All posts by h79snht.top

Sitting atop the Conference League table on 15 points with 16 goals scored and just 2 conceded, Barnet are back stronger than ever.

It’s early days and of course throughout the season there will be obstacles, but fans should be buzzing around The Hives Stadium at the moment with optimism.

Kicking off the new campaign with a thumping 5-0 away victory Barnet have been impressive to say the least.

Here are five reasons I believe the Bees are better equipped this season than ever to return to the Football League.

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Click on Graham Stack to reveal

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Five Clean Sheets Already

Behind the rotation of goalkeepers too many cheap goals were conceded at The Hive Stadium and on the road last campaign. If Barnet are to earn a promotion this season the goalkeeper is key and Graham Stack has been in great form thus far.Bringing the experienced goalkeeper back into goal for all the games so far has helped maintain the balance in what was a leaky defence last season.

Regaining the number 1 jersey from former coach Edgar Davids looks to have also motivated the Irishman. Managing to keep Stack fit will be one of the most important things Barnet need to do this season. He saved numerous points for the team last term so to keep him in at the number 1 spot and less time out injured will surely gain the Bees promotion.

A More Mature, Consistent Squad

When Barnet were relegated from League Two the youthful squad failed to help them bounce back with promotion. The team was in need of a leader but it didn’t seem there were many players being vocal in the dressing room. Too many games were lost through a simple lack of concentration.

This season has seen a number of transfers in and out of the squad balancing a healthy range of ages throughout the squad. A new level of maturity can be seen throughout the squad. As harsh as it seems 22 year old Harry Crawford needed to move on with a lack of consistency in front of goal, the new look Barnet has opted for a necessary experience over youth this term.

Fire Power Upfront

Last season Barnet’s top scorer wasn’t Harry Crawford or Jake Hyde but midfielder Keanu Marsh-Brown. Knowing that information the Bees knew that they would need to be in the market for a new striker. They signed two and they’ve managed to strike a prolific partnership already.

New boy’s Lee Cook and Charlie MacDonald have been outstanding accounting for 10 of the 16 goals so far this campaign. In their early 30s, both have been around the block sharing invaluable experience playing at the top levels. To bounce back at the second time of asking these two will prove vital.

No more over-reliance on Edgar Davids

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When Edgar Davids joined Barnet Football Club it shocked everyone. His decision to join his ‘local’ club was a big statement and should have led to a lot more but ultimately didn’t go as planned. The Dutchman became player-manager but left earlier in the year in January.

What should have propelled Barnet to League One football with the leadership of one of football’s greatest players seemed to do more damage than good. As great as it seems sometimes having a legend among the staff can be overwhelming which was definitely the case for Barnet last season. Not forgetting the ‘trend’ the Dutch midfielder set by claiming the number 1 jersey as an outfield player.

Martin Allen, again!

Lastly, which looks to be a part of Barnet Football Club culture is the reintroduction of manager Martin Allen. It’s like every other season Allen is back managing Barnet. A man who is very familiar with most players and the club set up itself.

Having his familiar face around the club will do the Bees a world of good plus he knows his way around the Football League. With previous experience of guiding Barnet to safety in past seasons he will only prove to be a timely boost for the club. That’s hoping he doesn’t leave any time soon.

Borussia Dortmund will top group

The opening game in Group D tonight was suggested by many as the game that would give us an indication as to which team would finish top. If that is to be the case, then it will make pleasant reading for Borussia Dortmund after they comfortably overcame an Arsenal side lacking ideas, desire and defenders.

Arsenal missing Olivier Giroud

Often a figure of ridicule, however, Arsenal fans would’ve loved to have seen their injured Frenchman leading the line tonight. The jury is still out on Deadline Day signing Danny Welbeck and, after that performance, the former Manchester United striker won’t be keeping Oli G out once he returns from the sidelines.

Mesut Ozil needs to be dropped

When you’re a club’s record signing, the pressure to deliver is greater than anything they will have experienced before.

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Since his arrival from Real Madrid, Ozil has been on the decline which has brought out the critics in full force.

Maybe a few games on the bench will help the German international recharge his batteries and rediscover his devastating form?

Former Tottenham forward Jurgen Klinsmann is adamant that Mauricio Pochettino is the right man to be in charge at White Hart Lane.

The Argentine was drafted in to replace Tim Sherwood over the summer, after chairman Daniel Levy had sacked the controversial boss after just half a season in charge.

However, despite his impressive spell on the South Coast at Southampton, the former Espanyol chief has struggled in north London, with his side currently say in 12th spot in the Premier League.

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Even though he’s only been at Spurs for a matter of months, ‘Poch’ is rumoured to be battling for his future, with rumours suggesting that patience is running out among members of Tottenham’s hierarchy.

But Klinsmann believes that Pochettino is the right man to be in the dugout:

“Pochettino absolutely needs more time,” he told talkSPORT. “He’s a high quality, talented coach. Everyone going to a new club, and a new environment, needs time to get their head around things.

“Sometimes it takes two years and others it can be four or five years. That’s a long time for impatient media people and fans but he has all the qualities to build something very special here at Spurs. I hope he is given the time.

“He needs a couple of transfer windows of his own to put the pieces together that he wants to. He has a specific way that he wants the team to play and that’s orientated by some of the best teams in the world.

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“He’s showed with Southampton that his system works but now he has a different category of players. Working with different characters is not easy.

“The bigger the club the more egos there are. You need time and patience. I hope he gets all the time he needs.”

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Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk is currently one of the most sought after young defenders in the whole of Europe. The 23-year-old Dutchman has everything in his skill-set to become of the world’s top centre-backs, and with several Premier League sides reportedly interested in Celtic’s latest sensation, his admirers certainly go beyond the realms of Scottish football.

Despite not being a main feature of Louis van Gaal’s 2014 World Cup squad, where the solid but slightly suspect Ron Vlaar and Bruno Martins-Indi were considered first choice centre-backs, Virgil van Dijk has been making tremendous strides in the 2014/15 campaign for Celtic.

While the Hoops will of course like to keep their main man at Celtic Park for the foreseeable future, if van Dijk were to leave this January, which sides are in the running to land him? And would a potential move to the Premier League prove a step too far for the young Dutchman?

The answer to the latter question is a most probably – no. Virgil van Dijk has a good turn of pace, can play the ball out the back comfortably with his feet, and remains a strong contender in any aerial challenge. Although he may not be used to facing the likes of Diego Costa or Sergio Aguero on a regular basis, van Dijk’s experiences in the Champions League with Celtic should hold him in good stead to play in one of Europe’s stronger leagues.

Celtic’s no. 5 began his career in Holland with the likes of Willem II and Groninghen, before making the switch to Glasgow in 2013. During his time with the Hoops, van Dijk has made over 70 appearances, recorded countless clean sheets and even popped up with a few important goals. His crowning individual achievement was being named Celtic’s Young Player of the Year in 2013, but at only 23-years-old, his career is really only just beginning.

In response to where the young defender may end up this winter, Celtic boss Ronny Delia has been quick to dispel any rumours linking van Dijk with a move away from Celtic Park – ‘He’s very happy. I have spoken to him and we are very happy to keep him as well. He’s a top player.’

While the latter part of that comment is undeniable at the moment, the rest of Delia’s statement could well be intended to drive up Virgil van Dijk’s transfer fee, should his move away from Celtic become an inevitability.

As several of England’s top sides are currently going through somewhat of a defensive crisis, Celtic are going to have to do all they can to stave off interest from the Premier League this January. Both Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly interested in bringing van Dijk to North London, as the Gunners in particular failed to adequately strengthen their defensive vulnerabilities in the summer.

While the same can’t be said of either Manchester City or Liverpool, as both aimed to strengthen at the back through Eliaquim Mangala and Dejan Lovren respectively, their current defensive problems could be solved by van Dijk as well, should Celtic see fit to finally let the Dutchman go.

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Manchester United, despite all their summer spending on Luke Shaw, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo, are also supposedly interested in van Dijk this January. Louis van Gaal’s failure to properly include the Dutchman in his World Cup plans may hold this potential move back however, as van Dijk will not be short of suitors should he choose to look elsewhere.

Although it currently seems unlikely that Celtic will sell their best defender half way through the season, if the money is right and the January transfer window lives up to the hype it is often portrayed with, Virgil van Dijk could be on the move sooner rather than later. As he looks to be a top star in the making, fans of English football should rejoice at any sign of the Dutchman making his way to the Premier League in the near future.

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Transfer deadline day is like Christmas to us at Football FanCast Towers; a 24-hour bonanza of deal after deal, some expected and others not, with Sky Sports’ Jim White playing the role of merry old St. Nick.

There haven’t been too many presents to speak of today – in fact, the majority of deals thus far, such as Robert Huth’s loan move to Leicester City, have constituted more stocking fillers than the kind of prezzies you’ve been begging your mum all year for.

But we’ve still got enough time before the 11pm deadline to see some bigger bids come into fruition, particularly some involving Liverpool.

Indeed, the Reds are yet to make an inward acquisition this month, suggesting they might be depending upon the magic of deadline day to get a few transfers across the line.

With that in mind, here’s FIVE deals that could still happen at Anfield.

DANNY INGS

Age: 22

Height: 5 foot 11

Position: Striker, No.10

Teams: Bournemouth, Burnley, England U21s

Honours: Championship Runner-Up 2013/14, Championship Player of the Year 2013/14

Interested clubs: Liverpool, Spurs, Real Sociedad, according to The Express

Likely transfer fee: £5million according to Mirror Football

THE LOWDOWN

Liverpool have been trying to thrash out a deal with Burnley this month to sign contract rebel Danny Ings before loaning him back to the Turf Moor outfit for the remainder of the season.

The 22 year-old has emerged as one of the top flight’s most exciting prospects this term after firing Burnley to the Premier League with 21 goals last year, netting seven goals and grabbing three assists in his last 15 league outings, not to mention an impressive return of four-in-seven for the England U21s.

With his contract up at the end of the campaign and a new deal yet to materialise, he’s attracted plenty of attention this month and as previously mentioned, the Merseysiders have been working hard on a deal.

Their proposed loan arrangement would be prohibited under Premier League laws however, so the Reds could attempt to buy his services outright by the end of the day – as speculated by The Daily Star.

The Daily Mail, on the other hand, claim Ings has agreed a pre-contract deal to join David Moyes’ Real Sociedad at the end of the season.

ASIER ILLARRAMENDI

Age: 24

Height: 5 foot 10

Position: Defensive Midfield

Teams: Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Spain U21s

Honours: European U21 Championship 2013, Copa del Rey 2014, Champions League 2014, Club World Cup 2014

Interested clubs: Arsenal and Liverpool, according to The Metro

Likely transfer fee: £18million, per The Metro once again

THE LOWDOWN

According to the Metro, Liverpool are preparing an £18million bid for Real Madrid’s Asier Illarramendi, but Arsenal are ready to rival any offer from the Merseysiders.

Real Madrid splashed out a whopping €32million on the defensive midfielder in summer 2013, viewing him as the ideal long-term successor to Xabi Alonso; sharing the former Anfield star’s tough-tackling and long-range passing game.

It’s not quite kicked off for Illarramendi at the Bernabeu however, resulting in him making just four starts in La Liga this season, and the recent signing of the like-minded Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro suggests Los Blancos would be prepared to part with the midfielder this month.

In fact, he’s already rejected moves to Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, his former club, according to The Metro, so the assumption is that he’s waiting for an offer from the Premier League. With Steven Gerrard departing at the end of the campaign, the Spaniard could well be his eventual replacement.

EZEQUEIL LAVEZZI

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Age: 29

Height: 5 foot 8

Position: Winger/forward

Teams: Estudiantes, Genoa, San Lorenzo, Napoli, PSG, Argentina

Honours: Coppa Italia 2012, Ligue 1 title 2013 and 2014, Coupe de la Ligue 2014, Olympic Gold Medalist 2008, World Cup 2014 runner-up

Interested clubs: Liverpool, Arsenal, Napoli according to the Daily Star

Likely transfer fee: £14million, according to just about everybody, including The Star

THE LOWDOWN

Offering a new sense of tenacity and versatility to Liverpool’s attack is PSG winger-forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, who was linked with an Anfield switch during the summer as a like-minded replacement to Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez.

The Argentina international is famed for his relentless work-rate, dynamic pace and positive output, amassing 25 goals and 21 assists in 109 appearances for PSG and 48 goals and 49 assists in 188 outings for former club Napoli.

He appears to be on his way out of Parc de Princes however, having managed just nine Ligue 1 starts this season and recently earned himself a three-match internal ban for missing PSG’s winter training camp.

With the Naples outfit unlikely to re-sign him this month and Arsenal relatively well-endowed in the winger-forward department, Liverpool are certainly leading the race for the £14million-rated attacker. But can they get a deal done in time?

ANDRE PIERRE GIGNAC

Age: 29

Height: 6 foot 1

Position: Striker

Teams: Lorient, Toulouse, Marseille, France

Interested clubs: Liverpool, according to The Daily Star

Likely transfer fee: Unconfirmed, but likely around the £5million mark

THE LOWDOWN

According to The Daily Star, Liverpool could launch a late swoop for Marseille’s in-form, contractually rebellious striker Andre Pierre Gignac this evening.

The 29 year-old’s career hasn’t always been smooth sailing, with French football fans up and down the country once signing ‘Un Big Mac pour Gignac’ at the previously overweight striker, but he’s been nothing short of potent this term, netting 14 goals in 23 League appearances for L’OM.

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His contract has now entered it’s final six months and, with a new deal yet to materialise, The Star claim Liverpool will attempt to prize him away in a cut-price deal.

Marseille are currently second in the Ligue 1 table however, just two points behind league leaders Lyon, so convincing them to sell without time to find a viable replacement will be a rather tough task. Then again, we’ve seen crazier things happen on deadline day.

WINSTON REID

Age: 26

Height: 6 foot 3

Positions: Centre-back only

Teams: Midtjylland, West Ham, New Zealand

Honours: Championship Playoff winner 2011/12, Hammer of the Year 2012/13

Linked clubs: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Spurs according to The Daily Star

Likely transfer fee: £6.5million according to Mirror Football, £20million according to Sam Allardyce.

THE LOWDOWN

According to Mirror Football, Liverpool will make a last-minute £6.5million bid for West Ham’s Winston Reid, as the East London club comes under threat of losing their star defender for nothing at the end of the campaign.

The New Zealand skipper may not be the most talented centre-back to ever grace Anfield in technical terms, but he’s an undisputed master of the nuts and bolts of the defensive trade – tackles, headers, interceptions and clearances – and is blessed with the awkward, gangly and physical frame of a modern day Martin Keown.

The 26 year-old’s contract is set to expire in June and Hammers owner David Sullivan has recently admitted that he wants to join a club offering European football.

Liverpool certainly fall into that remit and although their defensive form has improved in recent weeks, Reid would be a solid addition to the squad – especially with Kolo Toure likely to leave the Merseysiders at the end of the season.

The Evening Standard, however, claim the centre-back has already decided to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free contract in the summer.

There have been many points this season when Manchester United have lacked pace in their side and this is becoming a serious problem for Louis van Gaal.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United never lacked pace in their side and were often lethal on the counter. Nowadays, United simply do not carry the same threat on the break, with Angel Di Maria one of a select few that actually possesses a strong amount of pace.

It is no secret that United will have a huge budget in the summer in order to purchase some of the finest talent on the planet. Van Gaal will be desperate to add some speed to his side in the summer, especially if United qualify for the Champions League this season.

In light of these problems, here are FIVE possible targets Van Gaal should look consider:

Memphis Depay

Louis Van Gaal will be hoping that already working with Memphis Depay for the Netherlands international team will be an advantage should he seek to pursue the exciting Dutch winger this summer. The 21-year-old is in fine form for PSV Eindhoven, scoring an impressive 15 goals in 20 appearances in the Eredivisie this season.

According to 101greatgoals.com, PSV manager Phillip Cocu is resigned to losing his star player this summer, and Depay is showing more than enough quality to move to a ‘bigger’ European league at the end of this season. Usually played on the left wing, Depay could bring an abundance of pace to Old Trafford as well as having youth on his side. If United choose to make a move, it could prove to be an excellent investment in both the long and short term for the Red Devils.

Mauro Icardi

Another young player that has attracted a host of interest across Europe, Mauro Icardi has been one of Inter Milan’s stand-out performers this season. The striker has 14 goals in 23 Serie A appearances so far this season and the 22-year-old is blessed with good pace and a natural finishing ability.

Should they not seek to retain the services of Radamel Falcao, Manchester United will need some fresh blood up front, and Robin van Persie isn’t getting any younger. Icardi would add youth and quality to the United frontline, providing another valuable option in the attacking third.

Paulo Dybala

One of the hottest prospects in European football, Dybala will likely attract a lot of interest summer transfer window opens. The Palermo forward has scored 12 goals in 23 Serie A games, as well as providing an impressive seven assists. Dybala would add pace and creativity to United’s attacking options, and at just 21-years-old, has the potential to improve if he is given the opportunity to do so.

The Daily Star reports that a fee in the region of £30 million would be enough to acquire the talented Argentine forward but rumoured interest from Borussia Dortmund means that United should move fast if they want to sign Dybala.

Cristiano Ronaldo

It is no secret that Crisitano Ronaldo could return to Old Trafford one day and the Balon D’or winner would add priceless ability to United’s attacking force. At 30-years-old, Ronaldo would be a hugely expensive signing, but Manchester United have the funds to afford a move for a player of Ronaldo’s quality.

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He may be entering the latter stages of his career, but Ronaldo still boasts lethal pace and movement, something United have lacked a lot this season. It may be unlikely that the former Old Trafford star will leave Real Madrid this summer, but if there is even a slight inkling that Ronaldo could be available, you would expect United to be at the front of the queue to acquire the Portuguese star’s services.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Dortmund have had a torrid time in the Bundesliga this season but Aubameyang has maintained a steady run of form. The Gabon international has scored nine goals and provided four assists in 21 Bundesliga appearances this season and if Van Gaal wants to add pace to his squad, there is no better option than Aubameyang.

At just 25 years of age, he is still a player that has a lot to offer. If United do express an interest in the summer, they may represent an attractive option for one of the fastest players in the world.

With news that Massimo Cellino has had his ban from the Football League extended until the end of the season, Leeds United can start to look forward to a life after their disruptive owner.

Cellino stepped away from the Championship side in order to clear his name and in February it was announced he would not be returning to the club – although this seems to be unconfirmed with different reports saying different things.

Leeds have already started to try and turn their season around after what has been a dire season for all involved in the club and have won their last two games in the Championship.

The club has been constantly in the news because of their controversial owner, Massimo Cellino. He purchased a 75% stake in the club through his company Eleonora Sport in April 2014 after his takeover was initially declined by the Football League.

In December he was disqualified from owning the club after the League obtained documents from an Italian court, which found him guilty of tax evasion. At first it was thought that he would return after his ban had finished but he decided to sell his personal stake in the Yorkshire club.

Despite what has been said about him, the former President has gone about things well in order to make sure that Leeds United don’t get caught up in any sanctions – the least everybody associated with the club deserves after what can only be described as the year from hell.

In Cellino’s absence, the club is being run by the chairman Andrew Umbers and chief operating officer Matt Child and Umbers is enjoying his new role making statements, talking to the press and hosting guests.

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While it might be the (possible) end of one Cellino, the club and it’s fans still have his two sons left to participate in the decisions of the club. Edoardo and Ercole Cellino remain on the club’s board and the identity of the buyer of Massimo’s stake is not yet known. So, will these two be able to bring in their father’s ideas like Cellino had said he wanted?

Hopefully, with the man at the top gone, who many fans despised, surely things can only get better for the side?

The problem is, it is still unclear whether Leeds are over the top of the mountain they’ve  had to climb. There is still a lot of uncertainty around the club, transfers and the head coach, Neil Redfearn.

Umbers has not kept his opinions to himself and there has been confusion issues, particularly when it comes to emergency loan signings.

Redfearn has always been clear that his squad, whilst it is still improving, is unbalanced, and I am sure fans who watch their club on a regular basis agree with that statement.

Both the players and the manager are uncertain of their futures at the club – it has been announced that all contractual issues will be decided in the summer, which is risky when many of the players have attracted other teams around them in the league.

Despite Umbers’ best intentions, no major decisions will be made until the summer when Cellino may or may not return.

The club is one of the most well known in the country and, with all these issues off the pitch still to clear up, let’s hope we won’t see them slip like they did in the 2000s.

Somehow you just can’t quite believe this is the last chapter in the Leeds United and Massimo Cellino book.

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We will just have to wait and see.

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Robin van Persie has not had the best season under his new gaffer, and after only scoring 10 goals he has now also lost of the role as penalty taker.

Manchester United’s manager Louis van Gaal has stripped his compatriot of his penalty duties after his miss against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, which cost them dearly. The 31-year-old had the opportunity to equalise after referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Saido Berahino had handled it in the box. Van Persie’s shot was saved by the Baggies’ Boaz Myhill and after the game Van Gaal told reporters that he was no longer the first choice penalty taker. He said: “He is now at the end of the road.”

The outburst is just one of many the ex-Holland manager has had about his team, and the miss sums up Van Persie’s season at Old Trafford. Injury and lack of form have curtailed his first-team opportunities this season and with only 14 months left on his contract, he could be on his way out of the door sooner rather than later. The gaffer is not happy with any of his strike force having said: “I miss a striker that scores!” and it is now believed that the Red Devils are set to edge Van Persie towards an exit in the summer transfer window by offering him millions to leave the club.

Van Gaal is known for being a brutal and blunt manager and if you are not performing you are out. It is thought the 63-year-old manager is keen to revamp his first-team squad over the summer and he wants to cut what he classes as the deadwood out of the team. According to the Daily Mail, United officials have agreed to pay the remaining half of a £10million loyalty bonus he agreed to when he joined the club from Arsenal as long as he leaves Old Trafford in the summer.

Inter Milan, Juventus and Lazio have all expressed an interest in the striker so her will not be short of other clubs to go to if it takes the offer Man United are setting out for him. Over the last few months it has become clear that he has not been enjoying his third season at Old Trafford. Compared to his other seasons he has not been having the success he has previously had. He has only scored a third of the goals he has in previous seasons. During his first campaign at the club he scored 30 goals in all competitions but since then he has struggled and generally his performances have weakened.

Van Persie seems to have lost his flair and while he is still a superb footballer the way he’s playing shows he is not happy with his current situation. The expression on his face when his penalty was saved showed fans just how he feels – he is fed up – and it does not seem likely that if he is offered the rest of his loyalty fee he will be still a Manchester United player next season.

It is time to move on for Robin before a great thing turns sour. If he leaves now fans will still love him. If he stays and carries on his slump in performances it will turn a bitter relationship.

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With every passing day, the likelihood of Liverpool selling wantaway winger Raheem Sterling only grows stronger.

The England international’s lengthy contract saga, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2016/17 campaign, is no great secret, but it can be summarised by three major stories from the last three months. In April, Sterling revealed in a candid interview with BBC Sport that he’d already rejected a £100k per-week offer from the Anfield outfit. In May, renegade agent Aidy Ward claimed the 20 year-old wouldn’t pen extended terms ‘even for £900k per-week’, whilst also branding Anfield legend-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher a ‘knob’. And yesterday evening, Liverpool reportedly turned down a £25million bid for Sterling from Manchester City.

The Citizens’ failed swoop appears to be a statement of intent more than anything else. Liverpool’s alleged £50million valuation of the prodigious winger has been adopted by so many tabloids and websites that it must have some validation somewhere along the line, which City must be well aware of. Not that they’re the only club apparently in for Sterling; Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester United have all been linked over the last few months.

The vultures are circling closer and closer, sensing the weakness of their transfer prey, and at this point Sterling’s move away from Merseyside seems inevitable. It’s now a question of best-case scenarios for Liverpool; commanding a lucrative enough fee that saves them face, compensates for the displeasure of watching Sterling claim trophies at a rival club and allows them to source an adequate, equally talismanic replacement.

At which point, I turn your attentions to Real Madrid – long-term admirers of the Three Lions prodigy who haven’t been linked with him as prevalently as his Premier League suitors over the last few weeks. In my opinion, shipping the 20 year-old off to the Bernabeu this summer is the best realistic outcome Brendan Rodgers’ side can hope for.

Of course, the obvious benefit is that Sterling will no longer be in the same division, meaning Liverpool won’t have to be reminded of how they were forced to cash in on their most promising talent prematurely during every instalment of Match of the Day – not to mention the two occasions per season when he’ll face his former club in the Premier League.

But it also gives Liverpool the luxury of spinning the story a little bit; the idea that Sterling didn’t leave them for just anybody – the first club to come along and flutter their eyelids at him – but one of the largest, most prestigious and successful institutions in the history of European football. Even the most militant of Kopites will be open to admitting Liverpool are a few shades shy of the La Liga giants in terms of global standing.

Perhaps most important of all, however, is the fact Real Madrid throw around more dollar bills than Charlie Sheen in a strip club. Last summer, they splashed out £65million on James Rodriguez purely based on his form at the 2014 World Cup and the year before they broke the world-record transfer fee for Gareth Bale, a player who – by in large – had only really demonstrated consistent world-class quality for a single season in the Premier League.

Whoever’s in vogue, Real Madrid feel compelled to get their hands on; a combination of their renowned ‘Galacticos’ policy and the populist platforms upon which their presidential elections are run. So with a new manager arriving in Rafa Benitez, coincidentally enough one of the most successful managers in recent Liverpool history who admitted his ‘admiration’ for Sterling last week, logic suggests Los Blancos will be on the prowl for new talent this summer, especially of the youthful variety.

They’ve already wrapped up deals for two of Brazil’s most exciting youngsters in 23 year-old midfielder Casemiro (bought back from FC Porto) and Dani Alves’ successor to the right-back throne, Danilo. Interestingly enough, Benitez’ rumoured plans to utilise Cristiano Ronaldo as a centre-forward next season leaves a Sterling-shaped hole in their starting Xi.

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But if there’s one lingering concern, it’s that Sterling isn’t quite in vogue as he was six months ago, when announced as Europe’s Golden Boy for 2014. Back then, he was Liverpool’s front-man and producing match-winning displays on a regular basis. Since his contract dispute unearthed, however, Brendan Rodgers has reduced him to considerably less exciting role of right wing-back, whilst all the negative press has undoubtedly impacted the attacker’s form, scoring just once in his last eleven Premier League outings.

If Real Madrid’s interest proves to be genuine, however, Liverpool must capitalise on it. At this point, it’s the only ending to the lengthy contract saga that doesn’t conclude on a completely sour note.

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West Ham have a new boss, a new approach, a new formation and new players . Slaven Bilic is in the process of transforming Big Sam’s West Ham squad to his own, but he is still short in some areas.

The Croat is well known for utilising a 4-2-3-1 formation and in many of his games in charge of the Hammers this pre-season, it is a set up he has chosen to continue with.

It hasn’t always been successful, though, as the Hammers have drawn 3-3 and 0-0 with Peterborough and Charlton respectively, and have beaten League 2 Southend 3-2 .

Whilst pre-season results should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is clear there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to Bilic’s new style to get it up to scratch.

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And when you go through Bilic’s squad, he has already built the basis of a good 4-2-3-1 playing team. His defence and keeper are solid. Adrian is a quality Premier League stopper, and then in Angelo Ogbonna, Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins he has four good centre-backs. Aaron Cresswell and Carl Jenkinson provide the perfect attacking full-backs for the formation, who can get up and down and give support to the attack.

Then in front of them he has good defensive midfielders in Cheikhou Kouyate, Mark Noble and new signing Pedro Obiang, who will all shield and control the game.

Then he has talented play maker Dimitri Payet, who will play in the no.10 role for the Hammers this season, then wide right or left he has Enner Valencia supporting main striker Diafra Sakho.

But there is one player missing, and that is a real quality out-and-out winger, someone like Kevin Mirrallas for example. Someone who can provide real pace, real width and some quality in the wide areas.

It already has been well documented that the Everton man could be bought this summer as he is in his final year of his contract at Goodison Park, and the Hammers have already reportedly put in bids for the winger.

He is valued at around £8m and a deal for the winger could certainly be done, considering that he has fallen down the pecking order on Merseyside, reportedly because of his frosty relationship with Toffees boss Roberto Martinez.

That’s largely down to the winger’s attitude, and when Mirallas stole penalty duties off Leighton Baines against team orders last season, which certainly did little to help the pair’s relationship. Especially as he went on to miss the subsequent spot kick.

Given that, and the fact he is in the final year of his contract, the Hammers could do a deal for Mirallas providing they match Everton’s valuation of the winger.

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The Belgian would be a great signing for the Hammers, too. He would add some pace on the wing, an added goal threat and would be someone capable of providing something different out wide. Mirallas is player who is a dangerous in dead ball situations, which the Hammers may be missing following Stewart Downing’s departure to Middlesbrough.

The Hammers need a winger and Mirallas is certainly the right man for them. He’s the right age, experienced in the Premier League and has the quality needed to improve Bilic’s new look side.

The question is; can they get him?