Leeds United have definitely fallen victim to a high-profile transfer blunder or two over recent years.

Just one quick glance at the Premier League side’s top five most expensive purchases of all time is enough to show you how hit-and-miss their business has been, with Luis Sinisterra being picked up for £21m, leaving a sour taste in the mouth, as the Colombian fell victim to a string of injuries during his eight-goal stint.

Georginio Rutter did look as if he was heading down the same path of being a rash waste of money when he initially struggled to get going in England after a club-record £35.5m switch was finalised from Hoffenheim.

Thankfully, he managed to turn around his Leeds tale, after once being dubbed a ”non-entity” in the Premier League by the Athletic’s Beren Cross, with the easy-on-the-eye Frenchman and Daniel Farke going down as a match made in heaven.

Rutter's transformation under Farke

Rutter did warrant some of the early criticism that came his way when he first pulled on Leeds white, with 11 Premier League games passing him by, with just one assist to shout about.

But, as is obvious when watching his sumptuous strike above, Farke managed to get the very best out of the one-of-a-kind attacker in the Championship, with Rutter becoming fluid in how he operated under the German, whether that saw him lead the line for the West Yorkshire giants, or take up a second striker spot behind the main centre-forward.

Rutter’s numbers under Farke

Stat

Rutter

Games played

53

Minutes played

4330 mins

Goals scored

8

Assists

17

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Wherever he did line up, Rutter would stand out as a “special” star under the ex-Norwich City boss’ guidance, as Farke once labelled his former number 24, with a mammoth eight goals and 17 assists being tallied up from their 53 appearances together.

Leeds haven’t quite had a player of Rutter’s calibre on their books since the 6-foot maverick moved onto Brighton and Hove Albion last summer, but that could soon change, if the Whites are bold enough to persist with a statement swoop in January.

Leeds could sign Farke's next Rutter

The Premier League’s new boys will be on the hunt for some Rutter-style gems during the long window to come, with the Frenchman originally being picked up by the top-flight giants back in January of 2022.

Joshua Zirkzee could well fit this bill, despite his hit-and-miss stay at Manchester United to date, with reports surfacing from Italy suggesting that Farke and Co have even made an approach for the ex-Bologna attacker, as next month’s window gradually comes into view.

That said, they may have to pay an arm and a leg to get a deal over the line with some reports suggesting United will not sanction an exit unless their £35m asking price is met.

Much like Rutter was initially hard to sum up, amid poor form in the Premier League, the forward has stood out as an enigma throughout his up-and-down Red Devils stay to date, with the six-time Dutch international even openly admitting that he doesn’t feel comfortable operating as an out-and-out striker, or as a number ten, when first joining.

Farke has been here before with Rutter, and he will hope he can work his magic again on another misfit in need of an arm around their shoulder. He has shown signs of his promise in the Premier League this season with Ruben Amorim’s men, even if the goals and assists haven’t been overflowing.

Zirkzee’s standout PL numbers this season

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Zirkzee

Games played

9

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Shots on target *

1.2

Pass accuracy *

73%

Progressive passes *

2.8

Stats by FBref

While he has rightly received pelters for only tallying up a meagre goal contribution from nine league appearances to date, the signs are there that Zirkzee could burst into life, with an impressive 2.8 progressive passes averaged per Premier League clash this season standing out.

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He also hasn’t just become a rotten player overnight, with Zirkzee labelled as a “special” talent by his former Bologna boss Thiago Motta, much like Farke’s praise to Rutter, when collecting 14 goals and nine assists from 58 appearances in Italy.

Going as far back as his Anderlecht days, too, it’s clear that the 24-year-old has an eye for assist that rivals the Frenchman in his Elland Road prime, with 18 goals and 13 assists collected in Belgium.

Zirkzee desperately needs a fresh beginning, away from the pressures of Old Trafford, having been dismissed as “terrible” last year by some.

That new slate wiped clean could come at the Red Devils’ arch rivals in Leeds, as Farke looks to get miraculous results out of another cast aside talent, as he managed with Rutter in some style.

Related Farke now has his own David Batty at Leeds in "indispensable" star

Daniel Farke has a new leader in his Leeds United ranks who could be considered his own David Batty.

Posts ByKelan Sarson

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has insisted that fans should not get used to the club spending as extravagantly as they have in recent transfer windows. 

The Reds have spent almost £250m in 2018, and while it looks to be paying off so far, the German has said that it will not continue in an interview before his side’s narrow loss to title rivals Man City yesterday.

While this may disappoint a lot of Liverpool fans, who may have grown accustomed to the number of high-profile signings that have arrived at Anfield over the past 12 months, it also sends out a very encouraging message.

The former Bundesliga winning manager is obviously content with the team that he has at the moment, and is not particularly enticed by huge signings of the likes of Virgil van Dijk last January or Alisson this summer. That does not rule out the club making signings this January, with Timo Werner and Nabil Fekir on the radar, but it does perhaps rule out the possibility of the signings that break records as they have done.

The Reds currently sit at the top of the Premier League, four points clear of second place Man City, which is an indication that they have the resources and players to get themselves this far. Klopp may not see it necessary to continuously add to something that is working so well already.

However, the danger here is that rivals Man City are likely to splash the cash this month, and Liverpool would not want to be caught out by failing to strengthen their squad in the same way. But for now, Klopp has sent a very positive message about his confidence in his team.

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With a complete lack of brotherly kindness the Auckland Aces rained on the Northern Knights’ parade when the men from the big city stole a Max cricket win from under the Northern noses at Kaipara Flats this afternoon, winning with three wickets and nine balls to spare.Everything pointed to a Northland and Northern Districts triumph. ND started the move to have Max games played at the smaller centres, and the small Northland centre of Kaipara Flats turned on a lovely ground and eager crowd rather bigger, it appears, than the village population of 400.Then two Northland heroes, the brothers Michael and Neal Parlane did all the hard work as the Knights bolted to 118 in their first ten-over innings, and then less effectively to 90 in their second. Michael Parlane scored 56 and 34, Neal 22 and 45. They scored 74 together in the first innings, 78 in the second.At the same time the Aucklanders seemed to have the bit parts in the local sporting drama.Richard Morgan had the splendid bowling figures of four for 26 from four overs in the Northern first innings, and the Aucklanders gathered their first inning runs industriously, and not with the blazing big-hitting of the Parlanes – Kyle Mills’ first over cost 34.So when Auckland threw away their first three wickets while pursuing 97 for a win in their second innings, the match seemed in tune with the winning Northern Districts’ script.In 12 balls Aaron Barnes, Llorne Howell and Lou Vincent sent up lollipop catches which the gleeful Northerners gathered in easily. Auckland gained only nine runs in those two disastrous overs, and the ND men must have thought they had the game in the bag.Then up stepped two brave hitters, Andre Adams and Tama Canning, virtually the last strong batsmen in the Auckland line.They took 17 from the third over, 24 from Simon Doull in the next. At halfway they were 54 for three wickets.As a last gamble Northern bowled Grant Bradburn and his off-spinners.His one over cost 15, Northern did not have any more shots in their armoury and Adams (19 balls for his 50) and Canning (38 from 21 balls) cruised to the win, their unbeaten stand worth 90.

Victoria registered its first points of the season, and Tasmania added to a sparse tally as well. But it was an otherwise unsatisfying result for the competition’s two bottom-placed teams when their ING Cup clash was washed out here at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.The sides were left to share the competition points – claiming two each – when the rains that hit the ground after 42.1 overs of an impressive Victorian innings proved so persistent as to dispel at least two attempts at a restart.It represented a poor return for the Bushrangers, who had cashed in on the presence of a placid Bellerive pitch to race to a scoreline of 3/223 in the lead-up to the stoppage. Opening batsman and captain Matthew Elliott (118*) led the way, combining with Brad Hodge (60) and Rob Bartlett (40) in dominating stands that made light work of an unimposing, albeit luckless, Tasmanian attack.With Bartlett – a prolific run scorer in Melbourne grade cricket who has waited eight years to play his second match for his state – an aggressive Elliott added 85 runs for the opening wicket in a partnership that fully justified his decision to bat first upon winning the toss.Another 129 runs flowed in an association with Hodge that swelled to become Victoria’s all-time best in one-day cricket for the second wicket against Tasmania.Like Bartlett, Elliott played and missed outside the line of off stump more than once through the early part of his innings, and his first runs came with a nervous push at David Saker (1/28) that sent a delivery spearing past wicketkeeper Sean Clingeleffer off the outside edge.But he quickly found his touch, and exploited increasing errors in the bowlers’ length and width to collect runs at will both through and over the infield. His sense of improvisation was also impressive.It was the stylish left hander’s second century in the space of a week in Hobart, after his unbeaten innings of 135 helped Victoria avert outright defeat in a Pura Cup contest last Monday.Things brightened temporarily for the Tasmanians when Hodge was shifted by a yorker from Josh Marquet (1/48) and Ian Harvey (0) was a first-ball run out victim, removed by a brilliant pick up and throw from Shane Watson, on his knees, at mid on.But the locals’ recovery was short-lived. Just seven minutes after Harvey’s dismissal came the day’s first evidence of drizzle and, though the players were close to resuming the contest twice in mid-afternoon, there was ultimately no further action.Tasmania could count itself fortunate. It confronted the prospect of scoring a mammoth 265 runs off 42 overs to win under the Duckworth/Lewis method as the umpires made an ultimately aborted attempt at one restart, and the situation wouldn’t have become any easier with further reductions. As many as 230 runs would have been needed from a 30-over innings; 207 from 25; or even 143 from a 15-over slog.Curator Peter Apps and his groundstaff have already laid their covers down 13 times at the ground this season. That’s as many occasions as the wicket square has needed to be shielded from the elements in the entirety of the two preceding years.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:08

‘We want to be known for aggressive cricket’ – Devine

The intent of the New Zealand batsmen was clear this time. They were not going to falter in another sub-200 chase, they were not going to lose wickets in clumps, and they were not going to expose their lower order. The change in approach eased them to a comprehensive six-wicket win in the third ODI in Bangalore. Victory helped New Zealand to a 2-1 lead, taking them to the joint fourth position in the ICC Women’s Championship, leaving India at the bottom again.Openers Rachel Priest and Suzie Bates made sure the hard work put in by the bowlers and fielders to restrict India to 182 for 9 was rewarded this time, and not converted into another nervous chase. Fifties from both in a solid opening stand of 125 laid the platform after the match started in familiar fashion. India opted to bat, lost early wickets, and struggled to get the runs flowing as the batting revolved around only one batsman again – Veda Krishnamurthy, who came back after missing the second ODI. Her fifty helped India tug the score past 150 but it wasn’t enough in favourable batting conditions.Priest and Bates came out with a straightforward motive – get the runs from the beginning and don’t lose wickets. After her 19-ball duck in the first ODI and falling to spinners in both matches, Priest got her confidence with consecutive fours off left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht in the second over. With her drives firm and approach aggressive, Bates was more circumspect to keep things under control. The run-rate dipped after the pair put on 28 in five overs, but they saw through Jhulan Goswami’s first spell without a wicket and cruised to 50 in the 15th over. The stand would have ended in Goswami’s second over itself had she not overstepped before Deepti Sharma took a sharp catch from Bates at first slip.Priest asserted her presence further by bringing up her fifth ODI fifty with a six and New Zealand soon crossed 100, which pretty much sealed the chase. However, Goswami broke the stand, having Bates playing on for 59, and Priest was trapped lbw in the next over. But New Zealand needed another 58 at just over three per over and Maddie Green, Amy Satterthwaite and Sophie Devine made sure there were no more stutters.India could not shrug off their batting woes as even full tosses and half-trackers were not put away in gaps. The final charge came after India had crawled to 94 for 4 in 38 overs and Krishnamurhty’s second ODI fifty took them to their highest score of the series, with 39 off her last 33 balls.Openers Smriti Mandhana and Thirush Kamini gave catches off Devine, who bowled a frugal first spell of 6-1-16-2, which was complemented by a stellar display of fielding. Katie Perkins first dived forward at midwicket for Mandhana’s wicket and then had Harmanpreet Kaur run out with a flying direct hit after Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet had put on 28 runs in nearly 14 overs. Later in the innings, Bates took a spectacular catch running backwards from mid-off and Anna Peterson leaped for one when Goswami smashed the ball to cover.Raj was caught behind as soon as Devine came back for her next spell, for 30. She had started with two consecutive fours and looked determined for a longer stay this time but with five fours in the bag after facing 70 balls, rotating the strike continued to be a problem as Bates persisted with her packed off-side field and Morna Nielsen dried the runs up with three maidens. Krishnamurthy then took over along with Deepti Sharma.With a cautious start she first made sure India were not all out for the fifth time in a row, batting first. Deepti also took her time, scoring six from her first 32 balls, and they started opening up in the Powerplay. Krishnamurthy used her feet effectively against the spinners, unleashing drives off the front foot and cuts off the back foot. The glut of runs started in the 42nd over and Krishnamurthy struck two fours, collecting 16 in all off Devine to take the run rate over three.From there the two batsmen found gaps, avoided dot balls and took the partnership to 71 for the fifth wicket, nearly taking the score to 150, before Bates caught Deepti off Leigh Kasperek. A six from Goswami, and two fours from Nagarajan Niranjana in the last over made sure the run rate didn’t fall even though two batsmen were run out in the last over, but India did run out of options to curb the New Zealand batsmen eventually.

New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan has said the players were “annoyed” that the first T20 international against South Africa in Durban was not broadcast on television in New Zealand.A Sky TV spokesperson said they would continue negotiations for the rights and New Zealand Cricket said it would discuss the situation with Cricket South Africa, in the hope that the rest of the series – another T20I and three ODIs – would be televised. At the moment, however, the matches are not scheduled for broadcast.”The players are annoyed,” McMillan said on , a New Zealand radio show. “They want to be seen back home. We have some young guys playing for New Zealand for the first time, like George Worker … these are guys who are just starting out on their international careers. Let’s hope some resolution can be found in the next 24 hours and hope the next game will be on the box.”I know there are some issues with time difference but it’s very unusual for us to be touring around the world and be playing one of the world’s best teams and not have that on TV back home.”Sky TV spokesperson Kirsty Way said their bid for the rights hadn’t been accepted. “We are really disappointed, too,” she told . “We have put in a really good bid – a big bid – and it hasn’t been accepted. No one in New Zealand has offered more for it. We are not going to stop trying.”NZC said in a statement that it would try and reach a resolution with CSA. “The broadcasting rights for overseas tours are not owned by NZC: they are the property of Cricket South Africa. However, NZC will be discussing the situation with Cricket South Africa, in an attempt to ensure Black Caps fans will be able to watch the remainder of the series live in New Zealand.”New Zealand lost the first T20 international in Durban by six wickets, and the second game is scheduled for Sunday, followed by three ODIs from Wednesday. The Zimbabwe leg of New Zealand’s tour of Africa was available on television in New Zealand.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been named in the New South Wales squad for next month’s Matador Cup one-day competition after being rested from the Test tour of Bangladesh. Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson were both left out of the Test squad to manage their workloads, but Hazlewood will still turn out for the Blues as he prepares for a busy home summer.Allrounder Shane Watson is another notable inclusion in the 14-man squad, having announced his retirement from Test cricket following the recent Ashes tour. Both men were part of Australia’s World Cup-winning squad earlier this year and will aim to help New South Wales secure their first one-day title for a decade, having last won in 2005-06.Moises Henriques will captain New South Wales, who will be without spinners Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon due to their commitments with the Test squad in Bangladesh. Offspinner Chris Green has been called in from outside the New South Wales contract list and uncapped rookie-contracted batsman Ryan Gibson has also been included.The tournament will also mark the return to New South Wales of Ed Cowan, who began his career with the Blues but has been part of Tasmania’s side for the past six seasons. The Matador Cup features seven sides this year, with a Cricket Australia XI set to be made up of fringe players who do not make the 14-man squads of the six states.New South Wales squad Moises Henriques (capt), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Ed Cowan, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Lalor, Nic Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson.

ScorecardFile photo: After scoring 91 on a turning track, Ravindra Jadeja finished with 11 wickets in the match•Associated Press

This was Ravindra Jadeja’s match. After scoring 91 in the first innings to take Saurashtra to 307 on a turning track, he took six wickets to enforce a follow-on on Tripura. On the third morning he completed his second five-for of the match to help Saurashtra win by an innings and 118 runs. The win gives Saurashtra full seven points, and Jadeja a timely return to form and confidence at the start of India’s season. This was his third 10-wicket match haul in first-class cricket.Tripura began the day on 11 for 3, and resisted Saurashtra’s charge for what looked a certain innings win, but the other Jadeja – Dharmendrasinh – broke the back of their resistance. Once he got Maura Singh out at the team score of 56, the rest fell like a house of cards. Seven wickets fell for 30 runs, and the only contest now left was between the Jadejas: who would complete the five-for. Tripura’s ninth wicket fell to Dharmendrasinh, tying the two Jadejas at four wickets apiece. Ravindra, though, ended the proceedings with the return catch of Tushar Saha, his third such dismissal of the innings.
ScorecardThat Services would win, chasing 77 in the fourth innings, was almost a foregone conclusion at the start of the third day’s play. Their openers still began under pressure for on their staying till the end depended the extra point from the match. If Services had won by 10 wickets, they would have got seven points, otherwise just the six. Anshul Gupta and captain Soumik Chaterjee began cautiously, adding 59 in 24 overs, but Chaterjee fell to the Jharkhand quick Rahul Shukla. Thereafter Gupta and Ravi Chauhan completed the formalities to send Services to top of Group C for a couple minutes. Two minutes later Saurashtra completed their win, and went past them by one point.
ScorecardCenturies from Sachin Baby and Sanju Samson powered Kerala to a 155-run lead against Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar. Kerala, who began at 158 for 2, were dealt an early blow on day three when Rohan Prem, the overnight batsman, was dismissed for 69. Baby and Samson, though, held firm, batting through the next 57 overs and adding 177 for the fourth wicket. Samson, on his captaincy debut, struck 101 with 16 fours before being dismissed by Ram Dayal. Baby, however, hung around with the lower middle order and made his way to 151. He hit 21 fours and one six during his 310-ball knock, but was removed in the penultimate over of the day, as Kerala ended with 485 for 8.
ScorecardFour Goa batsmen chipped in with fifties, as a strong performance from the team’s top and middle order secured a first-innings lead against Hyderabad in Povorim. Goa, who began at an overnight score of 47 for 1, powered to 349 for 5 thanks to handy knocks from Swapnil Asnodkar (53), Rituraj Singh (59), Sagun Kamat (81 not out) and Darshan Misal (67). Asnodkar and Rituraj laid the groundwork, sharing a 98-run stand for the second wicket. Hyderabad fought back with two quick scalps, but Kamat strung together two more big partnerships – 69 for the fourth wicket with captain Dheeraj Jadhav, and 120 for the fifth with Misal – to ensure Goa carried a lead of 24 going into the final day.

ScorecardFile photo: Virender Sehwag hit some vintage fours before being lazily run out for 37•BCCI

It was typical Virender Sehwag. Before coming to the ground he, always the showman, tweeted, “If you are a true fan of Sehwag, then come to Kotla and watch the game.”If it is a big match, he says it is a big match. He is not one for diplomatic “every game is important for us”. Playing against his home side until now, Delhi, Sehwag asked for the support of “true fans of Sehwag”. Now true fans of Sehwag are familiar with his moments of ecstasy and deep frustration in equal measures. There was more of that frustration than ecstasy on day one in the match against Delhi, Sehwag’s original side.In the seventh over of the day, Ishant Sharma brought Sehwag in by drawing an edge from Rahul Dewan. Sehwag walked in amid a lot of chirping, the crowd began to swell to eventually reach about 200, and the anticipation arose. To the first ball, Sehwag typically planted his front foot down. But neither was this the old Sehwag, nor the old Ishant. The ball reared off just short of a length, and hit the shoulder of the bat. For the next ball, Sehwag stayed back.Ishant, the man whom Sehwag had famously asked to bowl one more over in Perth, was now asked to bowl a fifth over. Ishant had generally been bowling four-over spells in Sri Lanka. This was expected, too. The best bowler in the side asked to bowl one extra over to the biggest name in the opposition batting line-up.Tthe action, though, was all at the other end, as Ishant’s extra over went away uneventfully. Pradeep Sangwan, the bowler at the other end, bowled short. Sehwag cut in the air, but he cut so hard that Yogesh Nagar at short cover-point took evasive action. The ball hit the shin pad even before he knew it. Later in the over, Sehwag pushed at a wide length ball, with no feet, and edged past gully for four.Soon, though, Sehwag found the timing on the cuts. Twice, he cleared point with the cut. Once he edged Sangwan over slips, but that is not a risky shot for Sehwag. He knows if he connects them he gets four, and if he edges them it clears the slips. Then, he walked down to Sangwan and drove him wide of mid-on for another four. He began to stand a couple of yards outside the crease to the quicks. As Sehwag began to get settled, Manan Sharma, the left-arm spinner of Delhi, began to take wickets with a lack of turn. Chaitanya Bishnoi and Himanshu Rana fell in the space of two overs, lbw to Manan.Sehwag’s response was immediate. As the new batsman walked in, he found time to wave to his fans, sending them into a frenzy. He then began to chat with Ishant who was walking back to his mark. And then he tried to respond in the way he knows best: dance down, hit Manan off his rhythm by sending him into the grass bank behind wide long-on. Early on a Thursday morning, Kotla had come alive.Now was the true test of true Sehwag fans. In the same over, he hit to Ishant at mid-on, and called Sachin Rana through for a single. Sehwag ran hard, looked like he would make it easily, and then just plonked his bat in. To those watching from square it was obvious he had been caught short, but the third umpire was called on. The 200 people began to shout, “Not out, not out,” but Delhi began to celebrate. Sehwag walked back. Everything became quiet.Thirty-seven runs off 61 balls. Some vintage Sehwag cuts, a loose push, an early forward movement, a six, and a lazy run-out. A Haryana official who walked in late showed no surprise when told the way Sehwag got out. Nor did the fans. They are used to such disappointments: loose shots, lazy running et al. So they sat and watched Delhi chip away at the rest on a slow pitch and bowl the visitors out for 195 before negotiating nine overs for 22 runs without any loss.

India have named an unchanged squad for the final two Tests against South Africa, in Nagpur from November 25 and in Delhi from December 3. They lead the four-Test series 1-0 after winning in Mohali and the Bangalore Test being washed out.The selection panel met on the final day of the second Test in Bangalore, where no play was possible on the last four days, and named the same 17-man squad. Of the 17, seamers Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar, and batting-allrounder Gurkeerat Singh, had been released ahead of the Bangalore Test so that they could play the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy.Squad Virat Kohli (capt), M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny and Gurkeerat Singh.