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The Blaugrana have won their first league title in three years on the back of a historic defence, but they have rarely excited the Camp Nou crowd

When Xavi accepted the Barcelona job in November 2021, he spoke of his deep connection to the club. He asserted he was a "Cule" through and through. He understood what the fans wanted. He knew all about the mandate of winning and impressing in the process. He referenced Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola. Most importantly, though, he emphasised his embodiment of "Barca DNA".

In his words, that meant a return to the glorious football of old. His side would not only win, he asserted, but they would look good doing so. That claim was a relief for a fanbase that had been subject to some poor and unsuccessful football under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman. Fans knew that this wouldn't be total football or Tiki-Taka, but it was supposed to be pretty.

Except, it hasn't been. Despite the 4-2 derby win over Espanyol that sealed the title, the Blaugrana are mostly drab and methodical. They are, as their results suggest, a very good team. They have wrapped up their first La Liga title in three years, and will likely be clear by double-digit points once all is said and done.

But they are more akin to a Jose Mourinho side than a Guardiola one. And although Xavi has delivered on the first principle of the job, his inability to do this all in the so-called Barca way suggests that the future might not be so exciting for the very fans Xavi set out to impress.

GettyA strong spine

Xavi does have to be given some credit. Barcelona have lacked a cohesive identity for some time, and at the beginning of this campaign, looked to be far behind defending champions and great rivals, Real Madrid. In a battle of pure footballing quality, at least in the Spanish sense, Barcelona were always going to lose.

The manager has responded by adapting. He quickly realised that he cannot beat Madrid by trying to out-attack them. Instead, Barcelona are solid, difficult and pragmatic. They keep possession well, and have shown that they can play some eye-catching football in moments. But this is a team built on its strong spine and defensive excellence. The Blaugrana have only conceded two goals at home in La Liga all season, while goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has set the league record for clean sheets.

Sergio Busquets, meanwhile, has endured something of a revival. After spending 18 months tracking back in a state of defensive recovery purgatory, he has been allowed to play deeper. The soon-to-depart club captain is simply being asked to intercept, tackle and pass. These are the things that he is very good at.

The evolution of Gavi has certainly also helped. The reigning Golden Boy winner is a confusing player, mostly because he is the antithesis of the Barcelona legends he has been compared to. The midfielder has so easily been likened to the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, but in reality, he's more like a shrunken, technically advanced Pepe.

This is a player who flies into tackles, kicks opponents relentlessly, and spends 90 minutes being a pest. It makes for fascinating viewing, this buzzing presence being a complete nuisance. But it works, giving Barca a much-needed midfield bite.

Even Robert Lewandowski offers a previously-missing physicality up front, the 6'1 Poland striker is unafraid to use his lanky limbs to bully centre-backs.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesImprovement in unexpected areas

Xavi's appointment was met with optimism for what it could mean for the development of Barcelona's attacking players. It figured to be key in the technical improvement of Gavi and Pedri, and perhaps revival of Frenkie de Jong's languishing tenure. And while all three have undoubtedly become more complete players, it is in defensive areas — Xavi's most obvious weakness as a player — that Barcelona have seen the most development.

The most obvious beneficiary is Ronald Araujo. The Uruguay centre-back always had the physical tools to be a top-tier defender, but his instincts and technical ability had often been questioned. A patchy injury record, expiring contract and often uncomfortable relationship with passing the ball only added to the jeopardy. But he has since penned a new deal, stayed fit, and, far more importantly, become a markedly more composed player.

Araujo is, by this point, comfortably one of the best in his position in Europe. His pace and athleticism make him able to deal with a more direct game, while his ever-improving distribution has been him become far more press-resistant than in his early Barca tenure. There was always potential here – Xavi has just unlocked it.

The same can be said for Andreas Christensen. A player who Chelsea were willing to let go, Christensen has turned from a speculative free-agent signing to a keystone of this Barcelona back four. He certainly benefits from Araujo's defensive presence, but his complementary passing ability helps balance the duo with aplomb.

There are, admittedly, some issues at the back. Youngster Alejandro Balde, so eager to get forward, is often susceptible to counter-attacks. Jules Kounde, a makeshift right-back, is often uncomfortable at the position — something he has openly acknowledged. Still, this is a back four, with Ter Stegen behind it, that has shown it is capable of winning a league.

Getty ImagesUnrealiable going forward

It is not necessarily a great betrayal of the club ethos to be good at the back. Barcelona have fielded some memorable defensive units over the years, and have been home to some of the best centre-backs in football history.

But the Blaugrana aren't legendary for their ability to keep the ball out. The renewed global interest in the club brought about by Lionel Messi prime years and Guardiola's revolution was based on the principle of sublime attacking football. That's a burden that every Barcelona manager, including Xavi, has to deal with. It is, after all, impossible to recreate Messi-ball without Messi.

As such, Xavi has tried to build a Barca attack in his own image. The results have been underwhelming. The arrival of Lewandowski last summer, in fact, saved what would have otherwise been a tepid attack.

There is a formula here. The Blaugrana rely on the one-on-on trickery of Ousmane Dembele for goals and service out wide. They can also count on Pedri and De Jong to thread line-breaking passes. And even though Lewandowski has not matched the goalscoring rate that he set at Bayern Munich, his movement and finishing ability is still elite.

But there are flaws, too. Barcelona lack a creative presence in the middle, and are often devoid of ideas when faced with the kind of low blocks that teams tend to deploy against them. There is also a lack of cohesion on the left wing. Although Balde makes plenty of lung-busting runs, he is yet to establish a true connection with either Lewandowski or whichever central midfielder Xavi employs on that side. On the right, Kounde is simply unable to offer much of an attacking option; he is still very much a central defender at heart.

The result is a handful of low-scoring but comfortable affairs. Barcelona have won 14 La Liga games by one goal this season; they average fewer than two goals per game; and they have consistently scraped wins against bottom-half clubs. In short, they are a convincing side on the defensive end, but immensely uncertain at the other.

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GettyThe solution?

The natural response has been to turn where most of those associated with the club have turned to for the past two years. There is a real chance that Messi will be available to sign this summer, and despite the near-impossible financial task of creating space for his salary, it is possible that the World Cup winner could be playing at Camp Nou once again next season.

And going after the best of all time to solve arguably Barca's biggest issue makes sense. Indeed, it is a logical reaction to bring in arguably the best creative player the game has ever seen to soothe one's attacking woes.

But it is not, as Paris Saint-Germain have found, all that simple. Messi alone is no longer a guaranteed net positive as a player, especially in a side that already has its own collection of egos and personal priorities. He can, and will, do wonderful things, but it would require sacrifices of those around him.

It is impossible, then, to piece together Xavi's allegedly pre-assembled tactical puzzle. And while the manager is a shrewd tactician, there is no obvious way to ensure balance while adding Messi to Barcelona's current attacking threats. There is every chance, then, that Messi will offer a spark, but that will certainly come to the detriment of others.

The quality of football here is hard to predict. Still, there is no guarantee that Messi make Barcelona better as a whole — or even more watchable.

Sri Lanka recovered from 26 for 5 on the first day against Australia in Colombo to reach 214 for 5 at stumps. Dhananjaya de Silva was the stand-out with his maiden Test century, compiled in an unbeaten 188-run stand with Dinesh Chandimal

The Report by Brydon Coverdale13-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal rescued Sri Lanka on a gripping first day in Colombo•AFP

Sri Lanka: 214 for 5. Hardly an inspiring score at stumps on the first day of a Test. Runs ground out, just a few wickets here and there, Australia probably on top. Nope. This was not the kind of day that can be judged from the closing score. It was a day on which Sri Lanka’s top order capitulated to be 26 for 5. A day on which Dhananjaya de Silva, in his third Test, led the recovery with a brilliant maiden century. And a day that ended with Sri Lanka in command.The runs came slowly, but at least they came. They came with patience, class, respect for good bowling and, yes, a little bit of luck. But the way de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal rebuilt this innings was, for fans of Test cricket, a thing of beauty. Australia’s batsmen could learn something from their approach. By stumps, de Silva was on 116 from 240 balls, Chandimal on 64 from 204, and their partnership was worth 188. They had undone all Australia’s morning work.The dry pitch turned from the first hour. Nathan Lyon picked up two wickets early, then like Jon Holland, bowled well without fortune as the day wore on. Sri Lanka’s three-man spin attack will pose Australia significant challenges. There was little swing, not as much reverse as in the previous two Tests. Australia picked four pace bowlers but used only three. All of the pace wickets came from Mitchell Starc, comfortably Australia’s best player of the series.If Australia’s batsmen have looked bewildered on this tour, the selectors appeared similarly baffled in Colombo. How else to account for shortening their batting order when runs have been their biggest problem? Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja were dropped, Shaun Marsh and Moises Henriques came in. Henriques, with a first-class batting average of 31, an average of 15 in the last Sheffield Shield season, and no first-class cricket since November, was listed at No.5. He did not bowl.The selectors believe Henriques bats well against spin. It is true that he scored 68 and 81 not out against India on Test debut in Chennai in 2013. But he failed to reach double figures in the rest of that tour, a series that also featured clouded selection policies. It remains to be seen how Henriques will handle Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan, but his selection was a clear message to the incumbents: learn how to play spin, or you won’t play in Asia.Sri Lanka’s batting has also faltered often in this series, but always there has been someone to rescue them. In Pallekele it was Kusal Mendis with a remarkable maiden Test century in the second innings. In Galle it was Mendis again, with 86 after the score wobbled to 9 for 2 on the first morning. This time it was de Silva, who entered this series uncapped, and by stumps on day one in Colombo sat second only to Mendis on the series run tally.The precarious situation when de Silva walked to the crease cannot be forgotten: 26 for 5. Yes, the series was already won, but suddenly there appeared the very real prospect of Sri Lanka finishing with a humiliation: overhauling their lowest ever Test total, the 71 they scored against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994, seemed a distant goal. And indeed, when de Silva was given out caught at bat pad off Lyon for 5, disaster seemed likely.But de Silva knew he had not hit the ball – hadn’t even got close to it, really. He reviewed the decision of umpire S Ravi and was rightly reprieved and from then on – this was the 20th over of the morning – not a single wicket fell for the rest of the day. There were some nervy moments – Mitchell Marsh spilled a tough chance at gully when Chandimal was 11, two Australian reviews were struck down, de Silva was dropped by Shaun Marsh at cover on 104 – but the batsmen survived.De Silva attacked when given the chance and struck three fours in one over from Starc. He was strong when pulling and flicking off his pads, though his boundaries came all around the ground, including plenty through cover. His fifty came with a lofted boundary over cover off Mitchell Marsh, his hundred with another boundary cut off the legspin of Steven Smith. It took de Silva 209 deliveries to reach his century. It was a proper Test innings.Chandimal was even more circumspect, nudging singles and rotating the strike, playing the perfect foil to de Silva. His fifty came from 165 deliveries, and by stumps he had struck only four fours. Even more than de Silva he showed Australia’s batsmen how a challenging pitch can be handled: with the utmost patience. Chandimal himself had walked out at 24 for 4, a frenetic first hour bringing plenty of wickets.Sri Lanka’s openers continued their disastrous series, Kaushal Silva flashing at Starc and edging to slip for a 15-ball duck, and Dimuth Karunaratne bowled trying to drive Starc for 7 from 34 deliveries. Neither man has reached double figures even once in this campaign from five innings, Sri Lanka’s series triumph having come in spite of their insipid top order. What might they have achieved if the openers had found form too?Lyon was called on in the sixth over of the Test and immediately found some turn. In the 12th over he struck with a delivery that was fullish, quick and spun appreciably, and Kusal Perera managed only an edge to Smith at slip. Lyon claimed another wicket when Angelo Mathews top-edged a sweep and was caught at fine leg for 1.Then Mendis flashed hard at a Starc delivery that angled across him and Smith snapped up his third catch at slip for the morning. Mendis had been the key batsman in the first two Tests, and Australia thought his wicket was the big one. As it turned out, at least two big ones were still waiting to be taken at stumps.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the summer transfer window.

Is Harwood-Bellis having a good season?

The 21-year-old is currently out on loan at Burnley and he has enjoyed an impressive spell there this season, helping the Clarets lie on the verge of a return to the Premier League. He has started 27 games in the Championship since arriving from the Etihad, being given plenty of minutes by City legend Vincent Kompany, who is excelling in charge.

This is invaluable experience for Harwood-Bellis, who has averaged 3.1 aerial duel wins and 2.5 clearances per game in the league in 2022/23 to date, as he looks to reach his potential as a highly rated centre-back. It is clearly going to be difficult for the Englishman to make the grade at City, however, with the Premier League champions having a wealth of top-quality options in that area, from Ruben Dias to Nathan Ake.

For that reason, Harwood-Bellis – whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024 – could look for a new challenge at the end of this season and leave the Citizens permanently in the summer, and a fresh exit rumour has now emerged.

Could the youngster head to Newcastle this summer?

According to 90min, Newcastle are "one of a number of Premier League clubs showing a strong interest" in Harwood-Bellis ahead of the summer window. City are believed to have plans in place "to hold extension talks at the end of the season", although it remains to be seen if he will want to sign a new deal.

It is claimed that the youngster "recognises he is some way down the pecking order" under Pep Guardiola, which is why joining another club could make more sense.

While Harwood-Bellis is clearly a big talent for City to have in their ranks – Kompany has called him "incredible" – it could be best for his development to move on at the end of the season. Granted, if he is happy to sign a new contract and be a bit-part player, that would be no great issue as far as City are concerned, but there is the risk that this would stunt his progress.

He has shown this season what an effective player he can be when given a chance, even at just 21, and in order to match his promise, he needs to be a regular starter for a team from this point onwards.

Match facts

Thursday, March 10, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930GMT)

Big Picture

The cruelty of the World T20 qualifying phase is that every game is crucial and Scotland’s key moment may already have come and gone. Their defeat to Afghanistan meant their hopes of progressing now depend on themselves and other results. So for them, there has to be a bigger picture. And there is. Scotland have played 19 matches in six global limited-overs tournaments but are yet to win a game.Zimbabwe will be pleased to hear that because they need another victory before facing the group’s strongest team, Afghanistan, in what they hope will be a showdown for a place in the main draw. Zimbabwe have already recorded one win but it was achieved in untidy fashion. Their batsmen squandered starts, their bowlers lost their lines and they were occasionally comical in the field. They did not look like the only Full Member in the group and would want to tighten up on the basics.Scotland have already faced Afghanistan and found that their bowlers struggled to contain aggressive batting but they were able to respond with runs themselves. They got off to a speedy start before the middle order collapsed and fizzled out, and given the nature of Zimbabwe’s attack that concentrates on a squeeze upfront rather than at the end, Scotland may eye an opportunity to record a first victory.

Form guide

(last five completed games most recent first)
Zimbabwe WWWLL
Scotland LWLWL

In the spotlight

Although a team will take a win no matter how messy in a major tournament, Zimbabwe’s disciplines need to improve if they are to sustain hopes of playing in the main draw. The opening match saw three run-outs, three batsmen holing out, two dropped catches and several misfields. They got away with it once but will not want to risk slipping up as the qualifiers continue.Calum MacLeod was identified by Paul Collingwood as someone who has played a lot of high-pressure cricket, presumably at Warwickshire, and would know how to handle tough situations but his recent scores don’t suggest that. MacLeod has not got past 20 in his last 12 T20Is but has a century in the format at domestic level and will know he is due some runs.

Team news

Zimbabwe may want to add a more attacking spinner to their arsenal but with Graeme Cremer out injured, their only other option is Tendai Chisoro, who went wicketless in the warm-ups against West Indies and HPCA XI. If they are after a change in the batting line-up, they could make space for Peter Moor or Chamu Chibhabha but only by leaving someone like Sikandar Raza or Malcolm Waller out.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Malcolm Waller, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Tinashe Panyangara, 11 Tendai ChataraScotland’s pace attack adjusted well to very their pace and slow Afghanistan briefly on Tuesday, and they may also think of bringing in another spinner considering the Nagpur pitch. Allrounder Con de Lange, who bowls left-arm spin, could complement the 19-year-old legspinner Mark Watt.Scotland: (probable) 1 George Munsey, 2 Kyle Coetzer, 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Matt Machan, 5 Richie Berrington, 6 Preston Mommsen (capt), 7 Matthew Cross (wk), 8 Josh Davey, 9 Safyaan Sharif, 10 Mark Watt, 11 Alasdair Evans

Pitch and conditions

The Nagpur surface proved difficult to score on freely on the first day and it is expected to continue challenging batsmen. Although it did not take much turn, taking pace off the ball was effective for the seamers and batsmen will have to spend time building an innings. The mercury is only headed in one direction – up – with temperatures expected hotter on Thursday compared to Tuesday. Both teams will hope the crowd numbers balloon like that too.

Stats and trivia

• The margins of victory in both Zimbabwe and Scotland’s opening match was 14 runs. Zimbabwe beat Hong Kong but Scotland lost to Afghanistan.
• Zimbabwe lost the first four T20s they played this year but have won the last three. 

Fabrizio Romano has said that ‘many clubs’ are scouting Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier ahead of the summer window.

The Lowdown: Meslier planning to quit?

The French goalkeeper has been a regular at Elland Road in recent years and became the youngster goalkeeper in Premier League history to reach 100 appearances. The 23-year-old helped the Whites to a much-needed 4-2 win over Wolves on Saturday, a result that lifted Leeds up into 14th place in the table.

However, with relegation a real possibility, there have been some worrying reports regarding Meslier’s future. The Leeds ‘keeper, along with Robin Koch and Jack Harrison, is already allegedly ‘planning to quit’ Elland Road and find a new club if Championship football comes the Whites’ way at the end of the season.

Chelsea have become the latest side to show a real interest in Meslier, as per Football Insider, and are ‘prepared to out-bid their rivals in order to secure his signature’.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

Romano provided an update on Meslier in his daily column for CaughtOffside, saying that ‘many clubs have sent their scouts to follow him’, but ‘Leeds want to keep things quiet and not to open any negotiation’ at this moment in time.

“Links with someone like Illan Meslier and a top club like Chelsea are normal, he’s a very talented goalkeeper and many clubs have sent their scouts to follow him.

“But at the moment, Leeds want to keep things quiet and not to open any negotiation now. Chelsea are yet to make a decision on the goalkeepers situation.”

The Verdict: One to watch

Should Leeds suffer relegation, then it looks almost certain that Meslier would depart Yorkshire. However, if Javi Gracia keeps Leeds up, the club would be under no pressure to sell Meslier, who is under contract until 2026.

He has been a brilliant performer for Leeds under a number of managers and was praised by teammate Brenden Aaronson earlier in the season, who said:

“You see it from him every single day. I think there was one day last week where he was saving everything and we were just shooting on him. He has so much quality in goal. He’s such a great goalie.”

Meslier also already ranks 39th in the all-time Premier League saves list with 365, so if Leeds manage to avoid the drop, they could keep hold of one of their star players, making the next few months crucial both on and off the pitch.

An injury update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers midfielder John Lundstram ahead of the weekend’s Premiership action, and it could come as a concern for Michael Beale at Ibrox.

What’s the latest injury news involving John Lundstram?

The English midfielder, who turns 29 tomorrow, was substituted in the Light Blues’ most recent league clash after incurring an ankle injury and missed the Gers’ subsequent Scottish Cup tie.

However, Beale spoke to the media before the Premiership clash away to Livingston tomorrow, providing a tentative update on the 28-year-old’s fitness.

The Rangers boss said: “Lundstram is touch and go for the weekend.”

Will John Lundstram be fit to play for Rangers?

Saturday’s game might come just too soon for Lundstram judging by Beale’s comments to the media, and with the League Cup final against Celtic just nine days away, the 42-year-old may wish to ensure that the Englishman is fighting fit for that match instead of risking him on Livingston’s artificial pitch.

The 28-year-old has been in outstanding form this season under both Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale, becoming an integral part of the Rangers midfield.

Across 25 Premiership appearances this term, Lundstram has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, ranking him not only as the Light Blues’ seventh-best performer but also as the joint-20th best player in the Scottish top fight, underlining his importance to Beale.

His all-round ability has been on show this season, with the player scoring five times, taking 80.8 touches per game and having a 90% pass success rate, not only content with improving his goal tally but also controlling the play in midfield and utilising his combative style to great effect.

The £22k-per-week maestro has also chipped in with 1.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match and has won 3.3 duels per game, with his defensive ability adding an extra layer of protection in front of the Rangers defence.

Former Ibrox defender Maurice Ross praised Lundstram last year, hailing him as the “cornerstone” of the team. The Englishman has certainly justified that billing during the season so far, and it will be a big blow for Beale if the birthday boy is unable to take to the pitch tomorrow.

New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson has expressed his disappointment that the Basin Reserve pitch offered little seam movement for the fast men after the first session

Brydon Coverdale in Wellington16-Feb-20161:46

‘We were thoroughly outplayed’ – Hesson

New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson has expressed his disappointment that the Basin Reserve pitch offered little seam movement for the fast men after the first session of the match. In the lead-up to the Test it was at times hard to determine which strip on the pitch square was to be used, such was the consistent grass cover, but Hesson said he would have liked it “much greener than it was” on match morning.The toss proved significant as Steven Smith called correctly, sent New Zealand in and Australia rolled them for 183 before tea. Although New Zealand picked up a couple of early wickets in Australia’s first innings the pitch flattened out much quicker than many of the players expected, and the Australians were able to go on and post 562 in their only innings.”I would’ve liked this to be much greener than it was,” Hesson said on Tuesday. “It certainly only seamed for two hours and I think that meant that both sides weren’t able to be exposed in those conditions. It’s a bit different when it seams for two hours, it makes the toss a little bit more important.””Ideally you want both sides to have a bit of a crack at it if it does seam. You look at the wickets we lost in the first session they were all from good length deliveries and they were able to get the ball to move off the straight and expose some of our techniques. That’s something we’d like to think if we were in a similar situation we’d be able to do something similar.”We had four guys out defending in the first hour. I don’t think that’s mental error; there are times that you have to accept that they put the ball in good areas, the ball seams you’re going to nick it. When the ball seams you do end up playing a little bit wider than you’d like to. We certainly did that in the first hour or so.”However, Hesson acknowledged that it was up to the batsmen to work out a way of coping in the seaming conditions, given the likelihood of a similar pitch in Christchurch on Saturday for the second Test. Although the New Zealand top order performed better in the second innings in Wellington, including with an 81-run opening stand, by then Australia were too far ahead in the match.”We faced different conditions throughout the match,” Hesson said. “We were challenged in the first session and if we were able to get through three down instead of five, possibly things could have been a little bit different. That’s something we’re going to have to get right in the next Test because likely we’ll face conditions that will seam as well.”The other notable factor in the second innings was the reverse swing that Australia’s fast bowlers managed to master early in the innings. The uncertainty that it created in the minds of the New Zealand batsmen contributed to the downfall of Kane Williamson, who was so productive in the recent Test series in Australia but made only 16 and 22 in the Wellington Test.”When you’re getting it to swing both ways that’s a challenge,” Hesson said. “Batsmen were talking about it a lot yesterday afternoon in terms of different ways to combat it. Kane’s better than most in terms of being able to adjust his game but when the ball reverses both ways it’s challenging and you need to think about what is the most challenging delivery – the ball that’s attacking your stumps or the one going away.”Every player has a slightly different technique on that. To be fair in New Zealand you don’t get a lot of reverse swing 18 overs into a game on day three. It’s something we face a heck of a lot more on the subcontinent than something we do here.”

Finally starting to find their feet under former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke, Leeds United's recent form have been positive, having lost just once in their last five games in the Championship, which came against fellow recently-relegated side Southampton. The international break, this time, comes at a bad time for those at Elland Road, with their form the most promising it has been all season.

The break will at least give them a chance to get a full squad back in contention, however, or as close to that as possible. And one injury update has provided Farke with a thankful boost ahead of a busy period once the international football has been played.

What's the latest Leeds United injury news?

Leeds' injuries have eased up a little recently, but with the likes of Stuart Dallas and Wilfried Gnonto out long term, they could do with some positive news from the treatment room, especially with fixtures coming thick and fast in the Championship. If Farke can get his squad as close to full strength as possible, then a promotion charge will be far from out of the question, even if the top two are putting a serious gap between themselves and the rest.

With that said, The Athletic's Phil Hay has provided the latest Junior Firpo injury update, reporting that Leeds are expected to be able to recall their full-back to the side after the international break, ahead of their game against fellow play-off hopefuls Norwich City.

Hay wrote for The Athletic, via Leeds All Over: "Their aborted bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Nadiem Amiri in August was a hint that Farke would like more depth at No 10, but Firpo is due back after the international break and neither Djed Spence nor Willy Gnonto are a mile away from recovering from injury.”

Firpo is, of course, yet to play a single minute for the Yorkshire club this season, having picked up an injury in pre-season, which ruled him out up until after the second international break of the season.

How much does Junior Firpo earn?

Back in contention, Firpo can begin to prove exactly why he's one of the highest earners at Elland Road, alongside others, as he looks to help his side bounce straight back to the Premier League.

The full-back has certainly impressed during his time at Leeds to earn that wage, with Connor McGilligan telling One Leeds Fan Channel: "We needed a left-back in January, and the reason we needed a left-back was to replace Firpo, was to get [Pascal] Struijk out of that left-back position.

“But what he's done right now is… you know, I think that that was his sixth game on the bounce. And I don't think he's done that for Leeds yet, which is great. And I think he's been immense. I think he's been very, very, very good."

Firpo will now look to pick up where he left off to become a permanent feature under new boss Farke. If he can get back to his best as soon as possible following his injury, then Leeds will have an important option.

da betway： With the dreaded international break currently underway, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is likely to use this current halt to proceedings to take stock of his squad, following what has been a summer of upheaval at Elland Road.

da mrbet： Off the back of a miserable 2022/23 campaign that saw the Yorkshire giants slip back into the Championship – just three years on from sealing promotion – there was no doubt an expectancy that the club would struggle to keep hold of their star assets, particularly those with relegations clauses built into their contracts.

The Whites may not have been anticipating quite such a sizeable mass exodus following that return to the second tier, however, with 15 players having been moved on elsewhere amid the desire to continue competing in Europe's top leagues.

Despite managing to keep hold of Italy international, Wilfried Gnonto – even after the teenager put in a transfer request amid interest from Everton – there were few others who did not see their wishes granted, with Farke now in charge of an almost wholly refreshed and refurbished outfit.

That is not to suggest that every unwanted asset was moved on during the recent window, however, with underwhelming left-back, Junior Firpo among those who were unable to find a new home, despite struggling to perform in recent seasons.

In truth, on the evidence of his on-field woes and hefty financial burden, the former Barcelona man has simply rinsed Leeds since his arrival back in the summer of 2021.

How much did Leeds pay for Junior Firpo?

At the time, it may have looked like something of a coup for Marcelo Bielsa and co to have snapped up the defender from Camp Nou, with the former Spain U21 international having previously shone during his prior stint at Real Betis – for whom he scored five goals and registered seven assists in just 43 appearances.

Signed for a relatively minimal fee of £12.8m, the attacking full-back was acquired amid the need to find a long-term solution on the left side of the defence, following the departure of Ezgjan Alioski on a free transfer.

With Stuart Dallas having also been something of a makeshift option in that role during the 2020/21 season, there was evidently a desperate need for reinforcement at left-back, with Bielsa's side looking to build upon a solid ninth-place finish following their return from the Championship.

As it has proved, however, Leeds may be wishing they had invested their funds elsewhere rather than on the one-time Dominican Republic international – who was dubbed a "defensive liability" by journalist Juan Arango in Catalonia – such have been his woes in recent seasons.

How much does Firpo earn for Leeds?

While a victim of numerous, unfortunate injury setbacks in recent times, the 6 foot dud has hardly helped himself when he has taken to the field, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting earlier this year that he has had "had some difficulties in the Premier League".

Pundit John Newsome has also been particularly critical of the defender's performances during his stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Leeds man stating back in December:

“They signed Firpo, they put a lot of money into him. I don’t think he’s anywhere near good enough,”

With just two goals and four assists to his name in 52 outings to date, Firpo has hardly proven value for money in an attacking sense, while defensively he has also proven rather costly, in truth, notably giving away a penalty at the tail-end of last season in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United following an "idiotic" handball – as per 90min's Graeme Bailey.

Such lapses of concentration having seemingly been commonplace for the former Barca man of late, with it hard to justify handing him a rather hefty £60k-per-week wage, particularly when he can't even stay fit long enough to be able to make an impact on the pitch.

How much has Firpo cost Leeds?

When taking into account that £60k-per-week salary – totalling roughly £6.2m to date – and his initial £12.8m transfer fee, the forgotten man has cost the club in the region of £19m over the last two years, with that likely to be viewed as money wasted by both the club and supporters.

The desire will likely be to get the 27-year-old off the books as soon as possible, with Capology revealing that he currently accounts for 11% of the total wage bill, due to his place as the third-highest earner among his teammates:

Leeds United's top ten highest earners

Wage

Georginio Rutter

£70k-per-week

Patrick Bamford

£70k-per-week

Junior Firpo

£65k-per-week

Daniel James

£50k-per-week

Pascal Struijk

£50k-per-week

Stuart Dallas

£45k-per-week

Helder Costa

£32.5k-per-week

Illan Meslier

£30k-per-week

Luke Ayling

£25k-per-week

Liam Cooper

£25k-per-week

While that has been somewhat distorted due to the string of players who were shipped off to new homes this summer, it serves as yet another reminder of just how poorly run the Elland Road outfit has been in recent times – with the sooner Firpo moves on the better.

When does Junior Firpo's contract expire?

Frustratingly, not only is the transfer window now at a close, but Firpo still has two years left to run on his existing deal at the club, ensuring it won't be straightforward if Farke and co are to attempt to move him on in the near future.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano had indicated back in June that the Santo Domingo-born talent was in line to join the likes of Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson by sealing a move away this summer, albeit with no such exit having occurred.

That failure to secure a move was likely impacted by the player's current injury woes, with recent reports indicating that he is still facing two more months on the sidelines, having yet to feature so far this season.

Amid that spell on the treatment table, Firpo has revealed his desire to contribute to the team once he is back fit and firing, although, with the likes of Sam Byram and Leo Hjelde already at Farke's disposal, a January sale should be the first consideration for the Leeds hierarchy.

It is fair to say that the 2021 arrival has rinsed the club for long enough…

At the WACA, they say, batsmen can leave alone balls pitched at a good length. Some tellable pitchside tales from Wild West Perth

Dileep Premachandran16-Jan-2008

Home is where the bounce is: The WACA was a track tailormade for Ambrose © Getty Images
To understand just how frightening the WACA used to be for batsmen, you only have to watch the footage of Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop in their prime in 1992-93. Australia had been denied a first series win in a generation in Adelaide, and the teams had come to Perth all square. And although Australia lost Justin Langer early, caught behind off Bishop, they were pretty handily placed at 58 for 1 when the match and series went pear-shaped. Again, it was Bishop, targetting Steve Waugh’s body, and the diffident glance was taken by Junior Murray.The initial incisions may have had a Trinidadian flavour to them, but it was all Antiguan aggression after that. Ambrose had enjoyed a stellar series, beating Malcolm Marshall’s record for most wickets in a series against Australia, and with the flick of an imaginary switch, he produced one of the great spells of fast bowling seen anywhere.Mark Waugh nicked one behind, and David Boon was helpless against one that lifted off a good length. When Allan Border was squared up and caught behind first ball, the innings was in disarray. But Ambrose was far from done. Of the seven wickets he took, conceding just one run, six were caught by the keeper or the slip cordon. The seventh, Merv Hughes, perished to an ambitious hoick that was taken at cover.It wasn’t the fastest spell you’ll ever see, but it was an object lesson in what length to bowl on the fastest pitch in the world. Ambrose was never too short, and his height and the steepling bounce meant that even balls that landed on a driving length were too hot for batsmen to handle.After Australia succumbed just before lunch on the third day, the curator was sacked. It was West Indies’ fourth win in four attempts at the WACA, and it was small wonder that Border used to regard Perth games against the men in maroon caps as an away fixture.The next match West Indies played here would mark the end of an era. They arrived having lost a series in Australia for the first time since 1975-76, but there would be one final sting in the tale from the last of the great assembly line of the Caribbean quicks.Only Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan offered resistance as Ambrose and Bishop again triggered a slide to get Australia all out for 243. In reply, Brian Lara produced one of his greatest Test hundreds, the equal of his glorious 277 at the SCG four years previously. His 132 was the difference between the sides, and by the time Australia wiped off the deficit, they were eight wickets down.This time, the destroyer in chief was another legend, Courtney Walsh, who ignored a hamstring injury to bowl 20 overs on the trot for his five wickets. West Indies haven’t won a game in Australia since, and the game is immeasurably poorer for their decline.The first sign of their years of plenty, when they were almost invincible, had also been glimpsed at the WACA in Greg Chappell’s first series as Australian captain. Australia had won comfortably in Brisbane, and Ian Chappell’s scintillating 156 gave them a decent total of 329 on a lightning-fast pitch in Perth.At least, it appeared decent until Roy Fredericks went to work. Kid Cement, as Fredericks was known for his courage against fast bowling, got away with a miscued hook for six off Dennis Lillee, and there was seldom a false stroke afterwards as a four-pronged attack of Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker was put through the mincer. Fredericks hooked, pulled, cut and drove with awesome power and imperious timing on his way to 169 from 145 balls. Such was the awe it inspired that Clive Lloyd’s regal 149 (off just 186 balls) became almost an afterthought. Viv Richards, who made just 12 himself, called it a “privilege” to be there, to witness the best innings that he ever saw.

Kid Cement: Roy Fredericks is cheered off by the Australians as they go in for a tea break © The Cricketer International
Greg Chappell’s take on it is slightly different. “Fredericks played very well, but to be fair we bowled badly,” he says. “We were too short most of the time and too wide the rest. It was a very good pitch for fast bowlers, hard and well grassed, but good for the batsmen too if you gave them room or length to work with. The West Indies didn’t give us the room and their extra bounce made it difficult. It was the perfect wicket for their combo of shot making and tall, fast bowlers.”They were too good over the three to four days of the Test. Ian Chappell was the only one who batted well for us and his innings was probably the better of the two, because he was made to work harder than we made Fredericks work. We couldn’t have bowled more to suit him if we had tried.”Australia would win the four remaining Test matches, though, with West Indies unable to cope with the pace barrage, the sledging and what Richards called blatantly racist abuse from sections of the crowds. Chappell, though, regards that 5-1 series win as one of the high points of Australia’s cricket history, though he qualifies it by saying: “I think the series we drew with them in the West Indies during WSC [World Series Cricket] when their bowling was more mature would rank as highly.”As for India, this has seldom been a happy hunting ground. It’s 16 years since they last played here, a one-sided match remembered only for the bright kernel of hope to emerge from the embers of a defeat triggered by one of cricket’s quintessential journeymen. “Ripping through a line up containing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin takes some doing,” says Michael Whitney, looking back on his 7 for 27 from 12.1 overs that pushed India to a 300-run defeat after Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu had put on 82 for the first wicket in the second innings.Tendulkar still regards that first-innings 114 (161 balls) as one of his finest hundreds, and those who have watched him since 1989 would find it hard to pick a knock that has eclipsed it. Kiran More, who added 81 for the ninth wicket with him, had the best view in the house. “For any batsman to play at Perth for the first time is not easy,” he says. “He played some shots straight through the covers off the back foot. On that pitch, if you play on the back foot, most of the shots go square and fine, but he was playing through extra cover and cover. Sachin’s a short person, and those shots are difficult to play, but he was doing it so easily.”The best assessment of Tendulkar’s masterpiece came from an Australian with a gift for the pithy phrase. Merv Hughes’ language may usually have been colourful, even blue, but he was spot on when he turned to Border and said: “This little prick’s going to get more runs than you, AB.”