After Theo Walcott’s decision to remind Tottenham fans of the score during the most recent North London Derby, and Wojciech Szczesny putting his thoughts about Arsenal’s rivals into song, Santi Cazorla and Robert Pires were snapped with a fan holding a piece of paper mocking Spurs.
At which point does harmless fun spill over into the unacceptable? Far from where we are now. Cazorla immediately addressed the picture on his Twitter account saying he and Pires had little knowledge about what was written, and while some may be hard pressed to believe the Spaniard’s version of events, it’s nothing that warrants anything other than a smile – from both sets of supporters.
If this latest bout in the rivalry between both clubs is deemed classless and unacceptable then where are we going with the game? Walcott’s gesture to the fans should have been dismissed as nothing but light humour. Just as with the case involving Cazorla and Pires, it’s nothing that breaks the barriers into the shocking or in need of investigation.
It’s football rivalry. If football supporters are going to go into a stadium armed with all manner of wit and insult, then surely there has to be some leeway when it comes back their way. What would have been said by Tottenham fans if the role was reversed?
Cazorla and Pires may have meant little in what they were involved in, but players who are currently long-standing members of the Arsenal team do like to direct subtle jabs in the direction of their close rivals. And it doesn’t just start with those in the team at present.
Ian Wright has been fined for language used towards opposition fans – though Tottenham aren’t the club in question – and Thierry Henry recently revealed the exchange of words he had in the past during clashes with Spurs, most notably following the 2-2 draw in 2004 which saw Arsenal capture the Premier League title.
Players may or may not admit to how much of a part they played in any one incident, if we’re calling it that, but it’s certainly a way for them to endear themselves to their own supporters. Jack Wilshere commented on Walcott’s now legendary status following the North London Derby in the FA Cup.
If we’re going to start reprimanding or accusing players of joining in with the tribalism of football, then we can’t complain if they show little to no loyalty to their club later on. It’s simply a case of one or the other. And if we’re talking about the nature of the game, the former – provided it’s harmless fun – is more than welcome.
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Sylvain Distin has revealed that the prospect of his Everton side qualifying for the Europa League is not one that fills him with joy.
The Toffees have spent much of the season in the hunt for a top four slot and a spot in the Champions League, but over the course of the last month they have slipped away from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal who occupy the relevant qualification places.
Despite their sunning last gasp win on Saturday, the Merseyside club are nine points from securing spot in the continent’s top club competition, and look to be more on course to enter the second tier of European action.
Although the prospect of Everton being able to take on top foreign opponents, Distin believes that the Europa League could be harmful to the team’s prospects next season:
“It’s mixed feelings because you can’t say no to playing in Europe. As a player it’s impossible to not want that.” He told the Liverpool Echo.
“But it’s completely different from the Champions League in terms of finances for the club. It’s a lot of travel and you need a big squad.
“Yes it would be amazing for the club and for the fans to be travelling back in Europe again.
“But for the team, if we’re not going to have a much bigger squad next season, it could be tough.
“If you look at the big picture, as I say it’s important you’ve got to ensure that being in the Europa League doesn’t make you suffer back in the league.
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“When you play every Thursday and come back on the Friday before playing again on the Sunday it is hard.”
Swansea are seen as an example of the dangers of the competition, with the South Wales outfit having found the balance of European football and domestic responsibilities difficult this campaign after Capital One Cup victory secured their spot in the competition.
England’s ignominious exit from the World Cup group stage with a game left to play has raised a number of questions surrounding the personnel of the national setup in the last few days. None of these questions have been more prevalent than those regarding the future of the England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.
The 113-capped man announced that he has yet to make a decision on his future as an England international, and will return home before making the choice on what he intends to do. Much of the fallout of England’s World Cup departure have heard dissenting voices calling for Gerrard to hand over his England armband and step away from the international setup, largely on the basis of two inadequate performances in Brazil.
Snap decisions aren’t always associated with the most prudent of thought processes, and the belief that Gerrard should absolve himself of international duties off the back of two poor performances feel emotionally-charged and ill-thought. Something which has been massively overlooked in the wealth of the anti-Gerrard backlash is the impact he still has had for Liverpool all season.
The new role he has assumed at club and country, as a deeper-lying midfield general, winning back possession and distributing the ball to his more attacking-minded teammates. Whilst excelling in this new position, it is not only aiding the progression of Brendan Rodgers’ project at the club, it is also prolonging his career in allowing himself to limit the amount of high-risk, high-intensity sprints he makes per game.
Granted, the Liverpool skipper didn’t perform his duties to the best of his abilities in Brazil. Whether it was down to fitness, conditions, age, or whatever else, Gerrard was one of many players who simply didn’t live up to the billing given to them in the build-up. His performances didn’t echo those of Liverpool last season, and they certainly didn’t resemble those of Euro 2012 which saw him inducted into the team of the tournament two years back.
While Gerrard was largely outshone by his Liverpool midfield partner, Jordan Henderson, in Brazil there simply remains no viable replacement to fill the void that his absence would leave. The sycophantic love-in that the English media has with Italian midfield maestro, Andrea Pirlo, and the clamour for an English alternative has been overwhelming this summer. Gerrard is, quite simply, the English player most suited to fulfilling the deep-lying creative role similar to that of Pirlo. His range of passing is incredible, his vision is unparalleled by an Englishman – barring possibly Wayne Rooney – and he has the tactical presence in midfield to dictate the tempo of a game.
While everyone looks for a scapegoat, or a smoking gun for England’s woes in Brazil, nobody of the current English crop can provide what Gerrard does. Of Henderson, Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, none of them are suited to playing a more withdrawn role in the side. Whilst each of them are comfortable playing centrally, their individual qualities would be seriously restricted if required to play in a deeper-lying position, akin to that of Gerrard.
The need to find ‘balance’ seems to be the buzzword of the past few days of analysis, and without Gerrard there, the England midfield lacks just that. A combination of Henderson and Wilshere, or Wilshere and Chamberlain, or any of the above combined, could see the vital space in front of England’s already shaky defence left seriously neglected. Whilst the likes of Wilshere and Henderson provide a great deal of promise going forwards, looking to cut between the opposition lines of defence, they aren’t naturally the type of players to sit and hold in front of a back four. They lack the discipline, vision, and technique in passing to do such a job.
Whilst their progression into star names in the England setup require more trust and game time, they also need the guidance of older, more experienced heads in and around the squad to keep them grounded. There are none more suitable than Gerrard at carrying out such duties.
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In order to prove their readiness for a starring role on the international stage, Wilshere, Barkley and co. need to continue performing at club level, rather than being shunted into the spotlight, ill-prepared and under-equipped.
Gerrard wasn’t nominated for PFA Player of the Year award, and inducted into the Team of the Year because he is past his sell-by date. While he is still fit enough and motivated enough to continue, he must do so. There is no feasible replacement for him in the England side right now, and until somebody proves themselves capable of assuming his role in the side, he simply cannot be sent to the discard pile.
Despite having invested over £100m in their first-team squad over the summer, Liverpool are already being linked with a host of players ahead of the January transfer window. Brendan Rodgers’ side have made a below par start to the campaign, with the swashbuckling attacking displays produced as they ran close to a first ever Premier League title a distant memory for most fans.
With goals at a premium at Anfield, attacking additions are being mooted, and Isco of Real Madrid is a name that’s been mentioned. The Spaniard is, however, happy at Real Madrid where he flits in and out of the first-team, which may prevent the Reds from making a move for him. But who else is out there? We at FFC Towers have made up a little list for Rodgers to use…
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CLICK ON MAREK HAMSIK TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Football – Swansea City v SSC Napoli – UEFA Europa League Second Round First Leg – Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales – 13/14 – 20/2/14Marek Hamsik – NapoliMandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Liverpool are rumoured to be tracking Hamsik, with reports from the player’s homeland, Slovakia, having claimed that contact with his representatives has already been made. The Napoli man has been one of Serie A’s top performers for some time, but with the club struggling this term, major changes are expected in Naples. Hamsik could be one of the stars sacrificed if offers of around £20m are received, and there’s little doubting that Liverpool could use his powers.
As the stats show, the Eastern European ace has been vital in Napoli’s attacking play through much of his time there. In 2012/13 he notched an impressive 11 goals from midfield, while his levels of assists have been decent in Serie A and the Champions League since 2009.
Roberto Firmino
//www.youtube.com/embed/er-GdWLW5F4
Hoffenheim’s Brazilian star was a real revelation last season in Germany, leading to links with a host of top clubs across Europe. Liverpool were in the mix, but there interest never became concrete, yet that could change now. Firmino notched a staggering 16 goals from an attacking midfield position while weighing in with 11 assists, all of which came in the Bundesliga.
Hoffenheim are rumoured to be ready to sell for around £20m, which could make the South American a wise purchase for the Reds given their current lack of inspiration going forwards.
Marco Reus
//www.youtube.com/embed/rlYrndbblKk
Reus seems to be the one player all Liverpool fans want. Even Jamie Carragher has suggested that the German attacker would be the star he’d most like to see coming to Anfield in one of the upcoming transfer windows, and it’s clear to see why he’s so highly rated.
The 25-year-old has been an absolute goals and assists machine since breaking through at Borussia Monchengladbach, with his on 18 Bundesliga efforts in 2011/12 having earned him a big move to Dortmund. Reus’ release clause situation – A £20m fee kicks in at the end of the campaign – may see him leave for around £25m-£30m in January, which could tempt Liverpool.
Yevhen Konoplyanka
Konoplyanka seemed to be the player Liverpool wanted above all others at the start of 2014, but a botched effort to land him in January was not followed up over the summer during the Reds’ transfer splurge. The Ukrainian ace is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, with speculation suggesting that he’s ready to leave Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in his homeland after growing frustrated.
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//www.youtube.com/embed/zBSGaakkUsc
Italian and German sides are keen, but with Liverpool having agreed a contract with him earlier this year they would appear to have a great chance of snapping him up if they decide to meet his club’s valuation – which may fall way below £10m as his deal ticks towards expiry.
Christoph Kramer
A different type of player to Isco, Kramer could be the mould of star Liverpool really do need. The Borussia Monchengladbach enforcer has been impressive over the course of the last year for his club side, and really rose to prominence when handed a shock start in the World Cup Final for Germany.
With Steven Gerrard’s legs slowing down a long-term holder is needed at Anfield, and Kramer could fit the bill. A number of other clubs are interested, but the Merseysiders would be able to offer the 23-year-old regular action.
Danny Welbeck scored twice against Slovenia in England’s latest international, taking his tally to 13 goals in 26 appearances for The Three Lions under Roy Hodgson. A decent tally of exactly one every two games – however it could have been even better if he was played in his favourable position more often.
He wanted to be the main striker at his club, which he was quite obviously not going to happen at Manchester United so he opted for a move to Arsenal, and has become their main man up top, with help from the injury to Olivier Giroud.
Danny’s record when playing as a striker for England is an incredible 10 goals in 12 games. A strike-rate which would better any before him should it be possible for it to continue. If he is consistently played in his favourable position he may well hold a record of a goal per game, an incredible opportunity for him personally and the national team.
The 23-year-old has been the butt of many jokes, as is the case for most footballers since the growth of social media. Yet now he has settled into his new club and is getting amongst the goals more regularly than his time with the Red Devils, as well as being his country’s best current goalscorer, that ‘abuse’ has slowed down considerably.
Welbeck is generally underrated as a goalscorer due to his relatively slow start for Man United, but again this was due to him playing out wide rather than in his favoured centre forward position. During his time at Old Trafford Danny made 142 appearances for United scoring 29 goals in the process, a poor scoring record of 0.2 goals per game. Although early days at The Emirates Stadium his strike-rate has improved dramatically after netting 5 goals in his opening 12 appearances – a rate of 0.41 goals per game, over double than at his previous club. Still not quite where he would want to be, especially in the league, but an instant improvement thanks to his positional change none-the-less.
In the last four England internationals Welbeck has been the main focus of the attack due to the absence of Daniel Sturridge, and the Arsenal forward has scored five in that period including both in the tough Swiss fixture as well as 2 against a hard-fought Slovenian side last time out.
He may not be underrated at Arsenal, but after how he was viewed at United, he’s certainly improving. In contrast he is most certainly undervalued as an Englishman but that is beginning to change as he proves his worth in the current European Championships qualifying campaign.
His recent international record is more than impressive and so if his overall England record when played in his favoured position. Where he doesn’t excel is when he is stuck out wide. He is no slouch and certainly has a turn of pace but he’s a player with striker’s instincts and that cannot be wasted by placing him out-wide. It also can’t be wasted when Sturridge finally returns to both club and country. There’s not much possible improvement to be made on Welbeck’s current England record and so until he stops producing the goods there should be no change.
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Danny’s performing well above what was once expected of him and it’s about time as a country we recognised him as our best current striker. He deserves it.
Harry Redknapp’s QPR are struggling to hit any sort of form in the Premiership this season and the manager has publicly slammed his team for being unfit and not putting up enough of a fight to avoid defeat.
Adel Taarabt is the biggest culprit at Loftus Road currently, with no proper interest in the Moroccan over this summer’s transfer window – AC Milan’s interest cooled after a loan spell last season. The midfielder has been heavily criticised by his manager for struggling to stay in shape after a troublesome period with an ankle injury which adds to Redknapp’s frustration as the player could have been playing a major part in the team and contributing to them trying to fight out of the relegation scrap that they are engaged in so early on into the season.
Taarabt is not the only player that seems to be struggling to find form and fitness for the Hoops however, after the defeat against West Ham last Sunday, Match Of The Day pundits were pointing that the lack of effort and even the lack of yellow cards accumulated by the team as an indicator that they are simply not getting stuck in to challenges enough and showing a lack of passion when it comes to winning the ball back from their opposition. This problem highlights how much trouble QPR are currently in when they have a full set of eleven players who are failing to commit to fighting for the ball and scrapping to win a game.
Does Harry’s explanation of fitness fit? Is his team that unfit at this stage of the season that they are struggling to play the full 90 minutes and provide any sort of test for opposing teams, making it easy to grab the three points from them? Redknapp explained in a post match interview that his last minute assembled squad had not had much of a pre-season together and were still to hit peak fitness and he has his hands tied in the matter, making it impossible to get the team gaining the results that are needed to avoid slipping further into trouble.
It looks like their performances on the pitch do match the reasons given by the gaffer, however another explanation could be the fact that he has simply lost the dressing room altogether and cannot motivate his players enough to want to win games for him. Or perhaps Redknapp himself has lost interest in the job and cannot find it within himself to provide his team with the required oomph and enthusiasm needed to stop giving away three points to anyone they play.
For those who have seen previous teams under Harry Redknapp’s management they will tell you that it is far from the case, he has always been a popular man with the teams he has been in charge of, with players normally wanting to play for him and give their all. He is a great motivator of players and an all round great person to be around, but he has to take some sort of blame for his player’s lack of fitness – as he calls it.
Whether or not they are unfit, lazy, unprofessional, simply not performing to standard or whatever it is that is going wrong with the QPR squad at present, the manager needs to take charge of the situation and control it. If indeed these players are lacking the right level of fitness, then training schedules need to be adjusted accordingly to ensure they are fit for the next game – which the international break will provide the perfect window of opportunity to do so.
If Redknapp cannot get this right, and quickly, then his team are set to fail and return to the Championship, which means he will not be signing a new contract and would walk away from the job as he stated himself publicly already.
If that is the case, maybe he should walk away now and let someone else step in who will be prepared to whip that team into shape and get them all committed to playing for QPR with some fight and passion which they so clearly lack right now.
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West Bromwich Albion’s chances of beating relegation from the Premier League would be greatly reduced if Saido Berahino leaves the club this January.
West Brom have made one of the best signings of 2015 so far by acquiring the services of new manager Tony Pulis. He will undoubtedly improve the current situation at West Brom and it’s been reported that he will be given a massive £30 million to spend this month on new players.
Although there is a large transfer budget available, keeping Berahino should be the top priority for Pulis this month. He’s returned to form after a mid-season dip, ending a 10-game drought in the Premier League by taking his goal against West Ham very well. He then went on to smash four goals past Gateshead in the FA Cup, reminding everyone at the club of his scoring credentials. The England under-21 international is the top scorer at West Brom by a long way with 13, 11 more than anyone else has managed.
Clearly, Berahino’s goals have been one of the main reasons as to why West Brom are not in the bottom three at the moment. Although this may be the case, the Baggies currently sit just one point from safety. This will be alarming reading for West Brom fans, and Pulis himself, as Berahino clearly needs to stay if the goals are going to keep coming for the west-midlands side.
Rumours of interest from the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will no doubt appeal to Berahino who has the capabilities to perform at the highest level in the Premier League. However, Pulis will feel that he can persuade his star striker to stay at the Hawthorns now that he is fully in charge of team affairs. If Pulis can keep hold of his striker, it means that West Brom won’t have to hunt for a replacement in January and can focus on strengthening in other areas of the pitch.
If Berainho does decide to depart, it could result in West Brom really struggling in the second half of the season. The club would receive around £20 million for the 21-year-old, more than enough to buy a replacement or two. However, the Baggies spent a bit of money in the summer transfer window, most noticeably on striker Brown Ideye, who has yet to hit the ground running despite his £10 million switch from Dynamo Kiev.
West Brom will want to avoid a similar recruitment process in January if Berahino were to leave but a new manager always means new transfer targets. Therefore, although the young striker’s departure could put West Brom in danger of being relegated, there is nobody better than Tony Pulis in that particular situation. If Alan Irvine was still at the club, you wouldn’t put a lot of money on West Brom surviving, even if Berahino stayed put.
The rumoured departure of Berahino may worry West Brom fans but there is still the potential for the club to really push on this month. The ideal scenario would be Berahino staying put whilst Pulis gets to spend £30 million on good players that can really lead the club forward.
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Priority number one must be keeping their star striker at the club. If this doesn’t happen, West Brom will feel that avoiding relegation will be a good achievement come the end of the season.
January, so far, has been a little quiet on the transfer front in the Premier League. Aside from Manchester City’s addition of Wilfried Bony, who is currently in a different continent representing his nation at the AFCON, there have been few headline-grabbing moves, yet one ‘addition’ appears to have been a very good one. Francis Coquelin was re-called from a loan deal at Charlton in mid-December, and since then he’s been so impressive for the Gunners that there’s talk of Arsene Wenger renewing his contract.
Although not strictly a ‘January signing’, the bulk of Coquelin’s minutes for Arsenal this term have been in 2015 – he started once prior to Christmas this season – making him one of the best newbie’s of the month. Has Wenger’s call been a masterstroke? We think so, and here’s why…
Better holding midfielder than Matic, Fernandinho, Schneiderlin & Fernando…
Wow! On an average of the 90 minutes played, Coquelin is better than some of the most established and respected holding midfielders in the Premier League. The young Frenchman has well and truly out-shone Fernandinho and Fernando of Manchester City as well as Nemanja Matic at table-topping Chelsea and even Southampton’s sought-after star, Morgan Schneiderlin. Coquelin has played fewer games than his foes, but he registers in excess three tackles and intercepts per game and boasts the best percentage of duels won – both aerially and on the deck. His shorter passing distance also contributes to Arsenal’s silky style of play.
Just what Arsenal have been missing
For some years now, fans have been calling for Wenger to bring in an orthodox holding midfielder. For too long the Gunners have had a soft underbelly, which has been exposed on the big occasions, with a lack of physicality, work ethic and desire all major issues. Although nowhere near the level of the north Londoners’ last true general in the engine room, Patrick Vieira, Coquelin does indeed do the work others in the Gunners’ set-up have been less willing to do, with his can-do attitude, mobility and bravery all vital tools.
Young and home grown
At 23, Coquelin’s best years are ahead of him. The Frenchman has been knocking around the Arsenal set-up for some time, but the past few weeks have been, arguably, his most successful on the red and white (or yellow and blue) shirt. He may not be the name some in the Emirates Stadium stands have been calling for, yet the man who spent some of the season on loan with Charlton my be a long-term answer to a big, big question in north London.
Could save Wenger up to £30m
A number of targets – chiefly William Carvalho and Morgan Schneiderlin – have been linked with Arsenal as solutions to the midfield ‘crisis’ Wenger has suffered, yet Coqulein seems to be doing the job. The aforementioned duo are valued at upwards of £20m, making the current Gunners flavour of the month a cost-effective option… and we all know how Arsene loves a bargain.
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Upturn in results…
17 points from a possible 21 and an FA Cup third round win, not bad at all. The last eight games have been fruitful for the Gunners, and have coincided with Coquelin’s return on the 12th December. Okay, the Frenchman didn’t start a game until the final few days of 2014 – he had been a late sub until then – but his influence has since been great, and bar the loss at Southampton, so have the Gunners. The presence of an energetic midfielder and the upturn in results are surely linked, illustrating the 23-year-old’s importance.
Last season’s top two success brought Liverpool high praise and Champions League football. And though they didn’t make it far in that competition after a few seasons out in the wilderness, the Reds had a chance to remember what it was like to be one of England’s best. Coming so close to title glory had made them want more.
Though fighting for fourth is not quite what they were hoping for at the beginning of this campaign, when you think of the absences they have suffered this time around, then even just being able to challenge the top teams is an achievement.
The lingering problem is that they never made up for the loss of last season’s top league goal scorer Luis Suarez.
Daniel Sturridge is a very capable forward and since his transfer from Chelsea in 2013, the 25-year-old has been integral to the Reds’ recent success. But his injury early this season and new signing Mario Balotelli’s failure to adapt to his role has held Liverpool back.
It is only since Sturridge’s return that the club has been able to challenge for the top four. Balotelli, despite his attempts, has failed to produce the goals that were expected of him and either a summer move or life on the bench awaits him.
For a team with the ambitions that Liverpool have they needed to replace like with like. Suarez and his 31 league goals left Anfield and Balotelli, who has never been that prolific of a goal scorer throughout his career, took his place. That was not like for like. This summer transfer window Rodgers needs to find that world class striker who can either partner up with Sturridge or play upfront by himself. It truly is a wonder why anyone at Liverpool thought Balotelli would be that man.
[ffc-gal cat=”liverpool” no=”5″]
On a more positive note, Liverpool have been linked with forwards such as Edinson Cavani, Theo Walcott and even Radamel Falcao. The latter would be a big risk but if the price was right, for any of them, then Liverpool should take it.
Falcao may not have settled into Manchester United but at his best he was scoring 24+goals a season. Perhaps, as some have suggested, it is not a lack of talent from the player but instead a lack of playing time and opportunities that have failed him. And if that is not a route the club want to take then a player like Walcott, who bears similarities to Liverpool’s own Raheem Sterling, may be a good option. Especially if the winger does decide to leave Anfield.
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Then there is Cavani. He has been overshadowed by the force that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-Germain. Even at the grand old age of 33, Zlatan is still PSG’s number one strike option. He has scored 17 league goals to Cavani’s eight this term and doesn’t appear to be leaving the Parc des Princes just yet. Perhaps Cavani needs to be top dog. When he was at Napoli he was scoring freely and looked set to be one of Europe’s top forwards, but since his move to the French capital he has lost some of his sharpness. A move to Liverpool might just rejuvenate him.
If Liverpool do make the top four and are playing in Europe next season, or even just want to be challenging for that honour, then they will definitely need more firepower than they currently have. Sturridge can’t be left to do it all on his own and with quality strikers out there he shouldn’t have to.\
The term ‘the next’ gets bandied around a lot in football – especially by the tabloids generating the ever-rotating transfer rumour mill.
Indeed, one impressive appearance at right-back for Fleetwood Town could soon lead a young starlet to the unofficial moniker of ‘the next Gary Nevillem’ or a handful of promising performances up front for Santos could quickly earn a striking whipper-snapper the title of ‘the next Pele’ – regardless of the fact he’s considered to be the greatest player in the history of the sport.
None the less, ‘the next’ is a description that always captures the imagination, somehow propelling the past into the future, leaving you to consider what the 2015 equivalent of Dennis Bergkamp, Paul Ince or Bobby Moore might well look like.
And just like the rest of you, Football Fancast have been successfully drawn in, spending the last few hours trawling the darkest corners of the internet to find the top FIVE ‘the next someones’ all linked to Premier League side Manchester United.
THE NEXT PAUL SCHOLES
A comparison that will be of particular importance to Manchester United fans, upon The Daily Star’s revelation that virtually every major Premier League club wants to get their hands on Leeds midfielder Lewis Cook this summer, the Whites youngster has been dubbed ‘the next Paul Scholes’.
The 18 year-old has emerged as a key member of Leeds’ starting Xi since his Championship debut in August, going on to make 37 league appearances. And he’s become so important manager Neil Redfearn specifically bemoaned the midfielder’s absence during a recent run of poor results – as reported by Here Is The City.
He’s certainly a talented prospect, but does the Scholes comparison really hold up? Cook’s pass completion rate stands at just 75% this season – even as a teenager, such an unspectacular return would’ve given the ginger maestro nightmares.
THE NEXT XAVI
Brendan Rodgers gave us the Welsh Xavi when he signed Joe Allen for Liverpool, and Feyenoord have now given us the Dutch Xavi – aka, Jordy Clasie, who will be no stranger to Manchester United fans.
The Netherlands international has been in strong form this term, bagging one goal and five assists from 27 Eredivisie appearances whilst creating 1.4 chances per match.
And as you’d expect from an apparent incarnate of the Barcelona icon, the 23 year-old boasts the second-most passes per match of any player in the division this season, after Ajax defender Niklas Moisander.
Clasie’s been linked with an Old Trafford switch before, in no small part due to him featuring in Oranje’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina last summer under then-Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.
The midfielder has recently admitted his desire to try opportunities abroad, suggesting a summer move is on the cards. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, however, he views Italy as his likeliest next destination – as reported by The Daily Star.
THE NEXT NEYMAR
According to reports from talkSPORT in March, the Red Devils are currently courting Fluminense starlet Kenedy, who has earned himself the unofficial moniker of ‘the next Neymar’.
Much like the Barcelona star, the 19 year-old forward is famed for his fleet of foot, trickery and netting prowess, having already bagged five goals in 36 appearances for the Rio outfit – alongside six goals and thirteen caps for the Brazil U17s.
The young striker, nowadays representing Selecao at U20 level, has been linked to some major clubs before, namely Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan, but talkSPORT claim United have put a £5.7million offer on the table. We’re waiting for confirmation on whether it’s been accepted or not.
There’s one key difference between Kenedy and Neymar, however – the Fluminense prodigy is predominantly left-footed.
THE NEXT ARJEN ROBBEN
Over the weekend, The Express reported Manchester United’s apparent interest in FC Twente youngster Bilal Ould-Chikh, who has drawn comparisons with Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben.
Much like the former Chelsea man, the 17 year-old is sensationally quick, especially with the ball at his feet – this term averaging 1.4 successful dribbles per match.
He’s been used sparingly by coach Alfred Schrueder and confined to a cameo role, making just four starts and eleven substitute appearances, but grabbed his first Eredivise goal back in January during a 2-0 win over Heracles – as shown in the video above.
That’s built upon the reputation Ould-Chikh gained for his impressive performances during the U17 European Championships, in total boasting 13 appearances for the Netherlands across the junior levels.
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Most appealingly, Twente may be forced to surrender their prodigious wideman on the cheap this summer, according to The Express once again, with his contract set to enter its final year.
THE NEXT SERGIO AGUERO
Finishing off this list is a striker every major club in Europe – including Manchester United – apparently want to get their hands on this summer, Palermo’s Paulo Dybala.
Indeed, it’s been a mesmerising campaign for the Rosanero front-man, propelling his side to eleventh in the Italian table with a potent haul of 13 goals and nine assists in 29 Serie A appearances.
He was dubbed ‘the next Sergio Aguero’ when he moved to Italy in 2012 and the 21 year-old is certainly living up to that moniker, sharing the Manchester City striker’s blend of mobility, creativity, dribbling ability and deadly proficiency in front of goal.
And it looks like the young Argentine will be on the move this summer, with Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claiming he’ll even be sold by the end of April – as reported by The Daily Star.
That doesn’t give the Red Devils much time to pull their finger out.