Manchester United enter 2016-17 with a lot to look forward to after securing Jose Mourinho as their new manager.

Mourinho will need  to begin his reign in Manchester with an active and productive pre-season.

United are currently in their longest drought without a Premier League title, which is three years, and Mourinho will need to find strikers who will bolster a struggling United front line.

So what better place to search for solutions than the European Championships? In particular Group C, headlined by Germany and Poland, who have several top players that could fit in nicely at Old Trafford under Mourinho.

Here are the FIVE Group C players Mourinho must consider signing…

Robert Lewandowski

Just imagine combining the Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 top scorers on the front lines in the Premier League. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is reportedly ready to join the club and Robert Lewandowski is reportedly considering making a transfer to the Premier League too.

Such a possibility may come to fruition after all.

If United can sign Lewandowski, the Red Devils would catapult themselves to being favourites to win the Premier League. Lewandowski is one of the most feared strikers in the world, and arguably the best in this summer’s Euros.

United need scoring prowess after registering only 49 goals in the 2015-16 season and it’s safe to assume Lewandowski and Ibrahimovic would boost that total.

Leroy Sané

The Shalke winger is a prized German product and expected to join a top club in the next couple years.

The 20-year-old could serve as a longterm staple in United’s attack, with his prime years way ahead of him.

Mario Götze

Götze’s goal in the 2014 World Cup final cemented him in world football glory.

Yet an unproductive campaign with Bayern Munich this season has led many to questions as to whether he will return to the German side for another season.

When healthy, Götze is one of the world’s top attackers. His clinical finishing would surely aide a United attack that struggled to score in 2015-16.

Toni Kroos

Kroos left Bayern Munich last year, but he is still among the top playmakers in the world. A clinical passer, Kroos orchestrates Germany’s well-oiled attack and is brilliant at set pieces.

United’s midfielders are ageing and slowing down. Implementing a marksman like Kroos would prove beneficial for Jose Mourinho.

Bartosz Kapustka

The 19-year-old Kapustka is more of a long-term project but another budding star that could help United for years to come.

The Polish midfielder is a fantastic passer in the attacking third.

Both Ross Barkley and John Stones have immense potential, but they are both struggling to consistently show it, and this could be the season that defines their careers.

Stones is still involved in a transfer saga with Manchester City, which has been going on throughout the transfer window, but regardless of whether he moves, both he and Barkley have two new managers to impress in terms of domestic and national football.

Domestically

Barkley has shown over the years that he has the potential to become a world class player, but he struggles to consistently show it in matches, and varies between being unbeatable to ‘invisible’ at times.

This video below shows what he is capable of.

Ronald Koeman is a great manager to be working under because of his experience developing talent at Southampton, and is more likely to get the best out of Barkley than Roberto Martinez was. This is because of Martinez’s obsession with possession based football is in contrast to Koeman who is much more pragmatic, and therefore more likely to adapt to his players’ strengths.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Barkley is the focal point of the team under Koeman which would allow him to showcase his supreme dribbling ability, and allow him to pick up the ball in key areas in the final third where he can really do damage to the other team using his vision and precise shooting.

Stones is a rare talent – a ball playing centre-back – and is rightly being heralded as the future heart of England’s defence, but he needs to prove this season that the errors he makes currently are just part of his learning curve rather than a cornerstone of his game.

He is only 22 and players of his age often make mistakes, but he is obviously a class above, so he can’t afford to make mistakes due to the level he is playing at and he needs to show that his defensive ability is better than his offensive ability .

This video shows why there is so much hype around Stones.

They will both have plenty of opportunities to play and prove their ability if they stay at Everton, and staying for another season would be a smart decision due to them both being settled. However, Stones could definitely make one of the centre-back starting berths at Manchester City his own if he does move, and he could definitely learn a lot under Pep Guardiola due to the style of play that he loves to play with centre backs being key in this philosophy.

Nationally

The appointment of Sam Allardyce as England national team manager could be pivotal for both players because of ‘Big Sam’s’ ability to organise teams defensively as well as his preference for wildcard players in creative roles.

The fact that Stones is currently England’s greatest young talent at centre-back as well as the lack of quality English centre-backs means that he is likely to be at the heart of Allardyce’s plans, and he could really benefit from the defensive knowledge that Allardyce brings to teams. Allardyce focuses on making teams solid first rather than improving every player’s ability on the ball, so this combined with Stones’ domestic experience regardless of the club he ends up at could improve both aspects of his game simultaneously.

Allardyce has a preference for players that have flair and bring unpredictability to the team, with Jay-Jay Okocha at Bolton when Big Sam was manager being a great example of this. Barkley is similar in this regard because it’s hard to read what his next move is going to be when he is at his unplayable best, so it’s likely that he and Dele Alli will be the main attacking midfielders in the team.

The managerial career of Allardyce shows that he has a history of getting the best out of these players due to his man management skills, and clever use of statistics. Therefore it wouldn’t be a surprise if Barkley proves himself on the national stage this season in preparation for the 2018 World Cup where he can finally make his mark on the world stage.

Summary

Both of the players are 22-years-old going into the season which is important because they still have plenty of time to improve as players, but if they want to continue their meteoric rise into becoming world-class then they need to start consistently performing on a domestic and national level.

The opportunities are there for both of them to take on the domestic and national stage due to the talented managers they are working under, so all that’s stopping them from continuing their progression is themselves.

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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Sunderland have made a poor start to the season under new manager David Moyes, as the Black Cats have managed only one point from a possible nine in their opening three games.

Two 2-1 defeats to both Manchester City on the opening day and Middlesbrough the following week, followed by a hard-fought draw away at Southampton see Sunderland once again down the wrong end of the table after narrowly escaping relegation last season, under the rule of new England boss Sam Allardyce.

Moyes – formerly of Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad – would have been hoping for better as he looks to turn the club, and his own, fortunes around after what have been a difficult past few years for both club and manager.

The Scotsman was memorably sacked from Old Trafford after failing to keep the flame that Sir Alex Ferguson lit in Manchester alight, after his departure from the club after almost 3 decades of success.

The former Everton boss then had an unsuccessful spell in Spain which landed just short of a year before he was sacked once again following a poor string of results.

While his new side may have started slowly, there are signs of promise, especially after he and the club invested in 5 new players during the summer transfer window.

Our landlord thinks these three Black Cats’ players could be the stars for them this season and are chronically under-rated, do you agree?

Jermain Defoe

Possibly the most underrated striker in the Premier League at the moment – if not of all time – Defoe has continued to score goals wherever he has played and has already started the season in impressive form with two goals already.

The Englishman nears the milestone of 150 Premier League goals, which leaves him in the esteemed company of the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Michael Owen and Les Ferdinand to name only a few.

Defoe is as clinical as they come, and I for one was surprised his wasn’t named in Sam Allardyce’s first England squad.

Papy Djilobodji

A shock move saw the Senegal international make the switch from Nantes to Chelsea in the summer of 2015, but the defender was soon shipped off on loan to Werder Bremen in January before even being given a chance to kick a ball in a Chelsea shirt (he actually got 1 minute of competitive football for the Blues, but.)

Djilobodji had a terrific season in Germany, but that still wasn’t enough to keep him at Stamford Bridge and Sunderland snapped him this summer, as a replacement for the Watford bound Younes Kaboul.

Jan Kirchhoff

Technically a defender, but really at his best when playing just in front of the back four, the former Bayern Munich man was one of the main reasons Sunderland managed to escape relegation last season.

Kirchhoff became an integral part of Sam Allardyce’s side in the back end of last season as he used his tall figure and fantastic reading of the game to break up the play effectively, and play out to the attackers on the counter attack.

The German keeps it simple, but sometimes simple is the most effective.

John Gregory is a name you probably haven’t heard for a while.In fact, the former Aston Villa manager’s last major job ended all the way back in 2007, when he was sacked by QPR.During the intermittent period, he’s donned the dugout in as obscure locations as Maccabi Ahi Nazareth and FC Ashdod in Israel as well as FC Kairat in Kazakhstan – before two years at Crawley Town.The 62-year-old has been out of work since 2015, but it appears he’s been keeping himself incredibly busy in the meantime on social media.Indeed, amid news that Aston Villa have sacked Roberto Di Matteo, we came across Gregory’s official Twitter handle this morning – and it’s an absolute goldmine of online banter!Don’t believe us? We’re not surprised. Gregory isn’t someone you’d commonly associate with buzzing social media activity.Nonetheless, Gregory’s Twitter handle is the funniest thing you’ll see this week. Here are the SEVENÂtweets to prove it…

GREGORY THE ROCK STAR

Who knew Gregory was also a part-time rock star! £10 seems a bit steep for a garageÂband but nonetheless, we’re keeping our ears to the ground in case there’s another tour.

Here’s Gregory and the Lipinskis paying tribute to cancer survivor Stylian Petrov…

GREGORY ON ‘ZE GERMANS’

Everybody knows Germans steal the best deck chair turf at holiday resorts, right by the pool and just a meter away from the bar. Gregory’s determined to beat them to it, fully equipped with an Aston Villa towel.

GREGORY ON JEREMY CORBYN

Footballers and politics rarely mix but Gregory’s felt compelled to have his say on Labour’s controversial lefty-leader Jeremy Corbyn. Safe to say, he’s not too impressed.

GREGORY ON BAKE-OFF

Not a Gregory tweet per se but nonetheless something he’s felt compelled to endorse via retweet. Clearly the former Villa boss isn’t too happy with news Paul Hollywood is jumping ship to Channel Four with Great British Bake-off.

GREGORY ON THE VILLA JOB

The tweet that caught our attention – Gregory’s holding out for a call from his former employers following Di Matteo’s departure. Something tells us he’ll be waiting a while.

GREGORY ON VILLA’S RIVALS

If you thought inter-club banter was reserved only for loutish fans, you were wrong. Both Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion have felt Gregory’s comedic wrath this year…

GREGORY ON HANDLING TROLLS

Twitter trolls and online bullying are hot topics at the moment. Gregory’s got his strategy sorted – fight fire with fire!

Slaven Bilic needs to find a winning formula desperately and turn West Ham’s season around.

The Hammers have only won one league game this term and sit in 18th place.

The Croatian has been under immense pressure all season and may need to shuffle the pack to help get his side back to winning ways.

West Ham have been extremely unlucky with injuries, missing a number of key players who helped them to seventh place last season.

Aaron Cresswell has been out since pre-season while Andy Carroll also picked up a knee injury after the first game of the campaign. Record-signing Andre Ayew only managed 34 minutes before limping off with a hamstring injury and will be sidelined until next month.

Bilic will have to dig deep and use his full squad to have any chance against a Crystal Palace side that are unbeaten in four games.

Here is the starting XI we think he should pick…

GK – ADRIAN

Adrian is a certainty to start between the sticks on Saturday as one of the few Hammers to be playing at a respectable level.

While the 29-year-old has conceded the most goals so far this season, he also ranks joint top with Artur Boruc for saves made.

What the Spaniard needs is a defence that will stop clear-cut chances against him. Adrian is a superb shot-stopper so if they manage that, he is sure to do the rest.

RB – ALVARO ARBELOA

Alvaro Arbeloa can’t take much of the blame for West Ham’s position this season, simply because he hasn’t been there that long.

The Hammers actually looked more solid when he came on in the seventh minute against Middlesbrough, although he didn’t have the best of games against Southampton.

We’ve opted for him above Sam Byram regardless of whether the Englishmen recovers from his hamstring niggle, with the Spaniard more suitable for providing defensive stability and allowing Antonio to attack down the right.

CB – WINSTON REID

West Ham desperately need brave defenders who are strong in the air to deal with the aerial threat of Palace’s Christian Benteke.

Standing at six feet three inches, 28-year-old needs to step up and show what he is made of if the Hammers are to stand any chance of a shutout.

Reid returned from international duty in plenty of time despite travelling from New Zealand and should, therefore, make an appearance against Alan Pardew’s side.

CB – ANGELO OGBONNA

It was tough to call as to who should partner Reid in defence against Palace.

James Collins is certainly the better option in the air, which would come in handy against a Palace side that love to get the ball in the box.

We believe Angelo Ogbonna will be the preferred option however and Bilic looks to recover the understanding in his defence.

Ogbonna was a mainstay in the Hammers lineup last season and the Croatian will be hoping he can strike up a strong partnership with Reid once more.

LB – AARON CRESSWELL

With Aaron Cresswell having recovered from injury, we’re backing Bilic to make a brave call and throw him straight back into the starting line-up.

The 26-year-old is the most solid left-back in the Hammers’ squad and is really needed, especially with options so few on the ground after Arthur Masuaku was ruled out before the international break.

CDM – PEDRO OBIANG

One man Hammers fans seem to be favouring at the moment is Pedro Obiang.

The Spaniard came into the West Ham side that drew with Middlesbrough and looked extremely tidy in the middle, winning the ball back and remaining economic with his passing.

Obiang seems to bring the balance and discipline that had been previously lacking with Kouyate and Noble on their own in the middle.

Bilic has to play him or risk the wrath of the Hammers fans should they fail to win again.

CM – CHEIKHOU KOUYATE

This week we’re backing Kouyate to hold his spot in the side, although the Senegalese star needs to pick up his form if he is to hold onto the first-team place.

The centre of West Ham’s midfield has been a problem area so far this season, with Kouyate and Noble being ineffective in attack while also neglecting their defensive duties.

On his day Kouyate can be a powerful box-to-box threat and with Obiang behind him, he will have some license to roam.

CM – MANUEL LANZINI

The big change in West Ham’s lineup comes in the middle of the pitch with Manuel Lanzini replacing captain Mark Noble.

As a diminutive player more known for his playmaking skill than winning the ball back, it is a risky move to play Lanzini in the middle.

But his guile may well be necessary for unlocking a stubborn Palace defence, with Kouyate and Obiang hopefully doing enough defensive work to allow the Argentine to work his magic.

RW – MICHAIL ANTONIO

Michail Antonio has been one of the few bright sparks on West Ham’s season and is currently their greatest scoring threat.

Antonio has five goals this season from the right wing and that’s where he should line up on Saturday.

Bilic tried the Englishman up front against Middlesbrough but he found little success without the ability to make his darting runs into the box.

We expect the Croatian to move him back to the wing and wreak havoc as he has done before.

LW – DIMITRI PAYET

The jewel in the Hammers’ crown, Dimitri Payet is the first name on West Ham’s team sheet.

The Frenchman is the chief creative outlet for Bilic, managing three assists despite missing the start of the season.

He has also stepped up his goalscoring, hitting important strikes against Accrington Stanley and Middlesbrough as well as finding the net for France against Bulgaria recently.

Payet is best given the chance to roam into the middle, while Cresswell should offer him support on the left wing.

ST – ASHLEY FLETCHER

With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho injured and Simone Zaza misfiring, Bilic may well turn to youth on Saturday.

Ashley Fletcher has been impressing for the development squad and can hardly do any worse than what Zaza has managed so far.

What the 21-year-old lacks in experience he should make up for in fearlessness and the ex-United man will be keen to impress the Hammers fans.

At the very least he would give Pardew a different problem to defend against with the Italian so far proving easy to defend against.

The international break is almost over, which means attention is slowly beginning to return to the Premier League and our fantasy football teams.With just eight Premier Legaue game weeks remaining this calendar year, FPL players will understandably be considering the use of their wildcard if they haven’t already done so.The introduction of a second wildcard comes in to play in the new year, which means fans have just eight weeks to make use of their first one before it’s lost.With a two week break almost over, now would be a great time to use your wildcard. This is the final international break until March so there’s a large chunk of fixtures available to plan ahead for when it comes to picking your FPL team.In the first of fiveÂarticles, where we look at a number of key factors to keep in mind when using your wildcard ahead of GW12, we specifically identify three must-have players for your FPL team.The chances are you’ve already got at least one of the men in the graphic below but, if you haven’t you need to pick them when using your wildcard…To the most avid FPL players, the three players above may seem a little too obvious to highlight. However, their stats up to now are too good to ignore and it’s worth reminding everyone of just how important they are to any FPL team.Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is thriving under the management of Antonio Conte in a new system, and that is evident by the fact he has been involved in 10 of Chelsea’s 26 goals so far this season. What is most impressive about the Belgium international, though, is the value for money he provides.An outlay of £10.1m might seem a bit steep at first glance but he more than repays his price tag with an average of 8.4 FPL points per million spent on him. Couple that with his average of 8.1 FPL points per 90 minutes paid and it’s clear Hazard really is a midfielder you can’t afford not to have.Philippe Coutinho is having a similar season with Liverpool as Hazard is with Chelsea. The Brazil international is enjoying life as part of one of the most clinical midfields the Premier League has seen in recent times, contributing to 11 of the Reds’ 30 league goals so far in 16/17.Any of five Liverpool midfielders could be seen as must-have players for your FPL team but, with Coutinho, you really are getting value for money. Priced at just £8.7m, the youngster returns you 8.6 FPL points per million spent on him, as well as 8.1 FPL points per 90 minutes played. However, he doesn’t offer much as a differential – last week he overtook Sergio Aguero as the game’s most owned player…

And finally, Sergio Aguero makes the list almost by default. The Man City striker is one of the best goalscorers in Premier League history and despite the likelihood that he will spent some time out injured throughout the season, not having in your team will heavily affect your chances of FPL success.

He is the msot expensive player on the game at £13.1m, which doesn’t translate in to as good value for money as the other two players on the list (4.7 FPL points per million spent so far), but he is returning 7.4 points per 90 minutes played and is always a threat to the opposition’s goal when he plays.

There’s a reason he used to be the most owned player on the game and not many people will be looking to leave him out of their team in the coming months.

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Barring a hiccup against Blackburn Rovers last weekend, Newcastle’s season has gone as expected, with Rafa Benitez’s boys sitting two points clear at the top of the Championship.

Following their relegation from the Premier League, Newcastle look set to return to the promised land – but they also remain in contention to secure a first major domestic trophy since 1955.

Rafa’s priority is surely securing promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, but the Toon are preparing for an EFL Cup quarter-final clash away to Hull City with the intention of victory.

Following last weekend’s set-back – a 1-0 loss at St James’ Park – Benitez will be hoping to avenge the defeat by securing the Toon a place in the semi-final – something many feel Magpies fans deserve after so many years of disappointment.

So although the history of the League Cup has been dominated by top flight sides, FootballFanCast are backing the second-tier Magpies as shock candidates to go all the way, and here are THREE reasons why.

Number of high profile exits already

Wednesday’s clash with Hull City will provide inspiration for the Newcastle players with the knowledge some Premier League heavyweights have already departed the competition in earlier rounds.

With the chances of domestic success coming so irregularly for the Magpies, victory over Hull would guarantee a semi-final place for the Toon and the possibility of a trophy.

That 61-year wait for silverware may finally come to an end with many teams of superior quality having already been knocked out..

Benitez knows how to win trophies

At the moment, Newcastle currently have a manager with the know-how to achieve success against the odds.

The Spaniard has made a career out of coming out victorious against the odds with his sides – his achievements at Valencia (La Liga), Liverpool (Champions League), and Chelsea (Europa League) all occurred when he was expected to fail.

Indeed, at Newcastle, he can also prove many of his critics wrong once again by ending the club’s trophy drought.

Luck of the draw

Newcastle face an underperforming Hull City side who are struggling for both confidence and results.

The Magpies, on the other hand, have lost just one game in 14 and are high on belief. A victory would ensure a semi-final place and a two-legged contest against a drawn team.

As most teams would fear travelling to St. James’s Park, the Toon could feasibly overcome the odds again and a final at Wembley would provide the ultimate setting for a giant-killing.

Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna has reportedly apologised after appearing to suggest that referee Lee Mason favoured Burnley during their Premier League match on January 2.

The Frenchman posted a comment reading “10 versus 12” o Instagram after the game, which ended in a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

Sagna seemed to be referring to Mason’s decision to send off Fernandinho in the 32nd minute when the match was goalless.

The social media post was eventually deleted, but the Football Association asked Sagna to explain his reasons for behind the comment.

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According to BBC Sport, the 33-year-old issued an apology to the governing body, claiming that he uploaded the post in the heat of the moment and later realised his mistake and removed it.

It is not yet known whether Sagna will receive punishment for allegedly questioning the integrity of the match official.

City tried to overturn Fernandinho’s red card, but were unsuccessful in their appeal, meaning that the midfielder will serve a four-match ban.

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Manchester United announced on Tuesday that they had extended the contract of right-back Antonio Valencia for another 12 months with the defender now staying until the summer of 2018.

The Ecuadorian right-back has been in good form this term for Manchester United, marshalling the right side of their defence with his usual energetic, combative style.

At 31 years old he still has plenty to give and Mourinho is obviously impressed with his input at Old Trafford since taking charge, able to defend and attack with equal effect.

That dual role is highlighted by these stats from Squawka, which may be a big reason for the extension of his contract.

With more take-ons and tackles than anyone else in the Man United team, it’s clear how much he offers the Old Trafford side.

He has the ability to win possession and then dribble the ball into the midfield or even expose opposition full-backs in the final third on the overlap or simply by running directly at them.

United fans will be hoping to see more of that when Manchester United next play, away to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

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Gerard Deulofeu is turning out to be embroiled in the saga of the January transfer window, after a confusing sequence of events.

What’s happened?

Well, it all started with what many assumed was the end; AC Milan confirming on their Twitter feed that they have signed 22-year-old Gerard Deulofeu on-loan until the end of the season. In fact, it appears they haven’t.

In a tweet, which has since been deleted, AC Milan released a graphic image of Deulofeu in a Milan jersey- but he may not be adorning the black and red, with the bitter situation possibly seeing the collapse of a deal.

Everton, who were furious with the premature announcement, denied a deal had been agreed and it leaves the saga hanging in the balance, with nobody too sure on what on earth will happen next.

Will he seal a move?

Well, the 22-year-old’s future is certainly on the rocks. Everton initially rejected one swoop from AC Milan but the indication from the Italian side suggested progress had been made. Despite Everton’s disputing the claim, talks must have surely been held.

Given AC Milan’s confusion, you’d have to assume that talks went quite far- but the premature announcement has riled Everton and they may throw a spanner in the works now, as their unhappiness on the situation could scrap a deal.

Either way, this isn’t the last we’ve heard of the saga.

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