then, in Rajkot, Dinesh Karthik scored his maiden T20I half-century – more than 15 years after making his debut in the format.When Karthik made his debut, in what was also India’s first T20I outing, he was playing with a different generation of players. For instance, Graeme Smith, who was the opposition captain in that match, was one of the commentators for Friday’s game. Charl Langeveldt, who picked up 2 for 20 then, is now South Africa’s bowling coach.But Karthik got to play only 34 T20Is in the intervening years, and there was a seven-year period from 2010 to 2017 when he didn’t play a single T20I for India. That’s because he was a second-choice wicketkeeper behind MS Dhoni during this time, and wasn’t always deemed good enough to play as a pure batter.But over the years, the format has evolved so much that there are opportunities for super-specialists. And in the last few months, Karthik has emerged as one in closing a T20 innings. He has taken his finishing skills to such a level, as he showed during IPL 2022, that India’s team management had to make space for him in the playing XI.India probably plan to use him mainly in the last five overs of the innings. Therefore, in the second T20I of this series, when they lost their fourth wicket in the 13th over, Axar Patel walked in ahead of Karthik. The move, though, didn’t prove as successful, with Axar consuming 11 balls for his ten runs.In Rajkot too India’s fourth wicket fell in the 13th over. But the pitch was playing a few tricks. It was slightly on the slower side, because of which the ball was not coming onto the bat easily. Then there was uneven bounce to deal with. Anrich Nortje’s first ball in the ninth over scooted underneath Hardik Pandya’s bat; the fifth stung Rishabh Pant on the gloves.Perhaps considering all that, India decided to send Karthik, and not Axar, at No. 6. Hardik told him straightway to take his time as it was much easier to score once set. He took four balls to open his account, and was on 6 off 8 at one point. But that allowed him to assess the conditions and settle down.Dinesh Karthik infused the much-needed impetus to India’s innings•BCCIWith five overs left in the innings, Temba Bavuma brought Nortje back into the attack. By this time, the game had entered Karthik’s territory. He skipped down the track and smashed him over mid-off. Two balls later, he cut him in front of point for another four.From the other end, he swept, drove and reverse-pulled Keshav Maharaj for three more boundaries. “He scores in very unorthodox areas, which makes him difficult to bowl to,” the left-arm spinner would say later.Dwaine Pretorius had conceded only nine off his first two overs. But now he was up against a rampaging Karthik, who stood deep inside his crease and shuffled across to hit 6, 4, 4 off the seamer in successive deliveries. With another six off Pretorius on the first ball of the 20th over, Karthik raised his half-century.When Pant had got out, leaving India 81 for 4 in 12.5 overs, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster predicted a total of 149. But Karthik’s 27-ball 55 lifted them to 169 for 6, which turned out to be almost double of what South Africa could manage.Since the start of IPL 2022, on more than one occasion Karthik has spoken about how he has worked hard with his coach behind the scenes. All that work, he says, has allowed him to assess situations better and play accordingly. But after Friday’s game, he also talked about how the atmosphere in India’s dressing room has been of great help.”I am feeling very secure in this set-up,” he said at the post-match presentation. “In the last game, things didn’t go exactly according to the plan for me [Karthik was out for 6 off 8], but the way I felt in the dressing room post the game was very comforting. Right now, the dressing room is a very safe, secure place. It feels warm, it feels fuzzy when things go well, and it feels the same when they don’t go as well. There is a certain sense of calmness.”Rahul [Dravid, India’s coach] has been very clear about how we should approach the series. I don’t think he has been saying we should beat South Africa. What he has been saying is what he expects batters and bowlers to do. I think that clarity is very, very important.”After his IPL exploits, Karthik forced his way into the Indian side. Now, he is strengthening his case for inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad as well.

West Brom capitalised on Sunderland slipping up away at Plymouth Argyle to climb up the league table to fifth, goals early either side of the first half and second half meant Carlos Corberan's men would end Ipswich Town's 12-match unbeaten run in the Championship with a statement 2-0 win.

It was a thoroughly deserved win for a confident Baggies team, limiting Kieran McKenna's usually free-flowing side to half chances here and there throughout the 90 minutes – the Tractor Boys actually failing to hit the target with any of their six shots on the day, a convincing victory on home soil for West Brom.

Standout performers from the statement victory – away from the goalscorers – included Brandon Thomas-Asante who picked up an assist for Grady Diangana's game-clinching goal alongside centre-back Kyle Bartley who won all of his ground duels as per Sofascore to consolidate a clean-sheet.

Diangana and Darnell Furlong were head and shoulders above the rest in this contest however, especially West Brom's number two who got the Baggies up and running in the game with an early header finding the back of Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky's net.

Darnell Furlong's game vs Ipswich Town in numbers

Starting 15 games this season for the Baggies, Furlong's stronghold on the starting right-back spot is set even more in stone after his sterling individual performance in this 2-0 win.

The 3 dream signings that West Brom should make in January

Corberan will be writing up a list of targets now, with these three players top priorities for the Baggies.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 14, 2023

Praised by Birmingham Live journalist Joseph Chapman for his 'workmanlike' efforts versus the Tractor Boys – resulting in Furlong winning a 7/10 score in his player ratings – the 28-year-old was crucial throughout the game as an industrious presence allowing his side to comfortably stroll to the three points come full-time.

Furlong would win six of his ten duels under the lights at the Hawthorns, thwarting the likes of Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin with ease who had 12 goals combined in league action before this one.

The reliable Baggies defender did lose possession 17 times, as a marker of his creativity, but also completed five combined interceptions and tackles to shut out the frustrated Ipswich attackers, going about his defensive duties valiantly after opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a rare goal from the back.

Furlong's expertly timed header was only his seventh-ever goal for the Baggies from 169 appearances, the former QPR man instinctively connecting with Matt Phillips' corner kick to make it 1-0.

West Brom's number two has been a competent performer for Corberan's playoff dark horses all season long away from this performance in isolation however, finally now gaining plaudits for his continued hard work at right-back.

Darnell Furlong's season in numbers

Furlong has helped West Brom pick up six clean sheets when he's been on the field this season, the Baggies only shipping 17 goals this season to have the division's joint second-meanest defence alongside Leeds United.

The 28-year-old's tenacity and eagerness to close down defenders that were present versus Ipswich has been typical in his game all campaign, Furlong averaging 3.2 ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season in a bid to then launch a counter-attack to expose startled opposing defenders quickly after recovering possession.

It's no surprise that Furlong is one of the first names on Corberan's team sheet currently, West Brom's number two hopeful that he can keep up his current impressive performances with promotion the main aim for the Baggies as a collective come the end of the second tier season.

Arsenal have made contact to express their interest in an overseas striker ahead of January, according to an update from a reliable journalist.

Victor Osimhen links

The Gunners are known to be in the market for a new centre-forward next year, and one of the candidates that they have recently been linked with is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with the talisman facing an uncertain future having not yet signed a new contract.

Edu and Mikel Arteta are reportedly leading the race to secure Nigeria’s international as it stands ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Real Madrid, but should a deal for him fail to come to fruition for whatever reason, the hierarchy may have identified an ideal alternative who could be a more realistic target.

Arsenal in pole position to sign £85m "machine" for Mikel Arteta

The Gunners are at the front of the queue to sign a prolific striker next summer.

By
Chloe Chadwick

Dec 6, 2023

Santos FC's Marcos Leonardo has firmly established himself as Marcelo Faria Fernandes’ best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Santos statistics), and the 20-year-old’s impressive form has caught the eye of the board at the Emirates Stadium.

Back in October, Brazil’s youth international was the subject of interest from chiefs in the capital who were at the time considering making an offer for him, and if the following update is to be believed, the club have now taken their admiration one step further prior to the upcoming window opening.

Arsenal want to sign Leonardo

Taking to X, Rudy Galetti revealed that Arsenal are interested in Leonardo and are one of the clubs who are hoping to strike a deal for him having made their interest known. He wrote:

“Real Madrid, Arsenal, Newcastle and AS Roma are among the clubs that showed interest in Marcos Leonardo by contacting his entourage. Santos were adamant last summer, but now – with a suitable offer – they are open to let him go.”

Leonardo can be "deadly" in the final third

Since the start of his career, Leonardo has posted 65 contributions, 54 goals and 11 assists, in 167 appearances across all age levels, showing how prolific he can be in the final third, and how he’s constantly able to pose a threat to the opposition’s defence (Transfermarkt – Leonardo statistics).

The Itapetinga native has recorded 73 shots over the course of the current campaign which is more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Santos statistics), highlighting what a standout performer he is in the attacking areas of the pitch compared to his peers.

Sponsored by Nike, Arteta’s target even only pockets £9k-per-week as it stands (Santos salaries), so he would be a more than affordable player to recruit because that would make him the lowest earner on the books should he put pen to paper in N7 (Arsenal salaries).

As hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Leonardo is “deadly” with his movement off the ball and has a natural “instinct” in the penalty area, so it could be a coup if he decided to join the current league leaders over their fellow competitors in January.

da pinnacle： Leeds United will have been disappointed to come away from the Preston North End game last time out with nothing, unable to follow up the comprehensive win over Ipswich Town with another straightforward victory.

da bet esporte： The attackers fell below their usual high standards in the 2-1 defeat at Deepdale from a Whites perspective, both Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter failing to catch Freddie Woodman out in the opposing goal with zero shots on target from both as per Sofascore.

Not even the introduction of youth product Mateo Joseph and seasoned regular Patrick Bamford in attack in the second half could steer Leeds towards picking up an away win, Daniel Farke's men ultimately running out of steam and ideas come full-time.

Farke could well look to the transfer window to bring in more firepower up top therefore, with the Whites notable admirers of one wonderkid who continues to take his native South Africa by storm at just 17 years of age.

With Leeds unafraid to give their own homegrown teenage talents first team minutes in the form of Archie Gray, this could be the perfect next destination for this starlet to further develop and excel.

Leeds transfer latest

The Scottish Sun reported last month that Leeds alongside Celtic were interested in Cape Town Spurs striker Luke Baartman, the 17-year-old attacker regarded as one of the brightest talents in South African football currently.

This season for the Cape Town Spurs, Baartman has managed to find the back of the net twice for the senior side which included a fierce header last match in DStv Premiership action for his boyhood club.

Baartman won't instantly come into the first team and make an impact if he relocates to Elland Road this January, but Bamford's days will still be numbered anyway as Farke looks to bring in fresh youngsters to boost the squad to replace the old guard in West Yorkshire.

Patrick Bamford's numbers this season

Bamford has had a torrid season to date with Leeds, the 30-year-old striker goalless from 15 appearances with his minutes limited to exclusively coming off the bench when the clock is ticking down.

The ageing Leeds attacker has been on a decline for some time, with this season not coming as a shock or an anomaly with the ex-Chelsea man regularly out with injury if he's not misfiring in front of goal.

Patrick Bamford's goal record for Leeds

Season

Games played

Goals scored

2023-24

15

0

2022-23

31

6

2021-22

10

2

2020-21

38

17

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Bamford's powers diminishing could see Farke swoop in for Baartman as a shrewd piece of business therefore, buying with the future in mind and gaining a striker likened to Henrik Larsson according to Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor when speaking to the Scottish Sun.

Connor stated that the teenage sensation's "spatial awareness, movement and pace" reminded him of the iconic Swedish striker when he first set eyes upon the promising talent, a bold label to put on a 17-year-old who has so much more of his career left to go.

Leeds could well feel it's a gamble worth taking buying Baartman this January, initially placing the South African striker into the U21's fold to further hone his craft before unleashing him into the first team eventually to hopefully mirror the success story of Gray.

It will be a sad severing of the ties when the Whites do have to wave goodbye to Bamford, but a farewell they will have to consider soon with the injury-prone striker losing his clinical edge completely.

Bringing in Baartman may appear a move for the future, yet as has been shown in the case of Gray – who has featured 25 times in all competitions this season – Farke is willing to put faith in any talent regardless of their age.

Getting to see the two 17-year-old's thriving in the same side could, therefore, be a mouthwatering prospect for the Elland Road outfit.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Eddie Howe's future at Newcastle United, amid reports that he is under pressure to keep his job.

Eddie Howe under pressure

The Magpies made a welcome return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, with a 3-0 victory coming their way at home to Fulham in the Premier League. It has been a tough week for the club, however, with their exit from the Champions League hugely disappointing, especially as they went out of Europe completely, not even dropping into the Europa League.

There have been rumours suggesting that Howe is under pressure to keep his job at St James' Park, with owners PIF not promising him that he will still be in charge next season. In fact, Jose Mourinho has even been talked up as a potential successor to the Englishman at Newcastle, suggesting that a change could be possible in 2024.

Howe may know that his job should remain safe as long as he gets good results and gradually guides his team up the Premier League table, though, with domestic cup glory also something that could do wonders for him.

Fabrizio Romano shares Eddie Howe update

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano dropped a key update over Howe's future as Newcastle boss, saying his job is safe currently, and he hasn't heard anything different, with the Magpies "very happy" regarding the Englishman.

"I am not aware of any plans to part ways with Howe. I can say for sure the club are very happy with their manager. Everybody is pulling in the same direction and working toward the same goal. I have not heard any suggestions that Howe will be told to leave Newcastle United.”

It is only right that Howe shouldn't find himself in any danger of losing his job at the moment, considering the impact he has made at Newcastle since coming in, guiding them back into the Champions League and playing some excellent football along the way.

While some results and performances have not been up to scratch this season, the injuries that the Magpies have suffered has played a huge role in their struggles. Any manager would find it difficult to be consistent without so many important players available, with the likes of Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Dan Burn, Joe Willock, Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak all missing for significant periods, among others.

With no European football moving forward, meaning longer breaks between games, we could see a different Newcastle in the second half of the season, assuming the injury woes clear up and Howe is able to name a settled starting lineup week in, week out.

Should that happen, it is easy to envisage the Magpies making another top-four push in the league, and if their manager achieves that once again, there surely won't be any talk of him being replaced next summer.