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Having beaten Ireland in a last-over thriller, Oman, whose game against Netherlands was washed out, will head into their knockout shootout clash against Bangladesh high on confidence

The Preview by Mohammad Isam12-Mar-2016

Match facts

Sunday, March 13, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)Oman can ill afford a washout as Bangladesh are marginally ahead on net run rate•ICC/Getty Images

Big Picture

When the tournament’s schedule was first announced, few would have given Oman a chance of qualifying ahead of Bangladesh and Ireland from their group. Having beaten Ireland in a last-over thriller, Oman, whose game against Netherlands was washed out, will head into their knockout clash against Bangladesh high on confidence. But confidence alone won’t help them if the iffy Dharamsala weather intervenes. It has been raining for the last two days, and plenty more is forecast on match day. If there were to be another washout, Oman would endure heartbreak as Bangladesh are marginally ahead on net run rate.Oman would rely on Zeeshan Maqsood and Khawar Ali to power them upfront, to give Jatinder Singh and Amir Ali an opportunity to lend the finishing touches. Ajay Lalcheta and Munis Ansari, whose action resembles Lasith Malinga’s, will be key if Oman are to restrict Bangladesh’s in-form batting unit.That could be a herculean task if Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman tee off like they did against Ireland in eight overs before the rain came. Tamim, in particular, looks in fine touch, having made an unbeaten 83 and 47 against Netherlands and Ireland respectively. Sarkar and Sabbir would want to prolong their stay in the middle to take the pressure off the slightly out-of-touch Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan.Bangladesh’s bowling may be a concern with Arafat Sunny already in Chennai to conduct his bowling action test after being warned by the ICC. He could be missed on a slow pitch, but Bangladesh have variety as Shakib, Mahmudullah and even Nasir Hossain can cover up in his absence,

Form guide

Bangladesh WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Oman WLLWL

Watch out for

Soumya Sarkar is becoming an expert in getting the side off to fast starts, but he has also been guilty of frittering the early advantage, as was the case against Netherlands and Ireland. The game against Oman could be a good chance for him to bat deep into the innings and bring up a score of substance.Amir Ali is a marketing manager at an Indian restaurant in Muscat but after his 17-ball 32 against Ireland, Bangladesh would have done well to mark him as one to watch out for in a high-pressure clash.

Team news

Against Ireland, Mohammad Mithun and Abu Hider replaced Nasir Hossain and Arafat Sunny. Bangladesh could retain this line-up, though Nasir’s bowling is handy in the shorter version. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mohammad Mithun/Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Abu Hider, 11 Taskin AhmedUnless they spot something dramatically different in the pitch, Oman are unlikely to tinker with their starting XI Oman (probable) 1 Zeeshan Maqsood, 2 Khawar Ali, 3 Jatinder Singh, 4 Adnan Ilyas, 5 Mehran Khan, 6 Aamir Kaleem, 7 Amir Ali, 8 Sultan Ahmed (capt. & wk), 9 Ajay Lalcheta, 10 Munis Ansari, 11 Bilal Khan

Pitch and conditions

There’s more rain on the radar on Sunday. But despite being under covers for a long time on Friday, the pitch played well in the Bangladesh-Ireland game, though the bowlers preferred slower variations.

Stats and trivia

• This is going to be the first Bangladesh-Oman cricket match at any level.
• Tamim Iqbal is now 11 runs short of 1,000 T20I runs while Shakib remains at 979 runs.

Quotes

“We won’t be taking Oman lightly. We don’t have much footage for them, but we will prepare as hard as we do for India and Pakistan.”
“It is a win-win situation for us. If we win we go through to the next round, but unfortunately if we can’t do that we have still achieved a lot in this tournament.”

Media members have slammed Antony’s performance in Manchester United’s embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, describing his display as ‘shocking’.

The Lowdown: United humiliated at Anfield

The Red Devils rocked up to Anfield full of confidence on Sunday afternoon but they ended up enduring one of their worst afternoons ever in the Premier League.

Liverpool led 1-0 at half-time after a tight opening 45 minutes, only to score six times in a galling second half, inflicting endless misery on a United side who appeared to give up on the game after the first couple flew in.

It was an afternoon full of awful individual performances, with the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford anonymous by their recent standards.

The Latest: ‘Shocking’ Antony

It was Antony who talkSPORT’s Mark Goldbridge took to Twitter to rip into, however, slamming his effort levels at Anfield:

“I’ve defended Antony non stop but his effort levels today have been shocking. Not tracked back all game. If you don’t fight and work hard at Anfield then you don’t last long at United. Lot to learn.”

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day 2, Micah Richards said it was “like playing with 10 men” due to the Brazilian’s lack of running, while Darren Bent took to Twitter to compare the winger with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez:

“If anyone tries to tell me Antony has had a decent season compared to Darwin Nunez they’re having a laugh.”

The Verdict: Simply not good enough

Antony has certainly divided opinion since moving from Ajax to United last summer, with some feeling that his game lacks substance in the final third too often while others enjoy his flair and bravery on the ball.

The former was certainly the case on Sunday, with the 15-cap Brazil international losing possession 18 times and also making no interceptions off the ball, in a horribly ineffective showing.

Antony’s work ethic was nowhere near good enough, allowing Andy Robertson to wreak havoc down the left flank, and his overall attitude came into question, too.

It’s only three goal contributions in the league all season for Antony – Mohamed Salah got four in one half against United – and much more is needed from him moving forward.

Manchester United could target a surprise big name arrival in the goalkeeping department despite the recent arrival of Andre Onana at Old Trafford, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

According to The Manchester Evening News, both Mason Mount and Harry Maguire are set to be available for selection in the Red Devils' Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace on Tuesday after recovering from their respective injury concerns.

Due to Manchester United's shortage of players capable of playing on the right flank currently, the prospect of summer signing Mount being used on the right-hand side has been mooted in recent weeks. Erik Ten Hag hasn't ruled out turning this scenario into a reality, stating in a recent interview: "This has been discussed before, but we have options on the right and we will see how we fill it in. We have the options but also they have to be available and then you have to get the routines in. But the principles and rules – they are clear."

Recent reports emerging out of Italy have emerged claiming that Manchester United could look to make another move to try and lure Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot to Old Trafford in the January transfer window. Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid are also keeping tabs on the France international's situation, which is complicated further from his current employers' point of view as his contract at the Old Lady is due to expire in the summer of 2024.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs also hasn't ruled out the possibility of Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani potentially submitting another bid as his quest to acquire full control at Old Trafford continues to roll on.

Who are Manchester United linked with?

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are believed to view Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak as an extremely attractive potential acquisition at Old Trafford, though any deal would most likely occur next summer rather than in the January window.

Oblak is said to be open to a potential switch to the Premier League giants; however, Atletico Madrid will look to demand in the region of €50 million (£43 million) before sanctioning any exit for the Slovenia international.

Labelled the "best in the world" by Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, Oblak has made a profound impact during his long spell in the Spanish capital, keeping 193 clean sheets in 398 appearances across all competitions for the La Liga giants, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Oblak has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the metric of goals conceded per 90 minutes, having shipped an average of just 0.82 combining his match involvement in the last 365 days, putting him in the 97th percentile for this statistic.

Despite current Manchester United number one Onana's inconsistent start to life at Old Trafford, it would seem harsh to look to bring in another elite-level shot-stopper in the mould of Oblak to compete for opportunities between the sticks so soon.

Glasgow Rangers secured a solid 2-0 victory over Ross County in the pouring rain at Dingwall, setting them up nicely for the trip to Eindhoven in midweek.

Michael Beale made a few changes from the 2-2 draw against PSV at Ibrox on Tuesday, and this included a start for Kemar Roofe – his first since April 2022.

Having lost their first Premiership tie against Kilmarnock and slipping immediately behind Celtic, all three points were required, and they duly delivered.

How did Rangers perform vs Ross County?

A solid, if unspectacular performance secured another win, and Beale will be pleased by how comfortably the game went by, especially in the first half.

Captain James Tavernier led by example with yet another wonderful performance, and his goal was a sight to behold.

Striding forward with purpose, the right-back looked in a menacing mood and unleashed a stunning, dipping shot that nestled into the top corner to give the Light Blues a two-goal advantage following Kemar Roofe’s opener.

Alongside his goal, the Englishman also demonstrated how effective he is going forward by making four key passes during the tie, while also succeeding with one successful dribble and taking three shots during the game.

Defensively, he won 50% of his ground duels along with making one tackle and one interception, as well as committing just one foul, which was good enough to help his team keep a clean sheet.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

But as good as Tavernier was, it was centre-back John Souttar who was an absolute rock at the back for Beale against the Highland side, and he was a major contributing factor to the club keeping a clean sheet.

How did John Souttar perform against Ross County?

Speaking to the media before this match, fellow defender Leon Balogun praised the Scot, saying:

“I think he’s a very strong player. Last season didn’t go the way he planned as he got injured early on. Since I’ve come back, you can see that he’s a good defender and there are a few things that I’ve wanted to copy from him.

“We’ve got really good defenders in the backline and there’s no point being sour because we have big targets this season. In order to achieve them, you need a strong squad and that’s what we have.”

Against County, Souttar was a rock, while also showing how comfortable he is on the ball by taking 77 touches and completing 48 passes as he looked to start attacks from the back often.

Souttar won eight of nine total duels during the match, showcasing his physicality. He also made seven clearances, three interceptions and two tackles, and wasn’t dribbled past once across the 90 minutes.

It was a commanding performance by the former Hearts defender, and he has certainly emerged as a first-choice centre-back alongside Connor Goldson.

With two tough games against PSV and Celtic to come next week, seeing the 26-year-old in this sort of form will undoubtedly please Beale ahead of tougher tasks.

The India Under-19 head coach pointed out that while India’s rookies beat Australia in the final four years ago, more of the Australians from that title-bout have gone on to play senior international cricket

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai05-Feb-2018

India’s Under-19 bunch might have got themselves the perfect result at the World Cup, but for head coach Rahul Dravid, their pursuit of excellence begins now. The onus to groom the youngsters for the rigours of higher-level cricket, according to Dravid, will rest as much on the players themselves as on the management going forward.”The challenges and the hard work start from here,” Dravid said in Mumbai after the team arrived in India, trophy in tow. “The hard work begins for them and for us as well, as to how we manage these boys over the next few years. Even if not a lot of them go on to play for India, it can happen… it’s not easy to get into the Indian side. It depends on the number of players who are performing – that makes it difficult to break in at times. If they go on to have successful first-class careers, then from thereon it becomes a stepping stone for international cricket.”Drawing an example from the title-winning batch of 2012, when India defeated Australia in Australia under the leadership of Unmukt Chand, Dravid pointed out that winning the World Cup alone will not be sufficient for the juniors to catapult themselves overnight into the national reckoning. He cited the instance of how only one player – medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma – went on to don national colours for the senior side, albeit only in two T20Is, whereas six of the members from the runners-up squad – Travis Head, Cameron Bancroft, Ashton Turner, Joel Paris, Ashton Agar and Gurinder Sandhu – represented Australia’s senior team subsequently.”It was quite interesting for me… during the World Cup they showed re-runs of some of the earlier finals, including that of the 2012 final, ” Dravid said. “In fact, I was watching that re-run, and I went back and started checking a few things.”It was interesting because the 2012 final featured India and Australia; the result of the final will tell you that India beat Australia. Six years down the line, while only one of those boys played a couple of one-day [T20I] games for India, four-five Australians have gone on to play for Australia. So, more of their guys have gone on to play first-class cricket. The debatable point is actually who won that final, if you look back six years later. So I think those are interesting chats and conversations to be had.”While acknowledging the limelight the World Cup triumph has brought on these cricketers needs to be savoured and not shunned in an attempt to being overly protective of budding careers, Dravid said it’s imperative that the players internalise the lessons that come with the experience.”The fact that they came to the [Mumbai] airport and saw the excitement, the noise and the people around them, I think that’s another experience [to remember]. Coming up and fronting up to you guys [the media] is another experience for them. So I’m glad they’ve had these opportunities to have these extra experiences because they won. So from my point of view that’s the plus point.”Being known players, it’s not going to be that easy for them, at least for a short period of time [while] playing domestic cricket… you know somebody talking about this performance, highlighting this performance, the expectation that comes with this. I think it’s a good learning [experience] and a challenge.”

The Western Australia captain stitched three solid partnerships to steer the total past 300 on the opening day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2017
ScorecardMitchell Marsh guides one onto the leg side•Getty ImagesCaptain Mitchell Marsh’s 141 propelled Western Australia as they posted a solid 355 for 7 against Queensland on the opening day at the WACA.The hosts lost their opener Jonathan Wells for a duck in the second over to seamer Luke Feldman, after having elected to bat first, but the 72-run second-wicket partnership between William Bosisto (60 off 131 balls) and Hilton Cartwright (42 off 45 balls) put them in a strong position. With Brendan Doggett breaking their stand, it was Mitchell Marsh at No. 4 who stitched three solid partnerships to further bolster his side – 92 runs with Bosisto, 56 runs with Ashton Turner and 98 runs with D’Arcy Short – to steer Western Australia past 300, before Feldman struck again to dismiss him.Shortly before stumps, Short (59 off 88 balls) and Andrew Holder lost their wickets in the space of four overs to Jack Wildermuth, who finished with 3 for 69 on the day.

West Indies’ bowling coach had good things to say about his wards, especially legspinner Devendra Bishoo who has found form once again after a disappointing tour of England

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo22-Oct-2017West Indies bowling coach Roddy Estwick credited an “outstanding” bowling attack for setting up West Indies’ first-innings lead over Zimbabwe in the first Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Estwick, who has worked with the team’s bowlers for the last 18 months, gave special mention to legspinner Devendra Bishoo, who had a quiet tour of England but came to the fore with 5 for 79 against Zimbabwe.”Over the last year the bowling department has been functioning well, so I’m not surprised that we were able to bowl them out under our score,” Estwick said. “The bowling unit has been outstanding all year, and once Bishoo came to the party. I wasn’t surprised we restricted them to this score.”Bishoo, who took just three wickets across two Tests in England, picked up the fourth five-wicket haul of his career and ran through Zimbabwe’s top order with a combination of spin, bounce and accuracy in helpful conditions on the second day.”He didn’t have the best tour of England,” Estwick conceded. “It’s a difficult place to bowl. But if you look [at the last year], he got 30 wickets in that period so he’s been quite successful. He got eight wickets in Dubai on a flat track as well, so he does his job. The bowling unit has been outstanding; you can’t fault them. They’ve been able to stay on the park and stay fresh. It’s been a long year but we keep going and we keep getting teams out.”Estwick suggested that West Indies had taken their cue from Zimbabwe’s first-day bowling effort, when the patience and consistency of the seamers set up the spinners’ demolition. “Obviously we learnt from the way that Zimbabwe bowled in their first innings where they were patient and soaked up pressure,” he said. “We tried to do the same thing, block it with our seamers and try to get wickets from the other end.”West Indies’ lead stood at 148, with nine wickets standing, at the close of play, but in what has been a fast-moving, see-sawing Test match so far Estwick also warned against any complacency. “[The pitch] is going to get a bit more difficult because it’s going to lose pace, and that means strokemaking is going to get difficult. Zimbabwe lost 7 for 53 [58] after lunch, so the game can change very quickly on a pitch like this. We’ve got to try and take the game as long as possible. Bat until lunchtime and then assess from there. You can’t get ahead of yourself on this pitch. There’s a lot of cricket left.”

Leeds United will be craving another promotion hero to crop up sooner than their last.

It took 16 long years before the Whites could make their triumphant return to the Premier League, that which was undone in just three short seasons. Now, the search is once again on to find someone to assume that role.

Daniel Farke is sure to be a key player in any success they earn in the Championship, given his proficiency in getting teams promoted from the level, but he will need to forge a team not only capable of claiming that prize, but ensuring that their top-flight stay is not a short one.

Fortunately, rumours are persisting to link them with one man who could occupy that crucial role, as a creative leader ready to spearhead that charge.

Seeking to tempt those who already have a track record of excelling at this level, few seem more available at this moment than Gustavo Hamer, given how his Coventry City side failed in their playoff push and have since lost star man Viktor Gyokeres.

While transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested any deal might not be that straightforward, the respected journalist did state that the former Netherlands youth international could potentially emulate the success of Leeds legend Pablo Hernandez, in the second tier.

Despite that, he told Football FanCast just how influential the Dutch-Brazilian maestro could be, should the Yorkshire outfit bring him in: "Yeah he could definitely be a Hernandez-type figure for them, but convincing Coventry to sell him after they've just lost Gyokeres isn't going to be easy. I'm sure Coventry will try their best to keep the rest of that team together the best that they can, but he is a great player and at this level, he's really hard to replicate."

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

To liken him to someone of Hernandez's quality should speak volumes for just how good this 26-year-old has been of late.

With nine goals and ten assists in the league last season, Mark Robins' £4m-rated midfield general actually outperformed the figures posted by the Spaniard during Leeds' promotion year.

However, it could be argued that his apex came the term earlier, as the former Valencia man had recorded 24 goal contributions in the league alone to outline himself as a true star despite failing to win the playoffs. His bravery in dropping to their level proved to be a catalyst that ignited their eventual Premier League return, which they could now once again rely on from Hamer.

After all, it would take a degree of courage for the former Feyenoord gem to make this move to a freshly-relegated outfit, even if they are one of the biggest clubs in the division.

To further emphasise the similarities between these two stars, during their two most impressive respective seasons, both would blend technical quality with defensive steel.

The 38-year-old, whilst recording three key passes, also maintained 1.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore. Meanwhile, his potential successor saw his key passes drop to 1.8 per game, but his tackles rose to 2.6, via Sofascore.

If Farke is to assemble the team in his image though, with the quality already at his disposal and more that is hopefully set to come, Hamer could underpin any potential promotion push they make in the coming campaign.

As a consistent performer at this level, and a charismatic character to boot, he would hopefully fill the creative void that has arguably been left since Hernandez departed in 2021, helping to secure an instant promotion at the first time of asking.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Juventus star Federico Chiesa, as Unai Emery prepares to add big names to his plans at Villa Park.

The Spaniard, along with Monchi, has already signed Youri Tielemans from Leicester City, and with his former player Pau Torres with one foot in the door, it’s set to be an exciting summer in the Midlands.

Are Aston Villa signing Federico Chiesa?

Things could get all the more thrilling, with GIVEMESPORT adding substance to the rumours that the Villans hold an interest in Italian sensation Federico Chiesa.

Corriere dello Sport mentioned, via Sport Witness, the Midlands club as one of the Premier League representatives interested in the £53m winger, who is contracted to Juve until 2025.

Journalist Dean Jones has since revealed via GIVEMESPORT that Villa are “interested” and are one of the clubs expected to “explore” a potential deal for the 25-year-old:

“Aston Villa are interested. But the most interesting thing about this is that Juventus are willing to listen to anything people have got to say about making an offer for him.

"There's a bit of an exodus in Serie A at the moment, and I think that Villa are one of the clubs looking to explore how they can exploit that.”

Where could Federico Chiesa play at Aston Villa?

A player that’s versatile across the front line of attack, Chiesa is primarily deployed on the left wing, using his favoured right foot to cut in and cause havoc out wide.

Hailed as “dangerous" by scout Antonio Mango, the Italian has produced some glorious moments in Serie A, representing both Juventus and Fiorentina, in which he has contributed to 77 goals throughout his league career.

It could, however, be time for the Genova-born ace to take up a new challenge, after seeing a slight dip in performance since making the switch to Turin, in three seasons that have been tainted by injury.

Time on the sidelines has subsequently seen the 25-year-old slip up and down the pecking order, however, his talent has never gone unnoticed.

For Villa, signing a player of the calibre of Chiesa would be monumental, especially in introducing him into the positive environment that Emery has created at the club.

The youngster has shown certain attributes that suggest he could operate effectively for the Spaniard in his system, with his numbers likening him to a certain Premier League ace.

As per FBref comparisons, Chiesa shares similar statistical averages to treble-winner Riyad Mahrez, who has been a stellar member of Pep Guardiola’s squad over the years.

In signing the Italian, Emery could have his own answer to the five-time Premier League-winning Algerian, as highlighted by their in-game strengths on the flank.

Over the past year, the 25-year-old Italian has excelled in areas typical of a dynamic winger, averaging 2.26 successful take-ons and 4.52 progressive carries per 90, highlighting his strengths in possession, via FBref.

Similar numbers were recorded by Mahrez, who averaged 3.82 progressive carries and 1.37 successful take-ons over the past year, showing exactly how much of a threat Chiesa could add to Emery’s side in relation to the danger of the Manchester City star.

With an audacious price tag, it’s a decision for Monchi to make as to how strong Villa opt to be in their pursuit of the Italian, however, the winger could be the big-name signing that fires the side to new highs next term.

After a protracted search to find a new permanent head coach, Leeds United have moved to end the recent uncertainty by snapping up former Norwich City and Borussia Monchengladbach boss, Daniel Farke.

The 46-year-old – who has been appointed on a four-year deal – has been tasked with trying to take the Elland Road outfit back into the top flight, having previously enjoyed two promotions from the Championship during his prior stint with the Canaries.

If the German tactician is to repeat that feat in his new surroundings, however, one key area that he will need to improve is the club's dour defensive record, with the Whites having shipped 79 and 78 league goals in each of the last two seasons, respectively.

Such a grim return has not been helped by the woes of first-choice goalkeeper, Illan Meslier, with the 6 foot 6 Frenchman having arguably been "a massive liability" for his side last term, as per journalist David Kent.

As Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher stated during that dismal 2022/23 campaign, the 23-year-old arguably looks like a "kid in goal" due to his slender frame, as he simply offers "no presence" in the sticks.

The former Lorient man notably made three errors leading to goals in the Premier League last season as a sign of his shortcomings, with only Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris making more mistakes in the division (four).

The £30k-per-week man's costly blunders ultimately saw him axed from the starting lineup for the final four games of the season following Sam Allardyce's interim appointment, with one-time Everton man Joel Robles having been given the nod instead.

As per The Athletic's Phil Hay, the expectation is that Meslier will be moved on this summer if an acceptable offer is received by the club, with Farke seemingly needing to ensure that he does all he can to finally rid Leeds of their problematic stopper.

Who could replace Meslier at Leeds?

With the aforementioned Robles having left the Yorkshire side following the expiry of his contract last month, Farke is currently short on options with regard to who can replace the France U21 international ahead of next season.

That being said, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, Leeds are said to be "battling it out" with AFC Bournemouth for the signing of Newcastle United's, Karl Darlow, with a bid for the 32-year-old potentially in the offing.

The 6 foot 3 Englishman – who has two years left to run on his existing deal at St James' Park – notably enjoyed a strong spell on loan at Hull City in the second half of last season, having arguably been "outstanding" for the Tigers, according to pundit Carlton Palmer.

As Palmer also stated – when discussing Middlesborough's interest in Darlow – the one-time Nottingham Forest man could represent a "shrewd piece of business", particularly as he is valued at just €800k (£700k), according to Football Transfers.

With recent reports suggesting that Meslier could command a fee of around £30m if he is to be sold, Farke could then utilise those funds elsewhere to strengthen his squad, while snapping up the Magpies man for a possible bargain fee.

While Darlow's impact on Tyneside has been sporadic of late – having made just 100 appearances for the club over the last nine years – his form on loan at Hull should represent a strong gauge of his quality, as he kept five clean sheets from just 12 outings – the same as Meslier achieved from 34 appearances last season.

As such, if Farke is looking to move the latter man on, then snapping up the £30k-per-week titan could be just the solution for those at Elland Road.