Sam Allardyce has quite a bit to do in his new job. Recently appointed Sunderland manager, ‘Big Sam’ takes charge of a Black Cats side struggling towards the bottom of the Premier League, after a winless start to the season.

It’s been pretty dark at the Stadium of Light recently, with the Wearside outfit facing relegations battles over the past two seasons. Former boss Dick Advocaat left the club amid reports he had been frustrated by the lack of backing he’s received in the transfer market, despite some big names arriving at the club over the summer.

However, a lack of quality still seems to be oh so prevalent in the Sunderland side, as proved by their poor start to the season. Though the former Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham boss is likely to make them more difficult to beat, there’s only so much he can do with limited talent.

Here are five weary Wearsiders to axe in January and lift the darkness at the Stadium of Light…

STEVEN FLETCHER

With Jermain Defoe and Fabio Borini available to Allardyce, Scotland international Steven Fletcher could be discarded. Though a sale is unlikely to recoup much of the £14m Sunderland shelled out for his services to Burnley, he’s likely to have some suitors at least.

By no means a bad player, but Defoe and Borini simply offer more in attacking areas. The 28-year old has been a solid servant, but his sale could generate much needed funds.

He’s been in decent international form, but taking into account Gibraltar presence in the Scots’ Euro 2016 qualifying group would show he’s really quite ineffective.

DANNY GRAHAM

Unlike Fletcher, selling Danny Graham is not likely to produce much in the way of incoming funds. However, selling Danny Graham is a good thing. Because he’s Danny Graham. And you’re selling him.

Perhaps, that’s too unfair, as he’s largely been playing in sub-standard Sunderland teams during his Black Cats career. However, loan spells at Hull and Wolves haven’t yielded much success in terms of goals and the fact he supports Newcastle hasn’t endeared him to fans.

Get rid.

LIAM BRIDCUTT

The former Brighton man was brought in under former boss Gus Poyet, and has been unable to force himself into a fully-fledged first team option.

Lee Cattermole, Yann M’vila and Jack Rodwell offer strong options (on paper at least) in the middle of the park, leaving the Scottish international on the bench. Even Jordi Gomez can supplement the aforementioned trio throughout the season.

A return to the Championship would suit all parties.

VALENTIN ROBERGE

Who? Exactly. The French defender was brought in during the infamous summer spree of 2013, where Paolo di Canio presided over perhaps the worst influx of players ever seen in the Premier League.

The French defender hasn’t even received a squad number since returning from his season long loan with Reims in his homeland, suggesting he really isn’t in the plans. We don’t want to tempt fate here at Football Fancast, but we can’t see that changing too much despite a managerial turnover.

WES BROWN

Wes Brown is a ridiculously decorated defender, with a glittering career behind them. But that’s the problem – every passing second it’s becoming more and more of a distant memory.

Younes Kaboul, Sebastian Coates and John O’Shea are able to deputise at the heart of defence, and the 36-year old former Manchester United stalwart should be moved on to make way for a younger, hungrier alternative.

Though he’s unlikely to garner much in the way of a transfer fee, getting his presumed eye-wateringly expensive wages off the bill is likely to help.

It’s fair to say it has been up and down for Gareth Bale since his world-record transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid.

The Wales international’s first season in the Spanish capital was marked by an astounding decisive goal in the Copa del Rey final and a telling strike in the Champions League final that led to Los Blancos winning La Decima.

However, since the turn of this year, things appear to have gone wrong for the gifted attacker.

Goals started drying up, the Madrid fans and media started to turn on him, friction appears present with Cristiano Ronaldo and his confidence has taken a hit.

Someone of Bale’s ability is always going to have suitors, with plenty of rumours linking the Premier League’s biggest teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, with a move for the Wales international.

However, with the potential for a Premier League return, should Bale move back to English football’s top flight if given the chance?

YES

There is certainly an argument that Bale is better off back in the British game.

The Spanish press have clearly vilified the Welshman and winning their respect back is going to take feats of mammoth proportions.

Ronaldo still rules the roost at the Santiago Bernabeu and while the Portugal international is at the club, Bale will always be forced to play in a support role.

A move back to the Premier League, where he would be comfortable in his surroundings and be able to speak English to team-mates again, would alleviate some of the pressure of adapting to a different culture.

United are the team most commonly linked with a move for Bale, with the Red Devils currently crying out for wide players with pace, power and incision.

If he were to move to Old Trafford the Wales international could well be part of the historic club’s rejuvenation into one of the world’s best and would certainly receive much more love and admiration than he is winning in Spain currently.

NO

From the outside, Bale appears to be something of a stubborn and certainly motivated character, with a return to the Premier League all but admitting defeat.

Although the current climate is not one that he is thriving in, there are reasons to suggest that he can relish being in Madrid if he sticks it out.

Ronaldo’s future is a constant source of speculation and if the Ballon d’Or holder leaves it would open the door for Bale to be the club’s main man.

The old adage that form is temporary and class permanent applies here, with it only a matter of time before someone of Bale’s calibre returns to become a superstar in Spain.

A Galactico yes, but one of the world’s best? No – but Bale can still be a success at Madrid if he continues to work hard.

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Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur will have the final say on the coming weekend of Premier League action, with the two sides meeting at White Hart Lane on Sunday in a 4pm kickoff.

The Magpies and the Lilywhites are enduring rather polarised fortunes this season. Spurs are knocking on the door of Champions League qualification and haven’t actually lost a league game since the opening day of the season. Newcastle, meanwhile, are in 18th place and have conceded the most goals of any Premier League side.

But Spurs have come off the boil in recent weeks, scoring just once amid draws with Chelsea and West Brom, whilst Newcastle’s survival bid received a massive boost last weekend with a shock 2-0 win over Liverpool.

So who will come out on top this Sunday? It could well come down to which side dominates the key individual battles. With that in mind, here are FIVE Football Fancast view as the most important.

GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM VS KYLE WALKER

Having scored six of his seven Premier League goals from the left wing – including a strike against Liverpool last weekend – versatile midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum looks set to line up in that role on Sunday, putting him directly against Tottenham Hotspur right-back Kyle Walker.

The England international boasts pace and power in abundance and has been in decent form this season, helping the Lilywhites record the second-best goals conceded record in the Premier League with 2.5 tackles, 3.1 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per match.

But Wijnaldum is a tactical and intelligent player, a typical Netherlands product, which is exactly where Walker lacks. The 25-year-old has drifted inside to great effect this season, regularly finding the net alongside two assists, and Walker must ensure he’s not outsmarted on Sunday.

HARRY KANE VS FABRICIO COLOCCINI

Fabricio Coloccini showed remarkable improvements against Liverpool last weekend, playing a prominent role in Newcastle recording their third win and fourth clean sheet of the season, but the Magpies captain is still a weak link at the heart of defence.

Many of his performances have ranged between appalling and abysmal this season and despite boasting more than enough Premier League experience after nearly eight years at St. James’ Park, he’s struggled to provide the leadership and organisation Newcastle’s backline desperately needs.

Only a display parallel to the one against Liverpool will suffice on Sunday, when the 33-year-old faces one of the Premier League’s most potent goal threats in Harry Kane.

The England international is in the upper echelons of the division’s goal charts once again this season with eight in 15. Having not scored domestically for the last two weeks, the 6 foot 2 striker will be particularly keen to hit the net against the Magpies.

PAPISS CISSE VS TOBY ALDERWEIRELD AND JAN VERTONGHEN

Papiss Cisse got the nod against Liverpool last Sunday and although he failed to find the net, he did hold up the ball and provide the Magpies with an outlet going forward – something they have abundantly lacked at times this season.

Likewise, the Senegal international has only recently returned to first team duties following a short spell out of the side so another start will do his confidence and his scoring touch a world of good. He’s provided the goals to keep Newcastle in the top flight before and the 30-year-old’s Premier League record isn’t actually that bad – 36 goals in 104 outings.

At White Hart Lane, however, Cisse will face one of the toughest challenges for any striker in the Premier League this season in the form of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

Having played together regularly at Ajax and with the Belgium national team, the Spurs centre-back duo have already developed an incredibly strong partnership with an almost telepathic understanding.

Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa, Romelu Lukaku and even Leicester City record-breaker Jamie Vardy have failed to score past them this season – so Cisse looks set for a tough afternoon.

DELE ALLI VS JACK COLBACK

Dele Alli’s importance to the Tottenham starting Xi appears to be growing by the game, evident enough through his point-grabbing strike against West Bromwich Albion last weekend.

The 19-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal since arriving from MK Dons during the summer, recently excelling in the No.10 role, and is now a recurring fixture in Roy Hodgson’s plans for the England national team.

But with Euro 2016 now just around the corner, that could well inspire a higher level of performance from Newcastle’s Jack Colback on Sunday. He’ll line up directly against Alli as one of the Magpies’ two deep-lying midfielders and should relish the challenge of overshadowing a fellow home-grown talent far above him in the England pecking order.

The 25-year-old produced a strong display against Liverpool last weekend, recording two tackles, three interceptions, two clearances, one created chance and one successful dribble, and will need to recreate that at White Hart Lane.

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN VS DARYL JANMAAT

Almost a carbon copy of the aforementioned Wijnaldum-Walker battle, the skirmish between Christian Eriksen and Daryl Janmaat on the opposite flank is another one to keep an eye out for.

The Dutch international likes to contribute on the overlap and has already found one goal and two assists from right-back this season, whilst averaging just shy of one created chance and one dribble per match – not too bad considering Newcastle’s current league position.

Janmaat’s defensive qualities, however, often leave a lot to be desired, which could spell huge trouble at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen is Spurs’ most dependable creative threat, claiming the most assists, five, and the most created chances per match, three, of any player in the Lilywhites squad this term, and he looks set to continue in the left wing berth this weekend.

If there’s one saving grace for Janmaat, however, it’s that right midfielder Moussa Sissoko will offer a fair amount of defensive protection in front of him.

Hello internet! Welcome back to another edition of Fantasy Premier League captain choices, in which we look at the players that could give us a considerable return of double points if handed the coveted armband.

But before we dwelve into our options, let’s take a look at last’s week’s choices and see who performed and who flopped.

1. Sergio Aguero (5)

2. Romelu Lukaku (1)

3. Dimitri Payet (2)

4. Diego Costa (1)

5. Alexis Sanchez (2)

This was definitely the worst set of selection we had in weeks, with the biggest the omission of a certain Harry Kane, who proved the FootballFanCast team wrong with a brilliant 2-goal display. Leicester players were also left out due to the visit of Liverpool, with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez once again earning points to our regret.

Can we redeem ourselves with the new picks for this weekend? We’ll know on Monday!

Here are Five Captain Choices (if you still want to trust us) ahead of Gameweek 25.

Sergio Aguero

He may have only gotten 5 measly points, but Sergio Aguero (13.5) is still bang on form with yet another goal… his fifth in his last three games.

Up next is the in-form Leicester City, who have surprised everyone to continue their ascent up the league table. What does not bode well for Aguero is that Leicester have only lost one away game all season (against Liverpool), and have only conceded one goal in their last six games.

But Aguero being Aguero, you won’t bet against him grabbing another in a top-of-the-table clash.

Harry Kane

Sorry Harry, but we shouldn’t have left you out of our top five list last time. So to make up for that, you’re number 2!

Harry Kane (10.0) is once again on fine form with four goals in his last three, and up next for the Lilywhites at White Hart Lane are Watford… who have only won one in their last seven matches.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are on fine for and if results go their way, can even leapfrog Man City into second on the table. If they’re to do so, expect Kane to be in the centre of it.

Riyad Mahrez

We’ll learn from our mistakes and realize that we should not ignore Leicester players, even if they travel to Manchester City. And despite Jamie Vardy’s (7.2) double salvo, we’re opting for the more consistent Riyad Mahrez (7.1) against the Citizens.

The Algerian has been nothing short of fantastic this term, notching 13 goals and nine assists so far. And against City who are likely to attack the Foxes, Mahrez’s creativity could be the key to hitting them on the counter attack.

Mahrez also seems to favour scoring away from home, with nine out his 13 strikes arriving on the road compared to Vardy, who only has six away out of his 18 goals.

Roberto Firmino

Roberto Firmino (8.0) will have a brilliant chance to provide owners with points this weekend, with Liverpool hosting a struggling Sunderland side at Anfield.

The Brazilian has been in decent form of late but was kept quiet last time out by a solid Leicester City defence, however he will likely have much more freedom against the Black Cats on Saturday.

Firmino likes to explode in points rather than tick along consistently, so giving the armband may be risky, but the rewards are tenfold.

Mesut Ozil

Earlier in the season, Mesut Ozil (9.9) was a must have in your Fantasy team, providing assist after assist to rack up a total of 16.

However, the German’s output has decreased recently due to a combination of injury and fatigue, but he would have gotten at least two goals if it wasn’t for Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal on Tuesday.

Almost back to his best with Arsenal needing a win against Bournemouth, Ozil has the potential for both goals and assists against the relegation-battling Cherries.

‘Dull? Limp? Lifeless?’ asked Cheryl Tweedy-Cole-Fernandez-Versini (sounds like the Sunderland back four) whilst tugging at her perfect hair extensions promoting some overpriced shampoo with super ingredients you’ve never heard of such as ‘elephantjizzium’. ‘Sparse, greying and prickly’ would be my follicular response.

The words of the Geordie singer-socialite echoed in my mind after witnessing the second instalment of last Thursday’s Europa League (the Hipster’s Champions League), and they pertained to the not-so-horny Manchester United’s performance. While Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool (as inextricably linked as Gary Neville and Valencia) bullied and harassed like evil Duracell bunnies on speed, Van Gaal’s United cowered in the corner, asking not to be punched in the face because their first communion was at the weekend.

Van Gaal’s post-match declaration that Fellaini had been one of the best players on the pitch was as ludicrous as his dive only a few days previous. Playing Fellaini in the holding role proved that the eight months of research Moyes did in playing him there was completely wasted: the only holding Fellaini ever does is on the opposition’s jerseys. The continuous formation switching coupled with the fluidity of defensive positioning – Chris Smalling has had more partners this season than Noah did in his big boat – made for a kaleidoscope of confusion.

Van Gaal’s masterplan, or ‘philosophy’, seems to be to make lots of unorthodox decisions, hope one comes off (like Dirk Kuyt at right back or picking Marcus Rashford) and then claim all credit for being a tactical wizard, absolving him of all previous sins and underachievement. His team are currently one very good goalkeeper away from being mid-table also rans. In 6th position in the league with nine games remaining, practically out of the Europa League and hanging on in the FA Cup (remember when Man United dismissed its importance?) like a stubborn dangleberry, difficult games will fly in more quickly than Paul Scholes’ soundbites.

The worst thing about the performance was that, for all that Liverpool played well, there is an obvious way to play against the high pressing team. Diagonal balls over the top would have had Lovren and Sakho back-pedalling against Martial, Memphis and Rashford (MMR – the injection of pace) with space to be exploited. However, all viruses need a host cell to bind to in order to flourish, and the antibody came in the form of the patient passing game, attempted with hexagonally-booted Fellaini as the playmaker.

Before this maul on Merseyside, I was torn between two games: Borussia Dortmund v Spurs or Shakhtar Donetsk v Anderlecht. That was until I saw Pochettino’s starting XI. Harry Kane was rested for the game away to one of the best teams in Europe to keep him fresh for the crunch match against Aston Villa, a team who cannot beat its own reserves.

So my attention was divided three ways, between watching Anderlecht continue to disappoint, occasionally peeking at Dortmund v Spurs on my delayed stream and engaging in a vociferous Facebook debate about Pochettino’s team selection. While Dortmund inexorably battered Spurs like a pizza in a Glasgow chippy, the social media debate arrived at an impasse that stated “if Pochettino wins the league, he’s a genius and if he doesn’t, he’s a fanny”.

Anderlecht meanwhile were a little outclassed, despite Flying Frank Acheampong’s away goal, and their ineptitude at set pieces remains depressingly recurrent. For the return leg, I’d quite like someone with more technical nous than me to do a heat map plotting the movement of Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi, whose histrionics and gestures make Klopp look like one of those people who paint themselves silver and want money for standing still. They should fit a dynamo to his flailing right hand and he could power the floodlights for the entire match.

Finally, I really enjoyed that all of the Europa League ties were played on the one night, back to back. This diffusing the Champions’ League matches over four weeks for the same round in order to maximise the number of adverts shown is less organic and makes you lose sight of who has played who, or even what round it is.

The Europa League, much derided by the English establishment because Thursday to Sunday is deemed a shorter recovery period than Wednesday to Saturday, has proven to be a sweet filling to the stale bread of the predictable and repetitive Champions League this year and is fast becoming the tournament of the discerning football fan.

Roll on Thursday!

This article was submitted via our new Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and make sure you follow @FFC_WFU on Twitter for #RealOpinions…

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Life isn’t that hard for a professional footballer, but some make it harder than it should be.

Denmark international, Nicklas Bendtner, has just been effectively sacked by Wolfsburg after a series of ridiculous misdemeanours that truly could have been avoided.

His contract was terminated 15 months early after the striker was asked to train alone for the two weeks prior to his departure from the Bundesliga club.

Bendtner never really shone at Wolfsburg, with the 28-year-old Dane scoring just nine goals in 47 league appearances since he moved on a free transfer in the summer of 2014. The striker was involved in a number of controversies while with the Bundesliga side, including being fined for posting a picture showing him getting into a Mercedes car, the manufacturing rival of Volkswagen – Wolfsburg’s owners – on Instagram, and also for arriving 50 minutes late for a training session.

He also has not played for his country since November of last year.

It was the same case in Bendtner’s final years at Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger grew increasingly exasperated by the talented youngster’s tendency to become embroiled in controversy.

Bendtner, surprisingly, is something of a cult hero at Arsenal though. He promised much in the early stages of his career, scoring 41 goals during his time in England, which included loan spells at Birmingham and Sunderland.

He also attracted unwanted attention off the field, most notably being pictured leaving a nightclub with his trousers undone in 2009 and being fined £100,000 by Arsenal for drunkenly threatening a Copenhagen taxi driver in 2012.

Bizarrely, Arsenal fans immediately went to social media and started suggesting that Wenger should bring Bendtner back in place of the much maligned Olivier Giroud. Gosh, Giroud must be bad! Although they are only joking… surely?

Despite his abundant opportunities, it’s always been to getting into trouble at which he excels. He doesn’t seem to want to make the most of what could be a seriously good career –  he’ll waste it away and look back with regret in years to come. Or maybe not.

Seeing talent just frittered away makes you wonder just how much all of this means to the player. With his troubled past in the spotlight, it will be tough for the Dane to find yet another club willing to take him on. Undoubtedly, someone, somewhere will take a chance, but ultimately, that club will come to the same conclusions drawn by Wolfsburg.

Bendtner obviously never learns his lessons, and so at this award driven time of the year, the Dane takes the prize as the world’s most stupid footballer.

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There is a sizeable job to do at Liverpool for Jurgen Klopp. Eighth place in the league is aeons away from where the club think they belong and with the ever growing competitiveness of the league they are in, returning to the top four will be some task.

New signings are a given for the Merseysiders but equally, Klopp’s reputation for developing within will prove just as vital. The former Mainz and Dortmund boss evolved players at both clubs, and in the latter’s case, turned them into one of the finest teams in Europe with a mixture of players already at the club and ones coming in for bargain prices.

The Reds fans are hoping he can do this again. The German has a number of young players at his disposal, but it’s one he’s yet to work with that could be the key to an upturn in fortunes – Lazar Markovic.

The former Benfica man joined the club in 2014 as Brendan Rodgers desperately scrambled around for players to replace Luis Suarez.

Unfortunately for all involved Markovic found it tough in his first season at Anfield and was duly shipped out on loan to Fenerbahce for 2015/16. There is hope, however, that Klopp can get the best out of the Serbian, who showed flashes of his talent in his one season for the Reds, so he might get another chance.

Here at FootballFanCast we’ve thought of these FIVE reasons explain why…

He’s young

The Serbian has only just turned 22, so it’s a bit unfair to cast his career off as a failure already. Not every top class player hits the ground running at a young age and is an immediate success. Look at the likes of Jamie Vardy: where was he when he was 22? There are plenty of stories just like his, too, so Markovic has time on his side to show his worth and under the guidance of a man manager like Klopp, he’s sure to improve.

Played out of position

2014/15 was a season of round pegs in square holes for the Reds. Emre Can was deployed as a centre half in a back three for example and Markovic man was not immune. An advanced player by trade the Eastern European is used to playing in the final third, but was often used as a wing back in Rodgers’ tenure. Playing him in his natural position should be the least he deserves next season to show what he’s got.

Playing style

Markovic is a high energy, fast and tireless player. You could not have complained he didn’t work for his team even as a wing back at times at Anfield. He’s a player that fits the profile of a Klopp team then and the German will surely want to mould him even more so into a player that can lead Liverpool’s high pressing style from the front as the Reds look to adopt Klopp’s ‘gegenpressing’ approach.

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Genuine Ability

There’s something about the Serbian that can’t be ignored. He won the domestic treble with Benfica in his time in Portugal and that can’t be sniffed at. He was a key part of that team too and clearly when you see him on the ball he has a number of tricks up his sleeve. Give him the confidence he needs, just as Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana needed, and Liverpool could have a top class winger.

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Liverpool’s lack of width

Aside from Jordon Ibe, Liverpool look bereft of genuine wide players. Of course Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana have done admirably in these roles, but neither is an out and out winger, and the Reds desperately need this option in order to shake things up. Step in, Markovic, who is a proven wide man who’d revel in being Liverpool’s first choice for this role and give the Reds another dimension going forward.

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It was tight, it was very close and only a lucky deflection saw Real Madrid go through, but it did cause fans to think.Brave, City were, and they achieved far more than some said they would, but like Bayern Munich in the other tie, there was something missing. Just a little piece ofÂthe jigsaw that takes semi-finalists all the way to Champions League winners.No doubt Pep Guardiola will be hoping that he can go that step further with Man City, once they are formally confirmed as participants next season.City are the new rich kids on the block and Real represented the old school. Much of the build-up to the game, in the Spanish press at least, had looked at how the European Cup’s most successful ever team were being challenged by recently arrived upstarts who had spent big through recent years, but had little history in the competition.They lack history in Europe, but one thing City aren’t devoid ofÂis the finance. They can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s best and they have signed some stellar names, but are those players enough? At the back, City looked frail on WednesdayÂnight, with balls being passed through their defence like a hot knife through butter.The managers at the Etihad have largely been top class achievers elsewhere, but the announcement that Guardiola is on his way might take City’s situation to the next level. Time will tell.Last time out, City never really looked likely to get to the final. At no point in this tie did they ever look likely to really hurt Real. Back at the Bernabeu, where he had such a hard time of it as coach in 2009/10, Pellegrini appeared in denial duringÂhis post-match news conference. The Chilean claimedÂthat his side had been just as good as Madrid, and doubted the official UEFA statistics that showed Madrid had 15 attempts at goal (five on target) to City’s four (zero on target).Maybe City missed David Silva and Samir Nasri? Just as in the first leg last week, City’s top scorer Sergio Aguero was well marshalled by markers Pepe and Sergio Ramos, Kevin De Bruyne struggled to get into the game and Yaya Toure looked well off the pace on his return from injury. Maybe it was a combination of factors and not just that a particular segment of the team functions less effectively than any other part.To win anything, you come across the best at some point, but drawing a Spanish side was unfortunate,Âas La Liga sides are dominant right now. Spanish clubs are now 16/15 against teams from other countries in UEFA knockout rounds this season. They are 18-2 up in their past 18 meetings with Premier League opponents, and have won 45 of their past 49 two-legged ties against rivals from across the full continent.So, is the gap the leagues? There is always serious debate over which league is more entertaining, but in La Liga, three teams dominate, whereas in the Premier League, at least for this season, it has been entirely unpredictable, although more stable in previous years.A year ago, City’s captain, Vincent Kompany, was quoted as saying: “You have to look at what are Bayern Munich, what are Barcelona. They are not just Champions League-winning teams, they are World Cup-winning teams as well. They have generations that have played together a long time.”Guardiola will be the beginning of plugging the gap with the elite. With a top class manager, City will re-build and put together a number of individual talents that are able to play as a team.It may not be next year, but within two seasons, that gap will be virtually non-existent and City will start to write their name into Champions League history.

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Mauricio Pochettino could have a tough job on his hands when he is back with his Spurs players. With the five England men who faced the humiliating heartbreak against Iceland, morale could be well down ahead of the new campaign and it will probably take some positive results and some new faces to cheer up a squad that has barely recovered from their crushingly poor end to last season.

The climax of the 2015/16 campaign was bad enough, but the fact that so many of Pochettino’s best players either got themselves suspended or went through an uncharacteristic period of truly pathetic form has raised questions. It’s a case of sewing together what they have/had and adding a few nice little patterns to complement Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Dele Alli.

There’s a lot to do if Tottenham think they can compete with their big spending rivals for the title next year. Just a pointer for Poch, these FIVE might help…

Dries Mertens

If Pochettino fancies adding to the significant Belgian contingent at Spurs, Napoli’s Dries Mertens must be a strong candidate.

The winger possesses pace that neither Erik Lamela nor Christian Eriksen can offer and is more likely to stick to a wider position. Although this isn’t a staple of Pochettino’s philosophy, Mertens would certainly offer a new option.

Ivan Perisic

Few players are as versatile as Ivan Perisic. Despite usually playing in a wide area, Perisic can play in a deeper midfield role, as a false nine of just off of the main striker. In a system with as a much flexibility as Pochettino’s, this would be hugely useful as players begin to tire.

Perisic’s antics at the EUROs show just how good he can be and there are few better managers than Pochettino to bring that potential to the fore.

Andre Gomes

Valencia’s Andre Gomes, like Perisic, is a vastly versatile player who can play across the midfield or in attacking midfield support roles.

The Portuguese star has not been quite the player that many would have expected to see at the EUROs, but that is unlikely to put off potential suitors.

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Christian Benteke

Once a stalwart of the Tottenham transfer rumour pages, Benteke looks to be living on borrowed time at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp plots to change the look of his squad.

Although he’s hardly likely to slip comfortably into Pochettino’s pressing either, Benteke would be a quality addition for when Spurs need to rest Harry Kane. A target man by nature, Benteke’s link-up play is an under-rated attribute and would be ideal to bring the midfield runners in to the game.

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Benedikt Howedes

Howedes has been a member of the irrepressible German squad over the past few years and it has been his own flexibility positionally that has granted him a regular place.

Able to play at either full-back role – which Tottenham have well covered – Howedes is more naturally a centre-back and has excelled in that position during the past few seasons with Schalke.

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It’s looking slightly more embarrassing now than it did last week for West Ham.

In their new found ambition, the Hammers’ owners were willing to spend big and bring in marquee signings for their first season at  their new mega sized home.

Only, it’s not panning out as anyone connected with the Hammers would have hoped. Certainly for West Ham fans, it’s beginning to be very frustrating and in front of the footballing world, a bit of a joke.

No Lacazette, no Batshuayi and now no Bacca.

We know that David Sullivan is doing his best, but it can’t be easy dealing with a fickle player and his agent.

The fabled “lists” that West Ham had of strikers must now be down to list C or D, as their major targets either move elsewhere, declare a burning ambition to play in the Champions League or stay where they are.

Every day West Ham are being linked with another striker and at the moment it is for all the wrong reasons.

There are still a number of creditable strikers to be had, but if you are looking for A listers, then that ship has sailed and West Ham are still not quite a destination of choice for such stars.

Money doesn’t always become the motivating factor, but it seems, playing at the highest level and in the Champions League is. Bilic will really need to fire his troops up for another strenuous Premier League season and make a concerted effort on the league if the club are to attract the players they want this time next year.

It is all proving more difficult than David Sullivan ever thought possible and he declared as much in the Mirror: “The problem is every striker you go for, there are 10 others clubs interested in him.

“In a perfect world I would like to think we will bring in a top class striker but we’ve all got limits on what we can pay. I am a little concerned because I’d like to have signed one by now. But it is what it is.

“I would say to people if we don’t bring anyone in it is not the end of the world as we were the fourth highest scorers in the Premier League last season – and we haven’t lost a striker.”

To West Ham fans that seems a sensational comment to make. West Ham seemingly only have one forward that seems to want to play for them – Andy Carroll – and he is now struggling with a groin strain. Enner Valencia has his mind on a move to Serie A and Diafra Sakho, who refused to go to Austria with the squad, looks almost certain to be on his way out of the club too.

Sullivan has reportedly said that no one is going anywhere until they sign a striker, but does Slaven Bilic really want two unhappy players in the team that will not be giving their best every week?

For David Sullivan to make that remark is arguably irresponsible. As is making public the amount he was willing to pay Carlos Tevez. It now sparks others into thinking that they can get a similar amount.

Before the summer, David Sullivan wrote for whufc.com: “Once we sign a top striker I will feel a lot better and that is the main position we need.”

Mr Sullivan – once you sign a striker or two, West Ham fans will feel a whole lot better as well, whichever list they’re on.

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