All posts by h716a5.icu

With Steven Smith injured, David Warner resting and home advantage on their side, New Zealand will be keen to set the record straight after losing 0-3 to Australia in December

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale29-Jan-2017Match factsMonday, January 30, 2017
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)Big PictureAfter nearly six years without a standalone Chappell-Hadlee series, Australia and New Zealand are about to embark on their third in 12 months. Last February, New Zealand won at home. In December, Australia swept their own home series 3-0. And now, they are in New Zealand to defend the trophy two months later. It is all a bit of a whirlwind, for Australia in particular. On Thursday, they were in Adelaide wrapping up a one-day series win against Pakistan. On Monday they will play New Zealand in Auckland. And straight after this series, several of their squad members head off for a Test tour of India.Amid such a hectic schedule, it is perhaps not surprising that the selectors chose to rest the vice-captain David Warner, who they hope will be a key player in India and who has not missed an international in any format since the middle of last year. But an ankle injury suffered by captain Steven Smith in the Adelaide ODI last week threw a spanner into Australia’s plans, forcing the hasty appointment of a stand-in skipper for these three games in New Zealand. Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was given the honour, and will lead a squad that is at least full strength in the bowling department if not in the batting order.New Zealand will see this series as a prime opportunity to regain the trophy, given the absence of Australia’s two best batsmen. Warner in particular has been in breathtaking ODI form of late, his six hundreds in the format this summer – including two against New Zealand – propelling him to the No.1 batting ranking. Kane Williamson’s men were disappointing in the series in Australia in December – the margins of 68 runs, 116 runs and 117 runs indicate just how disappointing – but on their home turf they will be a much greater threat.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: WWWLL
Australia: WWWLW
In the spotlightLuke Ronchi’s adductor injury meant a wicketkeeping question mark for New Zealand. The uncapped Tom Blundell is in the squad, but New Zealand have instead opted to hand the gloves in the first game to Tom Latham. To prepare for the role, Latham kept wicket during a Ford Trophy game on Saturday and completed two stumpings. Latham has previously kept wicket for New Zealand in three ODIs and four T20s, though he has not done so since 2013.Australia are coming off a record opening partnership in their previous ODI, the 284-run stand between Warner and Travis Head against Pakistan. But a different opening pair will take the field in Auckland. Head might get the job again, but it is also possible that Australia will turn to Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, whose 246-run partnership against Scotland in 2013 made them the previous record-holders. Finch is keen to make himself a first-choice ODI player again after a lean patch led to his axing, while Marsh will be happy to be back in the national setup in any format for the first time in nearly three months, after recovering from a finger injury.Team newsRoss Taylor returns to the ODI side having missed New Zealand’s two series in December due to eye surgery. By giving Latham the wicketkeeping duties, the selectors have also opened up another middle-order spot that could either go to a specialist batsman or an allrounder.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Colin Munro, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry/Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult.The absence of Smith and Warner will mean a minimum of two changes to Australia’s XI from the side that beat Pakistan on Thursday. Whether or not Head opens again after his hundred in that match remains to be seen.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Peter Handscomb, 4 Travis Head, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (capt & wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Pitch and conditionsEden Park’s tiny boundaries often tempt batsmen, though as the low-scoring thriller between these sides during the 2015 World Cup showed, that does not necessarily equate to high totals. The forecast for Monday in Auckland is for a fine day and a top of 24C.Stats and trivia Wade will be the third wicketkeeper to captain Australia in ODIs; Adam Gilchrist led the team in 17 matches and Ian Healy stood in as captain eight times New Zealand have won their past four ODIs at Eden Park, and two of those were against Australia It is nearly four years since Australia have played an ODI without Smith, Warner and George Bailey – the last time was against West Indies at the MCG in February 2013Quotes”We know we weren’t at our best. We probably didn’t have the resources that we’ve got available now.”
“Steven and David have put their stamp on the team; it’s just about me keeping driving those messages through to the players. We’ve performed really well in one-day cricket over a period of time, so it’s not about trying to change too much, it’s about keeping the ball rolling.”

Sunderland target Ellis Simms’ future will be decided “in the next few days”, according to reliable journalist Alan Myers.

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news on Ellis Simms?

The Black Cats are sure to be busy once again this summer as they look to build on last season’s impressive surge into the Championship playoffs, which ultimately ended in heartbreak but certainly showed plenty of positive signs.

Jobe Bellingham, Luis Semedo and Nectarios Triantis have all arrived at the Stadium of Light already less than a week after the transfer window officially opened, but more goalscoring prowess is required given Semedo’s inexperience in senior football.

And that’s where Everton’s Simms could come in, with reports last week confirming Sunderland are interested in bringing their former loanee back to the club for the 2023/24 campaign.

That update revealed there is rival interest from Ipswich Town though, and the latest news from Myers reveals there is another unnamed suitor in the mix as well.

"Three clubs have made their interest known in Ellis Simms, no bid accepted at this point but a decision expected in the next few days,” the journalist said on Twitter.

He then responded to a fan question to say he believes both the Black Cats and Tractor Boys have made a bid, but the third team in the mix is a mystery.

Is Simms good enough to lead the line?

Tony Mowbray will no doubt be desperate to bring Simms back to the club, given the impact the 22 year-old made last time around in the Northeast, bagging seven goals in just 17 second-tier appearances.

That goalscoring prowess is no fluke either, as the Everton youngster previously struck ten in 24 during a spell at Blackpool and seven in 21 for Hearts, even bagging against Chelsea in the Premier League this season, leading Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney to call his finishing ability “unbelievable”.

With just 12 months left on his contract and valued at around £3.4m, Simms really needs to be finding himself a permanent home after three different loan teams away from the Toffees, and he will surely fancy his chances of nailing down the number nine spot on Wearside as he matures into a stronger and more experienced centre-forward.

Mushfiqur Rahim has been named in Bangladesh’s 15-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, with the selectors expecting him to recover from his hamstring injury in time to play

Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2017Bangladesh squad for first Test

Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed, Nurul Hasan, Subashis Roy
In: Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed
Out: Shuvagata Hom, Mosaddek Hossain

Mushfiqur Rahim has been named in Bangladesh’s 15-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, with the selectors expecting him to recover from his hamstring injury in time to play. Pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman has been rested, meaning Taskin Ahmed – who is yet to debut in Test cricket – is likely to lead the bowling attack when the match gets underway on January 12.Bangladesh have made two changes to the squad that was picked for their last Test, against England in Dhaka. Shuvagata Hom and Mosaddek Hossain have been left out while Rubel Hossain and Taskin are included in their place.Bangladesh have already lost the ODI and T20 series, so a strong line-up was expected for the Test side. While the batting line-up remains similar to the one fielded in the other two formats, the pace-bowling attack is very inexperienced.With 23 Tests, Rubel is by far the most experienced member of it. Like Taskin, Subashis Roy has never played in the longest format, while Kamrul Islam Rabbi has played just the two Tests. Three of these four will likely make the XI, with spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan (also only two Tests so far) likely to complete the bowling-line up.The players outside of the squad who are present in New Zealand are Mustafizur, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mosaddek, Shuvagata, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Ebadot Hossain and Tanbir Hayder – Bangladesh have been taking their extended preliminary squad, which had trained in Australia earlier, along on this tour. A decision on which of these players to send home will be taken over the next couple of days.The decision to rest Mustafizur comes ahead of a busy season for Bangladesh – they play a Test in India next month, followed by a full tour of Sri Lanka in March, before preparation for the Champions Trophy in England begins. He might feature in the second Test, though.

Financial expert Kieran Maguire has been reacting to a Leeds United update involving the 49ers Enterprises and Elland Road.

What’s the latest Leeds news on the 49ers?

It was confirmed earlier this month that the 49ers Enterprises have completed a full takeover of Leeds from Andrea Radrizzani. The investment vehicle, which have links to NFL side the San Francisco 49ers, are now full owners of the Whites after previously having a 44% stake in the club.

A takeover was valued at £170m and includes the ownership of Elland Road, something which Maguire has been giving his thoughts on.

Talking to Football Insider regarding the news, Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, believes that “Leeds fans will love” the fact that the stadium and club are in the hands of the same party.

“I think there is an inevitability in regards to the 49ers’ investment in Leeds United that has been mooted for some time.

“I think it is a very good idea to have continuity of ownership of both football club and stadium and I’m sure Leeds fans will love this.”

What did Andrea Radrizzani try and do with Elland Road?

Radrizzani has moved on from Leeds, heading back to his native Italy with a takeover of Sampdoria. However, the former Leeds owner and chairman recently explored the prospect of offering to use the club's Elland Road stadium as security against a £26m bank loan, doing so without informing the 49ers.

That was before a Leeds agreement was reached with the 49ers, so it is good to see that Elland Road has been included in the takeover and is not still on the books of a company run by Radrizzani.

The new owners are now looking to take the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and are on the search for a new manager, and who knows, should they succeed, they may look into plans to redevelop Elland Road over the coming years.

Hyderabad’s emphatic win and Goa’s scrap stand out in the seventh round of Group C matches of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2016Hyderabad were within touching distance of table-toppers Andhra after securing a 44-run win over Chhattisgarh in Valsad. Hyderabad, who wobbled in the in the second innings to be bowled out for 122, left their opponents a tantalising prospect of having to chase down 286 in little under three sessions to secure an outright win. Chhattisgarh fought, but were eventually bowled out for 241 in 84.1 overs to slump to their third loss this season.There was a ray of hope when Ashutosh Singh (67) and Amandeep Khare (44) resisted in the middle session, but their dismissal hastened Chhattisgarh’s collapse. Ravi Kiran, the medium pacer, took four wickets while Akash Bhandari, the legspinner, took three. This was Hyderabad’s third win in six matches.Services took three points from the draw against Himachal Pradesh, who ended the match with a score of 145 for 2 in pursuit of 401 in Surat. They started the last day on 197 for 4, with a lead of 302, and batted for another 27.1 overs during which Rahul Singh scored a half-century to help them score 295 for 9.Services lost Vikas Hathwala on the third ball of the day before Rahul scored 58 and Mayank Dagar finished with 4 for 61. Himachal saw an opening stand of 71 between Prashant Chopra (66) and Ankit Kalsi (23). While the openers fell by the 27th over, Himachal saw no more stutters and collected one point.Jammu & Kashmir were left to rue a delayed declaration as Tripura hung on to draw and salvage one point in Mumbai. Resuming on 198 for 3 after securing an 18-run lead, J&K were driven by Ian Dev Chauhan’s unbeaten 129 that swelled their lead past 300. Parvez Rasool, the captain, made 67 and Aditya Partap contributed 51 not out in the team’s total of 318 for 4. Chasing 337 in 59 overs, Tripura slipped and slid before finishing on 168 for 8 when play ended. That they starved off defeat was largely due to Rajat Dey’s unbeaten 53.Nitin Saini’s double century and sprightly lower-order contributions from Sanjay Pahal (58) and Harshal Patel (53) helped Haryana take the first-innings honours against Goa in Ghaziabad. After conceding a 155-run lead, Goa edged towards parity for the loss of five wickets when play ended. Amit Mishra, released from the Indian team during the second Test to feature in this game, picked up three second-innings wickets. Sumiran Amonkar, the opener, was unbeaten on 57 when both captains shook hands.Andhra, who took the first-innings lead, starved off Kerala’s challenge in Guwahati to walk away with three points and retain the top spot in the group standings. Set a target of 296 overs in 80 overs, they were well placed at 193 for 4 when both captains decided a result wouldn’t be possible. Hanuma Vihari, the captain, defied Kerala’s bowlers for 224 deliveries in his 53. Opener Srikar Bharat contributed 73. That Kerala, who conceded a six-run lead, were in a position to declare on 302 for 6 was thanks to Rohan Prem’s 89. Kerala, yet to record a win this season, are currently placed fifth in the nine-team pool.

Glasgow Rangers have shown interest in Scottish striker Lawrence Shankland ahead of the summer transfer window, with Michael Beale looking to bolster his attacking options ahead of 2023/2024.

What’s the latest on Lawrence Shankland to Rangers?

Following three signings already, with Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling all arriving at Ibrox on free transfers, the Gers are looking at making Hearts striker Shankland number four according to TEAMtalk.

He features highly on Beale’s list of targets and with Alfredo Morelos leaving the club, it’s clear that they urgently need another goalscorer or two in order to properly challenge Celtic next season for the Premiership title.

The £3k-per-week forward currently has a contract until 2025 with Hearts and although a fee has yet to be mentioned, Beale will need to stump up in order to secure his signature from the Edinburgh side.

Could Lawrence Shankland improve Rangers?

Last season, joint top scorers James Tavernier and Antonio Colak netted 18 goals each, hardly a tally to get excited about, especially considering Shankland scored 28 goals across all competitions for the Tynecastle outfit in a stunning individual season, clearly suggesting he would be worth a gamble.

The Gers could certainly repeat their Kris Boyd masterclass from 2006 by signing the 27-year-old. Boyd joined for a fee of just £400k from fellow top flight side Kilmarnock and went on to plunder a total of 145 goals across two spells with the Ibrox side, becoming their main outlet for goals under Walter Smith.

Shankland does offer more than just being a penalty box poacher, creating five big chances and playing one key pass per game during the 2022/2023 season, suggesting Beale could be getting an all-round centre-forward if he manages to land the Scot.

He has vast experience in Scotland, scoring 168 goals across spells with a variety of clubs and this could be a big advantage for the 42-year-old, as Shankland wouldn’t require any time to adjust, meaning he could hit the ground running and this could be vital during the early parts of the season.

Journalist Joel Sked waxed lyrical about the five-cap gem late last year, saying: “Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals. His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link player, his awareness, and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

While Boyd arrived at Ibrox and immediately started scoring for fun, Shankland could also offer a similar result, however, there is a lot more to his game than the former Gers striker and Beale must take a gamble this summer on the Scotland international.

Despite his tough stance on Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla was quick to dismiss questions about Australia’s misfortunes, saying he took no pleasure in the difficulties of others

Firdose Moonda in Melbourne19-Nov-2016Hashim Amla gets angry about as often as there is a supermoon, but when he addressed the media in defense of his captain Faf du Plessis on Friday, his answers teetered on the tetchy. In response to questions about du Plessis’ alleged ball-tampering, Amla had said the squad believed the captain had done “absolutely nothing wrong”, that they all occasionally took field with mouthfuls of something, and asked whether he should brush his teeth after every break in play.Now, the third Test in Adelaide, a dead-rubber that was supposed to hold nothing more than novelty-value as South Africa’s first day-nighter, is now the centre of several controversies. Chief among them is whether du Plessis’ ball-tampering hearing will take place before the game and whether that could put his place in doubt.But anyone hoping that Amla’s irritation over the episode would spill over into an ego-trip on the misfortunes that have befallen the opposition, was left disappointed.As soon as the question of Australia came up, Amla switched from aggrieved to gracious and confirmed he took no pleasure from the opposition’s pain. “I’ve got a lot of joy enjoying my team-mates and the position we are in but I take no gratification from the difficulties of others,” Amla said. “We are really happy and glad that we are 2-0 up in the series. We’ve got lots to achieve and we want to keep enjoying each other’s company and keep supporting each other, which is the most important thing in any team environment and hopefully we can continue this until the end of the next Test match.”Amla’s empathy stems from recent experience – as recent as last summer, when he was at the helm and South Africa were humbled. “When you’ve gone through difficult times, you appreciate the good times,” Amla said. “You remember the difficult times because it could fall on you at some other stage.”A year, or even six months ago, few would have predicted this. South Africa’s golden run on the road had reached its cul de sac and, like any other team, it was expected they would find it tough to compete away from home, especially without some of their best players. That they defied all that has left Amla proud. “Winning in Australia is a big moment for any team. I have been fortunate to have it three times now and this time is just as good as any of the other two,” he said. “We’ve come here with a young squad and these guys have really made a name for themselves in world cricket and in Australia.”If du Plessis is found guilty and suspended for the match, it may fall on Amla to put aside his reluctance to lead and take the reins for the final hurrah. If du Plessis is cleared or the hearing is delayed, doubtless, he will be in the public firing line and it will fall on his players to protect him as Amla did.The best way for South Africa to do that will be on the field, not in front of a microphone, and Amla is sure they have arsenal for an Adelaide coup. Their attack, which has already taken ten for under-100 twice in the series so far, is anxious to get its hands on the pink ball and make it talk as much as the angry Amla did.”I don’t think you would like to be in the nets facing our bowlers at the moment. It has been a really tough ordeal,” Amla said. “With the pink ball, if it does move around in the evening, it will be a lot harder. We are very fortunate to have a very strong bowling attack who have bowled exceptionally well to put us in the position we are in. All the guys are in a great space and that’s all we can ask for.”We’ve come here on a mission. Part of the mission has been accomplished which is wonderful but three-nil sounds better than two-nil or 2-1.”

Manchester United are in the market for a prolific striker this summer and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target who would be open to a move to Old Trafford this summer.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Rasmus Hojlund?

According to The Mirror, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is interested in joining Man United this summer after being identified as one of the players under consideration.

As per the report, it is claimed that the talented star is on a six-man shortlist with the signing of a striker the highest priority for the Red Devils and his Serie A club will command a €50m (£43m) transfer fee to part ways with their player.

Who would Hojlund replace at Man United?

Replacing Cristiano Ronaldo was never going to be an easy task for Erik ten Hag, however, the Dutch coach wouldn't have been able to predict just how poor Wout Weghorst would be during his six-month loan stint at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international failed to score a single Premier League goal over his 17 league appearances in a Man United strip – missing three big chances in front of goal and averaging 0.3 shots on target per game, which is a dreadful output for a centre forward especially at such a demanding club.

As a result, the signing of Hojlund would be warmly welcomed ahead of next season as the Danish striker would be an incredible threat in the final third and a huge upgrade on Weghorst.

When comparing the Atalanta talent to his Man United positional peer he has comfortably outperformed in a number of key attacking attributes including goal contributions (16 v 13), shots on target rate (54.7% v 43.9%), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.25 v 0.23), progressive carries (40 v 3) and shots on target per 90 (1.41 v 1.18), as per FBref.

Not only is Hojlund more explosive in front of goal, but the 20-year-old is also a decade younger than Weghorst and could provide Ten Hag with a young player who could develop into a massive asset for any future success at Man United in the next few years to come.

The four-cap Denmark international has been the recipient of high praise from his manager Gian Piero Gasperini who likened him to treble-winning Manchester City star Erling Haaland:

"Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also the technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too.

"He has very similar characteristics to Haaland. He is so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard. Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day."

With that being said, securing Hojlund's signature would be a major coup for Man United and if he could continue to thrive in English football there is no reason why he can't become a key component in the club's pursuit of more trophies and success in the future.

An update has emerged on Burnley and their plans to add to their options at the top end of the pitch following their promotion to the Premier League…

What's the latest on Habib Diallo to Burnley?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, reporting on his Patreon, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany recently went to watch Strasbourg centre-forward Habib Diallo in action and is now weighing up a swoop for the 27-year-old.

The Sun reporter claims that fellow Premier League side West Ham United are also showing an interest in the Senegal international and could provide competition for his signature.

It is stated that the Ligue 1 side could demand a fee in the region of £20m for the marksman and that Burnley are eyeing him as an alternative target to Coventry City frontman Viktor Gyokeres.

How did Habib Diallo perform this season?

The 27-year-old dynamo enjoyed a prolific season with Strasbourg in the French top-flight and his performances suggest that the ace would come in as a big upgrade on the departing Ashley Barnes.

It has been confirmed that Norwich City will be signing the veteran centre-forward on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at Burnley and Diallo could come through the door to replace him and offer more in the final third.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Senegal international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 37 appearances in Ligue 1 and contributed with an eye-catching 20 goals. This came after the striker plundered 11 goals in 16 starts in the league in the 2021/22 campaign.

The 6 foot 1 attacker, who former Strasbourg defender Kader Mangane once hailed as "complete" and "very special", has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer in a major European league over the last two seasons, whereas Burnley's centre-forward struggled for goals in the Championship.

Barnes found the back of the net seven times in 39 matches in the second tier of English football and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84, which indicates that Diallo – who has averaged 0.53 non-penalty goals per 90 over the last 365 days – would be a major upgrade on the 33-year-old in front of goal.

The Senegalese marksman also created two more 'big chances (five) than the Clarets gem (three) provided in 2022/23 and could offer more creativity on the ball to present his teammates with opportunities to score.

Therefore, Kompany could land a dream replacement for Barnes by sealing a deal for the Ligue 1 star this summer as he would improve the team, assuming the ace is able to adapt to English football, ahead of their Premier League campaign.

West Ham United are safe. An inconsistent, erratic, and stressful season has seen the Irons occasionally flirt with the devastating fate of relegation.

However, the Hammers finished relatively comfortably in 14th position and have the Europa Conference final next week.

Whatever the result of that European showdown, the east London outfit will undoubtedly be active in the summer transfer window, especially when considering their £179m outlay prior to this campaign.

For the quality of the squad, their league place was unflattering, and their underwhelming nature in front of goal hindered their progression.

David Moyes’ side netted an uninspiring 42 Premier League goals in 38 outings, drawing blanks in 32% of their domestic fixtures.

Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma were the club’s top scorers, sharing six goals a piece, to underline a mind-boggling lack of potency.

As a result, the Guardian has reported that West Ham are interested in Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes, which would be a huge statement of intent to resurrect their offensive woes.

Why should West Ham sign Harvey Barnes?

The Englishman is deliciously talented and has offered fantastic levels of output in a hideously disjointed Leciester team that suffered relegation back to the Championship after Everton defeated Bournemouth.

The one-cap international scored 13 goals this season, which is more than Phil Foden, Son Hueng-Min, and Roberto Firmino.

From a wider perspective, this is even more impressive as the former West Brom loanee ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals, which begs the mouthwatering question of what the winger could achieve in a more functional team.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has previously heaped noticeable praise on the £35k-per-week star and said: “Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I’m not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product.”

Barnes’ explosive style of play, combined with his ruthless productivity and commendable judgement of when to run in behind is reminiscent of Bowen’s feats last term.

Although not exactly at the race this season, scoring just six league strikes, during the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old was utterly phenomenal, recording 22 goal involvements in 34 starts, as he was an integral part of a Clarets side that came sixth and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

For the Irons to produce a more fruitful return in front of goal and reclaim a spot in the top half of the league, then the signing of £35k-per-week Barnes could be a stroke of genius and one that replicates Bowen, just from the opposite flank.