have always been criticised for their lack of ability or lack of willingness to spend big.

Following the departure of Thierry Henry in 2007, pundits were quick to write Arsenal’s demise for the coming season, taking on a stance of absolute certainty that the club would finish outside the top four. Eduardo, the club’s forward signing that summer, was deemed a cheap and smart pick up, but nothing of the calibre of Henry – which is fair. Yet now that Arsenal are in a position to spend big, their values have been questioned and shots have been fired towards a club who have apparently been doing it the right way all along.

And it’s true, amid all the high-spending around Europe, Arsenal have remained dignified and worked within their own means, even if they haven’t always made the best of what they have. The move to the Emirates would allow the club to move up a few tiers in the transfer market to a window of players who were previously out of reach, but it would be preceded by a number of years of frustration and reserved spending.

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But what Arsenal have at their disposal now is their own money, it’s all been generated by the club’s ability to remain in the Champions League, see the benefits of a world-class stadium and profit from those who wish to align themselves with the club on a commercial front. Arsenal aren’t throwing themselves into debt, or someone else’s debt, by choosing to spend big. The Luis Suarez bid, and the Gonzalo Higuain chase, is a direct result of the planning which took place years ago to allow the club to hold a firm position among Europe’s elite, from on-pitch successes to ability in the market.

No one has had a bad word to say about Bayern Munich. Forget Javi Martinez for a moment and look to the mammoth £24 million bid they made for Manuel Neuer in 2011, only a year before his contract was set to expire at Schalke. The club also spent a combined £56 million on Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in the summer of 2009, but it was offset by the club’s approach of spending big every other summer. Nevertheless, they earned the right; it was their money.

And much of the same can be said of Borussia Dortmund. The club were on the brink in the early 2000s and have fortunately made a complete turnaround. This summer they’ve spent wisely on talent who fit their football needs but also fall in line with their spending capabilities. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos were all bought for a combined £43 million. That comes from the money generated from Mario Goetze’s sale, as well as the income generated from the Champions League. It’s their money. They haven’t lost their values just because they’ve now acquired the ability to spend bigger than in previous summers. They, like Bayern, should be applauded for doing it right.

Arsenal won’t get that treatment for the most part. It’s much easier to take shots at the lack of silverware since 2005 and create images of broken crests than it is to look at a sporting model that does things the right way. This isn’t a matter of Arsene Wenger using his resources to its maximum – that’s a different debate. Instead this is about patience in a world where generally this is none. It’s about reaping the rewards after years of struggling; the rock band who travelled around Europe in a beat up transit van only to eventually land that record deal that propels them to stardom. Now that they’ve got the money, should they continue to ride around in an old van, or have they lost their values by flying in their own jet?

Have Arsenal lost their values by looking to spend big this summer?

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Peter Schmeichel says David Moyes is being let down by his players, an idea which is the consensus of the Manchester United manager’s sympathisers.

The pressure on the players has been lessened following the retirement of Alex Ferguson. Under the former United boss, players would work tirelessly one way or another to avoid the dreaded hairdryer treatment. The respect Ferguson’s players had for him was such that he needed to do very little to get positive and consistent performances on the pitch.

Moyes simply doesn’t have that authority yet, though that shouldn’t be an excuse for the players. It was always going to be a difficult initial period for any manager succeeding Ferguson, but the problems at United are being left out in the open due to the lack of effort from certain sections of the dressing room.

At the start of the season, it was ironically Wayne Rooney who looked the liveliest and most likely to get United the points they needed. The forward was involved in a summer-long transfer saga but was eventually convinced to stay. So far, he’s been one of the few who have done well this season.

But it’s in the important engine room of the United team where very little is being generated. Tom Cleverley has either regressed or simply failed to progress this season. It’s difficult to label the midfielder as either a creative influence or a defensive-minded player, such is his feeble effort to do either to a high enough standard; Marouane Fellaini, like Moyes, is experiencing a difficult period of adaption to a new team, but he may eventually come good; and the less said about Anderson the better.

These, combined with the wide players, are not bad performers. Ferguson’s influence had them emerge as the most consistent in the Premier League last season as they won the title. This season, however, there seems to be a notable lack of care for their position at the club, as if they have little belief in the new manager and little worry for the repercussions.

This January, Moyes will have a chance to add to his squad, helping at least to paper over some sizable cracks until the summer. But this will also be an opportunity to cut loose those who have no place at the club for one reason or another. There is a big squad at United and perhaps little harm will be done in the short term to simply get rid of those who are underperforming. That way Moyes will at least have a better grasp of his best XI and those who he can place faith in.

The departure of Ferguson has revealed the worrying number of passengers in this United team. Some may not be good enough, as was the case under Ferguson, but they nevertheless continued to work and help towards getting maximum points from each game.

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Moyes knows what he needs to do. This team is in need of a drastic overhaul.

Sunderland fought back from 2-0 down against Southampton to make it 2-2 at the final whistle thanks to goals from Fabio Borini and Adam Johnson.

Jay Rodriguez put the away side ahead within seven minutes and then Dejan Lovren scored an acrobatic effort off a corner to put Southampton up 2-0.

However, Borini was quick to respond with Sunderland’s first shot of the match to make it 2-1. The home side continued to battle and it was up to Johnson to slam his shot into the top right hand corner and make it 2-2.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the main events, including Johnson getting “Hodged”….

7 Minutes in – After keeping sunderland pinned back to their own half, Jay Rodriguez put’s an accurate low drive into the bottom corner of Vito Mannone’s net…

20 minutes in – The away side had 76% possession, making 140 out of 160 attempted passes. Sunderland had made just 31 accurate passes, and were yet to have a shot on goal. Lambert misses a great chance to make it 2-0 in the 21st minute.

30 minutes in – A Steven Davies corner finds Dejan Lovren and the Croatian international pulls off an acrobatic volley to find the back of the net

A few minutes later….Fabio Borini springs into life and pegs back the Saints immediately, his scuffed finish tricking into the corner of the net under Artur Boruc.

Half Time – Suddenly the game begun to balance out a little bit. But Southampton still dominated the ball. 71% possession as both sides approached half time. The sides went in at halftime with the scores 2-1. The first 45 were all about Southampton – keen to keep possession, using a high-pressing game and showing great quality on the ball – but Fabio Borini found Sunderland a vital life-line.

After the interval – Sunderland came out fighting after the interval, Gus Poyet clearly having some strong words at half time. Possession began to balance out but still just a single effort on target for the Black Cats. Southampton then had a number of long-range efforts, namely from Luke Shaw and Callum Chambers. But they couldn’t get past Vito Mannone.

Some good forward play saw Rickie Lambert beat the offside trap and put in Jay Rodriguez, only for the early goalscorer to fire wide from an acute angle. Southampton began to assert their dominance one again but couldn’t find the net. Borini finds the net in the 64th minute but the Assistant quickly raised his flag. Good call. the Italian had just strayed.

After 70 minutes – Sunderland had just 30% possession. But out of nowhere, last weekend’s hero Adam Johnson scores a belter to make it 2-2!

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Followed by an instant Hodging…

Johnson will be hope the Three Lions gaffer is watching after that strike. The Saints goalie has to put in some six-yard-box heroics to stop another one going in his net minutes later, and suddenly we’re set for a very exciting finish with Sunderland gaining all the momentum. Gaston Ramirez makes a great run on the break and could have had free kick on the edge of the box, but the ref judges it a great tackle from Wes Brown. The Argentine winger takes a serious hit from the Sunderland centre-back and has to go off on the stretcher, just minutes after coming on.

Bizarrely, Dejan Lovren also goes down, and finds himself on another stretcher. Big blow for Southampton with just five minutes remaining.

All the injures added up to seven minutes of stoppage time…where nothing really happened.

This was supposed to be a season of opportunity for Tottenham, a genuine chance to push on and start challenging with the very best. But as is so often the case with Spurs we are frustratingly back to square one. This is a club that enjoys false dawns like no other, a rollercoaster ride between cynicism and belief that more often than not ends in disappointment.

Spurs’ Premier League top four challenge is in tatters. Whilst Spurs have crumbled under the pressures the sides around have shown the resilience required and it would now take something remarkable for the North Londoners to get back on track.

If the rumours are to believed Sherwood wont last out the summer at Spurs, with a number of names already being lined up as his replacement. Some are willing to write off these final few months and just start from fresh next season, but are they right?

Spurs may be in turmoil but they are also on the cusp of actually achieving something in the Europa League. A European tie against Benfica was the kind of thing to capture the imagination in years gone by for Spurs, but this season it seems to have approached with a degree of animosity. With the league as good as gone it is time for Spurs to shift their focus to Europe and start taking this competition seriously.

The obsession with 4th place has become harmful for Spurs, a club that is losing track of what it is all about and forgetting what made it great in the first place. European football is key to Spurs, and it is high time that fans echoed the words of the late great Bill Nicholson and cherished it once more:

“It’s magnificent to be in Europe, and this club – a club like Tottenham Hotspur – if we’re not in Europe…. we’re nothing. we’re nothing.”  

Maybe I’m being a little nostalgic here, a sentiment long lost perhaps. But this is definitely something that still resonates with Spurs fans on European nights and something that needs to be rekindled once again. Garry Mabbutt who played for the club the last time they lifted the UEFA Cup was quick to laugh off those that discredit the competition:

“People have spoken about the different value of competitions, it’s nonsense,” he said. 

“Footballers want to win every single competition they’re playing in, whether it’s the Capital One Cup or the Europa League. Look at the Man City team when they won the League Cup.

You look at Vincent Kompany when he lifted that trophy, the look on his face – was that the look of someone who thinks we shouldn’t really be here? No. They won the trophy; they outplayed other teams to win it. For them, the players and the supporters, it was a fantastic day.”

“For any Spurs fans if we could be in Turin at the Europa League final and see Michael Dawson lift that trophy at the end of the season that would be fantastic.”

The issue with the Europa League has always been its length; it is hard to generate excitement when the end goal seems so far away. But when it comes to the last 16 of the competition this should all change, especially when it is against one of the great European sides. Spurs will be looking for redemption for their controversial 1962 European cup defeat to Benfica, and the opportunity to prove themselves against one of the best on the continent once again.

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It isn’t all doom and gloom for Spurs. It may be time to forget about the Premier League, but in the Europa they genuinely have something to get excited about. Winning the competition would be the greatest achievement in the clubs recent history and would help Sherwood to prove his considerable list of doubters wrong.

A European night at the Lane will always be special; it is time for fans to realise this once more.

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A few years ago it would have been easier to see what the fuss was about. Loic Remy was (and still is) a smart forward, combining intelligence in the final third with the kind of pace that can cause havoc among most centre-back pairings.

The interest in the former Marseille striker was understandable considering his maturing into one of France’s leading forwards. He had a consistent supply of goals to his game, while the comparisons to Thierry Henry made it easy to build his reputation as an exciting striker set for the big time in Europe.

Remy is 27, and thus far his highest standing in European football has been at the Stade Velodrome, where he last competed in Uefa’s top competition in the 2011/12 season. During that campaign, Remy failed to score against Arsenal, Inter and Bayern. Since his move to QPR in January 2013, Remy has been a world away from the elite of the Champions League, whether it was at Loftus Road or currently in the black and white of Newcastle.

What is curious about Remy is why his potential never gave him that step up to one of England or the continent’s biggest clubs. With respect to QPR and Newcastle, the kind of excitement the Frenchman generated while playing in Ligue 1 implied more would be achieved upon departing his homeland.

Arsenal, naturally, have been linked ahead of this summer – and it’s not the first time. Arsene Wenger has a history of success with French forwards and a move for Remy this summer makes a lot of sense for the north London club.

Arsenal’s need for depth at centre-forward is no secret. In addition, the lack of pace to properly complement players like Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla this season has hindered the Gunners’ title push immensely. Without pace to their game, Arsenal became predictable for opponents and frustrating for fans.

Remy seems to tick all the boxes for what Arsenal and Wenger need going into next season. A plus is that the striker has been able to extend his stay in the Premier League following QPR’s relegation last year, naturally aiding in his acclimatisation to English football. But is he good enough to lead Arsenal to the title next season?

I have no doubt that Remy would be a good addition at the club. I do hold reservations as to whether he has the mental toughness and quality to take that step up and become one of the key pieces Arsenal have missed during high-profile matches this season.

Remy’s age raises more questions than it answers. He’s not a late bloomer in the way Didier Drogba was and Diego Costa arguably is. When Remy was there for the taking last summer – and let’s not forget that his attributes and ability to score in the Premier League were no secret around 12 months ago – why were Newcastle faced with so little competition in the race for his signature?

In fairness to the forward, any addition made at Arsenal this summer is likely to be a gamble – you could make that argument for almost any club and player in Europe. But can Arsenal afford to go with a striker whose pedigree sets him short of players like Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain? The simple fact is we don’t know what kind of player Remy is when faced with a title challenge in English football.

For what he is, Remy looks ideal to make the most of Arsenal’s midfield wizardry. The injuries to Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott have left Arsenal’s attack lacking a player able to run at a defence and latch onto through balls. He’s a good addition for a forward line which needs depth in quality and scoring.

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But Remy has not developed into the kind of striker who can elevate a club’s standing in the game. He won’t have the same effect that a Suarez, Higuain or Benzema would at Arsenal, and importantly for Wenger this summer, he’ll need to convince and win over a group of supporters who have become disillusioned by his reluctance to spend big on world-class players.

If Remy arrives from QPR this summer, he should prove to be a wise investment, especially at the £12 million being touted. But if Arsenal are to build on top four qualification for Europe, they’ll need much more than a striker who simply looks to be a side step from the current attacking options.

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It’s no secret that Manchester United are on the hunt for a new centre-back this summer following the bosman departures of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, with Louis van Gaal planning a 3-4-1-2 formation for next season.

Their priority target is Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels, who played an integral part in Germany’s successful World Cup campaign.

The 25 year-old, famed for his defensive ruggedness, aerial ability and fluency on the ball – often drawing parallels with Franz Beckenbauer – is widely regarded as one of the leading centre-backs in world football, but the Red Devils’ pursuit of him hasn’t gone so swimmingly.

Many offers, ranging from £20million-£30million, have been regularly alleged in the tabloids, but Black-Yellows boss Jurgen Klopp appears determined not to sell.

With that in mind and only a month of the summer window remaining, the Premier League side need to think of some viable alternatives.

And being the ever-helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve decided to list SEVEN of them…

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON MATS HUMMELS TO REVEAL

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NEVEN SUBOTIC

Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels may be off limits but Manchester United could find better luck pursuing sturdy centre-back partner Neven Subotic.

The 25 year-old, linked with a Old Trafford switch on numerous occasions in the past, is rated equally highly at Westfalen, but missed the majority of last season through injury whilst former understudy Sokratis excelled in his absence.

A dependable, more passive centre-back than Hummels, Subotic often doesn’t get the credit he deserves. No doubt however, the Serbian international is one of Europe’s top defenders – just take a look at him in action last term:

//www.youtube.com/embed/YV1uB16MEgQ?rel=0

Subotic’s pace, tackling ability and composure in possession particularly stands out. And despite injuries last season, the 6 foot 4 defender still produced consistent form, as detailed below:

That sideline bout however gives United a way in; Jurgen Klopp now has three high-quality centre-backs on his books and with just two years left on Subotic’s contract, could be convinced to part with the Serbian.

THOMAS VERMAELEN

Manchester United’s plans to sign Thomas Vermaelen are well known, having been strongly linked with the Arsenal centre-back for the majority of the summer window:

The 28 year-old is regarded as one of the Premier League’s leading defenders and currently dons the Gunners armband. But a mixture of injuries, poor form and the rise of centre-back partnership Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielney saw him make just seven league starts last season.

No doubt however, a run of regular football could easily see the Belgium international return to his former stature. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for his debut Premier League season and van Gaal clearly feels he can unlock that level of performance once again. Here’s a short clip of Vermaelen in action:

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

Like Hummels, he’s combative in the air, composed in possession and often plays on the front foot. And United will feel their chances of signing the former Ajax man will have significantly improved, following news that he’s rejected a contract extension at Arsenal:

FABIAN SCHAR

If it’s Mats Hummels’ ability on the ball that Louis van Gaal desires most, he need look no further for an alternative than FC Basel centre-back Fabian Schar.

Statistically, the Switzerland international was the best defender in the Champions League last season, as detailed below…

And his World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014.

The 22 year-old has an interesting knack for scoring goals, even taking up spot kick duties for Bebbi…

//www.youtube.com/embed/MIe6I323HPc

And also netted this incredible strike as a youngster at FC Wil…

//www.youtube.com/embed/dH1mLudmGgg?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist= dH1mLudmGgg

Quick, technically exceptional and also capable of playing at full-back, the 6 foot 2 defender would excel in a back three. He’s been rated as lowly as €6.5million in the past but recent speculation suggests United will have to battle Arsenal and Tottenham for his signature:

EDER BALANTA

Another young centre-back that’s attracting interest from Europe’s top clubs, including Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus, is Colombia international Eder Balanta.

The 21 year-old has thoroughly impressed since his debut for River Plate in 2012, making 30 appearances since and muscling his way into Los Cafeteros’ senior squad.

He’s described on FIFA’s website as “left-footed, powerfully built, strong in the air and a fearless tackler … blessed with skill and speed.” Here’s a short clip of Balanta in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/NApExJhZwEY

Impressive stuff indeed. Did I also mention that Balanta is an absolute monster on Football Manager?

But the Red Devils will have to act quickly, with news that Valencia are closing in on a €6.5million deal for the 6 foot centre-back:

BENEDIKT HOWEDES

Schalke centre-back Benedikt Howedes has been linked with a Premier League move for some time, and that could finally be realised this summer after an impressive World Cup campaign with Germany.

Indeed, despite being labelled as Die Mannschaft’s weakest link at Brazil 2014, the 26 year-old produced strong form throughout, as detailed below:

Here’s some of his highlights from Germany’s successful World Cup campaign:

//www.youtube.com/embed/DE4LYksdMEA?rel=0

Perhaps most importantly for the Red Devils, as well as offering significant leadership qualities, the Miners skipper can operate at right-back or left-back, making him an ideal defender for a back three and a useful squad member.

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But it could take an unjustifiable offer to prize Howedes away from the Veltins-Arena, with Schalke issuing a hands-off warning last month:

FEDERICO FAZIO

One cut-price Mats Hummels alternative said to be on the Old Trafford radar is Sevilla centre-back Federico Fazio:

Despite not making Albiceleste’s World Cup squad, the Argentina international was in strong form last season to help Los Palanganos claim the Europa League title, as viewable below:

Fazio measures in at whopping 6 foot 5, making a formidable force in the air, but also offers quality in possession, being also capable of playing in defensive midfield.

Oh, and don’t mess with him, or he’ll punch you in the stomach:

Furthermore, according to TalkSport, the 27 year-old’s release clause stands at an incredibly cheap €10million.

John Stones

John Stones’ Premier League career may stand at just 21 appearances thus far, but the Everton defender is already tipped for an incredible future after making it onto England’s reserve list for Brazil 2014.

Indeed, although the 20 year-old’s defensive game still leaves something to be desired, he was absolutely incredible last term when bringing the ball out of defence, as viewable below:

//www.youtube.com/embed/ExtM3JTv630?rel=0

That quality on the ball appears to be what Louis van Gaal is looking for this summer and the former Barnsley prodigy possesses it in abundance. Notice his impeccable passing statistics from last season:

But with suitors hardly in short supply, it would likely take a Luke-Shaw-sized fee to convince the Toffees to sell this summer:

Ex-Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Jerome Rothen believes that Arsenal target Edinson Cavani will leave the French club before long.

The Uruguayan striker has been linked with numerous moves away from the Parc des Princes over the course of 2014 – despite only signing for PSG last year – with the Gunners having been mooted as a potential destination.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with him, but Arsenal are rumoured to be the most interested party, even though Arsene Wenger has tied Olivier Giroud down to a new long-term contract and snapped up Danny Welbeck in a £16m deal.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

Cavani was a target for the Londoners over the summer, yet he elected to remain in Paris in a bid to battle for a central striking berth.

However, after just a few months of the new season he is believed to be unhappy once again due to being played on the wing to accommodate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Rothen – who made over 130 appearances for the Parisians during his spell there – feels that it’s only a matter of time before the forward leaves:

“He can still succeed in Paris, but his performances will be more or less the same. Everything depends on the tactical choices of Laurent Blanc. However, I can’t see him staying long-term in Paris,” he told Le 10 Sport.

“If he reiterates his desire to leave, the club will not keep him. Especially if he has the same performances as last year – the directors won’t necessarily be satisfied.”

“If Cavani considers himself a star in the team, it could be a concern because, in Paris, it’s Zlatan and then the rest. They must deal with Zlatan, who is a player beyond the norm,

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“For me, Cavani is not among the great attackers, like Ibra, Messi or Ronaldo. He’s a player who needs others and will not decide something with a bit of class, an individual moment.”

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For a team talked about as title contenders at the start of every season, Arsenal’s inability to even challenge for the big prize in recent campaigns is alarming. Gone are the days of the ‘Invincibles’ and the Thierry Henry causing havoc on a weekly basis, with the Gunners’ ceiling now appearing to be Champions League qualification – which, for all the mocking, is very important.

But talk of a deal for Mats Hummels got us thinking. Could the German defender be the missing piece of the puzzle? Could he be the player the Londoners need above all others? Well, we think he could be the perfect medicine to solve Arsenal’s title sickness, and here are FIVE reasons why…

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CLICK ON THE MAN HIMSELF TO REVEAL THE FIVE REASONS

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Defensive leader

We don’t need to sit here and really go into detail on what’s wrong at Arsenal. Injuries and the selling of major players over the course of the past few years have been big reasons in the inability to maintain title challenges, but a genuine leader at the back has also been a factor.

Some of last term’s massive drubbings could well have been avoided if an imposing figure was camped at the heart of the defence, with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, for all their qualities, not being the most commanding of centre-backs. Hummels is a leader and a genuinely classy defender who can assert himself on a game. Could he help Arsenal to bridge that final gap? Probably.

Best defender in Europe right now

With defending dying in modern football, there are very few top class centre-backs out there. The majority of the best in the business are already at clubs at the very top of the ladder, but Hummels’ Dortmund are by no means the force they were a few years ago.

Arsenal could lure him from Germany with the offer of European football – which is almost a guarantee at the Emirates Stadium – and land one of the very best players of his type around.

Statement of intent

There’s a lot to be said for a ‘marquee’ signing. Big money on a player with a top reputation can lift a squad and push up the decibel levels in a stadium, which are both major factors in boosting performance levels.

Hummels, although a defender, would surely tick the box, with his performances over recent seasons having been inspiring for both club and country.

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Prevent a major rival from strengthening

Manchester United are said to be stalking the BVB ace, so keeping him from a potential title rival for next season could be wise. January provides a decent opportunity to do so with the Red Devils’ Champions League qualification status set to be far from certain, which would make Arsenal a very attractive option in comparison.

He’s a winner

With two Bundesliga titles and the World Cup to his name, Hummels knows what it takes to win on the very biggest stages. Having a player with such know-how could be a boost for Arsenal, who have often been a accused of a lack of belief and confidence when the season comes to its crunch.

Everton have not been at their last season’s best as of yet, but we got a glimpse of this as the Toffees’ comfortably pushed aside Aston Villa on Saturday.

It was a very good team performance from Everton but the stand-out players were again their full-back duo of Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman. They may sound like a beginning of a terrible joke but the Englishman and the Irishman give the Toffees’ an extra dimension when they both play. Coleman returned from injury against Aston Villa and he was as sharp and as influential as ever.

Not many sides would rate their defenders ahead of their midfielders when it comes to the influence they hold over the team’s attacking prowess, however the way Everton use them makes them far more effective. We all know how influential Leighton Baines is to Everton, not least for his set-pieces, and the England international is certainly a key player for the Toffees.

However, it’s now gotten to the stage where Seamus Coleman in particular is so incredibly influential from the right-back position that it’s hard to imagine Everton cannot handle life without him.

In their last 10 matches in all competitions, Coleman has made an appearance in five. In the five without the Ireland international they have failed to win a single one, while the Toffees have won three out of five with the right-back in the team. When Coleman has played, Everton have scored 14 goals, a ratio of just under three goals a game. However, this number falls to five in the games the Irishman has missed, an average of just one goal per game on average. In particular, Coleman adds an attacking edge and when combined with Leighton Baines’ ability when going forward, the two make Everton far more prolific. It’s quite astonishing the difference full-backs can make to a team’s offence.

Everton have seemingly made the full-back position an art form with Baines and Coleman. Leighton has a total of five assists so far for Everton in the league this season and although this is expected when he takes the majority of their set-pieces, four of them have come from crosses during open play – that is when he is most dangerous. This is particularly impressive when you consider that the rest of the squad combined have just seven (including 1 from Coleman despite playing considerably less than most, because of his injury).

With the two full-backs contributing so successfully to their attack, how does that effect their defensive responsibilities? Well, when the two full-backs have both started the match this league season (which has happened on four occasions) they have conceded an average of two goals per game including two clean sheets and the 6-3 defeat against Chelsea. The statistics suggest that there is little difference between Everton’s defensive capabilities when the full-back partnership is broken up, as in the four occasions in which Coleman was missing from the line-up, Everton have again conceded an average of 2 goals per game.

So perhaps Everton are not the best defensively regardless of whether their full-backs take on a more offensive responsibility or not. However, offensively Baines and Coleman are absolutely crucial to Everton and they are the best clubs at utilising their full-backs in the Premier League.

Keep doing what you’re doing chaps – it’s wonderfully entertaining if nothing else.

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Louis van Gaal is certainly doing a fine job of banishing the harrowing memories of the David Moyes era from Old Trafford this season. His Manchester United side recorded their third successive win on Saturday by easing past Hull City, and while supporters of the Red Devils will continue to feel the absence of Champions League football – brought about by United’s 7th place finish last year under Moyes, their lowest league position in 24 years – all signs are pointing towards a swift return to Europe’s elite club competition under Van Gaal. After an indifferent start, the Dutchman has steadily shored up the backline, in spite of a number of injuries, and there seems to be a greater cohesion between midfield and attack this campaign than the last. Indeed, LVG deserves ample praise simply for getting Marouane Fellaini to play half-decent football again.

A lack of depth in defence was widely believed to be the most pressing issue that Van Gaal would have to face this season, yet as we have already noted, he has managed to instil a respectable degree of parsimony in the back four even without a number of first-team defenders. The three goals in their last five games that United have conceded – which included matches against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal – suggests that the defensive players are adapting well to Van Gaal’s methods, and once Daley Blind, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Rafael all return from injury, the Dutchman will be confident that this solidity can be maintained.

Ironically, it is a glut of options at the other end of the pitch that is proving to be van Gaal’s biggest headache. He has generally favoured playing two up front this season, usually consisting of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. However, with the latter failing to convince on a consistent basis, Radamel Falcao chomping at the bit on the sidelines and the young pretender James Wilson rated highly amongst the Old Trafford coaching staff, we may see a variety of combinations before Van Gaal settles on his preferred pairing. But who should he go for in the long run?

Firstly, we will take it as a given that Rooney is a guaranteed starter for United. Not only would it be a politically controversial decision to drop the England international, who is the club captain and the highest earner by a considerable distance, but he undoubtedly deserves to be in the first XI on current form. He is United’s top scorer with five goals, and his all-round play makes him an integral member of the side.

This leaves one vacant position to be fought over by the three remaining centre forwards on the Red Devils’ books. While Van Gaal has tended to go for his compatriot Van Persie to partner Rooney, the 31 year-old has struggled to hit the heights of his first season at Old Trafford. Although he can still perform superbly on his day – as evidenced by his breathtaking thunderbolt against Hull City – he is doing so less and less frequently, and has been caught out by his lack of pace on a number of occasions. His ability has never come into question; he is simply showing the signs of decline that most strikers do when they hit their 30s. A very useful player to have on the bench, but United must surely look elsewhere for a long-term solution.

Falcao cannot be considered to be the future of Manchester United’s strikeforce either. A phenomenally prolific footballer, he has nevertheless been blighted by injury woes throughout his career, and has inevitably brought these to Old Trafford this season. The Colombian has missed half of United’s games, scoring just once, and is beginning to look like something of an expensive mistake. The massive fee the Red Devils paid to secure his services on a one-year loan has only strengthened the belief that Falcao, as immensely talented as he is, is nothing more than a football mercenary who goes to wherever the most money is being offered. At 28 years of age and with a knee as brittle as a cream cracker, electing to sign Falcao on a permanent basis would be an unwise move on United’s behalf. They should make the most of the remainder of his loan period, and he will surely add to his one goal in the coming weeks. However, a parting of ways at the season’s end is ultimately best for the club.

And so this leaves us with James Wilson. The 19-year-old is highly regarded by Louis van Gaal – the Dutchman even said that he was a brighter prospect than Danny Welbeck when the latter was sold to Arsenal in the summer – and the brace he scored against none other than Hull City in his only first-team appearance for United last season gave us a brief, yet exciting, glimpse of his talent. In Wayne Rooney – a player who himself was once a teenage prodigy and who found himself playing for Manchester United’s first team at a very early age – Wilson has a striking partner from whom he can learn a lot, and seeing this English duo pair up would also be of great benefit to the national team when Wilson eventually gets called up. He may still be raw and unproven, but James Wilson is the future of Manchester United, and having been at the club since childhood the Red Devils should do all they can to make sure that he becomes another success story from their academy of excellence. A prolonged period in the first team alongside Rooney would be a good place to start.

Louis van Gaal is a manager famed for his tendency to give youth a chance. When the time comes where he has to choose his established striking partnership at Old Trafford, he should once again embrace this philosophy.

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