Lindsay Tuckett, the former South Africa fast bowler who was the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, has died aged 97 in Bloemfontein
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016Lindsay Tuckett, the former South Africa fast bowler who was the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, has died aged 97 in Bloemfontein. Tuckett played nine Tests for South Africa between June 1947 and March 1949.Tuckett made his first-class debut for Orange Free State in March 1935, shortly after his 16th birthday. When cricket resumed after the Second World War, Tuckett became one of South Africa’s leading bowlers and was picked for the tour of England in 1947, where he made his debut in the first Test at Trent Bridge.Tuckett began his Test career with a five-for, but was hampered by a groin injury on the tour and finished with 15 wickets in five matches at an average of 44.26. His next international appearance came during England’s [Marylebone Cricket Club] tour of South Africa in 1948-49. Tuckett bowled the last over of the dramatic Durban Test, which ended with a two-wicket victory for England, secured off the final ball. Tuckett’s returns in the series were four wickets for 316 runs, and he played his last Test match in that series. His tally of 19 international wickets included two five-fors.Tuckett took 225 wickets from 61 matches in a first-class between 1934-35 and 1954-55. This included a haul of 32 wickets in the 1951-52 season at an average of 17.59.Tuckett’s father was former South Africa Test cricketer Len, and his uncle, medium-pacer Joe Cox, was also a former Test cricketer.Former South Africa allrounder John Watkins is now the oldest living Test cricketer in the world, aged 93.
Chelsea are interested in signing Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse and have shortlisted him ahead of the summer transfer window.
Could James Ward-Prowse join Chelsea this summer?
With Southampton's relegation to the Championship already confirmed, Ward-Prowse has naturally been linked with a summer exit.
It would mark an end to his 12-year stay at the club and, according to football.london, his transfer fee is expected to be set at around £50million. The club captain has three years remaining on his deal, so despite Southampton's relegation, the south-coast outfit can stay firm in negotiations.
Chelsea have added the 28-year-old to their transfer list, according to Football Transfers, and could compete with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle United for his signature.
Former Southampton and incoming Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino reportedly could play a key role in a deal to sign Ward-Prowse having managed the midfielder during his time as Saints head coach in 2013/14. The Argentine coach is still considered to be a big fan of Ward-Prowse.
Back in 2014, he said:
"In every training session, he gives 100%. He always has an immediate impact in what he does and he is still a player who is growing. He is a figurehead of the sort of player that we are looking for at Southampton."
Pochettino was spot on as Ward-Prowse has gone on to play 420 games in all competitions, playing a whopping 30,493 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.
Does James Ward-Prowse have the Premier League free-kick record?
Ward-Prowse, who is represented by CAA Stellar like Ben Chilwell, is a technically gifted player. The midfielder has been tipped by Nathan Jones to beat David Beckham's record of 18 Premier League goals directly from free-kicks. Ward-Prowse has 17 currently and with his incredibly consistent dead ball technique, it might not be long before he equals the record. Jones waxed lyrical about the player, saying:
"He's been outstanding. When I arrived at the club my first conversation with him was ten minutes after he didn't get picked for the England squad.
"Since that moment, he's been absolutely world-class for me. I'm sure he's going to [beat Beckham's record]. I think he's going to play in the Premier League for a few years yet and the quality isn't going to diminish in any way.
"Unless somebody comes in and cut off his right leg, I think that record is under threat. He's one of the best technicians I've ever seen, the consistency he shows is world-class."
It looks set to be another busy summer at Stamford Bridge, and it seems as if a move for Ward-Prowse could be one to keep an eye on, potentially reuniting him with his former manager in the process.
Glasgow Rangers are reportedly plotting a fresh approach for Swansea City starlet, Morgan Whittaker, having previously missed out on the promising forward back in January.
What's the latest on Whittaker to Rangers?
According to Football Scotland, the Ibrox outfit are seemingly still interested in signing the 22-year-old despite having been repeatedly rebuffed during the winter window, with the Light Blues having seen three bids rejected by the Championship side – the last of which was reportedly in the region of £2m.
This latest report suggests that Michael Beale and co would be ready to make another offer for the young Englishman, having already brought in both Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling in recent weeks.
The piece does add, however, that there could be a potential stumbling block if the Swans are to lose current boss Russell Martin to Southampton, with the club unlikely to sanction any player exits amid their search to find a suitable successor to the ex-Gers defender.
Should Rangers bid again for Whittaker?
Despite failing to acquire the former Derby County man earlier this year, it looks as if the Old Firm giants are intent on bringing in young Whittaker this time around, with the "flamboyant" ace – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – set to provide further depth to Beale's attacking ranks.
The Gers boss has only recently seen his options depleted following the news that both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos are set to depart amid their expiring contracts, hence the need to snap up quality replacements sooner rather than later.
While Beale does already have players vying to fill the shoes of that departing duo, not all of the current squad have proven that they are up to the task, with Rabbi Matondo, in particular, having endured a difficult debut campaign in Scotland.
Rangers' Rabbi Matondo
The former Schalke man – who signed on a £3m deal last summer – ended the 2022/23 season having provided just five assists and no goals in 28 games in all competitions, with Beale suggesting back in December that the Welshman was suffering a "crisis of confidence".
Having also been hampered by injury in the second half of the campaign, the 22-year-old's fortunes have not improved of late, with recent reports (The Scottish Daily Mail, print edition, page 118, April 29, 2023): suggesting that the club could allow the misfiring dud to move on this summer.
The addition of Whittaker, therefore, could represent a notable upgrade on the one-time Manchester City man, with the 6 foot 3 ace having enjoyed a promising spell on loan at Plymouth Argyle in the first half of the campaign, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 25 League One games.
While the former England youth international only added one further goal for his parent club after making his return to Wales in January, he has previously shown his class at youth level, bagging 44 goal involvements in just 53 games for Derby's U18's.
The elegant left-footer's creative quality was also on show during his time in England's third tier as he created seven big chances for his teammates and averaged 1.3 key passes per game, while Matondo, by contrast, created just four big chances and averaged only 0.8 key passes from his 19 Scottish Premiership outings.
Equally, Whittaker also appears to offer more defensively on the flanks after averaging 1.1 tackles per to prove himself something of an all-rounder, while the current Rangers asset averaged just 0.7 tackles per game in that time.
With Matondo evidently failing to cut it in Glasgow, the signing of the Swansea star could be the attacking upgrade that Beale will be craving.
Younis Khan has been ruled out of Pakistan’s first Test against West Indies, with doctors advising him 10 days of rest to regain his strength after recovering from a bout of dengue fever
Umar Farooq06-Oct-2016Younis Khan has been ruled out of Pakistan’s first Test against West Indies, with doctors advising him 10 days of rest to regain his strength after recovering from a bout of dengue fever.”Younis has informed chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq that he won’t able to play the first Test,” a PCB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “The selectors are yet to announce the squad, but its is confirmed that Younis will not take part in the opening game in Dubai. He asked for rest to be fully fit before his national selection since he has recently recovered from dengue.”Last month, the 38-year-old Younis contracted a high fever that was later diagnosed as the mosquito-borne disease dengue, for which he was treated in a Karachi hospital. This forced him to miss the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament. Doctors have advised Younis to extend his rest for another 10 days. He is expected to be available for the second Test in Abu Dhabi.Younis last missed a Test match in May 2011 – also against West Indies, coincidentally, in St Kitts – and has since featured in 41 successive matches, scoring 3839 runs in that period, at an average of 59.06. He is now Pakistan’s leading run-getter in Tests with 9456 runs at 53.72, and in his last appearance scored 218 against England at The Oval.Pakistan will begin their three-match Test series with a pink-ball, day-night match at the Dubai International Stadium from October 13. The second Test begins on October 21 in Abu Dhabi, and the third in Sharjah on October 30.
Chelsea target Moises Caicedo will not be sold for £100m+ this summer but is expected to cost in the region of £70m-£80m from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Will Moises Caicedo be allowed to leave?
The Ecuadorian midfielder has enjoyed an impressive campaign on the south coast which has seen the Seagulls manage to secure a spot in the Europa League for next season.
Caicedo featured in 37 of Brighton's Premier League games this season and started in a whopping 34 of them (via Transfermarkt).
However, it does seem he could be set to leave this summer despite the prospect of European nights to come at the Amex Stadium next season.
Brighton have already seen Alexis Mac Allister depart this summer after the Argentine completed a £35m move to Liverpool on Thursday.
And it is believed that they will not stand in the way of the 21-year-old, Caicedo, who is expected to bring in considerably more money than his former teammate, Mac Allister.
Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided some insight towards a potential move from the south coast to west London with Chelsea believed to be seriously interested:
"Chelsea are absolutely into the race. Chelsea are convinced that Caicedo is kind of perfect player for the idea.
What's the point? I heard something about £100m value for Caicedo. No, the idea from sources I spoke to is that Caicedo is gonna be worth maybe £70m/£80m no more than this."
Who is interested in Caicedo?
Of course, Chelsea have been credited with interest in the Ecuadorian midfielder ahead of the summer window but there are also other reported suitors.
According to Romano, there is interest also coming from other Premier League sides with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United keen on the 21-year-old.
This comes just months after the Gunners made a serious move Caicedo in the January transfer window which saw two bids – worth up to £70m – rejected by the Seagulls.
It is also believed Arsenal are set to launch their first bid for Declan Rice over the coming days but it has previously been suggested this would not deter their interest in Caicedo.
The Blues will not have any form of European football ahead of the new campaign, however, they will likely provide a financial battle to match any other side.
Todd Bohely's willingness to invest the cash into Chelsea since his arrival cannot be ignored with the Blues having spent around £600m over the last two transfer windows.
With N'Golo Kante expected to leave the club over the coming days and the likes of Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher also linked with potential moves away, the door could certainly open up for the Ecuadorian at Stamford Bridge.
England coach Trevor Bayliss has praised Ben Stokes’ work ethic and resilience, and believes he could develop into one of the “all-time best allrounders”
George Dobell in Dhaka25-Oct-2016Trevor Bayliss believes Ben Stokes could develop into one of the “all-time best allrounders” following his Man-of-the-Match performance in Chittagong.Bayliss, the England coach, made the comments after Stokes helped seal victory with 103 runs and six wickets in the match. Bayliss was particularly impressed with Stokes’ improvement against spin bowling on the sort of low, slow pitches on which he has struggled in the past.Coming to the crease in the second innings with England precariously placed on 46 for 4, Stokes compiled 85 in just over three hours with his trademark power complemented by some tight defence and mature rotation of the strike. He also gained reverse swing and generated impressive pace on a sluggish surface.”He could be right up there with some of the all-time best allrounders,” Bayliss said. “He’s young into his career and that’s going to be easier to judge the longer he goes. Only time will tell.”But the strides he’s made on the subcontinent playing spin have been top class. It wasn’t all that long ago we were wondering how he might go on spin-friendly wickets, but he’s a guy that works extremely hard in the nets.How does Stokes’ performance compare?
Ben Stokes scored 103 runs and took six wickets in Chittagong. Here are what some of the game’s finest ever allrounders managed in Asia.
Gary Sobers WI v Ind, Mumbai, 1966 50, 53*, 3-56, 2-79 Tony Greig Eng v Pak, Lahore, 1973 41, 72, 4-86, 2-28 Ian Botham Eng v Ind, Mumbai, 1980 114, 6-58, 7-48 Kapil Dev Ind v Pak, Chennai, 1980 84, 4-90, 7-56 Imran Khan Pak v Ind, Faisalabad, 1983 117, 6-98, 5-82 Richard Hadlee NZ v SL, Colombo, 1987 151*, 4-102 Jacques Kallis SA v SL, Kandy, 2000 16, 87, 2-18, 1-25 Andrew Flintoff Eng v Ind, Mumbai, 2006 50, 50, 1-68, 3-14
“It’s his defence to spin that has improved out of sight. We know that if he gets a bad ball he can hit anything over the fence, but you’ve got to be there to get that loose ball. In the past he probably hasn’t had a lot of footwork, has played from the crease and backed his eye and his hands. But as we’ve seen on this tour, in the one-dayers and this Test, he’s defended really well off the front foot, got right out and smothered the ball before it had a chance to spin and jump past the outside edge.”It is not the first time Stokes has won high praise from an international coach. During England’s tour of the Caribbean in 2015, the then West Indies coach, Phil Simmons, remarked that Stokes was “in the mould of Jacques Kallis” and wished “I had him at No. 6…. That’s the kind of cricketer you need.”There will be those who scoff at such comments. They will point out that Bangladesh are rated the ninth-best team in the ICC’s rankings and suggest that conclusions over Stokes’ worth be postponed until he has achieved success more consistently and against higher-ranked sides. But a reflection on some of the great allrounders’ best performances in Asia over the last half-century (see sidebar) underlines the impression that Stokes’ performance in Chittagong is worthy of some respect. Perhaps the next few weeks in India will define Stokes’ reputation in such conditions.There may also be an element of psychology in Bayliss’ comments; hearing such praise from his coach can do Stokes’ confidence no harm. But there can be little arguing with the allrounder’s value to the team. So much so that, while England are considering rotating other players, Bayliss feels it is likely that Stokes will, fitness permitting, play all seven Tests before Christmas. Moeen Ali is viewed similarly by the management.”Stokes is very important,” Bayliss said. “He allows us to play that extra spinner and the third pace bowler. Mo batting at No. 5 plays a similar role to us, especially here in the subcontinent, and the way he played in the first innings, he is suited to playing spin bowling.”We don’t want to get halfway through the India series and have one or two guys injured and definitely out. And we also want to give those guys who will probably play at some stage some game time.”But it would be a brave man to bet against Stokes playing all seven Tests. I’m not sure we’d be game enough to drop him anyway; we might get a thump in the head. He’s a very resilient person, let alone cricketer, and he just keeps on keeping on. We’ve just got to watch what he does between the Tests to make sure he is available for all the matches.”While other players might be equally reluctant to miss a Test – “you would expect no less from a professional cricketer,” Bayliss said – it does seem England are committed to changes ahead of the second Test in Dhaka. Steven Finn, who has impressed with his rhythm and pace in training, could well come in for Stuart Broad or perhaps Chris Woakes, and Zafar Ansari may come in for Gareth Batty or perhaps Adil Rashid.England are keen to reiterate no-one is being dropped – Broad bowled an especially impressive spell towards the end of the first Test, including nine consecutive overs at the end of the fourth day – but may feel that Rashid, who was not at his best in Chittagong, would benefit from another bowl ahead of the India series.Ultimately, the decision over who plays in Dhaka may come down to the England management’s view of the pitch: if it looks like it will turn sharply, Rashid may be left out on the basis that the other bowlers will gain enough purchase. But if it looks flat, he will play as he can gain turn on surfaces they cannot. Bayliss, like Cook, is reluctant to field a fourth spinner and is not considering changing the batsmen.”It’s a bit like playing five pace bowlers on a green seamer,” he reasoned. “If three or four can’t do the job… Remember, we’ve got Joe Root who can bowl decent spinners as well.”I don’t think there’s any reason to change the top six at this stage. The top four guys found it very difficult against the new ball facing the spinners. That was very difficult facing good spin bowlers on a wicket which sometimes bounced up around your shoulder and sometimes skidded straight through. I’m sure all the batters will be better for it.”
Coventry City are interested in bringing in Wrexham midfielder Thomas O'Connor in the summer window, according to a report from the Mirror.
Who is Thomas O'Connor?
O'Connor came through the Southampton youth system after joining the club in 2015 from the Republic of Ireland, where the highlight was captaining the Southampton under-21 side throughout the majority of the 2018/19 season.
The Irish midfielder enjoyed two separate loan spells at then-League One side Gillingham across both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns, where he made 67 appearances, scoring one goal and assisting six. O'Connor began to show his versatility throughout this loan spell, making appearances at left-back, left midfield, central midfield, and central defence.
Despite a positive loan spell, Southampton decided to release O'Connor at the end of the 2020/21 season and Burton Albion picked up the midfielder on a free transfer, where he signed a two-year deal to continue playing at the League One level.
The Irishman only made 21 appearances during his six-month spell at Burton, where he began to demonstrate his goal-scoring prowess, before sealing a January 2022 deadline day move to Wrexham, who were competing in the National League at the time.
The 24-year-old's Wrexham career has been very stop-start, making just 36 appearances out of a possible 79 across his 18-month spell with the Welsh club which has resulted in promotion to the Football League.
Despite his injury problems, the number 22 has received praise from journalist Mark Griffith, who noted that the player had begun to put in 'heroic' performances after settling into the club.
Would O'Connor be a good signing for Coventry City?
Coventry just narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season, losing on penalties in the play-off final to Luton Town, and as a result are expected to lose a number of key players this summer including Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres.
Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.
O'Connor has shown in the past that he can perform when he faces Championship level opposition, with his 8/10 performance against Sheffield United in the FA Cup this season where he recorded a goal and an assist a testament to his quality and level of performance.
There will be question marks about if the Irishman would be a success at the Championship side, however, his positional versatility and his previously impressive performances in League One should give manager Mark Robins the confidence that should he be able to get over his injury problems, the left-footed midfielder could well be a success at the Sky Blues, and can potentially replace Hamer.
South Africa’s stand-in captain Faf du Plessis is risking a possible suspension by appealing his ball-tampering penalty in an attempt to clear his name
Firdose Moonda24-Nov-20162:03
Disappointed with Faf’s decision to appeal – Richardson
Faf du Plessis has launched an appeal against his guilty verdict for ball-tampering. The matter will now be heard again by a judicial commissioner who could either find du Plessis not guilty, or amend the sentence, which puts du Plessis at risk of a one-match suspension.On Tuesday du Plessis was found guilty of breaching Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct in relation to ball tampering, and he would then have 48 hours after receiving match referee Andy Pycroft’s decision in writing to decide whether to appeal.When the verdict was announced, du Plessis immediately make known his intention to appeal, however on Wednesday some doubt was cast on that. Cricket South Africa CEO Haroon Lorgat said the body had asked du Plessis to reserve his rights until receiving Pycroft’s judgement.CSA hoped to engage with the ICC to seek clarity over what constitutes an “artificial substance” in relation to the rules regarding polishing the ball. They may yet do that but du Plessis remains determined to clear his name.”In his mind Faf is clear that he did not alter the condition of the ball nor did he intend to do so and that the match referee was not correct to find him guilty,” Lorgat said in confirming the appeal. “He is understandably feeling aggrieved.”CSA will support him to appeal the decision before an independent judicial commissioner as there are issues relating to fair and just process, interpretation of the rules, science and performance that needs to be considered.”
Pat Howard, the Australian side’s performance chief, has pointed to patience and adaptability to read to the situation as one of the shortcomings the batsmen need to express
Daniel Brettig in Hobart13-Nov-20163:30
‘I’m accountable for performances’ – Howard
Australia’s team performance chief Pat Howard, the man held ultimately accountable for the fortunes of the national side, has reached out to former opening batsman Chris Rogers for advice on how to scotch the bleeding of the Test team’s currently hapless top six.Howard also admitted that he, the coach Darren Lehmann and the national selection panel were under pressure to keep their jobs unless results improved. Appointed as a result of the Argus review in August 2011, he said that there needed to be renewed focus on the defensive and tactical skills of batsmanship to get through difficult days like the one experienced in Hobart on Saturday.”It needs more focus. That’s simple,” Howard said. “Chris was fantastic, you go back to what he and David Warner did at the Oval [in 2015], I think it was 14 runs off 10 overs, they read the situation really well. That patience and adaptability to read the situation there. I’ve really been impressed by Chris’ insights and comments and I was before.”He’s got a good insight into the game … we’ve talked to him about coming and talking to people around that, both technically and mentally, and about a year ago he worked with our Under-19s. It’s a fair comment and something to drive some of our thinking.”The position of Australian batting coach has changed hands this year, following Howard’s decision not to grant an improved contract to Michael Di Venuto, who held the position with some success for the previous three years. Di Venuto, who has been in Hobart this week, then took the job as head coach of Surrey, and the role was handed over to the former England batsman Graeme Hick, an internal appointment via his role at the National Cricket Centre.Before this Test, Hick admitted he had his work cut out to build the relationships necessary to be an effective batting coach for the team. The rest of Lehmann’s support staff, including the assistant coach David Saker and the fielding coach Greg Blewett, are all relatively recent appointments. Rogers has said that the spate of batting collapses pointed to deeper issues within the team, and in the domestic structure beneath it.”I think good sides always find a way to fight when they’re in trouble, and the Australian side at the moment, when they lose a few wickets it’s just a collapse,” Rogers told ABC’s Offsiders on Sunday. “All 10 wickets have fallen, we’ve seen it now two Tests in a row I think for 86 in the first Test and now 85 in this Test, and you don’t see that [often]. So there’s something fundamentally wrong I think with the side, they’re obviously lacking confidence. There’s no doubt the talent’s there, but they just can’t find a way to fight, and that’s really disconcerting.”Speaking to particularly a few of the older guys, past players, there’s a bit of a thought that maybe we should push to return to how the Sheffield Shield used to be – just pick the best sides, the best players and see who wins. We have this system now where we’re trying to identify players and push them through. But we’ve been doing that for a fair while now and it doesn’t seem to be working, the performances haven’t really been there to justify it. I think it’s about now finding that winning culture. We’ve perhaps lost that, and whether we need to find that at the level below, maybe that’s the way to go.”Howard stated, among other things, that Australia’s traditional Gabba start – where they had not lost a Test match since 1988 – had to be moved for commercial reasons, namely an effort to build the audience for a Brisbane match via the avenue of a day-night Test. But he also said the team had to be adaptable enough to cope.Pat Howard on Chris Rogers’ role: “He’s got a good insight into the game … we’ve talked to him about coming and talking to people around that, both technically and mentally”•Getty Images”The team does like starting in Brisbane obviously but we just talked about adaptability and being able to play in different conditions at different times,” Howard said. “Brisbane has been a Test match that has struggled in other areas of the game over the last couple of years and they look to do something different.”I’d like to have games in Brisbane to support the team at times, there were other aspects as well, but we also need to adapt and I don’t want to look for excuses. We want to look for excuses at times and look for easy answers, and I don’t want to go down that track. Whatever you get overseas, whatever you get at home, do your homework, do your preparation get ready to adapt to the situation and the conditions on offer.”Like the national selectors, Trevor Hohns and Mark Waugh, Howard’s contract expires at the end of June 2017. The selection chairman Rod Marsh has already indicated he will vacate his post at that time, but Howard said there had been no discussion about finding his replacement any earlier than that. He did indicate,d however, that the entire panel may be refreshed at that time.”It’s important to note that Rod and I had that discussion well before the Sri Lanka tour,” Howard said. “This has been well in train and [his replacement] hasn’t been contemplated, we announced it a couple of weeks ago, and it was just confirming what all of us had known for a long time.”We’ve always had different guys on different tours. Trevor Hohns and Mark Waugh will go on and their contracts are due up at the same time as well, so they may not be staying either. I appreciate the pressure comes on Rod, he knows that this comes with the role, but there are people in that situation all the time and every time you say someone is not going to stay and you exit them straight away it doesn’t respect the work that they are doing at the time.”Howard also defended the decision to extend Lehmann’s contract until 2019 in August. “This is a great challenge for his coaching, I think he’s in uncharted territory for him as well and we’ve talked about that,” Howard said. “This is a great chance for him to reinvent.”He’s been contracted through past 2019, which is a huge year in the calendar, Ashes away and a World Cup back-to-back. We’ve got a young captain with a coach that’s wanted to give the team and squad some stability. I make no apologies for that, I made the decision and I take accountability for that.”
Leeds United may have confirmed their takeover this weekend but are still in desperate need of a manager to lead the club in their Championship campaign and now a new update has emerged on a potential target.
What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Daniel Farke?
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Leeds are competing with Celtic to appoint former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Daniel Farke this summer.
Plettenberg revealed on Twitter yesterday:
"Excl. News Farke: Talks with Celtic FC! Celtic very interested in signing him as a replacement for Postecoglou. First talks took place.
"Next option: @leeds confirmed. But not advanced yet. Could change next week.
"Farke, ready to take over a new club now!"
Would Daniel Farke be a good fit for Leeds?
There is no doubt that bringing in a manager at Elland Road who has Championship experience would be a massive advantage for Leeds as they endeavour to follow in the footsteps of Burnley by bouncing straight back to the Premier League.
There are not many managers available that boast both a wealth of experience in the second tier and automatic promotion success on multiple occasions, making Farke a rare asset and an extremely attractive prospect for Leeds.
The 46-year-old coach – who was hailed "world-class" by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – led Norwich City to first-place finishes in the Championship over his four-season tenure at Carrow Road, however, due to a lack of quality investment from the club's hierarchy found it difficult to keep the club in the Premier League when promoted which ultimately cost him his job.
More recently, Farke went back to his native Germany to manage Monchengladbach but despite beating Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund during his one-year spell in the Bundesliga, has found himself out of work again after finishing tenth in the league table.
daniel-farke-leeds-manager-news-championship
The German manager's Championship record speaks for itself with Norwich – tallying up 71 victories and just 29 defeats over 138 second-tier games in charge. That is a fantastic record that if emulated in West Yorkshire could guide Leeds back to the top flight in just one campaign.
As a result, with the right financial backing from the 49ers, there is no reason why Farke can't get Elland Road rocking again when the Championship season commences in August.
Indeed, he is a manager that the club should be seriously considering as soon as possible to avoid missing out to Celtic.