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Mauricio Pochettino's side were sleepwalking towards another dispiriting result before their key man grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck

Cole Palmer woke Chelsea from their slumber to inspire the Blues to a 2-0 victory over bottom club Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues clicked into gear after a first 45 that will go down as one of the most forgettable in Premier League history, and were rewarded inside 10 minutes of the second period as Palmer rounded off a fine passing move by side-footing home Raheem Sterling's cross.

The lead was swiftly doubled as Palmer turned provider for Nicolas Jackson, pouncing on a goalkeeping error to lay it on a plate for the striker.

Substitute Armando Broja and Jackson both missed gilt-edged chances to put further gloss on the scoreline, but the points were secure.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

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Djordje Petrovic (6/10):

Completely untested on his full debut in truth.

Axel Disasi (7/10):

Not a natural full-back but performed admirably, growing in confidence and bombing down the right.

Thiago Silva (6/10):

Not unduly bothered by a blunt Blades attack. Needed a strong performance after his error at Newcastle.

Benoit Badiashile (6/10):

A calm display at the back. Passed smoothly and did the basics in a fairly straightforward examination.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

Didn't get forward much which meant he wasn't really involved in the vast majority of the play at the other end.

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Moises Caicedo (7/10):

Arguably his best performance in blue so far. Mopped up on the rare occasions Sheffield United countered and drove his team forwards.

Conor Gallagher (6/10):

Industrious as ever and his forward thrust was crucial to Chelsea building momentum after the break. Very harshly booked.

Cole Palmer (8/10):

Completely anonymous in the first half, game-changing in the second. Combined excellently with Sterling to open the scoring and was very smart to play to the whistle to assist Jackson.

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Raheem Sterling (7/10):

Worked tirelessly down the right flank and helped to get his team off the mark with a smart assist after a drop of the shoulder.

Nicolas Jackson (6/10):

Another fairly quiet performance but took the one clear opening that came his way so hard to be too critical.

Mykhailo Mudryk (6/10):

Some bright moments and a better striker might have pounced on the chances he created. Subbed with 25 to play.

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Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Introduced with the job already done but kept things ticking over. Will be glad to have had a bit of a rest.

Armando Broja (5/10):

Ran the defence hard but will be gutted to have missed an absolute sitter.

Malo Gusto (N/A):

On to see out the game.

Ian Maatsen (N/A):

Subbed on to use up some time.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Whatever the manager said at half-time, it worked. The Argentine will have been mightily underwhelmed by the first-half display, but his players responded and they simply have to use this as a platform to achieve better things.

Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been charged for allegedly hanging an effigy of Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr from a bridge before the derby in January.

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• Atletico Madrid fans facing charges
• Accused of hanging effigy near Real's training ground
• Could face four years in prison

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The four fans are facing charges, per, after hanging the effigy of Vinicius from a bridge near the Real training ground in January. A banner was also unfurled, reading "Madrid hates Real" before the two clubs met in the Copa del Rey.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Madrid Public Prosecutors office is seeking four years in prison for each individual, who say they are "ideologically identified with the extreme right". Arrests were initially made in May but they have now been charged with intimidation and 'acting against fundamental rights and public freedoms'.

• WHAT THE PROSECUTOR SAID

  They insist that the hanging of the effigy was racially motivated, saying it was "an unmistakable sign of contempt and rejection of the victim’s skin colour and motivated by a desire to undermine his sense of wellbeing".

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Charges have been brought so the case is now set to be heard. Meanwhile, Vinicius will likely play for Real Madrid against Real Betis this weekend.

ScorecardHamidullah Qadri. Remember the name•DerbyshireCCC

Derbyshire’s Hamidullah Qadri made history on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Glamorgan.Qadri, 16, became the first player born in the year 2000 to play in county cricket as Derbyshire were bowled out for 288 in the Division Two day-night fixture.No 11 Qadri came out to bat under the lights and survived being bowled off a no ball as he made an unbeaten 11, aiding a Derbyshire recovery that saw 131 runs added for the last three wickets.Derbyshire lost their first wicket in the fourth over when Luis Reece was lbw to Timm van der Gugten but Wayne Madsen (70) and Billy Godleman (34) added 98 for the second wicket.Van der Gugten broke the partnership when Madsen (70) edged one to the wicketkeeper and Godleman followed when a rare attempt at an expansive shot resulted in another catch for Chris Cooke behind the stumps.Marchant de Lange had Gary Wilson caught behind before Graham Wagg claimed two wickets in successive overs when Alex Hughes was lbw and Jeevan Mendis was caught low down at second slip by Nick Selman.With the penultimate ball before the second break, Derbyshire lost their seventh wicket when Tom Taylor became Van der Gugten’s third victim and Cooke’s fourth when he was caught behind.Derbyshire recovered in the evening session, with Daryn Smit and Tom Milnes adding 66 for the eighth wicket before Smit picked out gully off De Lange.Milnes reached his half-century before edging behind to Cooke off Michael Hogan, who ended the innings by having Tony Palladino caught at mid-off, but Derbyshire would have been pleased by their recovery.

The Three Lions boss continues to play favourites with his selections, meaning some high-profile players likely won't be on the plane to Germany

Aside from France, no team will be able to rival England for strength in depth at Euro 2024 this summer. There are a few holes in the squad here and there, midfield most notably, but in some positions Gareth Southgate has two, or even three, world-class options to choose from.

This can be a double-edged sword. While the current generation of England players is the most talented since David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Co, some high-profile stars are guaranteed to miss out each time Southgate makes his selection.

The most recent squad was no exception. Even with a host of regulars being ruled out with injury, some onlookers were still unhappy to see their favourites miss out on games against North Macedonia and Malta.

With time running out until Euro 2024 kicks off, these debates are only going to rumble on over the coming weeks and months. Below, GOAL has taken a look at which players should be worried about their prospects of boarding the plane to Germany. In the end, there was so many, we even managed to fashion them into a makeshift XI…

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  GK: Nick Pope (Newcastle)

  Southgate's recent treatment of Pope has been a little strange to say the least. One would have thought that moving to Newcastle and playing in the Champions League would have only strengthened his position as one of Jordan Pickford's deputies.

  However, Pope has now not received a call-up since last March – even with Aaron Ramsdale warming the bench at Arsenal over the past few months. His other rival, Crystal Palace's Sam Johnstone, may be featuring regularly for the Eagles, but he's hardly having a standout season, making Pope's omission all the more baffling.

  Regardless, it's looking less and less likely that he'll be on the plane to Germany this summer.

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  RB: Reece James (Chelsea)

  In terms of all-round ability, James is probably the best right-back Southgate has at his disposal. But that's not the whole story here. The Chelsea captain seemingly irritated his international manager by ruling himself out of the latest squad for fitness reasons.

  "There is (a lot of talent ahead of James) and that's the risk. He's only got one more squad before the Euros. So he knows that. We've got belief in what he can do," Southgate said.

  With competition for places so fierce at right-back, it's not something James will have wanted to hear, even if he was outstanding in Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

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  CB: Ben White (Arsenal)

  "I assume so," Southgate said, when asked whether White was fit for his most-recent squad. That he seemingly had not even considered calling up the Arsenal star is telling of how unlikely he is to make the cut this summer.

  "Ben’s been very solid for Arsenal. He is a different profile of full-back. He’s more of a centre-back playing at full-back really. And he’s obviously doing a good job for his club, he’s just behind a couple of others in our reckoning," Southgate stated.

  Publicly, Southgate has insisted that there has not been a falling out between the pair after White exited the 2022 World Cup due to "personal reasons". But as long as he continues to perform for the Gunners and remains out of the international set-up, those rumours aren't going to subside.

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  CB: Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)

  After years of neglect, Tomori has increasingly earned Southgate's trust over the past few international windows. But with the England manager's Harry Maguire obsession showing no signs of abating and John Stones a certain starter, it seems unlikely he'll break into the starting XI permanently.

  In fact, he might even be squeezed out of the squad entirely depending on how the next few months play out. Ezri Konsa, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk and Marc Guehi are just some of the other contenders for the centre-back spots, and history might suggest that if anyone is going to be edged out, it's Tomori.

Aston Villa have been linked with another newly relegated Premier League star after confirming an agreement to sign Youri Tielemans from Leicester City.

The Villans have had a host of talent on their radar early into the transfer window and with Monchi and Unai Emery at the wheel, it’s set to be a busy summer in the Midlands.

The latest speculation ties the club with another ace that’s Championship bound, should he not be released from his shackles.

What’s the latest on Rodrigo to Aston Villa?

As reported by journalist Ben Jacobs last weekend on the Leeds United Ultras Youtube channel, Aston Villa hold an interest in Leeds United forward Rodrigo.

Jacobs revealed (21.19) that the Midlands club are watching the 32-year-old “very closely”, with Paris Saint Germain and Brighton & Hove Albion also listed as interested clubs.

Signed for £26m in 2020, Leeds are expected to offload the £100k-per-week talent to transition to the financial difference between the top and second division.

What could Rodrigo offer to Aston Villa?

Hailed as an “absolute top talent” by Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear, the Spaniard has been an integral member of the club’s short journey in the Premier League.

The 32-year-old has contributed to 30 goals in 88 appearances in the top division, scoring 26 and assisting four across three seasons via Transfermarkt.

His highest goal tally came this term where he netted 13, however, his contributions were not enough to keep the Whites from relegation on the final day.

Villa could snatch themselves a versatile forward in the Rio de Janeiro-born star, in a talent that is capable of playing wide as well as through the middle as a traditional centre-forward.

When speaking to The Athletic in April, Emery revealed his desire to sign a second striker to add depth to his squad, in a role that could see the favoured individual partner Ollie Watkins or rotate with the Englishman.

With European competition due next season, it’s imperative that the Spaniard recruits to add depth to his squad which is what he could do by capturing Rodrigo.

The 32-year-old has significant experience playing in Europe, including a standout season in La Liga in the 2017/18 campaign in which he recorded 23 goals and assists to show his capabilities in the final third.

When comparing the Spaniard and the Villa star, the numbers suggest that they could become an influential pair at Villa Park whether playing together or in rotation.

As per FBref, over the past year the Leeds gem averaged 1.86 progressive carries to Watkins’ 1.44 per 90 as well as 0.56 non-penalty goals per 90 to the Englishman’s 0.40, showing his ability to match the Villa favourite if called upon in his absence.

While their similarities are declared through their numbers, their differences suggest that they could form a strong partnership together, with the 27-year-old falling short of the Spaniard in terms of progressive passes, registering 1.12 to his 2.05 per 90.

The Leeds star shows strengths in his ability to link play as highlighted through his numbers of progressive passes in comparison to Watkins, suggesting he could act as an encouraging option to feed the 15-goal Villa star.

Monchi could land his first signing at a low price in securing Rodrigo, who could be a strong introduction for Emery’s plans to add depth to his squad.

Leeds United are on the lookout for a new boss to replace Sam Allardyce and former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard would be open to taking over at Elland Road.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United and Steven Gerrard?

As per The Telegraph, Gerrard has emerged as a contender to become the next Leeds United manager as the Whites look to find their new boss to lead them into the Sky Bet Championship next term.

talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has backed the 43-year-old for the role, stating on the outlet's YouTube channel: "Gerrard to me, I don't see why he couldn't do the job if the lessons that needed to have been learned have been learned. "If he can sit in front of a chairman and walk him through what it is that he would bring to his football club and what he's learned from the lessons he's had previously and could then deploy them.

Nevertheless, The Daily Mail have revealed that Gerrard, whose organisation was hailed as "incredible" during his time at Rangers, is also in the running for the Leicester City job, potentially offering him a route back into football ahead of 2023/24.

Scott Parker and Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca have also been looked at by the Foxes as they prepare to rival Leeds United in the English second-tier.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that whoever Leeds United appoint will be determined by their ongoing ownership situation.

Jones told FFC: "It'll be really interesting to see what happens with Steven Gerrard, who is very open to taking both the Leeds and the Leicester job and is keen to get back into work as soon as possible. I think at this stage, Leeds still have due diligence to do on the managerial front and who they appoint will be impacted by the ownership situation."

Who else has been linked to the Leeds United job?

Leeds United look to have a lengthy list of candidates at Elland Road as they weigh up who would be the best fit for the club moving forward.

As per The Athletic, former Fulham boss Scott Parker has emerged as a candidate to take over at the club and has been discussed internally at Elland Road.

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan is also of interest to Leeds United and has been shortlisted as they do their due diligence within their hiring process, as per Football Insider.

The Daily Star claim that Brendan Rodgers is another name that has been mentioned in connection with the club, though Leeds United are likely to face competition from his former club Celtic to land the 50-year-old, as per Sky Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has claimed that Harry Kane wants to “stay” amid speculation about his potential exit.

What did Emerson Royal say about Harry Kane?

Will Kane leave Spurs this summer? It’s arguably the most-discussed transfer rumour in England over the past few months.

From TV pundits to strangers at the pub, you’ve probably heard nearly everyone who follows football offer their opinion on the matter at some point.

Even Kane has had to address the situation recently. Indeed, after scoring twice against Leeds United on the final day of the season, he told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News): “It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game.

“I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England.”

Well, his Tottenham teammate Emerson has now potentially provided a little bit of insider information when speaking to the press.

He said (via Football Daily) “Top [player], for me, he’s number one in this position. I’m so happy for him.

“He wants to stay with us. I want to play with him for a long time.”

Why would Kane stay at Spurs?

Kane is currently on £200k-p/w at Tottenham and his current deal expires in 2024. It’s been reported that he may not sign a new deal and simply leave for free in 12 months’ time.

However, he could also push for a move this summer with Manchester United heavily linked. 90min claims he is the club’s “top transfer target”.

Of course, this might be tempting as he’s not getting any younger (turning 30 this July) and is still yet to win a major trophy in his career.

Some with connections to Sputs even think he should leave. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said (via Manchester Evening News): “It feels at the moment that Tottenham is a shambles.

“They can’t seem to get a manager. If you were Harry Kane with one year to go, this is the time to leave.

“He has to push now because Man United might get somebody else. He missed out on Man City a few years ago when he wasn’t allowed to leave, right now it feels like he needs to push.”

However, if Emerson does indeed have some inside information, perhaps Kane isn’t looking to go just yet.

This could make sense too because if he sticks around for one more year he can then leave for free next summer.

Scorecard and ball-by-ballSharjeel Khan pulls during his century•AFP

In the list of the fastest ODI centuries by Pakistan and you will see a familiar name: Shahid Afridi. Afridi is still the owner of the three fastest hundreds, but now there is a new man lurking behind him: Sharjeel Khan, who is now the proud owner of the fastest century by a Pakistani not named Afridi and the architect of the heaviest victory by runs in the country’s ODI history.The tempo of Sharjeel’s innings – and the utterly one-sided nature of this match – was established in the first over. Undeterred by muggy skies or the threat of seam, Sharjeel scythed his second ball, from Tim Murtagh, through the offside and then launched the over’s final delivery for a straight six.That same impudent spirit defined the rest of his innings. Sharjeel treated Ireland’s bowlers as if he was range-hitting against local net bowlers. The shot with which he brought up his century, a sweep to leg that was misfielded, actually had a subtlety out of sync with the rest of his stay; this was an innings of unrelenting brutality, defined above all by Sharjeel’s brazen, clean hitting to the leg side, pulling imperiously and launching the ball over long on with impunity.The violence was also out of sync with the bucolic setting at Malahide. This is the venue that Ireland hope to turn into their fortress, yet not only were their team humiliated on the pitch, their ignominious batting collapse made all the more unpalatable by coming in the best conditions of the day, yet here the home fans were outdone – if not in number, then certainly in noise – by Pakistan’s supporters. When Sharjeel raised his helmet and performed the in celebration at his maiden ODI century, coming off only 61 balls and four days after his 27th birthday, he did so against a backdrop of chants of “Pakistan! Zindabad”.He only became more merciless after reaching his century. Twenty-five balls later he had sailed past 150, greeting the slow emergence of the sun with a series of shots that not merely cleared the boundary at Malahide, but would have done so at any ground in the world. While Sharjeel was batting, there seemed not so much one game of cricket being played as two: the bedlam when he was at the crease, and the relative tranquillity when he was not, as Mohammad Hafeez took 59 balls over 37.Perhaps Sharjeel’s impact was overdue. He made his ODI debut three years ago but, after a sparkling 61 on debut, his form collapsed, and he was dropped after 11 ODIs brought an average of just 17.63, and, in the process ditched from T20 cricket too. The creation of the Pakistan Super League created a new platform for him to impress the selectors, and a 62-ball 117 against Shaun Tait and Wahab Riaz gave note of his talent. He was recalled to Pakistan’s T20 side and performed encouragingly in their dismal World T20 campaign.But many considered him a little on the rotund side for an international cricketer. When Pakistan went on their army boot camp, to Abbottabad, in preparation for their tour to England, Sharjeel struggled, and was given a tailor-made programme to make him fit for international cricket. During Pakistan A’s tour of England, he made plenty of runs, including 125 against the England Lions, but more important was the 5kg he lost.”That boot camp was really special, and the fitness work is really helping us on this tour,” he said after his memorable day. “I need to improve my fitness more day-by-day.”Not that Sharjeel did much running here, too busy exploiting the shoddy length of Ireland’s bowlers – too full or, more often, too short. Even in a match reduced to 47 overs a side, Sharjeel was on course to waltz past Saeed Anwar’s 194, and set a new record for Pakistan’s top individual score in an ODI before, attempting to hit his 10th six, he top edged Barry McCarthy to Niall O’Brien.By now, though, Ireland had cause to fear a chase as onerous as the 378 they were set by Sri Lanka at Malahide exactly two months ago. William Porterfield later reckoned that the game was actually lost in the first 20 overs, when Ireland’s bowlers failed to exploit the seaming conditions that had led him to insert Pakistan. For Peter Chase, heaved for 70 in seven overs, matches such as this are indeed “a tough school,” as Porterfield reflected; what he would have given to be able to summon Boyd Rankin instead.The skill of Tim Murtagh and the zest of McCarthy, whose four wickets lifted him to 18 in seven ODIs this summer, created a brief period of calm after Sharjeel’s dismissal, but it did not last long. Shoaib Malik, playing his 233rd ODI, and Mohammad Nawaz, playing his first, added 105 to leave Ireland needing to chase over seven an over.Few gave them a chance of doing so, but nor did they envisage Ireland being bundled out within 24 overs. Imad Wasim feasted on the frailties in Ireland’s batting, though he can surely never had to do so little to take a five-wicket haul in professional cricket. The match ended with three Wasim wickets in four deliveries: each came from little more than innocuous arm-balls, as Porterfield later admitted. It summed up a desolate Ireland performance.While Sharjeel had lifted Pakistan to their insurmountable total, another Pakistan returnee, Umar Gul, ran through Ireland’s top order, with a hostile spell of swing bowling in his first ODI for a year. The most mesmerising bowling, though, was reserved for Mohammad Amir, who swung the second ball of the innings to uproot Paul Stirling’s off stump, and then had Ed Joyce, defeated by a ball so quick that he could not get his bat out of the line in time, dropped at second slip.That Amir was only needed to bowl four overs was the final indignity for Ireland. The day ended not merely with their lowest ever total in a home ODI and second lowest anywhere, but the second largest defeat by runs in their history. It also ended with new urgency imbued into the fear that the opportunities that Ireland have craved for so long have come at a time when the team is in decline.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has “a lot of the traits” to replace Conor Coady and Yerry Mina at Goodison Park, according to journalist Dean Jones.

How have Coady and Mina been performing?

Coady first arrived on Merseyside on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Wolves last summer and despite having made 23 appearances since that time, has failed to live up to expectations and is ranked the 16th worst player out of the 25 squad members, recording a match rating of 6.43, as per WhoScored.

Mina, on the other hand, has been extremely injury prone and failed to ever establish himself in the first-team having spent 12 spells on the sidelines since joining, not to mention that he’s made just four appearances across all competitions this season and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche.

The Toffees’ young centre-back is currently out on a season-long loan at PSV Eindhoven where he has been impressing in his 30 senior outings to date so far, and as he’s set to return to the Blues this summer, he could be handed a more senior role heading into the 2023/24 campaign, regardless of the club's league status.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones was asked whether he thought Branthwaite had the required qualities to establish his place in the first-team and succeed the likes of Coady and Mina, to which he replied:

“Yeah, it looks like it. He's certainly got a lot of the traits that you would look for in somebody to not only have the composure and the level headedness to handle the Premier League but the confidence too. So it seems like they've got the makings of a good player there.”

Should Branthwaite be given a chance at Everton?

Branthwaite has already made 13 first-team appearances for Everton so they clearly see the potential that he’s got and considering how much he’s developed at PSV, Dyche should definitely give him the opportunity to prove himself.

The 6 foot 5 colossus is currently averaging 3.5 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per Eredivisie game, via WhoScored, and has won 12 tackles from 20 players challenged, highlighting the rock he’s been at the heart of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s backline.

Alongside being strong in defence, the £15k-per-week starlet is also capable of contributing to his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having scored four goals and provided an assist this season with his height being extremely handy when it comes to set pieces, so there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to perform at the same level or even better than the boss' current centre-back options at Goodison Park.

Steven Finn has recovered from injury and is primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week

Alan Gardner14-May-2016″Use your frustration as motivation.” That was the simple advice Trevor Bayliss emailed to Steven Finn last month. Finn had received what might be described as a mild ECB ticking off for talking about missing the World T20 despite being, in his opinion, fit to play and England’s head coach was keen to channel it into a positive response.Finn’s publically expressed disappointment barely qualified as an outburst but he has had his share of frustrations over the last few years, starting with the problems surrounding his run-up and action and then more recently through injury. Having made a triumphant comeback during last summer’s Ashes, he was forced out of the UAE series with a foot problem, missed the final Test in South Africa with a side strain and then suffered a calf strain leading up to the World T20.Instead of being part of England’s run to the final in Mumbai, Finn was left to do pre-season with Middlesex, where he offered his thoughts in a couple of press engagements. He has since spoken to the “medical people, selectors, the people who made the decision” to clear up the matter and Bayliss will hope to have a bowler primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week.”I shouldn’t have been as vocal as I was when I came out and said those things. I’ve accepted what’s happened, I’ve had conversations with the people that I mentioned in that interview and it’s all fine,” Finn said. “I missed the World Cup because I was injured, you’re disappointed when you miss out on world tournaments … I was in the wrong, I’ve accepted that, I’ve spoken to the people who were affected by the interview and everything is fine now.”Trevor actually sent me an email, he said ‘use your frustration as motivation to take wickets in the Test matches this summer’, which I think was the perfect response to it. You can channel your frustration into the wrong avenues and it can affect you. If it’s used in the right manner it can be a positive thing as well.”Taylor retirement ‘very sad’

Steven Finn has said that James Taylor’s successor at short leg will have “a lot to live up to”. Taylor took two brilliant catches – the second off Finn’s bowling – in England’s Johannesburg Test victory in January but has since been forced to retire at the age of 26 after the discovery of a life-threatening heart defect.
“Whoever fields in there now has got a lot to live up to,” Finn said. “It’s just very sad, we’re all saddened by what’s happened, I think the solace that we can take is he’s still with us. It’s a shame that we’ll never see him on a cricket field again because he had so much to give, but we’re glad he’s alive, glad he’s fit and well.”

Despite a call-up for the uncapped Jake Ball, Finn seems set to return to the third-seamer’s berth that has been his on a timeshare basis only since his debut six years ago. While Ball is the joint-leading wicket-taker in Division One of the Championship, with 19 at 21.15, Finn’s 12 wickets have cost more than 30 apiece and he admits that it has taken a while to get his “competitive head back on” after a three-month lay-off following the Johannesburg Test in January.”I’ve bowled some good spells this summer, I’ve bowled some not-great spells this summer,” he said. “I know it’s in there.”Finn’s eight-wicket haul at Edgbaston last summer, having not played a Test in more than two years, was one of the highlights of England regaining the Ashes, as well as vindication for his own hard work with Richard Johnson, Middlesex’s bowling coach, and the ECB’s Kevin Shine. Further sessions with Johnson beckon before Finn joins up with England next week, as well as work at Loughborough with Raph Brandon, the ECB’s head of science and medicine and the man who played a vital role in helping to re-groove Finn’s run-up.”I’ve learned a lot about myself over the last couple of years, I know a lot more,” Finn said. “I’m more in tune with my game and what I’m trying to do to get people out, and with my action, etcetera, so I feel in a good place.”Headingley has not been an auspicious venue for England in recent times – they have won only once in their last six Tests in Leeds – and it was there, against South Africa in 2012, that Finn’s habit of kneeing the stumps in his delivery stride became a problem that was soon to escalate. It is a ground where it can be “hard to find your rhythm” due to the slope but also offers extra pace (bowling downhill) and bounce (uphill) once mastered.Steven Finn has taken 12 wickets in four matches for Middlesex so far this season•Getty ImagesThose are the qualities Finn has always sought to bring to England’s attack, while the addition of an outswinger has not harmed his cause. Even if there have been a few too many four balls in his early season outings for Middlesex, he appeared relaxed about everything clicking into place again.Ball’s elevation keeps the pressure on – Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett will all hope to provide further competition over the course of seven Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – but, as Bayliss’s email hinted, Finn remains the preferred candidate to support England’s senior new-ball pair. This will be the latest in a succession of big summers as he tries to nail down his place for good.”I think I went a little bit of a way towards doing that in South Africa, but unless you are a Stuart Broad or James Anderson you are never settled in that line-up,” Finn said. “It’s a big summer for me to try and cement that spot in the team but it’s something that I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. If you put pressure on yourself it won’t come, if I relax, play with a smile on my face and let the ball do the talking, it will look after itself.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit www.investec.co.uk/banking