Following a mature and disciplined performance from Arsenal against Borussia Dortmund, everyone was wondering whether it was a flash in the pan or whether Arsene Wenger’s side were starting to realise that sometimes you are allowed to see out games. Following their 1-0 win over West Brom, it looks like the Gunners are learning.
Defence is sorting itself out
Arsenal’s defence has been all over the show this season, however, following back-to-back clean sheets there is a belief that the Gunners defensive woes are behind him – Laurent Koscielny’s return is huge for the north London club.
Still on course for Champions League
Arsenal jumped back into fourth following their win at the Hawthorns, which will be welcome relief for the Gunners faithful as, prior to kick-off their were real concerns Arsene Wenger’s side would be in the midtable positions for the rest of the season.
Louis van Gaal has again opted to name Wayne Rooney is a midfield position for the Red Devils clash with West Ham, with Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao leading the line for Manchester United.
On the rare occasions when everyone is fit, the Dutchman has had a hard time fitting in all of United’s superstars with the likes of Angel di Maria, Juan Mata and the aforementioned trio all offensive-minded players.
van Gaal isn’t the first manager to deploy Rooney in a deeper role, with Sir Alex Ferguson toying with the idea fleetingly during his spell at the helm of the Red Devils, however, long-term it appears the former Bayern Munich views his captain as a midfielder.
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That decision isn’t going down well with the United fans, and who can blame them when you realise the former Everton striker has 10 goals in his last nine Premier League games against today’s opposition.
With five Premier League medals and a Champions League medal, Michael Carrick is one of the most decorated players currently plying their trade in England. He has now been central to Manchester United’s successes for the best part of a decade and even at the age of 33 he is influential at Old Trafford.
But is he really valued as much as some of his contemporaries?
Carrick has only been capped for England 31 times, a paltry total in comparison to Gerrard and Lampard, his direct competition, both having amassed over 100 caps. So why has Carrick never been valued at international level?
His style of play is not one that endears himself to the watching public automatically. He can appear languid, contemplative; he is almost the polar opposite to the blood and thunder Gerrard. He has always conserved his energy, used it in the right areas, but the general football fan always appreciates a 90-yard run and tackle, rather than 20, well placed passes, retaining possession.
He has also never been a prolific scorer, he is still yet to score 20 goals for United, arguably it is the one drawback to his game. But it is not and never has been something his game has been built around, he is much more focused on possession retention and creating goals than scoring them. Again his lack of goals will mean a lot of fans do not really understand what the man from the North East offers a team. He in fact, offers a lot.
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A look at this season highlights just how important he is to his team. In the 13 games he has played this season, United have picked up thirty points, a ratio that extended over a season would see his team canter to the title. Even in a struggling United team.
Louis Van Gaal is still yet to find the perfect formula at Old Trafford, but wrapping Carrick in cotton wool should be central to any of his plans.
Although it is a cliché, Michael Carrick’s nationality has meant he has not been valued in a way that he should have been.
He is one of the greatest English midfielders of his generation, a consistent stand out performer. He may always find himself behind others in the pantheons of great domestic central midfielders but in the eyes of some he is right up alongside the best in the world.
Van Gaal is one of the great managers in world football; Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest manager of all time. Both have built their sides around Michael Carrick, even with his patchy scoring record. Even with his relaxed style of play.
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He is a midfielder with a continental style of play; he should be respected and treated as a true great of the English game.
His record when he does retire will show that. However, his current form is highlighting he could be a long way away from moving out of the spotlight.
Liverpool’s is gearing up to be extremely crucial. The business they’re able to do may all depend on what European competition they’ll be competing in next season.
Secure Champions League football and they’ll be in the transfer market and big players, but if they have to settle for the Europa League then they may be forced to settle for everyone else’s scraps.
As things stand, it looks like it could be the latter. Having been crushed by Arsenal last weekend, Brendan Rodgers’ side now trail fourth placed Man City by seven points with just seven games to play.
But that hasn’t stopped them from being linked with some of Europe’s most sought after players. So we put together a cheeky list of all the players Liverpool have been linked with ahead of the summer transfer window so far – a whopping 22 stars from all across Europe – and asked Reds fans to vote each one up and down depending on whether they wanted them at Anfield next season.
149 fans took part, which pretty much means the following results are as conclusive as they can be.
So, without further a do, here are the top five players Liverpool fans voted on, counting down to the main man Rodgers must sign to keep them happy…
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5. Pedro
Mail Online reckon Pedro could be on his way to Anfield if Raheem Sterling ends up leaving the Reds this summer.
The Barcelona forward is thought to be considering his Nou Camp future after finding his opportunities limited with the likes of Neymar and former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez preferred ahead of him.
The World Cup winner would apparently demand around £90,000-a-week to sign for Brendan Rodgers’ side, which is a reported £100k less than Raheem’s wage demands.
But not having Champions League football could hinder Liverpool’s chances of bringing Pedro to Anfield, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal also keen on the 27-year-old Spain international.
4. Geoffrey Kondogbia
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The 22-year-old Monaco star played a huge part in knocking Arsenal out of the Champions League last month, which has resulted in increased interest for him from some top European outfits.
Mail Online are reporting that Liverpool have now joined the Gunners in the race to bring the French midfielder to the Premier League this summer, with the 6’2″ youngster building himself a reputation of being a commanding presence in any midfield.
With Steven Gerrard heading for the exit door this summer, Brendan Rodgers has Kondogbia on his list as potential replacements for the Anfield legend – and the fans are clearly as keen on him.
3. Memphis Depay
The Dutch international’s performances for the Netherlands at last summer’s World Cup put him on the radar of several of Europe’s biggest clubs.
He’s following that up with an even more impressive season with PSV and, as a result, looks likely to be heading away from Holland this summer.
Last month, Metro were reporting that the Reds were ‘close’ to completing a deal for Depay, with the youngster reportedly prefering Anfield to Old Trafford.
Nothing has materialised since, other than on-loan Southampton star Eljero Elia reportedly telling Depay to turn down any advances from the Premier League duo.
But with Liverpool desperate for some attacking flair if Raheem Sterling does indeed leave this summer, then Brendan Rodgers may be ready to offer Depay a pretty attractive route in to English football.
2. Miralem Pjanić
The Roma midfielder has been a target for the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the past, but now it appears to be Liverpool who are most likely to bring the highly-rated Bosnian star.
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Metro reported earlier this week that Brendan Rodgers could sign him for around £21.8million, which should put them in poll posision for his signature because they’ll be offering him regular first team football.
Other clubs reportedly interested in him are Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Monaco and Paris Saint Germain.
1. Alexandre Lacazette
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The fans have spoken and, given Mario Balotelli’s complete failure this season, it’s no surprise to see a striker at the top of the fans’ wishlist this summer.
The man they want is Alexandre Lacazette who, if you hadn’t heard of him because you’ve been hiding under a rock all season, has been banging the goals in for Lyon over in France.
The France international currently has 24 goals in 27 Ligue 1 outings this term and has found himself linked with several big clubs all over Europe as a result.
Given that he’s only really done the business for one season, it may be a bit of risk to spend a load of money on him and Brendan Rodgers will be wary of that after Balotelli.
The Express, Liverpool are leading Manchester United in the race for the 23-year-old and have him lined up as Luis Suarez’s replacement. Lyon are adamant that they’re not selling, but a pretty big offer may force them to cash in this summer.
With Manchester City well off the pace in the Premier League this season and once again failing to impact the latter stages of the Champions League, many pundits are suggesting their ageing squad needs a shake up.
Despite being just a couple of weeks short of his 32nd birthday, star midfielder Yaya Toure is one member of the side who seems likely to be moved on as City look to freshen things up.
At his marauding best, the Ivorian is nigh-on irreplaceable but his form has dipped this campaign and a downturn in fortunes for his club is no coincidence.
Toure was a key reason that the Citizens claimed two league titles in three years but his relationship with the club is not what it once was and the box-to-box man could well be playing his trade in Italy come next season.
Finding a midfielder who can hit the heights he reached during the last campaign, where he netted 20 league goals, could be impossible and if City change managers in the summer, a new style of play could require a different type of replacement.
Nevertheless, here are three engine room components they should be looking at…
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Paul Pogba
The most imposing young midfielder available, Pogba is as close as it is possible to get to the Toure blueprint. Only in terms of goals does he fall short.
There are signs though that he can add this to his game and he has all but matched the Ivorian, albeit in a different league, this term.
Otherwise the 22-year-old fits the bill perfectly.
Powerful, strong, athletic and with control that belies his intimidating physique, the young Frenchman is sure to be a big hit in whichever league he ends up in next.
There is also the added bonus for City fans, that Pogba is a youth product of arch rivals United.
The main stumbling block will be current employers Juventus who do not need to sell their prize asset and would demand a huge fee. City are one of only a handful of clubs that could afford Pogba.
Jordan Henderson
This would certainly be a tricky one to pull off especially given that the player has signed a new deal as recently as last week.
Henderson looks set to be the future of Liverpool both as a captain and midfield dynamo.
It is just possible though, that City could turn his head with bumper wages and a guarantee of Champions League football, something his current side look unable to offer for next season at least.
Liverpool would be loathed to let such a crucial building block depart, especially to a Premier League rival, but if Henderson was identified as a target, they might not be able to reject the millions from down the road.
The 24-year-old has developed into a typical box-to-box midfielder who contributes in both attack and defence and his energy would revitalise City.
Henderson would be a perfect fit at City but his circumstances make him an ultimately unlikely signing.
Ross Barkley
A year ago Barkley was being strongly linked to the blue half of Manchester and most fans at the Etihad would have welcomed him as a potential heir to the Toure throne.
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The problem currently is that the player’s development has stalled this season.
His coach Roberto Martinez has cited burnout as a possible reason, with the youngster featuring heavily for
Everton domestically and in Europe over the past couple of years and travelling to last summer’s World Cup.
Then there have been some injury problems which have hampered efforts to rediscover his best form.
Should he manage to find it though, there is little doubt that Barkley can be a Premiership superstar in the Toure mould.
The 21-year-old has both physical and technical qualities in abundance.
Pace, power, a passing range, ability to dribble past players and an eye for a spectacular goal are all in his locker. Would also represent a cheaper alternative to the likes of Pogba.
Chelsea have enjoyed a fantastic season, storming to their first Premier League title for five years as well as victory in the League Cup ensuring they will end the season with two trophies.
Much of their success has revolved around their defence, with its solidity and ability to shut out opponents playing a pivotal role in the season.
Young Belgian goalkeeper Thibuat Courtois has been a crucial part of the back five for the majority of the season, and looks every bit a world class keeper as his profile continues to rise.
It’s hard to believe he’s only 23 when you look at what he’s already achieved, and he will soon be collecting a Premier League winners medal to go alongside last season’s La Liga title.
And while the future of Chelsea looks in safe hands for many years, Courtois’ introduction has come at cost to club legend Petr Cech, who appears to be on his way out of the club this summer.
Having lost his place to formere Atletico Madrid star, Cech has made just six league appearances during the campaign and is now free to talk to other clubs according to his agent.
The 32-year-old has a host of clubs chasing his signature as he seeks a move to ensure regular football from next season, and still regarded as a top class goalkeeper; will prove a great signing for whoever wins the race for the Czech.
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Premier League rivals Arsenal are heavy favourites to sign Cech in a deal that could cost up to £10m, but it’s a move that could have heavy consequences for Chelsea if they allow it to take place.
Having put together a terrific unbeaten run through the second half of the season, Arsenal look set to mount a serious title challenge next term and their ability to add a few quality players over the summer could make all the difference.
A new goalkeeper appears to be one of their main priorities, despite the efforts of David Ospina and Cech could be the man to kick start their title challenge having emerged as their number one target.
While Jose Mourinho will be keen to let Cech make up his own mind regarding his next move, he has to consider doing all he can to block the move given how it could improve the Gunners.
By allowing the goalkeeper a move to the Emirates, he will not only be losing a great part of his own squad, but he will be also be helping arguably their main rivals for the league strengthen theirs.
Obviously Arsenal will need to bring in more players to push Chelsea all the way next season, but Cech’s arrival would certainly signal their intent and show they mean business.
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There’s certainly plenty of clubs chasing Cech with Spurs, Liverpool, PSG, Roma and Besiktas just some of the others linked with a move, all of whom would offer far less of a risk to Chelsea’s success were he to opt for one of those.
But his desire to play Champions League football, coupled with the option to stay in London, means Arsenal have to be the preferred option for Cech and despite Chelsea’s reluctance to do so, selling to a title rival may well be the only option.
Mourinho certainly won’t want to go against the wishes of one of his key players over the last decade, and if the goalkeeper has his heart set on Arsenal then it will be hard to stand in his way.
The latest new signing for transfer-active West Ham was Italian international defender Angelo Ogbonna, who arrived late last week on a four-year-deal from Juventus for a fee of £1om spread over three years.
New boss Slaven Bilic appears to be addressing the areas of the team that were most weak under previous boss Sam Allardyce, and has already signed an attacking midfielder in Dimitri Payet – covering a zone in which the Hammers were certainly lacking in last season.
Another area the east Londoners were short in last term was in the centre of defence, and the importance of this area of the team isn’t lost on Bilic. He said speaking about the new signing:”I am thrilled with the signing. He is a really good player and is a great defender. He was at one of the best clubs in the world with Juventus and we are really delighted he has signed for us . The expectations are big of course.
“We now have the numbers and the quality at the back. We really need the competition and strength (in the defence) which is one of the most important areas for the whole season.”
The Hammers had James Tomkins, Winston Reid and James Collins as the main first-team centre backs last season and when injuries inevitably struck the heart of the defence it cost the Hammers, as the back up was the inexperienced Reece Burke and makeshift centre-back, Cheikhou Kouyate.
Both filled in admirably, but you can’t help but feel relying on just three centre-backs is a risk, and it did ultimately cost West Ham as these injuries coincided with their poor run of form.
It is often said that a strong defence is the basis of a good team, and it seems that’s something that Bilic believes in – he ensures all of his teams are strong at the back and can keep the goals out. West Ham last season were okay defensively, but couldn’t really be considered as great or even good at the back on the whole.
Their tally of eight clean sheets is testament to that, but the signing of Ogbonna could be a bit of inspired business from the Irons’ board. The former Juventus man is finally the fourth centre-back the Hammers need for the basis of a strong central defensive area – although he’s unlikely to be at the bottom of the pecking order.
But not only that, the Italian is a significant coup as he is a top player. He has won trophies and has a real winning mentality, something which may rub off on his new team-mates, and he’s also a supremely strong defender – his main strength is his athletic nature as he is incredibly quick and can dominate strikers.
Ogbonna really is the type of player that should thrive in the Premier League, his style and approach could well fit perfectly with his potential centre-back partner, Winston Reid, who also defends in a similar aggressive fashion.
Those two as a pair may well be a formidable partnership and would be a daunting prospect for Premier League strikers, as they will deal with the attacks of the opposition in a no-nonsense fashion.
Of course there is no guarantee that the former Torino man will be first choice alongside Reid straight away, as James Tomkins will have a say on that. The Englishman is in pole position at we speak and is a good defender. Ogbonna will have to be at his best to force his way into the team.
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Whilst this may not be ideal for Ogbonna it is great for West Ham. There is now competition for places in a position where there once wasn’t, which will give Bilic scope to mix things up.
It could be difficult for the former Juve man as he settles in, but what is for sure is that the Hammers won’t be exposed in the centre of their defence again.
It would be fair to say that the decision taken by West Ham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan to replace the sacked Slaven Bilic with David Moyes in November wasn’t received well by the vast majority of Irons supporters.
The Scot took charge at the London Stadium with the east London outfit in the relegation zone and having taken just nine points from their 11 Premier League matches at the time.
It was certainly understandable that Hammers fans were frustrated by replacing Bilic – who had been struggling for some time – with Moyes, considering the 54-year-old didn’t even come close to saving Sunderland from relegation during the previous campaign.
His disappointing time on Wearside came on the back of poor spells with La Liga side Real Sociedad and Manchester United, and he had become something of a laughing stock for football fans in general because of his respective failings.
West Ham fans would have been included in that, and they certainly would have been horrified when they found out that Gold and Sullivan were set to appoint him as Bilic’s successor given the difficult situation the club found themselves in.
The players were bereft of confidence, while some were lacking effort and many looked unfit, and others simply looked as though they weren’t good enough or up for the fight – especially in the 3-0 and 4-1 home defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool respectively in the lead up to the Croatian getting his marching orders.
Gold and Sullivan obviously looked at the situation and believed that they needed someone with plenty of Premier League experience who knows how to get results at this level, and they felt that Moyes was the best option on the market at the time.
Considering former Irons bosses Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew were two of the other options, it is of little surprise that they opted to ignore those two and opt for the Scot.
While the West Ham supporters didn’t necessarily agree with the appointment, they need that they needed to pull together and support him, and that is what they tried to do even though a 2-0 defeat to Watford in Moyes’ opening match in charge wouldn’t have done anything to boost their belief.
The team was much-improved – in the second-half at least – against Leicester City at the London Stadium next time out, but then came the result and performance that suggested that the owners had got it all wrong, and that the supporters were right.
The Irons were beaten 4-0 by an Everton side at Goodison Park that had just suffered successive 5-1 and 4-1 defeats against Atalanta and Southampton respectively, and with matches against runaway leaders Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal following that humiliation the fans understandably thought they were going down.
Moyes does know how to get results consistently at this level though – as he showed during his 11 years with the Toffees – and not only did he manage to pick up four points from three difficult fixtures that looked like they would yield none on paper, his side then beat Stoke City 3-0 away from home last weekend.
Three clean sheets in a row and seven points from the last nine available have suddenly lifted the Irons away from the bottom three and the mood around the whole club, and they host a Newcastle side that have lost eight of their last nine games on Saturday.
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It did take a few games, but West Ham finally have something more of an identity and all 11 of the players on the pitch know their role in the side, and they are now getting their reward on the pitch.
While the supporters won’t be quick to dish out any praise to their controversial owners given what has happened in the past, there are certainly some that will need to eat a slice of humble pie and admit they were wrong if the impressive performances and results continue over the festive period.
David Gold and David Sullivan have got plenty of things wrong since they became owners, but the decision to appoint Moyes may not only be the one that ensures they preserve the Premier League status that was slipping away from them, but it could also be the one that begins to repair the bad relationship and lack of trust that currently exists between them and the fans.
According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United defender James Collins is a £2m target for Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion before the January transfer window slams shut.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Sun says that Seagulls boss Chris Hughton is keen to add the experienced 34-year-old to his side’s backline to provide competition for first-choice centre-back pairing Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy, as the south coast outfit look to stay out of trouble in the second-half of the campaign.
Even though Collins has become more of a regular fixture in the team under David Moyes in recent weeks following injuries to Winston Reid and Jose Fonte and is a firm fans’ favourite, the Welshman only has six months left on his contract and The Sun says that there has been no word on whether his deal is to be extended.
How has Collins done this season?
The failed to play a single minute of their opening two Premier League matches of the campaign against Manchester United and Southampton – failing to make the squad for the latter – but he then played three straight top flight games before suffering an injury.
The issue kept him on the sidelines until the end of November, but he struggled to earn a place in the starting XI ahead of Reid and Angelo Ogbonna, although he has started three of their Premier League fixtures in the past month – including captaining his side in the 3-3 draw against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
With 210 appearances for West Ham in total and 50 caps for Wales he certainly has shown that he has that experience and calmness on the pitch, even if he is perhaps approaching the twilight years of his career.
Should West Ham cash in on him?
In a word, no.
Collins clearly loves the club and the fans love him, so it wouldn’t be worth selling him for £2m even with his contract running down.
If Brighton were willing to raise their bid to something around the £4-5m mark then the Irons may have a decision to make, but the 34-year-old has shown just what a useful part of the squad he is in recent weeks following a number of injury issues, and the east London outfit would be mad to get rid this month.
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While him leaving on a free could be an option at the end of the season, they may also agree a deal that sees him stay for another year, but they are much better off deciding that when they know for sure what division they will be in next term.
According to Italian media outlet Gianluca Di Marzio, out of favour Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini, who is rated at €15m (approximately £13.3m) according to Transfermarkt, is a target for Serie A side Bologna this month, with the player’s agent already holding talks with the Italian club.
What’s the word, then?
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Well, Gianluca Di Marzio says that with Bologna striker Simone Verdi being targeted by Serie A leaders Napoli, they are looking for a potential replacement for the 25-year-old and are eyeing a move for Gabbiadini before the transfer window slams shut on January 31.
Gianluca Di Marzio suggests that Bologna will only firm up their interest in the Saints striker if Verdi does leave, while it also appears unclear whether the south coast outfit are willing to sell the Italy international this month, or are prepared to wait until the summer.
How has Gabbiadini done this season?
Following the huge impact he made following his move to St Mary’s a year ago, Southampton would have believed they had the regular goalscorer they were looking for.
However, the 26-year-old has struggled for form this term and looks uncomfortable when he is asked to play as a lone striker, and he has only started one of their last 12 Premier League matches.
The Italian has scored three goals in 20 top flight games, with two of those coming in the 2-2 draw at home against Newcastle United in October.
Should they sell him this month?
It depends on their January business, but it certainly wouldn’t be a popular decision among the fans give that they are currently 17th.
If they bring in another striker then it could push Gabbiadini – who is currently behind Shane Long in the pecking order – even further out of favour under Mauricio Pellegrino, but the Argentine will also need to consider the absence of Charlie Austin through injury.
Gabbiadini has shown that the can score goals when he is confident and has good service, and that could be crucial for Saints in the run-in considering they may well find themselves in a relegation battle.
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They can get the best out of the 26-year-old, who will be looking to impress prior to the World Cup this summer, if they play him with someone else up front, or perhaps even if he plays in the role behind the striker in Pellegrino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.