It has been another week to forget for us city fans with the administrator finally coming to a decision over the future of Coventry City Ltd.

The decision as with everything else related to the Skyblues was put back a week to make us fans suffer just that little bit more. This delay allowed ACL the time to attempt to give themselves some good publicity. Initially their announcement which suggested that the Skyblues could play at the Ricoh for free was met with appreciation from many fans but it very quickly became apparent that this was an empty statement which actually had no meaning behind it whatsoever.

Within the statement was an admission that this offer was only on the table for as long as the club was in administration. Administration was never going to last until the start of the season so in actual fact there was never any chance of this offered deal ever actually coming to fruition.

ACL weren’t finished there though as they threw their hats into the ring with a late bid for Coventry City Ltd stating the fans had of Coventry City had suffered enough. Again though it became apparent this was never a serious bid and once again was an attempt to get fans on their side. These stunts were not necessary as every city fan alive now has nothing but a feeling of contempt for SISU and nothing will now ever change this.

ACL have made moves which make me worry about them not just as a business but as a potential partner to the football club. It is obvious the council have heavy influence especially since they bailed ACL out and this to me is a huge concern. Recent publicity stunts have politicians written all over them and for me politics has no place in football.

ACL being a partner to the football club though is the least of our worries after what can only be described as a decision which could well be catastrophic to the clubs future.

The Administrator named Otium a SISU related company as preferred bidders for CCFC Ltd effectively handing complete control back to SISU who I now feel actually never lost control not even for a second.

From the start when ACL threatened Administration it seems like SISU had a plan. Their decision to appoint their own administrator is where this fight was won for them. From this moment they had a man who they had chosen making all of the important decisions on the future of the club.

The question is whether or not to believe that Paul Appleton acted completely independently or whether he had influence from powers above i.e. SISU. Obviously the latter accusation is a serious one but if you look closely at the situation it is a feasible accusation.

Obviously as already mentioned SISU appointed the administrator which with SISU’s prior reputation already makes you ask questions. Secondly because of the clubs structure the administrator was able to stay very much out of the limelight and at times almost hid behind this with us fans having to wait weeks before we heard from him.

We did however hear from holdings and fisher on numerous occasions and we were all asking the questions of why they were still making statements on behalf of the club. We convinced ourselves that the administrator had no control over this and maybe he didn’t but to me SISU seemed too confident throughout of keeping hold of the club as a whole.

Finally and possibly the most convincing argument is that of the justification behind the administrators decision. He justifies the decision by suggesting that Otium’s (SISU’s) bid “was the bid which gave the greatest return to the unsecured, non-connected creditors of CCFC Limited by a considerable margin”. This is all well and good and is one of the main purposes of an administrator but Ii is not the sole purpose. An administrator’s job is to leave the company in a better more sustainable state than which he receives it in.

With Coventry City this is clearly not the case. When weighing up all of the mitigating factors including the club moving out of Coventry, ground sharing for 3 years, building a new stadium, the costs involved, fans threatening to boycott, sponsors pulling out, lack of any income, fair play rules limiting the playing squad, potential for relegation and this list only touches the surface as it could truly go on and on.

How when the administrator looked at these facts he came to the decision that SISU were the best thing for this club and this business in both the long and the short term is beyond me. Administration genuinely has to be immediately on the cards once we exit it in the next couple of weeks which is baffling to say the least.

I am yet to mention the football league and if I’m being honest I don’t know why I am bothering because they seem to bring nothing to this whole situation other than that we have found out that they don’t care about the football fans in this country which keep them in business.

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Our feelings and opinions have been ignored for long enough and it is time for Coventry fans to show our strength in numbers. What is happening to our club right now should not be allowed to happen and I fear we are heading now towards the Wimbledon situation of a few years ago. Wimbledon fans took the extreme option to make sure they had a club which was theirs and that they could be proud of. I commend them for this and honestly right now I would not be against that happening to us.

There does though remain the smallest glimmer of hope for the club as we know it with Preston Haskell being confirmed that he is yet to give up the fight for both the Ricoh and the club. Our club could yet be saved but I believe there is more chance of the club going under and I like many others have almost reached the point of giving up.

PUSB!!

Follow @benleach2

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Andre Villas-Boas’ frustration is more than understandable. In his view, Fernando Torres got away with it, an altercation with Jan Vertonghen that the Tottenham manager feels should have been retrospectively punished.

But is that the primary source of Villas-Boas’ stinging condemnation over a lack of action? On some level, you have to feel that the frustration is in the FA’s incompetence, or perhaps its insistence to pick and choose when it wants to take action.

It once again boils down to governing bodies wishing to maintain the idea that their officials do have authority, no matter to what degree, over football matches. Or, obviously, the favoured line is that they don’t want to undermine referees and their decisions. In this case, Mike Dean had seen the ‘coming together’ between Torres and Vertonghen and had decided that the scratch, which was clear, had little in it and certainly not worthy of a card.

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But it’s nothing new. The FA’s lack of action isn’t central to the Torres incident. They insist that referees don’t need help – why else would they toe the line that retrospective action can undermine an already ‘good call?’ – and yet they fail to make referees’ jobs any easier. How about video technology for this sort of thing? How about another official behind the line? Another pair of eyes can do little harm when the first two (or three) may be restricted from certain angles.

You have to ask though, in the case of Torres, whether the FA were looking at the bigger picture and choosing not to open up an avenue of stress for themselves. It may be cynical, but in turn there may be some truth to it. Had Torres been playing for another team, say one that didn’t have so much power in the league, would we have seen action? Chelsea are not quite Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, but getting into a lengthy war of words with Jose Mourinho isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

And it stretches beyond domestic football. Only this week, UEFA have decided to extend Jurgen Klopp’s touchline ban by one extra game. The Borussia Dortmund manager has already missed a game, his side’s 3-0 win at home to Marseille, so here’s a question, why wait until now to dish out another ban? And what was it for? Klopp confronted the fourth official over an incident which left his team exposed at the back and allowed Napoli to score in week one.

Ok, intimidation, confrontation, but it’s not really anything we haven’t seen before. Again, Dortmund may be a big team, but they’re not one of the most powerful. Arsenal have been down this road a number of times with UEFA, and you do get a sense that they choose when to fight their battles based on the likelihood of victory. After all they wouldn’t want to undermine themselves by getting caught up in a battle that they had little chance of winning.

Though again this could all be very cynical and a case of wishing to see conspiracies that aren’t actually there.

Villas-Boas, though, could find himself in hot water following what could be interpreted as an attack on the FA and their decision-makers. There is a level of incompetence, but it’s also a failure to properly enforce the rules of the game.

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Will the FA’s lack of action open up more problems?

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Being the sensationalist carnival the Premier League now is, Andre Villas-Boas was clearly quite surprised last week when he found himself the odds-on favourite to be the next top flight manager to get the sack.

The bookies were more convinced regarding the Tottenham gaffer’s fate as the Lilywhites’ clash with Manchester United approached than they were over Martin Jol’s, who is now without a job after his Fulham side lost 3-0 to a strikerless West Ham.

Perhaps their implicit indictment of Spurs’ efforts this season came a game too early – if the North Londoners had failed to impact against a lukewarm Manchester United outfit a week after losing 6-0 to Manchester City and in the fixture previous succumbing to defeat at home to Newcastle, suggestions that the Portuguese wasn’t quite up to the task would be more than understandable.

But even if Tottenham didn’t come away with a promising 2-2 display, making it four points they’ve taken from the Red Devils in their last three Premier League outings against them, and instead recorded their third domestic defeat in a row, that alone should not justify the annihilation of AVB’s White Hart Lane career.

In fact, I’m of the firm opinion that sacking the Tottenham gaffer would be a completely pointless enterprise for Daniel Levy, the kind of face-saving action that Roman Abramovich has found himself obsessed with over the last decade, often to his club’s detriment.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means AVB’s biggest fan. He may claim certain journalists from the Daily Mail are out to get him, but there’s certainly some weight behind the argument that he’s found any excuse this season to deflect attentions from the fact his conservative 4-5-1 philosophy has spawned just 11 goals in 13 games and left Spurs in ninth place in the English table.

Did his monotonous voice not contain such arrogant undertones, perhaps the media hacks would be blaming Spurs’ slow start on the inconsistent displays of Tottenham’s summer arrivals, or the sheer fact Villas-Boas has the difficult task of blending seven first-team players into his squad, rather than hint at suggestions of the Portuguese’s inadequacies as a manager.

[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”tower”]

But Tottenham are not simply a case of a club whose fortunes could turn around overnight with another coach in charge.

The fact that former Spurs owner Alan Sugar, one of AVB’s biggest critics, could only come up with Sir Alex Ferguson as an adequate replacement for the Portuguese in his recent interview with talkSPORT suggests firstly that high-quality managers with proven Premier League credentials aren’t in hot supply at the minute, and secondly that it would take a managerial genius to marshal the Lilywhites to the title contending levels wrongly assumed of them in the summer.

The Spurs ‘project’ is ongoing, a term AVB himself has often used to describe his efforts at White Hart Lane since being appointed by Levy in summer 2012.

And considering the wealth of finance and resources being poured into Villas-Boas’s Tottenham vision, it seems a rather absurd notion to sever its head, based on two poor results amid a season in which Tottenham have been accused of not meeting unfairly high standards.

Just this summer alone, Levy has allowed his manager to spend £110million on new recruits – albeit balanced out by £100million’s worth of summer departures – and hired a new technical director in Franco Baldini to administer the Portuguese’s transfer bidding.

Villas-Boas brought in seven new players, only one of them over the age of 25, Roberto Soldado, and none having plied their trade in the Premier League before, also welcoming back two loan signings in the form of Danny Rose and Andros Townsend and giving them their inaugural campaign as first team regulars at White Hart Lane.

So it should be no surprise that these nine players have struggled to blend going forward, while Tottenham’s relatively unchanged backline has remained as efficient as it was last season.

Wind back another 12 months from the summer, and we have even more examples of the Tottenham chairman putting his full faith in the former Chelsea boss, first giving him a job in favour of the incredibly established Harry Redknapp, who had recorded two top four finishes in four campaigns at White Hart Lane, and then providing him with £61million’s worth of new talent, including the likes of Moussa Dembele, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen.

The faith comes with the expectation that AVB will take Spurs to the dizzy heights Harry Redknapp never could – effectively making their relationship with the top four a permanent one rather than a more ‘booty-call’ basis – and admittedly, the former Porto head coach hasn’t achieved that just yet.

He did, however, oversee the Lilywhites’ biggest points haul of the Premier League era last season, and is now struggling with the inevitably troublesome task of maintaining the high standard without the talismanic influence of Gareth Bale, something any manager at White Hart Lane would have undoubtedly struggled with.

But as previously stated, the project to make Tottenham major players in the Premier League title race is ongoing, and there won’t be a simple solution to rectify their fortunes overnight.

With around £170million already poured into it, arguably the most established English manager tossed by the wayside, the hiring of a new technical director and now just 18 months left on AVB’s current White Hart Lane deal, it seems absurd for Daniel Levy to pull the plug now when we’re yet to witness anything near the project’s final product – at the moment, Tottenham’s first team are undoubtedly still in the blueprint stage.

If we were another six months down the line and you could understand Levy cutting his manager’s tenure short 12 months early, providing Spurs were still floundering in mid-table. But right now, Tottenham have a roster bursting with potential, so it’s just a matter of time before they start producing.

The same can be said for Villas-Boas as a manager. Being the youngest head coach to ever win the Europa League, scope for an incredibly illustrious managerial career is obvious, even if he’s still yet to fully meet that expectation in England.

The shock doctrine strategy of firing AVB for poor performance and appointing a replacement won’t bring about results any quicker, in fact, it’s equally as likely to take the club further backwards, especially if that hypothetical replacement commanded the right to bring in his own selection of players.

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Over the last year, we’ve seen a flurry of managerial changes in the top flight. But are Manchester City currently any better off with Manuel Pellegrini? They’re still yet to meet the standards expected of such an illustrious cast. Are Stoke reaching new heights without Tony Pulis at the helm? They’re arguably in greater danger of going down with Mark Hughes in charge. Have Sunderland done anything more than prolong the inevitable by sacking Martin O’Neill in favour of Paolo Di Canio, and now Gus Poyet?

Meanwhile, Newcastle and Arsenal, who don the second and first longest-serving head coaches in the Premier League respectively, have stuck to their managerial guns despite overwhelming calls for change last term, and are now firmly surpassing expectations this season.

These are the examples Daniel Levy should adhere to. To put it bluntly, he’s gone all in for AVB. The changes in personnel have been costly, wholesale and drastic, and the hiring of the Portuguese came at the cost of arguably the most successful manager in Tottenham’s Premier League history. So what’s the benefit of putting all your money in the pot if you’re going to fold before the final flop?

Let’s at least give Villas-Boas the right to see out his vision, or at least reach something near it’s ultimate, before suggesting Tottenham need to go back to the drawing board. By this time next season, with their illustrious cast of highly-rated continental talents finally settled in the English game, it could be the Lilywhites turn to start earning all the plaudits for effectively challenging the Premier League’s established order. By that time, AVB could look like the genius that made it all happen.

Should AVB be sacked by Daniel Levy?

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When Mark Hughes was named as the new Stoke City manager in the summer, there was a mixture of opinions among Potters fans that had been so used to the physical style of play under Tony Pulis.

A section of the support were worried about what Hughes could bring to the club following unsuccessful stints at Manchester City and QPR, while others appeared excited about the change of approach he would bring to the side after so many years of being labeled a team that only plays one style.

And Hughes appears to have done just that as we’ve seen a completely different Stoke City already this season, playing fluid, passing football and actually offering some enjoyable football to watch at times. This has been obvious in both the league and this season’s Capital One Cup – which he will have marked as the chance of some silverware for his resurgent Potters side.

And Stoke’s development under Hughes’ was evident in their narrow 3-2 Premier League defeat to Manchester United in October when they twice threw away the lead at Old Trafford. It was such a performance that it proved that Stoke are taking big strides towards shaking off their reputation as a long ball team and are ready to start competing with a more attractive style of football in the Premier League.

Now they welcome United to the Britannia Stadium in Round 5 of the Capital One Cup not only looking to avenge that defeat at Old Trafford but also to record their first win over the Red Devils­ since a League Cup meeting in 1993.

And a victory isn’t completely out of the question for the Potters when you consider Manchester United’s start to the season under new boss David Moyes. They may have notched their football up a gear in recent weeks, but some of their results highlight a number of weaknesses that Hughes and Stoke will be keen to exploit.

It is in the midfield, for example, that United have lacked any real bite since the beginning of the season. Even the arrival of Marouane Fellaini from Everton hasn’t given Moyes’ side much to shout about in the middle of the park. They have improved in that area of the pitch in recent weeks, although Stoke’s tall and battling engine room arguably had the upper hand at Old Trafford and will be important to their chances of victory.

The likes of Steven N’Zonzi and Marco Arnoutivic enjoyed lots of time on the ball and freedom to be creative in their last meeting and, with Stoke being at home this time, we can expect more of the same.

That said, with United improving with every game they play at the moment, the Potters will certainly need to be at the very top of their game to book their place in the semi-finals. The pressure to win a trophy in his first season at Old Trafford will be weighing down on Moyes’ shoulders and, if Hughes can motivate his players to frustrate United, close down quickly and attack with pace then he may just be able defuse the Red Devils.

Of course, with Wayne Rooney enjoying his football at United again, he’s going to be Stoke’s biggest worry at the back, but just as long as they continue to follow Hughes’ style of play and keep up their good performances, they could have every chance of an upset at the Britannia.

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Tottenham fans have always taken some comfort in the way their sides have played down the years. Spurs may carry the unenviable tag of Premier League underachievers, but their ability to entertain has rarely gone unnoticed.

It may seem perverse, but Spurs fans do have some notion of glory in defeat, going down with a fight and playing football the right way. This was the problem with AVB; a man that may well have the best win percentage of any Spurs manager, but someone that saw grinding out a result of higher importance than style. Spurs see themselves as the footballing connoisseurs; easy on the eye with a hungering for footballing adventure. But today’s offering is at odds with the great Spurs sides of years gone by, the life has been sucked out of it by apparent over-analysis and tactics.

Sherwood’s rise to Head Coach was supposed to change all this; a return to the expressive freedom enjoyed under Redknapp. But really has anything actually changed?

I think a lot of people have been blinded by the move back to 4-4-2 with some underlying assumption that this makes a side play with more attacking intent, it’s actually complete rubbish. The footballing exile of Adebayor was a travesty and his return huge for Spurs, but in terms of systems and the way Spurs are playing I don’t really see any huge improvement.

Against City last week there was some semblance of a backbone there, 5-1 may seem like a steam-rollering but after the red card Spurs did show a degree of fight, but even so the manner of the capitulation and defeat is clearly something that should worry Spurs fans.

Based on the other fixtures though I’d actually have to say Spurs have played worse. The Hull game was an interesting case in point, with Spurs managing to get only three shots on target with a pass completion of just 64% compared to a season average of 83%. In recent weeks Spurs have been picking up points, but rarely have they been convincing. In fact I’d say the only improvement on the AVB offering was maybe a 20-minute spell away to Swansea.

So have Spurs really got their swagger back?

Sherwood is certainly trying his best to up the attacking ante, giving players like Lennon and Eriksen a freedom to roam and create. This sounds all well and good in principle, but the reality is more just a chaotic mess of individual mediocrity. Lennon typifies this; a man that now just seems to run around enthusiastically, but totally out of tune with the rest of his teammates. Sherwood has eradicated the team structure at Spurs in a hope of creating a highly fluid and dynamic set up, but the reality is that he has created a state of footballing chaos.

Spurs have been fortunate to only really play the teams below them, meaning that Sherwood’s new methods have remained largely untested. Decisions aside, the City game was a harsh footballing lesson. Sherwood’s attitude was one of careless naivety, allowing City to press the life out of the Spurs midfield and have almost complete control of the game throughout. Spurs didn’t even lay a finger on City, and the suggestion that they are simply too good is laughable. Both Liverpool and Everton came away from their respective clashes with at least some degree of respect, yet Spurs left the game embarrassed.

Tottenham’s new found attacking intent is becoming a bit of fallacy. Spurs are scoring more than they did under AVB but that isn’t really an achievement, and they are still far from the heights that the club should be aspiring towards.

Spurs may well put a few sides to the sword in the coming months, but this is as much to do with personnel than anything else. When it comes down to the big head-to-head matches I still fear that Spurs will find themselves lacking. Sherwood’s simplistic view of football is at odds with his close rivals and when the game becomes more about tactics than simply motivation and mindset I think Spurs will be left behind once more.

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Are Spurs fans being sold a lie under Sherwood?

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This season’s Premier League title race has been described as the most exciting, an exhilarating ride in which the outcome, even at this stage, is difficult to tell. If that’s the case, if this truly is the best title race in Premier League history, then what’s going on in Spain is absolutely glorious.

On Sunday morning, Real Madrid woke up as La Liga leaders. By Thursday, after two defeats, they were third. Sunday’s third place team, Atletico Madrid, are now top of the pile.

Do greater numbers always equate to a more thrilling spectacle? Isn’t the Premier League title race shaped roughly in the way most would have expected prior to the season starting? Arsenal knocked out of the race and now battling for fourth; Chelsea very much back in the thick of things for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti’s time in west London thanks to the return of Jose Mourinho; and Manchester City’s quality in depth sure to take advantage of the two games in hand they currently have. The only thing surprising is Manchester United’s absence, which goes hand-in-hand with Liverpool’s involvement.

Sure, this one could go right down to the wire; it probably will. But we’ve seen it before. What we haven’t seen is a Spanish title race that can sell itself on the same premise. The final game of Atletico Madrid’s league season sees them travel to Barcelona.

It may be a hard slug to try and find parallels to those who are considered the outsiders in each of these leagues: Atletico and Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s side don’t have the grit and steel of Diego Simeone’s team. Wenger has the larger quantity of playmakers and individuals capable of moments of brilliance. Simeone has a group who work as a unit and who have been moulded to take their chances when they come and hold firm for ninety minutes.

There is desperation in Arsenal’s need for a trophy. We’re led to understand that Wenger’s future will be decided upon the outcome of the FA Cup. For Atletico, it would be a tremendous shame if they failed to add another piece of silverware to Simeone’s three already won with the club.

But despite being league leaders, possessing one of the most in-form strikers in Europe and showing the ability to get results against some of the biggest names in football – wins against Real Madrid, AC Milan, and unbeaten in three against Barcelona this season – Atletico are very much the underdogs in this title race.

Their first XI is excellent; their backups, not so much, shown by Simeone’s reluctance to rotate. The manager was said to have broken up this season into two, separated by the winter break. From January onwards, it was a new season. He wanted his best XI to go out and win the 19-game season.

The thing is Simeone’s XI will only go so far. It may be an odd thing to say that Atletico have a better chance of winning the Champions League than they do La Liga, but they’re a team set up for the big occasion. At their best, they’re capable of beating anyone. Over the remaining stretch of league games, you feel they’ll be found out by the other two sides, especially Barcelona, who hold much stronger squads.

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Arsenal, similarly, for a long period of this season looking to finally break the drought with the league title, have a far better chance of silverware in the cup competition. Yes it helps that Wigan, Sheffield United and Hull don’t pose the kind of threat found in European competition or at the top of the Premier League, but it’s more to say that both clubs, who either have or are promising so much in a title race, can still find much success elsewhere.

Their limitations over the course of a 38-game season are clear. Neither have the resources to maintain the level of excellence needed to combat clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. Both have had considerable setbacks, though Arsenal’s, obviously, have been amplified due to the occasion.

Games against Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and Barcelona as the last game of the season could see Atletico with nothing to show for their involvement in this season’s La Liga title race.  Like Arsenal, though, who have a fantastic chance of possibly ending Wenger’s tenure with the club in the FA Cup, Atletico’s season can be defined by what they do away from league play. Dark horses? Without doubt. Atletico have as good a chance as any of the remaining teams of lifting the European Cup in May.

Name: Atsuto Uchida

Country: Japan

Club: Schalke

Age: 26

International Caps: 68

Position: Right-back

If Arsenal fans want to catch an early glimpse of a potential replacement for Bacary Sagna, they will have to stay up until 2:00am to watch Japan’s World Cup opener against the Ivory Coast. Japan’s Atsuto Uchida has been recently earmarked as the man to fill the Frenchman’s boots at the Emirates. He has become a key figure in Schalke’s side since signing for them in 2010, and is another player in the line of Japanese internationals who have moulded their careers in the Bundesliga.

Upon arrival in Germany, Uchida used English to communicate with his colleagues, so the language barrier won’t be a tough one for him to overcome if he were to join the Gunners. Over time he has become an increasingly popular member of the side, with fans and players alike, and was inducted into the Bundesliga’s website Team of the Season.

Uchida’s inclusion in the Arsenal side would be an attacking one. He often takes up positions high up the right flank, which is similar to the way in which Wenger often sets his full-backs up to play. He doesn’t have great speed, and neither does Sagna, but his work-rate and supreme levels of fitness allow him to bomb on and provide support in attacking areas.

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He isn’t as defensively astute as his French counterpart, and is neither as physically dominant. While Sagna was able to fill in at centre-half because of his strength, Uchida is more lightweight, and the Gunners wouldn’t be getting a player with the same level of versatility as Sagna. While Uchida is a hard-working and committed player, many of his efforts are weighted towards his attacking contribution, and has such been found wanting defensively, on occasions.

He may not be the ideal replacement for Sagna – he lacks the all-round ability – but Wenger loves his players to display attacking intent. Uchida has this in abundance. So Gonners, if you’re keen, stay up late to see for yourselves.

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Tom Cleverley is said to be part of the list of players that Louis van Gaal is considering giving the boot after he failed to make an impact ahead of the new campaign. Aston Villa have already tabled a bid to sign the English midfielder and a deal could be struck in the coming days with the deadline slowly closing in.

With Cleverley likely to leave, Manchester United will definitely be on the lookout for some extra reinforcements that could easily slot into his role in the middle of Van Gaal’s starting XI.

Shunning the more high profile signings such as Arturo Vidal, Kevin Strootman and William Carvalho (we’ve already heard enough about them) here are SIX players that could step in to replace Tom Cleverley.

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CLICK ON DALEY BLIND TO SEE THE FULL LIST

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Jordy Clasie

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Name: Jordy Clasie

Age: 23

Position: Central Midfielder

Nationality: Netherlands

Club: Feyenoord Rotterdam

Price: £7-10million

Jordy Clasie looks to be the perfect replacement for Tom Cleverley in central midfield because Manchester United are currently lacking a fast-paced talent to be the link between the defenders and the more advanced playmakers, in this case Juan Mata.

Despite scoring only one goal, he did manage to create eight goals, supporting the fact that Clasie can be the second playmaker United currently need. Having already worked under Louis van Gaal, the Dutch boss will know exactly how to get the best of him.

Nigel de Jong

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Name: Nigel de Jong

Age: 29

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Nationality: Netherlands

Club: AC Milan

Price: £8–12million

Manchester United are currently going through a midfield crisis, so by using Nigel de Jong ahead of Tom Cleverley, the squad will be reinforced both in defence as well as in attack. The Dutch midfielder is capable of stopping opponent plays in their tracks and works the ball down the opposite side hoping to catch teams on the counter.

With the speed of Angel di Maria now a possible outlet, Louis van Gaal can fully exploit his ability to turn defence into attack. Given the 3-5-2 formation, De Jong can easily slot into a more central midfield role having already experienced it first hand with the Dutch national team.

Joe Allen

//www.youtube.com/embed/bZFvIs_6nVA

Name: Joe Allen

Age: 24

Position: Central Midfielder

Nationality: Wales

Club: Liverpool

Price: £15-20million

Joe Allen is another candidate that can aid Manchester United’s midfield crisis, but the only problem with this potential move is the fact that Liverpool hardly ever sells their players directly to the Red Devils.

Louis van Gaal is said to already be monitoring the likes of Allen and has been interested ever since he saw him play for the Welsh national team during his time in charge of the Netherlands squad. His passing and vision could come in handy given the lack of creativity at Old Trafford.

Daley Blind

//www.youtube.com/embed/u1Rb9ih4epc

Name: Daley Blind

Age: 24

Position: Centre-Back, Left-Wing Back, Defensive Midfielder

Nationality: Netherlands

Club: Ajax

Price: £10-15million

Daley Blind was linked with a move to Manchester United ever since Louis van Gaal was still in charge of the Dutch national squad. However, when everybody focussing on Arturo Vidal, any other transfer rumours were quietly pushed aside. As a move for the Juventus star likely to not happen before Monday, United are now turning back to the like of Blind.

The addition of Blind will be a huge boost to Van Gaal because he can fit into all the area the team needs work on. He can play as a centre-back, a left wing back, and even as a midfielder, meaning the Red Devils can solve three positional problems in one go.

Alex Song

//www.youtube.com/embed/b8khiA5Io1s

Name: Alex Song

Age: 26

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Position: Defensive Midfielder

Nationality: Cameroon

Club: Barcelona

Price: £10-13 million

Alex Song is almost surely on the verge of leaving Barcelona after Luis Enrique revealed that he will not feature in his plans for the new campaign. His move to the La Liga completely halted his career after he hardly got any game time following his move from Arsenal.

His defensive as well as attacking qualities are surely there; just that he hasn’t had any time to showcase them. With Manchester United needing to add some holding midfielders to the squad before deadline day, the experience of Song could be just the thing they need. Plus, a potential linkup with Robin van Persie once again will be hard on the eyes for any Gunners fan.

Wesley Sneijder

//www.youtube.com/embed/nQJvmyAxs_Q

Name: Wesley Sneijder

Age: 30

Position: Attacking Midfielder

Nationality: Netherlands

Club: Galatasaray

Price: £14-18million

Wesley Sneijder is probably the most attacking option out of all the names mentioned, but given his experience, Louis van Gaal may revert him into a more central role, but allowing him to slot into attacks when the opportunity arise. He can instantly replace Tom Cleverley, who hasn’t found any decent form as of late in the heart of the Manchester United midfield.

Much like how Liverpool limited Steven Gerrard’s duties in midfield, Sneijder can be given a very similar role to that of the Red’s skipper. He could serve as a deep lying playing, capable of unleashing a killer pass to the strikers, or to other attacking outlets such as Angel Di Maria or Juan Mata.

Liverpool welcome Champions League football back to Anfield for the first time since 2010 this season.

But their European adventure will be no easy ride – they find themselves in Group B with reigning champions Real Madrid, Swiss banana-skins FC Basel and unknown quantity PFC Ludogrets.

There isn’t too much time for Brendan Rodgers to react either, with only four days of the summer window remaining. But the Reds gaffer will be keen to maintain his club’s prestigious reputation in the tournament and there are some deals to be had before September 1st.

Just in case Rodgers is short on a few ideas, we’ve listed FIVE last-minute buys Liverpool could conceivably make to improve their chances of escaping Group B.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ALEX SONG TO REVEAL

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DANI ALVES

A speculative theory perhaps, but could we see Liverpool make a late bid for Barcelona right-back Dani Alves?

The Anfield side have already been linked to the Brazil international this summer, with the La Liga giants announcing a deal for Sao Paolo wing-back Douglas yesterday evening:

That seriously puts the 31 year-old’s future in doubt. Coincidentally, Glen Johnson is a potential late Merseyside departee, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and QPR emerging as potential suitors.

Alves may be no spring chicken but his quality is undoubted. His ability to contribute heavily in attack has been a major feature of the Barcelona side that’s won four La Ligas and two Champions League titles since his Catalonia arrival in 2008.

Here’s a look at the right-back in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/eBmXIPek4JU?rel=0

The South American would fit Liverpool’s fluid style perfectly and Barcelona are unlikely to command a huge transfer fee, with Alves now viewed as essentially surplus to requirements.

But his age could prove an issue for the Reds- as could the Nou Camp outfit’s two-window transfer ban.

ALEX SONG

Another Barcelona star known to be in Liverpool’s transfer crosshairs is defensive midfielder Alex Song:

The Reds are crying out for another holding option in the middle of the park, especially amid rumours that Lucas Leiva could be on his way to Napoli.

The Cameroon international fits the bill perfectly- he’s no world-beater but is well proven at Premier League and Champions League level, having amassed 217 appearances during a seven-year stay with Arsenal. In his last top flight campaign, Song claimed an impressive eleven assists, and his experience in Europe could prove vital for the Anfield outfit next season.

Here’s a look at Song in action for the Gunners:

//www.youtube.com/embed/b8khiA5Io1s?rel=0

Most appealingly, Barcelona are preparing to cut loose the 6 foot 2 midfielder this summer, having failed to forge a place for himself in the first team after leaving the Emirates in 2012.

Allegedly, the 26 year-old will be allowed to leave on a loan deal, including an £8million future fee to make his move permanent.

That’s the kind of deal Liverpool can’t let slip by – but they face competition for Song’s signature from a number of Premier League sides:

SAMI KHEDIRA

There’s only four days left of the summer transfer window but it remains to be seen what the future holds for Real Madrid man Sami Khedira.

Carlo Ancelotti declares the Germany World Cup winner will be staying put at the Bernabeu, but it’s known that he rejected a new contract this summer with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Khedira was linked with an Anfield switch earlier this month, and recent developments could convince Brendan Rodgers to make a formal bid.

Not least because the 27 year-old is considered to be one of the top midfielders in Europe, having played a key role in his country’s romping of Brazil 2014, as detailed below:

Here’s a look at the Manschaft engine in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/RetIjHKY6pA?rel=0

It’s believed Los Blancos could be tempted to sell for around £15million, but the situation may have changed now that Xabi Alonso is on the verge of signing for Bayern Munich:

XHERDAN SHAQIRI

According to the tabloids, Liverpool are set to revive their interest in Bayern Munich prodigy Xherdan Shaqiri:

The attacking midfielder has proved a useful cameo performer for the German Champions following his move from FC Basel in 2011, finding six goals and two assists in 17 Bundesliga outings last season.

The Switzerland international was in strong form at the World Cup too, as detailed below:

But having a world-class roster to contend with for a regular place in the Bavarians first team, the 22 year-old is concerned that his progress is being stifled at the Allianz Arena.

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A departure before September 1st is now widely expected, and Shaqiri’s mixture of power and technique, as shown in the video below, would certainly go down well on Merseyside:

//www.youtube.com/embed/tvXakNsBBSQ

It’s believed the midfielder is rated at around £15million, but the Reds face stiff competition for his signature from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.

ANDRE AYEW

I find it miraculous that there appears to be incredibly limited interest in Andre Ayew this summer, despite the winger entering the final year of his contract at Marseille.

But plenty of clubs, including Liverpool, are in need of a wide-man who can score goals so perhaps we’ll see a few more suitors emerge from the wood-work before deadline day.

The Ghana international has emerged as Ligue 1’s most potent wideman over the last few seasons, amassing an impressive 49 goals and 16 assists in 164 appearances for L’OM. He was in good form at the World Cup too, as detailed below:

Ayew isn’t the most conventional winger but he’s strong defensively, versatile and a real threat in the final third. As viewable in the below video, he’s also outrageously good at heading:

//www.youtube.com/embed/0gIZogfsorU?rel=0

The Liverpool squad currently lacks established options on the flanks but the 24 year-old could be the perfect remedy.

It’s believed he’s valued at around £10million, but QPR may have already beaten the Mersey outfit to the Black Stars assassin:

West Ham United’s last game against Burnley highlighted a few differences between where they are this season and where they were last season. For anyone that saw the game it was clear to see that the Hammers rode their luck at times and didn’t perhaps play to a very good standard -had they been up against better opposition, things might have turned out very differently.

Lucky crossbar deflections aside, it is the way in which West Ham went about winning the game that made the difference compared to last season, where they would no doubt have ended up losing or drawing the same game.

On the whole, their performances this season have seen a massive improvement with a more attacking style of play to their game alongside the traditional West Ham “on the floor” passing which is quite pleasing to the fans. However their performance on Saturday (especially in the first half) was quite poor and it left them vulnerable against a Burnley side that were still searching for their first Premier League victory of the season.

The first thing that became apparent from West Ham last Saturday, and on several occasions so far this season, was the way they set out their stall. Rather than turning up to an away game with a view of keeping a clean sheet at all costs and playing for the point, Sam Allardyce told his team to take the initiative and attack, to try and actually win the game.

It is this winning mentality that has had the biggest impact on the player’s confidence and psychological set up on the whole -they are not playing with fear of losing, rather they are doing what ever it takes to secure three points.

The first thing that becomes evident with this new approach is less clean sheets and more goals scored on average when compared to last season. A big reason for West Ham finding themselves in trouble in the last campaign was the amount of games that were drawn that could, and probably should, have been victories. Because Allardyce was so hell-bent on a defensive record to be proud of and sitting back to ensure that a point is salvaged from a game, it saw the Hammers failing to do much at the other end of the pitch in the amount of goals they scored.

This time around however, seeing as they now have the right type of players to conduct a game in the traditional attacking and entertaining fashion- added to the ability to score goals -they have a more relaxed approach to wanting that clean sheet and focus more on actually going out and out-scoring the opposition. The defensive philosophy has not been entirely lost, so much as integrated in their attacking style of play.

The biggest difference that was on show in their last match against Burnley was their reaction to Sean Dyche’s side pegging West Ham back to 2-1.Last season that would have had a 2-2 draw written all over it, the players would have sat back and tried in vein to defend a one goal lead with most of the second half remaining and would have inevitably crumbled under the pressure, leaving the fans frustrated while Allardyce satisfied.

However that was not the case this time around. West Ham went on the attack once more to find a third goal, which they ended up scoring via Carlton Cole, and sealed the three points for Allardyce’s men.

There is a big lack of fear in everything West Ham do at present, which has given everyone at the club a big confidence boost and an all important winning mentality. They will not give up the ghost even when they are having a bad day at the office, they will continue to attack well and make sure they do everything possible to win the game. Allardyce  has confidence in his strikers and they have talented wing backs in Carl Jenkinson and Aaron Creswell who are providing a lot more attacking flair down the wings than the Hammers have been used to of late. West Ham are no longer  content with just defending and earning a point.

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All of this combined is giving West Ham the cutting edge over last season’s dismal showing and it is why they are winning games like the one at Turf Moor rather than losing or drawing them.

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