All posts by h79snht.top

Trying to replicate the shrewd transfer business of Mauricio Pochettino is a bit of a challenge in itself. Fortunately, Spurs begin with a decent budget and have several players who can be sold on to generate reasonable revenue.

The squad has great depth, but both central midfield and the right wing are short of what is required for the side to really challenge for the top four. The first season gives you the challenge of Europa League football so making the most of your budget is even more crucial.

Football Manager prides itself on realism and the Spurs board will want to see a lot of investment in youth, whilst a Champions League place in your first season will see you secure a monstrous budget for the next campaign.

Spurs have been trying hard to be a bit less like Spurs for years and a few additions can help you achieve that on the latest edition of the world’s most addictive computer simulation game.

Here are FIVE signings to get on the cheap…

Sofiane Feghouli

You will have to wait to sign him on a pre-contract in January for this one, but Feghouli has all the attributes to be a quality addition in the second season for Spurs.

Erik Lamela can be inconsistent and tricky to manage, but Feghouli’s electric pace nicely compliments the creativity of Eriksen whilst his work rate of 15 makes him extremely versatile.

Saul

As with Feghouli, it might be best to wait until the second season for Saul. The versatile midfielder offers a pretty complete game and can be available for under £10million if Atletico don’t mind letting go of the youngster.

A player this complete could work well alongside any of the Spurs central players, but a partnership with Dele Alli longer term would be ideal.

Saul is a good example of why buying backup players from stronger squads can be a good move financially.

Zach Clough

Spurs have a great deal of young English talent already and Clough is a brilliant addition to the squad.

The Bolton youngster is at his best when operating as a false nine but could easily cover in a second striker role behind Harry Kane.

Clough begins with finishing at around 15 and dribbling to match makes him a very high quality addition to any Premier League squad, his potential could see him become a star performer for England too.

As ever, another homegrown player helps with the challenging squad quotas.

Lincoln

Lincoln is the latest from the Brazilian talent supply line and this versatile forward provides quality in a number of positions and is available for less than £5million.

Such a bargain is hard to overlook when the inconsistencies of Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela can provide such challenges.

Lincoln begins your save at Gremio and has one of the highest potentials on the game, so its inevitably difficult to overlook a 16-year-old with technique and flair over 16.

Alessandro Bastoni

This is another youngster who will be available for under £1million and is only 16 at the beginning of your save.

Bastoni is regarded as one of the best young Italian defenders at the moment but it should be easy to prise him away from Atalanta.

Bastoni is 6’3 and has a jumping reach of 16, making him ideal for the Premier League and the barrage of crosses he may have to deal with.

Mark Hughes made the most extraordinary signing of the entire January window, but some Stoke fans will feel that they should have had so much more from this winter.

Imbula was a stunning addition, considering the poor form of Glenn Whelan, yet the club could’ve splashed a few more of the Coates’ millions and made their squad a whole lot more dangerous. A striker was clearly a requirement and centre-back cover is going to be needed if Ryan Shawcross is planning on getting injured every other week.

Marco van Ginkel’s loan was cancelled and it was very much a ‘one in, one out’ window in midfield, in that sense. Stoke could have looked to strengthen their depth, or at least avoided the requirement to change Charlie Adam.

European football looks like a pipe dream after the Potters’ poor run of form, although in this season of all seasons its probably still possible that Hughes’ men make it into the top four.

Here is the XI they should have…

Jack Butland

Butland is, unquestionably, in contention for goalkeeper of the season and the youngsters has seemlessly filled the rather large boots of Asmir Begovic.

Key saves throughout the season have been a huge benefit to Stoke’s season and Butland has cemented his place as England’s second choice ‘keeper.

Glen Johnson

After a turbulent final couple of seasons at Liverpool, Johnson has regained his form in the Potteries and made the right-back berth his own.

Defensively, Johnson looks more secure than he has done for several years.

Ryan Shawcross

As with John Terry or Vincent Kompany, Stoke are a greatly better team when Shawcross is in the side.

The defence is all over the place without their talismanic captain and each injury this season has set the whole club back several points.

Philipp Wollscheid

Wollscheid has been one of the more under rated players in Stoke’s impressive form for much of this season. Marc Muniesa and Marc Wilson are likely to be replaced in the summer, but Wollscheid has deservedly made the position alongside Shawcross his own.

Erik Pieters

Since his arrival in the PL, Pieters has been a largely consistent perform in both attack and defence.

The Dutchman provides width when Arnautovic moves centrally to run the channels and is a secure defender when called upon.

Giannelli Imbula

The biggest signing in the whole of the European January window, Imbula has arrived in the Midlands with a vast amount of pressure on his relatively young shoulders.

The Frenchman is likely to play in a box-to-box role alongside a more defensive minded central midfielder.

Nigel de Jong

Glenn Whelan is the weak link in the current Stoke side and it is a surprise that a player of De Jong’s calibre was allowed to move to the MLS at this stage of his career.

The former City man would’ve been a bargain transfer and the ideal anchor man in a side with as much attacking flair as Stoke.

Hughes is usually a risk taker, and De Jong was definitely a risk worth taking.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Possibly the most surprising signing of the summer, Shaqiri begun to find some form around November and December before showing signs of fatigue during the heavy Christmas schedule.

Bojan

Bojan has, in the last few days, signed a new long-term contract and will, at the very least, increase the amount of money Stoke recoup if they are to sell the creative jewel in Hughes’ crown.

The ex-La Masia man has operated as a false 9 or a number 10 this season and continues to show his quality in the toughest of games.

Marko Arnautovic

One of the great PL enigmas, Arnautovic has provided us with some stunning individual performances this season along with some pretty inept efforts.

Hughes seems to be the man to really motivate the flying Austrian and his goals have given Stoke some significant victories already this campaign.

The real challenge will be keeping hold of the powerful winger if he performs as well in the remainder of the season.

Loic Remy

Remy has been an outcast for much of his time at Chelsea and clubs were sniffing around for his signature during the January window.

Mame Diouf has slipped out of favour and a new reliable goal scoring striker would’ve done the Potters the world of good.

Tonight footballing history will be made. Regardless of the outcome of the 90 minutes at Anfield, the opening whistle will officially launch the first ever European game between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Considering the great North West rivals’ long an illustrious histories in continental football, it’s strange to think that neither have met outside of a domestic backdrop, especially when Liverpool have had many bouts with Chelsea and Man United have taken on the same London club in a final in Moscow.

It can’t get much better for fans of either side then, surely? Well, it turns out that it can, as we’ve teamed up with Onefootball to make sure that one lucky fan will win a replica shirt from the side they’ll be cheering on tonight.

‘How can I get involved?’ we hear you cry, well, it’s pretty simple, just RT the tweets below and follow both @FootballFanCast and @Onefootball and you’ll be in the mix.

OneFootball is the most comprehensive football app in the world, delivering the latest news, live scores, stats and much more. It’s available on all major mobile devices and online – you can download it here.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

– Follow @Onefootball & @FootballFanCast and RT for a chance to win a Liverpool or Manchester United 2015/16 shirt.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Twitter. Entrants are providing information to the promoter Onefootball and not to Twitter or other third parties.

All questions and complains must be addressed to Onefootball: [email protected]

Onefootball reserves the right to make any changes or end the competition at any time.

1. The competition is open worldwide.

2. Entrants must be 14 years or older. Entrants younger than 18 years old (underage persons) need the permission of their parents.

3. The competition is not open to employees of Onefootball or FootballFancast or members of their immediate families.

4. The prizes on offer are:

1 x 1 Liverpool 2015/16 shirt (home or away)

1 x 1 Manchester United 2015/16 shirt (home or away)

5. Enter the competition

a. Follow Onefootball & Football Fan Cast on Twitter

AND

b. RT the campaign tweet.

AND

c. Accept our Terms & Conditions in reading them.

6. The competition starts on March 9th 2016, the closing date is March 11th 2016, 6:00pm CET.

7. Selection of the winners

All winners will be picked at random from those

a. who are following both Onefootball & Football Fan Cast on Twitter

AND

b. who retweet one of the campaign tweets.

All winners will be picked at random on March 12th 2016 and will be contacted shortly after.

8. As far as entrants’ personal data are collected, processed or used in the context of the competition, this happens exclusively for the purpose of running the competition and will be deleted after the end of the competition.

9. Incorrectly completed entries will be disqualified.

On Merseyside it always seems to be a case of once a hero, always a hero.

In Liverpool the fans are terrifically passionate and those who grace the Anfield stands week after week know a good player when they see one. And as the season grows older and older, a young Belgian seems to be at the forefront of every Kopite’s mind.

Divock Origi had a pretty uninspiring start to his Liverpool career. He signed for the Reds in a £10m deal back in 2014, only to be immediately loaned back to Lille for the following season. Although the move was logical, it was frustrating for supporters at the time who wanted to see a glimpse of their new striker who had shone at the World Cup.

Yet back to France he went, and he scored nine goals in 44 games – by no means awe-inspiring, but a solid return. It’s important to remember he is still only 20 years old.

This Sunday Origi took a massive step towards writing himself into Liverpool folklore, scoring twice as Jurgen Klopp’s side eased to their biggest home win of the season by brushing aside Stoke City 4-1. The Potters have had an extremely solid season themselves and this result was not one to overlook.

The most impressive factor about Origi’s performance against the Potters was probably that he didn’t even start the game. He came on for fellow youngster Sheyi Ojo and looked irresistible playing alongside Daniel Sturridge. That’s one thing we haven’t yet seen enough of this season, an encouraging partnership between both Origi and Sturridge. Granted that’s because the Englishman has been injured for a large part of the campaign, but it was an extremely promising showing for both Liverpool and England fans.

As mentioned, Origi came on in the second half and took no time adding to his Liverpool tally, sweeping home two goals to take his tally to eight for the season – impressive considering he was struggling to even make the match day squad at the start of the season.

Considering Christian Benteke was supposed to be the man to lead the Liverpool revolution, the season has taken a most surprising twist with the Reds now relying on a the younger Belgian to get all the goals.

Origi is a man high on confidence who was quick to recognise the effect the Liverpool crowd had on his performance. “Playing for the Kop is wonderful”, he beamed after the game. These are promising words to hear for the Reds fans, who will no doubt keep singing Origi’s name if he keeps performing on the pitch.

There is little doubt that Jurgen Klopp is having a positive effect on Origi’s Liverpool career. The German is emotive, charismatic and full of praise for his players, everything that a young talent needs around him to develop.

He’s on the up and his form shows no sign of slowing down. Who’d have thought he’d be leading the Liverpool line at the start of the season?

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

He’s Dimitri Payet and he’s West Ham… it would be foolish for him to consider leaving, or for the board to sell him.

In an astonishing first season in the Premier League, the West Ham dynamo has wowed supporters across the country with his running, his skills, his goals and of course his trade mark free-kicks.

Many players coming in from abroad stutter and struggle to find their way in their first season in what is arguably one of the toughest leagues to adapt to in Europe.

But, the Frenchman has been outstanding, his manager wants to write poetry about him and the France national boss couldn’t ignore him any longer adding him to his provisional EURO 2016 squad.

Payet ended the season as West Ham’s top scorer this season with 12 in all competitions and was the club’s joint league top scorer with Andy Carroll on nine, registering 12 assists. All of this came for just under £11m after a move from Marseille last summer, and that equates to a brilliant bit of business by all concerned down in east London.

There are many reasons why Payet should stay with the Hammers despite the noted interest from abroad, and here are just FIVE to whet the course of debate.

Ambition

West Ham are ambitious, of that there is little room for doubt. They have quietly and without any kind of fanfare left their famous old ground for the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium. You may have heard about it. The Hammers are looking to recruit top level players this summer, to bolster a squad with European ambition and a proper challenge in the Premier League. The West Ham team is a completely proposition when Payet is missing and he is now very securely the main man. This is his chance to be a part of something much bigger. Would he want to miss this opportunity?

Commitment

West Ham are now a club with an injection of flair, attitude and spirit. Payet has been remarkable and the focal point for the team’s attacks. He is sheer quality and the club saw that after only six months. His initial contract was quickly replaced with a new five-year, £125,000 a week deal that made him the highest paid player at Upton Park. Following the club’s announcement, Payet declared his desire to remain at West Ham for the foreseeable future. “I say and I repeat I’m proud to wear the shirt of West Ham. My future is here and I hope for many years,” he said via his official Twitter account.

Fans

The West Ham faithful adore him and have a new hero to worship. Up there amongst the Bobby Moores and Paolo Di Canios, Payet is set to become another famous son of the club. With such adoration, Payet feels elevated, loved and treasured and that’s just what the modern day player wants. Plus a big wage of course – that helps.

Real Madrid

Los Blancos are suggesting that their interest in the Frenchman is real. The powers that be in the corridors of the Bernabeu want Payet, but they should beware. Isco and Rodriguez were bought for vast sums and have not come anywhere close to being the players they were supposed to be. Why? Maybe the whole Real Madrid experience is too daunting for some and they cannot cope with the pressures of a world famous club.

Could Payet be any different? The obvious negative for Dimi is that he will go from being the main player to being merely, a player. Ronaldo rules the roost and when it comes to free kicks – Payet will have to step aside if Ronaldo decides. Real Madrid have taken a Frenchman from West Ham before when they loaned out Faubert. And look how that turned out. Payet simply wouldn’t be as dynamic a player in Madrid as he is in east London. At Real Madrid, a club with which your commercial value so often dictates your importance to the team, it would be such a different story.

Stability

If the player is honest about life at West Ham, it is pretty damn good. It doesn’t get much better in a team starting to grow and grow quickly. The club has shown its desire and its intentions, and Payet will want to be a part of the club’s future as it grows into a team that is capable of challenging for the major honours. It’s somewhere where he feels comfortable and it’s with a club that has given him back the international stage once more. In Slaven Bilic, he has a manager that crafts his team around him and believes in him, and he may not find that belief anywhere else.

With just two Premier League fixtures and the Europa League final remaining, the summer transfer window is slowly beginning to loom over Merseyside.

And it looks set to be a particularly busy window for Liverpool, representing Jurgen Klopp’s first real chance of implementing his own ideals on a squad he inherited from Brendan Rodgers back in October.

As is often the case with relatively fresh managerial appointments, rumours linking Klopp with signings of his own choosing have hardly been in short supply over the last few months.

In fact, there’s been so many that we at FootballFanCast have been able to create a select Xi from reported Liverpool transfer targets which, according to tabloid valuations, would set the Reds back a staggering £186million.

We certainly aren’t expecting the Merseysiders to swoop for all of them. But nonetheless, this XI will keep you up to date with all of the loudest Liverpool transfer murmurings ahead of the summer transfer window.

Which of these targets would you like to see at Anfield next season, Liverpool fans? Is there a potential signing we’ve somehow missed out? Let us know by commenting below!

GOALKEEPER – MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN

Simon Mignolet’s ability to blend the sublime with the abysmal, often with a hefty bias towards the latter, has seen Liverpool linked with a number of replacement goalkeepers over the last 18 months – most notably Barcelona’s Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

The German international’s performances in the Champions League have often received rave reviews – he won UEFA’s Save of the Season award last term – but his participation at the Nou Camp has been limited almost exclusively to that tournament and the Copa del Rey, with Claudio Bravo filling the sticks in La Liga.

Most sources value the 24-year-old at around the £20million mark, but the La Liga champions remain reluctant to sell.

RIGHT-BACK – MARTIN CACERES

Liverpool have already sealed one Bosman acquisition in Joel Matip and the Italian press are tipping them for another in Juventus star Martin Caceres. The Uruguay international has just lifted his fifth Serie A title with the Old Lady but his terms are unlikely to be extended beyond the end of the campaign, having never made more than 18 league appearances in a single season for Massimo Allegri’s side.

Famed for his versatility, the 29-year-old has featured as a wing-back, a full-back and a centre-back throughout his career. He’d add enormous defensive depth to Jurgen Klopp’s current squad at little cost – but after so many seasons on the peripheries of the Juve first team, Caceres will want to find a club that view him as a regular starter.

CENTRE-BACK – NEVEN SUBOTIC

The heart of defence is easily Liverpool’s weakest department and wholesale changes are expected there this summer, even with the already-confirmed addition of Joel Matip. Having played under Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and former club Mainz, Neven Subotic has been linked with an Anfield switch almost on a daily basis since the German gaffer took the Liverpool hot seat in October.

The Serbian international is no longer a guaranteed starter at Westfalen and with his contract due to expire in 2018, a decent bid will likely convince the Black-Yellows to sell this summer. Some sources have claimed he could be allowed to leave for as little as £4million.

CENTRE-BACK – SHKODRAN MUSTAFI

Despite once failing to make the grade with local rivals Everton, Skhodran Mustafi is now a World Cup winner with Germany and one of the most sought-after centre-halves in Europe, having produced yet another strong campaign at the heart of Valencia’s otherwise shaky backline.

A Spanish journalist has recently claimed Liverpool are in talks with Gary Neville’s former club to bring the 24-year-old back to Merseyside during the summer transfer window. But Juventus have also been linked with the ten-cap international, who is reportedly rated by the Serie A champions at around £12million.

LEFT-BACK – JONAS HECTOR

It’s been another unspectacular season for resident No.3 Alberto Moreno, leading many to speculate Liverpool will look to sign an upgrade during the summer transfer window in the form of FC Koln’s Jonas Hector.

The 25-year-old’s impressive contributions going forward, notching up four assists this term and the most created chances per match of any defender involved in Europe’s five leading top flights, has seen him emerge as Germany’s first-choice No.3 ahead of the European championships.

Koln appear open to cashing in on Hector this summer, with Mirror Football claiming they’ve already quoted Liverpool a £12million valuation.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD – GRANIT XHAKA

The transfer trail has gone cold in recent weeks but Liverpool were firmly in the mix to sign Granit Xhaka too not long ago, amid claims Jurgen Klopp had held talks with the Borussia Monchengladbach enforcer’s representatives.

Once dubbed ‘young Schweinsteiger’, the Switzerland international offers control of possession, tenacity and shin-shattering tackles – a style of play that has seen him pick up three red cards in the Bundesliga already this season.

In spite of his hot-headedness, interest in the £30million-rated midfielder is high ahead of the summer transfer window. However, most sources suggest Arsenal are currently leading the race for his signature.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD – PIOTR ZIELINSKI

Two impressive campaigns on loan at Empoli have reportedly thrust Piotr Zielinski to the forefront of Liverpool’s transfer thoughts. Rumours of a summer swoop first emerged during the January transfer window and they’ve only picked up momentum with the end of the season now drawing in – with recent reports claiming the Reds have already lodged a £12million bid.

The 21-year-old is highly-rated in Serie A and has been in fantastic form this season, notching up four goals and four assists from the heart of midfield.

[ad_pod id=’greatest-players’ align=’center’]

ATTACKING MIDFIELD – MARIO GOTZE

If Liverpool land one ‘marquee signing’ this summer, I’d bet a sizable sum on it being Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze. The attacking midfielder is best famed for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final but has seriously struggled at club level in recent seasons, finding himself a peripheral figure during Pep Guardiola Allianz Arena spell.

Rated as one of the best youngsters in world football whilst playing under Jurgen Klopp at former club Borussia Dortmund, a reunion at Anfield seems like the most logical scenario. Bayern value the 23-year-old at £30million but with his contract due to expire at the end of next season, the Reds are hoping to sign him for around £10million less.

[ad_pod id=’greatest-players’ align=’center’]

RIGHT WING – JAVIER PASTORE

Having found himself an expendable figure in the PSG first team this season, Javier Pastore’s title-laden spell with the French champions looks set to come to an end this summer and Liverpool have already expressed an interest in signing him – according to reports in France.

The Argentina international can operate as a wide man or a No.10 and is famed for his creativity, notching up ten assists across all competitions this season despite his bit-part role at Parc de Princes. Recent reports have claimed Laurent Blanc’s side are prepared to cash in for around £20million during the summer but highly-regarded from his spells with PSG and former club Palermo, a number of clubs will likely be chasing the 26-year-old this summer.

[ad_pod id=’greatest-players’ align=’center’]

LEFT WING – ADEMOLA LOOKMAN

Liverpool swooped for one of Charlton Athletic’s most prodigious talents last summer in Joe Gomez and recent reports have suggested they could do so once again in the coming transfer window, with the Reds one of the many clubs chasing teenager Ademola Lookman.

Despite the Addicks plummeting into League One, the winger-forward has just come to the end of a formidable debut campaign at The Valley, notching up five goals and one assist in 23 outings to claim the Championship’s Apprentice of the Year award.

But amid a sensational rise since plying his trade with Waterloo FC in 2014, the Reds’ interest in the £6million-rated 18-year-old is rivalled by Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs to name a few.

[ad_pod id=’greatest-players’ align=’center’]

STRIKER – ALVARO MORATA

Liverpool are widely expected to replace misfiring frontman Christian Benteke this summer with Juventus striker Alvaro Morata one of the names mooted by the tabloids. The Spain international is a tall, mobile and technical centre-forward with a knack for scoring important goals, netting five times in Europe last season as the Old Lady marched to the Champions League final.

The 23-year-old certainly possesses world-class potential but his transfer situation remains a little complicated. Former employers Real Madrid are reportedly planning to exercise a £23.6million buy-back option this summer before selling Morata on for considerably more – potentially as much as £40million – and any interest from Liverpool could be rivalled by Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

[ad_pod id=’greatest-players’ align=’center’]

Each night the Eiffel Tower wows fans with spectacular light shows to round off the evening – now Wales have illuminated Euro 2016 all on their own.

The famous landmark has been beaming out the colours of the day’s big winners but, on the pitch at least, the latter stages of the tournament were in desperate need of some magic.

That is until Chris Coleman’s Dragons delivered not just an upset but an earthquake of continental proportions.

It is impressive enough a feat that this competition even went ahead, given the security fears and the likelihood of terrorism.

The protection of the public – bar a few unsavoury hooligan incidents in the opening week – had been the overriding success story in France.

But Wales have changed all that and brought the spotlight firmly back to footballing matters.

Against a backdrop of Iceland’s win over England and Northern Ireland’s shock progression to the knockout stafes,tThe little home nation have now ensured Euro 2016 will be remembered as the year of the underdog.

Everyone howled and derided the decision to expand the tournament to 24 teams for this summer.

Critics claimed that it diluted the quality of a competition already dragged down by its qualifying process, which at times feels like wading through treacle. But the success of a host of minnows has proved that you do not need a team full of superstars to succeed at international level.

Team? Yes. Superstars? No.

Wales may have Gareth Bale but that was heavily outweighed against a Belgium squad chock full of world-class talent and ranked No.2 in the world.

Still, they stood toe-to-toe and came out on top. Well on top.

Swansea’s Ashley Williams dragged them level before Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes won it.

Both of them plied their trade in the Championship last season but you never would have guessed it given the quality of their goals.

Wales’ motto for the whole tournament has been “Together, stronger” and the manner of the 3-1 victory over Belgium not only proved they are far more than a one-man team, but that Coleman’s side are real contenders for this tournament.

They are upwardly mobile and by the time the festivities in France are over they may have shed their underdog tag altogether.

Wednesday’s semi-final against Portugal now has a glamorous sub-plot: Gareth Bale v Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the battle of the Galacticos the two protagonists could not be more different.

Laid-back, light-hearted Bale, a unifying force in a team now oozing with confidence and scared of nobody.

Versus the intense and brooding Ronaldo: looking evermore gaunt and desperate, driven to distraction knowing this tournament might be his last-chance saloon for international silverware.

Regardless of the ins and outs, it shows how far Wales have come in a few weeks. From Battle of Britain to world-renowned glamour tie, second only in stature to Ronaldo v Messi.

Wales fans would argue that matchup would pale into insignificance put next to their boys reaching the Paris final on July 10.

Few would now bet against their colours lighting up the Eiffel Tower again next Sunday.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Despite his luscious locks still being the envy of people up and down the country – boasting a soft dandruff-free touch – Joe Hart has had a summer to forget between the sticks.

Going into the Euros, he was England’s experienced rock behind a defence that lacked solidity. However, up steps Gareth Bale to spoil the party.

As soon as that forty-yard free kick found its way into the net, Joe Hart’s summer followed the usual pattern of English holidaymakers around the country – it went South. Not only was he the brunt of the age-old football cliché – ‘my nan could’ve stopped that’ – but also, he became an object of ridicule across social media.

Since England’s embarrassing Euro 2016 display, it seems as though Hart’s flaky form has followed him to Manchester. Out to impress his new manager, Pep Guardiola, Hart’s second-half display against Arsenal in a pre-season teaser was one to forget – conceding all three of Arsenal’s goals, including a clanger to gift Chuba Akpom a tap-in.

Unfortunately for Hart, he is quickly falling out of favour with Guardiola. Dropped for Manchester City’s Premier League opener against Sunderland, he could only watch from the sidelines as last season’s number two, Willy Caballero, pulled off some blinding saves to deny the Black Cats a point.

To rub salt in the wounds, Guardiola is now lining up a sweeper-keeper who fits the bill for his famous “style of play”. Fittingly enough, it looks as though City have found their replacement in Barcelona’s Chilean international, Claudio Bravo, in a deal believed to be around the £21m mark.

So, for a number one who once stood ‘his favourite shampoo brand’ above the competitors for the England slot, he is now also more likely to be seen as a Gamble than a Proctor in the eyes of his new England manager, Sam Allardyce, who is lining up Fraser Forster to make a start in goal for his first game in charge against Slovakia next month.

Whatever the future holds for Joe Hart, he certainly needs some reconditioning and an increase in confidence that comes with a flake-free head on his broad shoulders.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

West Ham have had far from an easy ride since they began life in their supposed new era, having moved to the London Stadium from Upton Park during the summer.

Having been knocked out of the Europa League by Romanian side Astra in the qualifying rounds, success in the Premier League is a must. All seemed to be going well last weekend when Slaven Bilic’s side were 2-0 up at home against London rivals Watford – until they fell to pieces and eventually lost 4-2.

With a trip to West Brom in the calendar for this weekend, the Hammers will have been confident that they could kick-start their season with a win at the Hawthorns.

However, the Croatian boss found his side 3-0 down going into the break and despite a slight rally in the second half with goals from Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini, the East London side were once again on the wrong side of a 4-2 result, and it’s fair to say the fans aren’t happy…

One fan has already started to wave goodbye to his hero…

Some fans have even begun to turn on their beloved Slaven Bilic…

Other fans from the footballing family merely used the defeat as a chance to poke fun at the Hammers…

It was a crazy summer for the Premier League, with the division as a whole outspending the vast majority of Europe single-handedly with an outlay in excess of £1billion and smashing countless records in the process.

Indeed, 13 top flight sides set new record transfer fees during the summer window and although Liverpool’s swoop for Sadio Mane didn’t officially break theirs (however, it could go on to with future add-ons), his initial £34million price-tag certainly raised a few eyebrows.

But considering midfielders who haven’t even established themselves as definitively the world’s best can now claim £89million fees, naming no names (Paul Pogba), we at FootballFanCast think the Reds’ costly investment in Mane was actually a shrewd bit of business – especially considering he’s already helped propel Jurgen Klopp’s boys into the top four.

In fact, we’re billing him as the signing of the summer – and here are FOUR stats from around the web to prove it!

No new signing has performed better this season

According to stat enthusiasts Whoscored, Mane has been the third-best performer in the Premier League so far this season, with a contribution of three goals and one assist in six appearances. Only trumped by Son Heung-min and Kevin De Bruyne, he’s actually the division’s best performing new signing, featuring nine places above Manchester United’s world-record acquisition Paul Pogba.

He’s the fifth-best dribbler in the Premier League

According to Squawka, the Senegal star has completed the fifth-most dribbles (aka take-ons) of any player in the Premier League this season – just eight less than dribble king Eden Hazard in fewer appearances. That ability to beat defenders has been fundamental to Klopp’s high-octane counter-attacking philosophy and it’s also worth nothing Mane ranks fifth throughout the Premier League once again for successful duels overall – also including tackles and aerial challenges.

Transfer Record vs League Position

Our mates at Transfermarkt have come up with a very curious calculation, comparing clubs’ rankings in terms of net spend during the summer transfer window with their current position in the Premier League table. As you can see, Liverpool boast the strongest difference in this regard, exceeding their net spend ranking by a whopping 13 places, and much of that surplus has to be credited to Mane – the Reds’ most expensive summer signing by around £10million. If he hadn’t proved to be such an effective addition, the Anfield outfit would likely be much further down this list.

Premier League’s best performer at home

Granted we’re working on a two-game sample, in this instance including 4-1 and 5-1 batterings of Leicester City and Hull City respectively – which explains why the Reds have three players in the top five of Whoscored’s tally of the Premier League’s best performers at home this season. Nonetheless, it remains incredibly telling that Mane is the only new signing in the top five and one of just three in the top ten, alongside Pogba and Burnley’s Steven Defour. If Liverpool are to launch a title challenge this season, they’ll need to make Anfield a fortress – and it appears Mane is ready to play a huge part in that mission.