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The relentless Championship schedule is already starting to impact Leeds United and their performances as they have dropped points in the last two matches.

Daniel Farke's side were held to a 1-1 draw last time out against Coventry at Elland Road and that came off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Those two results have left the Whites a staggering ten points adrift of Ipswich Town in second and 13 points behind league-leaders Leicester City, who currently occupy the two automatic promotion places.

Leeds are competing to make an instant return to the Premier League after they were relegated from the top-flight at the end of last season, but will have to do so via the play-offs unless they can oust one of the top two out of the way during the second half of the campaign.

The January transfer window is set to open for business next month and the Yorkshire-based outfit could dip into the market to provide their promotion push with a boost heading into the final few months of the season.

Leeds transfer news – Kerem Akturkoglu

A recent report from Turkish outlet Fanatik claimed that Leeds are one of the teams showing an interest in Galatasaray forward Kerem Akturkoglu.

It was stated that the Whites and Italian side Lazio are both eyeing up the talented whiz ahead of a possible swoop for his services in 2024.

Fanatik also reported that several clubs from England, Italy, and France have been in 'frequent' contact with the player's agents to determine how viable a transfer could be either in January or next summer.

However, it was also claimed that Galatasaray have decided, after an internal meeting to discuss their strategy, that they will not be cashing in on any of their star players and only those already on the transfer list will be allowed to depart.

This means that Leeds could have a tough job on their hands to convince the Turkish giants to part ways with Akturkoglu when the window opens.

However, the sale of one of their current forwards could provide them with the funds to make an attractive offer to Galatasaray, which is where Wilfried Gnonto could come in.

Football Insider recently reported that Leeds could accept an offer for the Italy international in January as the 20-year-old wants to play regular first-team football.

Premier League and Serie A sides are said to be keeping an eye on his situation and it was previously claimed by TEAMtalk that Everton, Roma, and Lazio are keen on the gem, who would cost a fee in the region of £25m.

Cashing in on Gnonto could allow Farke to invest in another forward and this could, therefore, open the door for a swoop for Akturkoglu, who could come in as the manager's new version of Crysencio Summerville.

Summerville's season in numbers

The Dutch forward has been in terrific form so far this season in the Championship and has proven to be a reliable attacking outlet for his side.

Summerville managed four goals and two assists in 28 Premier League appearances for Leeds during the 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated to the second tier.

The 22-year-old has been able to use that top-flight experience to become a superstar for the Whites with his electric performances this term.

He has spearheaded Farke's attack on the left wing and has been one of the best players in the entire division, with his average Sofascore rating of 7.89 topping the league ahead of the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Gabriel Sara, and ex-Leeds forward Jack Clarke.

Summerville is currently third in the league for goals (ten), only behind Sammie Szmodics and Adam Armstrong, and is joint-fifth for assists (six), as it stands.

The impressive left-winger, who has created ten 'big chances' for his teammates, is also top of the Leeds squad for key passes (3.1) and dribbles completed (2.7) per game so far this season in the Championship.

These statistics show that the Dutch wizard has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch week-in-week-out with his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

He provides variety in his game that makes it difficult for defenders to stop him as Summerville can just as easily dribble on the outside to create a chance for a teammate as he can dribble inside to open up space for himself to score.

The statistics that show why Akturkoglu could be Summerville 2.0

Farke could now land his next version of the Leeds star by securing a deal ahead of Lazio to land Akturkoglu's signature before the end of next month.

The 25-year-old whiz, who can play out wide on either flank, has been in sublime form for Galatasaray since the start of last season and has the potential to offer similar qualities to Summerville in the final third.

He is a winger who has the ability to contribute with goals and assists at an impressive rate, which could make him a fantastic addition to the squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Last term, Akturkoglu racked up nine goals, 11 assists, and 17 'big chances' created in 34 Turkish Super Lig outings for Galatasaray.

The exciting dynamo has followed that up with a return of four goals, five assists, and 11 'big chances' created in 13 Super Lig starts so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

This means that the Turkey international, who was once described as “unstoppable” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has produced 13 goals, 16 assists, and created 28 'big chances' in his last 47 league outings, which highlights how productive he is at the top end of the pitch.

The Whites target is a right-footed winger, who can play on either side, and has the quality to score and assist goals at an eye-catching rate, just like Farke's current superstar on the left flank.

Akturkoglu has made 2.9 key passes per game for his teammates this season and only Summerville (3.1) has managed more than that within the Leeds squad.

These statistics all indicate that the 5 foot 8 Turkish sensation could be a phenomenal addition to the club if he is able to translate those performances over to English football, due to the impact he could have on matches with his attacking contributions.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has delivered an update on the future of Jadon Sancho with the winger currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

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Man Utd in talks with SanchoOn loan with Borussia DortmundTen Hag will tackle issue at end of seasonGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Ten Hag has revealed that the club have held talks with the English winger during his loan spell with the Bundesliga side, as the Dutchman also confirmed there was 'conflict' with the forward earlier this season. The Manchester United boss has also claimed that his dispute with the forward will be resolved at the end of the current campaign.

AdvertisementWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "We are close in that process. We are visiting games, not only [Wednesday] – [I] will not say all the games, but we have seen more games from Dortmund where Jadon was performing. We had a visit with him, we talked with him, and we will keep going with this process.

On the dispute with Sancho, he added: "There was a conflict and let’s finish the season first. So stay away from this issue now – it is not important. He has the return [leg] of the semi-final, in the league it is not going that well for them. We have four important games in the league and the FA Cup final and then we will see."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier in the season, Ten Hag and Sancho had a major falling out after the 24-year-old winger hit back at Ten Hag after the Dutchman had publically called out Sancho's training levels. The 54-year-old boss immediately dropped Sancho and froze him out. The winger then returned to Dortmund on loan in January and has gone on to help the team make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

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WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

Since joining the Bundesliga side, Sancho has been able to play regularly and starred for the club during their 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash. He and Dortmund will take on the Parisians on Tuesday, May 7 in the return.

Rangers, with the fate of the Scottish Premiership title in their grasp, head into this weekend's Old Firm derby with the potential of closing the gap to as little as two points whilst keeping hold of their two games hand – summing up the power shift since the arrival of Philippe Clement. Competing for the title this season once seemed like a pipe dream, but now it's very much the reality at Ibrox.

After already securing the Belgian's first addition in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva too, Rangers could now sign Clement's second transfer in the winter window, with one man eyed.

Rangers transfer news

After completing a deal to sign young Wolves forward Silva on loan, Clement told the official Rangers website: “I am delighted we have been able to secure the signing of Fabio, he is a highly-rated striker and it is fantastic to have him joining our squad for the remainder of the season. He is a young player who already has some great experience in his career in both England and in Europe, and I am looking forward to working with him moving forward.”

Rangers sign “unique” player with Clement “crucial” to transfer

Rangers are not messing around…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 28, 2023

The focus has instantly shifted to further arrivals, however, with reports suggesting that Rangers could now sign another forward. Contact was made to sign Groningen forward Kevin van Veen earlier this week, and a new positive update has now emerged over a possible deal where he could become the second new arrival of 2024.

Football Insider shared a big transfer update on Friday, claiming Rangers are more likely to sign Van Veen than Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland in the January transfer window, and a loan move could now be a possibility which suits all parties involved. Van Veen is reportedly interested in a return to Scotland, having previously starred for Motherwell, whereas Groningen are also open to an exit for the Dutchman next month. As Rangers fight to regain the Scottish crown, it certainly seems as though adding firepower to Clement's side is the focus in the new year, with Van Veen potentially joining Silva in the list of January reinforcements.

"Phenomenal" Van Veen could form partnership with Silva

With Rangers looking to finally replace Alfredo Morelos, who left a gaping hole in their attack after departing last summer, they could form a lethal partnership by combining Silva and Van Veen. Silva, a raw talent who needs minutes and a confidence boost after a period to forget at Wolves, could learn from the more experienced Van Veen, who has starred in Scotland previously.

Whilst at Motherwell, Van Veen's stats speak for themselves. The forward found the back of the net 40 times in 83 games in all competitions, highlighting the firepower that he could hand Clement in the winter window. Van Veen unsurprisingly earned plenty of praise during his time at Motherwell, including from Stuart Kettlewell. He told BBC Sport:

"His attitude has been phenomenal, I've got an excellent relationship with him, and he produces for us. He's knocked out another two goals for us today, and if the guys play as well as they do round about him then he'll get chances and he'll take them."

When the winter window swings open, the Dutchman will certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Rangers look to add to the arrival of Silva.

Manchester United have cancelled their end-of-season awards dinner as the club want the players to remain focused on the FA Cup final on May 25.

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Man Utd cancel end-of-season awards dinnerClub wants players to focus on FA Cup finalDinner was scheduled for May 25Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Man Utd are looking to end what has been a rather disappointing season with a win in the FA Cup final against local rivals, Manchester City, and therefore they have decided to call off the yearly ceremonial dinner which was scheduled for May 20, as per The Athletic. The club reportedly consulted for the same with the under-pressure Erik ten Hag, whose job could very well hang in the balance depending on the result of the final.

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The awards dinner is attended by the entire squad of the men's, women's and academy teams, as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award is handed out and recognition is given to the breakthrough young talent for the season. However, the poor form of the club this season, and the looming FA Cup final have prompted the cancellation.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The same had also happened during the 2021/22 season when the Red Devils suffered from a similar catastrophic down-turn in form under Ralf Rangnick when they barely managed to finish sixth in the Premier League despite winning just twice in the last nine league matches of the season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

The club can still achieve success at the end of the season if they somehow manage to jump Newcastle United and Chelsea to achieve the European-playing spots in the Premier League. Another and the main objective will be to beat Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25.

The 25-year-old allrounder had represented South Africa women in 3 ODIs and 1 T20I in 2013, and was active with coaching at the grassroots level after that

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2019Elriesa Theunissen-Fourie, the former South Africa women’s allrounder, died in a road accident on April 5.Theunissen-Fourie, who would have turned 26 on May 2, played three ODIs and one T20I for South Africa, all in 2013. She was part of South Africa’s squad for the Women’s World Cup in 2013, and made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka women in Cuttack. She last played for South Africa in a series against Bangladesh Women in September that year.In domestic cricket, she represented the North West Dragons and was described by Cricket South Africa as “very active at the grassroots level, coaching at the local community hub until she had to take maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child”.CSA said she died in a “motor car accident in Stilfontein, North West. The life of her child was also lost in the accident.””This is a dreadful tragedy in the true sense of that word,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. “This is devastating news for all of us. Elriesa did so much for the community in which she lived and gave excellent service both as a national player of note and in the work she did at grassroots level to help in the less fortunate communities.”On behalf of the CSA family I extend our deepest sympathy to her husband, Rudy, her family, friends and all her cricketing colleagues.”

USA brush aside PNG to notch second win while Namibia overpower Canada

Peter Della Penna in Windhoek23-Apr-2019Left-arm swing bowler Bilal Khan bagged four wickets on one of his favourite hunting grounds at Wanderers before Jatinder Singh’s half-century paced a simple chase. Oman thus continued their undefeated run at WCL Division 2 with a seven-wicket win over Hong Kong. Oman are now in the driver’s seat for one of the four ODI status berths up for grabs in the tournament, and can be the first team to clinch it with a win over Namibia on Wednesday.Man of the Match Bilal struck a massive blow in the third over, claiming the tournament’s leading scorer Anshy Rath for just 3, caught in the slips by Jatinder. Hong Kong’s innings finally started to stabilise around Babar Hayat and Tanwir Afzal, who added 62 for the fifth wicket to take them to 109 for 4 by the 32nd, but Bilal’s intervention broke the stand with Tanwir dismissed for 32.Hayat carried on to top-score with 56, but was the third of legspinning allrounder Khawar Ali’s victims, leaving Hong Kong 149 for 7. Bilal was then brought back to wipe out the tail in the 48th over. A run out of last recognised batsman Scott McKechnie for 26 was followed by wickets on back-to-back balls for Bilal, which finished Hong Kong off for 176 with two overs unused.Oman faced little pressure in the chase, with the Hong Kong bowling unit lacking any spark as Jatinder and Khawar coasted through a 79-run opening stand in the first 21 overs. Khawar was run-out for 28 to break the stand, but Jatinder compiled 49 runs in tandem with Aqib Ilyas before both fell in quick succession to the spin duo of Kinchit Shah and Jhatavedh Subramanyan. Captain Zeeshan Maqsood and Mohammad Nadeem knocked off the remaining 43 runs without much fuss. Nadeem ended unbeaten on 31, and has yet to be dismissed in the tournament.The last time these two teams met in one-day cricket was in 2011 at WCL Division 3 in Hong Kong, when Papua New Guinea sent USA in to bat under a heavy cloud cover and bowled them out for 44. It took eight years, but USA finally exacted a heavy dose of revenge. The new-ball exploits of Ali Khan and an incisive spell of left-arm spin by Karima Gore decimated the PNG middle order.Monank Patel drives over mid-off•Peter Della PennaOn a ground where chasing targets has traditionally been best after the pitch flattens out in the afternoon sun, PNG chose to bat first at the toss and paid the price as Ali Khan produced another hostile spell of fast bowling to take three wickets in the Powerplay, giving him a tournament-best 12 wickets after three matches. It began with a brute of a delivery to Tony Ura, who edged to Steven Taylor at second slip, before a pair of inswingers trapped Sese Bau and Assad Vala leg before to leave PNG 19 for 3.Gore arrived in the 24th but attacked the stumps from ball one. His first three wickets were lbw decisions. Chad Soper and Lega Siaka prodded down the wrong line to arm balls before Jason Kila was late on a sweep. Damien Ravu was bowled by Gore for the final wicket as the innings lasted just 39.3 overs.Monank Patel and Xavier Marshall batted ten overs before lunch to take USA to 49 for no loss. PNG extended a streak of three maidens with two more to start after the break, but Monank and Marshall exploded shortly thereafter, scoring 79 off the next 43 balls to end the match. Monank took Siaka’s part-time spin apart in the 19th, driving three sixes in a 22-run frame, and was named Man of the Match.Stephan Baard’s 90 at the top of the order was bookended by an unbeaten 65 from Craig Williams as Namibia bounced back from their final-over loss to USA to notch a 98-run win over Canada. Namibia moves to 2-1 with the win while Canada remains the only winless team in the tournament at 0-3, as their hopes of reclaiming ODI status hang by a thread.Baard and Jean Bredenkamp added 73 for the second wicket to steady the innings after the loss of JP Kotze in the Powerplay for just 6. Bredenkamp eventually fell to left-arm spinner Saad bin Zafar, who along with Nikhil Dutta took two wickets each to slow down Namibia in the middle stage of the innings.But Williams produced half-century stands with Baard and JJ Smit to keep Namibia on course for a well-above par total at United’s sluggish outfield. Smit clubbed three sixes in his 35 off 23 balls to dominate a 51-run stand with Williams before falling in the 49th over to Romesh Eranga.Canada’s batting struggles in Namibia continued as six of the top seven got starts but none passed Rodrigo Thomas’ 28. Dilon Heyliger wound up top-scoring from No. 10 with an unbeaten 29 to save Canada from taking an even bigger hit to their net run rate.

Junior Firpo, in the absence of other left-backs, has stepped up to the mark for Daniel Farke's Leeds United in recent games after his Whites career looked in danger of completely fizzling out at one point.

Firpo has three assists from three after being reinstated into the first team ranks in West Yorkshire, starring against Birmingham City on New Year's Day to show to everyone at Elland Road that he won't just exit the Championship club with a whimper – notching up two assists in a convincing 3-0 home win.

Yet, despite this new lease of life coursing through Firpo's veins encouraging the Leeds fanbase that once got on his back to reevaluate their preconceptions, one transfer development coming out of the Whites could see the ex-Barcelona man's improved game time cut once again.

Leeds looking for a left-back

Linked with the likes of Conor Roberts, Neco Williams and even Ben Davies recently, as per The Athletic it's obvious the problem area Leeds are trying to add depth to this January.

Another name that keeps popping up is West Ham United defender Ben Johnson, who could give Leeds a versatile and adaptable figure that can play anywhere across the defence.

Confirmed to have interest in the Hammers man by Phil Hay, whilst writing for the Athletic this Wednesday, the defender's competence at playing left-back across his time at the London Stadium could have Firpo worrying about his newly found first-team spot.

In detail, Hay wrote: "Johnson is also on the list. The 23-year-old has seen relatively few minutes this season, is on course to be out of contract in the summer and has rejected offers of an extension to his current deal, but Leeds would favour a loan agreement in this window. "

Leeds could land "fantastic" upgrade on Firpo & Spence after Phil Hay reveal

Leeds United could upgrade their defence significantly with this signing, slotting him in alongside an in-form Joe Rodon.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 17, 2024

With TEAMtalk reporting last month that Firpo was talking to former club Real Betis over a possible move back to Spain – before his reintroduction into the starting XI by Farke – this news involving Johnson could see the 27-year-old itch for a move away again.

How Ben Johnson compares to Junior Firpo

Johnson's potential arrival to Elland Road would see Leeds opt for a no-thrills player over the slaloming and exciting nature of Firpo, but a dependable presence who very rarely lets anyone down.

Johnson has come into David Moyes' side when needed without causing any disruption to harmony present at the London Stadium, making 57 Premier League appearances for the Londoners as a useful if unflashy player.

The West Ham number two has arguably excelled playing down the left-hand side when called into action, registering two assists from 22 appearances filling in there.

Described as being a "wonderful professional" by ex-Hammers first team coach Stuart Pearce for his acceptance at being a utility player, he could well be the sort of presence Farke fancies during a promotion push.

Firpo, in stark contrast, struggled when Leeds were in the top-flight – only helping the Whites keep one clean sheet from the 19 times he featured during their disastrous relegation season down to the second tier.

On top of that, the 27-year-old would only help himself to a singular assist from those games with a dire 6.55 Sofascore rating averaged over the pitiful campaign.

With the likes of Archie Gray and Joe Rodon comfortable on the ball and progressing up the field, Johnson's addition could also give the Whites a dogged defender who is unafraid to do the dirty work away from beginning attacking moves.

The 23-year-old trumps Firpo when it comes to undergoing his basic defensive duties according to FBRef, bettering the revitalised Leeds defender in aerials won with Johnson winning 1.48 per 90 minutes over the last year compared to Firpo's 1.01.

Yet, Johnson won't hesitate in helping his team push further up the field if needed with the fringe Hammers defender bettering Firpo surprisingly in progressive carries with 1.97 managed to Firpo's lesser 1.44.

Former West Ham player Frank McAvennie commented on the potential of this deal with Football Insider, stating that the Whites would be gaining a "quality" player who could help steer the West Yorkshire titans to a pivotal promotion.

Proving himself to be an all-rounder at the London Stadium, Farke should go all in for the services of the wantaway 23-year-old with Firpo prone to blowing hot and cold across his topsy-turvy Leeds career to date.

John Terry issued a strong response to the news of Mauricio Pochettino's departure from Chelsea and urged the club to hold off on signing new players.

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Terry says he's "gutted" to see coach leaveEx-defender urged club to wait on making transfersBlues legend currently working as academy coachWHAT HAPPENED?

The legendary former Chelsea defender is currently back at the club as an academy coach. He took to Instagram to express his opinion following the shock announcement Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent.

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The ex-England star posted on an Instagram story that he was "gutted" to see the Argentine go, along with his son, Sebastiano, and assistant Jesus Perez. Terry added in a what appeared to be a warning to Todd Boehly and the Chelsea ownership regime: "I just hope we don't sign or sell any players until we get a manager in."

instagram/johnterry.26THE BIGGER PICTURE

The announcement of Pochettino's exit reportedly came as a shock to the Chelsea squad, sparking a "meltdown" in the team WhatsApp group. Blues stars Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer both thanked the manager in social media posts in the wake of the news.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea will start looking for a new manager to improve on their sixth-place finish in the Premier League next season, while the Stamford Bridge team will also compete in Europe after a strong finish to the 2023-24 campaign under Pochettino.

After going ten innings without a half-century, the opener roared back to form with an innings reminiscent of his century in last season’s final

The Report by Danyal Rasool23-Apr-20192:28

Hard to get a chance in Sunrisers’ playing XI – Shakib

Rocking up to the IPL after being the most prolific run-scorer in the Pakistan Super League just prior, it had been a mild surprise to see Shane Watson slump so sharply in the yellow of Chennai Super Kings. He had gone without a fifty in his first ten innings of the season, but the sight of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers, whom he had brutalised in last year’s final with 117 off 57 balls, was enough to reawaken the instinct that has made him a prized T20 asset all over the world.He didn’t quite get three figures this time, falling just four short, but 96 off 53 balls was enough to ensure Super Kings recovered from a slow start – they only got off the mark off the 11th ball of the innings – to chase down Sunrisers’ 175 with six wickets and one ball to spare.Super Kings won the toss for the ninth time in eleven matches, and they put Sunrisers in. The early wicket of Johnny Bairstow came amid a slow start, and even though David Warner continued his form with another half-century, a strike rate of 126 meant he wasn’t able to do enough damage for Sunrisers to post a total closer to 200. Manish Pandey picked up the slack, and finished unbeaten with 83 off 49, but Sunrisers struggled to find a weak link in the Super Kings bowling attack. Even though Sunrisers had seven wickets in the bank, the late acceleration that has become so vital in the IPL was largely absent from the later stages of their innings. An inconsistent bowling display and a resurgent Watson ensured the effort with the bat wasn’t quite enough.5:01

Tait: Watson’s always fancied facing spin

Watson’s masterclassWatson’s struggles had caused debate over his place in the Super Kings starting eleven, but they kept faith in the veteran Australian. When he batted out a maiden over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Sunrisers’ captain in the absence of Kane Williamson – to start the chase, it looked like today would be more of the same from the 37-year old. But Watson was just getting warmed up, and a six and four off Khaleel Ahmed in the fifth over were harbingers of a sleeping giant finally beginning to stir. Shakib went for a six soon after before Watson took a shine to Sandeep Sharma. Nineteen off the 12th over saw the asking rate slide dramatically, and an off-colour Rashid Khan was shown no mercy by Watson. In full flow all of a sudden, he smashed the 20-year old Afghan legspinner for two sixes and two fours in his last two overs. Soon after, the required rate was below six, and by the time Watson nicked off to the keeper, Chennai’s job was all but done.Shane Watson watches the ball sail away•BCCIChennai’s bowling consistencyHarbhajan Singh and Deepak Chahar may have been the only ones to take wickets for Chennai, but other than that, all five bowlers posted strikingly similar figures. Each conceded between 30 and 39 runs, and the absence of one bowler Sunrisers could pick on showed in the later stages of their innings. Despite having several wickets in hand, there appeared no coherent plan with regards to approaching the final onslaught, with Super Kings’ discipline shaving several runs off their target. Following Warner’s dismissal, Vijay Shankar never could get going, leaving Pandey to fight a lone hand against a well-drilled bowling attack. It was, as we were to see soon, in stark contrast to Sunrisers’ bowling effort…Sunrisers’ bowling strugglesIn the past two games, Rashi Khan conceded a total of 40 runs in his allocated eight overs. Not once had he allowed more than 27 in an innings this season, but today would reduce all those numbers to rubble. With Watson rampant, Rashid went for – by his standards – a colossal 44 in his four as Sunrisers’ saw their trump card neutralised comprehensively in the middle overs. To make matters worse, he wasn’t their most expensive bowler, with Sandeep Sharma conceding 54 in 3.5. Despite a valiant effort by Bhuvneshwar, who conceded just 18 in his four overs, the profligacy from the rest of the attack meant defending a medium-sized total became a near-insurmountable task.

Kieran McKenna edged out Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to the top LMA award amid rumours he is in line to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.

McKenna fired Ipswich to the Premier LeagueBeat Guardiola & Arteta to prestigious individual accoladeChelsea want him as their new managerWHAT HAPPENED?

McKenna has achieved remarkable success with Ipswich, leading them back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence. Under his guidance, Ipswich finished second in the Championship, just one point behind Leicester City, securing back-to-back promotions. This season, Everton's Sean Dyche, Aston Villa's Unai Emery, and Portsmouth's John Mousinho were also shortlisted for the LMA's Manager of the Year prize. Although Guardiola lost out in the overall category, he bagged the Premier League Manager of the Season award, while Liverpool's Matt Beard received the Women's Super League Manager of the Season prize.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT MCKENNA SAID

"This award is one of the most humbling and proudest moments of my life," McKenna said after winning the award.

"It's the best thing in the world and I've had good experience as a first-team coach, but to be a manager in the Premier League and go up against great managers is going to be a great challenge and something I can't wait for."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

McKenna's reputation has grown rapidly amid his incredible stint with the Tractor Boys. According to Chelsea are keen to secure McKenna’s services after they parted ways with Pochettino by mutual consent. Since being acquired by Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital group two years ago, Chelsea has aimed to operate collaboratively, seeking a young, progressive coach who aligns with their vision. McKenna fits this profile, and Chelsea have been in talks with his representatives for several weeks. Brighton are also interested in McKenna to replace Roberto De Zerbi, but have seen their negotiations slow due to Chelsea’s involvement.

report further mentions that despite the initial promise of stability under Pochettino, Chelsea had concerns about his tactical approach, with some sources describing his training methods as outdated. Furthermore, Pochettino’s desire for greater control over signings was not to be accommodated.

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DID YOU KNOW?

While McKenna is a leading candidate, Chelsea are considering other options as well. Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Girona’s Míchel, Leicester’s Enzo Maresca, and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness are all on their shortlist. Vincent Kompany, despite Burnley’s relegation, is also being viewed as a potential dark horse.