BCB president recommends Anamul for SA Tests

The BCB president has asked the selectors to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series that is scheduled to begin on September 28

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2017Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan has made a recommendation to the selectors by asking them to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series later this month. Anamul last played a Test three years ago and fell out of favour with the Bangladesh team management after a slow 70-ball 47 in a T20I in November 2015. He hasn’t appeared in an international fixture ever since.Hassan, however, paid little heed to Anamul’s inadequate game time in the international arena of late and, as has been his tendency over the past 12 months, recommended a player’s name to the selectors ahead of a series. Only weeks ago, he had intervened to include Mominul Haque in the Test squad ahead of the Australia series after the batsman was dropped by the selectors the previous day. In March this year, Hassan had stepped in to keep Mahmudullah in the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka after the team management decided to send him home ahead of the game. Hassan later said that Mehidy Hasan’s inclusion in the limited-overs leg of that tour was also his recommendation.Previously, he had also recommended Mehedi Maruf and Shahriar Nafees to the board after they had put in decent performances in the BPL last year. Mosharraf Hossain, too, had the president’s attention during the Afghanistan ODIs.Hassan said on Friday that the board was focused on having more right-left combinations in the Bangladesh batting line-up, which is why he suggested Anamul’s name to the selectors.”If Imrul [Kayes] had done well, we would have thought of putting him ahead of Soumya [Sarkar] but that didn’t happen,” Hassan said. “There isn’t anyone extraordinary coming up in that position, but we are looking for someone. Bijoy (Anamul Haque) is an option as a right-hander. You will be surprised to know that I have already mentioned his name to the board the day before yesterday. I think he will be considered. We have to work with a left-right combination.”At the end of the second Test, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim sought clarity from the decision makers over his roles in the team – apart from leading it, he is also a key batsman and the wicketkeeper. Hassan responded by saying that, while he does discuss strategies with the players, such things had to be solved by the individual on their own.”I think it is Mushfiqur’s problem,” Hassan said. “Doesn’t Mashrafe [Mortaza] captain the side? He has never faced such a problem. Shakib [Al Hasan], the new T20 captain, will never face a problem. These things are a captain’s decision. We can give him a strategy but he has to take the decision in the field. Mashrafe decides by himself who will bowl and bat. We can give him information, maybe tell him, ‘Try this, try him,’ but nothing more than that.”We asked him if he wants to keep wickets. We asked him if he wants to bat at No. 4. Even the day before the second innings [of the Chittagong Test], I sent him word to bat at No. 4, but he didn’t do it. So it is up to him. He sent Nasir [Hossain at No. 4]; maybe he didn’t want to change his position. I will ask him since he said such a thing in the media. After end of play on the first day, I discussed plans and strategies with Shakib, Miraz, Taijul [Islam] and the coach. But I won’t dictate them what to do.”Hassan also revealed Bangladesh’s long-term plan for the 2019 World Cup, saying that Bangladesh will experiment for the first 10 matches out of the 30-odd games that they will play in the run-up to the tournament, but will keep a similar line-up for the rest of the matches.”Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, we have 30 international matches scheduled. In the last 18-20 matches, we will not make any changes,” he said. “We want a set team for the World Cup. But in the first 10-odd games, we will make many experiments. There may be a few who wouldn’t be happy with it but we have to have a settled World Cup team.”

'Worst series loss of my career' – Chandimal

Not once could Sri Lanka push a Test match to the fifth day and the new captain Dinesh Chandimal felt quite badly about that

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele14-Aug-20172:49

Can’t give excuses for defeat inside three days – Chandimal

In a year of woe for Sri Lanka, another captain has labeled another series loss the worst of his career. Dinesh Chandimal, in only his second series at the helm, lamented the 0-3 beating at India’s hands. Barely a month ago, Angelo Mathews had said the ODI series loss to Zimbabwe had been “one of the lowest points” of his own career, and not long after he ended up stepping down.Chandimal’s despair is understandable, because never before have Sri Lanka lost 0-3 at home to India. Two of India’s victories came by an innings, and the other – in Galle – was their biggest victory in terms of runs. And where India tallied a whopping 1949 across four innings at an average of 60.90 per wicket, Sri Lanka managed 1421 in six innings at an average of 24.92. All four of the highest wicket-takers, and three of the top four run-scorers, were also from the visiting side. It was, in short, an almighty hiding.”This was the toughest series in eight years playing international cricket, no doubt,” Chandimal said. “The reason is that we were not able to take the games to five days. The previous two were four-day Tests, and this was a three-day Test. Since I’ve been in this team, this is the worst series loss I’ve experienced.”The series has seen paltry crowds, especially in Galle and Colombo, perhaps due to the one-sided nature of the contest. Attendance was slightly better in Pallekele, but the ground was still mostly empty.Where fan support and satisfaction had been extremely high at the end of the 3-0 Test victory over Australia last year, it has diminished alarmingly over the past eight months, in which Sri Lanka were defeated badly in South Africa, lost a Test to Bangladesh, and crashed out of the Champions Trophy. Chandimal apologised for the team’s performance this series.”I want to convey our disappointment to all of our fans,” he said. “To all Sri Lankan fans here and away from home, we are very disappointed about our performance. As captain, I would like to take the responsibility. The fans have always supported us. They encourage us always. Today we saw that although we were losing, people were still applauding us. That is what the team needs now. We cannot let the players be mentally down. We are getting the process right. We might not get results soon, but we are confident that the future looks good.”Chandimal did, however, cite injuries as a possible reason for the defeat. Sri Lanka lost batting allrounder Asela Gunaratne in the first session of the series, then had seamer Nuwan Pradeep break down towards the end of the first day at the SSC. Suranga Lakmal was ruled out from the second Test onwards, and Rangana Herath sat out the dead rubber with a stiff back.”I would say what has especially gone wrong is injuries,” Chandimal said. “When we played the Australia series didn’t have any injuries. Everyone did their best. When we came to this series there are so many injuries – Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath. They played some really good cricket in the last six months. That’s the main issue. You can’t give excuses. As youngsters you have to stand up and perform.”Sri Lanka’s pace attack had, in fact, been laid low by injury during that Australia series too. Lakmal had been ruled out before the first Test, and Pradeep only played one game, and Dushmantha Chameera – who was the third seamer in line at the time – was also out of contention with a stress fracture.Elsewhere, another worrying sign for Sri Lanka, was the failure of their senior batsmen. Upul Tharanga and Angelo Mathews hit only one half-century apiece across six innings – both of those on the flattest track of the series. Chandimal himself managed only a high score of 48 and an average of 24 in four innings (though in mitigation, he had suffered from pneumonia the week before the SSC Test).”Consistency has been a huge issue this series,” Chandimal said. “Some players cannot perform well in every series. As seniors, you have to do well, and then the youngsters will follow.”Angelo and I couldn’t get amidst the runs, and we take a lot of blame for that. But we were trying very hard in the middle – even today – and we’ve been training very hard. I have lot of faith the seniors will come back strongly when we take on Pakistan.”

WATCH – How WI bounced Kohli out, and Dhoni and Jadhav innovated

Watch highlights of the key events from the third ODI between West Indies and India in Antigua

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2017All series long, West Indies have looked to bounce Virat Kohli, but on a damp surface that had seen rain pretty much throughout yesterday, the sticky steep bounce troubled Kohli much more than it ever did in the series. Kohli swayed out of a couple, fended at one that fell safe, and eventually couldn’t control one as he attempted a single to third man.In the 17th over of India’s innings, West Indies let the horse bolt. Yuvraj Singh nearly guided the first ball to gully and got a single. They responded by reinforcing the field with a slip to go with the gully, and Yuvraj took a single third ball. For some reason, though, they forgot to call the slip back in when Yuvraj came back on strike for the fifth ball. Kesrick Williams produced a regulation edge, which would have settled in the first slip’s lap and made a 300-ODI veteran his first ODI wicket. Instead Yuvraj got four.The horse kept coming back, though. After letting Yuvraj off early, West Indies reprieved him again when they didn’t review a plumb not-out on-field call off the bowling of Devendra Bishoo. Four overs later, though, Bishoo appealed for a similar lbw, drew a similar response from umpire Dharmasena, but reviewed this time and got the decision in his favour.As MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav took 81 off the last 7.4 overs on a slow pitch, they needed some innovation. Dhoni targeted Jason Holder, stunningly fetching one length ball from wide outside off and depositing it flat over square leg for six. Jadhav saw Dhoni’s innovation, and raised him a sweep shot off Miguel Cummins, having gone on a knee and well outside off well before Cummins released, and then pulling off the shot with surprising ease thanks to his still head.Brought on to bowl in the 11th over, Hardik Pandya used the bouncer effectively, to break a 45-run second-wicket partnership between Shai and Kyle Hope. He accounted for both batsmen in his spell using the short ball, ending with returns of 32 for 2 in six overs

Celtic: Rodgers Can Find Unplayable Hatate Partner In 21 y/o Machine

Brendan Rodgers has returned to Celtic for a second spell at Parkhead after a trophy-laden time in Glasgow earlier in his managerial career.

The Northern Irish tactician won seven trophies in less than three years with the Scottish giants between 2016 and 2019, before his move to Leicester.

He has now inherited a team that won five pieces of silverware in two seasons with Ange Postecoglou in charge, which included a domestic treble last season.

This means that Rodgers has a squad of proven winners with the quality required to dominate Scottish football in the upcoming campaign.

However, there is always room for improvement and the ex-Liverpool boss could improve his attacking options in midfield by signing Young Boys midfielder Fabian Rieder, who is a reported target for the club.

How good is Fabian Rieder?

The 5 foot 11 ace is an excellent midfielder whose performances in his home country during the 2022/23 season suggest that the 21-year-old technician would be a superb addition to the squad if he can translate his form over to Scotland.

Rieder could be unplayable alongside Reo Hatate in the middle of the park for the Glasgow-based outfit as they are both capable of making a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate.

The Switzerland international produced seven goals to go along with five assists in 33 Super League outings last term, whilst the talented youngster also registered an eye-catching two goals and five assists in five Swiss Cup matches.

Hatate (six) was the only central midfielder to score more than four Scottish Premiership goals for the Hoops last season, with Callum McGregor (four), Aaron Mooy (four), and Matt O'Riley (three) behind him.

These statistics suggest that Rieder and the Japan international would both be Rodgers' outstanding goalscoring options in midfield, which could strike fear into the opposition if they line up alongside each other.

They are both capable of finding the back of the net on a semi-regular basis to support the frontline attackers and their combined threat could force attention away from the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada as teams may need to keep close tabs on them arriving late from a midfield position.

This could free up more space for the strikers to do their damage as the Scottish giants would have multiple scoring options for defenders to deal with, rather than allowing them to focus on one or two players to shut down.

Rieder also has the potential to be a creative force for Celtic. The left-footed maestro, who was lauded for his "exemplary" determination by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has racked up 11 assists across all competitions in each of the last two seasons for Young Boys, which included eight in the 2021/22 Super League campaign.

Now that Mooy and Jota have departed Parkhead permanently this summer, O'Riley (12) is the only current Hoops ace who assisted more than eight league goals last term.

This suggests that the Swiss whiz would come in as one of the club's most creative players whilst also being able to offer a huge goal threat from midfield alongside Hatate.

Therefore, the 21-year-old maestro, who could also be a long-term investment for Rodgers, with the potential to make Celtic a profit further down the line, could be unplayable alongside the Japanese dynamo next season due to their influence in the final third from a deep-lying position.

Man United Transfer News; Terms Agreed With Andre Onana

Manchester United reportedly have a contract agreement in place with Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, while an official first bid has also been made.

Are Man United signing Andre Onana?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have been heavily linked with a move for the 27-year-old in recent weeks. Reports previously suggested that Man United were leading the race for his services and stories in recent days claimed a bid was expected to be submitted soon.

Inter Milan want €50m plus bonuses for the shot-stopper, a figure Old Trafford officials are rumoured to be willing to pay, and a further update has now emerged.

The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from La Gazzetta Dello Sport regarding Man United and Onana on Monday. They claimed that an Old Trafford salary has been agreed between United and Onana, with Ten Hag keen on bringing in the goalkeeper to replace David de Gea, who is now out of contract in Manchester.

Ten Hag has reportedly assured Onana that Man United will do everything they can to secure a deal with his club after agreeing terms with the player himself.

In a fresh update on all this by Fabrizio Romano, it has now been revealed that a first bid has now gone in for the goalkeeper but has been rejected.

The journalist explained: "Negotiations between Man United and Inter continue for Andre Onana — after £34m bid plus £5m in add-ons rejected. Deal absolutely on. "

What has been said about Andre Onana?

Onana is a player who Ten Hag knows extremely well following their time at Ajax. Hailed as a "superstar" by members of the media, the Cameroon international has made more appearances under Ten Hag than any other manager during his career (145). The United boss labelled Onana as a “masterful goalkeeper” last year before the pair went on to leave the Dutch giants, saying:

“Obviously he’s not yet back at his level from before the suspension.

“But that can’t be expected from him. He has to work hard to get there again and I’m convinced that he’ll succeed. We’ve all seen that he is a masterful goalkeeper.”

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is also a big fan, praising Onana’s ability on the ball after the Champions League final last month.

“Identifying the space and emptying the midfield is a special quality. Normally, teams have great keepers, but he [Onana] is exceptional with his feet.

“When you have a goalkeeper like Onana who can read perfectly where everyone is to pass to, with Calhanoglu and Barella, then the strikers hold it up and move the ball around. It is very, very difficult. It would be a tiny bit easier without this goalkeeper, but still very tough.”

Therefore, with De Gea now out of contract at Old Trafford, Onana could be a solid signing ahead of the new season. He enjoyed a solid first season at the San Siro, keeping 19 clean sheets in 41 games in all competitions.

As per FBref, Onana outperforms De Gea in a number of areas, including save percentage, goals against, touches and crosses stopped, showing how he could be a shrewd addition.

By the looks of things, all that needs to be agreed on now is a transfer fee, and who knows, Onana could be the next marquee summer signing after midfielder Mason Mount, with the England midfielder undergoing a medical at Carrington on Monday.

موعد مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر في دور الـ8 ببطولة الكونفدرالية 2023-2024

أجرى الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم اليوم الثلاثاء قرعة دور الـ8 (ربع النهائي) لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

البطولة التي يشارك فيها ناديين مصريين، نجحا في اقتناص بطاقة الصعود لدور الثمانية، وهما الزمالك ومودرن فيوتشر.

وأسفرت قرعة مباريات دور الثمانية لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية عن مواجهة فريق الزمالك لنظيره مودرن فيوتشر.

طريق الزمالك حتى النهائي في بطولة الكونفدرالية 2023-2024

واحتل الزمالك صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الثالثة التي ضمت إلى جواره فرق أبو سليم الليبي وساجرادا الأنجولي وسوار كوياه الغيني.

ونجح الزمالك في حصد 16 نقطة بعد أن فاز في خمس مباريات وتعادل في واحدة فيما لم ينل أي خسارة.

ويسعى فريق نادي الزمالك للمضي قدمًا نحو حصد بطولة الكونفدرالية الثانية في تاريخه بعد الظفر بلقب 2019.

وتأهل فريق مودرن فيوتشر بعد حصده مركز الوصافة في المجموعة الأولى، برصيد 11 نقطة.

ويطمح في الوقت ذاته لمواصلة المشوار من أجل تحقيق البطولة القارية الأولى في تاريخه. موعد مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر في دور الـ8 ببطولة الكونفدرالية

تقام مباريات ذهاب الدور ربع نهائي لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية يوم 31 مارس الجاري على أن تقام مباريات الإياب يوم 7 أبريل المقبل.

Chelsea Set For Talks Over £26m Stamford Bridge Exit

Chelsea could be set to see some further players make the move from west London to Saudi Arabia this summer with Kalidou Koulibaly a potential departure.

How old is Kalidou Koulibaly?

It was a season which Chelsea will be hoping to forget in a hurry after the 2022/23 campaign was only able to offer them a 12th placed finish in the Premier League.

Although many will want to forget the season's failings, it will be important for Todd Boehly to learn from their errors which led to such a disastrous campaign.

And it seems as if the American's hectic transfer strategy could be set to continue into this summer with a number of exits potentially set to be finalised.

Indeed, it has been suggested N'Golo Kante's time at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end with a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia set to see the Frenchman move to the Middle East.

And he may not be the only Chelsea star to make the move this summer with the likes of the 31-year-old Koulibaly also believed to be lined up for a move by Al-Hilal.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Senegal international could be set to bring in around £25m for the Blues this summer:

"From what I told, Chelsea would get around €25m/€30m [£21m/£26m]. This is still under discussion will continue [this] week, but the fee will be around €30m [£26m] for Chelsea for Kalidou Koulibaly.

"This is the expectation between Chelsea and Al-Hilal. It's fair to say that also Inter Milan asked for Koulibaly on loan but Chelsea have been very clear only permanent transfer and this is why now Al-Hilal are the favourites."

How much does Koulibaly earn?

The 31-year-old has only played one season in the English top flight since arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer from Napoli.

It was believed the experienced centre-back signed for the Blues in a deal worth in the region of £33m.

Having signed for the Blues, it is reported the Senegal international was handed a stunning £295k-per-week deal to play in west London.

Despite earning such an enormous weekly wage, the experienced defender only made 20 starts for the Blues in the Premier League over the 2022/23 campaign.

And with this in mind, there is a huge sum of money being spent every week on a player who is not exactly contributing a huge deal to the starting XI.

Considering how heavily Chelsea have spent under the stewardship of Boehly and co, a potential deal to bring in around £25m for a player who is not exactly a crucial part of the starting XI could pose a seriously attractive proposition.

The Blues spent in the region of £600m last season under Boehly, and potential deals like this could possibly help the Londoners to balance their books.

جوزيه جوميز: حذرت لاعبي الزمالك من كرة هدف أبو سليم.. وسنواجه فرقًا أقوى في الكونفدرالية

تحدث البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، عن مباراة فريقه أمام أبو سليم الليبي، التي أقيمت اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، مشيراً إلى أنهم كان باستطاعتهم تحقيق الفوز بنتيجة أكبر.

وواجه الزمالك نظيره أبو سليم، على ملعب استاد 19 مايو 1956 بمدينة عنابة الجزائرية، ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة لدور المجموعات ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، والتي انتهت بفوز الأبيض بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وقال جوميز في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي عقب المباراة: “كنا نستطيع إنهاء المباراة في الشوط الأول بعدما نجحنا في فرض السيطرة والاستحواذ على الكرة”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يُعلن تشخيص إصابة زيزو أمام أبو سليم الليبي

وأضاف: “سعيد بأداء اللاعبين خاصة في الشوط الأول، صنعنا أكثر من فرصة وفي كرة القدم يجب أن تستغل هذه الفرص لإنهاء المباراة مبكرًا خاصة أننا نعلم قوة المنافس في الكرات الثابتة ورميات التماس الطويلة، لكل فريق طريقة لعب محددة لكن استطعنا أن نفرض سيطرتنا”.

وأوضح: “أهدرنا  العديد من الفرص مثلما حدث في مباراة الإسماعيلي وكان علينا تدارك هذا الأمر، وحذرت من الكرات الثابتة ورميات التماس وهو ما حدث وجاء هدفهم في مرمانا”.

وأختتم: “بكل تأكيد في الأدوار المقبلة سنواجه فرقًا أقوى، لذلك علينا التركيز في عدم إهدار هذا الكم من الفرص، والتراجع في المباراة في آخر 25 دقيقة أتحمل مسؤوليته خاصة بعد إجراء 4 تغييرات مرة واحدة، ولاعبو الفريق الذين شاركوا كانوا يحتاجون لبعض الوقت للدخول في الأجواء”.

Hatchett retires after defying the odds

Lewis Hatchett, the Sussex left-arm pace bowler, has announced his retirement on medical advice having defied the odds to have a professional career

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2016Lewis Hatchett, the Sussex left-arm pace bowler, has announced his retirement on medical advice after having defied the odds to have a professional career.Hatchett, 26, was born with Poland Syndrome, a condition which appears in only one in 100,000 births, and leads to problems down one side of the body. For Hatchett it meant he was missing his right pectoral muscle and two ribs, leading to a weak delivery arm and a right shoulder that sits higher than his left, causing sharp pain after a day’s play. Yet he overcame those obstacles to have a six-year career with Sussex.But his 2016 season was curtailed by a lower-back injury that forced to an end to his career.”It is with great sadness that I have to announce my retirement from professional cricket due to injury,” he said. “Following medical advice, my long-term health is most important to me and I have to listen to my body.”To have to end my career in this way has been devastating, but to play six years at my home county has been a dream come true.”I will forever be proud that I managed to realise my dream of playing for Sussex and considering the journey I have had, fills me with further pride.”I’ve met some incredible people throughout my career, especially at Sussex. I’ve made friends for life through this sport and it was a huge honour to wear the Martlets on my chest every time I played. I wish the team all the success in the future and will watch fondly.”Finally, I will forever be grateful to my parents for their support all throughout my career, from a young age even to this day. I could not have done it without them. And to my brother, Bradley, for not only his support but for all the fond memories from playing cricket in the garden as kids to playing together at club level.”Hatchett took 72 first-class wickets at 35.08 along with 19 in List A matches and 11 in T20s. In what would become his penultimate first-class match, against Derbyshire in May, he claimed 5 for 58.In an interview with the in July, where he spoke for the first time about his condition, Hatchett said: “Getting told I was getting a full-time contract was like my ultimate goal being achieved – I don’t think I have ever been happier than that day. There were times when I had doubts as to whether I was doing the right thing and injuries did, and still do, take a lot to come back from. But if my career ends tomorrow I will be happy with what I have achieved. I have made myself into a professional cricketer.”Sussex’s head coach Mark Davis said: “I would like to congratulate Hatch on everything he has achieved at Sussex. He is somebody that despite real challenges has made the most of himself as a county cricketer.”Lewis will be successful at whatever he chooses to do post-cricket, due to his extraordinary work ethic and drive. I wish him all the best for the future.”

£75k-p/w Flop Must Never Start For Leeds Again

Leeds United have found themselves in an incredibly unstable situation in the Premier League after suffering a defeat to West Ham United this afternoon and Sam Allardyce will be feeling the pressure ahead of the final day of the season.

The Whites will see out their must-win final fixture against Tottenham Hotspur in front of the home support next weekend and an improved performance must be put on if the west Yorkshire club have any hope of staying in the top flight next season.

On their visit to east London today, Leeds failed to dominate possession (41%), had fewer shots on goal (12 v 19) and created fewer big chances (0 v 4), which ultimately cost them all three points.

A glimmer of hope was delivered when Rodrigo found the back of the net in the 17th minute, but what looked like a team fighting for survival quickly deteriorated when Declan Rice equalised less than 15 minutes later.

Things didn't get better for Allardyce's side when the final 45 minutes commenced, with Leeds allowing the Hammers to dominate which led to further goals from Jarrad Bowen and Manuel Lanzini making it a 3-1 defeat at the final whistle.

Weston McKennie once again looked rather abject in the middle of the park and even he did assist Rodrigo's goal, the £75k-per-week loanee failed to do the job he was tasked with in midfield alongside Robin Koch and Adam Forshaw when it mattered most.

How did Weston McKennie get on vs West Ham?

It is no secret that the Juventus midfielder has not been a hit with the supporters since his arrival in January, but McKennie has done himself no favours with uninspiring performances following one after the other at a time when Leeds need to be at their best.

Over his 84-minute performance, the 24-year-old flop was dubbed "poor" by journalist Beren Cross in a dismal performance that ultimately saw the midfield lightweight lose 75% of his defensive battles as he was dribbled past once and failed to complete a single tackle.

weston-mckennie-leeds-united-premier-league

The American also struggled in possession having failed to complete a dribble while his 24 passes were unsurprising when you consider he also lost possession of the ball ten times.

It has been reported that Leeds have no intention of triggering their £30m option to buy on McKennie this summer and it would be one of the best decisions the club could make given his clear lack of effort and fight to help the club secure a positive future in the Premier League.

In fact, with Mark Roca now available for selection again after making a 16-minute cameo this afternoon, Allardyce could make a bold midfield decision by binning McKennie for the last game of the season and instead relying on Forshaw and Roca to hold together the centre of the pitch.

Indeed, dropping McKennie to the bench would be a move that could well keep them in the division next weekend.

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