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Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of rivals Chelsea in the race to sign a “magnificent” player in the summer transfer window.

Kerkez to join Liverpool this week

The Reds have now officially signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m move, in a piece of business that has made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.

There is unlikely to be a bigger signing made this summer, with Wirtz considered one of the world’s top attacking players, but Liverpool are not expected to be done there, still planning on adding fresh faces to the squad.

It looks as though Milos Kerkez will be the next name through the door at Anfield in the coming days, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming over the weekend that a minor issue has been ironed out and that he could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone one better, however, saying that a medical is now expected to be done on Monday after flying into the UK, with the deal set to be worth £40m for the Bournemouth left-back.

Liverpool leading race to sign "magnificent" ace

Now, reliable Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri [via Sport Witness] has said that Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of Chelsea and others in the battle to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.

He states that the Reds’ head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, admires the 20-year-old and has him at the top of his list of summer targets. The Premier League champions will need to sell Federico Chiesa first, though, and Fofana could possibly cost as much as £60m.

Fofana could be a brilliant long-term signing for Liverpool, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “magnificent” prospect last year.

At just 20 years of age, the young Belgian has already bagged 22 goal contributions (15 goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances for Lyon, also winning one cap for Belgium at senior level, and those numbers should only improve as he matures as a player.

Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, it seems slightly strange that Liverpool would push so hard for Fofana, though, especially as Chiesa is right-sided in general.

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Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo appear to be staying put, so it would arguably only make sense for the Reds to sign the Lyon ace if one of them moves on, or if Arne Slot sees him as a backup option to Mohamed Salah on the right. But his talent is undeniable, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is exciting.

This season has been a long one for Arsenal fans.

Instead of finally getting over the line in the Premier League, they were out of the title race months ago, and in the domestic cups, they were even worse.

Granted, the North Londoners have had to deal with a mountain of injuries, but even then, when fit, most of the attackers in the squad have been subpar at best.

Perhaps the worst of the lot, and one of the worst signings made in the team’s recent history, was Raheem Sterling, and if recent reports are to be believed, the board has been in contact with a player who could prove to be just as disastrous a signing this summer.

Arsenal could sign Premier League winger

Before we get to the worrying links in question, it is worth looking at some of the more exciting transfer rumours for players like Benjamin Sesko and Rayan Cherki.

Transfer Focus

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

The former enjoyed another fine season with RB Leipzig this year, racking up a tally of 21 goals and six assists in 45 games, and could be available for just £75m.

On the other hand, the Lyon star could be available for even less at £30m and has enjoyed an even better campaign with the French giants, racking up a sensational haul of 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 games.

However, while both of these players would undoubtedly add something positive to the Gunners squad, we aren’t sure we can say the same about Alejandro Garnacho.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have been in contact with the player’s representatives.

Now, even though it has been widely reported that the Argentine winger has been told to find himself a new club this summer, Manchester United still want a sizable fee for the winger, a fee of around £51m per Bailey.

While Garnacho is a talented young footballer, we can’t see him as a good fit for Arsenal in any way whatsoever, and with the money required to bring him to North London, this could be another Sterling-esque disaster.

Why Garnacho could be another Sterling for Arsenal

Even if we were to completely disregard the transfer fee required to sign Garnacho this summer – we shouldn’t – there would still be a plethora of reasons why bringing him to the club would be a bad idea.

Despite being labelled as a “superstar,” by football creator Liam Canning, much like Sterling this season, he’d almost certainly struggle to make an impact and establish himself in the starting lineup.

For example, while his tally of 11 goals and ten assists certainly looks good at a glance, things become a lot less impressive when we dive into those numbers.

Of those 21 goal involvements, only eight came in the league, while six came in the League Cup and another five in the Europa League, and worse yet, his only goal against a fellow ‘big six’ side was against Manchester City in the Community Shield.

On top of his underwhelming output, the last week or so has shown that, at his worst, the supposedly “special talent”, as dubbed by football statistician Statman Dave, can be a serious problem in the dressing room.

Premier League

36

6

2

0.22

Europa League

15

1

4

0.33

FA Cup

3

0

1

0.33

League Cup

3

3

3

2.00

Community Shield

1

1

0

1.00

Following the Red Devils defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League Final, the 20-year-old doubled down on his brother’s comments about him not starting.

If there is one thing we know about Arteta, it’s that he does not like troublemakers.

Finally, the Madrid-born ace also has some worrying underlying numbers, with FBref placing him in the bottom 21% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for expected assists, the bottom 12% for goals per shot and the bottom 8% for goals per shot on target, all per 90.

Ultimately, Garnacho may well develop into a brilliant winger, but as things stand, his attitude, output and the money required to make it happen all point towards this being a terrible idea and a transfer that could end up being even more disastrous than Sterling’s last summer.

Odegaard will love him: Berta in talks to sign £75m "monster" for Arsenal

Martin Odegaard would be a fan of this £75m transfer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 26, 2025

Crystal Palace now want to appoint an “unbelievable” 4-2-3-1 manager should Oliver Glasner leave Selhurst Park, according to Sky Sports.

Crystal Palace stretch unbeaten run to four games with Forest draw

The Eagles looked like they were on course to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League on Monday after going 1-0 up against Forest thanks to Eberechi Eze’s penalty. However, the away side soon got back on level terms, and that is how the game finished, meaning Palace picked up another point as they aim to finish in the top half of the Premier League.

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Palace’s priority will be the upcoming FA Cup final, which they play in under two weeks against Manchester City. But despite not much being on the game against Forest, Glasner was pleased with his side’s performance and said the desire to win was “unbelievable”.

Glasner told BBC Match of the Day: “It was pretty even. After taking the lead, the equaliser was too quick. It was a set-play and a deflected ball. I really liked how the players wanted to win this game. I’m really pleased. The desire to win was unbelievable.

“We had many situations in the 60 or 70 minutes to come from the wing, but our crosses were not good enough. We got the penalty. We found the rhythm, and we had set-plays. You always have to be aware of the transitions – but we did well. We weren’t as efficient as in other games.”

Glasner also went on to provide an update on midfielder Adam Wharton, who had to come off after suffering an injury. He said: “It doesn’t look like it’s really serious. It was more precaution.”

Sky Sports: Crystal Palace now want 4-2-3-1 manager should Glasner leave

As the Eagles prepare for their Wembley final and look ahead to the future under Glasner, Palace, and by extension chariman Steve Parish, are also preparing for the worse when it comes to the future of their manager.

According to Sky Sports German reporter Philipp Hinze, Crystal Palace are interested in appointing Danny Rohl should Glasner decide to leave the club.

Hinze reports that Rohl, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by Josh Windass, looks set to leave Sheffield Wednesday this summer. The German has a small exit fee in his contract, and that has alerted Palace as well as Fulham, as Glasner and Marco Silva are being linked with potential exits.

Leicester City and Southampton are also interested in appointing Rohl, who likes to play a 4-2-3-1 formation as a manager, as well as teams from the Bundesliga, but it looks as though he is likely to remain in England.

Sheffield Wednesday was the 36-year-old’s first managerial job, and after guiding the club away from relegation trouble last season, he guided the Owls to a mid-table finish this time around, comfortably away from relegation trouble but not enough to be in the race for the play-offs.

Palace’s interest in Rohl comes as the Austrian has been linked heavily with a move to RB Leipzig, as they look for a new manager, while Glasner has also emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar as they look for candidates to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Chelsea have now registered their interest in signing a “monstrous” Premier League star who has been in extremely impressive form this season, according to reliable reporter David Ornstein.

Blues keen to bring in new centre-back

The Blues’ form in the second half of the season has taken a significant downward turn, with the 2-1 loss at home to Legia Warsaw the latest setback earlier this week, underlining the need for Enzo Maresca to strengthen his squad this summer.

One area in which the west Londoners are particularly keen to strengthen is centre-back, making contact to discuss a move for Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, with the South Korean now keen to leave the German club this summer.

The 28-year-old is on Maresca’s shortlist, but a different centre-back has emerged as the priority target for the summer, namely AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, and talks over a deal for the 20-year-old have already been held.

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Huijsen’s impressive performances for Bounemouth this season mean he is now in the Blues’ sights, but he is not their only target from the Premier League, according to Ornstein (via Nottingham Forest News).

The reliable reporter has now revealed Chelsea have registered their interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, amid the Brazilian enjoying an incredible season with the Tricky Trees, who continue to push for Europe.

A whole host of potential centre-back targets have been identified, however, with Ornstein naming Huijsen and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as other options.

A deal for the Forest star will not be cheap, with previous reports revealing the Blues’ Premier League rivals are set to hold out for £80m, which would make the Brazilian their record sale.

"Monstrous" Murillo starring for Forest

Forest are making an unexpected push for Europe this season, and the defender has been among their most consistent performers in the Premier League, averaging a 6.99 WhoScored match rating, the joint-third highest in the squad.

The 22-year-old has been an indispensable member of Nuno’s side, making 31 appearances in the Premier League, and he received high praise from journalist Ryan Taylor for his performance against Liverpool earlier this season.

Not only has the Brazil international impressed defensively, but he also ranks highly on some attacking metrics over the past year, placing in the top 2% of all defenders for successful take-ons per 90.

Statistic

Average per 90

Successful take-ons

0.79 (98th percentile)

Blocks

1.95 (96th percentile)

Clearances

6.79 (94th percentile)

Having proven himself as a top defender in the Premier League, Murillo could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, and at just 22-years-old, he could be a key figure at the back for many years to come.

They have a clear philosophy, and they’ve managed to assemble a squad that is as close to bomb-proof as any can get in the fickle world of T20

Karthik Krishnaswamy25-May-20242:32

Are KKR favourites going into the IPL final?

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad. You couldn’t wish for a more fitting end to IPL 2024. It’s been a season of redrawn boundaries, and these two teams have done the bulk of the redrawing. Eight of the ten highest totals in IPL history have come in 2024, and these two teams have been responsible for five of those eight totals.Over the course of the season, though, a difference between the two teams has become more and more apparent. SRH have batted with whirlwind intent despite having reasons to temper their approach: they possess arguably the most dangerous top order in the competition, but on days when they lose early wickets, issues with personnel and depth can hurt them.KKR haven’t had those issues. Their squad is designed to allow their batters to throw away every last vestige of caution. As they firmed up their place at the top of the league table, distancing themselves further and further from the chasing pack, it became clearer and clearer that they had built a squad that was as close to bomb-proof as any can get in the fickle world of T20.Related

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No matter what happens on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, it’s unarguable that KKR have assembled one of the strongest squads in IPL history, not just from the point of view of personnel but also from that of laying out a template for franchises to learn from.None of it happened overnight, because this has been the culmination of a long-term project.More of the same, but better
KKR finished seventh on the league table in IPL 2022 and 2023. In both seasons, they gave off the sense of a team trying to play in an idealistic sort of way without quite having the resources to pull it off consistently. They were, to put it simply, an inferior version of what SRH have been in 2024.Right through this auction cycle – and even the previous one, when Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik captained them – KKR have batted in a markedly high-intent way. They have the highest attacking shot percentage (45.08)* of any team this season, and they’ve only carried on from where they left off in 2022 and 2023. Their attacking shot percentage over those two seasons (41.50) was also the best in the league. Delhi Capitals and SRH have batted like KKR this season, but it’s a relatively new way of playing for both teams. This isn’t the case for KKR.This is in huge part down to the two world-class West Indian allrounders in their squad, Narine and Andre Russell. Which other team can call upon a four-over banker who also happens to be one of the most destructive openers in the tournament, as well as one of the league’s most dangerous and experienced finishers who can deliver high-impact overs in the middle and death phases when required?Because KKR have Narine and Russell, and because of the luxury of the Impact Player, they can enter match after match with eight batters and six bowlers. And if they happen to slip to 57 for 5, as they did against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, they can call a ninth batter off the bench without hampering their bowling.When you’re batting in a line-up with that sort of depth, you have no reason to hold back.Plug the gaps
For all the intent KKR showed in 2022 and 2023, there were clear weaknesses running through their line-up. One that a number of bowling teams exploited was a vulnerability against the short ball that ran through their line-up. Take this chase of 177 against Lucknow Super Giants on a bouncy Pune deck in 2022: Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan and Jason Holder ripped through their top order in a spell of concerted short bowling and reduced them to 25 for 4 in 6.5 overs.That was only the extreme example of KKR’s frailties. Against short and short-of-good-length balls from fast bowlers, they had the worst scoring rate (7.67) and average (17.47) of any team across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.Flexibility
KKR have only used three No. 3s this season, usually either Venkatesh (six innings) or Angkrish Raghuvanshi (seven). Shreyas has been their No. 4 more often than not (10 out of 14 innings), but they’ve been a lot less rigid with who bats at No. 5 (Venkatesh, Shreyas and Rinku Singh have all occupied that position at least three times, No. 6 (usually either Rinku or Russell) and No. 7 (Ramandeep seven times, and Rinku and Venkatesh a combined five times).You may have spotted the pattern: KKR have tried to have left-right pairs at the crease whenever possible. Among all the right- and left-hand batters they have, they’ve also assembled a good mix of pace-hitters and spin-hitters. Ramandeep, Russell, Salt, Narine, Venkatesh, Raghuvanshi and Rinku have all scored 95-plus runs against pace this season at 150-plus strike rates, while Narine and Shreyas have done the same against spin, with Russell, Salt and Ramandeep also going at 140-plus without achieving the runs cut-off.At most times, then, KKR have been able to send out the right batter for the situation and match-up in play.Get the bowling right
This section is worth a standalone analysis, because KKR, for everything they’ve done with the bat, have arguably been the best bowling team of this IPL too. They have the best collective average (22.94) of all the teams, and the third-best economy rate (9.39), which is particularly remarkable because unlike the two teams that have done better than them, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, KKR have played most of their home games at one of this season’s most batting-friendly venues.Mitchell Starc with a whole season’s worth of tuning up behind him – always a scary proposition•AFP/Getty ImagesSix of their bowlers, remarkably, have picked up at least 10 wickets this season, and this has been a triumph of identifying players with attributes suited to specific roles, and sticking with them. The same six bowlers have played the bulk of KKR’s games, and they all have well-defined roles. Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora swing the new ball; Harshit Rana and Russell hit the deck and bowl pace variations through the middle and end phases, with Starc joining them at the death; and Narine and Varun Chakravarthy control the middle overs.Most of them have experienced fluctuations in form, with Starc and Varun in particular starting the season slowly. But KKR haven’t chopped and changed even when bowlers have had bad days, unless they’ve brought in Anukul Roy or Suyash Sharma when they’ve felt the need for an extra spin option.This has created a situation where bowlers have grown into their roles, and gained rhythm. When Starc bowled a match-changing spell in Qualifier 1 against SRH, a chorus of voices spoke of his big-match ability, comparing this performance to his displays in the knockout stages of last year’s ODI World Cup. Then too, he had made a slow start to the tournament before bowling influential spells for Australia in the semi-finals and final. Big-match ability is one of those woolly, hard-to-define, quasi-spiritual concepts that may or may not exist in a meaningful way. It’s easier, however, to say that given a run of games, elite athletes tend to gain both rhythm and a better understanding of conditions, and begin to deliver telling blows.This is true not just of Starc but the rest of KKR’s line-up too. Over this three-year cycle, KKR have established a clear philosophy, and they’ve tried to work out a combination of players that could make it work. It’s taken a while to come together, but it has now, to thrilling effect.*

Yes, the finisher’s job is that important, and it’s hard to argue with Karthik’s end-overs numbers since early 2019

Sidharth Monga07-Jun-20220:40

Dravid: ‘Karthik has been a point of difference at the back-end’

Dinesh Karthik’s comeback to international cricket is one of the more un-Indian T20 selections. He scored only one half-century in the IPL. With Rishabh Pant in the squad to take the gloves, Karthik becomes a specialist batter who won’t – and shouldn’t – bat in the top order. And, for once, here is a selection where a top-order accumulator in the IPL and/or domestic cricket is not being asked to go and take on a finisher’s role in international cricket.Karthik’s role description says “wicketkeeper-batter”, but he is not competing with Pant or Ishan Kishan. There is a specific role Karthik has in a T20 batting line-up, one that Kolkata Knight Riders learnt about the hard way. Ironically, when he was the captain of Knight Riders in 2020, Karthik tried to bat through innings, possibly to provide Eoin Morgan with his ideal point of entry, but through the season he managed only three innings of any impact: he entered in the 11th, 15th and 18th overs in those three innings.Related

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When IPL 2022 started, the Star Sports broadcast presented a telling stat: in the last three IPLs, Karthik had averaged 18 and struck at 126 when he had come out to bat before the end of the 14th over. In his innings that began in the last six overs, these numbers went up to 37 and 157. At the end of this IPL, ESPNcricinfo’s statsman Shiva Jayaraman expanded the filter to the last eight overs in IPL games and T20Is starting from January 1, 2019, and here are the corresponding numbers: in the last three-and-a-half years, Karthik has started 38 innings after the 12th over, averaging 47 and striking at 174 in them. In the same period, the 28 innings of his that have begun before the end of the 12th over have yielded an average of 19 and a strike rate of 129.An intangible reason behind this is the role clarity that comes with batting when only a certain number of deliveries are left in the innings. A tangible reason is Karthik’s struggles against spin and his preference for pace. In the last three IPLs, Karthik has averaged 37 and struck at 166 against pace while averaging 15 and striking at 111 against spin. And you get to face less spin when you bat only in the death overs.Royal Challengers Bangalore used Karthik almost perfectly in this year’s IPL, but the question is, are India willing to make those allowances to get the best out of Karthik? And the question arises because in the past many an IPL success has gone on to perform a different role for India without similar results.A good series against South Africa could put Dinesh Karthik in the mix for the World Cup•PTI It is as much about the willingness as it is about the resources. RCB had allrounders to promote ahead of Karthik if they lost wickets early, and the presence of Wanindu Hasaranga typically coming in behind him gave him the freedom to bat the way he did. India have the two Patels, Axar and Harshal, who should be prepared to bat three-four overs if needed to allow Karthik to bat at his preferred point of entry.For long India have tried to refashion top-order batters to fit the lower-middle-order and finishing roles. Now, with many a top-order batter resting, is the perfect time to make every allowance for a man used to playing the finishing role for his franchise, because this role is important. It is also important to not look at aggregates, especially when he doesn’t get to bat much, as was the case in his previous stint in T20Is.Just after his Premadasa heroics, Karthik found himself out of the team, and when he came back he got nine innings in 13 matches for a highest of 33 not out and a strike rate of 140. While India did well by not batting him before the death overs, Karthik didn’t get enough balls to bat, partly because India’s top orders tend to bat through and take fewer risks.In his long career with many comebacks, Karthik has played various roles, from Test opener in England and South Africa to a sudden-collapse plug in a World Cup semi-final, but now he promises to start a stint with high levels of role clarity, something he has earned with his performances in the IPL. He has time before this year’s T20 World Cup to take this to the international level too, and there is no reason for India to bat him in any other role now.

Essex batsman standing still in stance but taking strides forward in career after run-fest in Australia

Matt Roller04-Mar-2020Ever since he became the County Championship’s third-youngest centurion back in 2015, some 75 days short of his 18th birthday, Dan Lawrence has been slapped with a ‘one for the future’ tag that has at times seem to weigh heavy on him.In 2018, he made batting look like hard work, averaging 23.26 in first-class cricket as he passed fifty twice in 24 innings. The summer had been “a massively frustrating time”, he would reflect.But after a remarkable run of form in an England shirt on the Lions’ tour to Australia, it seems as though that tag may soon be revised to include the present. Scores of 50 not out, 35 and 41 were complemented by six wickets with his improving offbreaks in the white-ball leg of the tour, before his 190 against a Cricket Australia XI was followed by 125 against Australia A under the MCG floodlights. All things considered, Lawrence could hardly have dreamt of making a better impression in an effective audition for the 2021-22 Ashes series.ALSO READ: Lawrence, Sibley make Australia A toilThat success has not come through natural talent alone. After missing out on the Lions squads last winter, he travelled to Cape Town, where he spent several weeks “doing boring drill stuff” and “hitting loads and loads and loads of balls”. The results were not startling, but after a solid summer across formats, an innings against Warwickshire during Essex’s Championship charge proved the catalyst for a technical change which he credits with his breathtaking winter form.”I’ve cut down on my trigger a lot,” Lawrence explains. “I was getting that wrong in the summer quite a lot. I was getting out in silly ways. Standing a bit more still, and the game is feeling a little bit easier.”It was something that I decided to do myself. I had a knock against Warwickshire at the end of last year and I was a bit like… I was finding it pretty hard to carry on triggering. So I just thought: ‘sod it, I might as well change it up’ and it’s been feeling amazing so far.”Footage from last summer demonstrates the difference, which is simple but clear. Rather than stepping across towards the off side moments before delivery, Lawrence now stands still, focused on the bowler alone rather than his own movements.”It’s just something that I’ve been tinkering with myself really, just trying to find the best possible way to carry on with it. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a damn sight better than what it was. I’m pretty happy with where I am.”Much as his performances early in the tour were impressive, the standard of attack that the Lions faced was relatively low. That meant impressing against Australia A – with Test cap Jackson Bird and next-cabs-off-the-rank Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson among the attack – became an important aim. Despite striding out at 55 for 3, Lawrence made hay on a good batting surface, adding 219 in partnership with Dom Sibley and plundering 17 boundaries in his 210-ball 125.”Confidence was high, but that was a game I really wanted to do particularly well in. You don’t get many chances to play at the MCG, so it was nice to get a bit of time in the middle there, and thankfully score some runs.”Dan Lawrence drives during his hundred•Getty ImagesAnd, presumably, impressing in Australian conditions must have been a real fillip with half an eye on 2021-22? “There’s an element of that, but it’s more sort of taking the opportunities when they come. That’s how I look at it anyway: if other stuff does come up, then happy days, but just trying to focus on every innings that I’m playing, be as ruthless as I possibly can be.”Lawrence’s progress has been tracked by England from a young age: he impressed at the Bunbury festival in 2012, and graduated through the national age-group ranks including a strong showing at the U-19 World Cup in 2016. He has now been in and out of the Lions set-up for nearly three years, and was one of a select group of batsmen to travel to Mumbai on a spin camp at the end of last year.”He’s been a player of potential in our minds for some time,” says Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director. “I remember talking to him in Mumbai when he came across for the spin camp. Both myself and Ed [Smith, the national selector] spoke to him about the fact that there were a lot of people that rate the quality of his cricket. And I think that we wanted to see him score the volume of runs that, for want of a better phrase, his talent deserved.”To be fair to him, he’s gone out and done exactly that this trip. He couldn’t have done much more in terms of volume of runs. And before I left I congratulated him on that and said that his challenge was doing exactly that this summer, which I hope he does. And if he does that he’s not going to be far off.”The thing he’s hopefully done is prove to himself and others that he can score the volume of runs that he has scored and impact games the way he has. And the way actually many of us believe that he was capable of.”