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Harris scores unbeaten 52 in front of selectors but Smith waits in wings after bowling one over in comeback match

Daniel Brettig29-Aug-2019Not even present for the tour game at Worcester, Australia’s coach Justin Langer underlined the impending pointy end of this Ashes series by intently watching day one of the encounter with Derbyshire from behind the wicket, accompanying the selection chairman Trevor Hohns for long segments of play at the county ground in Derby.What they saw, joined at various junctures by the captain Tim Paine, the resting David Warner and the former New Zealand coach John Wright, was more or less as might have been expected, save for the curious initial decision to field rather than bat first on a straw-coloured pitch.Michael Neser claimed two wickets in as many deliveries with the brand new ball and later added a third, Mitchell Starc went wicketless for 12 overs before blasting out three Derbyshire batsmen in his 13th, two by splaying the stumps, and Peter Siddle bowled eight overs for 11 runs while accounting for the hosts’ top scorer, the elegant Leus de Plooy.Wrapping up Derbyshire’s innings shortly after tea, the acting captain Usman Khawaja and the opener Marcus Harris then got comfortable against modest bowling, taking their time in the knowledge that only one of them is likely to play in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Khawaja, as the senior player of the two, appears more certain of retaining his place, and one or two of Harris’ signature airy cut shots through a gully area not overly staffed by Derbyshire did not inspire a great deal of confidence.Nonetheless, he scored more freely of the batsmen, and in staying undefeated to the close, Harris and Khawaja ensured that Steven Smith’s return to the middle following his concussion substitution at Lord’s and subsequent absence from Headingley would be delayed by another day.”He’s always looking to score,” Paine said of Harris. “I think if you bowl a bad ball to Harry he puts it away and I think that puts guys under pressure. He’s just an attacking opening batter and he keeps the scoreboard moving, but as he’s shown in Shield cricket he’s got the ability to bat for a long time and score big hundreds when he gets in, we know that Harry’s got Test runs in him, and when he gets set hopefully he starts well tomorrow, gets a big score and he can continue putting runs on the board like he has for the last 18 months.”Steve Smith is going to come back in and play. So obviously someone from the last Test is going to miss out. There’s no doubt about that. You have the best player in the world coming back into your line-up. I suppose this tour game is important for guys to make sure that you’re keeping your name up in front of the selectors. And so far a few guys have done it, which is very pleasing. That’s what we want. We want to have depth and we want our selectors to have to make difficult decisions.”Steven Smith had an over before lunch on his return to action•Getty ImagesIn fact Smith’s only involvement was a single over of ropey off-spin, including one practice delivery that sailed over the head of a startled Siddle at mid off. Neser, Starc and Siddle all bowled better than that, demonstrating what the selectors could expect should they choose any for Manchester. Paine said that Starc’s bowling was steadily on the improve in terms of what the team needed him to do in English conditions.”I think if anyone’s stops trying to get better, that’s a problem,” Paine said. “We know what Starcy can do in terms of blowing teams away. We also know that coming to England in the past that hasn’t worked. So he’s been working really hard on getting his length right more so than anything. I think his opening spell today was really good. I thought he bowled in very good areas.”He bowled with good pace on a wicket that was very slow. So I thought the signs that he showed with the new ball were really good. And then, like we saw again at the end, when he can go back to what his strengths are, attack the stumps and use his short-balls, he’s a handful for the tail as well.”He’s been working on his length and I think he showed some really good control in his first spell. He bowled a long spell too [seven overs and eight overs] which he doesn’t do a lot when he plays for Australia. I thought he controlled pretty well and, the areas he has been trying to improve so he can be important for us in English conditions, I thought he showed today he’s going really well with that.”Rather less of a chance to figure in Lancashire is Cameron Bancroft, who must have been informed of a fairly lowly posting in the batting order after heading, at change of innings, for an extended practice session in the Derby nets. Langer, meanwhile, kept both eyes firmly on the middle.

Manchester United are keeping tabs on Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Adams at Leeds

Adams, a USA international, made the move to Leeds over the summer from RB Leipzig. The 23-year-old central midfielder has been a regular at Elland Road, missing just one Premier League game.

His displays in a struggling Leeds side appear to be catching the eye of Old Trafford officials, and it looks as if a future Old Trafford move could be on the cards.

The Latest: United keen

FI reporter Wayne Veysey shared a story on Wednesday evening regarding Adams and Manchester United.

He revealed that the Red Devils have a long-term interest in the midfielder and are keeping close tabs on his situation as they shortlist midfield targets.

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The Verdict: If Leeds are relegated?

Erik ten Hag bolstered his midfield ranks in the summer by bringing in Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, but it looks as if he wants further arrivals in 2023.

Adams is still fairly young at 23 and has impressed with his ‘energy and dynamism’, so if the midfielder suffers relegation with Leeds, you’d expect he may be open to the idea of remaining in the Premier League.

That may open the door for United to make their move, so his performances could be one to keep an eye on ahead of a potential transfer next year.

Glasgow Rangers’ season went from bad to worse as they suffered their fifth Champions League defeat in succession on Wednesday night.

The Ibrox giants slumped to a 3-0 defeat away to Serie A leaders Napoli and their performance was woeful, lacking any sort of intensity or desire to gain some foothold in the match.

Giovanni van Bronckorst will likely make changes to his side ahead of today’s Premiership match against Aberdeen, although there is limited room for manoeuvre when it comes to rotating his squad due to injuries.

One player who definitely won’t be making an appearance against Aberdeen is Kemar Roofe, with the Dutchman confirming that the 29-year-old will miss the game, saying: “Kemar has picked up an injury so will be missing for a couple weeks.”

Roofe had only returned to action against Dundee in the League Cup recently, having missed every other match this season up to that point, and he displayed flashes of his ability in that 1-0 win.

A nine-minute cameo against Livingston last weekend looked like it was an exercise in providing the forward with some game time for bigger tests ahead.

With Antonio Colak becoming the only person on whom Van Bronckhorst can rely to score consistently, the 47-year-old surely needs Roofe back fit and firing soon in order to save the Light Blues’ season.

Since joining the Ibrox club, the Jamaican has scored 34 goals in 74 appearances – a decent strike rate, especially considering that he has missed 53 games in just over two years.

Dubbed a “Duracell bunny” by former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard due to his remarkable work rate, Roofe offers more to the team than just goals.

Rangers’ lack of creativity this season, especially in the Champions League, has cost them dearly, and having the 29-year-old available against the Dons would have improved their attacking dynamism against Jim Goodwin’s stubborn outfit.

Indeed, the Dons have made for delightful opponents for Roofe, who has scored four goals in as many games against them, and this just adds to the misery for Van Bronckhorst ahead of today’s fixture.

This match represents a must-win for the Rangers boss, and with the pressure piling on after humiliation in Europe, getting the three points is all that matters today.

Sheffield Wednesday take a break from League One action on Friday night as they host Morecambe in the FA Cup first round at Hillsborough.

While Owls fans will be expecting a win against a side who have won the fewest games in the division and will be hoping to progress to the next round, the game offers Darren Moore a chance to experiment with his team somewhat.

Although the FA Cup has a rich history of shocks, you would hope that, given their respective standings, Sheffield Wednesday’s reserves and younger players could still have enough to deal with the Shrimps, especially at Hillsborough.

Therefore, Moore should consider handing a rare start to Nottingham Forest loanee Alex Mighten, as it could be a confidence booster for the youngster after a difficult start to life with the Owls.

Despite featuring on the opening day of the Premier League season for Forest against Newcastle United, Mighten was allowed to join Sheffield Wednesday on loan for the campaign but has so far failed to live up to expectations.

The speedy winger has no goals or assists in just four appearances for Moore’s side, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.24 rating for his performances in League One.

However, the talent is clearly there and if Mighten can pick up a goal or assist against Morecambe on Friday night, it could be exactly what he needs to push on and make a difference for the Owls in their automatic promotion push.

Academy manager Gary Brazil sang the 20-year-old’s praises after signing a new deal with the Reds in 2020.

He said: “Alex is now developing into the elite footballer we all hoped he would become. Brave, exciting, self-confident, single-minded, he has all the ingredients to go a long way in the game. He is another quality outcome from a group of staff that continue to punch above their weight.”

Morecambe will no doubt sit back and look to hit the Owls on the counter, so having a tricky winger with Mighten’s quality might just be the difference as Moore’s side look to find the breakthrough on Friday night.

With the game presenting a great opportunity to rest key players such as Barry Bannan and Josh Windass, Moore should unleash the exciting Mighten for a rare start, so that fans can get a better idea of what he is capable of.

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly a target for Barcelona in the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Gundogan’s contract at Man City

The midfielder’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire at the end of June, meaning that he could leave the club as a free agent at that point unless he signs a new deal before then.

The 32-year-old, who will be representing Germany at the upcoming World Cup, has recently been linked with a move away from City, with Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich reportedly interested in signing him.

However, with the January transfer window approaching, it appears that another club have their eyes on the City midfielder.

The Latest: Barcelona eyeing Gundogan

According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona see Gundogan as a potential target for the upcoming winter transfer window if they cannot land their primary Etihad target Bernardo Silva.

The report adds that the 32-year-old is a big fan of the La Liga club and could be persuaded to join Xavi’s side.

The Verdict: City must keep hold of Gundogan

Since joining City six years ago, Gundogan – who is now the club captain – has gone on to make 273 appearances in sky blue across all competitions, scoring 51 goals, providing 35 assists and winning numerous trophies along the way.

Having appeared in all but two of City’s games this season, this highlights just how important he is for Pep Guardiola, who has shared his admiration for the player in the past, and why it would be a big blow for him to leave the club in January.

Lauded as a “magical” player by journalist Ian McCullough in the past, the £140k-per-week midfielder has the fourth-highest number of shot-creating actions (40) in the league this season at City, along with the fourth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (19).

This showcases just how effective a midfield option he is for Guardiola and why the club should look to offer the Germany maestro a new contract.

Manchester United are back in action at home to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup this evening, with Erik ten Hag’s side seeking revenge having suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Midlands outfit in the Premier League on Sunday.

That disappointing loss at Villa Park – which came in Unai Emery’s first game in charge – brought to an end the Red Devils’ nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions, with United having produced a string of solid displays prior to that since the 6-3 drubbing in the Manchester derby.

Looking to bounce back from that defeat last time out, Ten Hag – who has largely shunned rotation in the Europa League this season – will likely again name a strong side at Old Trafford, albeit with the Dutchman’s attacking options somewhat limited due to doubts over the fitness of Jadon Sancho and Antony.

That fact has left the former Ajax boss rather thin on the ground with regards to alternatives, with a shake-up arguably needed regardless in the forward line due to the current shortcomings, having scored just once in each of their past three games.

A possible solution could well be the returning Anthony Martial – with the Frenchman having featured off the bench at the weekend – although it remains to be seen if the unreliable forward can truly be trusted, having been dogged by injuries after an initial promising pre-season.

With the 26-year-old – who has been at the club since 2015 – having had more than enough chances to impress, it could well be an ideal opportunity for Ten Hag to thrust a different figure into the fray, with promising teenager Charlie McNeill one potential candidate to earn a first senior start.

The highly-rated 19-year-old – who has been dubbed “one to watch” by ESPN’s Rob Dawson – has made just a solitary appearance for the club thus far, with that rare outing having come off the bench earlier this season in the defeat to Real Sociedad back in September.

A “top player”, in the words of Dawson, the youngster has been on the cusp of the first-team in recent times as a result of his sparkling form at youth level, with the striker netting four times in 15 games this season, including three goals in just three EFL Trophy outings.

The Englishman’s total tally at U21 level now stands at nine goals and three assists in just 31 games, having previously been prolific for the club’s U18 side, scoring 34 times and registering 11 assists in 35 games.

The exciting talent – who began his youth career with the Red Devils – had arrived back at the Theatre of Dreams from rivals Manchester City back in September 2020 for a fee of around £750k, having reportedly netted over 600 goals at youth level.

A vital part of the club’s FA Youth Cup triumph last term – scoring five goals and registering two assists in just six games in the competition – McNeill has seemingly earned his stripes in the academy ranks, with now the time to see him truly unleashed on the senior stage.

Everton are struggling in the Premier League yet again this season and are currently just one point off the relegation zone, so it would be no surprise if the club make some moves in January.

What’s the latest?

Journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones claims Everton should “definitely” in the conversation in sign Daichi Kamada.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I definitely think that Everton have the capability to be in the conversation for a player like that.

“I think that the question will be is that there are obviously other clubs that have him on their radar, and with the World Cup coming up, there may be even more in a few weeks’ time.”

He could be Lampard’s next Mount

There is no doubt that Everton are crying out for creativity and more goal-scoring opportunities when you take a look at their goals scored compared to their goals conceded in the Premier League so far.

The Toffees currently have the 15th-highest expected goals tally (15.4) in the top flight, scoring just 11 goals which is the second lowest with only Wolverhampton Wanderers finding the net on fewer occasions (8).

As a result, the signing of Kamada in January could be the key to creating a much more consistent and threatening attacking prowess in the final third and Lampard will surely be watching him closely when he competes in the World Cup with Japan over the next few weeks.

The 21-cap Japanese star is comfortable playing in both central attacking midfield or on the left wing making him very similar in his position to the former Chelsea boss’ prodigy Mason Mount.

In fact, the Chelsea talent is the tenth most comparable player to Kamada according to FBref as the pair possess many similar attributes. That said, the Eintracht Frankfurt player who has been “tearing it up”, in the words of MUNDIAL, is actually outperforming Mount in many metrics so far this season.

Kamada has been outperforming Mount in goals scored (7 v 2), shots on target percentage (38.9% v 27.3%), pass completion rate (81% v 75.6%) and shot-creating actions (40 v 30).

The versatile 26-year-old attacker was dubbed a “joy to watch” by journalist Josh Bunting in an analysis of one of his performances for Frankfurt back in August:

“Daichi Kamada is a joy to watch, breaks the lines so well. Intelligent movement in and around the box and he gets goals. He’s been superb for Eintracht Frankfurt tonight, two goals and he’s been the real driving force with his movement. Incredible talent, very composed.”

With that being said, it should be a no-brainer for Farhad Moshiri to sanction the move for Kamada in January as the player could make a huge difference that may be season-defining for the Toffees.

Crystal Palace were heavily linked with Hirving Lozano during the summer transfer window and the Mexico international could have been a superb addition at Selhurst Park.

Reports suggested that Patrick Vieira was keen to bring the electric winger to the Premier League, with West Ham also credited with an interest in the 27-year-old, although neither side were keen to pay Napoli’s €20m (£17m) asking price, a fee which seems reasonable when you consider his performances this season.

The former PSV Eindhoven man has played a big part in Napoli’s incredible form so far this season, with three goals and three assists to his name in just 14 Serie A appearances, which has helped him to average a strong 6.88 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Only Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Joachim Andersen have earned a higher rating in Palace’s squad this season, while only the talismanic Zaha has contributed to more goals, which emphasises the quality that Lozano could have added at Selhurst Park.

He has also scored in their 4-2 Champions League win against Ajax, with Luciano Spalletti’s side topping the group and earning a knockout stage fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt, with their unbeaten status in Serie A suggesting that they could go all the way.

Lozano has also unsurprisingly travelled to Qatar for the World Cup with Mexico and caught the eye in the opener against Poland, earning a strong 7.8/10 rating from SofaScore for his performance after completing an impressive two key passes, five tackles, four dribbles and 12 successful ground duels.

The Mexican forward was dubbed a “sensation” back in 2017 by journalist Bolarinwa Olajide and he has certainly lived up to that reputation with his performances for Napoli, as he boasts 30 goals and 16 assists for Gli Azzurri.

Considering the speculation surrounding Zaha’s future at Selhurst Park, as well as the poor performances of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew so far this campaign, Lozano surely would have been a great addition to Vieira’s squad.

Therefore, the Eagles may well be regretting not paying Lozano’s asking price in the summer, especially if he can continue to catch the eye on the world stage in Qatar.

Arsenal have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Declan Rice to The Emirates next summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Matt Law, with The Telegraph journalist revealing in recent comments made on the London Is Blue podcast that, following recent reports linking the Gunners with a move for the central midfielder, West Ham United are now willing to part with the 23-year-old for a figure in the region of £70m next summer – considerably less than his previous £150m price tag.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side are not the only club in pursuit of the World Cup star, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all having been linked with a move for the Hammers’ academy graduate in recent months.

One of the best around

Considering the fact that Rice is quickly establishing himself as “one of the world’s best midfielders” – in the words of Thilo Kehrer – coupled with the middle of the park undoubtedly being the area of Arteta’s squad that is lacking the most depth at present, it is not difficult to see why the Spaniard would be keen on a move for the West Ham talisman at the end of the season.

Indeed, over his 15 Premier League fixtures so far this season, the £69m-rated talent has been in breathtaking form for David Moyes’ side, having scored one goal, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

The £60k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 55.5 passes – at a success rate of 90% – 1.3 clearances and winning 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per match.

These returns have seen the England star average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.27, not only ranking him as the Irons’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 16th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole.

Furthermore, ex-Arsenal centre-forward Kevin Campbell clearly believes that the 23-year-old would make a perfect addition to Arteta’s title hopefuls, with the 52-year-old suggesting he would buy Rice ahead of another of the Gunners’ rumoured targets, Jude Bellingham, on a recent episode of The Highbury Squad YouTube show:

“If you are going to pay £100m, who would you buy? Would you buy [Jude] Bellingham or would you buy Rice? I’d buy Rice. All day long. Bellingham is good and he is younger.

“But the game Rice has is perfect for what we have or what we are going to need. I am thinking he is a natural successor to Thomas Partey, who does things in a different way, but he can control a game himself, like Bellingham.

“But if it was £100m and I had to pick one, then I would pick Rice. I think we have other players there who can do what Bellingham does for us, but there aren’t many that can do what Rice can do.”

As such, the news that Rice is now available for just £70m next summer will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Arsenal, as the world-class midfielder would indeed appear to represent a perfect addition to Arteta’s current options in the middle of the park.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh in January and the youngster could prove to be the next Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Selhurst Park.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle United, West Ham United and the Eagles are all keen on signing the 20-year-old, although the report suggests that they all see him as an option for the future rather than a first-team-ready signing.

Jesse Marsch’s side are reportedly keen to tie him down to a new contract at Elland Road but he could depart in search of more regular minutes in the first team, as he is currently behind both Rasmus Kristensen and Luke Ayling in the pecking order at Elland Road.

The defender has managed just seven appearances for the Whites’ senior side in his time with the Yorkshire club, but he did impress in a loan spell with Cardiff City in the Championship last season, contributing three assists in 22 appearances for the Welsh side.

Former manager Steve Morison was full of praise for Drameh’s performance and energy levels during his time with the club last season. He said:

“He has been excellent. He was excellent in his first game, he was excellent at Barnsley, it was a right scrap but there were a few things when he was running back and making last-ditch tackles.

“He had a little bit of a down game, the Bristol City game, but outside of that he has been excellent. Having that break in the Liverpool game when he couldn’t play, letting his body catch up on where it needs to be, now he is like a Duracell Bunny, isn’t he? He just keeps going and going.”

Should he arrive at Selhurst Park in January, he would likely compete with Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne for a starting spot in Patrick Vieira’s side, both of whom have shown themselves to be past their best with their performances this season.

The Eagles duo are ranked as the 10th and 16th-best performers at Palace so far this season, while they are 33 and 31 respectively, so it is easy to see why the Frenchman might be keen on a young, long-term heir such as Drameh.

In that respect, the Eagles have never really replaced Wan-Bissaka, since he completed a move to £50m move to Manchester United in 2019 after producing some superb performances at Selhurst Park.

The Englishman only became a regular for Palace in the 2018/19 season when he was 20, so Drameh could definitely follow a similar path should he arrive at Selhurst Park and impress with his performances.

There would certainly be first-team opportunities for the Leeds youngster in Vieira’s side and if he can take his chance and make himself a regular with the south London side, there seems no reason why he can’t be another big sale for the Eagles in the future.