James Anderson credited a change of ends for improving his modest record at Headingley. He came into this match averaging 41.36 from seven Tests at the ground. He had never taken more than three wickets in an innings.But, after a conversation with Stuart Broad, the pair decided to change the ends from which they normally bowl and soon reaped the rewards. With Anderson bowling from the Football Stand End, the pair took 9 for 37 between them as Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 91. Anderson claimed the 19th five-wicket haul of his career and went past Kapil Dev into sixth-place in the all-time leading Test wicket takers.”We’ve hated the place for nine years,” Anderson said, “so we thought we might as well change ends. We’ve had very little success here. Our records are pretty poor. Why not give it a go?”It’s taken us nine years to work out that we’ve been bowling at the wrong ends. That’s a bit frustrating, but I’m delighted that we’ve eventually sorted it out and got some rewards.”The pitch is very different to a normal Headingley pitch. There’s a bit more in it for the bowlers. When it’s swinging like that, I find it my ideal conditions. I found it a lot of fun. We had a really good day.”Anderson also admitted that concerns over the weather forecast for the remainder of the game were crucial factor in the decision to follow-on.”In an ideal world we would have batted again,” Anderson said. “But with the weather forecast a bit iffy for the next couple of days, we thought we needed to put them in again. Alastair Cook said he didn’t want to be sitting in the dressing room for the next couple of days when we’re batting. We all bought into it.”
Southampton’s recruitment has been questionable over the last few seasons, seeing star players leave and a failure to replace them subsequently halting their progression as a Premier League team.
The Saints started this season’s recruitment well, signing the likes of Armel Bella-Kotchap in the summer who has been formidable for the south-coast side as well as capturing Carlos Alcaraz in January, however some additions have left fans wondering why the transfers ever happened.
The Saints secured Ebere Onuachu from KRC Genk for £18.5m, the price tag wasn’t alarming considering the 6 foot 7 forward found the net 16 times in 19 games earlier this season in Belgium, yet since arriving in the Premier League, the colossal striker has failed to score or assist in his opening nine appearances.
Underperforming signings are far from what Southampton needed in the winter transfer window, but things just aren’t ticking for some of the new arrivals with not even a spark of hope for brighter days from some.
A stand-out disappointment has been the January signing of Mislav Orsic from Dinamo Zagreb, who was purchased to be a “significant addition” to the struggling Southampton squad, however the Croatian has been the total opposite since arriving.
How much has the Orsic transfer cost Southampton?
When Orsic arrived on the south-coast, many were excited by the prospect of having a World Cup performer choosing to play for the Saints when times were particularly tough. The 30-year-old made six appearances in Qatar on the greatest stage of them all, and even scored the winner in the third-place playoffs against Morocco to earn a bronze medal for his country.
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Third-Place Playoff – Croatia v Morocco – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar – December 17, 2022 Croatia’s Mislav Orsic celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Paul Childs
The £8m transfer was an appealing one in January, however by April, we are yet to see even a glimpse of the attacker, playing just six minutes since his arrival for Southampton. To make matters more alarming, the winger has not even been named in the squad for 10 out of 14 games that Saints have played since his arrival.
Considering Ruben Selles’ team’s form and league position, it’s a confusing saga as to why Orsic is yet to really feature. Speaking ahead of his side’s crucial bottom-of-the-table scrap with rivals AFC Bournemouth on Thursday, the interim boss admitted that it has been his “decision not to play” the 30-year-old, despite him “working really well”.
The Croatian has featured for Southampton’s B team, with little explanation from the player or the club as to what isn’t working for the play-maker.
While this is happening, the Saints are paying Orsic an eye-watering £79k-per-week, listing him as the second-highest earner at the club behind star-man James Ward-Prowse. This equates to £4.1m-per-year in wages, which have so far cost the club a price of around £1.26m in the near 16 weeks he has been at St Mary's Stadium.
That all simmers down to just six minutes of play in the Premier League and 192 minutes across his five appearances in all competitions, meaning the former Dinamo Zagreb dynamo has cost owners Sport Republic around £482k per minute and £1.85m per outing.
There is one thing with a player getting game time and simply not adapting, but Orsic has not featured enough to even rack up statistics to take away from his stay in Southampton so far.
Who knows what the future will hold for the "flop of the season" – in the eyes of podcaster Martin Sanders – but his future surely won’t be extensive on the south-coast should things continue.
While the international break is still in full swing, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will already have one eye on the return to club action this weekend, with the Red Devils set to take on top-four rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The major selection headache at present for the Dutchman, ahead of the trip to St James' Park, will be the enforced absence of influential midfielder, Casemiro, with the Brazilian still having three games left to serve of his four-game ban after being dismissed in the most recent league meeting against Southampton.
The loss of the 31-year-old will come as a notable blow for United such has been the £70m man's impact in recent times, having been hailed as the "glue" in the side by club legend Rio Ferdinand due to his undoubted importance.
Although there is an argument that the former Ajax boss could look to fill that void by pushing usual centre-back Lisandro Martinez further forward, there are other members of the squad who could also be pushing for a role.
Academy graduate Scott McTominay will likely be hoping he has staked a claim for selection after netting twice off the bench in Scotland's 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday, with that clinical double proving vital in getting Steve Clarke's men off to a perfect start in their Euro 2024 qualification campaign.
That being said, however, the fact that the 26-year-old wasn't even selected from the start for his country should be something of a warning sign to Ten Hag, with the 6 foot 4 man – who has been linked with a move to Newcastle this summer – having also been hooked early in the second half during the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.
Instead of looking to the Lancaster-born colossus as the answer to the Casemiro problem, United could be wise to hand a chance to January arrival Marcel Sabitzer in that deep-lying role, with the Austria international having also thrived for his country in recent days.
Should Sabitzer start for Man United?
The on-loan maestro scored twice and registered an assist for Ralf Rangnick's men in what was a thumping win over Azerbaijan on Friday evening, with the 29-year-old recording a monstrous 10/10 match rating, as per Sofascore, after also laying on three key passes and creating two big chances on the day.
Although that creative prowess may ensure that Sabitzer is better suited to a more advanced role, the Bayern Munich man could replicate the forward-thinking and progressive approach that Casemiro has taken on in his defensive-minded berth this season, with the latter man having created five big chances in the league this term.
Equally, while the former Real Madrid ace has been an effective screen in front of the back four this season as he ranks in the top 6% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, Sabitzer also possesses the credentials to mirror that destructive style, as the 5 foot 10 gem actually ranks in the top 5% for that same metric.
A player who can seemingly make an impact at both ends of the pitch, the recent, temporary addition notably bagged his first goal for the club against the Cottagers just over a week ago, with that hopefully the first of many in a United shirt.
Sabitzer-Man-United-Ten-Hag-Premier-League
With recent reports claiming that the £13m-rated ace would be "happy" to stay in Manchester beyond the end of the season, the upcoming top-flight fixtures should allow him the chance to prove why he would warrant a permanent deal.
The exciting playmaker does appear to have been carrying something of a knee problem of late, although the aforementioned Rangnick does appear to be "optimistic" regarding the extent of the injury, ensuring that Sabitzer could still be in line to feature against the Magpies.
If the one-time RB Leipzig star – who has been branded a "monster" by Statman Dave this season – can showcase his ability to ease the loss of Casemiro, then such flexibility and versatility may well only enhance his chances of being snapped up for the long term by Ten Hag and co.
Manchester United are thought to be in advanced talks to sign Watford teenager Harry Amass, according to The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella.
The Lowdown: Takeover chaos
The major news from Old Trafford over the last 24 hours has been related to a potential takeover.
Second bids from Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe were thought to be made prior to the 9pm deadline on Wednesday, however, it has emerged that both have in fact asked for more time to submit their new proposals. That has been granted, with The Daily Mail claiming that ‘no new deadline has been set but the offers are now likely to be made Thursday or Friday’.
Despite this, another update came out of Old Trafford on Wednesday, which now appears to have gone under the radar slightly.
The Latest: Amass news
Kinsella of The Evening Standard shared a transfer story on Wednesday afternoon, hours before the deadline needed to be met for second offers at United.
He said that the Red Devils are set to beat Chelsea in the race for Amass, who is currently on the books at Watford. An attacking left-back, Amass ‘believes that training in a top academy will further his development more quickly rather than remaining in the Championship’.
The 16-year-old is set to be welcomed at United, with the player tracked by England’s biggest clubs for two years.
The Verdict: Academy coup?
The Red Devils are known for developing young stars at Carrington and giving them the chance to star in the first team, with Marcus Rashford a prime example of that in recent years.
Alejandro Garnacho has also enjoyed a breakthrough 12 months in Manchester, with the club using a homegrown player in every matchday squad for an incredible 85 years in more than 4,000 successive fixtures.
Therefore, Amass could be well aware of potential first-team opportunities down the line at Old Trafford, and he could well be an academy coup given that he has been monitored by England’s biggest clubs since 2021.
He is an England U16 international and has already made a Watford first-team matchday squad at the age of 15, so could end up proving to be a possible long-term replacement for Luke Shaw in years to come.
It looks as if he is on the verge of becoming a United player, so his development over the coming seasons could be one to keep an eye on, providing a transfer to Carrington goes through over the coming months.
Everton reportedly ‘expect’ to sign Conor Coady on a permanent deal from Wolves this summer.
The Lowdown: Impressive loan
Coady has impressed on loan at Goodison Park so far, having played in Premier League, with Everton boasting the second-best defensive record in the bottom half of the table.
Hailed as having ‘quality’ and leadership by pundit Noel Whelan, the six-foot-one central defender has formed a formidable new partnership with James Tarkowski, which the Merseysiders will hope continues to flourish as they look to avoid relegation down to the Championship.
The Latest: Expected to sign
As per Football Insider, the Toffees ‘expect’ to sign Coady permanently this summer, as they have a £4.5m option to buy.
They ‘fully intend’ to trigger that option, with Sean Dyche a ‘big admirer’ of the 30-year-old’s experience and leadership.
Coady is thought to be ‘very happy’ at Goodison, and is ‘eager’ himself for the deal to go through.
The Verdict: No-brainer
Signing Coady on a permanent deal for £4.5m is surely a no-brainer for the Blues.
The England international has been a standout performer, ranking highly among his team-mates for average aerial duels won as well as interceptions, clearances, blocks and passes per game, as well as contributing a goal and an assist at the other end of the pitch (WhoScored).
If worse comes to worst and Everton are relegated, Coady at least possesses plenty of Championship experience, and could help bring them straight back up like he did with Wolves.
Nonetheless, the Toffees will not want to be thinking about relegation right now, and instead focus on staying up come the end of the season.
Aston Villa could reignite their interest in Southampton talisman James Ward-Prowse this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse shining for Saints
Saints may be having a season forget currently, sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League, but Ward-Prowse continues to perform at a high level.
The 28-year-old has scored six goals from midfield in the league this season, with his winning free-kick against Chelsea on Saturday taking him one behind David Beckham’s record of 18.
Ward-Prowse has been linked with a move to Villa in the past and their interest doesn’t appear to be going away.
The Latest: Villa eyeing up move
According to Football Insider, the Villans ‘remain keen’ on the midfielder and could make a move this year even if Southampton survive relegation.
It is claimed that Unai Emery wanted to sign a midfielder in January but failed to land Matteo Guendouzi, so he is likely to return to that area of the pitch in the summer transfer window.
The Verdict: Brilliant summer signing
Ward-Prowse could be a brilliant signing by Villa this time around, bringing a combination of technical quality, bite and experience in the middle of the park.
[freshpress-quiz id=“418895″]
The 11-cap England international has not only continued to excel at free-kicks this season but he has also averaged 2.1 key passes and 1.7 tackles per game in the league, showing excellence and impact on both sides of the ball.
Should Saints suffer relegation to the Championship, it is surely a given that Ward-Prowse would move on and Emery could see him as the ideal figure to bolster his midfield options.
This is a player who now has 328 Premier League appearances to his name, despite still only being 28 years of age, while Nathan Jones recently described him as ‘absolutely world-class’.
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has shared some injury news on defender Kyle Bartley ahead of their Championship clash with Coventry City.
The Lowdown: Bartley out…
At the beginning of November, Bartley was just starting to hit a rich vein of form, even scoring two goals in three games with strikes against both Queen’s Park Rangers and Stoke City.
Impressive attacking contributions from a centre-back, the 31-year-old’s season of limited appearances unfortunately continued thereafter when he succumbed to a side-lining injury.
Bartley picked up a knock in a friendly against Elche when West Brom jetted off to their warm weather training camp mid-season and still hasn’t returned.
The Latest: Corberan shares Bartley news…
According to Baggies boss Corberan, the Englishman also won’t feature against Coventry, but is potentially in line to return next week.
He explained:
“He has made a positive improvement. It’s been a long time where we haven’t had him with the team, on the pitch. We still need him to keep growing his levels to allow him to compete. That’s why he won’t be involved against Coventry but he is starting to arrive at the last point of his injury.
“It’s not this week, but he could be ready for next week. We have one week after this game and it can help him get back to the levels that we need him to reach in order to help the team.”
The Verdict: Mixed news…
Bartley was a regular before the player’s quad injury and the West Brom boss will be happy to have him back soon after this upcoming Coventry encounter.
A veteran, Bartley is arguably the type of experienced head needed in Corberan’s back line as West Brom ascend to contention for Premier League promotion.
Their latest league defeat to frontrunners Burnley comes as Corberan’s sole loss in West Brom’s last five second tier outings – clinching victory in all four matches prior.
The Midlands side are just two points off a play-off place as things stand but players of Bartley’s ilk will be needed if they’re to keep up with the leading pack.
Called ‘quality’ by former caretaker boss Richard Beale, Bartley’s eventual return will be a welcome one.
Arsenal could throw their hat into the ring in the race to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer given their impressive form this season, believes pundit Ally McCoist.
What’s the word?
The Englishman looks set to leave the club this summer amid major interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, with a reported price tag of €150m (£130m) being mooted.
The decision may rest with the player as he chooses a club with a sporting project best suited to him, and the league leaders may yet fancy their chances of landing him.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, and with one of the youngest average sides in the division, it is a club that can help young stars thrive.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist suggested that Arsenal’s excellent form this season, as well as the excellent progress made by Arteta, could make the Emirates Stadium an attractive destination for Bellingham.
He said: “Arsenal have got to come into the equation, because of the team, because of the manager, because of the way the club is going, the ages of the squad.
“Arsenal would obviously come int0 it, as would Manchester City. So he’s got a couple of decisions to make.”
Not a priority
With recent reports suggesting that Arsenal may move for Declan Rice at the end of the season, signing another central midfielder may not be on the agenda for Arsenal beyond that.
Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard have been excellent as the two advanced central midfielders in the Arsenal side this season in the position which Bellingham would occupy, while they also have Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira as capable cover there.
Although they may love to sign someone with Bellingham’s quality, it would be a costly transfer in a position which may not need immediate strengthening, so it may be a surprise if they do move for the teenager.
Broadcaster Kevin Hatchard has been full of praise for Leeds United target Georginio Rutter amid the club’s desire to land the youngster.
The Lowdown: Victor Orta looking to back Jesse Marsch
Leeds have already acted very quickly to address a problem area of their squad by handing Jesse Marsch RB Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober, who can play as either a left-back or left-sided centre-back.
The Austria international becomes the fourth player from a Red Bull side to have been recruited during Marsch’s tenure, but Victor Orta isn’t only working his magic there.
Marsch and Orta appear to have identified the young attacker from Hoffenheim as their next transfer priority and that has seen the star dropped from club duties amid strong Premier League interest.
The Latest: Rutter could be signing number two
Hatchard has been speaking live on Sky Sports about how highly he rates Rutter, although did admit he’s still a very raw talent who wouldn’t arrive at Elland Road as the finished article.
He said: “At Hoffenheim, he’s had some games where he’s been unplayable. Defenders think they’ve got him caged by the touchline and he’ll weave through them and make something happen.
“He’s still raw, he’s not the finished article, but I think he would be a great fit for Leeds.”
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-13/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: Leeds in need of attacking support
While Rodrigo is having a stunning season in front of goal for Leeds with 10 league goals, beyond him, the club’s next top scorer is Crysencio Summerville with four strikes, which makes for very worrying reading for a side that will need results to stay up.
If the Spaniard was to pick up an injury, as he did earlier in the season, Marsch will be forced to turn to players such as Joe Gelhardt and Sonny Perkins – potentially putting ridiculous pressure to put on such young shoulders.
Therefore, if Leeds can sign Rutter, who has a lot of first-team games under his belt despite only being 20 himself, it could be just what Leeds need to push away from the threat of relegation, although as always, when signing someone from another league, it’s a big gamble.
Tottenham Hotspur are set for discussions with Napoli about Tanguy Ndombele, with the Serie A leaders now wanting to make his loan move permanent.
The Lowdown: Ndombele’s loan spell
The Frenchman joined Napoli on loan for the 2022/23 season in August, with the deal including an option to make the move permanent, and it appears as though the Azzurri have already been sufficiently impressed to commence talks about this possibility.
The midfielder – who turns 26 today – has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, emerging as a vital player for Napoli in their title charge, with Luciano Spalletti’s team eight points clear at the summit of Serie A.
The Latest: Napoli set for Ndombele discussions
Foot Mercato reported on Monday evening that Napoli are able to sign Ndombele permanently for a fee of around £26m, although discussions are set to take place in January about lowering this amount.
While the player himself is in favour of extending his stay in Italy, a permanent deal will hinge upon Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy finding a suitable agreement, with the report claiming that the 60-year-old is renowned as a tough negotiator.
The 26-year-old was hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino during his early days in N17 but he failed to kick on, never really managing to convince supporters that he was worth the club-record £63m fee that he cost in 2019.
Last season, the midfielder made just nine appearances in the Premier League, with it becoming clear that he was not up to the standard required to succeed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his 6.46 rating from WhoScored placing him a lowly 19th in Antonio Conte’s squad.
However, he has clearly impressed Spalletti with his performances in Serie A this season, so Spurs could have a good opportunity to recoup some of the money that they spent on him three-and-a-half years ago.
If Levy risks waiting until the end of the season, when Napoli are presented with the £26m option, Ndombele’s performances may have dipped, and Spurs could end up parting with the Frenchman for far less.