Thankfully after yet another dreadfully boring international break the Premier League returns, and its easy to see what the stand out match this weekend is.

On Saturday evening Liverpool travel to fierce rivals Manchester United and manager Brendan Rodgers will be looking to bounce back from a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham last time out.

Before that game Liverpool had made a bright start to the season picking up seven points from their first three games.

If the Reds are to qualify for the Champions League this season they will need to take points off the teams around them, especially fellow top four rivals Man United.

So here are three tactical tweaks Liverpool need to make if they’re to have any chance of leaving Old Trafford with something on Saturday…

Start Sakho instead of Lovren

Lets face it, Dejan Lovren’s Liverpool career has been a disaster. The centre back has struggled to even look half the player he was during his time at Southampton.

Rodgers has surprisingly kept faith in the Croatian during the early stages of this season, instead of Mamadou Sakho.

Lovren had a howler against West Ham, and his awful attempt at defending led to their second goal.

It is great to see the Liverpool boss show so much faith in one of his signings, but enough has to be enough. Sakho has to be brought in to face the Red Devils.

The French international is certainly the more solid option. He is a big physical presence, who is strong in the tackle and although he looks incredibly awkward on the ball, he rarely gives it away, sticking to simple passes.

Alongside Skrtel he would provide a strong pairing that will breed confidence into the rest of the team, in particular full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez, who will feel they can press forward in support of the attack knowing the defence is covered.

Bring in Ings to replace Coutinho

Unfortunately for the Reds they head into this important match without their best player Coutinho, who is suspended following a some what controversial red card against the Hammers.

The Brazilian magician is the focus point of every good move Liverpool make. He has the ability to create something out of nothing and will be a massive loss for the Reds.

There are several candidates to fill the void, including the likes of Jordon Ibe, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana. However, the man to bring in should be Danny Ings.

This game has a habit of turning into a feisty encounter and Ings would be more suited to the physical battle. He would bring pace, intelligence and the desire to get amongst it to the attack.

The former Burnley man is constantly on the move and always looks to make runs off the shoulders of the defenders.

He would take some of the goalscoring pressure off Christian Benteke and would be the perfect man to feed off the Belgian’s flicks.

Use Can alongside Milner and Henderson

Despite the loss of Steven Gerrard in the summer, the Reds midfield is still their strongest area, with the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Emre Can, Lucas and Joe Allen all fighting for those central spaces.

Henderson and Milner are the two guaranteed options from that list, but it is clear Rodgers is still undecided as to who will fill that final space with Lucas and Can sharing the minutes so far.

Whilst Lucas is the perfect holding midfielder, Emre Can should be given the role for the Man United game.

Can is a remarkable talent considering his young age. He gives Liverpool the potential to change tactics to suit each match with the German international comfortable in all aspects of the game.

The 21-year-old is incredible at winning the ball back and has won the most tackles out of all the players in the Premier League during this calendar year.

However, it is his ability to move forward with the ball that makes him the more suited option for that midfield spot. Can loves bombing forward at speed when in possession of the ball and would be a great weapon for the away side to have in their armoury.

The mutterings of discontent around Newcastle are growing louder (again).

Even after several encouraging performances and their first win of the season, when they hammered Norwich 6-2, one still does not get the feeling that all was well on Tyneside. This was confirmed by another miserable derby day against arch-rivals Sunderland, when they lost 3-0 having produced a performance that on plenty of other days could have seen the score reversed.

A forgettable 0-0 draw against Stoke did little to raise spirits thereafter around St James’ Park, and the consensus at the moment seems to be that the current squad is simply not good enough. With plenty of foreign imports being brought in over the last few years, the suspicion amongst some fans is that they lack the necessary Premier League experience and do not have proven credentials at this level.

With that in mind, here are a few players who Steve McClaren might be inclined to look at over the January transfer window…..

CHARLIE AUSTIN

A fairly obvious one. Austin was reputedly wanted by at least four Premier League clubs as the summer transfer window drew to a close, but for reasons unknown decided to stay put at Loftus Road. If that was down to thinking that his goals would send QPR soaring into a promotion spot, he was mistaken as Rangers lie 13th currently, with only two wins in their last 10 games. Fast, powerful, adept at scoring goals from all areas and a man who gets involved in build-up play more often than you’d think, Austin would surely be happy to move to a Premier League club this time, and Newcastle would dearly love another proven goalscorer in their ranks.

LEWIS DUNK

Heavily linked with Newcastle in the summer, the gangly, but elegant, Brighton central defender has this year been part of a backline that has been resolute and extremely well-organised. A standout performer for the Seagulls last year as well, Dunk could help to tighten up a defence that has been alarmingly leaky this season, looking all at sea in some games. He would presumably jump at the chance to move up a league, and although he might cost a fair bit, it would be a worthwhile investment for a player who could be at the heart of Newcastles back line for many years to come.

CHRIS MARTIN

Another proven goalscorer in the Championship who would relish the chance to ply his trade at a higher level, Martin has been one of the second tier’s most feared strikers for a few years now. An accomplished finisher, the Scotland international can score all sorts of goals; headers, tap ins, hits from outside the area, you name it. He is also extremely adept at hold up play, which is a role he is beginning to be utilised for with the national team. Definitely would not a cheap signing, but would doubtless return the investment with plenty of goals at this level.

JOHN OBI MIKEL

Hear me out with this one. Newcastle this season have looked as if their midfielders cannot offer their defence adequate protection, resulting in a goals against column that McClaren will not be happy with at all. Mikel may be slightly one-dimensional, but that may just be the dimension that Newcastle need at the moment. A capable sitting midfielder who can protect the back four by breaking up play, tackling and intercepting, as well as providing a vital link between defence and midfield, Mikel could be just the sort of player that the Toon need. Since he’s currently a bit-part player at Stamford Bridge, there’s always the chance that Mourinho would be happy to let him go, perhaps on loan.

TOM HUDDLESTONE

Another midfielder, but of a completely different ilk, Huddlestone is an extremely technically accomplished ball player who can dictate the tempo of an entire game. He can score goals, hit long range passes and run the game, and is considered to be too much of a talent to be currently playing at Championship level for Hull City. While they are currently front-runners in the second tier, one gets the impression that Huddleston would be only too happy to get the chance to move to a big Premier League club, which Newcastle certainly are. He would be ideal as a playmaker for them, adding a bit more guile to a side that has seemed somewhat short of that this season.

Hello internet, welcome back to our weekly coverage (except during the frustrating international breaks) of the Fantasy Premier League world, starting with an analysis of the current trends and bandwagons.

Our weekends are truly not the same when you don’t have the opportunity to check your phone and take a peek at the ongoing league games, meaning you end up needing to socialize and pretend like there is more to life than football.

But with that harsh period of time over, we can focus on which players should be brought in or sold ahead of Gameweek 13!

And the transfers you make this week could have a huge impact on your season, because next month there is a hectic set of December fixtures making line-ups unpredictable and erratic.

It could be wise to look ahead and bring in players in the long-run rather than on a short term basis, giving you the opportunity to save your free transfers for important changes.

Without further ado, let’s look at the Fantasy Football Bandwagons and whether you should BUY, SELL, or HOLD?

Mesut Ozil

The most transferred player this week is Arsenal star Mesut Ozil (8.9), proving that you don’t have to be a goal threat to be a Fantasy Football force.

The German may have only scored one goal this season, but Ozil has had no less than EIGHT assists in his last six games, making him the ideal player for Arsenal cover ahead of some enticing fixtures.

The Gunners face West Brom (Away), Norwich (Away), Sunderland (Home), and Aston Villa (Away) in their next four, giving amble opportunity for Ozil to rack in the points on a consistent basis.

Verdict: BUY

Dimitri Payet

Dimitri Payet (8.1) is one of the candidates to win the best transfer of the season, but sadly the France international picked up an injury in his last game against Everton and is set to be sidelined for three months.

Rightly so, Payet has been the most transferred out player (380,000 at the time of writing) ahead of Gameweek 13, and if you have him it’s a no brainer to switch him for someone else. The earlier mentioned Mesut Ozil maybe?

Verdict: Sell. Obviously.

Romelu Lukaku

If there is one forward you should own right now, it is Everton’s Romelu Lukaku (8.6), and the number of transferred in (116,000 at the time of writing) prove so.

The Toffees go on an incredible enticing run of games which feature Aston Villa (Home), Bournemouth (Away), Crystal Palace (Home), Norwich (Away), Leicester (Home), Newcastle (Away), and Stoke (Home) in their next seven… and Lukaku will be expected to be in and amongst the goals after scoring two goals and supplying two assists the last two games.

Verdict: BUY… or at least have either Ross Barkley (6.8) or Gerard Deulofeu (6.2) in your midfield.

Graziano Pelle

Only four gameweeks ago, Graziano Pelle (8.5) was one of the most transferred in players after his one goal and two assists against Chelsea, but now is being heavily transferred out (60,000 at the time of writing) ahead of gameweek 13.

With games against Stoke (Home), Aston Villa (Home), and Crystal Palace (Away) in the next four, only a daunting trip to Manchester City in Gameweek 14 looks like a real tricky fixture.

Verdict: We would advise you hold on to the Italian stallion for now, unless his goals really dry up in those aforementioned games.

Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho (8.2) has undoubtedly been Liverpool’s best Fantasy Football asset since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp, with the Brazilian scoring three goals in his last two games and has been transferred in by no less that 91,000 (at the time of writing).

However, the Reds face league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad this weekend, which could prove a tough task for Coutinho to get in amongst the points.

After that though, Liverpool have a good run of fixtures with Swansea (Home), Newcastle (Away), West Brom (Home), Watford (Away), Leicester (Home, and Sunderland (Away) until the New Year.

Verdict: Bring him in after the City clash.

Euro 2016 became all the more real after last weekend’s draw for the group stages in Paris.

The home nations who qualified for the tournament learned their fate, with England play Wales in Lens on June 16. The other two teams in the group however will be hoping to throw a cat amongst the pigeons and make it through to the last 16.

Here we take a look at the Slovakia’s main men who will be a danger to the home nations come the summer.

Marek Hamsik

There is no doubting that Hamsik is Slovakia’s star man. The midfielder is one of those players whose chances to play at a major tournament have always been limited due to his nationality but is without doubt top class.

He found his way from Slovan Bratislava to Serie A at the age of just 17 and his reputation has been growing in Italy ever since.

He now vice captain for the national side but skippers the Napoli outfit that have become such a formidable force both domestically and in Europe of late.

The 28 year old provides an almost endless supply of box to box energy at the heart of the Slovakia team and loves to arrive late into the penalty area; a habit which saw him bag 5 goals in qualifying.

Consistency is another of his key attributes as approaches 80 goals in 300 Napoli appearances. Hamsik has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League and he would have all the qualities to adjust should he ever choose to move.

Technically outstanding, a strong runner and two footed, his opponents in France will need to be on their guard.

Robert Mak

Mak was a youngster with Slovan Bratislava in his own country before joining the academy at Manchester City.

The young winger however failed to make the grade and was released in 2010. He made his professional debut in Germany for FC Nuremburg and now plays for PAOK in Greece where he is quickly becoming a star man.

Mak is a pacy wide man with an eye for goal which he demonstrated with a brace against Iceland last month. His speed and clinical nature were crucial to Slovakia during the qualifying and are likely to be key again come June, when his side will most likely set up to play on the counter attack.

While the flank is his natural territory Mak is also an intelligent player capable of operating behind the front man. He will be keen to show what he can do after his Premier League career failed to materialise.

Robert Vittek

Vittek’s place in the Slovakia side is slightly less assured than it used to be but the forward is sure to feature in France due to his experience.

The attacker has become somewhat of a journeyman in European football having played in  France, Germany and Turkey as well as his own country.

Currently back at Slovan Bratislava, he is vastly experienced as an international and is the man who scored Slovakia’s first-ever World Cup goal back in South Africa 2010.

He went on to score four in total at that World Cup and is sure to have set his sights on a similar impact at this summer’s tournament.

Now 33, Vittek is nearing the end of his career and would love to go out with a bang from the International game. He is his country’s all time top scorer and remains a physically imposing forward.

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Swansea are a club that has developed a lot of respect for doing things in the perceived correct manner.

It has taken a bit of a turn for the worst at the Welsh club of late, but the talent is still around in the squad to make them a real force in the Premier League.

The Swans have a lot of quality in their midfield, but you will need to add at both ends of the pitch.

What you start with…

With a little bit of wage budget to play with, the squad can have a few additions before needing to sell anyone and Huw Jenkins kindly gives you nearly £4 million before the season begins.

What’s expected…

Premier League – Mid-table will generally be enough to keep the board on your side and we wouldn’t advise you to push the expectations up too much until you strengthen the squad significantly.

FA Cup – Make it to the quarter finals and the Swansea board will be perfectly happy with your FA Cup efforts.

Capital One Cup – The Capital One Cup is well done the pecking order for most sides and its not different for the Swans. So long as you aren’t getting knocked out by Bradford, they won’t be too bothered.

Three to buy…

Gino Peruzzi – If you opt for a possession system, having a full-back who can provide attacking support down the right hand side will be crucial. Peruzzi has been an FM star for several editions of the game now and he is quite a bargain considering just how good he can become.

Emanuel Mammana – Ashley Williams still needs a reliable long-term centre-back partner and Mammana, aside from Balanta, is possibly the best bargain centre-half. The youngster has immense potential and, despite his young age, would be ready to step in along side the club captain.

Angelo Henriquez – Henriquez’s finishing rating of 16 has FM players worldwide excited at the prospect of signing him and the Mexican centre forward would give a suitable alternative to Gomis. If you really wanted to role back the years, a 4-4-2 could be used with Henriquez running off of Gomis.

Three to sell…

Marvin Emnes – Routledge, Barrow and Montero are all ahead of Emnes in the pecking order and a move back to the Championship seems inevitable for the winger.

Kyle Bartley – Bartley does not make the grade as a centre-back and is not going to improve significantly in the future. If can add Mammana or someone of similar quality than Bartley must be on his way out the door.

Gerhard Tremmel – Senior third choice goalkeepers always seem like a bit of an unnecessary burden on the club’s wage structure and Tremmel should be a player you look to move on. The stopper is the third best in his position and you would benefit from freeing up that extra wage budget.

Youngsters…

Joe Rodon – It can be a bit of pot luck with how good Rodon becomes, but the central defender is worth loaning out in the first season to see how he develops.

Matt Grimes – Grimes has only joined the club relatively recently and it might be best for you to loan this central midfielder out in the first season or two. Grimes has the potential to be a shining light in the team within a few seasons and can operate excellently in both boxes.

Modou Barrow – Barrow has electric pace and can become one of your best attacking threats if you can hone his end product. At 23, the flying winger is ready to be a rotation member of the squad from the start of your save.

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Arsenal’s campaign looks to be solely focusing on domestic football now and there are no better clubs for Championship sides to bring players in from.

The Gunners’ have an exceptional record with their young players and produce some of the most talented under 21s in the country. Wolves, who are mounting a charge to return to the Premier League, could undoubtedly do with the extra enthusiasm in their squad.

Arsene Wenger, who is always building for the future, must be considering a few months on loan for some of his most talented youngsters.

After the successes of Jack Wilshere and others after their loan spells, Wenger knows first team experience is integral to the development of any young player and helping with a promotion push could make a name for a few players.

Championship clubs know that these few months can be the most financially lucrative in their history and a couple of shrewd, talented loan signings could be the difference between success and failure.

Here are FIVE loan options for Wolves…

Alex Iwobi

The return of Danny Welbeck has almost ruled out any chance of Iwobi featuring regularly for the first-team in the remainder of this campaign.

Campbell, Chamberlain, Sanchez, Walcott and Welbeck are not ahead of the youngest in the pecking order and he is unlikely to make anything other than a cup cameo appearance. A move to a competitive Wolves side would be a huge step for his development and, more than anything, be a shrewd addition for Wolves.

His performances this season have been impressive and shown he can create chances even against deep defences.

Christopher Willock

This tricky winger has produced countless impressive displays for Arsenal’s academy and could add a real sparkle to the Wolves front line.

Inconsistent, as with any young forward, but Willock clearly has the quality to produce extraordinary moments.

Josh DaSilva

Only 17, but Da Silva, like Willock, has displayed he has all the credentials to be a real threat with his displays in the Arsenal academy often lighting up the pitch.

Capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, DaSilva has pace to burn and a box of tricks that belong in the hands of Derren Brown.

Krystian Bielik

Bielik is hoped to be the long-term defensive midfield solution that Arsenal fans have been waiting for, but it is crucial he cuts his teeth at a lower level before been thrown in at the deep end.

Still very young, Bielik is unlikely to feature heavily for a couple of years, but the impending departures of Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta could mean that his role in the squad increases sooner than he may expect.

Dan Crowley

Often compared to Jack Wilshere, Crowley is a central midfielder with a huge amount of promise.

His game is largely based on his ability to weave past challenges and play subtle passes, but he is also considered a dead-ball specialist and continues to impress for the Arsenal academy.

Crowley has already played for the first-team, during pre-season but will need to work on his physical strength if he is to make the step up on a regular basis.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has urged his side to repay the fans’ faith by winning this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final, after the travelling support witnessed their team being humiliated by Liverpool last night.

The Toffees have tailed off in recent weeks and the Spaniard’s position has been under threat as a result, with the latest 4-0 defeat not instilling much confidence for the future.

Everton were second best to their cross-city rivals for the entirety of the clash at Anfield, with the club’s fans making their disdain for the performance felt.

Martinez has apologised for the showing that the Goodison Park faithful had to witness and has pledged to put in a better showing against Manchester United this weekend.

“It wasn’t good enough. It was a horrible, horrible night. Nobody deserved to experience that,” The Liverpool Echo quote the coach as saying.

“No fan or player deserved to be in that situation. Nobody representing Everton deserved to be in that chain of events.

“But we have to move on quickly and repay our fans with a proper, proper performance and proper showing in the semi-final. We shouldn’t dwell on this game too much.

“It was a horrible, horrible showing. There was an inability to do the basics or look like we wanted to participate in a big football match.

“The top and bottom is we didn’t cope with the emotions and didn’t deal with it. Saturday is so huge we don’t need any motivation now.

“There’s a feeling of embarrassment. We shouldn’t put on show like this.”

With the club’s ambitions of finishing in the top four not being anywhere close to achieved, winning the FA Cup would be the tonic to revive Everton’s campaign.

If they can beat United at Wembley, the Merseysiders will face either Crystal Palace or Watford in the final.

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Since Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in the Liverpool managerial hot-seat, talk of a long-term project at Anfield has been doing the rounds.

The passionate German trainer has a burgeoning reputation given his exploits at Borussia Dortmund and showed during his time at the Westfalenstadion just how influential he can be. A large part of Klopp’s success in the Ruhr Valley was concocting a young squad and, on the whole, keeping it together for the time he was there.

The outspoken tactician helped countless players develop from raw talents to international superstars, and the hope remains that he can do the same with some of the promising starlets at Liverpool. The Anfield club have a venerable track record of bringing top stars through their youth academy and continue to unearth young players that are capable of producing in the Premier League.

The most high-profile examples in recent times have been the explosion of Raheem Sterling onto the scene, who has been followed by Jordon Ibe.

Liverpool lost Sterling to Manchester City for a number of reasons – the allure of Champions League football, a bumper pay-day and a perceived lack of ambition on Merseyside.

Ibe remains in the Anfield ranks and could yet replicate the feats of his elder statesman, with the gifted winger one of those that is expected to flourish in the longer term as Klopp’s footballing ideals sink in.

However, Liverpool look set to lose one of their brightest young players this summer for next to nothing. Jerome Sinclair became the historic club’s youngest-ever senior player when he made his debut back in 2012, having just turned 16.

Since then the buzz amongst the Reds fans has been about just when the versatile forward would be given his chance to follow in Sterling’s footsteps and prosper on the biggest stage. However, now 19, Sinclair has continued to excel in the youth ranks, but has not been given an opportunity to show what he is capable of in the Liverpool first-team.

With a contract that expires this summer and a clear indication not to extend terms from the player, the teenager is set to leave Anfield for a nominal fee believed to be no more than £2m – a far cry from the £49m the Reds received for Sterling.

Slightly reminiscent of the Paul Pogba situation at Manchester United, Sinclair has not been given a chance and could well go on to make his former employers rue their lack of faith.

With this season’s Premier League top four hopes all-but dead, Klopp would be advised to make a last-ditch attempt to change the attacker’s mind by blooding him into the team. Even this may well not be enough to keep Sinclair, who has been tipped to move to Watford and feature in the Premier League next season.

Although Klopp will look to abroad to bolster his contingent this summer, losing one of the club’s best home-grown stars will be a blow, who could come to regret their handling of Sinclair over the last 12 months in particular.

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Manchester United have appointed a world-class manager in Jose Mourinho and look set to give him a world-class transfer budget for the summer, but transforming them into Premier League champions almost instantaneously would take a minor miracle on the Special One’s part.

Indeed, the squad Louis van Gaal has left behind is miles away from the English title, lacking the quality of the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal and seemingly absent of any cohesive philosophy – or at the very least, an effective one.

But Mourinho is no stranger to achieving minor miracles; in fact, he shot to super-stardom by pulling one off with FC Porto as they unexpectedly claimed the 2004 Champions League title; and always delivers when given a healthy wad of cash.

So in order to help Mourinho pull off another miracle once again, we’ve conjured up a six-step plan to make Manchester United Premier League title winners in the space of one transfer window. If the Portuguese follows this article to the letter, he’ll be lifting a fourth English title next summer!

Sign Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s rumoured move to Manchester United appears to be only edging closer to completion and signing the iconic striker would be a fantastic way to kick off Manchester United’s summer. With the exception of the short-lived Angel Di Maria, it’s been a long time since the Red Devils signed a true world-class entity (even an ageing one) and his enormous profile should compensate for the absence of Champions League football in helping lure players of similar quality to Old Trafford.

But also sign another striker

That being said, goals were a real problem for United last season – they scored the fewest of any side in the Premier League’s top eight – and although Ibrahimovic has just come to the end of the strongest campaign of his career in terms of finding the net, notching up 50 across all competitions, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to match that potency in the Premier League at the age of 34. Likewise, when you think of United’s greatest sides, they all boasted strike-forces of enormous depth and variety. Having Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and another star-studded forward to choose from should bring that definitive attacking football back to Old Trafford. The likes of Alvaro Morata, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gonzalo Higuain remain the strongest candidates.

Don’t loan out the Class of 2016

For all of Louis van Gaal’s failings, he unquestionably delivered on one aspect of the traditional United philosophy – giving first team chances to young players. Jose Mourinho’s reputation in developing young talent, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired and the lingering fear is that those who showed so much promise under LVG last season will be sidelined for instantaneous success. But there is no reason the Red Devils’ latest batch of hotshots can’t contribute to next season’s title; Marcus Rashford is the obvious mention in this regard, but Timothy Fosu-Mensah is a real prospect who can play in a variety of positions, hardworking midfielder Jesse Lingard suits Mourinho’s industrious ethos and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson showed strong form when called upon last season. Likewise, if Rashford can make the step up from the academy so easily, fellow youth products surely can.

KEEP DAVID DE GEA

Losing the services of David De Gea this summer would be an enormous backwards step for Manchester United. He’s the only true world-class star in their starting Xi and has verged upon talismanic in recent seasons, evident enough through his three consecutive Player of the Year awards at Old Trafford. Of course, fending off Real Madrid is no easy task, especially amid rumours the Spain international’s contract includes a release clause exclusively for the Bernabeu giants. Mourinho’s presence gives United half a chance of holding onto the 25-year-old shot-stopper but actions speak louder than words and it may be the club’s efforts in the transfer market that eventually convince De Gea to stay.

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SOLIDIFY THE SPINE

Every title-winning side Jose Mourinho’s forged has been centred around a top-quality spine but Manchester United’s is currently incredibly underwhelming. Signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and keeping David De Gea is a very good start, providing world-class ability at either end of the backbone, but United still need similar talent running through the rest of it. Indeed, finding a long-term partner to Chris Smalling has to be a priority for Mourinho this summer, with utility man Daley Blind filling the void (by no means disgracefully) last season, but the Red Devils also require a signing who can revitalise their engine room with offensive dynamism. Inevitably, Paul Pogba comes to mind – but Mourinho may find the Frenchman out of his reach this summer.

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Mourinho-ise the squad

There has been a great debate surrounding the ‘philosophy’ Jose Mourinho will bring to Old Trafford and whether it conflicts too sharply with United’s traditional ideals. But the Special One is the Special One and although he’s likely prepared to adopt the Red Devils’ greater emphasis on attacking football, moving away from his own beliefs too much will only lead to a spectacular implosion. It’s imperative Mourinho implements some elements of the pragmatic, disciplined and organised approach we saw at Chelsea and that will require some additions in the transfer market. He may cost a bundle but Willian is the obvious choice in that respect – and United are in need of options on the wing. The ‘Mourinho-ise’ process applies to axing players too; Memphis Depay, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and of course, Juan Mata, all seem like a poor fit.

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A new season, a new era, a new manager – new players.

That’s what is happening at Everton and there’s cause for optimism if you are a long suffering Toffees fan.

Gone are the days of trophy winning teams that stormed the old Division 1 in the 1980s and in it’s place came consistency without silverware under Moyes and pure mediocrity under Roberto Martinez.

With the appointment of Ronald Koeman comes a statement of intent from the Everton board.

Moshiri and Kenwright are desperate for success and with a reported £100m to spend this summer, Koeman needs to spend wisely and do his utmost to keep some valuable stars on board.

With every player worth his salt being connected with every Premier League team, which players should Koeman concentrate his efforts on?

Here are five possibilities to give Everton a lift this coming season…

Fraser Forster

Everton need a solid goalkeeper and they don’t come much better than the Southampton giant.

Forster is currently bench warming in France with England, but Koeman knows what Forster is capable of and will want him as The Toffees number one.

Despite signing a new contract a month ago, Koeman will target Forster before any other approaches are made, as Tim Krul is also on the wanted list.

According to the Echo, when asked about his goalkeeping dilemma, Koeman responded: “If you look at the squad you see one goalkeeper.”

You can’t start a season with one goalkeeper.

Rob Holding

Holding not a household name, at least not yet.

The Bolton and England U21 player has been gaining recognition after a very promising individual season and is being tracked by a number of Premier League clubs.

Trotters starlet Holding, a product of the club’s academy, was voted Wanderers’ Player of the Year by fans this season, despite their relegation from the Championship to League One.

The young centre-back has been on the radar of a number of top-flight clubs since making his first-team debut last August, making 30 appearances and scoring once.

He recently signed a one-year contract extension at his hometown club, but £10m plus will prise him away from Bolton. One for the future and could replace John Stones.

Georginio Wijnaldum

After paying out £14.5m to PSV last summer, £25m is the least that Newcastle United  would want for the Dutchman.

The Magpies stand-out player last year wants a move from Tyneside and is being watched by Premier League and Serie A clubs.

His 11 league goals couldn’t save a poor Newcastle from the drop, but his abilities were there for all to see. Expect a number of clubs to bid for the 25-year-old this summer, but this is certainly a player that would look good in the blue of Everton.

It’s also worth noting that Koeman’s brother and long-time assistant Erwin knows the player well, having given him his break in 2007 while he was in charge of Feyenoord.

Axel Witsel

One of Belgium’s most outstanding players could be coming to Goodison Park despite the interests of Italian clubs.

Witsel has made it known that he is looking to leave Zenit St. Petersburg after the European Championship.

The 27-year-old, who plays in central midfield, has spent four years in Russia and is reportedly keen on a move to the Premier League. Zenit want to recoup a sizeable part of the €40m fee they paid to activate Witsel’s buyout clause at Benfica in 2012.

The former Standard Liege player has 12 months remaining on his contract and it would mean Koeman breaking a club transfer record to get his man.

41 appearances in all competitions last season produced six goals and five assists and he could be a very useful acquisition for Koeman.

Saido Berahino

The 22-year-old has had a year to forget. After a proposed move to Spurs fell through last summer and the public sulk that followed, the youngster now needs to settle down, and starting somewhere new seems a good idea.

Koeman is known to be an admirer of the England U21 international, who has a year left on his Hawthorns contract.

Berahino netted just seven times in 35 appearances last season after falling out of favour with boss Tony Pulis.