After spending some pretty inflated sums of cash in last summer’s transfer window, yet subsequently failing to witness much return on their new stars when it mattered out on the pitch – Brendan Rodgers and his determined Liverpool side truly had a campaign to forget last term.

2014/15 can largely be defined as an extremely disappointing season for the Anfield faithful. The Reds categorically failed to build upon the success Luis Suarez brought to Merseyside just the year before, they looked uncharacteristically slow in almost every aspect of their game – and as for Liverpool’s record in front of goal last season – perhaps the least said about that, the better.

With the likes of Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert seemingly finding themselves somewhat out of their depth at Anfield, Liverpool have nonetheless approached the 2015 summer transfer window with some pretty distinct striking goals in mind.

The ever-loyal Raheem Sterling may have already packed his bags for the Etihad this summer, yet as Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings have already put pen-to-paper on a contract at Anfield in recent weeks, Rodgers does in-fact seem to be addressing his side’s major issues in front of goal from last season.

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However, even though several other top talents in the striking department have been purposely sounded out for the Reds this summer – Liverpool still arguably won’t win anything in 2015/16 for one reason and one reason only…

…and that would be Brendan Rodgers’ increasingly questionable defensive back-line.

Let’s face it, if the Anfield faithful had paid witness to an improved defence back in 2013/14, Liverpool could have easily won the league that season.

Even when the goals seemingly couldn’t stop flying in for the Reds with the likes of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Coutinho all pulling the strings in unison – defensive calamities ultimately cost Brendan Rodgers’ side dearly that campaign, and stopped the club from becoming the formidable European force that their fans so desire.

Although some new attacking outlets will eventually have to be sourced for the Reds in the not too distant future, Liverpool must therefore learn from their past errors and prioritize their back-line before anything else this summer. If their fans get carried away with the potential signing of a player like Christian Benteke in the run up to the 2015/16 campaign without enough solid defensive strengthening, the immediate outcome will likely prove successful, but the long-term effect could be disastrous.

Whilst Reds fans have seemingly taken to his style and overall work rate in recent years, Slovakia international, Martin Skrtel, ultimately isn’t quite at the level Liverpool require if they really want to solidify themselves as worthy Champions League representatives. The fearless centre-back obviously isn’t scared of putting his head where it hurts – yet when it comes to concentrating solidly for the whole 90 minutes and keeping the back-line as tight as possible – Skrtel has simply proved himself to be an incomplete defender time and time again.

The same can also be said of the increasingly ageing Kolo Toure, and the obscenely expensive Mamadou Sakho – who have each failed to provide their team with much reliability at the back whatsoever. Both centre-backs frequently fail to relieve the pressure throughout the rest of the team thanks to their unpredictable style and less than convincing approach.

Perhaps that same ability to make mistakes at key moments managed to rub off on fellow Reds centre-back, Dejan Lovren, last season as well, seeing as the former Southampton man also largely fell short of his requirements throughout the 2014/15 campaign.

The Premier League now knows all about such players well enough, and if the chance to exploit their respective weaknesses crops up across the coming season, expect even the lower placed teams to attack the Liverpool back-line at full throttle.

Nathaniel Clyne’s recent addition to Brendan Rodgers’ squad nevertheless seems likes a sensible one – but as Liverpool seemingly haven’t managed to improve their centre-back situation since the powerful Daniel Agger decided to move back to Denmark last summer – Clyne won’t exactly strengthen up the Reds defence overnight, will he?

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Therefore, even though a top striker would certainly be welcomed in at Anfield this summer with open arms to say the very least, Liverpool ultimately won’t look worthy of winning any silverware next season in their current precarious situation at the back.

No matter how optimistic certain Reds fans out there prove to be with every passing season, the club’s centre-backs at this stage of the game simply aren’t good enough, or reliable enough, to be trusted next term – regardless of how much money their initially cost Liverpool in the first place.

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Last night witnessed a Premier League first for West Ham – their first-ever comeback at the London Stadium, inspired by what had appeared an unlikely source in Andy Carroll.

The towering frontman hadn’t found a top flight goal since April, hadn’t started a Premier League game since November and endured the kind of first half that raised the inevitable question of whether the club could truly justify it’s long-standing faith in such an injury-prone striker when form while fit couldn’t always be guaranteed.

But as the Hammers looked to hit back from their one-goal deficit to West Brom in the second-half and confound the Leo Vegas odds, the other side to Andy Carroll came to life – the side that makes him an invaluable match-winner for a club like West Ham, especially during a season as turbulent as this one, and makes him one of the most unplayable forces in the Premier League.

Just before the hour mark, the 28-year-old rose above two West Brom defenders to head home an Aaron Cresswell cross from close range, and with ten minutes to go, Carroll completed his side’s – and his own personal comeback – by sliding in at the far post to tuck away Marko Arnautovic’s pass. Come the final whistle, Carrol’s influence on the match was undeniable; two goals from four shots, two chances created for team-mates, seven successful aerial duels and six touches in the opposition box.

Now one point and two places clear of the relegation zone, Carroll’s late brace could be looked back upon at a defining moment in West Ham’s season, one that transforms the campaign from one of fearing relegation to one of cautious optimism of sneaking into the top half by the end of May. But there’s one West Ham player the comeback does spell bad news for – summer signing Javier Hernandez.

Although he came on from the bench against the Baggies, finding a way to fit the former Manchester United striker, who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million, into the team has been a constant headache in east London this season.

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While there are still doubts over which system suits Hernandez best, Carroll has proved he successfully can lead the line within the confines of David Moyes’ game-plan.

West Ham United remain interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario this month, according to Sky Sports News.

What’s the word?

It has been widely suggested that Hammers manager David Moyes is keen to strengthen his midfield for the second half of the Premier League season.

The East London outfit currently reside 11th in the table, five points above relegation, but having the best squad possible will keep them on track for safety.

Sky Sports News claims that Mario initially rejected the idea of moving to West Ham, but has now become more open-minded to the possibility of a switch.

It is believed that the Italian outfit are open to sending their £40m man on loan with an option to buy.

What could have changed?

We will never be privy to that knowledge unless he shares it, but one could assume that the midfielder has realised that he will not be getting much game time in the coming months.

With the World Cup in Russia on the horizon, Mario will want to be playing as much football as possible in order to secure a place in the Portugal team.

So far this season, the midfielder has started just five Serie A matches and has come off the bench in a further nine.

Is Mario right for West Ham?

Bringing in a player that has zero Premier League experience is always a risk, particularly for a team that are trying to stave off relegation.

The Hammers have been linked to numerous midfielders in this window, but Mario has a certain pedigree.

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The 24-year-old understands how to compete at the top level, and he has the quality to do a decent job at the London Stadium.

Let’s not forget, Mario was a crucial component in the Portugal team that won the European Championships in 2016.

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Newcastle United fans face an anxious transfer deadline day as they await their club making the signings that can help them survive in the English Premier League.The Magpies have failed to make a single signing so far this month, a situation that hasn’t exactly gone down well with supporters.Can the club pull out all the stops at the last minute?One man they were reported to be tracking in the final days of the window was Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala, a player who has plenty of experience at the elite level and is rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.However it appears he’ll be another target they fail to attract to St James’ Park with Sky Sports reporting that Everton are confident of sealing a deal for the Frenchman at some point today.That news has upset Newcastle supporters, who are growing tired of the club’s inability to get deals over the line. Some are even calling it the worst transfer window they’ve ever seen.They took to Twitter to discuss latest developments…

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According to reports in The Sun, Everton are lining up a shock late January move for £15m-rated West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon, despite the fact they have already bought Cenk Tosun from Besiktas in a £27m deal.

The Sun says the Toffees are reportedly keen to bring the Venezuela international to Goodison Park before the transfer window slams shut on Wednesday after he caused all sorts of problem in his team’s 1-1 draw against the Merseyside outfit last weekend.

The 28-year-old, who was also involved in the unfortunate incident that saw James McCarthy suffer a double leg break, has 18 months left on his contract at the Hawthorns, but continues to be a regular starter under Alan Pardew.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez is desperate to strengthen his frontline before the end of the month and has been heavily linked with a club-record deal for Feyenoord centre-forward Nicolai Jorgensen.

However, there has been progress in negotiations with the Eredivisie outfit for the 27-year-old Dane as of yet, and bringing Rondon to St James’ Park instead could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons Newcastle must forget Jorgensen and hijack Everton’s move for the 6ft 1in attacker…

Premier League experience

Despite his impressive goal record for Feyenoord, Jorgensen has never played in the Premier League before and it would certainly be a huge risk to rely on him to score the goals to keep Newcastle away from the relegation zone in the coming months.

Coming from the Eredivisie and making an impact in the Premier League can be difficult – as the Magpies know all too well thanks to players like Siem and Luuk de Jong – and Rondon would certainly be less of a risk from that point of view.

The Venezuela international is quickly approaching 100 English top flight appearances for West Brom, and he knows exactly what to expect and what is needed to be successful at this level.

His qualities

While he has never been a prolific goalscorer for West Brom – which has been difficult for a lone centre-forward considering the Baggies were never a team that created plenty of chances under previous boss Tony Pulis – he has plenty more to his game than just being able to find the net.

The 28-year-old has scored 23 goals in 105 matches in total for the west Midlands outfit, but his work rate is impressive and he isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and cause big problems for opposition defenders – as he did at Goodison Park last weekend.

That fight and his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play could be vital for a club like Newcastle in their survival bid in the coming months.

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Price tag

The Chronicle Live reported on Tuesday that Jorgensen could set Newcastle back a club-record £20m fee before the window slams shut on Wednesday, but Rafa Benitez should be tempted to switch his attentions to Rondon if it is true that he could be signed for a fee of around £15m.

To sign an experienced Premier League player who can make a difference for them in the next couple of months for that amount is a no-brainer, and the Magpies would be mad not to hijack any Everton move for the 28-year-old.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

Things were looking a lot rosier for West Ham when they beat Huddersfield 4-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium early on in January, with fans expecting new signings to come through the door before the deadline day and with the club beginning to look up the Premier League table rather than over their shoulders towards the bottom three.

However, the rest of the month certainly didn’t go to plan for the east London outfit, as they lost in-form duo Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic to hamstring injuries in the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at the London Stadium.

They were subsequently beaten 2-0 by League One outfit Wigan Athletic a week later and saw midfielder Pedro Obiang stretchered off with an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season, while Arthur Masuaku was given a six-match ban after being sent off for spitting at a Latics player at the DW Stadium.

The addition of Joao Mario on loan from Inter Milan until the end of the season prior to the Wigan encounter gave fans hope that they would end January on a high, as the club continued to be linked with Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker – seen as one of the most highly-rated young defensive midfielders in European football.

The London Stadium faithful were also expecting a new striker through the door with Diafra Sakho joining Rennes and Andre Ayew returning to Swansea City, leaving Javier Hernandez and Toni Martinez as the only recognised strikers in the squad for the 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace on January 30.

One thing David Moyes didn’t need at that point – when he was already missing Arnautovic and Andy Carroll through injury – was Michail Antonio to turn up to a meeting late, but that is exactly what happened and he missed out on the 18 against the Eagles.

Deadline day started with hope, and then appeared to end in desperation for the club as they failed to sign the defensive or central midfielder they desperately looked to need, while they lost out to Newcastle United for the loan signing of Leicester City striker Islam Slimani because of comments made by Karren Brady, and instead brought in Jordan Hugill from Preston North End in a late £10m deal.

The West Ham fans aren’t very fond of their owners David Gold and David Sullivan, and they had every right to be angry and frustrated after a disappointing final 24 hours of the transfer window.

The club’s injury and suspension problems meant that Pablo Zabaleta lined up in an unfamiliar central midfield role for the trip to Brighton last weekend, with a poor display seeing Moyes’ men fall to a 3-1 defeat against their fellow strugglers to leave them just three points above the relegation zone.

The away supporters chanted for the board to leave and unveiled banners with a similar message, and you can’t help but feel it could have affected the players on a day where the defence in particular had an absolute nightmare – especially for Glenn Murray’s opener.

While West Ham fans are absolutely entitled to protest against the owners and the board considering what has happened to the club during their time at the helm, they also need to think about their players on the pitch and the situation the team currently finds itself in.

Those teams below them in the table – like Brighton – are beginning to pick up results and if the Irons continue to struggle to get wins on the board, they could quickly find themselves back in the dreaded relegation zone.

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They face a huge game against Watford at the London Stadium this weekend where they can reach the 30-point mark with a victory, and the crowd must leave their protestations against the owners to either before the start of the match or after the final whistle, and get behind their boys during the 90 minutes – boy do they need it right now.

West Ham supporters are understandably desperate for their owners to go, but being in the Premier League is vital too and with David Gold and David Sullivan unlikely to go anywhere before the end of the season and saying the protests “will achieve nothing”, now is the time to focus their attentions on the players and ensure that they aren’t distracted or affected by any animosity from the sidelines.

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Arsenal have confirmed on their official website, that they’ve agreed to a five-year extension to their current sponsorship deal with the airline, Emirates.

In fact, the sponsorship deal is one of the longest-running deal in the Premier League; Emirates became the Gunners’ shirt sponsor in 2006.

The latest announcement ensures that Emirates’ deal with the North London club will extend to at least 18 years.

Additionally, the extension ensures that Arsenal will fly on Emirates’ planes during pre-season tours, and Emirates will continue to have the right to create campaigns and initiatives across the globe.

The Gunners’ stadium will continue to be named the Emirates Stadium until 2028, an agreement that occurred during the extension in 2012.

The club’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis expressed his delight at the news and revealed that the significant increase in investment provided by Emirates would help the club compete for trophies.

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Despite the positive news, Arsenal fans were calling on the club to announce another deal through Twitter…

What are your thoughts? Let us know!

According to reports in the Daily Star, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is considering replacing Sam Allardyce with a younger and more dynamic coach this summer with Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique among the names on his shortlist, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

The Daily Star suggests that Moshiri is ready to sack Allardyce at the end of the season even though he signed a contract until 2019 when he succeeded Ronald Koeman in November, with results on the road for the Merseyside outfit in recent weeks particularly disappointing.

The report says that while sources close to the businessman have suggested he gets Shakhtar Donetsk’s Paulo Fonseca, he is ready to aim a little higher by going for former Barcelona chief Luis Enrique or Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone.

Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and they don’t seem to share the 62-year-old’s optimism about bringing one of those two to Goodison Park.

While one said “welcome Eddie Howe”, another said “let’s face it, neither Simeone or Enrique would come to us at the minute”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Southampton posted a 60-second round-up video on their official Twitter account on Thursday of manager Mauricio Pellegrino’s pre-match press conference for the crucial relegation six-pointer against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday, and Saints fans were quick to react.

Within the video the 46-year-old talked about how the south coast outfit have improved in 2018 having suffered only two defeats in their last nine matches, while he also talked about the possibility of playing with two strikers from the start against the Magpies.

Southampton’s goalless draw against fellow strugglers Stoke City at St Mary’s last weekend has ultimately meant that they must bring three points back from Tyneside if they are to have a good chance of beating the drop,

Southampton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the latest quotes from the man that they want to be sacked, and while one said they “can’t take anymore of this nonsense”, another described his words as “gibberish nonsensical rubbish”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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It’s getting harder and harder to visualise success in the Premier League.

If Manchester City win the league and League Cup this season, that would have been seen as a hugely successful season back in August. But by now, after months of breaking records and talk of being the best team in Premier League history, to go out in the Champions League quarter finals after an FA Cup defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic would seem anticlimactic. Even if it shouldn’t.

That shows the difficulty in framing success these days. It has become more and more binary. There’s success (winning trophies and achieving objectives to the letter) or there’s failure (everything else).

That’s even more pronounced at the bottom of the league – that clumped mass at the lower end of the table blocking up the plughole at the moment. Three can go down. If we say West Brom are already there, that leaves two places from seven or eight. It’s going to take a while for this blockage to subside: it’ll surely go down to the last day.

Bizarrely, then, Southampton have waited until now to sack their manager, with just three games left against teams who are in that bottom mash-up.

They’ve ended up here either through an arrogance in believing that, even if they’d made a mistake, they couldn’t possibly have made one which could lead to relegation, or through some misguided belief that the cream would just rise to the top. There has been no such upward movement of any team in the bottom pile-up this season – just teams beating each other.

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The main reason is probably the money involved: that’s simply smashed the hierarchy inherent in the division, with top clubs, the middle class and those fighting at the bottom. Now, it’s the moneyed elite and everyone else.

But it goes further than that: the situation is supercharged by the fact that it’s so difficult to measure success.

When you’re given tens of millions of pounds and you know everyone else has the same money you need to make sure you buy good players. As a result, most teams are ‘middle class’ teams, and as such they have ‘middle class’ players: they type of player, that is, who isn’t used to relegation battles and is playing in fear of making a mistake to take his team down. Saints are full of them – Mario Lemina, Sofiane Boufal and Manolo Gabbiadini, to name just a few.

But how can you be so ambitious as to want a team full of good players and make 13th place your idea of success?

It makes you wonder what the point is for most of the teams who are in this position. They are unlikely to win anything, and yet are in a constant state of stress because relegation seems like the end of the world – the end of the money anyway, and possibly culminating in a season like the one Sunderland are enduring, where double relegation is a probability. Indeed, if midtable security is to be your measure of success, perhaps a better one would would be to achieve that whilst also instilling an attractive style of play.

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That’s why we shouldn’t get bogged down in the current narrative around Southampton.

The club made a mistake in sacking Claude Puel, that much is abundantly obvious. But we live in a world where safe but uninspiring football will bring you midtable mediocrity (and yes, last season a cup final, but it won’t do that every year). We should never criticise a club for wanting to break free. If they found Puel’s style of play unattractive, who are we to say be careful what you wish for? It was a mistake in hiring Mauricio Pellegrino, sure, but was it really wrong to sack Puel?

Southampton are a club in real danger now. Outside of games against Swansea, West Ham and Bournemouth, Saints face three of the top six and two of the safe midtable sides battling for seventh and – probably – the final European spot. But they are also a club who thought that just being a boring Premier League club whose idea of success was obscurity and pocketing the huge sums of money you get just by being there was akin to some form of existential nihilism.

They’ve made the wrong choice. They’ve appointed a man whose football was no better and who made strange choices in personnel. But they did it from – arguably – a good place. We might just be about to see why no one else wanted to do it.