Three players that must be in the next England squad…

England really are an international side that splits the country in half, each and every time they play.

A 1-0 win away to Slovakia kicked off Sam Allardyce’s new World Cup qualifying campaign and to some, it was a good result away from home with no injuries suffered.

But for others, it was the same old England, huffing and puffing with little result until Adam Lallana’s last-minute strike secured the points. It may be a victory but sometimes it’s about how you go about winning and for the Three Lions, it seems like we’re lacking that ruthless edge needed to compete with the world’s best.

So with that in mind, we’re keen to take a look and see if there were any players that deserve to be in the next England squad announcement, after what we saw on Sunday evening. Should some of the figures in the squad this time round be watching very closely over their shoulders?

Here’s our list of the three players that must be in the next England squad announcement…

Marcus Rashford

Without a shadow of a doubt, our easiest pick on this list.

Marcus Rashford has proved, once again, that he has every right to be competing for places alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Theo Walcott.

He has proved himself for United already this season, scoring a vital goal in a 1-0 away win at Hull. He has done it for the England U21s, scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Norway on Tuesday.

If there is anyone who deserves to be in the next squad announcement purely on merit, it’s the young United man.

Lets just hope Sam will be bold enough to pick players on form.

Luke Steele

This might seem like a slightly strange decision, but hear m4 out. When Jack Butland is fit, he should be our number one. Joe Hart has been inconsistent at best and why he’s still a surefire starter is absolutely beyond me.

But one goalkeeper that has been really knocking at the door has been Panathinaikos number one Luke Steele, who is now in his third season with the Greek giants.

He’s shown fantastic form out in Greece and it’s common knowledge that Roy Hodgson had been keeping tabs on his performances through Andrea Stramaccioni, the manager at the Apostolos Nikolaides Stadium.

There’s no reason why the former Barnsley man shouldn’t be given a chance, especially with injury to Butland and Hart’s loss of form. He has experienced all that Greece has to offer – competitive football, difficult conditions and of course, the famed cauldron atmosphere, and there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be a good choice in the future.

A gamble and a bold move but one that would show only the best is tolerated- which is what we need right now.

Scott Dann

I think Gary Cahill is a solid defender for his club and he’s an honest footballer but at international level, the jury is out on him.

With all due respect, playing against Slovakia and then against the likes of Spain, Italy and Brazil should we reach the World Cup finals is a different matter. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him being between our goal with the likes of Neymar, Iniesta and Insigne bearing down on him.

I think it’s time for a change and one man whose name certainly should be in the hat is Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann, who quite frankly, I’m astonished hasn’t been given the chance in an England shirt.

He’s shown since his early days with Coventry and Birmingham that he’s developed into a mature, solid defender capable of marshalling a back-four in the best league in the world. He’s got a bit of pace about him and reads the game fantastically well.

This Man United ace needs help before he’s written off

The focus was once again on Paul Pogba after Manchester United’s defeats to Feyenoord in the Europa League and Watford in the Premier League.

The former Juventus man isn’t living up to the tag of the being the world’s most expensive player. In the five matches that he has played for United since his return he has failed to register a goal or assist. That’s not what you want when forking out £89m for the privilege of his signature.

Thursday saw Man United revert to a 4-3-3 formation and one that arguably is set up to get the best of Pogba, but again his output was lower than expected. The caveat could be that it wasn’t a full-strength United side, but even so you would have expected more from the France international.

It’s quite apparent that the weight of that price tag is holding down Pogba and his manager Jose Mourinho has told him to forget about the transfer fee and focus on returning to the kind of form that led to a summer-long transfer saga to capture the 23-year-old.

If you look at his stats since his return to Old Trafford then it does make for grim reading, but one could argue that he is not being deployed in his best position, as he currently sits as part of a defensive midfield duo alongside Marouane Fellaini.

With Fellaini being given more license than Pogba to go forward, so that his aerial prowess can be utilised, it means that the record man is being tasked with providing the screen in front of United’s back four. This was a job that he didn’t do all that well in the Manchester Derby when Man City ran out convincing winners even if the 2-1 scoreline hinted at a tight game.

In Europa League action, Pogba was moved further forward as Ander Herrera and Morgan Schniederlein sat in front of the back four, but again his effect was minimal. That said it would be unfair just single out Pogba that evening as it was an off night across the board for the star-studded United team.

If Pogba was placed further up the park in Premier League action then you would see more of an attacking presence, but there is one man who stands in his way and that is none other than Wayne Rooney. With Rooney seemingly undroppable, the former Everton man has the place behind the striker very much sewn up.

That means that Pogba is almost being slotted into defensive midfield because that’s the only place Mourinho can accommodate him. At the moment Pogba is like the expensive sportscar that is only ever kept in the garage and never taken out for a spin.

There’s absolutely no question in regards to the talent that Pogba has, but the current position he is being deployed in is not allowing him to show off those attributes and in turn be a positive influence on the team. We cannot say he has played badly, but he hasn’t done anything of note either.

Certainly, the weight of expectation that comes with a world-record transfer fee doesn’t help. Pogba’s performances are going to be further under the microscope as people will expect more from him in each game that he plays. With a price-tag of that magnitude, it’s almost as if he is being set up to fail.

United are without question better with Pogba in the team, especially compared to last season when they were under the reign of Louis van Gaal. The task now for Mourinho is to work out how to build a side that will get the best out of him and allow the world’s most expensive footballer to really shine.

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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For the sake of both parties, Liverpool need to sell

The merits of Daniel Sturridge have been debated regularly since the appointment of Jurgen Klopp. Some wanted him to become like Klopp’s old pal Robert Lewandowski – which he can’t – and others thought it would never really work out at all. We are now over 12 months into Klopp’s exciting Liverpool regime and Sturridge’s place is only becoming more uncertain.His role in the squad is not what many expected for Sturridge. From Liverpool’s second-in-command to a misshapen piece in an entirely different jigsaw, Sturridge is firmly cast as misfit in the latest iteration of Liverpool’s show. Klopp is the director and his demands of his central forward simply do not align with the type of player that Daniel Sturridge is.In the latter days of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Sturridge was aÂpivotal member of the team when fully fit. The fact that he had such a long period where he was seldom at full match fitness perhaps has contributed to the plans of Klopp’s team being made without him. It is a functioning excuse, but there are more fundamental issues to Sturridge’s game that do not make him a realistic regular component in the Liverpool side.Adaptation is key for many players, yet his failure to do so is not something that should necessarily be seen as a negative for Sturridge. His brash confidence and reliability in front of goal make him the superb forward that he is and, as pointed out by Gary Neville last Monday, it is simply not in his nature to play the pressing game that Klopp operates with. Sometimes players are not compatible with a system; that is okay.When Sturridge’s out-of-possession numbers are compared to the three players who are favoured over him in the front three he, unsurprisingly, comes up short.

However, it is not just the pressing game that does not suit Sturridge. The team does not play as fluidly with a ‘natural’ number nine and the whole attacking unit looks more threatening with the intelligent, scurrying Roberto Firmino leading the line. Sturridge has often looked disjointed from the midfield, failing to act as a focal point and often dropping deep to look for possession which can congest the space between opponents’ midfield and defence. The game against Manchester United was an excellent example of this exact issue, as can be seen on the pass map below.

Assuming that Klopp has a long future at Liverpool, Sturridge must move in the summer of 2017. Having just turned 27, he is reaching the peak of his powers and has all the assets to become one of the greatest forwards in the European game. Few players finish chances as clinically as he can, and few have the audacity to attempt some of the things he sees as second nature, but his current situation at Liverpool is detrimental to him and hisÂclub.

Top 25 wonderkid strikers on FM17

Football Manager 2017 is finally back and although it’s arguably it’s the best release yet, it’s also the hardest.

It’s the most detailed version of the popular game yet, which means there’s more to keep an eye on throughout your bid to take your chosen to team to unrivalled glory.

However, despite having to get your head around a number of new features, the importance of having one eye on the future of your squad remains.

This means it’s worth knowing which young players under the age of 20 have the potential to be world class. So in the first of a series of wonderkid articles, we’re listing the top 25 wonderkid strikers you need to know about on Football Manager 2017.

There are some unexpected names in this list while a few you would expect to be in there are no where to be seen.

And remember to look out for the minimum fee release clauses. Some of them have some pretty low clauses in their contracts, which you should look to take advantage of before someone else in the game does…

25. Rafael Santos Borre – Atletico Madrid*

Position: ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Colombia

Wage: £8.5k-a-week

Value: £1.5m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £19m

* On-loan at Villarreal

24. Matteo Stoppa – Novara

Position: ST

Age: 15

Nationality: Italy

Wage: £190-a-week

Value: £20k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

23. Franco Sosa – Temperley

Position: ST

Age: 16

Nationality: Argentina

Wage: £25-a-week

Value: £500k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

22. Ariel Fantoni – San Lorenzo

Position: AMC/ST

Age: 17

Nationality: Argentina

Wage: £25-a-week

Value: £550k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

21. Chuma – Sevilla

Position: AMC/ST

Age: 19

Nationality: Spain

Wage: £450-a-week

Value: £65k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £2.9m

20. Ricardo Campos – Juventus

Position: ST

Age: 16

Nationality: Portugal

Wage: £220-a-week

Value: £30k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

19. Rui Pedro – Porto

Position: ST

Age: 18

Nationality: Portugal

Wage: £2.6k-a-week

Value: £83k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £26m

18. Munir – Barcelona*

Position: AMRL/ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Spain

Wage: £31.5k-a-week

Value: £4.4m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £52m

*On-loan at Valencia

17. Sergio Diaz – Real Madrid

Position: AML/ST

Age: 18

Nationality: Paraguay

Wage: £3k-a-week

Value: £750k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £25m

16. Lautaro Martinez – Racing Club

Position: ST

Age: 18

Nationality: Argentina

Wage: £1.9k-a-week

Value: £1m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

15. Antonio Sanabria – Real Betis

Position: ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Paraguay

Wage: £14k-a-week

Value: £3m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £19m

14. Ben Woodburn – Liverpool

Position: AMRLC/ST

Age: 16

Nationality: Wales

Wage: £100-a-week

Value: £150k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

13. Kelechi Iheanacho – Manchester City

Position: ST

Age: 19

Nationality: Nigeria

Wage: £50k-a-week

Value: £2m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

12. Alberto Cerri – Juventus*

Position: ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Italy

Wage: £2.9k-a-week

Value: £750k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

*On-loan at Spal

11. Andre Silva – Porto

Position: ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Portugal

Wage: £13.25k-a-week

Value: £6.25m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £52m

10. Ivan Prtajin – Udinese

Position: ST

Age: 20

Nationality: Croatia

Wage: £2k-a-week

Value: £150k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

9. Adalberto Penaranda – Watford*

Position: AML/ST

Age: 19

Nationality: Venezuela

Wage: £0-a-week

Value: £7m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

*On-loan at Udinese

8. Ze Gomes – Benfica

Position: ST

Age: 17

Nationality: Portugal

Wage: £1.3k-a-week

Value: £140k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

7. Maximiliano Romero – Velez

Position: ST

Age: 17

Nationality: Argentina

Wage: £2k-a-week

Value: £1.5m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

6. Facundo Colidio – Boca Juniors

Position: ST

Age: 16

Nationality: Argentina

Wage: £1.2k-a-week

Value: £500k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

5. Borja Mayoral – Real Madrid*

Position: ST

Age: 19

Nationality: Spain

Wage: £16.5k-a-week

Value: £1.6m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £21m

*On loan at Wolfsburg

4. Moise Kean – Juventus

Position: AML/ST

Age: 16

Nationality: Italy

Wage: £220-a-week

Value: £170k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

3. Andrea Pinamonti – Inter Milan

Position: ST

Age: 17

Nationality: Italy

Wage: £220-a-week

Value: £170k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

2. Kuki – Malaga

Position: AM/FC

Age: 18

Nationality: Spain

Wage: £55-a-week

Value: £350k

Minimum Fee Release Clause: £5.25m

1. Johannes Eggestein – Werder Bremen

Position: ST

Age: 18

Nationality: Germany

Wage: £8.25k-a-week

Value: £1.3m

Minimum Fee Release Clause: None

Virgil van Dijk wants move to Man City as Saints insist on £40m fee

As reported by the Daily Record, Virgil van Dijk’s preference for his next career move would be working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

What’s the word?

A potential Virgil van Dijk move away from Southampton has been one of the most talked about rumours ahead of the January transfer window opening.

The Daily Record have added fuel to the fire, reporting that Virgil van Dijk wants to work under Guardiola at the Etihad rather than any other clubs vying for his signature.

That report comes as Claude Puel, after being asked rumoured £25m buy-out clause in the defender’s contract, said (quoted by the Mirror): “It is not true. After this I make no comment about speculation, just to say that Virgil is an important player for the team. For me it’s not a possibility to see him leave.”

The Mirror reckons that Southampton will be holding out for £40m for the player, who has become key to the Saints and their Premier League ambitions.

It’s good news for Celtic too, with the Record also reporting that the Glasgow side are due to receive a 10% cut of any action involving Virgil van Dijk and a move away from St. Mary’s.

Britain Football Soccer – West Ham United v Southampton – Premier League – London Stadium – 25/9/16Southampton’s Dusan Tadic celebrates scoring their second goal with Virgil van Dijk Reuters / Eddie KeoghLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account repre

The man everyone wants

Virgil van Dijk hasn’t let all the transfer rumours have an impact on his performances. His man of the match worthy form for Southampton on Sunday inspired them to a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.

The defender made 9 defensive clearances, 4 interceptions and won 4 aerial duels in a dominating defensive display.

That’s the kind of performance that clubs are hoping to secure in January but with such a big price tag on his head, will any of the big clubs nibble?

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Ranieri scoops FIFA award, fans baffled

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri was named Men’s Coach of the Year for 2016 at FIFA’s inaugural Best Football Awards in Zurich, but some fans were not impressed.

The Italian was given the accolade after defying the 5000/1 odds by guiding Leicester to their first ever Premier League title last season.

Jamie Vardy and co lifted the coveted trophy with a 10-point margin over second-placed Arsenal after winning 23 of their 38 games, drawing 12 and losing just three.

The Foxes are currently a far cry from their 2015-16 form as they currently sit 15th in the top-flight table, six points above the relegation zone after losing nine and winning just five out of 20 matches.

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That, however, does not take away from what Ranieri and his players achieved last season.

The 65-year-old beat Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, who won the Champions League with the Spanish team in 2016, and Portugal head coach Fernando Santos, who guided his nation to the European Championship trophy.

Plenty of football fans took to social media to praise Ranieri for scooping the award…

… while others completely disagreed with the vote.

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West Ham fans call for Bilic’s head

After an embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup third round, some West Ham United fans have called for manager Slaven Bilic to go.

There was plenty of optimism surrounding the East London club when they moved to the London Stadium from Upton Park in the summer, but matters on the pitch have not matched up.

The Hammers are 13th in the Premier League table after winning just six of their 20 matches in the division, while the new ground has been criticised by some sections of fans.

On top of that, West Ham are now out of the FA Cup after getting hammered by City in front of their home fans.

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The visitors went 3-0 up in the first half thanks to a Yaya Toure penalty, an own goal from Havard Nordtveit and a strike from David Silva.

City inflicted more misery on the Hammers after the break, with Sergio Aguero and John Stones getting on the scoresheet.

Some fans have pointed fingers at the board, mainly because of the stadium move and failure to land transfer targets, while others believe that Bilic should be sacked for not getting the most out of his players.

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Three Key Questions for Pep Guardiola before visit of Spurs

Manchester City are dusting themselves off after a 4-0 humiliation at Goodison Park last week, and as soon as they pick themselves up they’ll come to a horrible realisation: things don’t get much easier.City have had to think about lots of things this week. For some of the players, their very ability has been questioned, for others it’s their commitment. For Guardiola himself it may well be everything: from his tactics to his team selections, from his transfer choices right down to his decision to come to City in the first place; and whether he can stick it out. Perhaps the most pressing question was to decide if the team is still in with a shout of the title.And yet this weekend, there is no time to feel sorry for themselves, or to bounce back with a victory over a smaller side. No, this weekend, City welcome second-placed Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium.The most in-form team in the league face the team who currently have the most egg on their face. And Pep Guardiola has to figure out how to win it – here’s three key questions he must answer before Saturday’s 5.30pm kickoff.

Can Claudio Bravo continue in goal?

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Does Pep care about goalkeepers? Maybe he just cares that they’re as good with the ball as defenders. At Bayern Munich, though, Guardiola possessed the best goalkeeper in the world in Manuel Neuer.

The German number one has shown time and again that he is a fabulous shot-stopper, of course, but his stats at Bayern don’t tell the whole story. And Bravo’s at City don’t either. At one point last season, Munich were so dominant that had Neuer let in every single shot he’d faced, Bayern would still be top of the league.

Perhaps Claudio Bravo is simply attempting to prove that you can win the league whilst still managing to concede every shot on target, or perhaps it’s City’s defence – and their ability to keep possession properly – that is a major part of the problem.

How to get around Spurs’ pressing?

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City are set up to keep possession, and that means players off the ball are set up to show for the man on the ball. The problem, though, is that means defenders aren’t set up to defend, they’re set up to support the man in possession. And if he loses it, a counter-attack is possible from almost any position on the pitch.

When playing against a team so well versed in harassing the man on the ball by hunting in packs, the likes of Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones better be able to find a pass to feet. Otherwise, a repeat of White Hart Lane’s masterclass in pressing could on the cards for Pep, this time from the comfort of the home dugout.

How to break down the league’s best defence?

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City have only failed to score twice this season, once against Spurs at the Lane and the other against Everton last week. Every week, City look on the brink of a full-blown crisis only to rein it in at the last minute – but it would be a veritable crisis if City weren’t just to lose this game but alsoÂfail to score in a second successive Premier League match.

The problem is that Tottenham aren’t an easy team to score against. They boast the best defence in the division, and if you were going to design a team to beat this Manchester City side, it would look like Spurs: defensively resilient, experts in high pressing, pacey on the counter, and with a striker who doesn’t spurn chances – they are exactly what City fear most.

If Spurs play three at the back, though, there will be a chance to get into the spaces in behind the wingbacks, especially with Jan Vertonghen out injured. If Toby Alderweireld is dragged out of the centre to cover behind the wingbacks often enough, then the movement of Aguero in the centre will be very dangerous indeed.

Liverpool fans hit out Klopp haters on Twitter

It has not been the best start to 2017 for Liverpool having recorded just one win in their seven matches of the year.

Their Premier League title campaign is hanging by a thread after dropping 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea, and the misery continued on Wednesday night.

Manager Jurgen Klopp recorded his first ever semi-final defeat as coach when the Reds were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Southampton, who won the tie 2-0 on aggregate.

Liverpool’s flailing season has caused some fans to question not only the players, but their manager.

The Reds jumped out of the blocks at the start of the season, devastating opponents defences with their attacking presence, but the last few games have lacked that intensity.

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Philippe Coutinho has not been back in the fold long after recovering from an ankle injury and it is clear that the team are missing Sadio Mane, who is currently playing in the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.

Let’s not forget that the defence remains shaky and both goalkeepers, Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, are still not breeding much confidence when in between the sticks.

Some fans have taken their anger out on Klopp, calling for the club to sack him just 15 months after he replaced Brendan Rodgers.

Plenty of other Liverpool supporters, though, are keeping faith with the German and have turned on their fellow fans who do not agree.

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The Spectre of Ferguson looms large over Arsenal – but it shouldn’t

When Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United in 2013, he did so as a champion.

Overcoming the ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City and wresting the title back from the Blue grasp will be up there with any of Ferguson’s greatest achievements at Old Trafford – mostly because it meant more than just winning a final title. It meant retiring as Premier League champion; but more than that. It meant leaving the club to his hand-picked successor in a state of health and vitality; but more than that, too.

Ferguson, after all, is a Promethean figure: a man who stole the Heavenly Fire from Anfield, home of the Gods, and brought it to Old Trafford. He couldn’t very well leave United having himself been the victim of exactly the same theft. Not to Manchester City, of all clubs. Winning that final league title didn’t just mean another Premier League winner’s medal: it meant not being knocked off his f*cking perch.

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Things are, of course, very different for the other ubiquitous Titan of the Premier League era. Arsene Wenger vacated his perch some time ago, floating somewhere around fourth place ever since. But with suggestions that Wenger may leave Arsenal for good, come comparisons not just to Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford, but to life afterwards.

After Ferguson came Moyes, and after Moyes, Van Gaal. It has taken Manchester United almost four years and half a billion pounds spent on transfer fees alone to bring back the feel-good around Carrington. As Daniel Taylor points out in The Guardian, that’s money Manchester United might be willing to spend, but not Arsenal. Not going on recent history, anyway. The message is clear: be careful what you wish for.

But if the warning is prudent, the scenarios are different. If Arsene Wenger leaves this summer, he’ll leave a club who will not – barring a miracle – be the champions. He will leave a club who have flip-flopped their way to fourth place or thereabouts in very different ways over the last decade. A club who have frustrated large swathes of their support for a long period of time. He won’t leave what Ferguson left.

And yet, if results and trophies are not on Wenger’s side in the legacy stakes, it’s worth pointing out that trophies are not all Ferguson is remembered for. History, the further we get from his retirement, will probably focus on the trophies. But fresh in the memory is the fact that the team Ferguson left in David Moyes’ hands is partly to blame for their current problems. On that score, too, Wenger won’t leave what Ferguson left.

Manchester United now have only five regulars from David Moyes’ first season in charge – though that’s counting Juan Mata, who arrived in January 2014, six months after Ferguson left. The others are David de Gea (who was, at least, a helpful Ferguson purchase), Antonio Valencia (albeit in a much different role), Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney (both of whom will cease to play for the club sooner rather than later).

Arsene Wenger, however, will leave a much stronger side.

It is a side lacking in some sort of mental toughness, too. Something in the realms of the darker, less tangible footballing qualities. But it is not a team to win one last league title and then fall off a cliff, as United seemed to do.

Football – Manchester United v Arsenal – Barclays Premier League – Old Trafford – 17/5/15 Manchester United’s Robin van Persie applauds fans after the game Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representat

When Ferguson bought Robin van Persie, it was obvious he was buying a player who had only one or two seasons of top quality left in his legs. It was a purchase that guaranteed the league title, in the end, not one that guaranteed any more than that.

The closest Wenger comes to that is Petr Cech who, at 34, will need to be replaced by a new manager fairly soon after coming into the job. The rest doesn’t look quite so bad.

With hindsight, we really should have seen the problem coming. The back four Ferguson left to Moyes is, by modern standards, a disgrace: De Gea, Rafael, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra. Rio Ferdinand left the club the next summer after starting fewer and fewer games. It’s a back four that, frankly, proves just how good a manager Ferguson was. But it’s also a back four that mitigates much of Moyes’ failure.

Compare that to what Wenger will likely leave: Cech, Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal. Cech will, as mentioned, need to be replaced. But at 31, Koscielny should have another couple of seasons before his legs go, giving a new manager some time to sort things out and groom a replacement. The same goes for Monreal. Mustafi and Bellerin could both give Arsenal another decade.

If this is to be Wenger’s last season at Arsenal, you can see the similarities with Ferguson. It’s only natural that the two would be compared given their longevity and the fact they spent so long sparring each other.

It looks as though Wenger could see that, too. He built what is currently his best side in over a decade, probably with an eye towards achieving one final title, like Ferguson. But unlike Ferguson – and surely learning from his peer’s mistakes here – Wenger has built a team with a spine, whose important players – Cech aside – will be there for a few good years to come, should the successor desire. Though, admittedly, that doesn’t take into account the uncertainty around the contracts of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United having achieved his goal, winning an epic Premier League power struggle. Arsene Wenger won’t do that. But forget about epic power struggles and greatness. Focus on what really matters. Wenger will leave a team capable of staying in the top four. There will be struggles and teething problems for a new manager, for sure, but if Wenger left today, Arsenal would be in a mess nothing like the one Ferguson left for Moyes.

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