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Sreshth Shah08-Dec-2019

Former umpire Simon Taufel on the role of technology in umpiring, penalising player misbehaviour, and giving umpires access to support and resources the way players are

Interview by Shashank Kishore26-Nov-20194:49

I’m in full support of the umpire’s call – Taufel

“Umpiring, like cricket, is a team game, so I feel embarrassed when people bring this up,” Simon Taufel says when you ask him about being the ICC Umpire of the Year five years in a row from 2004 to 2008. After a stellar career at the top level, which he turned to after multiple back injuries put paid to his fast-bowling aspirations, Taufel branched out to being an umpiring performance consultant with the ICC and Cricket Australia.While in India to launch his new book, , he spoke to ESPNcricinfo about modern-day umpiring, use of technology, player behaviour, and the need for support systems for umpires, among other things.The ICC is trialling having a match official dedicated to detecting no-balls to remove the burden on the on-field umpires. Are you in favour of this?
We have been trialling this since the 2004 Champions Trophy. I have not seen the detail of what the current trial involves. In 2016 we carried out a trial when England hosted Pakistan in an ODI series, with the third umpire doing that [looking at no balls]. I would be interested to find out what makes this trial different to what we have already looked at.What we do know is that it is very difficult for an umpire to stand where they do and get every one of those calls right. I think it is important to look at data on how many deliveries have been bowled over a certain period of time, and how many [no-ball calls] we’re getting right and wrong, which umpires does that involve, are we able to help the umpires upskill initially before having to rely on technology? So there are a number of factors there to be reviewed.As a young umpire, how did you juggle the challenge of watching for the front-foot no-ball and then immediately having to look up for the next part of your decision-making?
I still do (). Umpires need to make decisions and we shouldn’t be de-skilling where possible. But it’s not just about the front-foot no-ball. There are other decisions where it’s important to know where the ball is delivered from, such as an lbw, that are still part of that routine. I think it is narrow in the view that it’s all about the no-ball. As an umpire, you need to know whether the ball is delivered close to the stumps or far away, and the only way you can do that is by knowing where the foot is landing.

“It’s easy to sit back in our lounge chairs and make objective judgements – if we get something wrong, there’s no accountability for that”

Do you think players still don’t completely understand the DRS, considering a healthy proportion of the reviews are usually unsuccessful?
I was reading Tim Paine’s comments with interest after the last Ashes series. It was interesting to see him acknowledge that umpiring is difficult, and perhaps he now appreciates how tough umpiring is from a decision perspective. I think they [Australia] got six right out of 23, which is an accuracy of 26%.It would be nice to see more captains and players do an umpire’s course and stand and see what it is like to be an umpire, because we do think differently, and I respect the fact that players think differently as well. If you are going to step into the shoes of making decisions – decide whether it’s right or wrong – it’s important to start engaging with umpires and the officiating community about why we make decisions that we do, what goes into a decision, and how they can look at those rationally than emotionally.What about the umpires’ call – has it actually helped? Do you think it has been exploited in any way?
I think umpires’ call is exactly the right thing to do, because umpires should be making decisions. So when they have a fair-catch scenario or obstructing the field, and the umpire makes a soft signal, that’s a decision. The second thing is, they’re then not sending the decision upstairs to give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman. They’re actually saying, “The umpire has made a decision on the field. Can you conclusively prove and demonstrate that the on-field decision is not right?”When there’s no conclusive evidence to the contrary, the umpire’s call stands. So that’s a good thing for the game, because what happens if the cameraman doesn’t get the shot, if the replay is inconclusive? We just automatically give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman, whereas the benefit of the doubt should go to the umpire’s decision that they’ve made.Are umpires trained to deal with the public scrutiny or backlash that comes with decision-making?
We are getting better in that space, but there’s always room for improvement. Our game is a mental game; most of our work is between the ears. I think there’s always an opportunity to build resilience and coping mechanisms. The game will continue to test you in those areas and you’ve got to work out strategies.More resources need to be given to match officials in the same way they do with the players. We need support-mechanism programmes to be able to cope with the challenges of elite sport in very public environments.”I started out as a third umpire with no training, no preparation. I was told, ‘Here’s the equipment, just do it.’ We’ve come a long way 15 years later”•AFPYou’re talking about mental health, an aspect that has gained as much importance in cricket as physical conditioning.
Yeah, absolutely. We’ve seen some of our colleagues in the past needing extra support. Guys like Mark Benson come to mind. It’s really important that we have those programmes and resources in place to deal with that from a preventive point of view, but also a responding perspective that when they do happen, we’re able to deal with them.You must have evolved as an umpire under a system that didn’t provide such access. How did you cope?
There were lots of things that needed to be improved by the time I hit international cricket. I started out as a third umpire with no training at all. No one knew if I was a good third umpire. I had no training, no preparation. I was told, “Here’s the equipment, just do it.” We’ve come a long way 15 years later, where we do simulated activities. Basically we do a third-umpire’s net session before every game by going through videos, Skype sessions with coaches. That shows the evolution in training and development. But not every country has an umpire’s coach, umpire’s trainer or a development programme. Those are the things we try to continually advocate for to actually help match officials deliver the best, to make sure they’re ready and to benchmark what they can do and make sure they deliver a minimum level of excellence to the game.ALSO READ: ‘Umpires are not soft targets, they’re participants in the game’What do you look to get out of a net session as an umpire?
There are a number of things we encourage umpires to look at. Things like front-foot no-ball judgments and looking at the pace and bounce of the practice nets. In India, for example, a lot of practice nets are at the ground, so you get that simulated experience of what the pitch might play like. Also, you try and build relationships with the players, particularly the bowlers, or look at styles and strategies of batting with some new batsmen who might come into the team to get a feel for how they play. Or just meeting new players and building some familiarity. There’s a wide range of things you can do at the nets from a preparation point of view that’s important for that game.Can you recall a game where you needed the kind of support mechanism you’ve talked about?
In terms of preparation, resilience and coping with pressure, a couple of games stand out. The India-Pakistan 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali is one where I tried some strategies to block out external pressure and focus on team success with other umpires and referees, because team success is really important.At Headingley between England and New Zealand in 2004, I made a number of mistakes and got into a vicious circle of self-criticism and self-doubt. My coach put me onto a book called by Brad Gilbert. I didn’t read that on the plane across to England. But feeling in a very negative space on the flight home, I started reading it and the penny started to drop straightaway when Brad talked about beating yourself up, getting into a negative headspace and not talking to yourself in a very supportive way. I realised I was doing all those things I shouldn’t be doing, and things I should’ve addressed at the time. I’d encourage people to read and get familiar with it.

“It would be nice to see more captains and players do an umpire’s course and stand and see what it is like to be an umpire”

Player behaviour is something the ICC and even the member boards have agreed needs to be policed closely. Rohit Sharma escaped a fine and punishment for using profanity against a team-mate – albeit without intending any malice – last month. Is there a case to caution or penalise players in such cases, since it sets the wrong example for young fans?
There are rules, there’s a policy, and it’s pretty clear what the code talks about. It’s up to the umpires to decide if someone has breached the code or not. A lot of it can be subjective, but I would encourage people to think about the questions we pose when we sit down to lay a charge as umpires. What does the game expect us to do? Do they expect us to lay a charge or not? And two, what happens if we don’t do something here? Is that standard of behaviour acceptable? Would that be acceptable every game, every day?When we answer that question, it leads us to what comes next, because in a team environment, we get caught up with who is right and who is wrong, what is chargeable and what isn’t. You have to take the person out of the equation and look into the issue, which here is behaviour. Is it acceptable or not acceptable?What we encouraged at the international level is to share information. There are some tools and resources the ICC has to share – video, charges and reports – among all umpires in international and first-class cricket to help deliver consistency. It’s a wonderful thing, consistency. It’s an ideal, but we also have context. Every example is slightly different and that’s why the umpires are there to make a judgement call on laying a charge.Where were you during the World Cup final, and what were your first thoughts when you saw Kumar Dharmasena adjudge the overthrows?
I was sitting at home and watching. It’s easy to sit back in our lounge chairs and make judgements without other things going on around us. If we get something wrong, there’s no accountability for that. We can say whatever we like. But when you’re on the cricket field or in the third-umpire’s box and have a pressure moment and you know you’re accountable for whatever you do or don’t do, that’s the difference. Having been there and done that, I know what those guys [Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus] must have gone through.Overall, the standard of umpiring at the World Cup was very good. I don’t think in a game of 600-plus balls to say one decision or one delivery was the deciding factor is fair. Two elements of the game were tied.”Umpires need support-mechanism programmes to be able to cope with the challenges of elite sport in very public environments”•ICC/GettyHave you had a chance to speak to Dharmasena after the incident?
Not Kumar specifically, but Marais has been in touch and we’ve had conversations about that. Kumar, from reading his comments about not regretting his decision to award overthrows to England, is owning his performance. That’s a great quality. For him to acknowledge it takes courage. He’s a very good umpire and will continue to be so because of his attributes of hard work and commitment. I expect nothing less from ICC Elite Panel umpires.ALSO READ: Umpires made ‘error of judgement’ with overthrows – TaufelRecently, there has been talk about helmets for umpires. Do you think they should be made mandatory?
I’m aware of John Ward’s incident in India when he was on an exchange programme from Cricket Australia, and a few incidents in the IPL. Deflections off a bowler’s hands or when they pull away from a catch – it can get hard.Safety is a personal thing. I know as a batsman I couldn’t get used to batting in a helmet, so I didn’t. But these days it is mandatory to wear helmets. From an umpire’s perspective, we need a lot of peripheral vision, and helmets do impact that, so I’m not sure helmets in their current form would be ideal. But it’s certainly true that a lot of umpires are starting to think of chest guards, arm shields. That’s a matter of personal choice. If you feel comfortable and safer, that’s great, but for me it’s more about having to look straight, down and sideways and not have any of the vision impacted. That will make me uncomfortable, so there’s always a bit of a trade-off there.When did you decide to write a book about your experiences as an umpire?
When I stopped working for Cricket Australia, about a year ago, I had a bit of time on my hands. I started up a company called Integrity Values Leadership with two partners, and a part of that process was to try and spread what I’d learnt from my experience in cricket umpiring and pass it on to corporates, young parents, boys and girls, other sports officials, and players.I sat down with a blank whiteboard, brainstormed on various different issues, incidents and experiences, and came up with 17 chapters around various personal experiences -such as the Lahore terrorist incident, what we learnt from that, what it was to go through. Then I looked at those transferrable skills that many people ask me about, like what it takes to get to the top of elite sport in your chosen field and how you stay there. What I have learnt, what worked for me and what did not. It took a couple of months to write. Took me longer to find a publisher! And here we are launching it across India. It has been fantastic.

Once Kohli got out, Jadeja took centerstage and finished things off the way his captain wanted him to

Deivarayan Muthu in Cuttack23-Dec-20191:58

‘I don’t need to prove anything to anybody’ – Ravindra Jadeja

On the eve of the limited-overs series opener against West Indies in Hyderabad, India captain Virat Kohli was asked what factors might separate the wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal from the fingerspinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Kohli weighed up various options, including playing both the wristspinners together especially on large grounds, and then explained that it was Jadeja’s batting that lent more depth to the side.”We feel he’s [Jadeja’s] batting really well. He’s probably in the best batting form of his life,” Kohli had said of Jadeja. “With the ball, he’s a proper fingerspinner and [he’s] very accurate as well. In the field we don’t have any doubts on him. I think this is his best phase as an allrounder and we want to maximise that.”After having played innings against New Zealand in the dramatic World Cup semi-final earlier this year, Jadeja showed his value to India’s limited-overs set-up once again, with a smash-and-grab 39 not out off 31 balls that denied a resilient West Indies team in the ODI series decider in Cuttack on Sunday.ALSO READ: Saini’s firecracker pace lights up CuttackFor once, Kohli left the job unfinished in a chase, and dragged Keemo Paul on for 85 off 81 balls, with India still needing 30 off 23 balls with four wickets in hand. Plus, in the absence of the injured Deepak Chahar, India’s tail appeared longer than usual.Just before Kohli had dragged himself off the field, he gesticulated to Jadeja that he wanted the allrounder to take care of the unfinished business.Jadeja calmly finished it off, with eight balls to spare, and backed up the comments his captain had made in the lead-up to the limited-overs series.ALSO READ: Cuttack brushes off bad memories to fill Barabati StadiumIndia’s chase of 316 had followed a familiar script at the start, with the top three prospering. However, no batsman pressed on to make a hundred this time and West Indies flipped the script by exposing India’s lower order. Jadeja, however, rallied with No. 8 Shardul Thakur in an unbroken 30-run partnership off a mere 15 balls to snatch the series for India.More than three years ago, in a steep chase against Australia in an ODI in Canberra, Jadeja had dawdled to 24 not out off 27 balls – an innings that lacked clarity. Jadeja didn’t suss out the situation well enough then and never really communicated with the lower order.Ravindra Jadeja is all smiles after taking India home•Associated PressJadeja has always been an attractive package as an allrounder: hitting big, squeezing the opposition with his left-arm darts and whipping up magic with his fielding. He has now become a more precious commodity after adding smarts to his game. Some of those smarts were central to India wrapping up the series at the Barabati Stadium.Jadeja knew that the ball was skidding off a dew-slicked pitch later in the evening, and simply focussed on timing the ball as opposed to muscling it. When Jason Holder attacked his body with a chest-high short ball in the 45th over, Jadeja smartly rode the bounce and pulled it to the midwicket boundary, where there was no protection. Then, in the next over, when left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell missed his length, Jadeja shelved the leg-side slog and instead drove it through the line.When left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre was recalled into the attack in the 43rd over, Jadeja took just a single of two balls, letting Kohli pick off a brace of fours at the other end in the same over.Once Kohli exited, Jadeja took centerstage and communicated with Thakur, advising him to time the ball like he had been doing. Thakur delightfully drove the first ball he faced on the up through extra-cover, and progressed to an unbeaten 17 off six balls.”It was a very crucial innings [that] I played,” Jadeja said at the post-match press conference. “It was a decider game today, so when I went to bat, I was just looking to play with Virat. [The] wicket was so good to bat on, and you could easily get the singles away. And then when you look to hit hard later on, you know by then that the wicket is so good and you only need to play according to the ball.”After Virat got out, I kept telling myself that I need to play till the last ball. When Shardul came in, I also spoke to Shardul that the wicket was so good and you know you can just play according to the ball. And the ball was coming [on] so nicely. So, me and Shardul also were thinking the same thing like me and Virat were thinking. We played according to merit and we finished six or seven balls earlier. That was the plan.”Jadeja coolly executed that plan and then coolly fronted up to the press, saying: “I don’t need to prove [anything to] anybody else in the world. I need to prove to myself.” The night eventually ended with Jadeja coolly obliging fans with selfies.

Leeds United aren’t messing about getting their business done early during the chaotic summer transfer window.

Already, Daniel Farke’s Whites are two signings down with plenty more activity expected at Elland Road, with Lukas Nmecha starting proceedings when joining from Wolfsburg, before Leeds dipped their toes in once more to land Jaka Bijol for a bumper £15m.

Of course, there will be the worry of exits still to come – as faces such as Junior Firpo slowly edge away from their West Yorkshire home – but the general feeling in the air at the newly promoted side will be one of optimism, especially as Leeds are usually notoriously slow out of the traps to seal signings.

Nikola Krstovic could be the next notable pick-up through the door, but the Whites might be able to land an even better signing than the potent Montenegrin if they succeed with this other pursuit.

Leeds join the race for £9m star

As per a new report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds are now in the race to snap up promising Borussia Mönchengladbach left-back Lukas Ullrich this summer.

Bailey states that the Bundesliga giants are looking to tie the Germany U21 international down to a new deal. However, significant interest from the Premier League – away from just Leeds being keen – could potentially jeopardise those talks.

Indeed, it’s stated that Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Everton, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest are all also chasing the £9m-rated defender, as per Football Transfers, meaning Leeds will have their work cut out to advance to the front of the queue for Ullrich’s services.

Still, Leeds might well deem it more of a necessary and worthwhile venture chasing after the Berlin-born starlet than continuing to pursue Krstovic, with the newly promoted side desperately short on numbers down the left.

Why Ullrich could be a better signing than Krstovic

Leeds already possess the likes of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford in attack, even if the Lecce striker didn’t move on to England, with the Dutchman just fresh off a 19-goal season in the Championship.

Moreover, Bamford – away from his recurring injury problems – is also a Premier League-experienced head that could still offer Farke a worthwhile option if needed, as seen in his respectable 24-goal tally at the intimidating level.

Therefore, it would be safe to assume that the Whites are well-stocked in this department for the time being, with it also being a risk to splash around the £30m mark on Krstovic, considering Georginio Rutter is their most expensive capture ever at just £5.5m more.

Whereas, for £7m, Leeds would be able to win a star in Ullrich, who should only get better with time, and a purchase that is needed far more urgently than another centre-forward joining the building. After all, if you remove Firpo from Leeds’ ever-changing squad, only an ageing Sam Byram is available in the left-back spot.

Ullrich’s performance in numbers vs England U21’s

Stat

Ullrich

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

52

Accurate passes

20/28 (71%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Clearances

4

Tackles

6

Total duels won

7/10

Stats by Sofascore

The in-demand 21-year-old has already shown he can do it on the big occasion for club and country too, as seen in his one goal and two assists last season as an attack-oriented full-back for Gladbach, on top of his recent heroics for his nation at the U21 Euros when his early assist got Germany up and running against the youthful Three Lions.

On the night, the “high intensity” defender – as described by Germany U19 manager Guido Streichsbier – showed he can tussle with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Ethan Nwaneri and come out on top, meaning he might well be ready for the challenge of the Premier League to follow.

He isn’t quite at Firpo’s level just yet, considering the ex-Barcelona defender picked up a hefty ten assists last campaign.

But, having been noted as making “huge strides” already by manager Gerardo Seoane, the Premier League might well just be the next big step he has to adjust to, with Farke also known to get the maximum out of up-and-coming youngsters under his wing.

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Sheffield United ran into a roadblock in the race for promotion back to the Premier League on Tuesday night when they lost 1-0 to Millwall at Bramall Lane.

The Blades were looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Oxford United away from home last weekend, but were met with another loss.

Chris Wilder’s side have failed to score in their last two games and have failed to score more than one goal in five of their last six games in the Championship.

Ben Brereton Diaz was substituted at half-time in the defeat to Millwall, as the Chile international continued his struggles in front of goal for the Blades.

Ben Brereton Diaz's goalscoring troubles

The English-born forward started the campaign with Southampton in the Premier League and failed to score in ten appearances in the top-flight before his loan move to Yorkshire in the January transfer window.

Since returning to Bramall Lane, Brereton Diaz has scored three goals in 14 matches and only one goal in his last nine matches in the Championship.

He has scored those three goals from an xG of 3.58 and missed four ‘big chances’ – including one against Millwall – and this suggests that he has been wasteful with the chances that have come his way in the box.

Whilst Brereton Diaz has failed to offer a consistent threat as a goalscorer since his return to Sheffield United, there is a former Blades gem who is currently outscoring him in Europe – Benie Traore.

Why Sheffield United messed up with Benie Traore

The club signed him from Hacken, with their sporting director Martin Ericsson describing it as an “incredible” journey, in the summer of 2023 and the Premier League seemed a step too soon for him, as he failed to score in eight appearances.

Instead of giving the young Ivorian forward an opportunity to shine as part of a team chasing promotion from the Championship, instead of in a struggling Premier League side, Sheffield United decided to sell him to Swiss side Basel last summer.

The 22-year-old attacker, who has been capped five times by his country this season, has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Swiss top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign, outperforming several Blades attackers.

Traore has played the majority of this season off the left flank, which is where Brereton Diaz has also played at times, and racked up eight goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Appearances

29

24

40

Goals

8

3

2

Big chances missed

6

6

4

Big chances created

9

3

7

Assists

5

3

6

As you can see in the table above, the former Sheffield United gem has outscored both Brereton Diaz and O’Hare at league level, by some distance, despite missing a similar number of ‘big chances’.

He has also created more ‘big chances’ for his teammates than they have for the Blades and the Saints combined, which suggests that Wilder made a mistake by sanctioning his exit last summer.

Sheffield United cashed in on a talented young winger capable of scoring and creating goals at an impressive rate before he got the chance to showcase his talent at Championship level.

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Their goalscoring woes in recent matches could have been solved by having a winger of his quality available for selection, as evidenced by his return of two goals in his last five Super League games.

It may be one that Wilder looks back on with regret if Traore continues his impressive form and goes on to return to one of Europe’s major leagues in the future.

Since joining Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has overseen plenty of changes at the club.

He’s instilled a new style of play, a level of expectation that was missing for so many years, and most crucially, he’s completely overhauled the squad.

Now, not every signing the Spaniard has made has been a success, but he’s had a pretty decent track record thus far, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, David Raya, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber all massively improving the team.

However, when it comes to his most underrated acquisition, it has to be Ben White, so fans should be excited about recent reports linking the club to another star whose signing could be a repeat of White’s.

Arsenal's transfer targets

It’s going to be a massive summer of business for Arsenal, and one of the areas they look most intent on improving is left-wing, with Nico Williams one of their top targets.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Spaniard is said to have a release clause worth around £52m in his current contract, which could prove to be value for money considering he’s scored 17 goals and provided 25 assists in 77 appearances since the start of last season.

Another youngster the North Londoners are supposedly interested in signing this summer is Real Madrid’s Arda Güler.

The 20-year-old could be available for just £26m, and as he’s managed to rack up ten goal involvements in just 1170 minutes this season, that could be an incredible deal.

However, there is another, even younger prospect worth even more money that the Gunners are being heavily linked with: Dean Huijsen.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal are very interested in the Bournemouth star.

In fact, Ornstein has revealed that alongside Liverpool and Chelsea, the Gunners are a leading contender for the Spaniard, while Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have also made contact.

However, on top of beating out the competition, the North Londoners will also have to stump up a significant amount of cash to get their man, as he has a release clause worth £50m in his contract.

In all, it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Huijsen’s immense ability and potential, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he could be a White repeat.

Why signing Huijsen would be a White repeat

So, should Arsenal be able to get ahead of the chasing pack and get their hands on Huijsen this summer, what would make the deal so similar to White’s in 2021?

Well, the first and perhaps most surface-level similarity is that when the Gunners signed the Englishman, he also cost £50m and moved to the Emirates from an upwardly mobile midtable Premier League side in Brighton & Hove Albion, which is how you could describe Bournemouth.

On top of that, the Poole-born star had just made his way into the England set-up ahead of his move, and the Cherries gem won his first senior cap for La Roja last month.

However, the most significant similarity between the players is that even though the Gunners’ number four has now moved to right-back, he was initially signed as a centre-back, which is where the “extremely dominant” Spaniard, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would play should he move to the Emirates.

With all that said, there are obviously other reasons the North Londoners should be looking to sign the defender on top of the mirroring of his potential move to White’s, such as his sensational underlying numbers.

Interceptions

2.10

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.17

Top 2%

Clearances

6.78

Top 4%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.64

Top 5%

Progressive Carries

1.45

Top 8%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.09

Top 10%

Touches in the Attacking Box

1.36

Top 12%

Progressive Passes

4.49

Top 20%

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 4% for clearances, the top 5% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing another defender might not be high on the list of priorities this summer.

However, Huijsen looks to be an incredibly special player, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to secure his services, as he could become as important a player as White in the future.

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Leicester City appear to have their eyes on a new 4-2-3-1 manager who could come in to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy at the King Power Stadium.

Update on Van Nistelrooy’s future at Leicester City after unwanted record

It has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the Foxes, who are on course for an immediate return to the Championship from the Premier League.

Van Nistelrooy’s side fell to a 3-0 defeat last time out, a record eighth successive top-flight loss at home where Leicester have failed to score a goal.

That is an unwanted record, and there has been plenty of speculation regarding Van Nistelrooy’s future at Leicester.

Talking to Leicester City news, Graeme Bailey said that it is “highly unlikely” Van Nistelrooy remains in charge following Leicester’s pending relegation.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy’s future has not officially been decided, but I am told at this point it is highly unlikely he continues, not impossible, but unlikely.

“He was not backed in January, and some would argue his position has been almost untenable since that failure from those above him, although there is also a feeling in the squad that they did not perform at their best.”

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And the reporter has also shared a potential managerial target for the Foxes.

Leicester eyeing up Rosenior as replacement for Van Nistelrooy

Bailey added that Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior could be a potential candidate to replace Van Nistelrooy at the King Power Stadium ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“There is no denying that work is already being done on possible candidates to replace him. I would keep an eye on Liam Rosenior for sure, his stock is massively high. We know Southampton like him, and so no shock that Leicester would be looking, but don’t rule out Chelsea/BlueCo from tying him down to a new long-term deal too.”

The 40-year-old, formerly of Derby County and Hull City, has been impressing in France with Strasbourg and actually shares the same Wasserman agency as Leicester legend Jamie Vardy.

Rosenior, who plays a 4-2-3-1 system, as per Transfermarkt, has Strasbourg occupying a Champions League spot in Ligue 1 with just six games remaining.

He has been linked with Southampton and previously came in for praise from Clinton Morrison, who said: “I actually think he’s a top manager. I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever.”

However, with Rosenior potentially in charge of a Champions League team next season, a drop down to the Championship could be a hard sell for Leicester.

Newcastle United advanced their claim to secure a place in the Champions League next season with a 2-1 win over Brentford at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night.

The Magpies took the lead through their star striker Alexander Isak, who bundled the ball in from around six yards out after Jacob Murphy whipped a terrific cross in.

Thomas Frank’s team found a leveller, though, after Nick Pope gave away a spot-kick and allowed Bryan Mbuemo to score from the spot to make it 1-1.

Eddie Howe’s men eventually found the winner in the second half when Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali scored a bizarre goal to seal all three points for the home team.

How Sandro Tonali scored his wondergoal

The Italy international found himself in a crossing position out by the corner flag on the right flank, with Joelinton, Callum Wilson, and Joe Willock all in the box awaiting a ball in from the former AC Milan man.

Instead of a cross, though, those three players watched a shanked effort fly into the roof of Mark Flekken’s net, as the Bees goalkeeper was caught out by what appears to have been a mishit from the central midfielder.

It caught everyone, perhaps even Tonali, by surprise but it is a piece of fortune that the Magpies will certainly take, as it puts them one step closer to securing a top-five finish in the Premier League.

The former Serie A dynamo may have secured himself a place as one of the undroppable stars, alongside Isak – who has scored 20 goals and started all 26 of his Premier League appearances, after scoring that either unbelievable or fluke of a goal.

Isak and Tonali are not the only Newcastle players who should be undroppable after that performance against the Bees, though, as Joelinton bossed the middle of the park.

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Expand Collapse Why Joelinton is undroppable for Newcastle

The Brazil international showcased his quality in and out of possession in the win over Brentford with a terrific display in midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Tonali.

Joelinton, who has started all 25 of his outings in the top-flight this season, reaffirmed why Howe has so much faith in him with a dominant defensive showing, winning six of his eight ground duels and six of his nine aerial contests.

The former Hoffenheim ace also won three tackles without being dribbled past a single time by a Brentford player, which shows that he was a man mountain in midfield for Newcastle.

Vs Brentford

Guimaraes

Tonali

Joelinton

Minutes

90

90

90

Pass accuracy

70%

68%

85%

Dribbles completed

0/0

1/1

1/1

Duels won

4/10

5/7

12/17

Clearances

1

1

3

Tackles

3

2

3

Dribbled past

4x

1x

0x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Joelinton was also far more efficient in possession in comparison to his midfield partners, whilst also outperforming them defensively.

The 28-year-old bruiser has consistently delivered on the defensive end all season with the most combined tackles, interceptions, and clearances (4.7) per game of any midfielder in the squad, providing Howe with an immovable anchor in the middle of the park.

Joelinton’s physicality allows the Magpies to take the game to opposition teams by pressing high and winning the ball back in great areas to create counter-attack opportunities for the likes of Isak and Murphy to make the most of.

He is, therefore, an undroppable cog in Newcastle’s machine, as further evidenced by his sensational display against the Bees, and Howe must continue to select him for the rest of the season.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 2, 2025