Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is to be assessed on his strengths and weaknesses by the club's new technical director.

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Man Utd weigh up Ten Hag futureJob could be on the lineTechnical director tasked with auditWHAT HAPPENED?

Speculation and uncertainty over Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford is growing in the wake of Sunday's serious flirtation with an embarrassing FA Cup semi-final defeat against second tier Coventry, as well as consistently disappointing league results. Now that Jason Wilcox has been appointed technical director, joining from Southampton, the reports that he is tasked with carrying out an "audit" looking in detail at the manager's strengths and weaknesses, plus his overall suitability moving forward.

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The possibility of a managerial change being made this summer stems from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in the club and takeover of sporting control. The 71-year-old billionaire raced to Wembley on Sunday after completing the London Marathon to witness the inexplicable collapse and the T hints that missing out on European qualification this season could be catastrophic for Ten Hag. Wilcox must also assess Ten Hag's relationship with the squad, which has come under scrutiny again after an incident involving Alejandro Garnacho 'liking' critical social media posts following last year's storm over Jadon Sancho. With the club's new sporting hierarchy wishing to implement an overarching style and philosophy, Ten Hag has to be seen as the right fit for that too. However, his saving grace could be the lack of an obvious successor.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ten Hag still has just over 12 months left on the three-year contract he signed when he arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2022, meaning United would likely have to be pay out compensation were he to leave the job any sooner. The Dutchman's staff – including Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag – would also likely follow him out of the door.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG & MAN UTD?

United are 16 points adrift of the Premier League top four with only 18 left to play for – just one more win for Aston Villa would make Champions League qualification impossible. However, the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley next month gives hope that the season might not end trophy-less. Victory in that game, or a fifth or sixth place Premier League finish, would equate to Europa League football next season.

One source of hope for the visitors is the potential presence of Mohammad Abbas, who missed the first Test with a shoulder injury

The Preview by Liam Brickhill02-Jan-2019Big PictureBut for one mad, self-destructive session, Pakistan might have maintained their grip on the first Test, but instead they have conceded a series lead and the pressure is on to bounce back at Newlands. A similar second-innings meltdown cost them the Test match, and the series, against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi late last year, but the issues go further back than that for Pakistan and this is becoming a perennial problem.After the first Test, captain Sarfraz Ahmed pointed to the game against New Zealand in Hamilton just over two years ago, when Pakistan collapsed from 131 for 0 to 230 all out, as the start of the rot, and middle-order fragility has only become more acute since the retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.Not including Babar Azam’s 71 and Shan Masood’s 65, Nos. 3 to 7 contributed 74 runs across two innings in Centurion, and there will likely be little let-up at Newlands, despite the benign appearance of the pitch. South Africa’s attack was strong enough to end the first Test inside eight sessions, and the return of Vernon Philander at a ground where he has made a habit of demolishing batting line-ups will only make things harder for the visitors.South Africa will have to figure out how to fit Philander into their starting XI. Given how heavily seam dominated in the first Test, Keshav Maharaj might at first appear to be the candidate to sit out, but spin could be important in a Test expected to go the distance. With South Africa’s middle order faring only slightly better than Pakistan’s, Temba Bavuma and Hashim Amla’s fifties notwithstanding, Philander’s batting skills could also make a useful difference at a ground where he scored a first-class century on his comeback from injury in October.Come-from-behind fightbacks aren’t as rare as they used to be in Test cricket, and South Africa’s approach to Cape Town will be anything but blase with a potential series win at stake. Pakistan may not be the happiest team at the moment, but they have been cornered and they still have the personnel to fight back – particularly now that they are picking from an (almost) fully-fit squad.Form guideSouth Africa WLLWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Pakistan LLWLWIn the spotlightSarfraz Ahmed bagged a pair at Centurion, Faf du Plessis joining him in a bit of history as both captains went scoreless through the match. Du Plessis managed to joke about his own lapse, but Sarfraz might struggle to see the lighter side of things in the current context. Already under pressure, both his leadership and his performance will be under the microscope in Cape Town.Vernon Philander has an outstanding record at Newlands – as du Plessis put it, Philander and Newlands “go together like peanut butter and syrup”. Philander has had a difficult year injury-wise, a recurring ankle injury flaring up after the tour of Sri Lanka, with his return then being stalled by a hairline fracture in his thumb. The comfort of home-ground conditions will certainly ease Philander’s transition back into the side.A dejected Sarfraz Ahmed•AFPTeam news”Vernon picks himself at Newlands and his record speaks for itself, so he will definitely be back in the side,” du Plessis said after Centurion, and with the South African captain also confirming on the eve of the second Test that Duanne Olivier would be in the starting XI, South Africa have some reshuffling to do. They could drop their spinner or shorten the top order, but the option that might make the most sense to them is to rest one of the other quicks. Dale Steyn only took three wickets at Centurion, while Kagiso Rabada admitted ahead of the second Test that the last three months had been tiring for him, and he could possibly do with a breather. It would be very tough to leave either out with the series still alive, but South Africa have a choice to make.South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Theunis de Bruyn, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander/Dale Steyn, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Duanne OlivierWhile Haris Sohail is still on the sidelines, Mohammad Abbas and Shadab Khan have recovered from injury, and Pakistan will have to decide whether to stick with the team that failed on the Highveld or ring the changes. While the bowlers didn’t do too badly in the first Test, the middle order could do with some bolstering.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Shan Masood, 4 Azhar Ali, 5 Asad Shafiq/Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 8 Mohammad Amir, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen Afridi/Mohammad AbbasPitch and conditionsRabada was confident in his assertion that South Africa believe they have the best bowling attack in Test cricket, but he wasn’t so sure they’d steamroll Pakistan’s batting again on a Newlands track he said looked “dull”. While the ball can nip around at Newlands, the track can also sometimes be a little slow, and the bowlers may have to toil for their wickets. The Cape’s weather can be changeable, but it should be set fair at this time of year, if a little windy.Stats and trivia Vernon Philander needs one more wicket to reach 50 wickets at Newlands, a ground where he averages 16.55 with a strike rate of 35.1. Pakistan have played three Tests at Newlands and lost each of them. The last time Pakistan played a Test here, Asad Shafiq scored a century, Vernon Philander took nine wickets in the match, Saeed Ajmal took ten, and South Africa won by four wickets.Quotes”They’re a never-say-die team. You never really know what they can throw at you on the day. They’ve got some quality bowlers, and they’ve got some batters who have shown that they can bat and they can hang around. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Arsenal have been nothing short of dominant, with the side leading the way in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League Group B.

On Wednesday night in Europe, the Gunners raced out the blocks to secure a 5-0 lead by half-time versus Lens, with the tie concluding 6-0, a much more convincing victory than the 1-0 away win against Brentford.

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Mikel Arteta took the opportunity to rotate some of his key men in the second half in order to protect them from injury, with one of those being Bukayo Saka, who has suffered a couple of knocks this season already.

Because of this, the boss may look to reinforce the right-wing position in his side this transfer window.

Arsenal transfer news – Neto

As per TEAMtalk last week, Arteta is interested in signing the “elite” Pedro Neto, but it is rumoured that only a fee upwards of £60m will be considered by Wolves.

Manchester United and teams from Saudi Arabia also recognise Neto as a target, but the Portuguese winger’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been in contact with the club from north London.

Despite the 23-year-old currently nursing an injury himself, Arteta is still a huge admirer of his talent, and Arsenal are the club who are most likely to acquire his services, with Neto wanting to remain in Europe.

How Pedro Neto compares to Bukayo Saka

The winger who can operate on either flank has plenty of similarities to Saka, who will inevitably be above him in the pecking order.

Much like the England international, Neto is “incredibly talented and physically gifted”, according to Wolves boss Gary O’Neil. Physicality and the ability to bounce off players to create or retain the ball, is one of Saka’s most important traits, therefore Neto would be like-for-like competition.

Both attackers are left-footed right-wingers which ensures build-up and attacking structure remains the same, with the wingers thriving in 1v1 scenarios where they can chop back onto their strong foot or go to the byline for a cutback.

Creativity is an attribute that both individuals possess, with Saka excelling at shot-creating actions per game (5.14), key passes (2.79) and assists (0.44), via FBref.

Also, bearing in mind that Neto plays in a far less dominant side, he produces almost identical numbers, 4.37 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, 2.54 key passes, and 0.71 assists. Each statistic above puts the two players in the top 90 percentile in the Premier League for those actions.

The only aspect of Neto’s game that doesn’t compare to Saka’s right now is his output in front of goal, only netting one goal this season, with the England international scoring four. However, Neto has proven he can still tear Premier League defences to shreds.

Indeed, he is more of a creator this campaign and has registered the most assists in the top flight, 7, which is two more than Arsenal’s star boy.

It is quite clear why Mikel Arteta views Pedro Neto as the perfect Saka back-up.

USMNT prospect Benjamin Cremaschi has given a fascinating insight on what it's like to share the field with Inter Miami teammate Lionel Messi.

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• Cremaschi gives glimpse of on-field partnership
• Says megastar 'doesn't talk much'
• Pair use looks and gestures to work together

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 19-year-old midfielder, who made his debut for the Stars and Stripes last September, lifted the lid on how the World Cup-winner operates and communicates on the pitch. Cremaschi says that despite Messi's quiet demeanour, the two understand each other just fine when it comes to creating space and opportunities.

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  WHAT BENJAMIN CREMASCHI SAID

  "He doesn't talk much, right?" Cremaschi explained to Fulham's Tim Ream on The American Dream podcast. "But he talks with his looks. Like he'll look at you and you'll be like 'Oh alright'. Literally in the field, I'm obviously constantly looking at him to see where he's positioned because I play by his side. So obviously when he comes in, I need to create some space for him or maybe attract some players there so he can have some space. Different little movements that I need to do to satisfy his game. Obviously if we find him with time and space, it's a goal chance literally."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cremaschi's breakdown is another intriguing insight into how one of the game's greatest ever players goes about his business. Last week, Julian Gressel detailed how Messi's changes the energy of the side and raises the level of his Inter Miami colleagues just by his presence on the field.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Messi, Cremaschi and company look to keep their strong start to the season rolling when they head north at the weekend to face the struggling New England Revolution in Foxboro. Inter Miami are sitting top of the Eastern Conference on 18 points, two ahead of the New York Red Bulls having played a game more.

Shahid Afridi’s 25-ball 39 not out sealed an opening win for Comilla Victorians off the penultimate ball

Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2019

How the game played outShahid Afridi’s unbeaten 39 took Comilla Victorians to a four-wicket win against Sylhet Sixers. While the result was sealed off the penultimate ball – with Afridi sweeping Alok Kapali for a four through fine-leg – Victorians were in control of the 128-run chase, first through the efforts of Tamim Iqbal and, later, Afridi.Tamim had held the chase together with his 35, shepherding the side through a few early wickets, before falling in the 17th over with 31 still needed. Afridi, along with Mohammad Saifuddin, added the required runs in only 3.2 overs, with Afridi hitting five fours and two sixes in his 25-ball knock. Steven Smith, who led Victorians, had fallen in the ninth over for a 17-ball 16, out caught behind following a review.The Sixers paid the price for their sluggish batting and early wickets in the first half of their innings. The innings got a push only after Nicholas Pooran cracked five fours and two sixes in his 26-ball 41 and Pooran’s sixth-wicket stand with Alok Kapali took them past the 100-run mark. Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Shahid and Mahedi Hasan took two wickets each, apart from giving away only 59 runs in their combined 10 overs.Turning points Pooran and Kapali added 55 runs for the sixth wicket after the Sixers slipped to 56 for 5 in the 12th over. With 31 runs required off 22 balls, Tamim Iqbal was run-out at the non-striker’s end after Shahid Afridi refused him a single. Taskin Ahmed conceded 15 runs from the 18th over, that included a six over cover, reducing the target to 12 off the last two overs.Star of the dayBefore partnering Afridi in the final overs, Saifuddin had contributed with the ball, with returns of 2 for 13 in three overs. He bowled two overs at the death, keeping the Sixers’ batsmen down with several slower balls, some being yorkers.The big missSixers’ captain David Warner’s innings lasted only 13 balls before he was run-out for 14 in the fifth over, after a mix-up with debutant Towhid Hridoy, which left both of them at the striker’s end. Replays, however, suggested that the third umpire may have wrongfully given Warner out instead of Hridoy, as the latter had his bat out of the crease at the striker’s end when Shoaib Malik broke the stump at the other end.Where the teams standVictorians would be pleased at having completed the opening win with their experienced squad. Sixers, on the other hand, may feel hard done by despite getting a competitive score.

Olly Stone has been ruled out of England’s tour of the Caribbean after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left lower back.Stone, the fastest bowler in the England squad which has just started its Caribbean tour, was sent for a scan after reporting the problem shortly after arriving in Barbados, having flown from Australia a few days previously.He took a limited part in the first training session of the tour, but was not considered for selection for the first two-day warm-up game. He will now return to the UK to recuperate, with England set to name a replacement in due course. Jamie Overton would be the leading candidate as a like-for-like quick-bowling replacement, with Essex’s Jamie Porter also in the reckoning.Stone’s chances of breaking into the Test side on this tour were limited. But the England management were impressed by his pace and his attitude in Sri Lanka last year, where he claimed a wicket with his seventh ball in international cricket: a bouncer that took the gloves of Niroshan Dickwella as he fended the ball away from his face. He is seen as the sort of bowler who could learn from being in the environment and one day make a difference on an Ashes tour.England’s bowlers enjoyed a good morning on the second day of their warm-up game in Barbados. Sam Curran, given the new ball ahead of Stuart Broad with a view to maximising the swing available, and James Anderson both struck twice in their opening spells with the President’s XI subsiding to 13 for 4 within the first eight overs.Jack Leach also claimed a wicket before lunch, with the President’s XI batsmen paying the price for some loose strokes.

Fulham have made contact to enquire about a deal to bring a new striker to the Premier League on loan, according to a fresh report.

Fulham's season so far

The Cottagers have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won three, drawn three and lost six of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves sitting 15th in the top-flight table.

Marco Silva’s side have struggled to find the back of the net and are the joint-lowest scorers with Burnley ahead of the clash with Wolves, so it’s clear that the manager will have to enter the market to find some prolific reinforcements should he want to change his fortunes in the final third.

The Portuguese boss has set his sights on Ajax centre-forward Chuba Akpom, who only put pen to paper over the summer from Championship side Middlesbrough, and it’s fair to say that he’s made an impressive start to his new life at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

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England’s former youth international has firmly established himself as John Van’t Schip’s best-performing offensive player so far this season in the Eredivisie (WhoScored – Ajax statistics), and the 28-year-old’s impressive form has caught the eye of the hierarchy at Craven Cottage ahead of January.

Fulham showing interest in Chuba Akpom

According to TEAMtalk, Akpom is of interest to Fulham, alongside several other clubs who are also looking to secure his services at the start of next year.

“Crystal Palace and Fulham are amongst the clubs who have enquired about the availability of Ajax striker Chuba Akpom, TEAMtalk can reveal.

"Crystal Palace and Fulham are both very keen on a possible deal for the 28-year-old, while Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United are also keeping tabs on the situation.”

Akpom could be a "remarkable" addition

During his time at Ajax, Akpom has so far scored five goals from 13 matches in total which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, but he’s capable of operating everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder (Transfermarkt – Akpom statistics).

Sponsored by Nike, Schip’s talisman was named the 2022/23 Player of the Season in the Championship, so the fact that he’s received individual recognition for his performances in England shows that he’s capable of reaching the high standards required to succeed.

According to BBC reporter Oluwashina Okeleji, Akpom is a “remarkable” striker, and when you consider that he shares the same representative, Elite Project Group Ltd, as Alex Iwobi (Fulham agents), this existing connection that his management have to the club could give the board a small advantage should they try to get a deal over the line.

Sunderland will hope they can just immediately pick up from where they left off versus Plymouth Argyle this weekend, the international break arguably not coming at the best time for the Black Cats with positive momentum building.

Two wins and a draw from their last three matches before the break saw two convincing 3-1 home wins secured at the expense of Norwich City and Birmingham City, whilst the point away at Swansea City in a 0-0 stalemate felt like two points dropped from a Sunderland perspective – the Swans playing with ten men from the 30-minute mark onwards.

Regardless of recent results seeing Sunderland jump up to sixth in the current Championship standings, Tony Mowbray could potentially make a handful of changes to his starting line-up for the lengthy away journey down to Devon.

Here's the manager's predicted XI…

1 GK – Anthony Patterson

Anthony Patterson is almost guaranteed to start away at Plymouth, Sunderland's number one has played every single minute of Championship football possible for the Black Cats this season.

He's also been crucial in between the sticks, saving a penalty away at Swansea to spare Sunderland blushes and pick up a point.

2 RB – Trai Hume

Likewise, Trai Hume should be a shoo-in for the eleven fielded by Mowbray this Saturday away at Argyle even after featuring for Northern Ireland during the International break.

Hume should be ready and fit for the test of Plymouth regardless, praised recently by fellow compatriot and Black Cats teammate Daniel Ballard for being a "real technician" at right-back for both club and country.

3 CB – Luke O'Nien

Missing from Sunderland's 3-1 win over Wayne Rooney's despondent Blues owing to suspension, Luke O'Nien should slot back into a centre-back role for the Argyle away game.

O'Nien's experience and leadership credentials make him a crucial player and battler for Mowbray's promotion hopefuls, Sunderland's number 13 impressing in the Swansea stalemate with four of his five aerial duels won on the day as per Sofascore.

4 CB – Nectarios Triantis

It will be touch and go as to whether or not Mowbray risks Daniel Ballard for this Championship match, Sunderland's main man defensively picking up a knock on International duty to the detriment of the Black Cats.

If Ballard is ruled out of this contest, Sunderland's boss has a choice to make between starting Nectarios Triantis and Jenson Seelt with the former just edging that battle for a starting spot.

Winning all three of his aerial and ground duels against Birmingham, whilst also clearing the ball away seven times from danger, as per Sofascore, Sunderland's Australian number 25 could get the starting nod.

5 LB – Niall Huggins

Huggins is another player who has had injury demons to contend with in recent years, but he has made that left-back spot for the club his own this season with fantastic individual displays.

With a goal and an assist next to his name too, the former Leeds United youngster turned Black Cats first-team gem should be picked again by Mowbray in this one.

6 CDM – Pierre Ekwah

The former Chelsea and West Ham United youth product has turned into a dependable defensive midfielder for his team this season, the 21-year-old has started Sunderland's last five matches to get a consistent run in the team.

The promising Frenchman won eight ground duels against Birmingham City to help his team at the back, blocking three shots too to keep frustrated Birmingham attackers lining up to shoot at bay as per Sofascore.

7 RM – Patrick Roberts

Signing a new contract with the Black Cats last week, keeping Roberts at the Stadium of Light now until 2026, Sunderland's right winger spoke of wanting to achieve even "more success" as a group with promotion back to the Premier League the ultimate dream.

The one-time Celtic man should be retained by Mowbray in spite of his poor numbers for the Black Cats this season – the ex Manchester City midfielder yet to score this season in the second tier.

Yet, his unpredictability on the ball and ability to conjure up footballing magic from nothing is an effective calling card and he should be picked by his manager for the game at Home Park on Saturday.

8 CM – Dan Neil

In and around the Sunderland first team ranks for some time now – bursting onto the scene with the Black Cats as an academy prodigy in 2018 – Neil is now a seasoned starter for his boyhood club and should feature against Plymouth.

Having an off-day by his standards against Birmingham – losing possession 13 times in total, as per Sofascore – Neil's three goals from 15 games gives Mowbray's men another attacking outlet who can also roll up his sleeves and help out defensively when needed.

9 CM – Adil Aouchiche

Described as a "wonderful talent" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig when coming through at Saint-Etienne, Aouchiche is beginning to show that he is just that for Sunderland even in brief substitute appearances.

It could see the young French attacking midfielder displace Jobe Bellingham from the starting line-up, with Mowbray talking recently about the need to ensure his teenage sensation isn't overworked and nurtured properly so as not to damage his potential.

Aouchiche would be the like-for-like swap if Bellingham is rested, the 21-year-old dazzling Birmingham defenders when he was introduced onto the Stadium of Light turf for an enthralling 16-minute spell – scoring with one of his first touches to consolidate the 3-1 win.

10 LM – Jack Clarke

Clarke is the first name on Mowbray's team sheet at this moment in time, the former Tottenham man critical to how Sunderland operate with nine goals and one assist from 17 appearances this season so far.

A potential transfer storm could be brewing this coming January for Sunderland's star man, with interest in his services from Premier League clubs expected, but Clarke will remain focused on the here and now and will want to deliver another exceptional individual display against Plymouth.

Despite some initial hope following an impressive pre-season and opening-day draw with Liverpool, Chelsea are stumbling through a miserable Premier League campaign for the second year on the bounce.

The Blues finished in 12th place last season, and after 16 games this year, they find themselves in precisely the same position, only this time they have Mauricio Pochettino in charge.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager has struggled to turn his crop of promising youngsters into a clinical team capable of winning the league, but the latest player linked to Stamford Bridge, Ivan Toney, could help him change that.

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The Brentford man could add some much-needed bite to the attack and form a lethal partnership with Cole Palmer, one of the few bright sparks in Chelsea's season.

Chelsea transfer news – Ivan Toney

According to The Guardian, Chelsea are once again set to dip into the transfer market in 2024 as Pochettino eyes a 'top striker' to help give his squad some end product, with Toney being one of the main men on his wishlist.

The Bees forward is still serving his eight-month betting ban but would be available to play again in mid-January, lining up perfectly for him to kick on at a new club.

While there is an element of risk in signing a player who hasn't played football for over half a year, Toney's 20 goals in 33 league appearances last season should go some way in quelling those concerns.

However, the most significant obstacle to this deal's completion is likely to be the price. Sky Sports has reported that Brentford will only sell their star striker should someone match their £100m valuation, which is a huge commitment, even for Todd Boehly and co.

With that said, the prospect of seeing one of the country's most clinical strikers linking up with Palmer should be enough to convince the board.

Ivan Toney could be the dream partner for Cole Palmer

There is no getting away from just how poorly the first third of the season has gone for Chelsea this year. The club are currently closer to the relegation zone than the top four, and were it not for Everton's ten-point deduction, they would be down in 13th place.

However, Palmer's arrival from Manchester City towards the end of the summer window has been the only thing fans can cling onto as the Manchester-born dynamo has already made himself arguably the team's most important player in a matter of months and at just 21 years old.

In his nine Premier League starts for the club, he has scored five goals and provided two assists for his teammates, and it would likely have been more were the players around him as clinical as Chelsea forwards are supposed to be.

When looking at the pair's underlying numbers, it becomes crystal clear that with Toney, dubbed a "monster" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, leading the line and the "magnificent" Palmer, as described by Alan Shearer, either on the wing or behind, the Blues would be a dramatically more dangerous proposition for opposing teams.

Ivan Toney & Cole Palmer

Stats

Toney

Palmer

Goals

20

5

Assists

4

2

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists per 90

0.56

0.54

Progressive Passes per 90

2.41

7.04

Progressive Carries per 90

0.61

3.78

Shot-Creating Actions per 90

2.01

4.47

All Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 & 2023/24 Premier League Seasons

Both players produce spectacular non-penalty expected goals and assist numbers, while Palmer's progressive passing could practically gift Toney the Golden Boot alone.

Ultimately, it would require another massive investment from the Chelsea board, but with how they have spent in previous transfer windows, they simply must go again and finally secure the striker that can fire the Blues back up the table.

Given the size of India’s global fan base, Kohli said that Test cricket would be popular for a long time if India prioritised it

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2019India captain Virat Kohli has said that Test cricket will stay relevant for a long time if India prioritises it. Speaking to about his long-term plans as captain, Kohli said his vision for the team was domination in Test cricket, and, given the size of India’s fan base across the globe, that would give Test cricket the status it deserves.”I wouldn’t say goal, but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come. I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world,” Kohli said. “If we focus too much on shorter formats … yes, they’re important, but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there’ll start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up.”As long as you’re willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work, if you’re willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team, I think that is what people should prepare [for]. And that will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow. I hope that continues and I will try my level best for as long as I can to keep that culture going.”Kohli became the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia earlier this month, a feat that followed spirited performances in South Africa and England in 2018 that nonetheless ended in series losses. Kohli said that as a captain, he has continued to evolve ever since he was handed the leadership duties for the first time during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia. He said captaincy was both challenging and stressful, despite his phenomenal success as a batsman. He acknowledged the advice given to him by India head coach Ravi Shastri last year, during a conversation which he said changed his mindset about leading in Tests.ALSO READ: ‘Tonight was an MS classic’ – Kohli”Ever since 2014, I think he’s [Shastri] one person who’s given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered. I remember we sat down. I’d scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I’m not going to discuss anything with you now because you’ve done something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of. But as a captain, we need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there’s so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think.”Just to be able to get feedback from a person who makes you feel like the small contributions are much bigger in the in the scheme of things than you going out there and scoring runs yourself [was useful]. It’s [about] how you speak to the players, how you motivate the team. How you take decisions in crunch situations, how you’re aware where the game is heading.”The Kohli-Shastri relationship has been under scrutiny a fair bit, particularly because of the circumstances that led to former coach Anil Kumble’s resignation in 2017. Kumble’s exit had followed months of public discussion around his leadership style, which was said to be “intimidating” to the players. Shastri’s appointment as coach was thus viewed by many as the entry of a yes-man, a claim Kohli denied as recently as before the Australia tour. Kohli reiterated his admiration for Shastri, praising, in particular, Shastri’s openness, and stated that he was “the most amazing support” this team could have.”He’s one person, because he’s done so much commentary, and he’s seen the game so much and has played so much himself – just watching the game – he knows where the game is heading,” Kohli said. “So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He’s someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode. And I think that was the most important thing and he’s been the most amazing support for the team and someone who’s backed the team through and through.”I think he’s struck the perfect balance for this team. And he’s the one person who was there when we were No. 7 [in the rankings] in 2014. He was there and you know the transition started under him. And we started feeding off that mindset and started bringing that in, which I could eventually go out there and boost more [on the field]. But I think it was his vision for us to be fearless and play a certain kind of cricket, which I think he deserves a lot of credit for.”