Tag Futebol

Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has delivered his verdict on the Newcastle United pursuit of Leicester City midfielder James Maddison. 

The lowdown: Two bids rejected

The Magpies have seen two offers rejected by the Foxes for Maddison in recent days, one of £40million and one of £50million as Eddie Howe attempts to add creativity to the St James’ Park ranks.

Leicester are reportedly holding out for £60million for the 25-year-old England international who has directly contributed to 77 goals in 170 outings for the Midlands club.

Upon discovering the mooted asking price, one pundit has provided his reaction to what it will take to bring Maddison to the North East this summer…

The latest: ‘Gobsmacked’

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Aston Villa boss now Sky Sports pundit McLeish suggested that Newcastle should pay up for the one-cap star.

He said: “My reaction to that is, now we’re talking, Newcastle. Now you are talking, he is a superb player. I remember watching videos of him as a kid, him practising with his Dad in the garden.

“He’s a two-footed player and he has tremendous ability. For me, he is a well-rounded player and well worth the money Newcastle will have to pay for him. He would be one of the big signings of this new Newcastle era. I am gobsmacked by the prices you see for players these days.

“But James Maddison is up there with all of the best box-to-box midfielders you see in the game all over the world. I rate him very highly.”

The verdict: Pay up

Whilst the modus operandi from PIF to not spend what the club perceive as over the odds for targets has s far proven to be a smart one, paying extra to bring a player of Maddison’s proven class to Tyneside would be a significant statement of intent from the Toon.

Hailed as a ‘special talent’ by The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter, this is a potential deal that has all the hallmarks of being a transformational capture for Newcastle as Howe looks to take the club to the next phase of its development having survived relegation last term.

Already boasting 133 Premier League outings, last season, Maddison scored 18 times and provided 12 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions, earning a sensational 7.32 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.0 duels, making 1.4 key passes and taking 2.1 shots on average per league game.

That form, experience and overall level of quality see the attacker share similar qualities to the likes of Son Heung-min, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes (Fbref), all combining to make the Englishman a superb addition to Howe’s ranks.

Dan Ashworth and Co would be wise to sanction the additional funds to get this one over the line.

Wolves haven’t been particularly busy when it comes to adding new players to their squad throughout this summer’s transfer window in the same way that some other Premier League clubs have.

With Nathan Collins being the only new face to arrive at Molineux so far this summer, the Old Gold may be waiting for the final weeks of the window to get their business done.

Having only seen last season’s three relegated teams score fewer goals than them in the 2021/22 Premier League, it would make sense for the Old Gold to target someone who can help in an attacking sense.

One figure with whom the Molineux club have been mentioned and who could fit this bill is Borna Sosa.

Despite being a left-sided defender, the Croatian has shown he can be a very useful attacking figure, which could make him a smart prospective signing for Wolves and an upgrade on their current left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Across 83 appearances for Stuttgart, the 24-year-old has three goals and an impressive 23 assists to his name.

To further highlight Sosa’s attacking talent, comparing his previous Bundesliga campaign with Ait-Nouri’s most recent Premier League season with Wolves, the Croatian racked up more shots at goal, shot-creating actions, goal-creating actions and crosses than the 21-year-old (via FBRef).

This shows that, certainly from an attacking point of view, the 24-year-old – who is currently valued at €13m (£10m) according to Football Transfers – would be a deadlier figure than the current Wolves full-back and give the Old Gold’s attacking players the chance to score on a more consistent basis.

It also backs up why Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo said that the player has “huge potential”, and also why the club’s sporting director Sven Mislintat described Sosa’s left foot as a “weapon” for their side.

In terms of a potential move to Wolves, the departure of Fernando Marcal from Molineux this summer shows that they could do with adding another full-back to their squad.

Based on his clear attacking talent, the Stuttgart gem could be an excellent prospective addition to Bruno Lage’s side and make it easier for them to find the net on a more regular basis.

AND in other news: Steve Madeley drops behind-the-scenes transfer claim that’ll have Wolves supporters fuming

Everton’s search for a new striker to replace Richarlison has seemingly sent them in the direction of Edin Dzeko and the former Manchester City man could be a superb addition to Frank Lampard’s side.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Italy, Everton, Wolves and Leicester City are all considering moves for the 36-year-old, who could be sold by Inter as they look to free up space for the potential signing of Paulo Dybala.

They claim that Juventus have already seen an approach rejected, while there is also interest from Germany, which is no surprise when you consider his superb performances in recent seasons.

A huge coup for Lampard

While Dzeko is 36 now, the Bosnian forward would guarantee goals for the Toffees next season.

Last season saw him contribute 13 goals and five assists in 36 Serie A appearances, averaging an impressive 7.07 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The veteran forward has been prolific throughout his career, enjoying particularly fruitful spells with Roma and Manchester City, where he was a big part of the Citizens’ transformation into Premier League title winners, hitting 72 goals for them between 2011 and 2015.

Although his wages could prove to be a problem, as he reportedly earns £152k per week at Inter, his transfer fee would be minimal and he could be an excellent short-term option in Lampard’s side, as they look to improve on their disastrous 2021/22 campaign.

Former Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco was full of praise for Dzeko in 2018 after an impressive Champions League performance, saying:

“I must say, he’s an extraordinary player, and not just in terms of his finishing – he gets the team playing, brings the ball down and produces good service for his teammates.

[freshpress-quiz id=“638086″]

“He’s a fantastic professional, his pre-match preparations are always spot-on. When he has a bad game he might appear lethargic, but he does well when he’s determined.”

Not only could he replace the goals of Richarlison, but he could be an excellent mentor to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as his hold-up play and finishing ability have seen him succeed at the top level for more than a decade.

Therefore, it would be a huge coup for Everton if Farhad Moshiri could bring him to Goodison Park this summer, as there is no doubt that he would be a quality addition to Lampard’s side.

AND, in other news: Everton get green light to sign “really poor” £10m dud, it’s another Walcott disaster

Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds United’s reported interest in Charles De Ketelaere.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist revealed that, following recent reports linking the Whites with a move for the Club Brugge forward, Victor Orta is indeed keen on a deal to bring the 21-year-old to Elland Road this summer.

However, Hay went on to suggest that the Whites’ sporting director is only likely to move for the Belgium international in the event that Raphinha departs LS11 ahead of the new season. The Athletic journalist also confirmed that PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo is another player on the Spaniard’s shortlist of summer targets.

Regarding Leeds’ interest in De Ketelaere and Gakpo, Hay said: “Yes, the interest in those wingers is genuine, but it will be dictated by Raphinha going. They’re not going to go and sign Gakpo or De Ketelaere unless Raphinha leaves, that’s my reading of this situation.”

“Elite signing”

Should Raphinha go on to seal a move away from Elland Road this summer – which looks increasingly likely – it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in lining up the versatile De Ketelaere as the Brazil international’s replacement.

Indeed, over his 39 Jupiler Pro League appearances last season, the £27m-rated talent was in breathtaking form for Brugge. He scored 14 goals, registered nine assists and created 16 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking two shots, making 1.8 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

These returns saw the player who James Marshment dubbed an “elite signing” and “the heir to Kevin De Bruyne” average a spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.25. That ranked him not only as Alfred Schreuder’s fourth-best performer in the league but also the 13th-best player in the entire division.

The £17k-per-week attacking midfielder – who can also operate in central midfield, on either wing and at centre-forward – also impressed over his six Champions League games in 2021/22, providing one assist and creating one big chance, in addition to taking 1.5 shots, making 1.8 key passes and completing one dribble per match.

These returns saw the 21-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.98, an impressive feat considering that Brugge were in the competition’s group of death alongside Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

As such, should Orta go on to seal a €30m (£26m) deal for De Ketelaere this summer, the Spaniard could well have unearthed the next £76.5m-rated De Bruyne at Leeds. That is sure to be an incredibly exciting prospect for both Jesse Marsch and Whites supporters alike.

AND in other news: Orta now closing in on “exceptional” target as Leeds’ next signing, he has “no downside”

West Ham United are reportedly close to sealing their first signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, via GIVEMESPORT, who claims that the Hammers are closing in on a deal for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd.

Sheth revealed that the signing is close and that the unveiling as a West Ham player will take place if he goes through his medical without any issues.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth said:

“There are two signings that look quite imminent as it stands, and one of them is the Rennes central defender Nayef Aguerd. He’s either been having a medical today, or tomorrow he’ll be having that medical at West Ham.”

As per the Metro, the Hammers will sign the Moroccan for a fee of £20m.

Moyes will love him

From a West Ham perspective, this would be some start to the summer transfer window.

Injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop left Moyes with a shortage of established centre-backs at the club, with pressure piled on the likes of Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma to remain fit.

Ogbonna’s omission from the squad will arguably have hindered Moyes the most, with the Italian defender the only left-footed centre-back at the club.

In order to successfully build sustained attacks from the back, natural-footed centre-backs are seen as an effective way to boost possession stats, making it easy for a right-footed centre-back to play a switch towards the left-flank.

Aguerd, being a left-footed defender can not only offer that option to Moyes, but is proven in doing so effectively, averaging 64.37 passes completed and 3.26 switches with a progressive passing distance of 482.48 yards per 90.

The Morrocan has all of the technical ability needed to thrive as a ball-playing centre-back in the league and will bring something different to Moyes’ side who are clearly looking to improve on their 47.7% average possession metric. As a result, the Scot will love to have him in his team next term.

In other news: WHU can unearth a new Zola by signing £18m-rated “machine” who can “chop people down” 

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Eddie Nketiah.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist dropped the news that, despite the centre-forward previously being expected to leave Arsenal upon the expiry of his contract this summer – with Leeds rumoured to be keen on the signing of the former England U21 international – the 22-year-old will now put pen to paper on a new deal at The Emirates.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Eddie Nketiah will stay at Arsenal… the decision has been made – nothing signed yet. Nketiah will pen a new long-term deal – Eddie has decided to turn down Bundesliga and PL club proposals to stay at Arsenal.”

Supporters will be gutted

While Romano does not specifically mention Leeds as one of the Premier League clubs to have made an approach for Nketiah, considering the fact that the Whites were linked with a £20m move for the forward last summer, in addition to the recent rumours of their reignited interest this year, it would be extremely surprising if Jesse Marsch’s side were not one of the teams to approach the 22-year-old regarding a move.

Indeed, despite being a bit-part player under Mikel Arteta for the majority of the season, the £9m-rated talent still managed to return impressive numbers over his 21 Premier League outings – only eight of which came as starts – scoring five goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

The £45k-per-week striker also impressed in the Carabao Cup, bagging five goals over five appearances in the competition – taking his total haul for the 2021/22 campaign to ten goals and one assist over 27 appearances, with the 22-year-old boasting an average of a direct goal involvement every 103 minutes of football played.

As such, with the signing of a Premier League proven forward reported to be one of Victor Orta’s priorities in the summer transfer window, the news that Nketiah will now be remaining at Arsenal will more than likely come as a gutting blow to the Spaniard and supporters of the club alike – as the Whites’ former loanee would undoubtedly have made an exceptional addition to Marsch’s current attacking options, especially as he wouldn’t have cost a penny.

AND in other news: Orta could unearth the next £50m talent as Leeds plot offer for “highly-rated” target

According to a report from Football Insider, Manchester City are among the clubs interested in signing AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni this summer. 

The lowdown: Hot property

The 22-year-old has rapidly become one of the most sought after young talents in European football with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain all vying for his signature.

Despite his tender years, Tchouameni has already made 130 senior professional outings in France having made the switch from Bordeaux to Monaco in 2020.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-newest-updates/” title=”Man City newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As a move to one of the continent’s elite clubs looms large, title rivals Liverpool have been the furthest ahead for the player, with some members of the French media even believing a deal to Anfield is close.

City could now be in contention having already secured the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund though, according to a new update.

The latest: Transfer ‘boost’

As per a recruitment source at FI, both Man City and Liverpool have been handed a ‘boost’ in their pursuit of the eight-cap France ace.

It’s claimed that Monaco are already preparing for life after the powerful midfielder as the Ligue 1 outfit ‘prepare to cash in’ this summer.

The report also claims that Chelsea have shown an interest in the youngster, who was hailed as ‘top quality’ by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano as the Italian journalist cited a €70millon (£59.6million) asking price.

The verdict: Fernandinho successor?

Following the apparent surprise revelation that Fernandinho will leave the Etihad at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola will be seeking a replacement for the Brazilian defensive midfielder.

So far this season, Tchouameni has scored five times and provided a further two assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, earning an outstanding 7.33 Sofascore rating, completing 51.3 passes, 2.9 interceptions and 2.5 tackles on average per game in the process.

Those statistics – plus a stylistic likeness to players such as Liverpool star Thiago and Real Madrid’s midfield spoiler Casemiro (Fbref) – highlight the Frenchman’s well-rounded game and make Tchouameni a superb candidate to bolster the Cityzens squad.

In other news: Guardiola could also join race to sign £354,000-per-week superstar! Find out more here.

He must bat in the top five in T20Is, with a second allrounder in the XI to add to the lower-order muscle

Varun Shetty in Bengaluru26-Feb-20193:44

Great that we almost defended 126 – Krunal Pandya

It takes some deliberation before you can say it, but Krunal Pandya might be India’s best T20 allrounder. Any hesitation in stating that outright is because of three of his bowling spells soon after his India debut: his four overs for 40, 55 and 54 against West Indies (Chennai), Australia (Brisbane) and New Zealand (Hamilton) respectively.He had gone for 40 or more only once in 62 T20 appearances before his international debut, in Rajkot. But expensive figures on varying surfaces against three different teams were not complete shockers; many domestic or IPL performers, especially those who bowl, have found the step up to internationals tricky. Sandeep Sharma, Parvinder Awana and, more recently, Mohammed Siraj, will vouch for it. Among allrounders, Stuart Binny replicated neither his nous at the domestic T20 level, nor his exquisite ODI numbers. The difference with Krunal, though, is that he has been able to bounce back every single time.The Brisbane spell was followed by economic bowling (1 for 26 in four overs) and two catches in Melbourne and a four-for in Sydney. A 1 for 37 in Wellington was followed by 3 for 28 in Auckland. On the day he went for 54 In Hamilton, he returned with the bat to see India through in a chase.That was two weeks before Sunday’s spell in the first T20I against Australia in Visakhapatnam, where he conceded 17 runs in four overs after playing a reckless shot as India’s last recognised batsman in a collapse. In defending 126, Krunal also ran out D’Arcy Short. That adds up to spells at less than six an over, a three-for and a four-for, and crucial efforts with bat and in the field. A more than acceptable early run in international cricket for an allrounder.There’s another way of looking at it too: Krunal has had bad days as a bowler in four out of his ten international games. Forty per cent is rather high for a player who, in this Indian line-up, is almost exclusively being played as a bowling allrounder. And while he has sample size in his favour, this is still a crucial checkpoint. Is he the best option for India in his current role?BCCIKrunal can bat in the top six, can play finisher, and can give you four quality overs in a team where he is not the only allrounder. That is peak Krunal – at Baroda, and at Mumbai Indians. So why don’t India have a similar role for him?He burst into prominence because of his monstrous hitting in the IPL. An examination of those numbers suggests that India amend any mid-to-long-term middle-order plans they might have immediately and haul him into a permanent spot at No. 5. He’s done it all: rescue acts after early collapses, improvisation on difficult pitches, a full range of batting carnage in the slog overs, and a neat little combination of all three when he was Man of the Match for his 47 in the 2017 IPL final.While his bowling is a major skill in its own right – putting doubts even in AB de Villiers’ mind at one point – when he is at his best, Krunal has been more of a support bowler than a frontline option for his franchise. For India, he has bowled out his quota every game. For Mumbai Indians, he has done it about half the time.Krunal hasn’t always been required to bowl out, thanks to Mumbai Indians’ historically strong bowling roster. It isn’t a difficult case to make that the Indian team now has a bowling line-up that outdoes that of Mumbai Indians. They have two outstanding wrist-spinners in their ranks, alongside two of the best death-overs bowlers in world cricket. With four world-class frontline bowlers, and competent depth in the allrounders’ category, India are well-placed to exploit the full range of Krunal’s batting abilities the way his franchise and state team do.If they are prepared to drop a frontline batsman, for instance, and regularly play the Pandya brothers in the middle order, or Krunal in combination with Vijay Shankar, their batting in the latter stages of the innings might improve dramatically.Since February 2016, India have a poor scoring rate in comparison to other international teams when they lose between three and five wickets between overs 7-16. Only five out of 12 times in such a situation have India managed to score at a strike rate higher than 120, the average for teams in such a situation.That means India score below the average rate 41.67% of the time in a phase where acceleration begins. Only Sri Lanka and West Indies score below that rate more often than India. For context, a team like South Africa, with their many destructive allrounders, have scored above that rate 83.33% of the time, and other teams with similar compositions – England, Pakistan, New Zealand – have mid-fifties percentages.Without putting too fine a point on it, India are perhaps showing signs of strategic or – at the very least – selection inertia. There’s been enough written on T20 batting evolving into almost entirely a race for six-hitting, and despite their own league producing evidence of that, India haven’t quite latched on to the idea.There is undeniably an elite young talent pool available to pull something like that off. It’s unlikely to happen at the moment, with even T20Is being used to provide match time to ODI World Cup aspirants. But there is time before next year’s T20 World Cup – enough to accommodate for the best of India’s futuristic T20 players. They only need to realise that they have already got one of them in the present.

The gaffes in the field could have left India in an uncomfortable position on the first day in Mohali were it not for their bowlers, who never let England run away with the game

Alagappan Muthu26-Nov-20162:41

Ganguly: Jayant’s ball to get Bairstow was brilliant

Mohali offered box-office material on Saturday and here’s hoping enough fans of Charlie Chaplin were watching.It began with Ravindra Jadeja, his body the shape of a slanted A and his mouth a pronounced O as an edge off Alastair Cook whooshed past. What a gag. One of India’s best fielders had missed an honest-to-goodness catch.Then R Ashwin got punked everywhere he went. At short midwicket, he made a silly by dropping a dolly. At mid-on, he misfielded so badly Virat Kohli almost facepalmed. At square leg, in the final hour of the day and just as he thought he had the ball covered, it bounced awkwardly and nearly broke a tooth.The most comedic incident, though, at least as far as the press box was concerned, was the toss. Heads craned as the coin went up, then they were thrown back in laughter as Cook promptly chose to bat. Before the first hour was done, he had been given two lives. None of this sounds like a day that ends with India taking eight wickets, does it?Clearly the bowlers deserve a lot of credit for this turn – only the metaphorical kind was on offer despite fears otherwise – of events. They never let England run away with the game.Mohammed Shami had two chances put down in his first spell. He was asked to create a third by his captain 10 minutes before lunch. He bounced Moeen Ali out.From swapping out the spinner for a quick to the setting of a leg-side trap, that wicket was the culmination of a plan coming together. India had a short leg in place. They had also kept a man about 10 yards inside the boundary at fine leg specifically for the top-edge. Normally on such pitches – slow with not much bounce – that man would be positioned squarer to control the runs. Kohli was gambling. Shami was his ace in the hole.The ball was fast, it rose up towards Moeen’s head, triggered the instinct to hook and subdued the good sense that would have told the batsman he was trying to drag it from outside the off stump and, as such, his timing would be off. Having gone through a horrible first hour – and that doesn’t take into account India losing their first-choice opener KL Rahul to injury again – that was a moment of pure joy. Kohli actually skipped over to the catcher M Vijay to share high-fives.Having had two catches dropped off his bowling early in the day, Mohammed Shami still responded to his captain’s call with the wicket of Moeen Ali•AFPWith seven balls to stumps, Umesh Yadav finally convinced an outswinger to overcome its shyness and go hug Chris Woakes’ off stump. Umesh had been warned for following through on the danger area in his fourth over. Going wider of the stumps eventually helped him trouble the England batsmen more because the right-handers felt they had to play most of his deliveries with the angle into them. After that, it was only a matter of being accurate because he was finding sideways movement – both conventional and reverse.”I am improving day by day with the matches that I am playing,” Umesh said. “I talk to my coaches Anil bhai [Kumble] and Sanjay bhai [Bangar]. Pace comes with a disadvantage. If you don’t pitch it right, you will go for runs. They advise me to bowl in one particular area. My impact area is outside the off stump from where I can bowl my outswingers and make the batsmen play a lot more.”It’s a bit cold and there’s some moisture in the wicket. The ball is moving. It’s not that if the wicket is flat the new ball wont swing. New ball will swing if you have faith. Me and Shami know that we can swing it till the ball is new. We are trying to bowl outside off stump channel from where we were getting our outswingers. There is good carry in the pitch also at good pace.”India’s spinners weren’t lagging behind either. Jadeja’s two wickets were the combination of a tried and tested method – strangling the batsman for runs – enhanced by a new skill: drawing them out of their crease. To accomplish that, a man who has thrived by firing darts at the stumps, bringing bowled and lbw into play, had to deceive his opponents with flight.Jadeja bowled 31 deliveries to Ben Stokes. Twenty-eight of them were dots. Sensing the batsman would be looking for a big shot, he held one back and since he had also tossed it up and put in a lot of work with his action, it drifted away too. Stokes had premeditated his charge, was tricked into driving inside the line and then stumped. This sequence – apart from being a delight to watch – tested the theory that batsmen find it easier to score against the ball turning into them.Ashwin redeemed himself, taking a wicket off his first ball and could well have had England’s top-scorer Jonny Bairstow caught behind for 54. India’s premier spinner may not have been ripping it from one corner to another, but his variations of pace and trajectory were beautiful. When Buttler was new at the crease, playing only his second first-class match since being dropped from the Test side in October 2015, Ashwin fed him a few flatter deliveries to push him back before an offbreak with a considerable amount of overspin came along. The batsman, to his credit, managed to adjust to the extra bounce and pat it down with soft hands. Buttler should have done the same against Jadeja in the 69th over. He couldn’t and England’s biggest partnership of the innings – 69 runs for the sixth wicket – was rather tamely broken.Jayant Yadav was the least accurate among India’s bowlers, but it was he who showcased how difficult this pitch could become. Drier at the full and good-length areas, where some crumbling has already happened, it encouraged one ball to go on with the arm to take Bairstow’s outside edge as he defended inside the line. The next one gripped the deck more and turned sharply to beat the inside edge and pin the right-hander lbw.With India being good, bad and ugly all in one day, the Kohli cam had plenty of work to do. He glared. He fumed. He screamed. He wrung his hands in disgust one minute, high-fived with glee the next. However, after stumps, he was simply a man content. At least until 9.30am on Sunday, when the show would start all over again.

Quinton de Kock has just not been the same since suffering a freak injury in December last year, and as difficult as it may be, he needs to toughen up to win his spot in the team back

Firdose Moonda29-Jul-2015South Africa went to Bangladesh hoping to obtain some clarity on their Test opening pair, and on their front-line spinner. They did not expect to find murkiness on their choice of wicketkeeper, which will only further complicate their state of transition.While Stiaan van Zyl and Dean Elgar showed what Hashim Amla has described as “a lot of promise and positivity,” and Simon Harmer displayed his ability with the ball, Quinton de Kock has stagnated so much, he has even been dropped. De Kock has played all the matches on the ongoing Bangladesh tour – two T20Is, three ODIs and a Test – with a total of 100 runs to his name, a top score of 44 and an uncertainty outside offstump that has become impossible to ignore. As a result, Dane Vilas will instead make his debut in Mirpur in the absence of AB de Villiers, who is on paternity leave, to create competition behind the stumps and give de Kock a second wake-up call in his fledgling career.De Kock has been benched before, after an unsuccessful series in Sri Lanka early in his international career. Then, he had played five T20s and seven ODIs and appeared out of his depth, particularly in unfamiliar conditions. De Kock’s lack of footwork and confidence cost him his wicket all too often and eventually, his place in the side. He was sent back to the domestic game to practice and he did that, endlessly.His franchise coach, Geoffrey Toyana, spent hours in the nets as de Kock worked on his awareness, his ability against spin and taming his irrepressible aggression. The result was a more resolute and relaxed player, who reeled off three centuries in succession against India in December 2013.De Kock fast-forwarded through the next six months. He was promoted to take over from de Villiers as the first-choice wicketkeeper, and made his Test debut. He was considered an integral part of the set-up and was expected to set the World Cup alight. But then his fire was put out by a freak injury and things have not been the same.De Kock tore ligaments in his ankle in mid-December last year, during a Test against West Indies, and was expected to be out of the game for three months, threatening his World Cup. South Africa did not want that, so de Kock’s rehabilitation was fast-tracked. Instead of surgery, he was treated conservatively and made a speedy recovery. By late January, he was back on the park, but his form was not.He went through the World Cup without contributing much, save for an undefeated 78 in the quarter-final against Sri Lanka, and seemed to lack the spark of earlier. His feet went back to being stuck and, as if overcompensating, his arms swung desperately and widely in response. He nicked off, he played down the wrong line, he was late on some strokes and early on others, he left stumps exposed and he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in the middle. Now, he has been sent there.Former selector Hugh Page, who is a de Kock admirer, believes it was the right decision to drop the wicketkeeper-batsman. “Things have gone his way for the last year or so and when that happens guys can start to think things have become easy. Now he has been given a bit of a reality check,” Page told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to let him know that some hard work is in order. And it’s also good to create competition. It keeps the other guys interested and makes sure they don’t lose faith in the system.”Not falling to plan: De Kock has had an unimpressive few months in 2015•AFPThe wicketkeeper’s position is not one that changes gloves often, and in South Africa’s case, it barely changed at all for a decade. Mark Boucher held a monopoly over the spot for a decade and South Africa forgot to create a succession plan. Had de Kock not arrived on the scene, they may still be relying on de Villiers’ bad back and scouting for someone else.South Africa would not want to create the same situation in the future, which made it important not to persist with an out-of-form de Kock, especially since there are other options available. Vilas has a first-class average of 41.00 and has been solid for the Cobras behind the stumps. He deserves a chance and has got one, but for how long?De Kock is expected to be back soon and Page believes he has probably even been briefed on what he needs to do to take back his place. “I would hope that there is a decent level of communication and that the coach has told him, ‘We’ve done our best to keep you in the side but now you need to go and do the work,” Page said.Exactly where that work will take place is not certain. The best option would be to send to de Kock on South Africa A’s trip to India, even though it clashes with the New Zealand series at home, to get him ready for a summer which includes two more trips to the subcontinent. South Africa have a full tour of India later this year, culminating in the 2016 World T20.If de Kock is to be part of South Africa’s plans for those series, he needs to adapt to conditions. As Amla put it, “Playing Test cricket in the subcontinent is hard work. One of our players said earlier if it was easy it would be called easy cricket, it’s not for faint-hearted.” If Amla’s words are anything to go by, de Kock needs to toughen up.While he does that, South Africa can assess if Vilas is the right man to take over the gloves. If they want to test alternatives, they can do it against New Zealand. Any other experimentation, particularly in the longer format, will have to be done in Bangladesh, but it seems unlikely at the moment.Amla indicated Kagiso Rabada will have to wait for a Test debut while the premier pace pack find their feet. “We’ve got three-and-a-half seamers now. I don’t think we are going to add another one,” he said. Sticking with Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and van Zyl will also ensure South Africa do not cloud their own thinking anymore or appear to be making knee-jerk reactions in search of a series win, which Amla has impressed is not as essential as we may think.”I don’t think it’s a must-win game. I don’t think there are any knockouts in Test cricket as yet but we are here to win,” Amla said. “We haven’t showed our full array as yet and it would be great if we can do it in this Test.”