Jermaine Blackwood has said the match could have changed complexion had he not been dismissed in the last over before lunch
ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-20161:24
‘West Indies’ decision to bat first not a pragmatic one’ – Manjrekar
Jermaine Blackwood, whose innings of 62 and fourth-wicket partnership of 81 with Marlon Samuels were rare bright sparks in West Indies’ first-innings total of 196, said the match could have changed complexion had he not been dismissed in the last over before lunch. Having been reduced to 7 for 3, West Indies had recovered to 88 for 3 when R Ashwin had Blackwood lbw with only three balls left in the session.”When I went out [to bat], he [Samuels] was just giving me a lot of advice about staying positive and running well between the wickets and try to score runs and wear down the bowlers,” Blackwood said. “As scoring chances came, I played my shots. If I had come back after lunch, it would have been a different ball game, because me and Marlon had a nice partnership. For me to get out, it set the team back and put the bowlers back on top. So I guess you have to learn from your mistakes.”Blackwood said the counterattacking approach he adopted from the time he stepped in was just his natural game. “That is just normally how I play, ever since I started playing. So that’s my natural game. I try to score my first 20-25 runs quickly, and tried to use the pace of the ball. So that is how Jermaine Blackwood plays his game.”Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, had sprung something of a surprise at the toss, when he chose to bat on a damp, grassy pitch. Blackwood said there was nothing wrong with the decision to bat, but West Indies’ batsmen simply hadn’t batted well enough.”Normally, at Sabina Park, the wicket is going to have a little bit in it for the pace bowlers for a couple hours. This track is different and has some grass, so they will get assistance right through the match for pace bowlers. It wasn’t a wrong decision to bat first, but we just didn’t bat for a long period. I guess next time we will have to do that.”
Arsenal have enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign and have put up a strong title fight against reigning champions Manchester City; however, look like they will just be pipped by Pep Guardiola's men.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta has led the Gunners to Champions League qualification and Europe's elite competition will return to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since 2016/17.
In the summer, the Spaniard is likely to invest in several positional areas to add squad depth in order to balance domestic and continental future. Despite this, Football Insider report that left-back Kieran Tierney could be set to depart in the off-season, with Newcastle United said to be in a 'very strong position' to secure his signature.
Electing to sell the Scotland international, who has been a more than able deputy for first-choice left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko when needed, would be a brave move by Gunners' chiefs and could potentially leave them with more work to do in the transfer window.
What's the latest news on Kieran Tierney and how has he faired this season?
As per FootballTransfers, Manchester City are also keen on Tierney this summer and are in talks with Arsenal over a swap deal that could see Joao Cancelo and the 25-year-old swap places between the respective clubs. And, David Ornstein has claimed that the defender could also join Newcastle United in the summer window.
The report claims that the Gunners are in the market for a new left-sided defender in the forthcoming transfer window, which could spell the end for Tierney in north London.
In 2022/23, Tierney has featured 34 times for his current employers in all competitions, registering one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Last year, former Arsenal icon Martin Keown even went as far to tip Tierney for the captaincy at the club, stating in an interview with The Daily Mail: "I am a really big fan of Tierney, we spoke last year about captain material. I think he has had to show a lot of resolve when he has been third choice for a lot of the season, he is not really the third choice, he has come on in ten or eleven games."
Ex-Manchester United striker Andy Cole is also perplexed as to why the Gunners would look to sell Tierney, as he told King Casino Bonus with quotes transcribed by The Daily Express: "I like Kieran Tierney, he's had a few problems with injuries but he is talented. If Arsenal are prepared to sell him, he would not be struggling for options." He later added: “If you look at Tierney's situation previously, you have to ask what did he actually do wrong? He's never let Arsenal or Mikel Arteta down, of course, he's had a few injuries but he's always played well. He's a kid with a brilliant attitude."
It does seem a little odd that Arteta would look to let a consistent performer like Tierney leave the club in the off-season, especially considering that he has successfully combated 85.7% of dribbles he has faced in 2022/23, as per FBRef.
His injury problems may have played a part in the Gunners' thinking, though the same outlet report that the Scot has also ranked well in comparison to his positional peers in Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, managing to carry out 2.92 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the top 20% of full-backs for this metric, showing that he can carry an offensive threat from the left flank.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated that Tierney may have to leave the Gunners this summer to experience more first-team football, stating: "There's a few sort of intriguing ones. Kieran Tierney is probably the most interesting for me because if you're Arsenal, you perhaps want that depth, but Tierney's kind of been ousted and lost his place since the arrival of Zinchenko. As a consequence, if he wants that game time, he's not necessarily going to get it anymore at Arsenal, even with Champions League football and more games."
Ashley Cole once labeled Tierney as a "warrior", as per The Mirror, and it is easy to see why some fans may be on edge about the £110k-a-week ace potentially departing in the next few months.
Arsenal need all the strength in numbers they can get for an assault on Champions League football next year and letting go of Tierney would be a big blow given his consistent level of performances shown at the club.
India limited-overs captain MS Dhoni has worked with his state team, Jharkhand, as mentor in the lead up to the Buchi Babu All-India Invitational Cricket Tournament
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2016India limited-overs captain MS Dhoni has worked with his state team, Jharkhand, as mentor in the lead up to the Buchi Babu All-India Invitational Cricket Tournament. He also might join the team in the same capacity during the latter stages of the Buchi Babu tournament, which is a pre-season competition run by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).”Dhoni was with the boys during the camp in Ranchi,” Rajesh Verma, the secretary of Jharkhand State Cricket Association, told . “The boys are thrilled as it gives them a chance to tap into his experience. The original plan was for him to be there from the beginning [of the tournament], but he now has a meeting in Delhi. So, he will most probably join the team around August 12.”This year, apart from Jharkhand, the Buchi Babu tournament will feature Hyderabad, Chhattisgarh, Railways and Uttar Pradesh as invitational teams, alongside three local teams in TNCA President’s XI, TNCA XI and TNCA Districts XI. The tournament is set to run from August 5 to 18.
The BCB has terminated the contract of assistant coach Ruwan Kalpage after he failed to turn up for work by the August 16 deadline set by the board
Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2016The BCB has terminated the contract of assistant coach Ruwan Kalpage after he failed to turn up for work by August 16. Media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said Kalpage did not respond to the BCB’s latest letter.”We had sent him a letter asking him to return to work by August 16, but he didn’t respond to us. So the BCB has terminated his contract,” Yunus told ESPNcricinfo.On August 17, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury had said that the board would “take action” against Kalpage for not turning up by the deadline. Kalpage and the BCB had been in constant touch in the previous few weeks, after he voiced concerns over his safety in Dhaka.According to the BCB, the other foreign coaching staff had indicated similar concerns, but those were addressed by the provision of extra security. Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, fielding coach Richard Halsall and strength and conditioning coach Mario Villavarayan all returned to Dhaka earlier this month. They have been each assigned a security officer.The BCB had sent Kalpage a notice last week to return to work as they felt his “claim isn’t the right assessment of the situation”.Kalpage had joined the Bangladesh set-up as assistant coach on a two-year contract in August 2014, following the appointments of Hathurusingha and Villavarayan. Like the rest of Bangladesh’s foreign coaching staff, he was given an extension till the 2019 World Cup. He had earlier worked in Bangladesh as the National Cricket Academy’s head coach from 2008 to 2010.
Manchester United head into tonight's Premier League encounter with rivals Chelsea knowing that just a point will secure their place in next season's Champions League, with the visit of the Blues also allowing Erik ten Hag's men the chance to move above Newcastle United into third place.
Having edged past AFC Bournemouth at the weekend, the Red Devils were handed a timely boost as top-four chasers, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa, ensuring that United are all but certain of at least sealing fourth spot.
While the Carabao Cup winners still have a meeting with Fulham to come at home on Sunday, Ten Hag will likely be keen to get the job done later today, providing the Dutchman with ample time to shift focus toward next week's FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City.
The Old Trafford outfit have received some welcome news ahead of this evening's meeting with Frank Lampard's men, with leading scorer Marcus Rashford – who has been absent with injury and illness of late – having been pictured in training in recent days.
The potential return of the Englishman – as well as the growing presence of Alejandro Garnacho – should well spell bad news for £73m man, Jadon Sancho, with the fleet-footed flop seemingly one player in line to be axed later today.
Will Sancho play against Chelsea?
The former Borussia Dortmund man has been unable to make the most of Rashford's absence in recent weeks, having failed to score or register an assist in each of his last five Premier League games.
After the wide man's sparkling previous form in Germany – where he racked up 114 goal involvements in 137 outings – the London-born enigma has looked a shadow of his former self throughout his time at the Theatre of Dreams, having scored just 11 goals and contributed only five assists in 76 games across all fronts.
Man United's Jadon Sancho
As United legend Dwight Yorke stated, it is something of a "mystery" as to why Sancho has been unable to replicate his Dortmund displays in the red jersey, with the treble winner subsequently stating that the 23-year-old is now on "borrowed time" at the club due to his blatant woes.
The £350k-per-week dud – who has been linked with an exit this summer – has proven himself to be something of a "weak link" at times this season, as per journalist Tom McDermott, having again underwhelmed at the Vitality Stadium at the weekend.
That trip to the south coast proved particularly disappointing for the Englishman as he 'underperformed again' – according to Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst – having 'caused almost no danger' throughout his time on the pitch, in the words of GOAL's Richard Martin.
Equally, with regard to coming up against today's opponents, Sancho was also described by Luckhurst as the 'weakest link' when the two sides met in the reverse fixture, having been hooked early in the second half.
As such, on the evidence of the forward's extended woes, Ten Hag must ruthlessly replace his struggling asset this evening.
At the start of a big home season, with conditions to their liking, with the required ammunition in their bag, and with batsmen world over struggling to play quality spin, Virat Kohli sounded like a captain who felt his team’s time has come
Sidharth Monga in Kanpur21-Sep-20161:41
Need to be smart about our combination – Kohli
Virat Kohli’s performances in the last two years have been seen as a case of his recognising his time had come. He worked hard on his game for the conditions he was likely to get, eliminating every small weakness as he went along. He became obsessed with his fitness so his body became strong enough to match his ambition. At the start of a big home season, with conditions to their liking, with the required ammunition in their bag, and with batsmen world over struggling to play quality spin, Kohli sounded like a captain who felt his team’s time has come as well.”We believe we certainly have what it takes to be the best team in the world,” he said. “We definitely believe that. One area we have tapped into is belief. It’s something that a lot of young players can lack coming into international cricket. There can be a lot of insecurities: ‘Whether I’ll play in the next game or whether my position is secure or not.’ It’s all about getting them rid of that feeling. When you step on to the pitch, you need to tell yourself, ‘I own this position for the next eight-ten years in Test cricket for India.'”That’s the only way you can go out there, be confident and express yourself. Express how good you are, and that’s what this team has done. That’s why we’ve been able to win seven-odd Test matches in the last 13 or 14 that we played. [It’s] because we wanted to go out there and play bold cricket and take some risks. More often than not if you’re fearless, the results will fall your way because you’re willing to take that extra risk in the course of the game. I certainly feel that this team has what it takes to be the best.”Just like he has done with his batting, Kohli said he wanted his team to become obsessed with preparation so that at crunch time their strength and skill don’t desert them.”What it requires is sustained concentration, attention to detail, practising the same way every day… You know, doing boring things,” he said. “At this level you need to be boring if you want to be successful. As simple as that. Your training, your practice, the way you prepare for games should not change. Whoever can do that for a sustained period of time will obviously be a very good side, and this team has the potential to do that.”In the last season, when India beat South Africa 3-0, the frontline batsmen didn’t finish the job; India struggled against spin themselves and had to be bailed out by the lower order on more than the odd occasion. On Wednesday, Kohli said work has been done to overcome that.”I think what’s really important is to find the balance between being positive and being solid at the same time,” he said. “If someone is bowling a good spell you want to pay respect to the bowler, but not so much that you get under pressure. You don’t want to defend too much and eventually feel like, ‘I could have attacked more,’ when you get out. So it’s a right balance of putting the bowler under pressure and at the same time respecting the good balls that he bowls.”And that requires a lot of concentration. We have to be more watchful and more focussed throughout the day. There is no room for complacency; you cannot relax at any stage. In Test cricket, half an hour of bad decision-making can cost you the whole Test. So that’s one thing that we have worked on.”That’s why we work on our fitness levels so that the body can support what we want to do. To bat through the whole day, or two days, you need a fit physique and that’s what the boys have been working on and it’s been going really good. That has certainly improved our focus levels and we have been able to play out difficult situations in the best way possible. So it’s a combination of a lot of things, but I think the key is to maintain that balance between being positive and at the same time, being solid and playing through a difficult situation for the team.”
What it requires is sustained concentration, attention to detail, practising the same way every day… You know, doing boring thingsVirat Kohli on the recipe for success
To prepare for the 2013-14 season, when the bulk of India’s Tests were to be played overseas, the players had concentrated on how to play fast bowling as best as they could and in doing so they “sort of didn’t pay that much attention to spin.” Kohli admitted as much, but went on to say the same mistake would not be made now.”We have lost a Test match in Sri Lanka because we could not play spin as well as we wanted to,” he said. “But we rectified that. The team wants to improve in that aspect of the game. It is something that we surely need to get stronger at. What has happened is that there was so much being built up about us not being able to play well away from home that we kept focusing on playing fast bowling, and we got really good at it. We countered conditions really well in England, in bursts, in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.”We sort of didn’t pay that much attention to spin. That was one area we could have worked more on. Now we are putting in more effort, to face the spinners longer in nets and practising small little things by ourselves – someone might sweep, someone might play off the back foot, someone might step out – whatever it is. We are trying to improve that part of our game slowly. If you want to be a champion side, you don’t want to give the opposition any window to get into the game. The good thing is we are playing a lot of Test cricket so on the sidelines we can keep working on that every day and surely that improvement will happen.”As Kohli spoke at his press conference before the first Test of the Indian season, the ICC presented Pakistan the mace for being the No. 1 ranked side in Lahore. Kohli knows if his side can replicate what he did when he realised his time had come, that mace is likely to be in India before the season is done.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has claimed that Harry Kane wants to “stay” amid speculation about his potential exit.
What did Emerson Royal say about Harry Kane?
Will Kane leave Spurs this summer? It’s arguably the most-discussed transfer rumour in England over the past few months.
From TV pundits to strangers at the pub, you’ve probably heard nearly everyone who follows football offer their opinion on the matter at some point.
Even Kane has had to address the situation recently. Indeed, after scoring twice against Leeds United on the final day of the season, he told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News): “It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game.
“I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England.”
Well, his Tottenham teammate Emerson has now potentially provided a little bit of insider information when speaking to the press.
He said (via Football Daily) “Top [player], for me, he’s number one in this position. I’m so happy for him.
“He wants to stay with us. I want to play with him for a long time.”
Why would Kane stay at Spurs?
Kane is currently on £200k-p/w at Tottenham and his current deal expires in 2024. It’s been reported that he may not sign a new deal and simply leave for free in 12 months’ time.
However, he could also push for a move this summer with Manchester United heavily linked. 90min claims he is the club’s “top transfer target”.
Of course, this might be tempting as he’s not getting any younger (turning 30 this July) and is still yet to win a major trophy in his career.
Some with connections to Sputs even think he should leave. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said (via Manchester Evening News): “It feels at the moment that Tottenham is a shambles.
“They can’t seem to get a manager. If you were Harry Kane with one year to go, this is the time to leave.
Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane
“He has to push now because Man United might get somebody else. He missed out on Man City a few years ago when he wasn’t allowed to leave, right now it feels like he needs to push.”
However, if Emerson does indeed have some inside information, perhaps Kane isn’t looking to go just yet.
This could make sense too because if he sticks around for one more year he can then leave for free next summer.
Arsenal are set to accelerate talks for West Ham United star Declan Rice and will push to sign him for £30 million less than his price, according to reports.
Who could Arsenal sign this summer?
The Gunners and transfer chief Edu are tasked with improving manager Mikel Arteta's options ahead of what will be a very interesting 2023/2024 Premier League campaign.
Arsenal missed out on their first title in nearly 20 years last season, having been pipped by reigning champions Man City, and strengthening in key areas will be vital for the north Londoners.
Edu confirmed as far back as April that preparations have already been made.
"Our planning has already been done," said the Brazilian sporting director to ESPN (via 90min)."It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."
Central midfield is believed to be a major priority for Arsenal this summer, leading to links with Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo. Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan is rumoured to be a target also, though Arsenal face stiff competition from La Liga champions Barcelona, who are also very interested in the Germany international.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a traditional right-back – with Real Valladolid starlet Ivan Fresenda and Galatasary star Sacha Boey also being targeted for Arteta.
Going back to potential additions in the middle of the park, journalist Simon Collings of The Evening Standard has shared an update on the club's interest in Rice.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
The Hammers captain is reliably believed to be a major target for Arsenal and The Standard claim they will "accelerate talks" after West Ham's Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina tonight.
As well as this, Arteta's side "will push to strike a deal" at around £90 million, which is £30m less than West Ham's valuation of their star – thought to be around £120m.
Who is Declan Rice?
The England international, who has been called "world class" by members of the press, certainly lived up to that tag over the course of 2022/23.
As per WhoScored, he stood out as West Ham's best-performing league player by average match rating – making more interceptions per 90 than any of his teammates in the top flight.
It's hardly surprising Rice is set to command a major fee this summer and it will be interesting to see if the Irons soften their stance on his £120m asking price.
Following his side’s 3-0 defeat to India, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he is disappointed but was thankful for the experience, which he felt would help the players take their game forward
Sidharth Monga in Indore11-Oct-20163:06
‘Ashwin is best in exposing conditions’ – Williamson
After losing all the Tests in a series they would have been hopeful of doing well in, Kane Williamson managed to retain some humour, but he knew his side was done in by a mix of difficult conditions for them, the quality of their opposition in those conditions, and their own lack of application at times. In packed schedules nowadays, you hardly get time to acclimatise, which means you don’t have too many second chances. The most disappointing aspect for New Zealand will be that when they got a surface in Indore that resembled classic Indian pitches, they couldn’t bat for long enough. It didn’t help that they never won a toss, and India always were in the ascendency.When asked about R Ashwin’s hold on him – the leading wicket-taker of the series took out Williamson all four times he batted – Williamson joked: “He didn’t get me out 27 times. He got a few other blokes out too.”On a serious note, Williamson did make a mention of the conditions. “He’s a good bowler,'” Williamson said of Ashwin. “We’re always learning playing internationals. I guess it’s a new thing, personally as well. Come over here with so much rough, which is nice to bowl into. I suppose I was a victim of it a few times. I guess, when you are put in that situation where you are dismissed in a similar situation, you are able to learn and try to improve from that. The conditions guys are exposed to, and the quality of bowling, in a backhanded way, we can be thankful for those experiences that help move your game forward.”Even before the season began, India had a good chance of going unbeaten through a long season of 13 home Tests. New Zealand, on paper, seemed the team likeliest to challenge India, which will now make India look invincible this season. Williamson, though, felt – and it did bring out some laughs – that the toss can be crucial in these conditions. The previous home season had a shift in the pitches India play on, and they have won all seven tosses since then.”Winning the toss would be helpful, I think,” Williamson said, when asked what advice he could give to the teams that are following him in India’s home season. “Which is a challenge in itself: South Africa lost every toss as well. Certainly have to be at your best. Whether you win the toss, lose the toss, India were far superior in this series. It depends on the surfaces. Every surface has been different in this series, they were different in the South Africa series. Whether it is a good one… it is important to spend time at the crease, creating pressure. Batting first would be nice. It would help, certainly, in being more competitive. This India side is a very good team, and they certainly know these conditions better than anyone.”Williamson said that while the conditions were more difficult when they batted in Indore, this was a pitch where they could have played more assured cricket. Speaking on finding the right balance between defence and attack, Williamson said: “It is a challenge, certainly on wickets very conducive to spin that make attacking tough as well. Sometimes, being positive when it is doing a little bit more is the way forward. It is up to the individual how they want to skin it, but in this Test, which was probably a little bit more like Test matches of old where it’s that war of attrition and you have to play long game like India showed, as opposed to Test matches prior, where 300 was a very good score, where you go out there and play positively and you get them before they get you, here was a little bit different.”They exploited conditions better than us. They played very patiently with the bat, and batting was not easy when it came our time. Not just because conditions had deteriorated, but the very good bowling attack they have. Important that we come away from here, although frustrated, having learnt a huge amount as a young group being exposed in these conditions.”Williamson didn’t shy away from giving India the credit and said he was disappointed his team couldn’t adapt quickly enough, but added that in conditions so challenging he felt the need to send players early for more experience.”The more you can play in these conditions, the better you’ll be,” Williamson said. “That has to be a given. The more experiences you get in any conditions, it is a good thing. People talk a lot about county cricket and then, when you go to England, you certainly are far more aware of what to expect. I suppose this is no different. If guys can have more experience in these conditions, it will certainly be helpful.”When asked if he felt his side had spent enough time here before the series, Williamson brought up the practical issue of the packed schedules. “I suppose there is always those discussions,” Williamson said. “Another tough point as well is that you are playing so much international cricket, it is tricky to get that extra preparation you would like. So, you are having to learn on the job a bit, which is the nature of the beast, but at the same time, it is an important thing. Whether it’s ‘A’ teams where guys are able to get extra time to come over, particularly in these conditions where you are playing more and more cricket. India’s home summer this year is 13 Test matches. So you are playing more and more in these conditions.”New Zealand now have the five-ODI series to look forward to, which will be played on flatter surfaces. Williamson hoped the team doesn’t carry the scars of losing the Tests into that series. “Disappointing to lose the Test series,” he said. “At the same time, the guys are looking forward to the change of format. It will be tough again. We know India are a very good side at that as well. It’s exciting. We know that wickets will more than likely be quite different again.”We have got to adapt. Go out and play with that freedom, knowing that when we do play with that freedom, we play our best cricket. There will be a little bit of scarring coming out of a three-nil Test defeat. Obviously winning is a lot better than losing. Unfortunately we have lost a few on the trot, but nice to have new personnel come in who are fresh and looking forward to the one-day series.”
Liverpool will face competition from Portuguese giants Benfica as Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seeks a deal for Feyenoord captain Orkun Kokcu this summer.
What's the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Liverpool?
That's according to a report from the Netherlands (as relayed by the Liverpool Echo), which claims that the recently-crowned Eredivisie champions' captain is attracting interest from multiple angles after a brilliant campaign.
Due to Premier League interest, Feyenoord are hoping for at least €40m (£34m) for their star midfielder, and while Benfica are pushing hard to land the Turkish ace, the allure of Jurgen Klopp's outfit could swing the odds in his favour.
Earlier this year, former Liverpool gem Dirk Kuyt stated his desire to see the Anfield side make their move for the 22-year-old, which could be realised this summer as the Reds look to replace departees James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Should Liverpool sign Orkun Kokcu?
It's fair to say that it's not been a bad season for Kokcu, who scored 12 goals and served five more from 46 appearances across all competitions en route to divisional glory in the Netherlands, ending Ajax's five-year dominance.
Dubbed a "true leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Feyenoord captain offers an impressive goalscoring prowess to complement a dynamic slant to his midfield play – two elements that could prove enticing to Klopp considering Harvey Elliott's five-goal haul was the highest of any Liverpool midfielder this term.
Klopp's team tends not to find prolific success from the centre, instead relying on the marauding creativity of full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold while harnessing the blistering frontal potency of the likes of Mohamed Salah and co.
But the season gone past illustrates the need for change after the Reds fell by the wayside and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and Kokcu could change that.
As per Sofascore, he recorded a stunning average match rating of 7.48 in Eredivisie this term, complementing his direct contributions by completing 85% of his passes, making 2.8 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, and succeeding with 58% of his attempted dribbles.
Truly an all-encompassing midfielder, burgeoning and yet to channel the full scope of his potential, much like Nice machine Khephren Thuram, who could yet forge a deadly midfield alliance with the 20-cap Turkey international on Merseyside having received reliable and heavy links with a move to Klopp's team.
With holding midfielder Fabinho likely to retain his spot in Klopp's system despite a campaign where he flattered to deceive, the more progression-centric duo could wreak havoc behind Liverpool's frontline, with Kokcu, who ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions, as per FBref, for both shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, achieving a state of confluence with his "tenacious" – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – prospective teammate.
Thuram has been regarded as "dangerous" and "powerful" by club peer Aaron Ramsey, and himself ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
The state of confluence that Liverpool might craft with a deal for both of these exciting dynamos could be the perfect remedy for the seasonal strife, and it must be enacted by new technical director Jorg Schmadtke to ensure that the desired ascent takes the Reds right back to the top.