All posts by h79snht.top

The hope will be that Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers will finally tame Mario Balotelli and bring the best out of the Italian for an entire season. That hope was held in the past by Manchester City and AC Milan, both aware of the undoubted talent in the striker but unable to convince themselves that the headache was worth a reward that wasn’t guaranteed.

Though Balotelli has a good record in front of goal for Milan, the club have made no secret of their intention to sell this summer. Liverpool’s bid and interest has come late– and that’s if we’re to believe Rodgers’ statement that Balotelli was “categorically” no on the agenda. That they’ve been unrivalled in their advances for Balotelli should be an indicator as to how volatile the forward can be. There is upside, obviously. But few clubs have deemed him worth the gamble.

Whichever way you cut it, £16 million is a bargain fee for a striker with so much experience, potential and current ability. Balotelli’s baggage is well known and that wackiness and unpredictable nature looks set to be warmly welcomed back to the Premier League. If Liverpool and Rodgers strike gold, they’ll easily be able to forget the goals that have been lost following Luis Suarez’s departure to Barcelona. Yes, the style of play is different; Suarez is a livewire that looks to control the game from all areas of the pitch, whereas Balotelli can appear subdued for the majority before providing a match-winner in spectacular fashion.

There is nothing that really needs to be said about Balotelli acclimatising to the Premier League. Regardless of whether he’s been involved in English football before, Balotelli is that rare breed of footballer that can seamlessly slot into any league, no matter its reputation; his unwavering confidence in his own abilities providing the platform for him to succeed.

It’s been clear that Liverpool have needed another striker since Suarez’s sale became a talking point during the World Cup. I’m not for following the line of thinking that dictates that in order to compete successfully in the Champions League you need a wide assortment of strikers. There are plenty of top clubs who compete in UEFA’s premier club competition with far less than four senior strikers.

But Liverpool only have Daniel Sturridge to turn to this summer. There’s a lot of romance attached to Rickie Lambert’s move from Southampton to Anfield, but the 32-year-old is not good enough by a long way to play anything more than a reliever.

Liverpool are simply taking advantage of the availability of a striker that can offer far, far more than, say, Wilfried Bony. The Swansea forward isn’t the headache (and understatement, of course) the Italian can be, but his talents fall well short of what Balotelli can produce. The fees, with Swansea now open to negotiating Bony’s sale, would be in the same ballpark.

Liverpool can also find a lot of comfort in Balotelli’s age. Having recently turned 24, Balotelli has the kind of sell-on value that will see the club recoup their £16 million investment. Naturally the club will need a buyer if that situation comes to pass, but for arguments sake, there should be no worry about recording a future loss in their signing of the striker.

With Balotelli, it doesn’t appear as straightforward as simply having a troubled forward find a manager who can guide him away from his current controversial nature. Balotelli is naturally the kind of person who likes the attention, whether it be in his post-match interviews or his driving of camouflaged Bentleys. Top managers at three major European clubs have been unable to force the Italian to mature; there is no guarantee Rodgers will finally be able to do so.

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But at only £16 million and the upside so rewarding, there is no obvious danger in Liverpool completing a deal for Balotelli.

Unless he changes his ways, sooner or later the biggest clubs around Europe will collectively decide that they’ve had enough. Fortunately for the Italian international, that time hasn’t come yet.

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Everton could see their loan move for Monaco forward Lacina Traore scuppered, after an injury to Radamel Falcao, according to the Express.

Traore was expected to complete a loan move to Goodison Park after being granted a work permit, but a knee injury to Falcao means Monaco may now opt to keep hold of the striker.

Traore only completed his transfer from Anzhi Makhachkala during this transfer window, but the French club had always planned to loan him out for the remainder of the season.

West Ham were amongst those believed to be interested, but it appeared Everton won the race for his signature.

But with Falcao expected to be sidelined for several months, Monaco are reconsidering their options.

A statement on Monaco’s website revealed the club are still waiting on the outcome of tests to know the full extent of the Colombian’s injury.

It read: “Radamel Falcao took a blow to the left knee. We must await further tests in the coming days to determine the exact nature of the injury.”

Everton are likely to find out in the next 48 hours whether Traore will be allowed to join them as initially planned.

If not, Roberto Martinez will be forced to hunt for an alternative with just eight days of the transfer window remaining.

Click below to see Arsenal, Fulham and Everton in action this weekend!

Oh January, the transfer window that always seems to throw up late additions.

We’re now closing in on the deadline, and although signings have been, shall we say, small scale so far for Arsenal, there is time on the clock and potential for ‘the big one’.

Last year brought… Kim Kallstrom, but Gunners fans everywhere will be hoping for special arrivals to kick-start their top four quest, and here is how we think the club’s XI could look in February in a dream scenario…

Petr Cech

An unlikely one, admittedly, but a move for Cech would be a dream one for many Gunners fans. The Czech Republic international has been linked with a stunning move across London from Chelsea to Arsenal, and although a summer deal looks more likely, even the faintest glimmer of a swoop before the window closes is music to fans at the Emirates Stadium’s ears. With Wojciech Szczesny not exactly flavour of the month at the club, Cech’s experience would be a massive benefit.

Mathieu Debuchy

Injured and shifted to the centre of defence for much of this season, Arsenal haven’t really seen the best of Debuchy in his natural role this term. The Frenchman is an exciting attacking force and a solid influence heading towards his own goal, and Arsene Wenger is likely to relish the chance of getting him into just that position for the remainder of the season.

Gabriel Paulista

The Villarreal man’s arrival looks nailed on, with Arsenal and the Spanish club having all but sealed the deal. The Brazilian centre-back will be a welcome addition to the Gunners’ squad, with the sale of Thomas Vermaelen over the summer having exposed a real lack of depth at the heart of Wenger’s rearguard. With Per Metrtesacker’s mobility an issue against some of the Premier League’s more nimble attackers, Paulista could play a big role for the Gunners.

Laurent Koscielny

Very much a fans’ favourite nowadays, the French centre-back is a vital player at the Emirates Stadium.

Classy on the ball, solid at the back and increasingly influential around the club, keeping ‘Kos’ fit for the remainder of the season could be vital in Arsenal’s top four hopes. Wenger will surely look to get as many minutes as possible from the ex-Lorient man over the coming months.

Kieran Gibbs

Arsenal’s top left-back when fit and firing, Gibbs is a useful tool going forward for the Gunners.

Not always the most reliable of players defensively, Wenger does appreciate the skills of Gibbs, whose deficiencies could well be masked by some better play at the heart of the defence and greater support from the winger in front of him through any 90 minutes.

Asier Illarramendi

‘The new Xabi Alonso’, links between Arsenal and the classy Spanish passer began to surface last week. Good on the ball, adept at both short and long passing and relatively adept at shielding his own back line, the Real Madrid man could be a wise long-term addition for Wenger, who has shown in the past that he loves midfielders of Illarramendi’s skill set.

A summer move is said to be more likely, but the slim prospect of a deal being agreed over the coming week and a bit is exciting for Gunners fans.

Ilkay Gundogan

Another silky ball-playing midfielder to be linked with Arsenal is Dortmund’s Gundogan.

The Germany international has been one of BVB’s star names over the course of the past few years and is now back in action after a lengthy injury lay-off – which ruined his 2013/14 campaign.

Although not the orthodox ’holder’ Arsenal are believed to be in need of, Gundogan offers creativity and goal, which is always of use!

Alexis Sanchez

No Arsenal team will be complete without the Chilean star!

Sanchez has been simply fantastic since his summer arrival from Barcelona, fully justifying the fee of over £30m paid for him and the lengths Wenger went to to keep Liverpool’s interest at bay.

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The all-action attacker has already won games on his own for the Gunners, and can slot in anywhere across the frontline.

Aaron Ramsey

That goal alone against Galatasaray justifies Ramsey over Jack Wilshere for us. The Welshman has also been impressive in terms of passing and creativity over the course of the past few seasons, with his recovery from that horror leg break having been, thankfully, good thus far. Wenger clearly admires his midfield star, whose ability to support the attack, but also track back, important in the Gunners’ fluid way of playing.

Santi Cazorla

Santi has been simply excellent in recent weeks. The Spaniard’s showing in the Manchester City win was breathtaking with his composure from the spot and ability to whip in a mean ball from set-piece situations having been vital in the victory.

Although the pace may not be there, Cazorla’s footballing brain allows him to drift into the right pockets of space, while his neat feat are useful in and around the box.

Edinson Cavani

The rumour that just won’t go away! It seems that every week the Gunners are linked with PSG’s Cavani, who is happy one day, then agitating for a move the next. Recent reports suggest that the summer may be the time to get the silky forward, yet January is known for late shocks and panic buys, so there remains the possibility of a late deal for Cavani.

With the January transfer window now closed, Mauricio Pochettino has six months to decide who does and who doesn’t have a future in his Tottenham squad before the market reopens in July.

Having changed in both management and philosophy this season, Mirror Football claimed the Lilywhites were planning a mid-season clear-out last month, but the only notable departure came in the form of Aaron Lennon, who joined Everton on loan until the end of the campaign.

Resultantly, Spurs are now expected to separate the wheat from the chaff this summer instead, and just in case Pochettino is undecided on a few of his first teamers, here’s FIVE we think he should throw on the scrapheap.

ROBERTO SOLDADO

The most expensive signing in the club’s history, Tottenham desperately need to get some money back on Roberto Soldado before the £27million flop loses all market value.

How much blame can be attached to the Spain international for his wayward form remains open to debate; he always lacked the athletic threat of your generic Premier League striker and of his 81 goals for Valencia, very few were from outside the box, yet Spurs averaged the second-most long-shots per-match of any Premiership side in the two campaigns prior to his summer 2013 arrival.

In other words, Soldado was up against it from the start – but that hardly makes his return of just seven goals in 40 Premier League appearances (four of which have come from the penalty spot) easier for the Lilywhites to swallow.

Now 29 years of age, a shadow of his former La Liga self and unlikely to ever reclaim his first team place from Harry Kane, having started just one Premier League fixture since December, it’s imperative the north Londoners cut their losses on Soldado this summer and get him off the wage bill.

Recent speculation claims Sevilla and Real Sociedad could be prepared to take the misfiring forward off Tottenham’s hands.

PAULINHO

Another prime flop of the summer 2013 transfer window, Paulinho’s never quite grasped the high-intensity nature of the Premier League, despite his broad shoulders and decent return of six goals in 30 league outings for Spurs, as an elusive, passive presence that often drifts in and out of games.

That goal-scoring battle-cruiser of box-to-box delight we all saw at Corinthians has never quite arrived at White Hart Lane, and his role in Brazil’s World Cup campaign, ending with that incredible 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals, appears to have knocked the stuffing out of the 26 year-old – his performances this year have dropped to an even lower standard.

It’s not as if Maurico Pochettino hasn’t given the 5 foot 11 midfielder opportunities to impress; he’s issued Paulinho one start and ten substitute appearances this season, in addition to regular outings in the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, in a variety of different roles.

Yet, the Selecao star has struggled to adapt to the Argentine’s high-pressing philosophy, and the fact of the matter is that he’s simply too valuable financially to be wallowing on the bench for every game.

The Evening Standard claimed last month, for example, that Cortinthians, Cruzeiro, Inter Milan and Schalke were all keen on signing Paulinho. If there’s that many clubs interested in the South American, Spurs will almost certainly recover the vast majority of their original £17million investment.

Younes Kaboul

Many were surprised when Mauricio Pochettino offered Younes Kaboul the captain’s armband at the start of the season. Somewhat less surprisingly, it only took a few months for the Spurs gaffer’s faith in the Frenchman to completely evaporate.

Indeed, the 29 year-old centre-back hasn’t started a Premier League fixture since November, and in his absence both Federico Fazio and Eric Dier have proved themselves to be far more dependable partners to Jan Vertonghen.

My criticism of Kaboul is a simple one; he’s a lazy defender, too dependent on his recovery pace to prevent goals, rather than positioning himself properly to nullify attacks before they even start.

Quite clearly, the former Portsmouth star’s Spurs career has run its course, and The Independent even alleged on deadline day that he was on the verge of moving to West Ham in a £2.5million deal.

With just a year left on his contract come the summer, the Lilywhites will likely let the defender leave for a nominal fee.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

By hook or by crook, Tottenham need to find a way of getting Emmanuel Adebayor out of their club.

Not only is the 30 year-old one of the most mercurial strikers in the Premier League, who has wasted the majority of his career – and his world-class potential – arguing with team-mates, managers and fans, but he’s also on an incredible £100k per-week according to The Telegraph.

A hardly justifiable salary, considering the Togo international has scored a rather unspectacular 18 goals in his last 55 Premier League appearances and is famed for his work-shy attitude.

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Many were shocked when Daniel Levy blocked Adebayor’s January deadline day move to West Ham at the final hour, but Spurs will almost certainly offload the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker in the summer.

ANDROS TOWNSEND

Mauricio Pochettino is clearly a fan of Andros Townsend and the winger’s form when called upon in the Premier League this year has been decent if rather unspectacular.

Yet, id’ much prefer to see the 23 year-old moved on this summer and now-Everton loanee Aaron Lennon reinstated within the Tottenham squad instead.

Not only has Lennon spent over a decade at White Hart Lane, but his pace, defensive contribution and versatility can be huge assets to any Premier League club when used in the right way.

Townsend, on the other hand, will always be a rather temperamental character – sometimes he looks like the best player on the pitch, other days he seems under-qualified to even represent Tottenham’s reserves.

His potential is well-known however – I’m sure we all remember those excellent QPR performances and that stunning goal for England against Montenegro – so the Lilywhites could likely attract a decent fee for the home-grown starlet.

QPR, Southampton and West Brom are all known to hold an interest in the pacey wide-man.

Cardiff are set to make moves for Al Ain star Jires Kembo and West Brom’s Peter Odemwingie, according to reports from the Daily Mail.

Bluebirds boss Malky Mackay has made adding creativity in wide positions his priority before the transfer window slams shut in just over a week’s time, and sees the duo as ideal solutions.

Odemwingie is believed to have little future at the Hawthorns, with his relationship with the club still strained following his January antics – where he attempted to force a move to QPR.

The 32-year-old has also slipped down the pecking order under Steve Clarke of late, who has drafted in a number of fresh attacking players.

Although Odemwingie is a controversial character, Mackay believes that his Premier League experience could be vital in keeping Cardiff in the top tier.

Meanwhile, Kembo – who plays for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates – could also be keen to make a summer move.

The former France U-21 international only moved to the Middle East last year, but could be persuaded to make a return to Europe already.

Kembo has also been linked with a return to Ligue 1, but Mackay is hopeful that the lure of Premier League football could be enough to convince him to switch to South Wales.

Cardiff fans, would this pair increase your chances of safety?

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Have your say below!

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We all mull through transfer rumours every day, be it reading a newspaper on the train home, on the iPad while grazing over a bowl of cereal, or a quick gander at Sky Sports News before bedtime. But we all know that the vast majority of them are complete nonsense, dreamed up by some overworked journalist scared they’re about to get the sack from the Daily Mail.But every now and then, should one be able to comb the wealth of misinformation in front of them, a transfer rumour eventually proves true.And with that in mind, here’s FIVE January window-based rumours involving Arsenal that we at Football FanCast think might actually happen.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ARSENE WENGER TO OPEN UP A CAN OFÂCOLD, HARDÂTRANSFERÂRUMOURS [/ffc-gallery]

FABIAN SCHAR

Arsenal desperately need another centre-back in January and FC Basel prodigy Fabian Schar fits the bill perfectly.

Not only was the 22 year-old statistically the best defender in the Champions League last season:

…followed up this term with an equally impressive performance against Liverpool in Group B:

But a January move away from St. Jakob-Park now seems inevitable, with the Swiss international’s contract entering its final six months and a new deal unlikely after Schar’s revelation that he ‘needs a team with important prospects’.

Wenger will reportedly be given £20million this January, so the £10million-rated defender more than fits into his budget. Here’s a clip of Schar in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/ZpiVFCUXbz0?rel=0

But Arsenal are by no means the 6 foot 1 defender’s only suitors; he’s been linked with a variety of clubs, ranging from Barcelona to Tottenham and several in Serie A, over the last 18 months.

WINSTON REID

In a similar vein to Fabian Schar, if Arsene Wenger’s looking for a quick fix at centre-back this January, he’ll likely turn to West Ham’s Winston Reid.

The 26 year-old may not be the most talented footballer to ever grace the Emirates, but a master of the nuts and bolts of the defensive trade, his simple-yet-effective style could be the perfect counterbalance to Arsenal’s more flamboyant philosophy. Think a modern day, equally as awkward and elbowy Martin Keown.

Here’s a clip of the New Zealand skipper in action:

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

Furthermore, Reid’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and Hammers co-owner David Sullivan has revealed that the centre-back wants European football.

It was first assumed the 6 foot 3 defender’s Upton Park future would resultantly depend on where the Irons finish this season, but The Times claim he’s now been given a transfer ultimatum:

If Reid doesn’t pen his new £60k contract by mid-January, he’ll reportedly be sold, but Manchester United are strongly linked too:

William Carvalho

Admittedly, Arsenal spending anywhere above the £20million mark on a single player in January seems a little hard to believe.

But Arsene Wenger told BeIN sport he wants to sign a physical midfielder back in September:

And there’s been some interesting developments regarding well-known Gunners target William Carvalho since the north London side’s alleged deadline day bid for the Sporting Lisbon enforcer:

First of all, the 22 year-old’s improved contract, alleged in September, is yet to materialise, following prior reports that he had actively rejected a new deal.

Secondly, the Portugal international claimed in October that a move to the Premier League or La Liga will happen ‘sooner or later’.

And thirdly, Sporting are on the verge of striking a deal to take the full rights of all their third-party owned players, including Carvalho, meaning the debt-ridden club will receive the maximum profits from selling the midfielder in January and Arsenal won’t have to deal with any complicated legal issues.

Is that enough to suggest Arsenal will pounce in the New Year? Perhaps not, but it significantly increases the likelihood of Carvalho leaving between now and next season. Here’s a clip of the Portuguese prodigy in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/Dld9uMC2jyE?rel=0

JOEL CAMPBELL

After netting this absolute stunner against Manchester United during a year-long loan with Olympiacos last season:

And also scoring for Costa Rica at the World Cup:

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

Many expected young winger-forward Joel Campbell to be thurst into first team action at the Emirates this season.

Unfortunately however, he’s amassed just 37 minutes in the Premier League, in no small part due to Wenger splashing out around £50million on forward duo Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez during the summer.

Although the South American has dismissed reports he’s unhappy at Arsenal via a video interview on his personal website:

//www.youtube.com/embed/D5mbmQs5_ek?rel=0

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…the 22 year-old’s agent claims he wanted to join either Serie A or Roma during the summer:

Still struggling for game time, a Serie A switch could be rekindled, whilst Everton have also been thrown into the mix:

But having refused to rule one out earlier this month, it seems Arsene Wenger would be keener on a loan deal than letting Campbell leave permanently.

YOHAN CABAYE

Not much about this transfer rumour makes sense; the last thing Arsenal need is another slender-built holding player and Yohan Cabaye has denied reports that he’ll leave PSG in January.

Yet, in the crazily paradoxical mind of Arsene Wenger, you can see this deal actually happening. The Gunners gaffer clearly likes his deep-lying playmakers of the Mikel Arteta mould and the former Newcastle star, who bagged 17 goals in 79 Premier League appearances for the Toon, fits the bill perfectly, famed for his cultured feet and occasionally gritty defending. Here’s a clip of Cabaye in action:

//www.youtube.com/embed/y7WFUWe5x_w?rel=0

He’s also French, a nationality which always sits well with the Emirates boss, and despite proclaiming his loyalty to the Parisians, for now, the 28 year-old will undoubtedly be sounding out offers in January after making just six starts in all competitions this season.

Would Arsenal fans be particularly pleased with this transfer? Probably not, but that’s never stopped Wenger before.

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Every round of Premier League fixtures involves controversial refereeing decisions that makes fans and pundits alike question the standard of officiating in this country. From offside decisions to the failure to award a corner when it should have been, there is no end to the debate every weekend.

The fear is that it can only get worse because, after years and years of talking about the same incidents that result in the same decisions, there seems to be no improvement from the men in the middle, or even their assistants.

The recent festive period failed to disappoint. The round of fixtures before Christmas saw Anthony Taylor hit the headlines by sending off both West Ham’s Carlton Cole and Everton’s Darron Gibson for what were challenges worthy of yellow cards at most. Cole’s dismissal looked to have changed the outcome of the game with Everton going on to take all the points afterwards, and then Gibson’s red in the dying stages stunk of an attempt to level things out by Taylor.

Both reds have since been rescinded but West Ham will still feel aggrieved because they ultimately lost points from what was a poor decision. This is the harsh reality of what poor refereeing does – it costs teams points, points that they can never get back.

Boxing Day brought up several more controversies and the managers who’s teams were affected look set to be fined for speaking out against the respective referees. All managers have a case to argue and all but Sir Alex Ferguson saw their team suffer as a result.

But how can things improve in the Premier League? It is clear a lot needs to be done and it could be said referees need more immediate policing. As it stands, the performances of officials are analysed on DVDs after games and, apart from more serious incidents, are not really punished for bad performances.

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One way to go about things would be to have someone in the stands watching the referee live, marking his performance, his decision making and his positional awareness. Then, when it comes to reading his match report he will have someone there to either agree or disagree with his reasons behind what he claims he did and did not see.

The official in the stands would also be able to speak with the referee during the game, giving his thoughts on incidents in order to aid a referee when his view isn’t particularly clear. This is already the job of the referee’s assistants and it should also remain that way, but with the help of a man who can see every that’s going on from an elevated view, there would be much less room for error.

We all makes mistakes, but we also tend to learn from them. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with referees at the moment. One mistake in a game can be acceptable, especially when you consider the speed at which the game is played as well as the fact officials don’t have the luxury of replays.

But, if a referee makes more than one mistake and subsequently costs a side a result, then they should be made to face the consequences. When a player makes a mistake and mis-times a tackle he is punished, so why shouldn’t referees receive the same treatment? After all, it is their mistakes that can prove just as costly to the outcome of a match as a player making a mistake and being sent off.

The argument in favour of a video referee also has significant substance behind it because the referees will be able to have the help of someone who can see replays, just like in rugby and cricket. The fear of a video refereeing disrupting the flow of the game is fair enough, but adding on an extra few minutes to a football match in order to ensure decisions are made correctly doesn’t seem like much of a hindrance, does it?

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The general consensus is that the majority of referees in the Premier League just aren’t good enough to handle the pressure of what is a stake in the game these days. Money, bragging rights and reputations are all on the line and can be won and lost on the basis of just one or two wrong decisions.

So unless some drastic changes are made to the way referee’s performances are analysed and even the introduction of some extra help from the stands, teams, players, managers and fans will continue to feel hard done by each and every week.

What do you think? Do referees need more training and even more help in order to erradicate serious mistakes, or should we accept that it’s what happens in football and move on? Leave your thoughts below.

Manchester United will attempt to continue their impressive run of form when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils have won their last five matches in all competitions without conceding a single goal, and will be confident of a strong performance against Spurs.

Alexis Sanchez is set to make his Premier League debut for United, whilst the likes of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial should return to the XI following last week’s 4-0 win over Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The United fans are feeling pretty good about themselves at the moment, especially considering that the arrival of Sanchez was followed by head coach Jose Mourinho signing a new long-term contract.

Another victory against Tottenham on Wednesday would consolidate second spot in the Premier League table.

United’s Twitter account looked ahead to the match on Tuesday, and the response section was full of the club’s fans revealing their confidence.

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A selection of the reaction can be seen below:

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While it seems impossible to create a successful Premier League side without pace and power these days, sometimes the focus on physicality creates an imbalance. That’s been the ultimate problem in West Ham’s midfield over the last few seasons; Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate offer fantastic dynamism and strength, but they struggle to see the bigger picture and can be sloppy in possession.

Although Mark Noble has proved himself a far more economic user of the ball over the years, there’s a defensive and simplistic bias to his passing game too – sideways or backwards, rather than using the ball to cut through opposition lines and bring talents like Manuel Lanzini into play.

In a relegation battle, that may not seem markedly important; Sam Allardyce and many more would argue the kind of defensive solidity Obiang, Kouyate and Noble can provide is far more vital to beating the drop.

But if the Hammers wish to escape the scrap for survival in time to give themselves a chance of making something more from this season, finding a deep-lying playmaker who can link the defence to the attack to bring West Ham’s exciting forward cast into the game is a must for David Moyes this month. With that in mind, it’s little surprise Joe Allen has emerged as one of the leading candidates.

‘Welsh Xavi’, courtesy of Brendan Rodgers, inevitably created a comparison the midfielder could never live up to at Liverpool, and as we often unfortunately do to young players in English football, Allen became something of a running joke during his first few seasons at Anfield.

But by the end of his tenure, his once-passive passing game was rightly judged as something far more technically demanding and intelligent, and since joining Stoke City it’s been combined with a real aggression off the ball and a desire to impact the game. Playing such a prominent role in a Wales side that regularly exceed expectations under Chris Coleman unquestionably helped too, Allen seemingly realising the level of responsibility he’s capable of taking in a successful team.

That’s what West Ham need more of after a disastrous start to the season – players prepared to take responsibility, but especially on the ball in tight midfield areas. And despite Stoke enduring an equally turbulent campaign as the Hammers, Allen’s individual form has been impressive during the opening half of 2017/18; alongside 2.9 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 dribbles and one created chance per match, he’s provided the joint-most assists of any central midfielder outside the Premier League’s top six, and the same amount as Lanzini.

That extra bit of quality, and the ability to combine with the Irons’ talismanic Argentine, not only in terms of using the ball but also creating space through clever movement, could be what propels the Irons up the Premier League table.

“We can’t afford to lose a player of Joe’s quality – he is working exceptionally hard for us and we are really pleased with what he is producing for us at the moment. We won’t be encouraging any bids for any of our key players, especially not in January, that is for certain.”

The big question though, is whether Stoke would sell to a possible relegation rival midseason. While there has been talk of a potential £15million offer, Mark Hughes has made his opinions on the 40-cap international’s availability perfectly clear. It seems a January switch would require some pushing from the midfielder’s end, but earnest Allen just doesn’t seem the type.

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Although Allen very much feels like the missing link for the Hammers at this moment in time, the east Londoners may inevitably be forced to wait until the summer – or seek mid-season alternatives.

Ross Barkley believes that he can step into the void to be left in the England set-up by the potential losses of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

The Liverpool and Chelsea pair have been ever-present for the Three Lions for the best part of 15 years, and have widely been lauded as two of the country’s best ever midfielders.

However, the latter looks likely to head out of the action at the age of 36, while the England captain, two years his junior, is rumoured to be also be considering his role as he looks to prolong his club career.

With the pair having been so influential, there is naturally some worry among the fans that there are a lack of replacements coming through, but Barkley – who was impressive in a dismal Wold Cup campaign – says that he, and other youngsters, can push on and fill their boots:

“I want them [Gerrard and Lampard] to carry on, but it’s their decision. I hope they do stay on, but if they don’t it’s up to the young lads to step up.” He is quoted by talkSPORT.

“I believe I can do that. I believe in myself and I’m confident. This tournament has been a big disappointment but I’ll learn from it and it will help me in the future.

“You’ve got to have these type of things to learn from. I think I’ve benefitted from this tournament, and I think all the young lads will have done. We didn’t do well on the pitch but being around all the experienced players has been good for me.

“We’ve got young lads coming through who are showing what they can in the Premier League week in, week out so we have to do that at international level and hopefully we’ll be ready for the Euros.

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“In two years’ time we’ve got to be confident we can do well in that tournament.”

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