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Life under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United has been considerably frustrating for the majority of his tenure.

The Red Devils have never managed to get a consistent run of form together with Amorim as the manager, and even now have won just three games since the start of November.

It has also been tough for younger players to get into the side, with Kobbie Mainoo a prime example of that. However, Amoirm has placed a lot of trust in teen defenders Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, with both players showing across the last year why they are so highly rated.

United are potentially looking to repeat that masterstroke by signing yet another young defender with a huge future ahead of him.

Man Utd targeting new defender for Amorim

There are reportedly a few names United are considering this January, in all areas of the pitch. One of the players who keeps getting mentioned is Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, with the Red Devils keen to add to the depth in the centre of the park.

Aside from that, new reports have emerged courtesy of Sky Sports, that signing a centre-back is ‘on the agenda’ at Old Trafford. They reveal that United are ‘one of the clubs monitoring’ Stade Rennes youngster Jeremy Jacquet.

This is by no means going to be a straightforward deal for INEOS to get over the line.

Jacquet is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe, with Sky reporting that ‘several clubs are keen’ and a deal this month could happen if things accelerate.

As for a price, £35m is the ballpark figure United may have to pay.

What Jacquet could add to Amorim’s squad

There is no doubt that Jacquet is a defender with bags of talent. At 20 years of age, he has cemented himself in the Rennes side as a key player and has become a regular at international level for France under-21s.

The defender, who, like Kylian Mbappe, is from Bondy in Paris, has played a crucial role for the Ligue 1 side this season.

He’s featured 15 times in the French top flight, playing 90 minutes in all but one game, the 5-0 loss against Paris Saint-Germain at the start of December.

It has been a fast rise for the young defender, too. This time last season, he was on loan at Clermont in Ligue 2, but was recalled to his boyhood club in January. Jacquet has not really looked back since, and his stock has soared.

Some of the Frenchman’s underlying numbers this season show why he is such a highly rated talent.

He offers progression from the back, averaging 18.7 forward passes per 90 minutes, and wins 4.5 duels on average each game, highlighting his defensive ability.

Jacquet – 25/26 Ligue 1 stats

Stat

Per 90 mins

Season total

Forward passes

18.7

276

Aeiral duels won

2

29

Ground duels won

2.5

37

Interceptions

1.1

16

Ball recoveries

4.3

63

Stats from Squawka

The signing of Jacquet could certainly be seen as bad news for Yoro and Heaven.

The pair have been important to Amorim at different stages of his tenure, with the Portuguese boss trusting them at crucial times.

Yoro joined last summer and, after an injury in pre-season, went on to become an important player in Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system.

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He has struggled for form in spells during this season, though. As for Heaven, the 19-year-old switched to United last January from Arsenal.

He hasn’t always been a first-choice under the Portuguese manager, but when he’s got a chance in the side, his performances have been excellent, including the most recent outing against Wolves.

Whilst the two United youngsters have shown they can play important roles at Old Trafford, the signing of Jacquet is arguably bad news for the pair.

He is someone of a similar age profile, competing for what might only be one spot when Matthijs De Ligt is fit, with Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw also options.

The 20-year-old is already a “monster” of a defender according to football scout Antonio Mango. It would be an exciting signing for United, and, at the very least, makes for exciting competition.

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Group C

Sanju Samson started the Ranji Trophy season with a bang, scoring an unbeaten hundred to steer Kerala to 263 for 7 against Jammu & Kashmir in Kalyani. Walking in at 9 for 2, Samson steered Kerala out of trouble, putting on 97 for the third wicket with Jalaj Saxena, Kerala’s new signing from Madhya Pradesh, who scored 69 (88b, 11×4, 1×6). Wickets fell frequently thereafter, but Samson kept one end going to end the day batting on 129. He hit 19 fours and a six in his 251-ball innings. Medium-pacer Samiullah Beigh was J&K’s most successful bowler, ending the day with figures of 4 for 68.Centuries from Prashant Chopra and Sumeet Verma dragged Himachal Pradesh out of a tricky situation against Andhra and lifted them to 318 for 7 in Bhubaneswar. Verma joined the opener Chopra with Himachal 103 for 5, and the two put on 89 for the sixth wicket before Chopra fell for 117 off 152 balls, having scored 80 of his runs in boundaries.Verma then batted through to stumps to finish not out on 116 off 156, having struck 12 fours and three sixes. By then, he had put on 105 for the seventh wicket with debutant Mayank Dagar (42, 75b, 5×4, 1×6), who was dismissed 8.1 overs before stumps. For Andhra, medium-pacers D Siva Kumar and CV Stephen took two wickets each.Chhattisgarh made a strong start to life in the Ranji Trophy, bowling Tripura out for 118 in Ranchi before closing the day 41 runs behind with seven wickets in hand. Choosing to bat first, Tripura only lasted 54 overs as each member of Chhattisgarh’s five-man bowling attack, four of whom were first-class debutants (the team contained eight debutants in all), took at least one wicket. Left-arm orthodox spinner Ajay Mandal was the most successful Chhattisgarh bowler, with figures of 3 for 41.In reply, Chhattisgarh closed the day 77 for 3, with opener Rishabh Tiwary and Ashutosh Singh, both on debut, scoring 31 each, with the latter remaining not out at stumps with captain Mohammad Kaif for company.A four-wicket haul by Mohammed Siraj, a medium-pacer playing only his second first-class match, gave Hyderabad a strong start against Goa, who were bowled out for 164 after choosing to bat in Nagpur. Six of Goa’s batsmen got into double-figures, but only Snehal Kauthankar (38) and Saurabh Bandekar (59, 144b, 8×4, 1×6) got past 20, as Hyderabad’s seamers shared seven wickets between them. Siraj was the pick of them, finishing with figures of 15-9-14-4. Needing to bat out the last 10 overs of the day, Hyderabad ended the day at 28 for 1, with Tanmay Agarwal the batsman dismissed.Rajat Paliwal took two wickets against his old team Services as Haryana enjoyed the better of a truncated day at the Brabourne Stadium. Sent in to bat after a wet outfield ruled out any play in the first session, Services limped to 143 for 6 in 57.4 overs. Opener Anshul Gupta scored 69 off 150 balls (11×4), putting on 40 for the first wicket with Soumik Chatterjee and 117 for the second with Nakul Verma to move Services to 117 for 1, but they lost their way thereafter as offspinner Paliwal and medium-pacer Harshal Patel took two wickets each to run through the middle order.

Scorecard
Queensland ground out a 201-run advantage to build a commanding position on the second day against the defending champions Tasmania. Ryan Broad’s 94 headlined a cautious innings of 6 for 359, which also included half-centuries to Greg Moller and Clint Perren, as the Bulls took few chances in their quest for a perfect start to the Pura Cup season.Tasmania collected an early breakthrough after Queensland resumed at 0 for 136 – Moller was unable to control a pull shot on 78 – but they had to wait until shortly before lunch, by which time Queensland had two first-innings points, for Broad to give Geeves his second wicket. Broad had worked calmly towards his century, hitting 14 fours from 194 balls, and fell for 94 to a sharp take from Tim Paine at short leg.Maher (26) departed to Geeves in the second session while Perren pushed Queensland further ahead with 63 before Aaron Nye chipped in with a useful 46. Geeves made sure the Tigers were not overpowered as he picked up an impressive haul of 4 for 87, including 12 maidens in his 35 overs, but it was the home side’s day again.

Yere Goud’s first stint as Karnataka captain met with starting problems © Cricinfo Ltd

Not only did Karnataka begin the Ranji Trophy season on a wrong note, being shot out for a paltry 85 at Baroda, but also found themselves without their newly-appointed captain Yere Goud, who was prevented from playing on technical grounds.Having moved from Railways to Karnataka, Goud needed to obtain a NOC (no objection certificate) from his employers. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), in turn, had to seek clearance from the Indian board (BCCI) to play him in the state team.”September 30 was the cut off date for getting the NOC,” the KSCA assistant secretary B Sudhakar Rao told . “We wrote to the Railways and presumed that they would have sent it across to the board. Unfortunately, this did not happen.” However, Rao was confident that Goud would play the second game against Haryana at Mysore starting on December 1.It’s a curious case, especially because Goud’s return to Karnataka, whom he represented in the 1994-95 season, wasn’t a hurried one. He had been identified as captain as early as in August and trained with the probables, in their pre-season preperation, for nearly four months.

There will be no reversing it in Pakistan for Simon Jones © Getty Images

With the tour of Pakistan around the corner, Andrew Strauss believes that England are weakened by the absence of Simon Jones, the Glamorgan fast bowler. Strauss should know: he and Jones were together at the England Cricket Board (ECB) Academy and later their paths often crossed when playing for Middlesex and Glamorgan.Strauss remembers a young, very aggressive Jones striking him in the nets during their time at the ECB Academy, and playing alongside the tall fast bowler during the past season he feels Jones has become a force to be reckoned with. “Simon was absolutely brilliant in the Ashes series,” Strauss told . “He played a vital role in us winning the Ashes and his ability to reverse the ball in the sub-continent is going to be greatly missed. It’s sad for him to miss out on a personal level, and we’re definitely a weaker side without him.”The conditions England will face in Pakistan have historically been conducive to reverse swing, as is evident in the number of wickets shared between Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, both exponents of this art. Strauss realises this and rues the fact that Jones will not be there to exploit the pitches at venues such as Faisalabad and Lahore. “The thing is Simon’s put a lot of hard work into the art of reverse swing. He’s worked hard on trying to achieve that control, and it’s going to be a tough ask for all of us without Simon there.”Whether Strauss, who has already compiled over 1,700 runs with seven hundreds, can maintain his prolific run-scoring in the dustbowls of Pakistan remains to be seen. He will certainly be put to the test against bowlers such as Shoaib Akhtar, Naved-ul-Hasan, and Danish Kaneria. “It’s going to be a novel experience for me as I’ve not played in Pakistan before. Learning how to bat in that heat and humidity is going to be difficult and they’ve got some high-quality bowlers as well.”

The Lancashire opening batsman, Alec Swann, has decided not to renew his contract, and is set to move on after a three-year stint at Old Trafford.”I’ve enjoyed every minute I’ve spent at Lancashire," said Swann, "but I feel I am at a stage in my career where I need to move forward and seek pastures new.” It has been a frustrating year for Swann and Lancashire alike. As the county plunged towards relegation, Swann played just five first-class matches all season, with a top score of 34.”Alec has been a reliable opening batsman," said their manager, Mike Watkinson. "He has provided the club with a valuable three years’ service.” He emulates his brother Graeme, who has moved on to Nottinghamshire from Northamptonshire on a three-year deal.

Increasing central power and responsibility is vital for the future of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its ability to run cricket, according to Malcolm Gray, the retiring ICC president.Gray said that over the past three years of his presidency the ICC had addressed the issues of effective and appropriate governance in the sport. As a result of this the ICC had developed a central and professional administration which was increasingly able to provide leadership and direction for the game.”For me, the most satisfying achievement that I have been involved in during my time as president has been the initiative to modernise and equip the game’s administration for the challenge of running an international sport,” he said. “Cricket is unusual in the fact that for much of its history a strong, central administration was not present. Its history is one of bilateral agreements between nations organising and administering tours. Indeed, for much of its history, the ICC and its predecessors were nothing more than an annual talkfest that brought together the cricket-playing nations to discuss issues of common interest.”Part of the redefining of the ICC’s role had been establishing a clear separation of the roles of the ICC board and management, which allowed the ICC directors to concentrate on setting policy and management to implement it without interference. Gray summarised: “The players should play, the managers should manage and the directors should direct.”However, he admitted, the process was far from complete: the biggest challenge for his successor, Ehsan Mani, and the directors would be ensuring that the ICC was equipped with the authority and resources to address the demands of the modern sporting environment. Said Gray: “It is inevitable that some people will resist this move as it will inexorably lead to an increase in central power and responsibility – yet it must occur if the game is to prosper.”It wasn’t only at ICC level that change was required. It also was needed at some country board levels. “Some boards resist the need to reform their own management structures,” he said, “but they must grasp the nettle on this issue if they are to keep pace with the changes in the game and its associated commercial complexities.”Gray said the progress cricket was making on its international spread was obvious from the performances of the four leading associate countries at the World Cup. Canada, The Netherlands, Namibia and especially Kenya showed the success of the work the ICC was doing in association with the countries concerned. And the increase in membership from 49 countries in 1999 to 84 this year reflected the growth in the game.Gray said that the move of the ICC to join the General Association of International Sporting Federations would also benefit the non-Test playing countries, because that, and the resulting association with the Olympic movement, would make it easier for associate and affiliate members to get funding assistance from their governments.He also said that while the ICC could never prevent gambling on cricket, it had to be strong enough to ensure the game would never be weakened and tainted by the scourge of corruption that had threatened to overwhelm the sport.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) announced Friday thatDilmah Tea had won official Sri Lankan team sponsorship rights team for thenext three years.The Sponsorship will include using the Dilmah Logo on all official Teamclothing and the team’s participation in selected promotional activity.

Dilmah unveil new Sri Lanka kit

A new one-day and training kit has already been designed and manufacturedand will be used for the first time in Sharjah on October 26, when the teamparticipates in a triangular series with Pakistan and Zimbabwe.The team sponsorship rights had previously been held by Singer Sri LankaLtd, a leading global electronics manufacturer, for the last six years.BCCSL Chief Executive, Anura Tennekoon, said: “The Board of Control forCricket in Sri Lanka is delighted that the two products for which Sri Lankais most famous, tea and cricket, are being blended to form a partnershipthat I believe will be extremely beneficial to Sri Lanka cricket and will nodoubt provide a tremendous marketing boost for the leading brand name in SriLanka’s tea industry.”MJF Group of Companies Director, Mr Malik Fernando, said: ” Sri LankanCricket, The Ceylon Tea Industry and Dilmah Tea have many things in common.Both tea and cricket are a legacy of the British. In both areas Sri Lankahas started with humble beginnings; and sheer perseverance and grit hashelped us grow to be lions in the global arena. In cricket and the teaindustry, our Team and Dilmah Tea are forces to reckon with, and hence thispartnership makes all of us at Dilmah proud.”MJF hope that it’s partnership will help it enhance the Sri Lankan identityof the Dilmah brand in the countries where the team will play, many of whichare key markets for Dilmah, including New Zealand, Australia, Middle Eastand most recently the United Kingdom.”We enjoy an increasingly strong presence in many of the cricketingcountries,” added Fernando. “In many ways Dilmah Tea and cricket are SriLanka’s finest exports there. These synergies make winning the sponsorshipdeal a true victory for Dilmah.”

Albie Morkel could play his first T20I in 18 months having been recalled to the South Africa squad for the series against India in place of David Wiese who has suffered a fractured hand.Wiese suffered the injury to his right hand when trying to take a catch off his own bowling during a warm-up match ahead of the season and required surgery which will keep him out for up to six weeks.Faf du Plessis, the T20 captain, acknowledged Wiese was a significant loss and admitted Morkel has earned a chance he thought may have passed him by.”David is a fantastic player for us in the T20 format. He has done really well. His bowling is going to be missed the most. He has been a banker from a captain’s point of view. You know what you are going to get from him. He is pretty clever in the middle, he is a very smart bowler.”Albie brings a lot of experience. I suppose Albie would have thought his time is up, once again, but he is getting another opportunity because he is a quality player. For him, its important to try and also put a stake, even if he wasn’t in our thinking and our plans, he is getting an opportunity to make it so.”Meanwhile, Rilee Rossouw has been ruled out of the entire limited-overs leg of the India tour as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture to his foot he sustained against New Zealand with the South Africa medical team being careful not to rush him back.Rossouw was not set to play the T20s, but had been in line for the one-day series which followed. His place will be taken by uncapped batsman Khaya Zondo who was already part of the T20 squad.”The medical committee have decided its still too early for him to be pushed at this stage,” South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. “The plan is to get him to be ready by the end of October.”There was better news regarding du Plessis with his knee injury, which kept him out of the New Zealand limited-overs matches in August, having recovered significantly although he will be watched closely in India, especially as he is one of only six players included in all three formats. “I was batting in the nets this week with Gary [Kirsten] and I feel good,” he said.To complete a lengthy fitness bulletin ahead of the team’s departure to India, Chris Morris was given the all-clear after coming through three T20 warm-up matches for his franchise, the Titans, having recovered from the groin strain which hampered him in Bangladesh.

Leeds United are set to appoint Jesse Marsch as Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement on Monday.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Phil Hay, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta are set to appoint the former New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig manager as the Argentine’s successor in the Elland Road dugout.

The Whites hierarchy have staked their chips on the 48-year-old to steer the club away from a relegation scrap over the club’s last 12 fixtures of the season.

In his tweet, Hay said: “The club are set to appoint Jesse Marsch.”

Fans will be buzzing

While the raw emotion of waving goodbye to a manager who finally ended Leeds’ 16-year spell out of the top flight of English football, as well as installing an incredibly exciting brand of football at Elland Road, will undoubtedly still be very present on Monday morning, the news that the Whites are set to appoint Marsch as Bielsa’s successor should be something that has fans of the club buzzing.

While it is true that the American’s last jaunt in management – a 14 game spell at RB Leipzig – ended with his sacking after just eight months in the role, Marsch has nevertheless proven in his previous posts that he is an incredibly exciting young and innovative coach – as well as one who is not dissimilar in style to Bielsa.

Indeed, should the 48-year-old go on to become the Whites’ next manager, the Elland Road faithful should still expect to see a side with incredibly high energy levels – with Marsch’s Salzburg side typically outrunning their opponents in almost every fixture they played – as well as one who likes to control possession with the ball, while operating a high-press without it.

As such, while the timing of Bielsa’s departure will have left many involved with the club in a state of shock, there is a very good reason Orta has been sounding out Marsch as a potential successor to the Argentine for the best part of two years.

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Indeed, if the American can keep Leeds in the division come the end of this season, his slightly less gung-ho brand of football could well reap incredible rewards for the Whites in the long run.

In other news: “I’m told..”: Phil Hay issues behind the scenes update at Leeds, fans will be buzzing