All posts by h79snht.top

Newcastle’s defence seems to have been a permanent area of concern for the club, but it could be their downfall this season as they look to avoid the drop.

Coloccini and Mbemba have been inconsistent throughout this season, whilst the players who are tasked with protecting the defence are often bypassed far too easily.

McClaren could do a lot worse than moving for Championship star Lewis Dunk in the January window, as the Magpies look to reinforce their squad before they push to pull away from the bottom three.

As Mike Ashley may finally have to dip into his pockets once more, the Geordie fan base could finally begin to respect their owner if he starts to support the manager with signings.

The fans will be livid if the club drop back down to the Championship and this sort of addition would make a huge difference to the prospects of the rest of the season.

Here are FIVE reasons Dunk is the ideal addition..

Pot of Gold..

Splashing the cash is well worth it at the moment, as the Premier League braces itself for the huge TV money windfall.

Newcastle’s addition of Dunk would help keep the side in the Premier League and reap the benefits of the big money.

Back line changes..

With Wijnaldum and Sissoko often forced wide, the Magpies are short of natural wingers up the pitch so a move to playing with a back 3 could make sense for McClaren.

Janmaat would be adept as a wing-back and Dunk could add to the central defensive partnership or Coloccini and Mbemba.

Splashing on Jonjo

After spending a lot of money on Shelvey, bringing Dunk in for a comparatively cheap fee would be a shrewd piece of business by the Newcastle board.

Other defenders might be available, but Dunk has the quality to step up to the top flight and would be a cut price option.

Reader of minds..

With his stunning knack for intercepting passes, Lewis Dunk has a great mind when it comes to reading the game and the Brighton centre-back would nicely complement Mbemba’s physical game.

Crucial depth

As Coloccini’s career enters its twilight years, Newcastle are in dire need of a long-term centre-back partner to Chancel Mbemba.

Lewis Dunk will take time to adapt, but the extra quality in the squad would be welcome to Sch-teve when Coloccini is injured.

Despite beginning the 2015/16 campaign in rather assured style for Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace this season, Yohan Cabaye has nonetheless looked a shadow of his former self in the Eagles starting XI since the turn of the year, yet has subsequently seen his name linked with a surprise move away from Selhurst Park in the summer.

The vast majority of the Crystal Palace first-team squad have been distinctly short of their best in recent weeks, truth be told, but as Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have reportedly registered a surprise interest in landing the 30-year-old former France international for the upcoming league campaign, the ex-Newcastle United and PSG star could find himself departing south London far sooner than most expected.

So then, would the technically gifted central-midfielder really represent a shrewd capture for the Reds this summer, or does this particular transfer rumour remain little more than loose paper-talk and pure speculation at best?

Well, whilst Cabaye has admittedly dropped off the boil rather considerably for Crystal Palace in their last few league outings, this is a player who remains worthy of the relevant attention to likely come his way over the summer transfer period. When Cabaye first arrived as an Eagles player, his high profile introduction at the club was supposed to usher in a brand new era for Alan Pardew’s side – one that would eventually turn the plucky outfit from little more than top-ten hopefuls, into a side that could easily challenge for European qualification in the not too distant future.

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But after a succession of ill-timed injury concerns and a subsequent dip in form, Crystal Palace have now edged closer to the once distant threat of relegation, with their hopes of finishing in the top half of the English top-flight all but over.

Reports detailing Yohan Cabaye’s growing discontent with his current employers have therefore drawn great traction in recent weeks – and even if such stories remain relatively unfounded within the grand scheme of things, that hasn’t stopped the French midfielder from receiving further interest from some of Crystal Palace’s major Premier League counterparts.

On his day, this is a player who certainly knows how to impress his respective fan-base. When it comes to finding his team-mates with excellent vision all across the pitch, linking-up rather effectively with his attacking colleagues inside the final third, and also cropping up with his fair share of goals here and there on most given occasions – Cabaye usually seems to get the job done in somewhat stylish fashion to say the very least.

He may have failed to hit the ground running down at Selhurst Park since the turn of the year, but make no mistake about it, the former Lille man could certainly serve to improve the current Liverpool ranks, regardless of the distinct gap in status and prestige between the two Premier League clubs.

This particular switch will simply hinge on one major factor – the all-important transfer fee. Should Palace be demanding an extortionate amount for Cabaye this summer, then Liverpool really should opt to look elsewhere with all things considered. There’s no need for Klopp to break the bank on ageing players while several other emerging younger alternatives remain available for discussion this summer.

But if the Eagles nonetheless see fit to let the former Newcastle United favourite depart Selhurst Park in rather unceremonious circumstances at the end of the season, then perhaps the Reds would be wise to make their move after all. Cabaye is a top player on his day of course, as well as someone who would easily strengthen the Reds’ ranks in 2016/17.

So then, whilst this specific transfer still feels somewhat unlikely to take place if we’re all being honest with ourselves, maybe Liverpool could be tempted to move for the composed French midfielder.

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Manchester United travelled to West Ham this evening for the final ever FA Cup fixture at Upton Park and proved themselves worthy opposition, dusting off the cobwebs of an underwhelming season to claim a 2-1 victory and that all-important place in the semi-finals.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring after 54 minutes with a curled effort and was soon followed by Marouane Fellaini who, despite being deemed a poor selection by Louis van Gaal pre-kick-off, provided an inventive and instinctive finish after latching onto an Anthony Martial shot.

West Ham eventually hit back through James Tomkins, putting his head where it hurts to convert a set piece, but it proved to be too little too late for the rather emotional East Londoners.

Nonetheless, we at Football FanCast believe there is something to be learned from every football match, whether it’s a Champions League final or a Conference relegation clash, and with that in mind, here’s the FIVE things we learned from West Ham and Manchester United’s fitting FA Cup send off to Upton Park.

MARCUS RASHFORD IS THE REAL DEAL

In a squad that cost untold millions to assemble, it’s the prodigious talent of Marcus Rashford that is truly standing out. The 18-year-old seemed isolated for large periods of West Ham pressure but clinically produced when finally given the chance, putting United the lead after 54 minutes.

The manner of the goal is the real talking point here; the young forward shuffled his feet to make room inside the box before curling with pace and precision into the top corner, giving the Hammers’ Darren Randolph absolutely no chance.

We have a terrible habit of getting excited about young players too soon in this country but Rashford is rapidly emerging as the real deal. He looks like a modern footballer, with a slender and rangy frame, and is producing consistently like a top class striker – with six goals in eleven United appearances since his debut in February.

ANOTHER SOLID PERFORMANCE FROM FOSU-MENSAH

Another Manchester United youngster, another performance suggesting greatness in the years to come.

Indeed, right-back Timothy Fosu-Mensah began the match with the unenviable task of defending against West Ham’s creative left flank – at times battling against forward-thinking full-back Aaron Cresswell, playmaker Manuel Lanzini and attacking talisman Dimitri Payet at the same time with limited assistance.

But the withdrawal of Marcos Rojo saw the 18-year-old move to the opposite side of the defence and once again, he managed to keep substitute Victor Moses and winger-come-flying-right-back Michail Antonio at bay.

The Dutch hotshot eventually finished the match with five interceptions, the most of any United player, eight clearances, the most of any player for either side, and two accurate crosses – once again, the most of any United player.

ANDY CARROL A GOOD PLAN B FOR WEST HAM, BUT NOT PLAN A

West Ham were very busy in the first half and barring a 15-minute spell of clinical Manchester United dominance were overall, probably the better side. But they lacked real purpose going forward compared to recent weeks and although nobody can fault his effort, Andy Carroll’s presence at the spearhead of attack made the Hammers somewhat dysfunctional.

No doubt, the 6 foot 4 striker is a useful player – proving as much last week with a hat-trick against Arsenal to clinch West Ham a draw from seemingly certain defeat. But it was only when the Hammers went 2-0 down and began flooding the box did Carroll make a difference tonight, producing a knockdown from a set piece to assist James Tomkins’ late consolation goal.

It suggests a fundamental clash between the 27-year-old and Bilic’s preferred style of play. And with West Ham planning to invest in a top-class goalscorer this summer, you wonder whether Carroll’s East London spell might come to an end – especially considering his injury problems.

WHEN LVG NEEDS THEM MOST, HIS PLAYERS ALWAYS DELIVER

Louis van Gaal is detested by the majority of Manchester United fans and has spent large portions of the season attempting to extinguish claims that he’s about to lose his job, especially since Jose Mourinho became available in December. Yet the Dutchman just keeps on surviving.

And that is no miraculous occurrence. The fact of the matter is that whenever LVG needs his players the most, they always deliver for him in crucial games.

The 3-2 win over Arsenal last month came immediately after that shock defeat to FC Midjtylland, the Manchester derby win followed elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Liverpool and tonight’s victory has given the Dutchman a real chance of finding a silver lining to a disappointing campaign at Old Trafford.

I’m not suggesting LVG should be kept in charge for next season as a consequence, but he must be doing something right because the United squad continues to play for him – pulling him back from the brink of early retirement every time his legs seem to be dangling over the edge.

BYE BYE, BOLEYN GROUND – WELL, SORT OF

Upton Park, Boleyn Ground.. whatever you want to call it, emotions were running high in East London this evening. Of course, tonight was West Ham’s last ever FA Cup fixture at their historic ground ahead of their summer move to the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham fans didn’t get the night they wanted in terms of the result and for some periods, the Hammers’ inability to create decent chances was incredibly frustrating.

Nonetheless, it was a very memorable evening; those attending the game did the club proud in terms of atmosphere, BBC made some fantastic tributes at half time and all in all, it was the kind of game we’ve come to expect at Upton Park, laden with feisty challenges, some good football from both teams and one particularly exceptional goal.

But let’s not get teary-eyed just yet. West Ham still have a few more home games before the end of the season!

Relegation to the Championship has never been a bigger deal. With the money the TV deal offers in England’s top flight now, relegation into the second tier has never been so devastating. And for the three clubs who were demoted this year, the race to get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking has never been more important, with Newcastle United, arguably, in the greatest need.

Newcastle are a club that quite simply cannot survive at Championship level for more than a season. Seeing a team of such scale to tumble into the second division was a shock, as ‘The Toon’ are one of those sides that are quite simply ‘too big’ to be there for too long. Whilst some may argue no team is too good to be relegated, a club of Newcastle’s stature and size can’t survive in the second division for too long.

In Rafa Benitez, however, the club have an idol and the best man available to lead them back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. Some people are so confident the Magpies will be back that bookmakers are offering odds as low as 4/5 to see them return at the first time of asking – which says a lot and also suggests that they believe they need to get promoted as soon as possible.

With a wage bill as high as they’ve got and the interest in games at Championship level far lower than those played in the top flight, the Spaniard needs to perform some quick fixes to get his side back into the top tier right away. And this starts with pre-season. Rafa has the whole summer to get his squad up to size, get them match fit and add wherever necessary.

Their squad, on paper, should be good enough to see them go up at the first time of asking, but the Championship is a notoriously tricky league to get stuck in. Ask the likes of Fulham, Birmingham City, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday – all Premier League teams in the past decade or so, but sides that have been trapped in the division since their subsequent relegations.

Add teams like Swansea City and Blackpool into the mix – sides that have over-exceeded any expectations over the past few years – and you can see why the Championship is so tough. There are always those anomalies where teams prosper when you really can’t see how they’re doing it.

It’s a scrappy league where top quality football isn’t the only thing that will see you promoted. You need excellent squad depth and that ability to scrape 1-0 wins away from home on a long Tuesday night. With Newcastle being so far north, expect there to be some tough ties against London teams, or further south, in the middle of winter weeks, and this is where we will find out if they have what it takes to bounce back.

Rafa needs to get the Toon back as quick as he can – there will be financial and commercial troubles if he doesn’t. No pressure…

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Spain have enjoyed a host of successes in recent years, including back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. They have been the European Champions for 8 years now, but unfortunately for La Roja, a different memory will be fresher in the minds of their fans; Spain’s humiliating exit from the opening round of the 2014 World Cup. Picking up only one win over Australia, Del Bosque’s players were dumped out of Brazil at the first hurdle. Fast forward two years, and as their first Euro 2016 game draws closer, can Spain reclaim their footballing pride and win an unprecedented third European Championship in a row?

Looking at Spain’s form since the aforementioned World Cup catastrophe, their results have been respectable. Winning all but one of their Group C qualifying matches, the Spanish topped their group with relative comfort. As well as this, Spain managed impressive displays in their friendlies against England in November 2015 and Italy in March this year, showing they could still be considered a dominant force in Europe. However other performances prior to the Euros might have raise a few question marks. Most recently, Spain were shocked to a 1-0 defeat by minnows Georgia. Sporadic slip-ups like this and against Slovakia during qualification should not affect Spain’s confidence too much though; they are still favourites in their group and, justifiably, tipped to progress far.

Spain arguably have one of the best defences in the tournament, with Champions League winner Sergio Ramos pairing up at the back with La Liga rival Gerard Pique, both of whom were present for Spain’s Euro 2012 campaign. Playing behind them could be one of two goalkeepers; likely, we will see Manchester United’s player of the season David De Gea starting in between the posts, but veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas, present for all three of Spain’s tournament wins since 2008, is still seen as a potential starter by Del Bosque. It will be interesting to see whether he will favour Casillas, who undoubtedly underperformed in Spain’s 2014 World Cup games, but prior to that had been such an essential member of Spain’s all-conquering squad.

One area that may be Spain’s weakness going into France is their striking options. Without Fernando Torres and David Villa, both of whom were present in the starting 11 for their past two Euro campaigns, Spain are more likely to start a sole striker, with Juventus’ Alvaro Morata or Aritz Aduriz of Athletic Bilbao being the key contenders. Morata, scorer of Juventus’ winning goal in this season’s Coppa Italia against AC Milan, has proven himself as a forward who is good in the air and with his feet, netting seven goals this season.

However, he is unproven on the international stage, having been capped just nine times with three goals to his name, and it is likely that Spain will be relying on goals more from attacking midfield players that will feature this summer, such as Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta. Similarly, 35-year-old Aritz Aduriz made his debut for Spain in 2010 and has since only made 6 appearances. However, Aduriz is coming off a superb season for Bilbao, in which he netted 20 times in La Liga, and is definitely worthy of a chance to play in the tournament given his prolific finishing this year.

Undeniably, Spain remain a team of the highest quality and a dreaded opponent to be drawn against. They will be missing some key players up top from their last European Championship campaign, but with their established back four playing behind midfielders of such quality like Sergio Busquets, Fabregas, Iniesta and co, they are certainly deserving of their status as a favourites to succeed in this tournament.

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…

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Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern were granted their wish and Louis van Gaal is gone.

Up steps Jose Mourinho, who United fans at the Tavern are hoping will be the man to lead Manchester United back to glory and bring Premier League titles back to Old Trafford for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Of course, for United’s standards, 5th place is just not good enough but there were positives to take from 2015/16.

The rise of Rashford, the emergence of Martial and the FA Cup record equalling win were bright signs for United fans and the season wasn’t as awful as many believe.

Without the shock of Leicester, United would have had a place in the Champions League and only narrowly missed out on Europe’s biggest stage through goal difference.

There were a few names that went relatively un-noticed for United throughout the campaign, and they are names that surely deserve more credit than they are given.

Here are THREE men that are seriously under-appreciated at Manchester United……

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE THREE UNDER-APPRECIATED MAN UTD PLAYERS!

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Ander Herrera

Ander Herrera is one of the most hard-working and passionate players in the Premier League.

The Spanish midfielder made 41 appearances last season whilst he was involved in 11 goals and controlled the centre of the park in almost every game.

Perhaps, the 26-year-old is yet to live up to his price tag but his importance in the United side should not go un-noticed.

The Spanish fans at the Tavern think it is unfair that he has never been called up for the national side!

Juan Mata

Another Spanish man here and a man who looks as though will be leaving United in the not so distant future.

Mata has a rough relationship with Jose Mourinho and the two are unlikely to get on for the new season.

The World Cup winner has been one of United’s most exciting players in recent times as he scored 10 goals and assisted a further 11 in 54 appearances for the Red Devils this term.

The attacking midfielder is skilful on the ball and is a great threat going forward.

The United fans at the Tavern don’t want to let Mata go but we will see what the Special One thinks in a matter of weeks.

Daley Blind

Daley Blind played in almost every game for Manchester United throughout the campaign, but his input went largely un-noticed.

Blind played every minute of United’s FA Cup winning campaign and was instrumental at the back and sometimes even going forward, chipping in with a vital goal against Liverpool early on in the season.

United fans at the Tavern would be sad to see him go, but it doesn’t look like Blind is Mourinho material.

Everton’s summer of investment is likely to just be getting started. As clubs continue to eye up Romelu Lukaku and John Stones’ move to Manchester City edges closer, the Toffees need to reinforce their squad and they need to do it sharpish.

Ronald Koeman was a wise managerial appointment for the blue half of Merseyside and the future is looking – compared to 12 months ago – relatively bright.

Idrissa Gueye was a shrewd addition to the midfield, but there is still a definite need for signings ahead of the new season. Weaknesses are as glaring as they were under Roberto Martinez, reducing the hopes of a top eight finish – that so many fans will be demanding.

For a club with the ambition of Everton, it’s easy to become fixated on the more glamorous potential additions. Looking for stars at international level is good and well, of course, but there’s often a fair few gems right under your very eyes. And one club who possess a smattering of class acts are Newcastle, despite their abysmal campaign last time around.

Let’s take a look at THREE Magpies who could make the journey to the North West…

Chancel Mbemba

With Jagielka short of fitness, Funes-Mori positionally chaotic and John Stones on his way out of the club, a centre-back should be the top of top priorities for Everton.

There isn’t really an option to not sign a central defender now. The season is upon us and Everton have, like several other clubs, not addressed the most glaring issue in their squad sufficiently.

Chancel Mbemba, although playing in a rather questionable back line, impressed for much of last season with Newcastle. His strength is complemented by his impressive pace and would be a sensible addition to many Premier League defences. The marks against Mbemba are for his tendency to over-commit and that could just about put Koeman off a move.

Moussa Sissoko

The villain of Newcastle’s relegation, Moussa Sissoko has spent much of this seemingly summer on his way out of the club. The move that he has probably hoped for is yet to materialise and this is, in part, because Newcastle have whacked an extortionate pricetag on him.

Inevitably, if all parties want the move, this price could fall with some decent negotiation from Everton and it’s by no means impossible Everton could pick themselves up a bargain.

The 26-year-old powerful midfielder is at home on the right, but could do a job as one of a three man Koeman midfield if required.

Much maligned last season, Sissoko still produced seven assists in a drab campaign for Newcastle and registered 2.2 key passes per match in the 2013/14 season. He is not the ineffective player that many would like to imagine, it is simply about motivating him to perform.

If Koeman could do that, Everton would have quite an asset on their hands.

Ayoze Perez

As underused talents go, they don’t come much greater than Newcastle’s diminutive Spaniard, Ayoze Perez.

Newcastle have yet to grasp how it is best to use Ayoze, nor have they really found a regular position for him in the starting line-up. A natural creator with an eye for goal, he is best in the ten, but can certainly do a job from a wider role. Able to dribble out of tight spaces, he could certainly work well from wide areas for Koeman’s Everton.

One of Newcastle’s prized assets, Ayoze will unlikely come cheaply. However, Everton have the money and Perez would be a darn good way to spend it.

Celtic’s last big Champions League night hardly went according to plan, but the only solace is that it gets easier from there.

That really is the only solace, though, because it certainly doesn’t get much easier. Whilst playing Barcelona at the Camp Nou is the peak difficulty level of world football right now, hosting a Manchester City side who boast a 100% record in all competitions this season can’t be too far behind.

For Celtic, it may well be that their biggest games in this season’s Champions League come against Borussia Monchengladbach as they battle for a spot in the Europa League, but anything they can take off City and Barcelona will surely be a bonus.

The 7-0 thrashing at the Camp Nou in the last Champions League outing may not seem like the perfect blueprint for Wednesday night’s game, but Brendan Rodgers should stick with the back three formation (or back five, really) that he played in Spain. It may not have yielded the result, but if they can keep City at bay for longer than they kept Lionel Messi quiet, Pep Guardiola’s men may well find themselves in for a frustrating night: especially as they’ll be missing Kevin De Bruyne through injury.

It’s interesting, too, that City needed a late own goal from Paddy McNair to beat Sunderland in their opening Premier League fixture, and that was up against a similar formation to the one that Rodgers went with against Barcelona.

It’s possible he abandons the back five after what happened in Catalonia, but whilst it may not have borne fruit, it was probably the right tactical call: be brave Brendan and stick to your tactical guns!

Goalkeeper – Craig Gordon

Dorus de Vries may have been the Brendan Rodgers choice for the last few games, but Craig Gordon is surely the better shot stopper. De Vries might have been unlucky with the timing of Kilmarnock’s wonder goal last weekend – he probably couldn’t have stopped it, though conceding from that far out will always make people question your goalkeeping abilities.

Gordon, however, is a great shot stopper and may instil more confidence in his defenders – and they are both things that could be huge factors when it comes to playing a Pep Guardiola team in the Champions League.

Defence

If Rodgers sticks to his guns, a five-man defence could stifle City, but they’ll have to be more disciplined than they were at the Camp Nou where the first mistake led to a goal and after the missed penalty, heads dropped for the rest of the game.

Cristian Gamboa

He hasn’t really convinced yet in a Celtic shirt, but if Rodgers is going to play with a back three against City, as he did against Barcelona, he’ll probably need to call upon the wing-heeled attributes that Gamboa brings. If he’s disciplined defensively and makes the right decisions on the break, he’ll be an asset in the starting XI. The Costa Rican international is a good player who needs time to settle in Scotland: and a big European night at Parkhead is enough to inspire any player to greatness.

Mikael Lustig

Usually deployed as a full back, Lustig has the defensive presence to look very accomplished indeed on the right-hand side of a back three.

If he works well with Toure and Sviatchenko, Celtic will have a solid wall of defenders in front of their goalkeeper, and that will be tough for City to break down.

Kolo Toure

He’ll be determined to show his worth against a former club, but Kolo Toure will be worth more than that to Celtic in such a big European game.

Toure’s experience and leadership will have to come to the fore if the Hoops are to stifle Manchester City’s attacking brilliance.

Erik Sviatchenko

A solid choice who seems to be Brendan Rodgers’ choice. He’s forming a partnership with Kolo Toure, and although Celtic are winning games and improving, the fact that there’s only been one clean sheet so far this season will be a worry to Rodgers. If there was ever a time to put that right though….

Kieran Tierney

Although an outstanding performer in Brendan Rodgers’ preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, Kieran Tierney’s ability as an attacking full back could be key to Celtic against Manchester City.

The whole point of playing a back five is to allow the team to sit deep and stifle City’s attacking threat, but when you get the ball back, you need to keep it. And that’s where the wing-backs come in – they’ll need to make the right decisions to keep the ball and give the centre-backs a rest, whilst supporting the attack.

Midfield

It will be imperative that Celtic’s midfielders are not just there to defend against Manchester City. It may seem like a natural reaction after a thumping against Barcelona, but Celtic’s midfield has to be an attacking (or at least counter-attacking) threat against City.

It’s all well and good pressing with energy, but if you don’t keep hold of the ball when you get it, you’ll have to defend all game. If you do that, they’ll score sooner or later.

Scott Brown

If Celtic have Kolo Toure leading in defence, they’ll also have Scott Brown leading in the midfield. He’s a tough tackler and you know he’ll give 100% – against the likes of David Silva, though, that could make it a long night, especially if there’s a booking early doors.

Nir Bitton

The partnership with Scott Brown that’s grown up over the years will be crucial to Celtic stifling City’s creative midfield.

The silver lining is certainly the injury to Kevin de Bruyne, but Ilkay Gundogan will provide a very different type of test, and his European experience is huge.

Tom Rogic

In this sort of formation, you want someone who can link defence and attack. If Rodgers does go with a back three, he’ll need someone to be smart on the ball in an attacking sense when they get it.

As we saw in the first half at the Camp Nou, Celtic can pose a threat if they’re smart on the counter, and given his form in the win over Kilmarnock, why not trust him to be that link between Celtic’s packed defence and what will surely have to be a pacey attack.

Attack

Nominally, it should a two up front in this 5-3-2 formation, but it’s likely that the secondary striker will have to drop off and help the midfield. That’s not just a help defensively, however, it’s also a help in a counter-attacking sense. Having pace running from deep when Celtic do break means there’s always support to the ball carrier, and that means they can break in numbers.

Scott Sinclair

After his nightmare at Manchester City, Sinclair has a chance to rebuild his career at Celtic, and now he also has a chance to prove a point to his former employers.

And as we said about Cristian Gamboa, if he needed anything else to inspire and spur him on, the Celtic Park atmosphere on a European night will surely do just that.

Moussa Dembele

He’s the man who won the penalty against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, he’s the man who showed the most threat on the counter in that first half, but he’s also the man who – had he scored from the spot – would have made that game a very different one indeed.

Dembele is clearly a talent, as is Scott Sinclair, but they’ll both need to prove it against City this week if Celtic are to get something. Up front pretty much by himself for the whole game, it’ll probably be a thankless task for Dembele, but if he stays patient and alert, a chance could well come his way. Maybe, this time, he’ll take it!

Highly-rated youngster Josh Onamah made a rare appearance for Tottenham Hotspur last night in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup and it’s fair to say supporters weren’t impressed by what they saw.

Many have eagerly awaited seeing Onomah in action after hearing of his rise through Spurs’ youth academy and the player’s performances at various youth levels for England but Onomah, who scored in the last round against Gillingham, struggled in his latest appearance.

The 19-year-old underperformed against Jurgen Klopp’s side, with many feeling it was a missed opportunity for the player to make his mark, and many on social media were highly critical of what they believe was an awful performance from their academy graduate.

Struggling to mark the opposition and regularly misplacing passes, it’s clear to see why Spurs fans were unhappy with the player’s performances but it would be unwise to turn against the young player so quickly, as he clearly has some ability.

Spurs’ exit from the EFL Cup may lead to more limited opportunities for the youngster but he has a lot of work to do to make up for the impression he left last night…

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Down the years, a large number of players have signed for clubs for minimal fees whilst other teams somehow manage to waste fortunes searching for the right type of player.

Despite the heavy investment from foreign owners in the past decade, it has become a delightful sight to see a player sign for a near-nothing price and prove his weight in gold within a short space of time.

Take Everton’s Seamus Coleman, for example, who was once picked up from Sligo Rovers by David Moyes for a mere £60k. He’s now seen as one of Europe’s top attacking full-backs and a key member of the Toffees’ starting Xi.

Earlier this week, the Ireland international turned 28 years of age. So to celebrate his birthday, we at Football FanCast have created this select XI composed entirely of the Premier League’s best bargain buys.

Here’s 11 players that make up our bargain team of the Premier League era.

Joe Hart

Signed from Shrewsbury for £650k in 2006, not many but Stuart Pearce expected Hart to blossom into the goalkeeper he turned out to be.

Hart’s contribution for City over a decade has proved almost invaluable and despite his controversial departure in the summer, few could argue with his impact at the club.

Pearce did not do much right during his time as City boss. But signing Hart was certainly the best thing he did for City during his two-and-a-half-year stay at Eastlands.

Seamus Coleman

Signed by David Moyes in 2009 for just £60,000, Seamus Coleman has become one of the best full-backs to ever represent Everton.

Still only 28 years-old, the Republic of Ireland international has been sensational for the Toffees during his 7 year stay at Goodison Park.

Coleman would be argued as one of the league’s most underrated players and only for the colour of his passport, it’s most probable he would have made a move away from Goodison sooner to bigger pastures.

Nemanja Vidic

Has a Manchester United defender ever contributed to the club’s success as much as Nemanja Vidic? The central defender almost signed for Liverpool just six months earlier in 2005, but Vidic opted for Old Trafford when United came calling.

Vidic was the keystone to United’s success and would have gained more plaudits had Cristiano Ronaldo not been in the same United team. Vidic and Fernandind’s partnership could be argued as the best central-defensive partnership in Premier League history – not bad for a £7million fee.

Vincent Kompany

For that goal alone, have Manchester City ever spent £6.7million better than on Vincent Kompany in 2008? Signed from Hamburg when Mark Hughes was manager, Kompany was deemed the ‘next big thing’ before a devastating knee injury in 2007 occurred.

Many clubs were turned off Kompany, including Barcelona and Arsenal, but Hughes took a chance on the Belgian and what a signing he’s proved to be. Kompany is City’s most successful ever captain, having won two Premier League titles, an F.A. Cup and Capital One Cup trophies.

Patrice Evra

His debut for United came in a 3-1 defeat in the Manchester derby. Alex Ferguson subbed the former Monaco left-back at half-time and fans were scratching their heads wondering what Sir Alex had just wasted £5.5million on.

Six months later, Evra had settled into life in England by learning the language and adapting to the culture. He quickly became an integral part of the team and proved his weight in gold winning everything he could possible win at Old Trafford. He left in 2014 after 8 years at United and remains one of the club’s greatest ever defenders.

Roy Keane

Roy Keane and Manchester United were a match made in heaven when Sir Alex Ferguson forked out a minimal £3.2million in 1993. The Nottingham Forest midfielder was relegated with Brian Clough at the end of the inaugural Premier League campaign and his leadership caught the eye of United.

Keane scored two goals on his home debut against Sheffield United in August 1993 and twelve years later, he left with every major honour under his belt. He may have recently fallen out with Sir Alex but no one could deny Keane’s impact at Old Trafford.

Patrick Vieira

The greatest midfielder in Premier League history, Patrick Vieira had it all. Arsene Wenger’s first signing in 1996, many questioned Vieira’s ability after he struggled to adapt to life in England.

Once Vieira got going there was no stopping the French international. Arsenal have still struggled to replace Vieira since the former AC Milan midfielder left in 2005.

Gareth Bale

In 2007, Tottenham paid an initial £7million fee for a Welsh left-back from Southampton. Six years later, that “left-back” moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee after becoming the finest player on the planet.

Bale was switched to a left-winger by Harry Redknapp in 2010 when the club became short on numbers.

He destroyed opposition defences for three years at Tottenham after that and a move to Real Madrid occurred in 2013.

The Welsh international has become an even better player in Spain and doesn’t look like returning to England anytime soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo

At 17 years old, Ronaldo was close to joining Arsenal before Arsene Wenger was unwilling to pay the £12.75million fee requested by Sporting Lisbon. United moved in and secured the services of the Portuguese winger instead.

Ronaldo was incredibly raw at United until the 2006-2007 season saw him blossom and become one of the best players in the world. The season after. Ronaldo scored 42 goals and just 12 months later a move to Real Madrid occurred.

United made a £67.25million profit on Ronaldo and his contribution proved invaluable.

Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka cost Arsenal just £500k and for anyone not old enough to remember him as a teenager, then you can only be pitied.

Anelka was absolutely sensational and had blistering pace which was not seen in the Premier League at the time. He was a key member in Arsenal’s double winning season of 1997-1998.

He moved to Real Madrid in 2000 for £23million before he joined nearly every club in Europe. Anelka was absolutely devastating and potentially the best teenage footballer ever seen in the Premier League.

Christian Benteke

In the modern era, finding someone who can score more than 15 goals in a season is a rarity. Finding one for just £6million is sensational business.

Benteke was signed from Belgian side Genk for £7million in 2012 by Aston Villa and he proved his worth within a matter of months.

Benteke was sold onto Liverpool in 2015 for £32.5million and his departure was felt at Villa. The club were relegated the season after his departure.