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Sunderland succumbed to their fifth straight Championship loss last night at the hands of high-flying Leicester City, veteran striker Jamie Vardy proving to be the difference-maker with an early strike for the Foxes in the 1-0 Black Cats loss.

Mike Dodds will have been encouraged by the performances of some of his players in the narrow defeat – with the stuttering Wearside outfit amassing 17 shots on the Leicester goal to the away side's lesser ten – but the scoreline would still make for grim reading at the end all the same.

There were some notable under-performers from a Sunderland perspective as well, especially Pierre Ekwah in the centre of the park who was substituted off dead on the hour mark by Dodds after a dire showing at the Stadium of Light.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Leicester in numbers

With the likes of Chris Rigg standing out in midfield as a lively presence, Dodds' bold team selection to start the energetic 16-year-old somewhat paying off, Ekwah's poor night was further exposed unfortunately by the teenager looking bright.

Whilst Rigg would win duels aplenty – with seven notched up next to his name by the end of the 90 minutes – Ekwah would duck his brave responsibilities on the contrary against Enzo Maresca's men by winning just one duel all game with zero aerial duels even attempted.

The 22-year-old Frenchman was also unable to spark into life from an attacking point of view, failing to register a single effort on Mads Hermansen's goal alongside coming away from the 1-0 loss without a single completed dribble.

The below-par Sunderland number 39 might well find himself axed from Dodds' starting eleven for his side's next second-tier match away at Southampton as a result, with Leo Hjelde at left-back also guilty of having an off-day against the Foxes to further trouble Dodds' upcoming team selections.

Leo Hjelde's performance vs Leicester in numbers

The January recruit from Leeds United also struggled against Leicester, with the explosive Abdul Fatawu for the away side causing all sorts of issues for the former Whites man and the rest of the Sunderland back four to contend with.

The entertaining 19-year-old winger would end the contest at the Stadium of Light with a 100% successful dribble rate next to this name, Dodds' men unable to lay a glove on the Leicester number 18 for large spells of the game.

Hjelde, meanwhile, squandered possession 17 times in total to allow Maresca's men to grow in confidence on their travels further, on top of only completing two accurate crosses from down the channels to attempt to unnerve the visitors when foraying forward.

Hjelde's numbers vs Leicester

Minutes played

90

Duels won

5/9

Possession lost

17x

Touches

63

Accurate passes

28/36 (78%)

Accurate crosses

2/6

Stats by Sofascore

As can be seen in the table above, Hjelde likely walked off the pitch unsatisfied with his showing and potentially worried that Dodds could roll the dice by selecting a new left-back over the poor 20-year-old for the trip to Saints coming up this weekend.

The Norwegian defender would pick up an unsatisfactory 4/10 rating from Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith after the 1-0 defeat, described as 'really struggling' when Leicester bombed forward with venom early on by Smith.

The 6 foot 2 full-back could breathe a little easier over his first-team spot owing to Sunderland's lack of other options that could come in to replace Hjelde, with Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin long-term casualties in the treatment room at left-back.

But, with the Black Cats in dire straits at the moment, Dodds could just make some surprising calls regardless involving his starting elevens to try and gain some positive results soon.

Leeds United may well sell one player this summer who has been a regular under Daniel Farke in 2024, according to Phil Hay.

Leeds form in 2024

The Whites have been well and truly ‘Marching on Together’ this year in the Championship, looking for an immediate return to the Premier League.

After a slow start to the season and a tricky festive period, Leeds have been in unbelievable form in 2024 and now sit in the second automatic promotion spot, three points behind Leicester City at the top.

Leeds' Championship form in 2024

Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City

1st January

Cardiff City 0-3 Leeds United

13th January

Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End

21st January

Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

24th January

Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United

2nd February

Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United

10th February

Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United

13th February

Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United

17th February

Leeds United 3-1 Leicester City

23rd February

Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United

2nd March

Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City

5th March

Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United

8th March

The Whites have nine days between the win at Sheffield Wednesday and the upcoming game against Millwall, with Farke’s intentions for the welcome break made clear.

“Like always: sofa, cake, coffee. I am looking forward to a relaxed weekend. So much load. Important for the players and staff. We have had so much travel and miles. Enjoying myself means recovering on the sofa for me. Not too much thinking about football over the next few days.”

However, behind the scenes, the 49ers Enterprises and co may well be looking to the summer, with Borussia Monchengladbach left-back Luca Netz thought to be a possible target. He may well replace Junior Firpo, with Hay making a claim on the left-back’s future.

£60,000-a-week star could be sold by Leeds

The reliable reporter shared an in-depth story on Firpo, stating that a new Elland Road deal is looking unlikely, with his current contract up in 2025. Therefore, Hay claimed that offers ‘would be well received’ by Leeds in the upcoming transfer window.

Firpo, previously labelled "immense" by Conor McGilligan, was recently named in the Dominican Republic squad for the upcoming international break and has played an important role for Leeds this year.

He’s started all but one of Leeds’ Championship games in 2024, registering five assists with the Whites conceding just three goals, all of which have come from set pieces.

Junior Firpo's best performances in 2023/24

WhoScored rating

Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City

8.68/10

Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United

8.15/10

Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United

7.62/10

Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

7.55/10

Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End

7.41/10

Alongside Archie Gray, Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu at the back, Leeds have a settled defensive line at this moment in time, but we have seen in the past Firpo’s struggles with injuries and form in the Premier League.

For example, Jermaine Jenas slammed the £60,000-a-week defender's “torrid time” for Leeds in the run-in last year when the club were relegated, but hopefully, he can help the club win promotion before potentially leaving in the summer.

أكد محمد الشناوي، حارس مرمى فريق الأهلي، على احترام الزمالك قبل مواجهة الغد المرتقبة، في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي والزمالك في تمام الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، للمنافسة على لقب بطل السوبر المصري؛ وذلك بعد فاز الأبيض على بيراميدز بركلات الترجيح في نصف النهائي، وتخطى الأهلي منافسه سيراميكا كليوباترا بنتيجة 2-1.

وقال الشناوي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “نُحضر للمباراة بشكل جيد، نعرف قيمة مواجهة الزمالك، مباراة مختلفة عن أي مباراة أخرى، واللاعبون جميعهم في حالة تركيز، وإن شاء الله نعود بالكأس”.

طالع أيضًا | أيمن الرمادي: أخذت أكبر من حجمي.. ولو فعلنا كل ما علينا أمام الأهلي لانتصرنا

وتابع: “مواجهة الزمالك تكون صعبة، لكن عندما تنتهي ننساها ونُفكر في المباراة التالية، نسينا مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا والآن نركز على مواجهة الأبيض، ونعطيهم احترامهم، وما حدث في الماضي قد حدث وانتهى، نحن الآن ننظر للأمام”.

هل لاعبو الأهلي الشباب يحتاجون لطبيب نفسي؟ “(إحنا عندنا ماتش وجايين نتكلم عن ماتش الزمالك مش جايين نحل مشاكل)، جميع اللاعبين يعلمون نظام النادي ولا يخرج أحد عن النص”.

واختتم: “أتمنى تواجد الجماهير وكل جمهور يشجع فريقه، وإن شاء الله نسعد جماهيرنا ونعود بالكأس”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em meio à reta final de preparação para a estreia na Série B, Vasco e Botafogo irão decidir a Taça Rio no próximo sábado, às 15h05, em São Januário. No primeiro jogo, o Cruz-Maltino saiu na frente e venceu por 1 a 0 com gol de Cano. O confronto entre dois elencos em construção terá um duelo entre zagas de duas diferentes gerações. Veja abaixo a análise dos sistemas defensivos feita pelo LANCE!.

> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro – Série B

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Experiência e busca pelo equilíbrio defensivo

Desde a chegada do diretor executivo de futebol, Alexandre Pássaro, o Cruz-Maltino optou por trazer jogadores mais experientes e com mais rodagem para a disputa da Série B. Na defesa de Marcelo Cabo, às vésperas da estreia, uma dupla de zaga com dois atletas acima dos 30 anos evidencia a estratégia adotada: Leandro Castan, capitão da equipe, de 34, e Ernando, que veio do Bahia, e tem 33.

Na última temporada, Castan não teve boas atuações e chegou a ser questionado pela torcida. Porém, o capitão vascaíno permaneceu no clube, se firmou como titular, e está na espinha dorsal pensada por Cabo. Por outro lado, Ernando ficou de fora do time por alguns jogos, visto que não teve pré-temporada e precisava recuperar o condicionamento físico. A dupla é a zaga ideal para a disputa da Série B segundo aponta as escolhas do treinador.

Apesar de não ter garantido uma vaga nas semifinais do Carioca, o time teve boas atuações e avançou na Copa do Brasil. Com um estilo de jogo “apoiado”, o novo comandante tem tentado implantar seu estilo de jogo. Todavia, tem apresentado problemas defensivos, sobretudo nas bolas alçadas na área. Para a partida diante do Operário-PR, no dia 29, às 11h, na Colina Histórica, Cabo procura o equilíbrio defensivo e corrigir os erros apresentados no Carioca.

Cabe salientar que a partida de ida da decisão da Taça Rio foi a primeira em que o Gigante da Colina não tomou gol na temporada. Mesmo com a experiência, a defesa ainda peca na desatenção. Com uma marcação mista, as bolas aéreas geralmente levam perigo ao miolo de zaga, e deixa o Vasco exposto, já que os adversários conhecem tal fragilidade.

Além da experiente dupla, o Cruz-Maltino tem em seu elenco os jovens Ricardo Graça (24), Miranda (21) e Ulisses (21), todos formados nas divisões de base do clube O camisa 35, por sua vez, tem ocupado a vaga de Ernando, que fez uma preparação para a temporada após o jogo contra o Boavista. No Carioca, a defesa vascaína tomou 17 gols, porém Ernando, em entrevista coletiva, elogiou a atuação da defesa contra o Glorioso, no último domingo.

– Foi importantíssimo não sofrer gols contra o Botafogo porque o sistema defensivo vinha sendo cobrado de ter uma regularidade melhor e mais consistência. Nossa equipe teve padrão defensivo muito bom e uma consistência que é necessária para a disputa de todas as competições. Você tendo sistema defensivo seguro dá respaldo para o sistema ofensivo jogar e não se preocupar com contra-ataques – disse o zagueiro, que se colocou à disposição para retornar à equipe na decisão de sábado.

Juventude e bons números no Carioca

Por mais que praticamente todo o time do Alvinegro seja frequente alvo de críticas da torcida, talvez a dupla de zaga forme o setor menos perseguido no Botafogo. Atualmente firmada por Kanu e Sousa, dois crias das categorias de base do clube, a dupla tem a menor média de idade da posição entre os quatro grandes do Rio – Kanu tem 24 anos, enquanto seu companheiro tem 19.

Além disso, a zaga botafoguense, em termos gerais, construiu a defesa menos vazada do Campeonato Carioca: são 11 gols sofridos em 14 duelos. Outro ponto importante é que, desde o início da temporada, em dois períodos o time já ficou três partidas sem levar gols. Contra o Vasco, inclusive, foi a primeira vez que o clube de General Severiano foi vazado com Sousa e Kanu em campo.

Porém, é fato que embora os números sejam positivos, a defesa está longe de não ter problemas. Isso porque, cerca de 45% dos gols que o Glorioso levou na competição saíram de falhas do próprio time.

A última delas aconteceu justamente no primeiro duelo da decisão da Taça Rio, e foi cometida pelo jovem Sousa. Àquela altura, o erro ao tentar sair jogando e perder a bola após pressão de Morato, fez com que o Botafogo sofresse o gol que até aqui dá a vantagem ao time de São Januário. Problemas defensivos estes, que precisaram ser consertados, pelo menos, até o próximo dia 28, quando o Glorioso estreia na Série B diante do Vila Nova-GO, às 21h30, fora de casa.

Entretanto, mesmo com a falha individual, vale ressaltar que Sousa entrou a pouco no time titular de Marcelo Chamusca. Escalado como lateral-esquerdo nas partidas contra o Bangu (terceira rodada do Carioca) e Moto Club (primeira fase da Copa do Brasil), o jovem ganhou chance em sua posição de origem na última rodada da Taça Guanabara, contra o Macaé. De lá para cá, com a lesão de Gilvan, que já se recuperou, Sousa não saiu mais da equipe: foram quatro partidas atuando os 90 minutos.

Pensando no futuro, outra vantagem de Sousa é a pouca idade, que pode gerar lucros ao Botafogo, principalmente em negociações futuras. E o mesmo se repete com Kanu. Embora seja novo e ainda possa dar um bom retorno financeiro ao clube, no time titular, o jogador é quem mais tem tempo de casa. Ao todo, já são 68 partidas completas e uma liderança desenvolvida pouco a pouco por quem viveu muitas coisas em praticamente dois anos.

England head coach candidate switches focus to leading Welsh Fire in the Hundred

George Dobell21-Oct-2019Gary Kirsten has confirmed he would “love to get back into international cricket” despite missing out on the role of England head coach.While Kirsten said he was “not bothered” by having failed to win the England role, he insisted he was prepared to endure the months on the road that are inherent with international coaching and said he would have accepted the job had it been offered.Kirsten was seen as favourite for the England job once Alec Stewart pulled out of the reckoning. He has enjoyed successful spells as coach of India and South Africa and, having initially said he would only consider the position in one format of the game (either red- or white-ball coach, but not both), then reconsidered and made himself available for the entire role.But he is believed to have underwhelmed in his interview. As well as demonstrating comparatively little knowledge of England’s current team, he seems to have expressed some trepidation towards the side’s relentless schedule. And while he is adamant he was keen on the job, he admitted he was apprehensive about the time he would have been required to spend away from home.Former South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten is named as head coach of Welsh Fire for the Hundred•Getty Images

“I wouldn’t have flown across the world if my heart wasn’t in the job,” Kirsten told ESPNcricinfo. “It would have been a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted to be involved in English cricket. But it is hectic, without a doubt. It means you are probably away from home for 250 days a year.”My kids are little and I placed a huge importance on being able to see them as regularly as I could. But I discussed it with my wife, we’ve done it before with India so we know the space, and we said ‘we’ll make it work if we can’. They [the ECB] said they were going to create [some space for time off in the schedule].”I’m not bothered by the decision. Everyone makes the call they need to. It’s great to be part of the Hundred, actually. I was going to lose that if I got the England job. This will be exciting.”Despite his enthusiasm for the Hundred, where he will coach Welsh Fire, Kirsten hinted he may pursue more international coaching roles in the future.”I’d love to get back into international cricket,” he said. “I’ve been out of international cricket for six years. I only came over to England because I was excited by the opportunity. I would have accepted the job.”

He struggled initially but converted a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 into a match-winning 94 off 50

The Report by Sidharth Monga06-Dec-20194:32

Star Sports Match Point – Pathan runs out of adjectives for Kohli

An unmistakable sign of greatness shone through as Virat Kohli sealed India’s sixth straight successful chase at home, their second-highest successful one overall.For a large part of the chase, Kohli kept fighting himself, unable to find his touch, but he found a way to turn a start of a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 in a two-run-a-ball chase into a match-winning 94 off 50. And he didn’t play all that well. Let it sink in. That’s greatness right there.Animated, furious at himself and the opposition, Kohli had a capacity crowd live the chase with him. At one point, he hit a six and mocked Kesrick Williams’ signature celebration wherein he pulls out an imaginary notebook from his pocket and pretends to strike off the batsman’s name off.This was a rare high-scoring T20 match where the side scoring fewer runs in boundaries ended up winning. India managed 120 in boundaries as compared to West Indies’ 134, but West Indies made up for it with the extras they conceded: 21 to India’s four, not counting leg-byes, which are not a sign of ordinary discipline.West Indies refuse to slow downThe last time India won the toss, they chose to bat against South Africa, knowing fully well defending is their weaker suit, especially in dewy conditions. That, though, was with a series lead in hand. In the series opener against West Indies, they stuck to chasing. West Indies knew they had their task cut out.From the moment Evin Lewis got stuck into Washington Sundar in the first over, West Indies were on a mission to get themselves a defendable total. It didn’t matter that Lendl Simmons fell in Deepak Chahar’s first over. Brandon King hit the third ball he faced for four. Nor did Lewis’ wicket for 40 off 17 in the sixth over slow them down. When King fell in the 11th over, Shimron Hetmyer immediately hit Ravindra Jadeja for four.Chahal makes the differenceIt seemed India may have missed a trick not bowling the legspin of Yuzvendra Chahal the moment Kieron Pollard walked out. It was 107 for 3 after 11 when Chahal could have exploited Pollard’s weakness against legspin. Instead Shivam Dube was hit for 13, and Jadeja for 12 in the next. However, by getting the wickets of Hetmyer and Pollard in the 18th over, Chahal may have made sure West Indies don’t make an absolute killing of the final few overs. Jason Holder’s nine-ball-24, though, took them to a total India have never chased successfully before.Rahul charges at West IndiesDew was going to play a part, but India still needed a quick start to this chase. Back as opener in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, KL Rahul provided just that. He went after Holder in the second over, and then made sure India didn’t fall streets behind when Kohli struggled for a start upon the early dismissal of Rohit Sharma. Along the way he became the third-fastest to 1000 T20 international runs in terms of innings taken to get there.BCCI

The Kohli showAt the other end, though, Kohli was just not himself. But in being that, he was more himself than he can ever be. At every shank, he kept admonishing himself. Then he tried harder, and shanked harder. West Indies, generous with wides, were smart with their changes of pace. Perhaps a word or three flew too. A border-line no-ball call for height went West Indies’ way. Kohli reacted to everything, especially to the bowlers’ interaction with him. Many a great batsman are known to go in their shell and only respond to chirping once the job is done, but Kohli was thriving on it. He was perhaps looking for it. Who knows if there was any chirping?All we know is Kohli was not happy, and he was willing himself to concentrate harder. Reading body language is usually fraught with risks, but you could obviously say Kohli on this night was in some other zone. And with every single he took, the asking rate went up. At the halfway mark, India needed to go at 11.9 an over. Hayden Walsh then bowled a lovely over but Kohli got away with an inside edge for four. In the next over, Holder set him up for the slower bouncer, which has brought him success with Kohli before, but this top edge sailed over for six. Then he smacked a full toss for four and fought with the umpires for a no-ball. The man was fighting every inch, hyper aware of everything.In the 13th over, Williams bowled two no-balls, but it was still obvious that Kohli was struggling for timing against him. Amid all this, Rahul drilled Khary Pierre straight to long-off. India still needed 78 off 39, and Kohli had only just begun to find his bearings.EndgameIndia promoted Rishabh Pant, which brought them double dividend. Apart from the right-left combination, it meant the legspinner Walsh didn’t bowl anymore. And Pant made sure of that with the first ball he faced, getting down on a knee and smacking Pierre for a six. Kohli fed off it, and went after Holder in the next over. Nineteen runs came off five balls, and at 55 required off 34, India’s win probability had gone from 27 to 73 according to Cricinfo’s forecaster.Trying big hits, Pant and Shreyas Iyer fell to keep West Indies interested but Kohli was never going to come back with the chase unfinished. Not on this night.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atraso do Flamengo no aquecimento da partida contra o Unión La Calera, na Libertadores, rendeu advertências ao treinador Rogério Ceni e ao clube, conforme informou a Conmebol em decisão do processo disciplinar que foi aberto por conta do episódio, no Maracanã, no dia 27 de abril. Além do atraso, o delegado do jogo relatou na súmula uma discussão com Gabriel Barbosa.

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As infrações cometidas pelo Flamengo foram aos artigos 5.1.4 e 5.1.12.6 do Manual de Clubes da Libertadores 2021.No caso de segunda e subsequentes infrações, estão previstas aplicações de multas de valor mínimo de 50 mil dólares cada, cerca de R$ 265 mil, tanto para o clube quanto para o técnico.

أعلن نادي فلومينينسي في بيان رسمي، منذ قليل، فسخ عقد النجم البرازيلي مارسيلو، بعد التوصل إلى اتفاق بينهما، وذلك بعد الواقعة الغريبة التي حدثت السبت.

وخاض فلومينينسي مباراة في الدوري البرازيلي ضد نظيره جريميو، حيث تعادلا بهدفين لمثليهما.

وكان مدرب فلومينينسي، مانو مينيزيس، مستعدًا لإدخال مارسيلو كبديل في الشوط الثاني.

وشوهد مارسيلو وهو على خط التماس خلال تلقيه التعليمات، قبل أن تنشب مشادة قوية من قِبل مدرب فلومينينسي، حيث ظهر وهو يتحدث بحدة، دون معرفة السبب وراء ذلك.

ولم ينخرط مارسيلو في تلك المحادثة العنيفة، وظهر وهو يهز رأسه استجابة للتعليمات، ولكن مدرب فلومينينسي قرر تغيير رأيه ولم يدفع بالبرازيلي، واستعان بلاعب آخر.

xiiii

Mano Menezes x Marcelo

TRABALHE @gustavomachadog
pic.twitter.com/FaOOuLOgTx — Broca (@alexcrfla) November 2, 2024

وبرر مدرب فلومينينسي تصرفه القاسي تجاه مارسيلو بكونه سمع شيئًا لم يعجبه من جانب اللاعب، دون الكشف عن ماهيته.

وقال فلومينينسي في بيان رسمي منذ قليل: “يعلن نادي فلومينينسي لكرة القدم ومارسيلو فييرا إنهاء العقد بالتراضي بين الطرفين”.

وأضاف: “لا تزال الروابط المؤسسية والعاطفية بين فلومينينسي ومارسيلو قائمة”.

واختتم: “تم تخليد اسم الرياضي مؤخرًا في الملعب في مركز التدريب، ونود أن نشكر مارسيلو حيث سنستمر، كما هو الحال دائمًا، في دعم نجاحه في جميع تحدياته”.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has showcased his willingness to trust and develop academy talents in his debut season with the Yorkshire-based side.

The German boss worked the likes of James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons, and Emiliano Buendia during his time with Norwich City, and has now provided Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray with opportunities to shine this season.

Gray, who was 17 at the start of the campaign, made his senior debut under the Whites manager this term and has racked up 36 appearances in the Championship so far.

The England U21 international is the first-choice option for Farke at right-back, whilst Joseph is currently the back-up to Patrick Bamford in the number nine position, and this shows that the tactician is prepared to bring academy gems into the team if they are good enough and ready to feature.

This bodes well for the array of talent currently occupying the U21 and U18 teams at Thorp Arch, as they know that the club have a manager who will not ignore them if they perform to a high level, in matches and in training.

Current U18s star Josh McDonald is one player who could have his eyes on a future place in the first-team, and Farke could eventually unearth him as a homegrown heir to Dan James, who has had somewhat of a revival at Elland Road this season.

Dan James' initial struggles at Leeds

In the summer of 2021, former Leeds duo Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta swooped to sign the Wales international from Manchester United for a reported fee of £25m.

The forward started regularly throughout the 2021/22 campaign for Bielsa, and then his replacement Jesse Marsch, but failed to deliver goals and assists at an impressive rate.

He produced four goals, with eight 'big chances' missed, and assisted four for his teammates, with 0.8 key passes per game, over 31 Premier League starts.

His less-than-impressive form at the top end of the pitch, after a big £25m move to Elland Road, led to a loan to league rivals Fulham for the 2022/23 campaign.

22/23 Premier League

Dan James

Appearances

24

Starts

7

Goals

2

Assists

1

Key passes per game

0.4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, James also struggled during his time with the Cottagers as he only racked up three direct goal contributions in 24 matches.

His lack of end product on the wing in the Premier League may have contributed to Fulham's decision to send him back to Elland Road last summer, instead of attempting to sign him on a permanent basis.

That did, however, provide Leeds and Farke with an opportunity to help him regain his confidence by playing regular football in the Championship this season.

Dan James' impressive form this season

The 26-year-old speedster has started 24 of his 34 appearances in the second tier for the Whites so far this season, and has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

James has plundered an eye-catching 12 goals and seven assists in those 24 starts – a return of one goal or assist every 1.26 starts on average in the league.

Only Wilfried Gnonto (2.72) has outscored his Expected Goals by more than James (1.8) within the Leeds squad, as the electric winger has found the back of the net 12 times from an xG of 10.2.

This shows that the former Manchester United forward has been efficient in front of goal, and not wasted many opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet.

The Welsh wizard has also showcased his creativity with 12 'big chances' created and 1.5 key passes per game across his 34 league matches for Leeds this term. He ranks within the top 5% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90, and the top 8% for assists (0.30) per 90.

These statistics show that the Whites star has been an excellent operator as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst having the quality to operate on either the right or the left wing for Farke.

In total, James has racked up 16 goals and 12 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions since he made the move to Leeds in the summer of 2021, which is a return of 2.75 matches per game on average.

Josh McDonald's Leeds potential

Leeds swooped to sign McDonald from Scottish side Hamilton Academical in the summer of 2023, at the age of 16, amid interest from Premiership giants Glasgow Rangers.

Football Insider quoted an unnamed Scotland U18 coach as describing the talented teenager as an "exceptional" young gem, which is why he played for his country at U18 level despite being just 16 at the time.

The outlet noted the club's desire to bolster the quality of their youth teams across the board, which is why they were keen to sign the 16-year-old to add him to their U18 group.

McDonald has been playing for Leeds at that level so far this season and has caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Like James, the Scottish wizard has the ability to play on either the left or the right side of the attack, rather than being restricted to one or the other, and that could help his first-team chances as he could fill in for multiple positions.

As you can see in the table below, McDonald has featured regularly for the club in the league and the cup during his debut campaign in English football.

23/24 season

Josh McDonald

FA Youth Cup

U18 Premier League

Appearances

4

17

Minutes played

344

1,028

Goals

0

5

Assists

1

3

Stats via Transfermarkt

He has racked up eight direct goal contributions in 17 appearances for the U18s this season, which is a return of one goal or assist every 2.13 outings on average – better than James' Leeds career average of one every 2.75 games.

These statistics show that McDonald, like the Wales international, can both score and create goals at a decent rate from either the right or left wing.

At the age of 17, the Scottish maestro also has plenty of time left to develop and progress over the years to come, and could be a player Farke keeps an eye on for the future as a possible long-term homegrown heir to James, who is nine years older than him.

It would be a dream scenario for Leeds and the German boss as the club would not need to splash out millions on a replacement for the Welshman, should McDonald continue to progress and emerge as a senior option.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de ficar um longo período afastado dos gramados em virtude da Covid-19, John Kennedy retornou ao Fluminense no final de maio e fez trabalhos para recuperar o condicionamento físico. O atleta, de 19 anos, segue treinando com a equipe Sub-23 do Tricolor para readquirir a forma física e ficar à disposição do técnico Roger Machado.

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Com isso, o atleta superou o lateral Samuel Xavier e foi o jogador do Fluminense que ficou mais tempo longo dos gramados devido à Covid-19. A última vez em que ele esteve em campo foina vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Botafogo pelo Campeonato Carioca, no dia 17 de abril.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Cria de Xerém, o atacante é uma das grandes promessas do clube carioca. Ele temoito jogos disputados e dois gols marcados na temporada. Até o momento, foram15 partidas e 4 bolas na rede desde que subiu para o time profissional em 2020.

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O Fluminense segue embalado na temporada e terá uma maratona de jogos em junho. Além da Copa do Brasil, a equipe comandada por Roger Machado terá pela frente sete rodadas do Brasileirão no mês. Bons testes antes dos duelos contra o Cerro Porteño pelas oitavas de finais da Copa Libertadores, que serão realizados nos dias 13 e 20 de julho.