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Everton supporters must be quaking ahead of their penultimate Premier League fixture of the season, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, one point and one place above 18th-placed Leeds United.

The Merseyside outfit has left a lot to be desired after another miserable campaign, but despite the issues on the pitch, there is optimism still with such a robust underbelly.

This is in reference to the Finch Farm academy, which has produced stars such as Anthony Gordon and Ross Barkley during recent years and, of course, Wayne Rooney a few decades ago.

Everton might stay up this term; they might go down. But with prodigious talents such as Stanley Mills awaiting ascension to the first-team fold, there is indeed hope that manager Sean Dyche can orchestrate a resurgence over the coming seasons that will return Goodison Park to top-flight prominence.

Who is Stanley Mills?

The talented teenager has certainly caught the eye at youth level for the Toffees, this season scoring 13 goals from 21 appearances for the U21s and leaving the likes of The Athletic's Patrick Boyland "impressed".

Described by the club's official website as an attacking midfielder who is a "speedy and skilful dribbler with impressive ball-striking ability", the 19-year-old has made two substitute appearances in the Carabao Cup under Frank Lampard's wing during the first half of the term, while sitting on the bench on seven occasions in the Premier League.

Speaking of his – now former – starlet, Lampard said: "The reason Stan’s here is that he trained really well. One day we were looking for a player for training and the staff mentioned Stan. I know Danny, so had wanted to see Stan anyway. Straight away you could see he had talent and character. He brings energy and cover.”

Who can Stanley Mills replace at Everton?

The offensive efforts of the Merseyside Blues have not yielded the desired results, to say the least.

It's true, worse things happen at sea, but the roiling waves could submerge Goodison Park in brackish water if the heart is reignited soon, with 32 goals from 36 matches simply not good enough and an illustration of where it is going wrong.

Talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin is tethered to the medical room with a steely rope and £15m summer signing Neal Maupay's one goal since his arrival is hardly enough to inspire confidence, or indeed top-flight safety.

Hailed as a "natural athlete" by his father, former Premier League ace Danny Mills, the dynamo could be the answer, and while he may not earn his opportunity this term, he can continue to bide his time and snatch his opportunity in divisional football when it undoubtedly comes next year, be that in the first or second tier.

While not a like-for-like replica, the former Leeds United youth product could replace Richarlison, with the mercurial Brazilian completing a £60m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur last summer after scoring 53 goals from 152 displays for the Toffees, including six strikes from his last nine matches last season as a late-season purple patch staved off the drop.

Richarlison flourishes by utilising his dynamism, averaging 2.1 shots and 1.3 dribbles per match across the entirety of his career, as per WhoScored, and is one of the more prolific wide-men on the European scene, despite his striking woes with Spurs in the Premier League.

Mills, despite occupying the alternating flank, is something of a sharpshooter himself and there is every possibility that he can provide his outfit with a cutting edge to eradicate doubts over the club's attacking potency and navigate towards brighter light once more.

The BCCI has authorised its president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to look into the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court verdict, that approved the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, and guide the board and its member units

Arun Venugopal05-Aug-2016The BCCI has authorised its president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to look into the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court verdict that approved the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and guide the board and its member units. While there was no official statement from the BCCI, sources that attended the meeting confirmed that Thakur and Shirke will, in conjunction with the newly formed legal panel, engage with the Lodha Committee, and they will represent the concerns of the state associations as well.”This (Lodha Committee verdict) was the single-point agenda, and it was one [short, focused meeting] that lasted about half an hour to 45 minutes,” a state association official from the east zone told ESPNcricinfo. “The BCCI has the legal cell. We as a state association don’t know the legal aspects but somebody has to take care of such things. So, the SGM was called to authorise the secretary and the president to look into it. Concerns of individual state associations were not discussed; it was [a discussion] on the whole as reforms are meant for everybody.”Another official from a southern state said state associations had been instructed to direct their legal queries to the board’s lawyers who will advise them on the future course of action. According to him, however, the board’s first task would be to seek clarifications regarding its own functioning.”On August 9, the president and secretary are supposed to meet the Lodha Committee,” the official said. “The first priority is clarifications regarding the BCCI, only then will state associations come into the picture. Clarifications on all matters – when should the constitution be amended and how, the recommendations, and we also have the AGM coming up in September – will be sought.”While there has been speculation that the BCCI is inclined to file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s verdict, the official said it was a decision the president and secretary would make based on the legal advice they get. “There will be greater clarity once they meet the Lodha Committee on the ninth,” he said.The official also said there was no instruction from the board regarding elections of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Cricket Association of Bengal. The Lodha Committee had directed the CAB and KSCA to put their polls – scheduled for July 31 and August 7 respectively – on hold. “The BCCI will give its opinion on it. There will be more clarity after they discuss with the Lodha Committee. We are not going to raise anything as far as state associations are concerned, let the BCCI do. The states will fall in place thereafter.”

The England coach Trevor Bayliss has said he is “very” tempted by the idea of playing Adil Rashid as part of a twin-spin attack in the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval

Andrew McGlashan08-Aug-2016The England coach Trevor Bayliss has said he is “very” tempted by the idea of playing Adil Rashid as part of a twin-spin attack in the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval, but even if he does not feature this week has indicated Rashid will start the series in the subcontinent later in the year.Rashid, who played three Tests against Pakistan in the UAE last year, has been part of the squad since the Old Trafford Test and Bayliss said he had come close to playing in the last two matches before England opted to retain the balance of four quicks and Moeen Ali as the spinner.While there have been reports that The Oval pitch will suit England in the final Test, with pace and bounce, recent evidence has been of it offering some help for the spinners. The last time England played two spinners in a home Test was at The Oval, against Australia in 2013, when Simon Kerrigan made his debut.Having been omitted from the third Test, Rashid returned to play for Yorkshire in the County Championship against Warwickshire, where he took 7 for 61 in the match. A notable part of Rashid’s role in that game was running through the lower order, which is something Bayliss believes he could bring to the Test side.”Very,” Bayliss said when asked how tempted he was by the thought of Rashid playing. “I think we saw last year at The Oval, the wicket had a bit in it for everyone. Nathan Lyon bowled very well there, got some spin and bounce out of the wicket. I’ve thought Rashid’s been a chance for the last two or three Tests that we’ve played. At some stage he will get an opportunity.Anderson back to No. 1

James Anderson has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC’s Test bowler rankings. Anderson finished with 4 for 85 across two innings as England beat Pakistan by 141 runs at Edgbaston, moving him back above R Ashwin, despite the India offspinner taking six wickets in the draw with West Indies at Sabina Park.
Anderson went top of the rankings for the first time in his career earlier this summer, after the second Test against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street. He was then overtaken by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah, after the legspinner took 10 for 141 at Lord’s – a Test Anderson missed through injury – before Ashwin dislodged Yasir following India’s victory in Antigua.
Stuart Broad remains at No. 3, two places above Yasir, while Chris Woakes continued his rise by moving up to a career-high of 20th. Joe Root is still the No. 2-ranked batsman, behind Australia’s Steven Smith, with Alastair Cook climbing a place to No. 7.

“Obviously, we are going to the subcontinent, so he’s probably the guy who will get the first opportunity there. Having a legspinner will help when the wicket is turning, that we can knock over the tail a bit easier.”There are a couple of ways England could fit Rashid into their side; they could drop a pace bowler or back Rashid’s ability as an allrounder and leave either James Vince or Gary Ballance out of the middle order. It is unlikely England will follow either path at The Oval after the all-round success of the attack at Edgbaston, while Ballance made 70 in the first-innings and Vince again earned the backing of the coach after scoring 81 runs in the Test even though he twice fell in familiar fashion edging to the slips.However, further down the line in Bangladesh, should the tour go ahead, and India, Bayliss offered the hint that playing Rashid as another allrounder would be high up England’s thinking – especially when Ben Stokes is available again.”Ben Stokes is a big part of that. If he is in the team as one of four pace bowlers, you could have two spinners. If he was one of three pace bowlers, you might even have three spinners.”If the wickets are anything like South Africa had in India, that’s a possibility. I’d say at this stage we’d definitely be taking three spinners to India. But I think the case for playing two is a definite.”For now, it is likely England will stick to their current balance of having Moeen as the one spinner for the final Test. Moeen produced his best spell of the summer in the second innings at Edgbaston – sending down 15 overs either side of lunch – and claimed the key wicket of Azhar Ali, which opened the door for England’s push towards victory when the ball started to reverse.Moeen, who was named Man of the Match, has been under pressure throughout this series. He has constantly been targeted by the Pakistan batsmen, something which continued in Birmingham, but has continued to chip in with wickets and now has nine in the series at 39.33, albeit his economy stands at 4.36. He worked with Saqlain Mushtaq during the Old Trafford Test and, on the final afternoon at Edgbaston, managed to pitch the ball consistently on a full length with a touch more loop.”The spell just after lunch that he and Broad put together in partnership there, quite simply the difference with his bowling in that spell was his discipline of length,” Bayliss said.”We’ve all seen him before probably falling a little bit short, but I thought that spell he got it pretty much spot on, bowled a little bit wider of the off stump into the rough, coming into the stumps and putting the pressure on the batter. It’s a bit harder then to run down the wicket and hit over the top and play reverse sweeps and sweeps. I thought he put the pressure on very well there.”England’s victory has given them a chance to ascend to the top of the world rankings if they finish the series 3-1 and India do not secure a 3-0 victory over West Indies. Bayliss did not quite say it was a position they were ready for but, as Alastair Cook acknowledged after the Test when he talked about the side “toughening up”, he was encouraged by the comeback during a match they had been behind in for more than two days.”It does give the guys confidence that they can win games from a little bit behind, that anything’s possible,” he said. “I still think we are a little way off. I thought there were signs in this game that some of the more inexperienced players were starting to show a little bit of maturity.”

Middlesex have laid the groundwork for a total which will require them to bat only once in this match and move a step closer to the County Championship title

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford12-Sep-2016
ScorecardNick Gubbins was once again in the runs as Middlesex took command at Old Trafford•Getty ImagesThese two teams cannot wait for next week. For Middlesex it should bring a title-deciding duel against Yorkshire at Lord’s; for Lancashire the hope is that it will bring merely safety from relegation, although that may only be achieved if Steven Croft’s team gain plenty of points from both the current game and their last match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. They cannot depend on other’s failings.In those two contrasting finales, one glorious, one rather modest, is told the multi-layered story of a season to which some cricketers are ready to bid farewell. The spectators at Old Trafford may talk fondly of summer’s lease having all too short a date; Croft’s players are looking back gratefully to the darling wins of May, without which they would be up the creek and paddleless. Perspective is all.This diversity was reflected in the cricket on the first day of this game. After gritting it out against the new ball – only five runs were scored off the opening seven overs – Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins batted with increasing assurance and seemed resolved to make the most of Croft’s very surprising invitation to have first use of an Emirates Old Trafford wicket which did not play the batsmen false.By lunch Middlesex’s openers had 93 runs on the board and had hit 14 fours, the majority of them through the covers when Lancashire’s seamers overpitched. Croft used five bowlers in the first 24 overs and it was not just the openers’ old-fashioned cable-knit sweaters that gave the morning’s cricket an air of one of those Ashes Tests in the 1990s when Australia racked up over 300 runs in a day, England wondered from where the next success was coming and every week brought a new investigation into the state of the summer game.It was also a day’s cricket played on a flat pitch and a day on which the fall of each of the three wickets came as something of a surprise, even to home supporters. By its close, Middlesex will be pleased to have collected two bonus points and to have laid the groundwork for a total which will require them to bat only once in this match. Amid all the discussions of pitches and tosses, it remains true that the best team generally wins a four-day game which is allowed to run its course. Lancashire batsmen may need to be ready for a tough examination over the final two days.Three breakthroughs were made, though, and the first of them in the afternoon session arrived when Gubbins attempted to pull a ball from Kyle Jarvis but caught it too high on the bat and gave a straightforward catch to Alviro Petersen at midwicket. The opener could not have struck the ball much less well had he hit it with a frying pan and his departure was a disappointment for the neutrals. He had looked the more convincing of the two openers during his innings of 69 and had quietly reinforced the case that the England selectors should be considering him for the winter tours.Robson batted more fluently in the afternoon session and had accelerated to 77 when he drove all too loosely at a ball from Simon Kerrigan and only edged a catch to Liam Livingstone at slip. But this was a day in which Middlesex followed every coach’s instruction to bat in partnerships. Once Robson was out, the baton was passed to Nick Compton, who had pulled his first ball from Jarvis almost savagely to the square-leg boundary before remaining runless for the next 29.Eventually, though, even Compton came out of his shell by clipping Kerrigan through midwicket for three fours and then hitting the slow left-armer over long on for six. He, in turn, reached his own fifty off 119 balls before being bowled by Jarvis by one which nipped back through the narrowest of gates. Dawid Malan prevented Lancashire having more joy with the new ball and he was 49 not out when bad light ended play early.As for Croft’s players, one or two of them may have been wondering why they were in the field at all, given that they had won the toss. At times they looked enervated and a few may have been comforted by the fact that it is only 11 more sleeps until the end of the season. It was a curiously tiring day.Before Lancashire’s players can put their feet up, though, there is a lot of batting for them to do and that task should be eased by the presence of Jos Buttler, England’s pro tem one-day skipper, and by the excellent form of both Petersen and Haseeb Hameed.This match has already been made memorable for Hameed by the award of his full Lancashire cap, the presentation of which took place in the lunch interval. What may have made the occasion a trifle less exciting for him was being informed of the honour by Matt Proctor, the public address announcer at Old Trafford, rather than the Lancashire chairman, Michael Cairns.Never mind. Hameed has been capped after 18 first-class matches and is the youngest Lancashire player to be capped since World War II, when records of this sort of thing began. For many home supporters, seeing Hameed receive his cap was the best moment of the day although the player himself may eventually remember this week for other reasons. Middlesex’s cricketers may recall it happily, too. They are not tired in the slightest. Chasing titles keeps you fresh.

ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United will target domestic players in the summer transfer window if David Moyes is in charge.

What are the latest West Ham transfer rumours?

It's been a funny old season for the Hammers. What started out very slowly and looked potentially as though it could end its relegation, could now finish with sheer joy.

Indeed, the Irons have secured Premier League safety with ease, finishing 14th in the division, and have the Europa Conference League final to enjoy next month.

It's crazy how much the mood has changed in East London but maybe it's because their star signings have taken some time to adjust to life in England but have now hit their stride.

After all, the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Nayef Aguerd, and Thilo Kehrer arrived from overseas in the summer so it would make sense if they've taken time to find their best form in a new environment.

While discussing this on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex suggested that Moyes will look to sign players from England in the summer to help avoid similar issues occurring next term.

He explained (2:58): “I have been told if David Moyes remains the manager, the main focus is going to be on players with domestic experience over foreign signings.

"Although he has made it clear that if he feels that there's better value in the foreign signing than the domestic signing, then he will do whatever the best value is.

"Often people say you have to add British tax on to British signings or domestic-based signings because they tend to be more expensive than the foreign signings, when you're getting pretty much a like-for-like player.

“But they do want to sort of balance out that between the value and having domestic experience because I think they've pinpointed a lot of the reason a couple of players took their time to adjust to the league this year [is] because they hadn't played the league before."

How much could West Ham spend this summer?

With Declan Rice expected to leave this summer, the Irons could have somewhere in the region of £120m to spend on new signings.

This means, the club could potentially shop from any side in the world but if they do look closer to home, they can afford to sign players with a potential premium due to the "English tax" Ex refers to.

Of course, though, it remains unclear if Moyes will even still be their manager. If he loses the final against Fiorentina, he could be sacked – having been under the threat of losing his job earlier on in the season – and a new manager could have completely different transfer ambitions.

Only time will tell.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be in the market to add a new goalkeeper to their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window after Jose Sa's disappointing campaign.

In the Premier League, the 30-year-old conceded an eye-catching, in the wrong way, 5.6 more goals than expected, based on the xG of the shots at his goal.

That serves as a drastic change in fortune with the stopper actually saving 7.3 more than expected in 2021/22.

As a result, the club swooped to sign Daniel Bentley from Championship side Bristol City in January as an understudy to Sa but the Portuguese shot-stopper's poor form in 22/23 suggests that he needs strong competition for his place.

However, the ex-Robins 'keeper is unlikely to provide that given his unconvincing form in the second division in recent seasons. The £10k-per-week dud conceded 2.6 more goals than expected in 21 league matches in the first half of the campaign.

Over his last four-and-a-half seasons in the Championship, Bentley has let in a dismal 9.5 more goals than he ought to based on xG, with that an indication that the 29-year-old consistently underperformed in a lower division than the Premier League.

Who could replace Dan Bentley at Wolves?

Julen Lopetegui could brutally ditch the Englishman from matchday squads next term by securing a deal to sign reported £10m transfer target Anthony Patterson.

At the age of 23, the Sunderland titan is an up-and-coming talent and let in 0.08 more goals than expected per 90 in the Championship, compared to Bentley's 0.20 this season.

This suggests that the Black Cats ace would be an upgrade on the experienced gloveman from a shot-stopping perspective and could also have the potential to be an improvement on Sa, who conceded 0.16 more than expected per 90 in the top-flight.

Patterson is also a "commanding" goalkeeper – as he was dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – who is able to alleviate pressure from his defence. The colossus has stopped 10.7% of the crosses into his box over the last 365 days, which places him in the top 6% of players in his position in the Men's Next Eight Competitions.

Bentley, meanwhile, has only prevented 3.7% of crosses and ranks in the bottom 15% in the same category, an indication that the Sunderland gem would be a huge upgrade on him when it comes to dealing with balls into the box.

Therefore, Lopetegui could ditch the ex-Bristol City man, by making him the third-choice, and provide Sa with genuine competition for his place by signing Patterson, who could either take over as the number one or spur the Portuguese ace to get back to his best.

Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns survived a tense period late in the evening after Steven Smith earlier struck a century in the Sheffield Shield clash between Queensland and New South Wales at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2016
ScorecardSteven Smith made 117 for New South Wales•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja and Joe Burns survived a tense period late in the evening after Steven Smith earlier struck a century in the Sheffield Shield clash between Queensland and New South Wales at the Gabba. Mitchell Starc was also able to deliver six challenging overs before stumps in the day-night match, as he aims to prove his fitness to selectors ahead of the first Test against South Africa.The squad for the Perth Test is due to be named on Friday and there were a number of fascinating sub-plots on offer at the Gabba. One of the most notable was the desire for runs from Burns and Khawaja, both of whom were dropped after two Tests on Australia’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, and both of whom are hoping for reinstatement for the home summer.However, they had to wait until late in the day for their chance after Khawaja won the toss and sent New South Wales in to bat. David Warner missed out on the opportunity for a big innings against the pink ball, caught behind off the bowling of former Test fast man Peter George for 12, and his opening partner Ed Cowan also departed cheaply for 10.But Smith and Kurtis Patterson were then able to compile a hefty 228-run third-wicket stand, which ended when Smith was bowled by Luke Feldman for 117. Patterson brought up his fifth first-class hundred before falling for 111, also to Feldman, who troubled several batsmen with the pink ball as the Gabba lights came on in the evening and finished with 5 for 68.Smith declared at 7 for 327, which meant Queensland’s top order would face a difficult 13-over period before stumps against the Test team’s new-ball combination of Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Opener Charlie Hemphrey was bowled by Hazlewood for a duck in the second over of the innings, which brought Khawaja to the crease to join Burns.The moving ball under lights proved a challenge for Burns and Khawaja, but both men made it safely to stumps, giving themselves a chance of a big innings on day two to impress the selectors. At the WACA Shaun Marsh, who had come in for the third Test in Colombo and scored a century, made 73 for Western Australia in his return from a hamstring injury; at the Gabba Burns finished on 21 not out and Khawaja on 18.It was not only the Queensland batsmen who wanted a strong performance ahead of the Test squad selection: Starc needed to convince the selectors of his fitness in his first match back having last month had 30 stitches in his left shin following a horror training mishap. Starc bowled six of the 13 overs Queensland faced late on day one, and took 0 for 26.

Newcastle United remain confident of completing the signing of Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney this summer, journalist Dean Jones has claimed.

Do Newcastle want Tierney this summer?

The £110,000-a-week defender was part of a Gunners team that came close to winning the Premier League title last season, but it was a frustrating campaign for him overall.

Tierney only actually started six league games in the whole of 2022/23, with Oleksandr Zinchenko invariably preferred at left-back, and injury problems not always helping either. It is hard to see how the Scot's situation is going to change much at the Emirates moving forward, so it could be that he looks to move away this summer.

Newcastle have been linked with a switch for the 26-year-old, seeing him as someone who can bring quality and fight to the squad, providing stern competition for Dan Burn and Matt Targett in the process.

What's the latest on Tierney to Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Newcastle remain in a strong position when it comes to signing Tierney, partly due to a lack of competition for his signature:

"I think that they're confident that the competition isn't too fierce. They've definitely got competitors for him, but I think they'll be looking to get this one done as soon as they can, just so they know they can focus on other areas."

Tierney could be a great addition at Newcastle before the start of next season, arriving with the bit between his teeth after not quite reaching expectation levels at Arsenal.

He would bring something completely different to Burn at left-back, in terms of natural width and pace, and he would immediately enhance the squad depth at Eddie Howe's disposal, coming in as an upgrade on Targett, who only also only started six Premier League matches last season.

Tierney who has been lauded as a "warrior" by Ashley Cole, has made 123 appearances for Arsenal and 37 caps for Scotland , which shows that he is also someone with a wealth of experience at the top level now, as well as 14 assists for the Gunners.

At 26, he is at a great age to come in and hit the ground running immediately, with his best years potentially coming soon, which could further benefit Newcastle. He has a fierce attitude and playing style, with that winning edge also a positive, and while he may not be cheap, the Magpies have the funds available this summer.

Trevor Bayliss has called for England to embrace a more positive outlook as they seek to bounce back from back-to-back defeats against India

George Dobell in Mumbai02-Dec-20162:28

Ganguly: No respite for batsmen from India spinners

For most people, a car accident on a treacherous stretch of road would teach them to slow down.But not Mumbai taxi drivers, it seems, nor Trevor Bayliss.For Bayliss has reacted to England’s defeat in the third Test by suggesting England’s batsmen should be more positive. The fault, he believes, is that they were too defensive in Mohali.Go easy on player confrontations, says Bayliss

Trevor Bayliss has urged the ICC not to crack down too hard on players engaged in on-field exchanges with the opposition, after Ben Stokes was reprimanded for remonstrating to the India players following his dismissal in Mohali.
“I think at times the ICC are almost looking for things,” Bayliss said. “I agree that things have been out of hand in the past, and we don’t want it to go overboard.
“But sometimes a little bit of by-play between a couple of guys on either side – who are passionate about their cricket and their team – I think it’s good for the game.
“We’ve just got to be careful we don’t completely cut that out. I think having some personalities in the game is fantastic to watch.”

It didn’t seem Moeen Ali was too defensive when he was caught at deep backward square in the first innings, or mid-on in the second. And it didn’t seem Jos Buttler was too defensive when he was caught at extra cover in the first innings and deep midwicket in the second. The same might be said about Ben Stokes’ first-innings dismissal, when he charged down the pitch and was stumped, or Joe Root’s, when he missed an attempted pull against the first ball of spin he faced.But Bayliss is convinced that the secret of England’s success is to be found in them playing more positive – and, specifically, less defensive – cricket.”I thought we gifted them a number of our wickets,” Bayliss said, as he reflected on the Test. “We’ve got to make them work a little harder.”When we have been a little bit more defensive, we look like wickets waiting to happen. As soon as we’re a little bit more positive, rotating the strike and hitting a boundary when the opportunity comes, it puts pressure on the opposition.”Yes, it might get you out once or twice. But with the batting order we’ve got, there’s going to be a number of guys that do score runs, and that puts some pressure on the opposition.”We all know what Bayliss means, of course. He means that bowlers can be hit off a length or close fielders pushed back. He means that, if batsmen can make the bowlers’ lives uncomfortable, they are unable to go on the attack and batting becomes more straightforward.It might be relevant, though, that the greatest run-scorer in England’s Test history is the most defensive player in the side. And it might be relevant that, while England have tried several aggressive opening partners for Alastair Cook, it has been Haseeb Hameed, the man with the tightest defensive technique, who looks most likely to fill the spot on a permanent basis.Might the approach of Bayliss and Cook be at odds here? While Cook called upon his team to block their way to safety in Vizag, Bayliss always seems inclined to take the more aggressive option. Might we be coming to the time when this side – Cook’s for so long – is changing in nature and needs a different leader to ensure a clear message? It is too soon to say for sure, but they do seem to have a notably different ethos to batting and if there is one thing a dressing room desires, it is clarity.A man apart: Trevor Bayliss conducts England practice in Mumbai•Getty ImagesBayliss has been successful in a couple of important areas. He has created an environment in which his teams feel both relaxed and motivated – which is probably the key role of a coach at this level – and he has, in limited-overs cricket, established a clear ethos: all-out attack. And while the change in approach in limited-overs cricket may have begun just before Bayliss took charge – Paul Farbrace was stand-in coach for the watershed series against New Zealand – he has consolidated and improved it. He deserves credit for those things.But the longer he has been in office, the more the faults become apparent.For a start, he has little idea of the best players in county cricket. He is not really to blame for this – the England schedule is unrelenting and there is no way he can become steeped in the domestic game as an international coach should be – but it is a reason why his appointment was, in some ways, flawed. Maybe it is why England seem to pick their spinners by looking at the batting averages.His approach to support coaches is also questionable. While there are good motivations for reducing the number of support staff travelling with the squad – the aim was to make the dressing room a little quieter, the message to the players a bit more consistent and to encourage them to think for themselves more – it has also had less welcome consequences.The absence of a full-time fielding coach, for example (Bayliss and Farbrace now lead the fielding sessions), might well be one of the reasons that discipline has become so inconsistent, while the improvement of the spinners (especially Adil Rashid) since the short-term appointment of Saqlain Mushtaq begs the question: why do England not have access to such expertise more often?Most of all, Bayliss’s approach to Test cricket looks unsophisticated. In a format of the game where patience and discipline have always been important, he instead preaches the virtues of aggression and positivity. Instead of building the batsmen’s games from a defensive base – like Hameed – he seems more inclined to stuff the line-up with sufficient aggressive players and allrounders that the inevitable failures of some can be mitigated by others. At times, Bayliss sounds like the coach shouting: ‘Score at 10 an over, but don’t get out’. At times, he seems like the man driving home as fast as he can to get through the fog.Can that approach work? It’s entertaining, for sure, and it may bring the best out of some players. But as they have found in Australia of late, the best Test batsmen are not necessarily the ones with the greatest array of strokes or the ability to hit the ball furthest. They are ones who can see off the new ball and have the technique to play the spinning one. They are the ones who know which balls to play and have the patience and confidence to weather the tough periods. They are ones who have the defensive techniques that allow them still to be at the crease when the poor ball is delivered.But, not for the first time, it seems England have embraced an Australian approach – on this occasion, an overly aggressive attitude to batting – just as the rest of the world has realised its drawbacks.

Everton secured survival from relegation in the dying minutes of the Premier League season after a dreadful campaign that once again saw the side perform at an abysmal level throughout.

Indeed, the initial arrival of Sean Dyche lifted Goodison Park off its knees after the sacking of Frank Lampard in January, but the promising early displays – such as the 1-0 win over Arsenal – quickly wore off leaving the Toffees to teeter on the edge of the relegation zone for many weeks and months.

Whilst the most obvious positions to strengthen will be across the forward line after losing Richarlison and Anthony Gordon over the last 12 months, there will certainly be a desire for Dyche to bolster almost every key position to ensure he has quality options on the bench and the ability to rotate throughout the season.

Everton have already made a decision on the future of those with contracts expiring next month; whilst Seamus Coleman, Andy Lonergan and Tom Davies have been offered new deals, Yerry Mina is one of the players who will not be retained beyond this season alongside Conor Coady who will not be offered a permanent contract to remain either after his loan spell.

As a result, there is a real opportunity for Dyche to identify new additions who can make an instant impact in Everton's defensive set up and one player who has been recently linked with a move back to the Premier League via the blue side of Merseyside is former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Romain Saiss.

Would Romain Saiss be a good fit for Everton?

With Coady and Mina are confirmed for an exit and with the club not ruling out the sale of both Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey at this point, there is no reason why Saiss can't provide a solid short-term solution at a great price for Dyche.

The Morocco skipper has spent a year in the Turkish Süper Lig with Besiktas after parting ways with Wolves at the end of his six-year contract but could now be the perfect profile of player to partner James Tarkowski at Goodison Park next season.

Over 25 league appearances, the 33-year-old – dubbed a "tower of strength" by BBC pundit Danny Murphy – scored one goal, tallied up an 82% pass completion rate and kept six clean sheets, as well as averaging 64.1 touches, 1.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 4.6 duels won per game, proving he is still a massive presence on the pitch.

Not only that, Saiss was one of the standout performers at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year after captaining his team to a record-breaking achievement by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious international competition, another testament to his impeccable leadership skills and rightful nickname as the 'Moroccan Maldini'.

With that being said, the £48k-per-week ace could be a massive asset for the Toffees next season as his consistency and reliability in defence would be warmly welcomed to soften the blow of Mina and Coady's exit next season.