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Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha has long been tipped for a move away from Selhurst Park, with AS Roma most recently linked to the Ivory Coast international.

However, with the winger now being 29 years old, it can be assumed that eventually, a decline will begin.

This could welcome the introduction of Burnley winger Dwight McNeil, who could make an ideal replacement for the Ivory Coast international, as well as offering a different dynamic. It could revolutionise how Patrick Vieira wants to play, and offer more balance as he continues to add pure entertainers to his squad.

Back at the start of July, Pete O’Rourke spoke of how the pulling power of the French manager could be the deciding factor in tempting the winger to Selhurst Park.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Patrick Vieira, we know what a player he was in the Premier League, he’s a Premier League legend, so I’m sure he does have a lot of pulling power for players, and it does look like he is building an exciting young team at Crystal Palace right now.

“He had a good first season in charge and made some good signings as well, so I’m sure if Dwight McNeil was to make the move to Crystal Palace, Patrick Vieira would play a huge role in that, and his pulling power might help him to make that move to London.”

Crystal Palace were reportedly willing to pay £10m for the star.

Although he went all of last season without a goal, he still managed an impressive 7.03 average SofaScore rating. His contribution to his teams is clearly more than goals and assists, and this is outlined by his underlying stats.

He sits in the 99th percentile for blocks, the 98th percentile for interceptions and the 88th percentile for tackles. He could act as a facilitator for the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.

However, he was recently likened to a player who was once one of the best in the world, with Joe Cole claiming McNeil is “like Di Maria”.

High praise indeed, and although his actual stats may not set the world alight, his other contributions could perhaps far outweigh what Zaha has brought to Palace. He could allow the youngsters to truly explode for the London outfit.

AND in other news: “It’s been a given…”: Journo drops big transfer update, CPFC supporters will be gutted

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a claim regarding the current summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Speaking after seeing his side beat Wiener Viktoria 7-0 in their first pre-season game of the summer, the Hoops boss had this to say about what transfer business he’d like to see take place before the window shuts.

He said: “I still think there are one or two areas where we need some more robustness in terms of the squad, just some quality in depth. I wouldn’t expect too many but there are still one or two areas I’m looking to strengthen knowing what’s ahead for us.

“We are definitely looking to bring in one or two more before the window closes. Again it is about identifying what we want and making sure they fit all aspects and we are working towards that.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

Celtic have secured permanent deals for Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer, as well as seeing Daizen Maeda make his stay at the club permanent following his loan spell last season. The Parkhead club have also brought in Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei so it’s been a rather active window.

If supporters weren’t already delighted with the business done, the idea that Postecoglou is still looking to bring at least one or two more players in will be very exciting for everyone involved.

In terms of the areas that Postecoglou could be referring to in his latest comments, a new midfielder should be at the top of the priority list. The club have seen Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton leave Glasgow following the end of the previous SPFL campaign so more cover should arrive in Glasgow before the window slams shut.

The Hoops have already been diligent with their business but supporters would no doubt be delighted if they saw their central areas strengthened in the coming weeks.

With their preseason period kicking off with a rather hefty victory, it shows the Bhoys are already in an extremely promising position ahead of the new campaign, one where they’ll certainly be hoping to have another successful season.

AND in other news: “Soon..”: Journalist drops big Celtic transfer claim that’ll have supporters gutted

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a second centre-back on a free transfer after James Tarkowski.

The Lowdown: Tarkowski transfer ‘done’

As per the Liverpool Echo, the deal to take the 29-year-old to Goodison Park is now ‘done’, although it is not expected to be officially announced until the end of the month.

The defender will join the Toffees as a free agent, having let his contract at Burnley run down this summer.

The Latest: Mbemba eyed by Everton

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), Everton are now eyeing up a move for Chancel Mbemba, who is also out of contract at the end of the month as his time with FC Porto comes to an end.

Fiorentina, Trabzonspor, Lyon, Marseille, AC Milan and Real Betis are also thought to be interested in his signature, although the Toffees are said to have an advantage in that the 27-year-old would prefer a return to England, where he used to play for Newcastle United.

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The Verdict: Risky

Even though they would be signing him on a free, bringing Mbemba to Goodison Park would be a risky move by Everton.

His last spell in English football did not really work out, as he was part of a Magpies team which were relegated from the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, and he only played 59 times over three years at St James’ Park (Transfermarkt).

However, he was a domestic double recently, and has been described as a ‘fast’ and ‘tough’ defender by former Anderlecht team-mate Steven Defour, qualities that Frank Lampard will surely be seeking in his backline.

Mbemba has had a troubled past in England, but given that he is currently rated at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, signing him for free could be worth the risk.

In other news, find out what big Farhad Moshiri update has now emerged

Fresh news over West Ham United’s stance in their hunt for Christian Eriksen has emerged.

What’s the word?

According to a report from the Daily Star, the Hammers deployed scouts to watch the former Spurs man in Denmark’s 2-1 victory over Austria.

Amidst their latest actions, it is said that West Ham are one of several clubs considering a bid for Eriksen, who is of course available on a free transfer this summer with his six-month contract at Brentford set to expire at the end of this month.

As per the same report, it is said that sources who are close to Eriksen insist that he could still choose to stay at Brentford, who have offered the Denmark international a new contract.

Imagine him and Rice

Having secured his Premier League return against all odds, Eriksen endured a mightily successful campaign that reestablished his prowess at the top level.

The scouts who were sent to watch the 30-year-old would have had their reasoning in signing him boosted, with the current Brentford star chipping in with an assist in his side’s victory in the Nations League.

Whilst he has enjoyed positive numbers internationally this season, his metrics have also been solid domestically speaking, having acquired five attacking returns in the form of one goal and four assists in 11 appearances for Thomas Frank’s side this season.

A move to West Ham presents an opportunity to boost these metrics further, with more attacking freedom to be had in Moyes’ 4-2-3-1 system that features midfield solidity in the form of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

The former has established himself in the elite category when it comes to interceptions with his average of 2.76 seeing him placed within the 95th percentile, as per FBref.

Though it’s his ability in possession that would serve a greater purpose to Eriksen, with the 23-year-old’s consistency to both carry and pass the ball into the final third a surefire catalyst for Eriksen’s end product. The England international’s 6.60 passes into the final third and average of 2.36 carries into the final third are yet again elite metrics.

For Brentford, he has asserted himself as the sole chance creator, but having scored eight or more goals in four separate seasons at Spurs, we know he is capable of increasing his goal return – especially bearing in mind the 52 Premier League goals scored throughout his career.

A partnership between Rice and Eriksen, who has been dubbed “unreal”, could be detrimental to the rest of the Premier League.

In other news: Moyes could land his own Kane with West Ham bid for “dangerous” £155k-p/w goal-machine 

Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have opened talks to sign a ‘scary’ player for manager Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new defender…

As reliably reported, a central defender is high on Conte’s list of priorities this summer window with the two top targets appearing to be RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Inter Milan sensation Alessandro Bastoni (The Athletic).

The latter man in particular is heavily linked with a move to north London and the Premier League with much being made over whether he could be Tottenham’s next summer signing.

If Spurs can’t get their man, Paratici and co may have to turn to other options, with Sport now claiming there has been an interesting development involving Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Latest: Paratici opens talks?

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According to their information, Spurs and by extension their sporting director have ‘turned to’ the entourage of Serie A’s colossal centre-back to ‘start talks’.

Chelsea and Juventus have also made contact with Koulibaly’s representatives, but according to this report, the Senegal star favours a move to Barcelona.

The Verdict: Pull out?

The £183,000-per-week star, labelled ‘scary’ by Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti, certainly holds no shortage of quality.

As per WhoScored, Koulibaly averaged more clearances per 90 than any of his teammates in the Italian top flight over 2021/2022 whilst finishing the season as Napoli’s fourth-best performer in terms of average match rating.

Once valued at a whopping £130 million release clause, if his club wish to make any money, they may have to sell for considerably less this summer as Koulibaly enters the final year of his deal.

Taking all of this into account, a deal for the 30-year-old may actually be worth pursuing given Conte’s love for experienced and proven players.

In other news: Tottenham will now attempt eight-figure agreement to sign ‘incredible’ speedster…find out more here.

Noel Whelan has been left delighted by some Glasgow Rangers injury news on Kemar Roofe.

The Lowdown: Fit for Frankfurt?

As cited by football.scotland, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has insisted that the ‘intention’ is to have Roofe fit for the UEFA Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, with the striker doing ‘everything he can’ to be available.

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He has missed their last five games in total over all competitions through injury, ahead of their match at home to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership tonight.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former BBC pundit Whelan has now been left ‘wowed’ and says it would be a ‘huge boost’ if Roofe can make the final:

“He’s a natural goalscorer. He has picked up the mantle superbly with Morelos out, led the line, and chipped in with some important goals.

“It was unfortunate to see him pick up the injury when he did. But to have him back for the final – wow, what a huge boost for the team and the fans.

“He’ll be doing everything he can to be ready for what is going to be a massive occasion. He’ll be wanting to stamp his authority on the game, and I think he’s got a massive part to play – even if it is from the bench.

“Looking back, you want memories in your career. This is one he will not want to miss.”

The Verdict: Patience needed

Patience is certainly needed if Roofe is to get back to full fitness in time for the final, and should therefore not be risked in their upcoming SPFL fixtures.

With Alfredo Morelos out as well, the Teddy Bears will want a natural presence up top in the one that really matters, and Roofe certainly offers that.

His 16 goals over all competitions so far this term is only bettered by the Colombia international and James Tavernier, and so he would give the Teddy Bears a more natural threat when creating chances against Frankfurt.

Nonetheless, only time will tell whether he will be able to play a part in their biggest game of the campaign.

In other news, find out what ‘massive’ Gers update has now emerged here!

The tournament will be a high point of a bizarre year in which the team has lost its ODI status while also securing famous wins against Afghanistan, UAE and Nepal in the 50-overs format

Peter Della Penna15-Sep-2018St Patrick’s Day is a quirky date on the calendar in the annals of Associate history. In 2007, the day was marked by a famous Irish win in Jamaica over Pakistan that served as a catalyst for Ireland’s inexorable march to Test status. Eleven years later, Hong Kong experienced the bizarre dichotomy of having their participation in the 4000th ODI against Papua New Guinea trumpeted in an ICC press release with the knowledge that it may be their last such match for at least four years.Four years of hard grind to keep ODI status won in 2014 was undone in the matter of two weeks in Zimbabwe this past March. It didn’t matter that Hong Kong could have secured a spot in the 13-team ODI League beginning in 2020 had they been able to win either WCL Championship contest against the Netherlands in 2017 that they only narrowly lost.The Dutch had been in Hong Kong’s shoes four years earlier. One win in the 2011-13 WCL Championship was what separated them and Afghanistan from an automatic berth in the 2015 World Cup. Netherlands wound up one spot back, forced to go to the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand where one bad week, and one bad loss to Kenya, saw their ODI status wiped out in an instant.But the Dutch had also laid a blueprint for Hong Kong on how to bounce back from such a devastating result. It was only two months after the Dutch debacle in New Zealand that they pulled off one of the greatest chases in any format, smashing 193 in 13.5 overs on a legendary night in Sylhet to leapfrog Ireland into the main draw of the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh.Last month in Malaysia, a young Hong Kong side showed that what happened in Zimbabwe need not be the end of the world for them either. Under new captain Anshuman Rath, Hong Kong reeled off four straight wins against Singapore, UAE, Nepal and then UAE once more in a final rematch to earn a place in Group A of the main Asia Cup draw against India and Pakistan, thus highlighting one of the great ironies of Hong Kong’s ODI existence.

If playing in the Asia Cup were an opportunity afforded only to teams with ODI status, then Hong Kong would have been locked out in favor of UAE and Nepal, teams they scored a trio of wins against at the qualifier in Malaysia.

In the four years Hong Kong held official ODI status from 2014 to 2018, the only two ODIs they played against Full Members took place in the final week that they held the status, against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. They won the first of those two encounters, demonstrating their capabilities if only given an opportunity.Now that they’ve lost their ODI status, they’ll be playing the same amount of ODIs against Test nations in the space of one week as they had in the preceding four years by virtue of the ICC’s decree that all matches at the Asia Cup will have ODI status in spite of the lack of such status currently held by Hong Kong. It’s also their third appearance in the Asia Cup, following up on 2004 and 2008, the only other opportunities they’ve ever had to play ODI cricket.Hong Kong’s performance at the Asia Cup Qualifier once again demonstrates the beauty of meritocracy through qualifying on the field of play rather than having opportunities dished out according to administrative status labels. If playing in the Asia Cup were an opportunity afforded only to teams with ODI status, then Hong Kong would have been locked out in favor of UAE and Nepal, teams they scored a trio of wins against at the qualifier in Malaysia.The same held true during the Asia Cup T20 Qualifier in 2016. Prior to the staging of that tournament, three Asian Associates – Afghanistan, Oman and Hong Kong – had all qualified for the World T20 that was to follow a month later in India. But UAE was invited to participate as a fourth team courtesy of their T20I status and despite having missed out on the World T20 managed to trump that Asian associate trio to advance to the main draw of the Asia Cup T20, and in the process gave a serious scare to Sri Lanka. It was yet another instance showcasing the depth and strength of Associates in the region.Hong Kong’s qualification also provides evidence that the countries’ development programs are indeed bearing fruit and deserve more investment from the ICC in spite of their lack of ODI status. Many casual observers fall into the habit of lazily looking at the names on paper and assume the squad is made up of washed up imports from other countries.The truth is that regardless of their ethnic heritage, the majority of the squad has come through Hong Kong’s Under-19 junior squads, including 20-year-old Rath. This is not a recent phenomenon either as the last remaining holdover from their 2004 Asia Cup debut is 30-year-old left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed, who made his debut as a 16-year-old in that tournament against Pakistan. In addition to English and Urdu, Nadeem speaks fluent Cantonese as well, underscoring his strong connection to the local Hong Kong Chinese culture that he was raised in.More than anything, though, Hong Kong just want the opportunity to show they belong. They’ll still be overwhelming underdogs to make it out of group play. But as Ireland showed the world against Pakistan in 2007, stranger things have happened.According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2018 is the year of the dog. Hong Kong have already demonstrated against Afghanistan’s superstar spin trio of Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi that their bark is backed up by a strong bite. And they’ll be woofing plenty when they take the field next week against Pakistan and India.

R Ashwin’s angle of attack and the slip fielders’ conundrum also feature in Aakash Chopra’s analytical observations from the first day of the Rajkot Test

Aakash Chopra09-Nov-20163:27

Ganguly: Root’s positivity against spin paid off

Variable bounceWriddhiman Saha collected the first ball of the day with his fingers pointing skywards. The second ball was a lot shorter but this time Saha collected it around his waist. Later in the same over, one ball hit the lower half of Alastair Cook’s bat and the ball bounced a few times en route to the fielder at slip. If there is variable bounce as early as the first over, you know what to expect for the five days. Expect the lines to be a lot straighter for faster bowlers and most wickets to come through leg-before and bowled.Slip fielding in the subcontinentIndia grassed a few catches in the first half hour of the game. Catching in the slips is an art and, at the highest level, it is assumed that you have mastered it and thereby earned the right to stand in the slips. But pitches in the subcontinent pose a challenge of a different kind. Since you are not sure about the bounce, you are best advised to get closer to the bat. It is better to drop the catch than for the ball to drop in front of you. So, for the same bowler, you would stand four steps closer in Rajkot than at Old Trafford. But the closer you get to the bat, the shorter the reaction time and the tougher the catch becomes. There might be less bounce on subcontinent pitches, but the pace off them is not radically different from the pace off pitches around the world. Given this, you might be a little less harsh the next time you see a catch dropped in slips in this series.Slip fielders in India have to stand closer to the bat, thereby substantially reducing their reaction times•AFPAshwin finds a work-aroundR Ashwin started from over the stumps to right-handed batsmen, bowled full and maintained an attacking line outside off. It did not work. On a pitch that is not offering anything substantial from the surface, the line outside off ceases to be as threatening as it is on a turning pitch. It is easier to counter the occasional lateral movement off the surface. That is why Ashwin went around the stumps, which enabled him to expose both edges. Suddenly every ball started finishing within the stumps, and that led to Haseeb Hameed’s wicket. Moreover, Ashwin’s economy also improved – he did not concede a single boundary to right-handers off the first 44 balls he bowled to them from around the stumps, conceding only 17 runs off those deliveries.45.5 – Umesh Yadav, Joe Root and alarming seam movementThe ball has started reverse swinging and both Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami have exploited it well. But this particular ball pitches and changes direction alarmingly, and hits Joe Root on the body. While reverse swing is par for the course in dry conditions, movement off the surface is not, especially on the first day. But this pitch at Rajkot is a little different, with cracks running all through the 22 yards. The ball in question must have hit one of these cracks and deviated. Expect the cracks to widen as the sun beats down on this pitch. That will bring seamers into the picture.Joe Root scored an assured century despite staying inside his crease to the spinners•Associated PressRooted to the creaseRoot hit ten boundaries against spinners, and not even one boundary was while stepping out till he reached his century. There was only one boundary through the sweep and that too was off a full toss. Aren’t we told that the only way to succeed against spin in India is to either step out to smother spin or sweep as often as you can? Granted, it is the first day of a Test match on a decent pitch, but Root has shown that it is possible to succeed with a different game plan. His driving was meticulous, with a long forward stride and the precise transference of body weight at the point of impact.Moeen Ali was not tested with the short ball tactic•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe bouncer barrage that never cameDuring India’s last tour to England, Ishant Sharma and co. had exploited Moeen Ali’s discomfort against bouncers. So much so that it felt that the moment he walked out to bat, bowling a bouncer was the obvious thing. He tried ducking, fending and attacking them, but was not successful with any of these approaches. That led one to believe that it would be worth trying the same ploy again but it did not happen today. Out of the first 30 balls that Moeen faced, 18 were bowled by the seamers and yet there wasn’t a single bouncer whistling past his nose. Later, of course, the absence of a fully fit Shami made it impossible to have an extended spell of bouncers.

Mushfiqur Rahim put a four-month gap between ODIs behind him to propel Bangladesh to a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe

Mohammad Isam07-Nov-2015Mushfiqur Rahim has hardly looked out for form in the last four years and that wasn’t going to change just because Bangladesh were playing their first ODI in four months. His fourth ODI hundred was also his second this year and he has now overtaken Soumya Sarkar as the team’s leading scorer in the format in 2015.More than the 718 runs at a batting average of 55.23 though, it is Mushfiqur’s preparation ahead of a series or a match that stands out. He is arguably the hardest working batsman in the Bangladesh team, and will do anything to ensure his peace of mind. This time he played in the practice match two days ago when he could have easily taken the day off like the rest of the batsmen. He made 81 off 84 balls with five fours and two sixes, and looked to be cruising in Fatullah at times.And it was similar in Mirpur despite the early struggle among the Bangladesh top-order. Tamim Iqbal wasn’t getting enough strike while Mahmudullah had too much to work with. Liton Das meanwhile fell away early in his first foray as an opener.”I wanted to play the practice match,” Mushfiqur said. “I couldn’t score to my standard in the NCL so there were some gaps. So I requested the coach to put me in the BCB XI. I realised I was in touch while batting in that game although at the start it wasn’t easy. I need a bit of time in the middle, so when I played 5-7 deliveries today, I knew that I was ready for a big innings.”I was lucky to get a few bad balls early on. Confidence will go up when you get a couple of boundaries away. The wicket was very slow but I never thought I need a long time to make runs. I tried to play naturally and get the runs.”Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza paid tribute to Mushfiqur for getting the team out of tough situations in the early stages of a tournament or series. Only the day before this game, Mashrafe said that Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur has showed the way by being strong when the chips are down. He gave examples of Bangladesh’s first matches in the last ODI series against Zimbabwe in 2014 and the first match of this year’s World Cup. Coincidentally, it was both Mushfiqur and Shakib who made big contributions in this first game too.Mashrafe also said that the dressing-room relaxes when senior batsmen like Mushfiqur grab hold of match situations that are about to be taken over by the opponents.”It is really obvious they have been contributing for Bangladesh cricket from the start of their careers. You expect them to deliver their best at tough times. I want the youngsters to learn from them. My gut feeling says that on tough times they will answer. I had said yesterday that the first match is very important and in each of those matches Mushfiqur batted brilliantly and so did Shakib and [Mahmudullah] Riyad. I always believe that when my experienced players step up, the match becomes easier to win.”This year, we always faced a difficult situation in the first match. It is obviously a relief when batsmen build a partnership, especially the senior batsmen. So today when Tamim and Mushfiqur built a stand, Sabbir managed to get out of his temporary rut. It was a relief for our team but again when the senior players are in form and bat in the middle then from the outside all the other batsmen are relaxed,” said Mashrafe.Mushfiqur said that he hardly felt that he was out of form this year despite a lack of big scores between his century against Pakistan in April this year. He would always start well but fall away, but one has to remember that he was also dealing with a continuous finger injury for much of the Pakistan, India and South Africa series.”I never felt this year that I was out of form. I have had a good year but I haven’t got enough big scores accordingly. I am happy to come back among the runs. The big thing is that the team won.”Luck of course matters,” said Mushfiqur. “But I always believe that if I am honest in my preparation, I don’t regret making 2 or 5 runs. It is my biggest strength, I feel.”

With Alastair Cook isolated and the deficiencies in his captaincy laid bare, the suggestion that English cricket is at a low point continues to gain credence

George Dobell at Headingley23-Jun-2014Might this count as a low ebb?After the Ashes defeat in Australia, the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke, said it was “utter nonsense” to claim that England were at “some sort of massive low ebb”.Since then, though, little has gone right for England. They were embarrassed in the World T20 by Holland, they lost the ODI series (and the T20 match) against Sri Lanka and their new managing director, Paul Downton, has sometimes looked so out of his depth that it is hard to resist the temptation to throw him a pair of armbands.And, as their bowlers were thrashed around Leeds by Sri Lanka’s eighth-wicket pair, as their captain’s grim run of form continued, as they allowed a game they had every chance to dominate slip away in front of a ‘crowd’ so small it should probably be called a ‘sparse’ and as their batsmen displayed the resilience of a papadam – Liam Plunkett’s dismissal might be remembered as the worst shot by a nightwatchman in the history of Test cricket – it was hard to avoid any other conclusion than England had slipped not just to a low ebb, but to basement flat below one.Ian Bell’s dismissal was another example of senior players failing to help out Alastair Cook in England’s time of need•Getty ImagesEngland have already gone seven Tests without a victory. But even if they do produce a miracle and prevail on the final day (and they might as well pray that a plague of unicorns prevents play), even if they pull off the largest successful fourth-innings run chase in their history, it should not obscure the deficiencies that have hurt them. And it should not obscure the deficiencies in the leadership of Alastair Cook.It is not just the poor batting form or the uninspiring tactics that provoke such concerns. Yes, we know that he has now gone 24 innings without a Test century and that, since July 2013, he averages in the mid-20s. And we know that, as a tactician, he is more mouse than Strauss; more phoney than Dhoni. The decision to set spread fields in the opening overs of the day simply allowed Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews to settle in.But we also know his long-term batting record is excellent and, given time, he should come again. And we know that, when he is batting well, he has the ability to unite his team and lead them to fine victories such as a series wins in India and an Ashes win at home. There are different ways to lead and Cook is not as hopeless as some would suggest.The real concern is his inability to raise his team when required. Frustrated by his ineloquence, he appears unable to find the stirring phrases to rouse and renew in times of trouble. He is the type of captain who leads by example. And his current example is mediocrity.More than that, though, he was the captain backed by the ECB when it was decided to drop Kevin Pietersen. He was the captain either unwilling or unable to accommodate the highest run-scorer in England’s international history and, as a result, he has weakened his side and shouldered an unnecessary burden.Any suggestion that he was unaffected by the relentless negativity towards him from high-profile critics such as Shane Warne and Piers Morgan was dashed when Cook snapped back the day before this match. It has clearly been on his mind.But if Cook must take his share of responsibility for England’s performance, a few of his senior players also need to reflect on the support they have offered him. Matt Prior has looked unrecognisable from the keeper who proved so reliable up until the end of 2013 and, in this match, has flapped like a seal and dropped like a stone.

For Sri Lanka to come in early summer and secure their first series win is a damning indictment of England’s new era

James Anderson, impeccable for so long, bowled horribly short and wide in being out-performed by Dhammika Prasad. His first over with the second new ball did not demand a single stroke; his second was little better. Ian Bell was beaten through the gate, back when he should have been forward, while Stuart Broad was unable to summon any of the menace gained by his Sri Lanka counterparts. In an inexperienced side, these are the men who have to support Cook. On Monday, at least, they let Cook down. All those burned by the Ashes thrashing fell away under pressure.What England cannot – must not – do is blame bad luck.If you win the toss and decide to bowl first, you cannot complain if you end up batting fourth against a turning ball.If you waste your two reviews on speculative lbw shouts – one where the ball was clearly going down the leg side – you cannot complain when an umpire misses a blatant outside edge off Shaminda Eranga before he has scored and there are no reviews remaining.If you waste the new ball and squander more than half-a-dozen chances in the field, you cannot complain when Test batsmen punish you.If you pass your opposition’s score with only two wickets down but then lose 7 for 54, you cannot complain when the opposition fight their way back into the game.And if you bowl your overs so slowly that you run out of time when the opposition are nine wickets down, you cannot complain when they hold on for a draw.Sri Lanka have played well in this series, but England have been, to a large extent, the architects of their downfall.There is, as ever, mitigation. This is an England side containing several inexperienced players; there were bound to be days like this as they learned their trade. Equally, in a two-match series, the effects of one poor day can be magnified. England have not been this bad for the other eight days. But overseas victories are hard to come by for any side and for Sri Lanka to come to the UK in early summer and secure their first series win, is not just a reward for fine cricket, but a damning indictment of England’s new era.