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While Daniel Farke is taking a lot of heat at the moment surrounding his incapabilities as a Premier League manager, the Leeds United players he keeps selecting also need to take their fair share of the blame for what is currently occurring.

Against Aston Villa last time out, Elland Road regulars such as Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon didn’t cover themselves in glory whatsoever, with the Dutchman – in particular – looking weak physically, when winning just three of his eight attempted duels.

Moreover, Sean Longstaff, who stunned earlier on in the season with a goal and assist against AFC Bournemouth, looked noticeably flat up against the likes of Youri Tielemans for the energetic away side, leading to him giving possession away a costly 13 times.

Farke also has a part to play here, considering he works with the camp week in week out in trying to pick wins up, with the German clearly unable to inspire his team to get out of their rotten slump.

Still, he wouldn’t have foreseen how poor a start Lucas Perri would have made to life in England, as the Brazilian consistently looks uncomfortable in the Premier League.

Perri's poor start at Leeds

Leeds’ arrival back in the top-flight would have been met with equal levels of excitement and trepidation from the die-hard Elland Road fanbase.

Indeed, supporters would have been understandably over the moon that their beloved side had finally jumped back up to the big time.

But, they would have been worried immediately about their goalkeeper situation up a division, with an error-prone Illan Meslier cast to one side during the promotion run-in.

Unfortunately, despite splashing out £13.9m on his services this summer, the aforementioned Perri hasn’t looked like a steady pair of gloves whatsoever since joining, with a disastrous eight goals already given up in November alone.

The ex-Lyon stopper received plenty of pelters after the Villa defeat, too, when he remained frozen to his spot for Morgan Rogers to hammer home this delightful free-kick effort.

Ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome has even gone as far as to label Perri a complete “waste of funds”, and it could be argued he’s been a complete waste of time and energy, as well, considering his steep price tag, and his billing as a top-flight capable ‘keeper that would make Meslier a worry of the past.

Yet, despite all the abuse that has come his way, he isn’t the biggest waste of time in Farke’s camp currently.

Leeds have a bigger waste than Perri

At least in Perri’s case, he doesn’t have much competition breathing down his neck, with Farke surely extremely hesitant to chuck in Meslier to a relegation dog-fight, alongside another reserve figure in Karl Darlow.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Therefore, the hope will be that the South American can play his way out of this mess, having started his choppy Leeds career with a promising clean sheet against Newcastle United.

On the contrary, Sebastiaan Bornauw already looks resigned to a place on the periphery, owing to recurring injury issues troubling him in West Yorkshire, and the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol being other options Farke can call upon in the heart of defence.

For a modest £5.1m fee, Leeds would have been hoping that they’d hit the jackpot with the assured Belgian, who had 140 Bundesliga appearances under his belt, before making the switch to England, with former Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer previously hailing the former German top-flight titan as a consistently “strong” presence for his team.

Across those 140 games, Bornauw would help himself to a stable, if slightly unspectacular, 27 clean sheets, meaning he would have been viewed as a handy utility signing, too, when the deal was arranged, as Leeds prepared to use their full squad to beat the drop.

Instead, he has largely been injury-ridden since swapping Germany for West Yorkshire, with just one forgettable appearance coming his way so far in the EFL Cup versus Sheffield Wednesday.

For as much as Perri has largely been calamitous, at least he has made his presence known. Whereas Bornauw looks to already be burning a significant hole in Leeds’ wage bill, for how little action he has thrown himself into, with Leeds-based content creator Lewis Deighton rightly calling the unfolding situation out as “absolutely laughable”.

Amazingly, his £45k-per-week pay packet means he is earning more than the aforementioned Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu – who earn a lesser £40k-per-week salary each – despite both figures continuing to be ever-presents in the Farke regime.

It’s very clear how much Leeds dropped the ball this summer with unconvincing signings, as the under-pressure German now potentially pays the ultimate price with his job.

Leeds now plotting January move for "outstanding" £17.5m Champions League striker

The Whites are looking to bring in a new centre-forward this winter.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

Newcastle United have a tough run of fixtures to contend with for the rest of November, before the bumper Christmas schedule weighs heavily on the calendar.

Indeed, the up-and-down Magpies have a tricky home clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City up next, as Eddie Howe no doubt worries already as to how his porous defence will deal with a free-flowing Erling Haaland.

Then, it’s back-to-back away fixtures at Marseille and Everton in the Champions League and Premier League, with Howe, presumably, under even more intense pressure if he fails to pick up a win or two across this stretch of contests.

Far too many players Howe has relied on over the years have failed to deliver the goods across recent matches, with many of those underperformers also falling into the high earners bracket at St James’ Park.

Assessing Newcastle's current wage bill

Newcastle’s highest earner currently continues to lead by example for the most part in club captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Understandably, during losses on the road against West Ham United and Brentford, the Brazilian wasn’t at his liveliest.

But, the £160k-per-week “talisman” – as he has been recently labelled by Michael Carrick – does still have three goals next to his name this season, when bailing his topsy-turvy side out of some sticky situations, which included this wonderfully taken strike breaking the deadlock against Nottingham Forest last month in a much-needed 2-0 win.

The same adoration isn’t being extended to Joelinton and Anthony Gordon – who both take home a hefty £150k-per-week pay packet – with the pair notably struggling in league action this season. Neither player has scored a single goal or registered an assist from a combined 16 Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Nick Woltemade has lived up to his club-record £69m price tag, and his high £132.5k-per-week wage, on the contrary, with four league goals already next to his name.

There will be some grumbles about Anthony Elanga’s £55m fee and £100k-per-week wage, though, with the ex-Manchester United attacker dubbed a “massive overpay” by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Swede yet to show off his exhilarating best on the wings. He remains goalless so far on Tyneside.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The likes of Elanga and Gordon are not the only players being hounded.

A "legendary" star must be ditched by Newcastle

Elanga will also surely have the benefit of patience on his side, with the 23-year-old only 17 games down for his new employers. In time, the hope will be that the expensive £55m purchase does come good.

Whereas, in the case of Joe Willock, the peak of his Newcastle career looks to be very firmly behind him now, with his drop-off in form on Tyneside a very concerning tale.

Towards the start of his Newcastle playing days, Willock perform the role of a bright spark in front of goal from the midfield ranks expertly, much like Guimaraes now provides Howe and Co.

Staggeringly, he scored in seven straight Premier League matches during his initial loan spell from Arsenal during the 2020/21 season, as Willock lived up to Mikel Arteta’s words of being a “special” talent.

Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even went as far as to state that Willock had achieved “legendary stats” at St James’ Park with this unbelievable goalscoring run, further hailing the number 28 as “god-like” to the Tyneside masses.

Games played

133

Goals scored

10

Assists

9

Transfer fee

£25m

Wage per week

£80k-per-week

Willock has, arguably, become a victim of his own successes at Newcastle, with the former Arsenal midfielder only managing to cough up two more goals across 133 games, away from exploding onto the scene with a breakneck eight goals during his first 14 outings.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has simply labelled the 26-year-old as a major “disappointment” over the past couple of seasons, with only 100 minutes of Premier League action handed his way this campaign, really bringing into view his lavish £80k-per-week wage.

Wildly, that means summer arrival Malick Thiaw earns less than Willock, despite being an ever-present part of Howe’s defensive unit in the Premier League so far this season, with the German only banking a £70k-per-week salary.

It’s far from the most uplifting story seeing the decline of Willock in real time, but if Howe is to turn around his side’s fortunes right now, he will have to consider shelving the EFL Cup-winning midfielder for good very soon, alongside other previous regulars who have now fallen off the horse.

Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 16, 2025

Runners-up PBKS’ Indian core dominates ESPNcricinfo’s uncapped team of the season

Sreshth Shah05-Jun-2025 ‘Where talent meets opportunity’. The IPL 2025 season lived up to the tournament’s motto as India’s uncapped players grabbed the spotlight with their performances. Whether debutants making an impact or experienced players elevating their game, this season flexed India’s talent depth. Here’s ESPNcricinfo’s uncapped team of the tournament.1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals)A replacement for his captain Sanju Samson, the 14-year-old Suryavanshi started his IPL journey with a first-ball six, setting the tone for the fearless, aggressive batting that followed. The power Suryavanshi generated alongside some sweet timing was a standout. He finished the season with 18 fours, 24 sixes, and 252 runs, but his most impressive stat was his strike rate of 206.55, the highest of all batters who have faced at least 50 deliveries. His 101 in 35 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT) was the second-fastest in IPL history.2. Priyansh Arya (Punjab Kings)Minimal footwork, maximum impact, that was Arya in his debut IPL. Backed by head coach Ricky Ponting, Arya’s lofted shots and flicks off the body made him a lethal powerplay hitter. His 475 runs, the highest by an uncapped batter in a debut season (surpassing Devdutt Padikkal’s 473 in 2020), came at a strike rate of 179.24. His 43-ball 102 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was the third-fastest century by an Indian.Related

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3. Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab Kings)A retained player, Prabhsimran delivered on his promise with his best IPL season – 549 runs at a strike rate of 160.52. His crisp drives and ability to capitalise on loose deliveries made his partnership with Arya one of the stories of the season. His 48-ball 91 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and a 49-ball 83 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) masked PBKS’ middle-order woes. His aggressive approach to pace helped him become the highest run-scorer (1305) in IPL history for an uncapped Indian.4. Nehal Wadhera (Punjab Kings)Another uncapped gem for PBKS, Wadhera came from Mumbai Indians (MI) to his new team with a point to prove and turned himself into an adaptable player. With a tendency to hit straight or pummel short balls through midwicket, Wadhera hit a 37-ball 70 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) but his best performance came in Qualifier 2, where in a high-pressure scenario, he matched Shreyas Iyer shot-for-shot to help take down his old team with a 28-ball 49 in a high-octane chase.5. Shashank Singh (Punjab Kings)The 33-year-old, also retained by PBKS, was their finisher. With seven not outs in 14 innings, Shashank brought the fireworks with a 16-ball 44 against GT, 15-ball 33 against LSG, and 30-ball 59 against RR, all unbeaten performances. He was the highest scorer in the final with 61*, and it was another 350-run season for Shashank.Naman Dhir repaid MI’s faith in him with impressive performances as a finisher•AFP/Getty Images6. Naman Dhir (Mumbai Indians)MI used a right-to-match card on Dhir at the auction, and he showed why with his ability to race off the blocks. His 17-ball 38 against Delhi Capitals (DC) was the difference in a close game, and his 18-ball 37 in Qualifier 2 gave MI a promising score. The 11-ball 25 against LSG was another standout, while his eight-ball 24 against DC turned a below-par team total into a winning one. His highest score of the season came out of position, as he made 46 from No. 3 against LSG, while his season’s ball-per-boundary ratio was an astonishing 3.73.7. Vipraj Nigam (Delhi Capitals)A legbreak bowler with a big rip, Nigam was one of the season’s finds with with 11 wickets at an average of 32.36 for DC. Throw in his 142 runs at a strike rate of 179.74, and he was matching Axar Patel in utility. He silenced the Chinnaswamy by dismissing Virat Kohli in a spell of 2 for 18 in four overs on a ground notoriously difficult for spinners. Earlier, he had stifled CSK with 2 for 27 at Chepauk. With the bat, his ability to manufacture boundaries was on show when his 17-ball 39 helped beat LSG by one wicket, while his 19-ball 38 saved DC the blushes against KKR.Digvesh Rathi’s notebook celebration became a regular sight in IPL 2025•Associated Press8. Digvesh Rathi (Lucknow Super Giants)Pure cinema. That’s what Rathi turned out to be with his accurate wristspin, his “notebook” celebrations, and his desire to seek out a fight. Such was his form that by the end of the season, teams were looking to see out the man playing his debut IPL season. He finished with an economy of 7.59, the second-highest tally of wickets (14) for an uncapped bowler and the most for an uncapped spinner. He was also the lone bright spot among LSG’s bowlers.9. Suyash Sharma (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)A zippy googly that flattened Andre Russell’s stumps in the season opener set the tone for Suyash. He wasn’t always among the wickets, but his stump-to-stump bowling, alongside the variation in the dip of his deliveries, made him a tricky prospect. In eight of his games, he maintained an economy of under 8.50, while he saved his best for PBKS. His 2 for 26 against them early in the season contributed to a comfortable win, while his 3 for 17 in Qualifier 1 left RCB chasing only 102.10. Ashwani Kumar (Mumbai Indians)The left-arm seamer from Punjab made a late entry into MI’s XII. He struck with his first ball on IPL debut against KKR, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, and finished the evening as the first Indian to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut. His sharp yorkers and back-of-the-hand slower balls in the back-end of the innings made him a regular in the second half of the season, while his bowling average of 21.09 was the best among all uncapped bowlers. Such was Mumbai’s belief in Ashwani that Hardik Pandya trusted him to bowl the 19th over of Qualifier 2.11. Yash Dayal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)RCB has immense faith in Dayal, one of only three retentions made by the eventual champions. That’s because of his knack for coming up trumps when the pressure is high. MS Dhoni witnessed that once again, when Dayal successfully held his nerve against CSK in the 20th over of the chase in their two-run win. With Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as his senior seamers, Dayal quietly did his job of producing wide and straight yorkers, often bowling in dewy conditions. In the final, he bowled ten dots in three overs to strangle PBKS.12. Vaibhav Arora (Kolkata Knight Riders)With 17 wickets it was another successful season for the tall, swinging bowler. He finished with the most wickets among uncapped bowlers despite playing only 12 games. His stellar head-to-head against left-hand batters was on show as he dismissed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head and Ishan Kishan in a spell of 3 for 24. He also held his cool against Rajasthan Royals to eke out a one-run victory at home by playing his part in a final-ball run-out. But his bowling in the death overs was exposed this season, finishing IPL 2025 with an economy of 10.11, among the worst in the season.

It’s been a great 2025 for Zimbabwe. Having missed out on the last three ICC events, they secured qualification to the upcoming T20 World Cup. Three weeks later, they wrapped up their first Test win at home in over a decade. Senior players like Brendan Taylor have come back into the fold. Junior(ish) players like Brad Evans and Ben Curran are showing what they can do. The captain Craig Ervine had a lot to be happy about, though in the end he only felt relief.”We’ve been in good positions before and we have let it slip,” Ervine said at the post-match press conference. “So, you know, in this case, we get into a good position, we want to drive the advantage home, and fortunately we do that. And at least it gives you the impetus the next time around, you know, how did you do it? And it’s something that you can put in your pocket to remember for the next time. So these sort of experiences are great for us because at least it gives you the confidence that, yes, you can do it, and you can get over the line, especially when you get into those positions.”Zimbabwe were already on a high coming into the only Test against Afghanistan, because it was their tenth in 2025. Only once have they played more red-ball cricket in a calendar year. Ervine was able to see the gains that they had made, slowly, incrementally, through series against higher-ranked sides like Bangladesh, England, South Africa and New Zealand, as his men rolled Afghanistan over for 127 in the first innings and found a top-order batter to push that advantage further. Curran scored his maiden Test century to provide a 232-run lead and Richard Ngarava used that cushion to blow Afghanistan away.Ben Curran made 121, almost matching Afghanistan’s first-innings total of 127•Zimbabwe Cricket

Ervine also believed they had an advantage in Afghanistan playing only two frontline fast bowlers – one of whom was on debut, though Ziaur Rahman did pick up a seven-for – on a seamer-friendly Harare pitch. Zimbabwe picked four.Related

• Ngarava and Curran lead Zimbabwe to first home Test win in 12 years

“I think guys have taken a lot from their experiences against England, South Africa, New Zealand,” he said. “And I think what guys learnt, especially from the series against New Zealand is, it was testing conditions and they got five bowlers that are going to test you all the time.”And I think going into this game [against Afghanistan], I think we felt that you get through that new ball phase and if you’re patient enough, I think the runs do ease up. We felt that with their spin, they weren’t as accurate, so it took a little bit of pressure off and it allowed the scoreboard to keep moving. So I think that guys were a lot more composed, guys were a lot more patient. I think that only stems from the experience that you have against better sides [than Zimbabwe are]. You have to work a lot harder against the better teams. And I thought the application that guys showed in this test. I think is fruit from the test that you played against the better nations.”Ervine had initially been nervous when, after winning the toss and putting Afghanistan in, they were able to score 68 runs off the first 13 overs.Richard Ngarava’s five-for led Zimbabwe to victory•Zimbabwe Cricket

“To be honest, after the first hour, I probably wasn’t too sure whether I had made the right call or not. The wicket wasn’t quite as quick as what we thought it would be at the start. But I thought there was enough in that wicket that having picked four seamers we needed to utilise.”We were able to regroup and hit better areas from drinks break to lunch. And we got the reward for that. I think it was just keeping it nice and simple. And obviously using the short-ball plan, which was effective, I think, against Afghanistan.””To bowl them out for 120-odd in the first innings, we knew that we had been in a similar position against them in Bulawayo [and lost]. So we needed to make sure that this time round we drove that advantage home. And I thought the batting unit did just that.”Where Afghanistan lost nine wickets for 50 runs in the first innings – Evans took a five-for – and six wickets for 50 runs in the second – Ngarava with five this time – Zimbabwe were able to bat once and bat big.”It was about our disciplines,” Ervine said. “I think our composure. We had a feeling that they were going to throw everything at us. But they were also one seamer short. So we felt if we were able to get through that new ball spell, we could grind them down. And I thought Ben Curran did that exceptionally well. The way he batted throughout, kept the same tempo and guys managed to bat around him. So really chuffed that he was able to get 120-odd. I think those sort of scores in a test match really make a big impact and put you on the front foot.”

From Shaun Marsh to Vaibhav Suryavanshi, here are all the non-internationals to score centuries in the 18 years of the IPL

Omkar Mankame11-Apr-2025 • Updated on 29-Apr-20254:33

Bishop on Suryavanshi’s record: ‘That was mind-blowing’

Shaun Marsh, 115 in IPL 2008

Match scorecardMarsh, who went on to play in all three formats for Australia between 2008 and 2019, set the first edition of the IPL alight with 616 runs in 11 matches that made him the first Orange Cap winner. He was not picked for the first four matches but got off to a blazing start with 84* on debut. The century came later in the tournament, when his 69-ball 115 powered Kings XI Punjab (KXIP, now Punjab Kings – PBKS) to a 41-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a top-of-the-table dead rubber in Mohali. Marsh made his debut for Australia within a month after the IPL.

Manish Pandey, 114* in IPL 2009

Match scorecardA member of the Under-19 World Cup-winning side of 2008, Pandey made headlines by becoming the first Indian batter – capped or uncapped – to hit an IPL century. Opening the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against the long-defunct Deccan Chargers, the 19-year-old Pandey batted through the 20 overs and finished unbeaten on 114, off 73 balls, with Roelof van der Merwe’s 23 the second-highest score. His innings powered RCB to a 12-run win and the No. 3 spot on the points table. Pandey has played 68 times for India but not since 2021.Paul Valthaty lost form and fell out of favour soon after his memorable innings•AFP

Paul Valthaty, 120* in IPL 2011

Match scorecardValthaty was one of the stars of IPL 2011, the unbeaten 120 for KXIP against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) the highlight in his 463-run season. Valthaty was a surprise promotion to the opening slot, instead of Shaun Marsh, and he answered the call with a blistering start. He led the 189-run chase with his unbeaten century but played only seven more games in the competition, losing form and falling out of favour quickly after an injury that derailed his professional career. He never played for India, one of three people in this list, including newcomer Arya, to not play international cricket.

Devdutt Padikkal, 101* in IPL 2021

Match scorecardPadikkal finished IPL 2020 as RCB’s top scorer in what was his debut season. He carried that form into IPL 2021, where he tore through the RR attack in Mumbai with a dazzling 51-ball century. With Virat Kohli (72*) for company, Padikkal helped RCB chase down 178 without losing a wicket with 21 balls to spare. He brought up 400-plus runs in this season, and earned his India cap soon after.Rajat Patidar wasn’t even in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad when IPL 2022 started•PTI

Rajat Patidar, 112* in IPL 2022

Match scorecardPatidar was not even part of the RCB squad that season; he replaced the injured Luvnith Sisodia, and in the Eliminator, he went on to have the kind of day batters dream of. He scored a sensational unbeaten 112 off 54 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to propel the team into the second Qualifier. The highlight of his innings came in the 16th over, bowled by Ravi Bishnoi, where Patidar went 6, 4, 6, 4, 6.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, 124 in IPL 2023

Match scorecardJaiswal defied a sluggish pitch at what was his home ground in domestic cricket at the time to hammer 124 off 62 balls, laced with 16 fours and eight sixes. The next-best score for RR was 18 off 19, from Jos Buttler. Jaiswal’s innings featured the second-highest percentage (90.32%) of runs in boundaries in all men’s T20s. Within months, he was opening for India in both Tests and T20Is.Prabhsimran Singh soaks in the applause as he walks back after his century•BCCI

Prabhsimran Singh, 103 in IPL 2023

Match scorecardIn demanding batting conditions, PBKS opener Prabhsimran, who had started the season with a highest IPL score of just 16, not only survived but thrived in a way no one else could. On a pitch where none of his team-mates crossed 20 and only two others scored at better than a run-a-ball, he thumped 103 off 65 balls. His century delivered a knockout blow to Delhi Capitals’ (DC) IPL 2023 campaign.

Priyansh Arya, 103 in IPL 2025

Match scorecardArya, the 24-year-old opening bat, announced himself in style with a 39-ball century – the joint-fourth-fastest in IPL history earlier this season. Arya made the most of two reprieves from the CSK fielders and got to his hundred in the 13th over, hammering 6, 6, 6, 4 off Matheesha Pathirana to get there. He finished with 103 off 42 balls in a bizarre scorecard where the rest of the top six managed just 23 runs off 25 balls between them.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 101 in IPL 2025

Match scorecardA 14-year-old boy, younger than the IPL, took on a bowling attack of Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Karim Janat and R Sai Kishore and smashed them for 101 runs in 38 balls that included 11 sixes. By getting to the three-figure mark in just 35 balls, he notched up the second-fastest century in the IPL and became the youngest man to score a century in T20 cricket. His blitz powered RR in their 210-run chase and took them home in just 15.4 overs, snapping a five-match losing streak in spectacular fashion.