All posts by h79snht.top

Louis van Gaal doesn’t believe in egos and superstars, which probably explains why he has failed to get on with some of the biggest names in football in the past. He abhors those who oppose his managerial techniques – players and board members – and, as described by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, behaves like a dictator.

You have to wonder how far Wayne Rooney’s most recent contractual saga would have stretched. Had van Gaal been in charge at United, it’s likely the England forward would either have been made to stay on the coach’s terms, or he would have been sold.

But van Gaal is a winner. He’s meticulous in his approach to management. He knows exactly what he wants from his players and forces them into his system, rather than adjusting his methods to suit the players in his squad.

The current Netherlands coach is known to prefer the 4-3-3 formation, or a variation of it, seen at Bayern, with each player holding very specific duties on the pitch. What should be said about van Gaal is that he doesn’t allow passengers in his team. He wants defending and teamwork from the front (Luca Toni and Mario Gomez weren’t favoured by the Dutchman while at Bayern), he wants wide players to follow his oft-rigid instructions exactly – and based on his success rate in the past, it’s hard to argue against his methods. Intelligent football comes first.

What United desperately need at this time is a manager who can whip this squad into shape, or a modification on this squad following acquisitions this summer.

Van Gaal is known for having guided both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in the early stages of their managerial careers, and the model currently in use at Bayern Munich is one that was introduced under the Dutch manager during his tenure from 2009 to 2011.

Does that mean United, if they land van Gaal this summer, are set to strut through next season and beyond with the swagger currently held by those in Bavaria and previously at Barcelona? Not quite. It’s no secret that it takes years of planning to develop a style currently on display at both FCBs. But what is absolutely certain is that van Gaal will make the players at United better, while also improving on the dire displays of much of this season under David Moyes.

Not only does he have a track record of getting the best out of his players, he’s also capable of working miracles, as seen by his Eredivisie triumph with an under-resourced AZ Alkmaar, who were closer to relegation than the title the season before, and, of course, the European Cup success with a youthful but immensely talented Ajax team.

Van Gaal’s success stories with youth in the past will bode well for United’s youngsters. Players like Tom Cleverley may simply be seen as expendable and not good enough. That interview held with The Mirror back in February won’t have helped the United academy graduate, with Cleverley unable to define what exactly his role is in the United midfield. As already mentioned, there are no passengers in van Gaal’s teams.

But it does mean that Phil Jones and Chris Smalling may finally get their careers at United off and running, both in and out of the team since arriving at the club, both suffering from injuries and inconsistency. The talent is there, notably in Jones, and a manager like van Gaal will be invaluable in their development.

Van Gaal isn’t without his shortcomings, though. For all the praise that can be lavished on the veteran coach, there are also concerns about his style that may rumble to the surface if he arrives at United this summer.

The Dutchman rarely leaves a club without first having made at least one enemy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a player, members of the boardroom or the local media. Van Gaal’s approach to management, strictly adhering to his principles, can land in him hot water, too.

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What can be noted is the criticism Pep Guardiola has faced following Bayern’s 1-0 loss away to Real Madrid on Wednesday night. The Catalan coach is said to be doing too much to disrupt an effective winning machine, tinkering with a system to suit his own. As evidenced by Wednesday’s loss, it can be detrimental.

Van Gaal has suffered from similar problems in the past. It goes without saying that not every footballer can adjust to every tactical setup, while for those who can, it naturally takes time. Don’t be surprised then if van Gaal arrives at United and isn’t immediately racking up the wins.

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Arsenal are said to be one of two teams in the Premier League chasing Federico Fazio. The Sevilla centre-back has been a regular for his club in recent seasons, helping them to the Europa League title last season.

There are obvious concerns about Fazio, notably his defensive awareness to counter a severe lack of pace. His stature is very similar to that of Per Mertesacker, but the German has looked far more comfortable than the Argentine.

Fazio has improved over the past 12 months, however. Initially he would have been a considerable risk, but he has shown more composure in his game than what was regularly seen from him in the past.

If Arsenal do wrap up a deal for the 27-year-old, where he’d possibly replace Thomas Vermaelen in the squad, the club will need to continue to invest.

These are six players who could follow Fazio to Arsenal.

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Click on Antoine Griezmann to reveal all

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Alexis Sanchez

Recent rumours of Alexis Sanchez heading to Liverpool should send Arsenal scrambling. In a summer where there is little clarity about who Arsenal’s star striker purchase will be, they can’t afford to pass on the availability of the Chile international.

Alexis is everything Arsenal need as a centre-forward. He allows for a completely different approach to what Olivier Giroud offers, able to inject pace, trickery a consistent source of goals. Considering Arsenal targeted Luis Suarez last summer, Alexis would make a lot of sense as the club’s prime target this year.

Alexis has had one of the best season’s of his career, and by staring at the World Cup for Chile, this is the best time to sign a player who was recently struggling for form and confidence.

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Mathieu Debuchy

Mathieu Debuchy is said to miss the Champions League, in what is a not-too-subtle indicator that he’s thinking about life away from Newcastle. The French international signed for the club for a bargain fee of £5.5 million in January 2013 and has adapted well to the Premier League.

The 28-year-old was a part of Lille’s title winning side, and, being a French international, does have the quality to replace Bacary Sagna as Arsenal’s first-choice right-back.

It isn’t too clear where Arsene Wenger will be moving in order to address the right-back position in his squad; Carl Jenkinson is too far off from being given the starting role. But Debuchy could be a low-cost, high-quality addition for the club, certainly if other targets prove to be unattainable.

Serge Aurier

Serge Aurier has reportedly agreed a contract with Arsenal, and with the Ivory Coast now out of the World Cup, expect more to emerge on this story in the coming days.

The 21-year-old full-back has done a lot to impressive over the past season, and this World Cup will do a lot for his reputation outside of France. Aurier is quick, strong and comfortable at both ends of the pitch. He’d be considered a step up from Bacary Sagna in the attacking third, with Aurier appearing to have a superior delivery to the former Arsenal full-back.

There seem to be very little complaints among Arsenal supporters about giving the starting role to a 21-year-old, knowing full well that Aurier is a starter for both Toulouse and the Ivory Coast. This is a player with a high ceiling who could be set to thrive at the Emirates. If the reports are accurate that he could be had for less than £10 million, Arsenal should be looking to tie up this deal as quickly as possible.

Loic Remy

Talk of Loic Remy to Arsenal has gone extremely quiet in recent weeks. Interpret that however you like. Arsenal were said to be strong favourites to sign the French international prior to the start of the World Cup, but there have been few signs following that to indicate where Remy’s future lies.

Arsenal fans appear torn on the subject. While most are in agreement that a player of his experience and quality in front of goal is needed, he shouldn’t be an alternate option to a genuinely world-class centre-forward. There are doubts about whether Remy is good enough to lead Arsenal to the Premier League title.

But his versatility and ability to play on the wings makes him an attractive option. In addition, the transfer fee in the region of £10 million would be considered a bargain for a full international of Remy’s age. This one remains a possibility.

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann was regularly linked with a move to Arsenal ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. It appeared that the club were looking to tie up a deal for either Griezmann or his Real Sociedad teammate Carlos Vela.

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Going into this World Cup, Griezmann was being tipped to have a breakout tournament in the absence of Franck Ribery. After two hugely impressive seasons in La Liga, this was set to be the summer in which the Frenchman really established himself as one of Europe’s top young forwards.

There’s no doubt Griezmann would be an asset in the Arsenal team. Not only does he have the speed Arsenal are desperately in need of, he is also, surprisingly, an aerial threat in front of goal.

This would be an exciting buy for Arsenal if it goes through this summer.

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Hector Moreno

Hector Moreno is a centre-back that has really flown under the radar in recent seasons, despite being in excellent form for Espanyol over that period. The Mexican has carried over his good domestic form to the World Cup in Brazil, where he was one of the best players on the pitch in his side’s 0-0 draw with the host nation.

Moreno is a powerful centre-back who is ideally suited to the Premier League. Others in England have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old, but Arsenal should really be looking at a player of his quality. Thomas Vermaelen may be moved on this summer, and Moreno would represent a step up in quality, with Arsenal undoubtedly needing depth at the heart of their defence.

Jose Mourinho says Frank Lampard could succeed him as Chelsea manager in the future, reports the Daily Mirror.

Lampard is set to come up against the club he left in the summer for the first time, when Chelsea travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City tomorrow.

Mourinho admits he was surprised Lampard opted to join the Premier League champions on loan, but says that shouldn’t stop him succeeding him as boss in the future.

“I still believe that what this club proposed to him, which is to be back when he wants and to do what he wants – these were the words from Mr Abramovich – I think it’s not in any danger,” Mourinho said.

“It’s just a period of his career. We thought he was going to play for New York. He decided to play for City. It was just an option, and he had that right to do that. His place in Chelsea’s history is untouchable. I think, in the future, nothing has been lost. He can be back one day, I think so. If he wants to be a manager, he could succeed me.”

Mourinho has been busy creating a new look attacking Chelsea side since Lampard’s departure, and the Portuguese coach says he believes owner Roman Abramovich is delight with their start to the season.

“When I watch television and I see him hugging his young kids after a Chelsea goal, it’s easy to understand it’s a moment of happiness,” said the Portuguese coach. “He’s enjoying it, obviously.

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“My feeling is every Chelsea fan – and he’s not just a fan, but the owner – is happy. The team are playing well . The team are getting good results. The draw against Schalke is not a good result, but is not a dramatic result. The way the team plays, everything we are showing on the pitch not just our philosophy but the way the team faces the competition – everything is positive.”

In the most dramatic, unexpected and exciting transfer of summer deadline day, Manchester United wrapped up a loan deal for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao yesterday afternoon.

The Colombian international’s quality is well known, being commonly regarded as one of the most potent strikers in world football. And the Red Devils have secured his services until at least next summer after paying a £6million loan fee, with the option of making his temporary switch permanent.

He may not have been the defensive signing many Red Devils were hoping for this summer but Falcao has a lot to offer the Red Devils.

In fact, he has so much to offer them, we at Football FanCast have felt compelled to conjure this list of the FIVE things the 28 year-old will bring to Manchester United.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON UNITED’S LATEST SIGNING TO REVEAL ALL

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GOALS GOALS GOALS

Of course, the obvious advantage to signing Radamel Falcao is that his goal-scoring credentials are nothing short of ridiculous.

Throughout spells with River Plate, FC Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco, the Colombia international has produced a career return of 200 goals in 305 appearances . That includes 18 goals in just 16 outings during the 2010/2011 Europa League tournament – the highest campaign total in the history of the competition.

Falcao has found goals easy to come by in the Argentinean, Portuguese, Spanish and French top flights and in the European second tier. In fact, last season at Monaco was the first campaign since moving to Europe in 2009 in which the 28 year-old hasn’t netted over 30 times.

So without further ado, here’s a look at the South American’s best ever goals:

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EXCITEMENT

Radamel Falcao may not be the world-class defensive signing Manchester United fans were desperately hoping for this deadline day but in the words of Neil Lennon, it’s a transfer that truly captures the imagination.

Premier League punters have been witnessing the 28 year-old’s goalscoring exploits from afar for years, but now they’ll get a close-up look of the striker in action.

That may seem like a rather superficial point but it’s exactly the kind of pick-me-up everyone involved with Manchester United needs right now. The club currently finds itself at its lowest low since the 1980s, after succumbing to a 7th place finish last season and picking up just two points in Louis van Gaal’s three opening Premier League fixtures.

Suddenly United are an exciting, modern, entertaining and vibrant proposition once again, having spent the last twelve months looking horrendously outdated whilst playing some incredibly drab football.

Whether you agree that Falcao was the signing the Red Devils needed or not, you’ll undoubtedly feel compelled to see how he gets on in a United jersey.

OPTIONS

Louis van Gaal’s decision to introduce a 3-4-1-2 system at Old Trafford has understandably proved to be a controversial one – not least because the Red Devils are yet to win a competitive match with a formation that’s long-been considered alien to the Premier League.

But amid the debate, it’s long been forgotten that the Dutchman is employing the formation out of necessity. Right now, none of his full-backs are fit, Manchester Uniteds squad is completely absent of any top-class wide men and fitting Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney into the same starting line-up is proving to be a difficult conundrum.

But the arrival of Radamel Falcao does give van Gaal vital options. It’s already been alleged that he could revert back to his more favoured 4-3-3 formation, or at least a variation of it, whilst pushing Wayne Rooney deeper into midfield is another alternative worth consideration.

Furthermore, the United boss no longer has to rely upon a select few key players. Falcao’s arrival allows Rooney, Mata and RVP to be rested without compromising the quality of the starting XI. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, with rumours that the Netherlands international needs knee surgery.

THE BEST STRIKE-FORCE IN THE LEAGUE

Manchester United’s frontline was already rather envious but Radamel Falcao’s arrival brings it to a whole new level.

Indeed, defending could well prove to be the Red Devils’ undoing this season after Louis van Gaal failed to address his side’s desperate need for a top-quality centre-back on deadline day.

But at the other end of the pitch, United look absolutely deadly. Just take a gander at Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie’s stats for the 2012/13 campaign:

In short, imagine this:

Combined with this…

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Louis van Gaal has often commented on the importance of his attacking philosophy and although there may be a drastic imbalance within the United squad, a world-class strike-force fits the LVG mentality perfectly.It could even be argued to be intrinsically more important to the Dutchman’s philosophy than a water-tight defence.

It’s also reminiscent of United in the late 1990s, when their dominance of the English top flight was fuelled by the incredible strike-force of Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

With Manchester United out of the Champions League, they needed to make a statement in the transfer market to assure fans, pundits and rivals alike that they’re still a part of the European elite.

It could be argued that was already achieved with the record-breaking £59million signing of Angel di Maria, and in that regard, the Colombia international’s arrival can be considered a double-whammy.

After all, this is one of the most potent and sought-after strikers in world football we’re talking about, and Manchester United fought off Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid for his signature.

Even without their involvement in Europe’s top competition, Falcao’s temporary services keeps Manchester United on the map.

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What a mouth-watering weekend this will shape up to be with some of the fixtures on show. There is a massive Manchester derby on Sunday to look forward to with a stuttering Manchester City, and a re-born Manchester United both looking to claim some points to improve their recent fortunes, it will be a battle to savour with lots of talking points. Newcastle have enjoyed somewhat of a revival lately as well and face an out of form Liverpool in Saturday’s early kick-off. In form Southampton and West Ham take on Hull City and Stoke City respectively, can both teams continue their adventures in the dizzy heights of the top four? Or will the winning runs come to an end for these two early season high flyers?  Relegation threatened QPR and Burnley face tricky trips away to big London teams, Chelsea will host west London rivals QPR on Saturday looking to extend their lead at the top of the table whilst Arsenal host Burnley in another 3pm fixture in a match that may leave the hapless Clarets still in search of their first win.  Let us take a look at Football Fancast’s predictions for this weekend’s fixtures below.

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Click on Arsenal’s gaffer to reveal all

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Saturday 1st November 12:45 Newcastle vs Liverpool

Alan Pardew has hit out at the club’s fans who were calling for his head with two Premier League victories in a row, including an impressive away result at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur which was then followed by the scalping of Manchester City in the cup at the Etihad in midweek. They are enjoying a sort of purple patch at the moment and confidence should be a bit higher going into this game against a Liverpool side that have been way below par so far this season. Liverpool will be hoping to get marquee signing Mario Balotelli firing the goals in for them soon, after being disappointing so far. This will be a tough game for both sides and based on current form you have to fancy the home side to nick a point here.

Football Fancast prediction: 1-1 draw.

Saturday 1st November 15:00 Leicester City vs West Brom

Leicester returned to the Premier League and took it be storm with some impressive displays and hard fought victories, including their great comeback against Manchester United. They can be nothing short of proud of how they have performed so far but have dipped in recent games and find themselves close to the bottom three with one draw and three defeats from their last four games.  West Brom are a tricky customer when they decide to turn up on the day and in Saido Berahino they have an awesome young talent who can cause any team all sorts of problems, and you have to feel that it will be his goals that will save West Brom from trouble this season, as they do not seem to have much more to offer in terms of goals. Leicester look like the most likely to come out on top of what will probably be quite a scrappy affair.

Football Fancast prediction: 2-1 Leicester win.

Saturday 1st November 15:00 Chelsea vs QPR

What can you say about Chelsea so far this season that has not already been said? Jose Mourinho’s men look unstoppable and they are like a bull in a china shop at the moment. The football has been entertaining, the players are bullish, confident and on top form, the manager is quite simply getting everything right and all that he touches is turning to gold at the moment. They are missing key striker Diego Costa, but that won’t worry them, there are plenty more goals in this team at the moment. On the complete other side of the scale, we have QPR who have been woeful at best for the majority of the games they have played in. There is a very public issue from the manager here with player fitness, and those who have been fit enough to play, have not shown the desire and passion to win games-until their home game against Liverpool that is. They pushed on from that and beat Aston Villa 2-0 in their last outing and are finally starting to look like they understand what is required to win a game of football. They will not have enough to defeat an in form Chelsea and this has goal-fest written all over it.

Football Fancast prediction: 4-0 Chelsea win.

Saturday 1st November 15:00: Hull City vs Sothampton

The home side have enjoyed a fairly decent start to their campaign, flourished mainly due to some decent business in the transfer market by Steve Bruce. Their best signing looks to be Mo Diame from West Ham. This guy is enjoying a re-birth as a player, being used in his favoured central position the powerhouse has bagged four goals out of six games for the Tigers and is looking to be quite the snip at only £4Million. Their opponents, however, are the team of the moment having endured a fire sale of players in the summer; they have actually come out on top with what looks to be a better squad than last season (against all odds). Southampton are simply flawless at the moment and fully deserve their spot in the top two of the league. This will be an interesting match with plenty of goals in it, one that the South Coasters will edge, but only narrowly.

Football Fancast Prediction: 3-2 Southampton win.

Saturday 1st November 15:00: Arsenal vs Burnley.

It is hard to ignore the fact that Arsenal have suffered as a result of various injuries to key players and with that in mind it would most likely be a three horse race for the title right now than a two horse race between Man City and Chelsea. That said, the truth is they are not in the mix despite how well Arsene Wenger recruited over the summer. The Gunners only have one victory from their last four games, and will be hoping that they can rediscover winning ways with the visit of Burnley to the Emirates this weekend. The away team have been nothing short of awful since their return to the big time and are sitting at the bottom of the table, yet to find a single victory this season and you have to feel that this weekend will not be the weekend that they find their first set of three points despite facing a weak Arsenal side.

Football Fancast prediction: 2-0 Arsenal win.

Saturday 1st November 15:00 Stoke City vs West Ham

Stoke are always one team that are very unpredictable, but on their day, especially at home, it is very hard to predict anything other than a home side win due to how strong and hard they are to break down. They do have some key players missing for this game, more notably so their main striker Peter Crouch who picked up a suspension following Stoke’s game in the cup during the week. They are not at full strength and will have to dig deep to find a result against West Ham. The Hammers also have their own injury worries with top scorer Diafra Sakho being an injury doubt for this game. That having been said, there are goals coming in from all sorts of other players for them at the moment and they are a team full of confidence after their recent results which see them sitting fourth in the table at the moment. You have to fancy West Ham for a win in this game, but they will find it a very tricky three points to earn, trickier even than against Manchester City last week.

Football Fancast Prediction: 2-1 West Ham win.

Saturday 1st November 15:00 Everton vs Swansea

There isn’t much between these two sides going into this clash. Both teams sit in mid-table after a fairly decent and comfortable start to the campaign. Neither team will be in trouble this season, but neither of them will find themselves challenging for major glory either. Everton have their eye on getting into the top four, as they always do and are not too far off of the mark, sitting four points behind the fourth spot at the moment. Their summer signing of Samuel Eto’o seems to have been their best bit of business and they will hope he can continue to score goals throughout the season for them. Over at Swansea, Garry Monk has done really well in his short managerial career so far and can be very proud of the football his team are playing recently. There is not much to pick from in this game and both teams will probably cancel each other out with some exciting football in the mix.

Football Fancast prediction: 1-1 draw.

Sunday 2nd November 13:30: Manchester City vs Manchester United

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The biggest game of the season so far and what an exciting prospect this is turning out to be. The games between the two sides are usually a sizzling encounter to say the least but it seems that this weekend has a lot riding on it for both sides. Manchester City, arguably the better of the two sides in the last two seasons have not been up to their impeccable standard so far this season. Their defence has leaked 10 goals already this campaign and their recent form makes for bad reading. They were outclassed last weekend by West Ham who fully deserved their three points and they have faltered since then in the cup, being knocked out by Newcastle. Not only that but David Silva is out of this one, and he has been their best player so far. Manchester United are also a team whose fortunes have been down recently and are going through a re-building period under their new manager Louis van Gaal. He has signed some great players up front but forgot to re-enforce his defence, meaning they have had a poor start to this campaign. Give them a couple more seasons and they will be mixing it up with the trophies once more. This game will be interesting and, if anything, I fear that City’s bad run is set to continue here.

Football Fancast prediction: 1-0 Manchester United win.

Sunday 2nd November 16:00 Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur

Both these teams have the potential to do well this season, and both of them have fallen flat on their faces so far. Bags of potential in both sides and a complete failure to live up to it. Aston Villa have looked the worse out of the two having lost five out of their last five games, just after their manager signed a five-year extension to his contract. Irony is a cruel mistress at times and Tottenham Hotspur are a mystery, great squad, good manager who knows what he is doing, yet poor results and players using pitch size as an excuse. They need to man up and start trying harder. This has a bore draw written all over it other than the inform Erik Lamela for Spurs who will most likely be the difference in this game to edge it for Tottenham.

Football Fancast Prediction: 1-0 Tottenham win.

Monday 3rd November 20:00: Crystal Palace vs Sunderland.

The home team go into this fixture with mixed fortunes so far. They looked at the early part of the season that they would face certain doom after their saviour from last season; Tony Pulis quit his job before the season had even started. Ex manager Neil Warnock has come to the rescue for Palace and helped them onto some decent football and a couple of victories, however, they have not been up to Pulis’ standard from last season and will still find themselves struggling to avoid a dogfight this season. Sunderland are a team that you would have expected to be sitting in the top 10 but have instead crashed and burned into the bottom three after two defeats on the bounce, one of which they will want to forget as quickly as possible and I will not mention it here (8-0 Southampton shhhh). They looked even worse against Arsenal than they did against Southampton and only found one victory so far this season. Poyet has a massive job on his hands this season and he will struggle to stop them staying in the bottom three this weekend.

Football fancast prediction: 3-1 Crystal Palace win.

Arsenal’s unbeaten season in 2003/04 is probably the greatest triumph in Premier League history.

The word ‘unbeaten’ has been thrown about a lot this season. Many backed Chelsea to go the whole campaign without a loss, but their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United ended their hopes of replicating Arsenal’s success.

Over the years, the Premier League has showcased a number of brilliant teams. The class of ’92 helping Manchester United win the treble in 1998-1999 and Carlo Ancelotti’s free-scoring Chelsea team of 2009-10 are just a couple of sides that really stand out as major Premier League successes. However, Arsene Wenger’s unbeaten side of 2003/04 must be recognised as the best Premier League side ever.

The fact that Wenger managed to produce a team that could go a 38-game season unbeaten is a master stroke. Even more impressive is that this unbeaten run continued until the 50th game, when Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney struck at Old Trafford to end the run, representing, in Wenger’s words, a domestic ‘shift in power.’

They say that every good team must have a very strong spine and Arsenal’s was the perfect example of that. In goal was the typically reliable German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who had Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure in front of him. The two centre backs enjoyed the best form of their careers at Arsenal, conceding only 26 goals across the entire Premier League season. In front of them was the brilliant Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman had everything. Pace, power and excellent technical ability.

Alongside Vieira was Gilberto Silva, another midfielder who possessed creativity as well as a strong physical presence. Arsenal fans must be crying out for a player in the mold of Vieira or Silva at the moment – a position on the pitch that has been a long standing problem in Wenger’s side for many years. The final piece in the jigsaw was the attacking talent of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, one of the greatest strike forces in Premier League history.

Both strikers had amazing creative skills as well as brilliant finishing ability. The experience of Dennis Bergkamp worked well with the lightning pace of Thierry Henry, who was probably the best striker in the world at that particular moment in time. Henry and Bergkamp scored 46 goals between them on the 49 game unbeaten run, with Henry netting 39 of them. Clearly, the spine of the team had a lethal attacking threat to compliment its defensive solidarity.

Wenger got the simple things right with his team of 2003/04. But once he had a strong spine, he developed a mode of creativity and a style of football that even the most committed of Tottenham fans must recognise. Robert Pires was one of the finest talents the league has ever seen – his dribbling, pace and finishing shared similarities with Henry and both players developed a fantastic understanding with each other. It was a similar story on the opposite wing with Freddie Ljunberg, who was in the finest form of his career. He also had a goalscoring touch to his play, as well as offering pace on the wings to cause the opposition defence even more worry. The wingers didn’t just hug the touchline either.

They were inclined to cut inside and work centrally, something Wenger replicates in his teams today. Although Arsenal liked to work centrally, they added width to their play by including two ‘modern full-backs.’

In Ashley Cole and Lauren, Wenger had two defenders who could attack brilliantly but were also quick enough to recover and defend well too. The full back is now probably one of the most important positions on the pitch in a tactical sense. Wenger realised the potential of this position in his team of Invincibles. It added an extra attacking dimension to Arsenal’s game and showed that full backs were not just in the team to mark opposition wingers out of the game.

Although Arsenal fans crave the success Wenger brought to the club over a decade ago, they must also understand that this team was one of a kind. The unbeaten season came after Arsenal surrendered an eight point lead to Manchester United the season before. The character shown to then go the season unbeaten demonstrates exactly why the Arsenal team of the 2003/04 season was the best ever. Sir Alex Ferguson created a legacy of success over a prolonged period of time.

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But the Invincibles achieved something that may not be matched for many seasons to come, making them the greatest side in Premier League history so far.

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Recently recovered Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has revealed that he understands summer flop Mario Balotelli and that the two can create a formidable partnership heading into the second half of the season, Express reports.

Sturridge made his first start for the Reds this year against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, in which the Merseyside club triumphed in a 3-2 victory.

The England international supplied an assist for the first goal before earning the penalty converted by Gerrard, then made way for Balotelli.

The former AC Milan attacker managed to grab the winner eight minutes from time as Sturridge watched from the sidelines.

Manager Brendan Rodgers’ change to a 3-4-3 formation has seen Liverpool shoot up the table winning six out of their last eight games, but makes it difficult to deploy two centre-forwards.

However, Sturridge believes if he was to ever be fielded with Balotelli, he is certain that they can work together in order to break down their opponents.

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“When it’s Mario in there with me, I can move around and go into other areas because I know he will occupy the centre halves, so it’s different again,” he said.

“I am sure we can strike up a partnership in the future. I have no doubts about that.

“I’d say I can play with any player not just him. Whatever team the manager chooses to put out I will do my best whoever I have a partnership with. I try to adapt to whoever I am playing with and bring out the best in each other.

“We click when we are playing together.

“He’s been waiting for a while to break his duck and been working very hard in training, and now he has scored one in the league I am sure things will start to go his way now.

“It’s not easy to settle into a new team, a new area, a new lifestyle, with different people around you and so on and so forth.

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“People don’t ever take that into account. I just try to do my bit, although I’m not taking any credit for him scoring. I’m just happy he did.”

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Defeat in the FA Cup has heaped the pressure onto Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.

A goal from Danny Welbeck – a player he chose to move on – dispatched the Red Devils and condemned them to a second successive season without silverware.

The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has improved the dismal league form shown under David Moyes though, enough to put the club in the mix for a return to the Champion’s League.

With the Old Trafford outfit currently in the precious fourth position, only narrowly ahead of Liverpool, many in Manchester believe improvement has been much too slow.

This painful progress is all the more difficult to stomach given the resources spent so far on shaking up his inherited squad.

It looks likely that van Gaal will be given time and further investment. With new signings therefore imminent, here are THREE current stars that should be looking for an Old Trafford exit…

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Juan Mata

It’s been a tough few of years for the Spanish international midfielder. Go back a couple of seasons and he was, without doubt, one of the exceptional creative forces in the Premier League.

Mata is sheer class in terms of his technique, vision and link-up play but a ruthless Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea and the schemer fell victim to his rebuilding mission.

Shipped to United for a hefty £37 million, his arrival was then heralded as the necessary spark to ignite the lethargy Old Trafford was enduring under Moyes.

As the side struggled though, so did Mata and he must surely have viewed the prospect of van Gaal with optimism. Nearly a year on, things are only slightly better.

The 26-year-old has improved his form and made important contributions but his place is far from assured thanks to the coach’s seemingly endless search for a suitable formation.

At times United have deployed three strikers which has limited the space for more attacking midfielders.

In the midfield itself Angel Di Maria and one of either Daley Blind or Michael Carrick will always be included. Then there is Wayne Rooney, who will start ahead of the former Chelsea man, regardless of how far up or down the field he is required.

Mata needs to find a new club where he can become the fulcrum of the attack, to shine at his brightest and reclaim his place in the Spanish national side.

Robin van Persie

Perhaps a surprising choice, the Dutch ace is in just as much need of a move as rival forward Radamel Falcao.

While the Colombian will need to head for pastures new due to his own lack of performance, van Persie might just need a transfer to make the best of his final few years in the game.

The former Arsenal hitman joined United in order to win silverware and was immediately rewarded, lifting his first Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson.

After a difficult time under Moyes last term, he, like Mata, must have been excited by the arrival of compatriot van Gaal.

Last summer’s World Cup with the Netherlands pointed to van Gaal’s ability to get the best from the forward. This season though, the boss has been hard on his own strikeforce and it seems he will be keen to invest in a shiny new goal-getter.

Van Gaal has shown loyalty to his countryman in the past but van Persie, 32 in the summer, may need to leave in order to guarantee game time next season.

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David De Gea

In all likelihood the young keeper will be named as United’s player of the season for the second successive year.

This deserved accolade, while a symbol of his stunning progress, is a worrying sign of the times for United.

Van Gaal probably owes the stopper his job due to a plethora of match-winning performances throughout the campaign.

The issue now facing De Gea is that his improvement has been so noticeable it now pushes him into the discussion about who might be the world’s best goalkeeper. Any pretenders to that throne, need to be playing in the world’s best club

United missed out on the Champions League last term and are far from secure in their chase for it under their current leadership.

Real Madrid however, will always be challenging for Europe’s biggest prize. With the curtain starting to come down on the career of their long-term stopper Iker Casillas, it looks like the stars might be aligned for De Gea to succeed him at both club and country.

Chelsea star Diego Costa has declared that he will not be changing his style of play, according to reports from the Daily Star.

Costa was recently banned for three matches after an alleged stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can during the Capital One Cup semi-final, and has also been booked nine times so far this season.

Further to this, the Spaniard has been involved in a few diving controversies, yet Costa has stated that there is no way he will change the way he plays football.

“I’m not going to change my way of playing,” he said.

“I do know now that I have to be a little bit more careful because it’s not the same when I do something or when someone else does it.

“Something I do, it’s talked about much more than another player.

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“I have to be extra careful but I’m never going to change the way I play. That’s what got me here, that’s the way I play.”

Costa’s aggressiveness has caused conflict with opponents and referees, but has helped him to score an impressive 17 goals in his first season in the Premier League.

The Blues will be facing Tottenham Hotspur during the weekend in the Capital One Cup Final, and the former Atletico Madrid star hopes he can help win his first Chelsea trophy by scoring at Wembley on Sunday.

“The truth is I didn’t even know how many games it was. It doesn’t worry me.” he said.

“What worries me is to be in the best physical form to score goals. I don’t pick tournaments to score, or rivals or other teams to score against.

“I’m a striker, every game I play I want to score. If it hasn’t happened in the cup, I’m hoping to god it happens on Sunday.

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“I joined a club like Chelsea to win titles. As we say, finals are not to play them, they are to win them. I’m hoping I can get my first title with Chelsea.

“This is my first final with the club so I will go in with the mentality to win it. We know we are a good team and we have the quality to win.

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Today’s early kick-off in the Premier League sees Manchester City entertain West Ham at the Etihad – a fixture that could have an enormous impact on the fate of under-fire manager Manuel Pellegrini.The Eastlands outfit’s form has tanked in recent weeks,Âtheir objective for the campaign resultantly shifting from retaining the English title to ensuring they make the Premier League’s top four.History is firmly on the City gaffer’s side today however; the Hammers have beaten the reigning Premier League champions just once from their last six attempts, with an aggregate scoreline of 17-4.That being said, the East Londoners claimed all three points in the reverse fixture at Upton Park back in October, and City are amid a run of just two wins in their last six across all competitions – including four consecutive away defeats.West Ham’s recent form isn’t much better, however, claiming just four points from a possible 16 in recent weeks. So who enters today’s match as the favourites? Perhaps the starting Xis, officially confirmed on Twitter just moments ago, can shed some light on the debate: